I’ve often felt like I’m constantly pushing at the universe, asking it to work faster. Whatever is going on in my life, I’m behind it, pushing with both arms, face red with exertion, and legs taut with effort. Often (as in, always), this doesn’t really do any good. Even with all that extra energy and effort, things don’t really move along any faster.

A couple of years ago, I coined the term “over-efforting” to describe this way of living. I had caught on that it wasn’t working for me, and started to practice the art of listening for right timing. Things tend to work out easily, smoothly, and effortlessly if I listen for the perfect moment to do them.

Recently, though, I’ve been learning something even more interesting. I’ve been learning the art of waiting. In some ways, I’ve been learning this for over ten years, starting with my chronic pain syndrome journey and the discovery of mind-body healing. When I was struggling with vulvodynia and interstitial cystitis, I had to let my body take the lead and heal at its own pace. The more I tried to hurry it, the slower it went.

However, being pregnant has taught me a whole new level of following my body’s lead. There’s just no rushing a pregnancy. In fact, time has seemed to slow down while I’ve been pregnant, and I have this sense that there are more hours in the day than before. There are many things I cannot rush during this process.

I can’t rush the baby’s growth.

I can’t rush my mental and emotional readiness to be a parent.

I can’t rush my preparations for the baby’s arrival.

I can’t rush anything, because I mostly have to waddle everywhere.

I’ve started to see how waiting can be a good thing in my everyday life; maybe because this pregnancy is teaching me the art of waiting and there’s no dropping this class.

Over a year ago, we hired a contractor to renovate our home, and the project has lagged onward, dragging, sagging, and slowly, ever so very slowly, getting done. Recently, the contractor vanished for a month with nary a text or phone call. At first, I was resigned to a lost week of work. The second week brought some anxiety about getting the house ready before Baby Girl arrives. By the third week, I was annoyed as heck.

I wanted to call the contractor, text him, or drive to his home and drag him over here to work. Yet, something in me said, “Wait.” So I waited. I didn’t contact him. I breathed. I coached myself. I felt my emotions. And then, he contacted me. It turned out he’d had a terrible family emergency and had been dealing with that for four weeks. I was immensely relieved I had not sent angry texts numbers one-fifteen that I’d composed in my head. I was quite glad I hadn’t left any of the grumpy, hormonal messages I’d dreamed of leaving in his voicemail. Instead, I’d waited. Truly, for me, that is somewhat miraculous.

Lately, I’ve noticed that I hear that word a lot. “Wait,” says my soul, every time I want to push and hurry something along. When I want my husband to do something, I start to say it, start to push at him, and then I hear it. “Wait.” I breathe. I wait. I let the universe do its thing. Without me saying anything, he does what I’m hoping he’ll do. He’s already on it. He knows. He doesn’t need me to push.

Really, as far as I can tell, nothing needs me to push. Lately, I’ve taken to spending even more time resting and lolling about in a meditative state. This is partially due to my baby-growing exhaustion, but it’s also because I’ve realized that the less I push and force and try and effort, the more things magically just work. Without my help.

If you’re a law of attraction fan like me, you’ll find that you manifest what you want more quickly when you wait instead of push. (In fact, you might enjoy the article I wrote on Slacker Manifesting!

Here’s my new mantra, and you’re welcome to try it out, too:

Wait.

I use it whenever I want to hurry, push, or go faster in any way.

Often when I start working with a client who wants physical pain relief or weight loss, the first thing they ask me is how long it took me to heal my own body. Pretty much everyone wants the healing process to happen quickly. I’ve learned, though, from my body, that healing cannot be rushed. The body will heal and return to balance with itself if you quit pushing it and start listening to it. There can’t be a time frame, a schedule, or a hurry.

Whatever you want – be it health, weight loss, joy, a successful business, stress relief, confidence, etc. – the answer lies in the art of waiting. When you wait and let the universe show you the way, you’ll know exactly what action steps will serve you. You’ll reserve effort for when it’s most efficient. You’ll make fewer people angry with you. You’ll enjoy a more peaceful existence within yourself. And, paradoxically, you’ll find that things get done faster. Which, for a Quick Start, is really, really good news.

Have you ever taken yourself on a Mind-Body Date?

 No?

Oh my gosh – now is the time! A mind-body date is an hour, a day, a weekend, or more scheduled just for you to enjoy, play with, and enhance your mind-body connection.

Here’s how it works.

1)     Pick a date.

2)     Pick a location. (Can be your own home!)

3)     Gather up your favorite mind-body tools and resources, as well as things you’ve been wanting to investigate more deeply.

4)     Optional: Schedule a mind-body treat like a massage, yoga session, walk in nature, etc.

5)     Start. This means you wake up, ask your body and soul what feels fun, fabulous, and delicious, and start with that. Stop when it’s no longer fun. Ask the same question. Do whatever feels fun, fabulous, and delicious now. Stop when it’s no longer fun. Rinse and repeat. For an hour, a day, a weekend, or more!

Sometimes, on my mind-body dates, I spend hours immersed in mind-body resources. Sometimes, I journal. Sometimes, I nap. Or cook a new meal. Or daydream. Or create something.

There are no rules.

Because your body leads the way.

There are no shoulds, no right/wrongs, no mistakes. I’ve had mind-body dates that ended up being hours curled up with a fiction book or totally immersed in a movie. I’ve had mind-body dates where I cried and moped around for a day. I’ve had mind-body dates where I enjoyed the presence of my dog.

The main goal of a mind-body date is to set aside time to listen to what your body and soul really want, and then follow through.

The more you have dates, the more you start adopting this as a way of life. But, the dates still help you reconnect anytime you get busy, stressed, or notice your mind taking over more than you’d like.

I’m going on a mind-body date this week. I’d love to hear about yours!

I suggested she ask, “How can I have fun?” and “What feels great?” anytime she was planning her day. Immediately she saw that walking her dog could be a totally different experience. She could jog if she wanted to. She could go to a different location. She was completely in charge of making that task enjoyable for herself – except, she hadn’t been making it enjoyable. She’d been making it boring and un-fun.

It sounds so simple, doesn’t it? Yet, taking charge of your day, your week, your life and being proactive about making it the way you want – REALLY the way you want – sometimes falls through the cracks. It’s easy to fall into the “have to’s” and the “shoulds” and the “get it done” mode. Believe me, I can certainly go there.

However, I think my body has given me special training in creating a life that feels fun and enjoyable. Going through the chronic pain experience really opened my eyes and forced me to start listening to my body. Instead of constantly letting my mind rule my days, I had to start following my body’s needs. Those ranged from types and amounts of rest to types and amounts of foods to types and amounts of physical movement.

I learned that my body knew exactly what it wanted, and if I listened, I had a lot more fun. Everything went more smoothly in my life. My body had opinions on everything. All I had to do was tune in and listen.

Now, many years later, I let my body inform me on a daily basis. I let my body tell me what feels great. It’s not always what my logical mind would have guessed, which is what makes it interesting. I let my mind and body work as a team. Once my mind has heard what my body has to say, I then proactively and deliberately choose and plan to make my day, my week, my month as good as possible. I find as much fun, enjoyment, and contentment as possible. I tailor my life to what truly feels good to me, my body, and my soul.

The funny thing is, this is actually pretty simple. I find that what feels great is often just a simple tweak to how I’m already doing things. Sometimes it means adding in a bigger change, but for the most part, I find contentment and peace right here, in this moment, sipping cold water with lemon in it. No lemon? Not as much fun. Not quite right. When I take the time to listen to the small needs, the little things, the details of what makes my life just right, I feel great.

Why not give it a try?

What do you need today?

What feels fun?

What feels great?

What does your body want to do, eat, drink?

Don’t let a single moment pass without upgrading it to exactly what you want. Seriously. It’s a wild idea, but I think you’ll see how much fun your life can be as a result.

Now, as an adult, I’d have to narrow down my top two career choices to life coach and spy. I realize that being a spy might be a tad unrealistic. First, I’d have to be able to shoot a gun with accurate aim, something that is not in my skill-set. (Instead, I’d likely harm myself and innocent bystanders.) I’d probably be more like Jonny English than Sydney Bristow  if I was a spy. Second – well, there are numerous reasons the spy lifestyle just isn’t for me.

Recently, I was pondering this seemingly dichotomous pair of interests. I wondered why I have always been so passionate about spying, when it was never something I’d really do. The FBI would probably cringe at the very thought of recruiting me. Then I realized that the essence of what I love about spying is the very essence of coaching. It’s observing other people, noticing, and cataloging information without making judgments.

Even more than that, it’s the very core of what I’ve learned about creating peace in my own life. If I can observe myself, take notes, and study myself without judgment, I can learn about myself. I can take the pressure off and stop constantly trying to change myself. Instead, I can get to know myself.

A good spy has to stay detached as she observes and gathers information. She can’t be emotionally involved with the subjects in her mission, because then she can’t view them objectively.

Being a good spy in your own life requires the same skill. It requires stepping back and observing yourself as though you were watching a complete stranger. All those ideas about how you think you should be, who you think you are, ideas you’ve accumulated about yourself, judgments you’ve long held – they all have to go out the window.

To accomplish this, I pretend I’m a spy looking in on my own life. If you don’t have a passion for spying, you might pretend you are a scientist observing an experiment. That requires the same detachment and non-judgmental observation skills. Whether you’re a spy or a scientist, you’ll be doing the same thing: observing and noting things about yourself, then drawing conclusions, and finally, taking action.

Often, when something isn’t working in our lives, the temptation is to jump straight into action or fix mode. Solve the problem! Do something!

This is skipping an important and essential step: observation and discovery. If you really do look before you leap, you’ll find that you are much more efficient and effective with the action steps you take to improve your life.

For example, let’s say I want to lose weight. The action mode might take me into dieting and starting a new exercise plan. But how do I know if those are really effective for me? How do I know that’s what I actually need? The truth is, I don’t.

First, I need to take some time to observe myself. I need to ask questions like, what is my relationship with food? Do I eat when I’m not hungry? Do I use food to avoid emotions? If so, how? What are the most common triggers for me? Why do I use food to avoid emotions? What am I thinking about when I overeat? Am I overeating for other reasons, like a desire to feel more connected to my body? Am I overeating a food group because I’m not getting enough of another? Am I actually not eating enough during parts of the day? Do I know how to feel emotions? What is driving my dislike for my body? Where am I putting pressure on myself and creating a catch-22, because it makes me overeat? Am I already exercising, but not in the way my body wants?

I could go on and on. There are so many unanswered questions, because I haven’t taken the time to observe, notice, and learn. Instead, I’m making a judgment – I’m overweight. Therefore, I must lose weight. Bam – action. The action may not even remotely fit the need.

Like Harriet the Spy, I still carry around a notebook. I call it my self-observation journal. (I haven’t thought of anything catchier.) In it, I notice things about myself. I keep it simple, and just try to notice emotions, thoughts, body sensations, and needs or desires. I also write down conclusions or things I’ve learned about myself from my observations.

You, too, can keep a notebook, if you want. I find that writing helps me with my observation skills. After doing this for a few years now, I notice that my first step, when I notice a problem, is now to step back and observe, with or without my journal. I’ve created a new habit. I’ve become a better spy in my own life. Which, since the FBI hasn’t called yet, is probably the closest I’ll come to being a kick-ass spy. I’ll take it.

Let me just say, though, that I’ve learned even more about rest throughout this pregnancy. Rest sounds like such a simple topic. It’s a short word. We all know what it means. It seems straightforward. 

But is it, really?

I don’t know about you, but I can ignore all kinds of important signals from my body and completely avoid resting. I’ve also had to learn how to rest. I’ve had to learn how to give myself permission to actually rest for the amount of time my body needs or my soul desires. I’ve had to learn to trust that resting enough will not take away from my creating, doing, and income-earning.

Now that I have a kid using my uterus as a gymnasium, I have a whole new perspective on resting. In the first trimester, it seems that all my body wanted to do was rest. I went to bed at eight pm. I took naps. I could barely lug my body anywhere, much less shower and put on matching clothes. It seemed, to my mind, quite extreme. My mind had many freak-outs, which went a little like this:

Oh my God! You are such a sloth!

No one else is this lethargic when pregnant – you are a pregnancy wimp!

Get it together, for crying out loud!

Aaaaaagh! There is so much to do!

My mind has always resisted rest, but I thought I was pretty good at listening to my body and letting it lead the way with regards to rest. Until it asked for more. Seriously? How much rest can a person really need?

I had a choice. Walk my talk and keep listening to my body, honor its true needs, and slow down even more, or keep up with everything and ignore my rest requirements.

So, I coached myself and settled in to the realization that I’d need to change how I was doing life, in general, to accommodate the need for more rest. I had to work with my mind to release self-judgment and imagined comments from others who might think me lazy. I had to coach myself around actual comments from people. One person (who must not realize the dangers of sharing opinions with hormonal and grumpy pregnant women) said that I was “more sensitive” than other pregnant women. Amazingly, I did not punch this person, for which I give myself much credit. Instead, I felt my emotions (um…anger!) and then coached it out.

Really, so what if I am more sensitive than someone else? What if I do need more rest than 50% of other pregnant women? The point is that this is my body, my experience, and my journey. I must honor what I actually need, and truly practice self-kindness. Taking care of me is even more important now, because in doing so, I am taking care of my daughter.

In the end, I decided to make some changes. There are some emails it has taken me a month to answer. Literally. I struck things off the to-do list that weren’t essential. I delegated more, hired more help, and asked for more help. I let walking become my main form of exercise, because my body really didn’t like anything else. I took longer to create what I wanted to create, and I created less than usual. I pushed back my website launch. I stopped coaching for a while. I didn’t hang out with friends much, even though I love them all.

Now, I’m in the final phase of the second trimester. I still need a ton of rest. I still can’t work at my usual pace. I can only prepare the baby’s nursery in tiny little steps. I forget things, make mistakes, and get behind a lot. And that’s just how it is.

I’ve learned that huge amounts of rest are worth it. My mind can judge amounts and label me and play all kinds of tricks. I just have to thank it for its opinion and then ask my body and soul what they really, truly need.

And with that, I’m off to take a nap.

I ate food to calm myself, to stuff my emotions down, and to avoid connecting with myself. I got caught up in the flurry of hating my body, trying to change it, and focusing on what I should/shouldn’t eat. That kept me successfully distracted from myself for years. I was too busy to feel emotions, connect to my inner wisdom, or any other such scary notions.

I also used food to help me find joy. Because I wasn’t allowing myself to feel a full range of emotions, real joy eluded me. I had to focus on its distant cousin, pleasure. Now I’m not saying pleasure is bad. In fact, it’s one of the best things about being alive. But pleasure without joy is empty and hollow. The delicious taste of a crunchy bite of cinnamon toast is a moment of pure delight when it’s both pleasurable and joyful.

Eventually, through the mind-body skills, I came to a much more peaceful relationship with my body and food. I felt good about my body, I listened to what it wanted to eat, and I took delight in the taste and variety of everything I ate. I felt joy. I felt sadness. I felt anger. I felt contentment. Finally, I was alive – living fully in my body and working with it instead of fighting it. There were still times when I grabbed a snack instead of feeling an emotion, but I wasn’t trying to be perfect anymore. I had found an equilibrium. Less self-pressure, more listening to myself.

Then, I got pregnant. For the first two weeks, I was ravenously hungry. I ate everything in site. My mind started to freak out. “You’ll be the fattest pregnant woman ever!” it shouted. “Aaaagh! Stop eating for two – you don’t need that much!”

So, in other words, I forgot everything I know about listening to my body.

Wise body was stocking up. Right after those two weeks of nonstop noshing, I was smacked with constant, never-ending, nausea. I am not exaggerating. I spent so much time lying on the couch that I began to blend into it – a moaning, groaning couchy lump. My mom would come visit and talk to me while I lay there, half-alive. I did a lot of writing and other work from my lump position, or in bed. Sometimes I sat up for meetings. That was the extent of my exercise, other than the occasional nauseous walk.

Needless to say, food lost all of its pleasure and joy. Everything smelled revolting and tasted awful. Yet, if I didn’t eat a little bit every couple of hours, I actually felt worse. So I resorted to force-feeding myself and eating while feeling nauseous. I am not sure there is actually anything more revolting than that experience.

For the first time in my life, I could have cared less about food. I dreamed of fasting. I longed to just drink juice for a week. But my body kept up its demanding schedule of small meals every 2-3 hours. Needless to say, I did not gain any weight during the first trimester of the pregnancy. Those first couple weeks of ravenous eating served me well, though, because I didn’t lose any weight, either. I just maintained, which gave me peace of mind. At least the baby was getting nutrition.

Around week eighteen, the nausea began to leave. Bit by bit, I started to feel better. One day, I woke up feeling really good. I was scheduled to go to lunch with a friend, and lunch actually tasted delicious. It was miraculous!

Then, later that day, I felt this strange feeling in my chest. I noticed an awful sour taste in my mouth. Confused, I consulted my pregnancy books. Diagnosis? Heartburn and indigestion – apparently a common pregnancy companion.

So yes – I enjoyed literally one meal before being plunged into a new digestive hell. To relieve the fiery pain in my chest, I had to strip my diet of all yummy things, including garlic, citrus foods, spicy foods, mustard, tomatoes, and more. Even with every possible heartburn remedy on board, I was only able to feel somewhat normal, and food still didn’t taste or sound that great. Mostly everything tasted a bit sour, like old milk. Every now and then, my body would grumble for more food, but the pleasure element had disappeared completely.

I finally surrendered to the idea that food would be nourishment, not joy, for the duration of this pregnancy.

In surrendering, I found an element of peace. It seemed do-able, this 9-month takeover of my body. Yet, it still felt and feels strange to not enjoy food at all. I reflected on the irony of spending a lifetime trying not to gain weight only to now find it difficult to gain weight when I need to. After spending years healing my relationship with my body and learning to listen to it, I now find it absolutely in charge of this pregnancy. I simply sit back and do what it says. My mind has absolutely no say. If I eat something because it simply sounds fun to my mind, my body demands in no uncertain terms that I stop immediately. Sugary foods, processed foods, snacky carbs – all those things I used to enjoy are now not even remotely appealing. You couldn’t get me to eat a Dorito for anything, because my body would immediately reject it.

Since healing my mind-body relationship, I’ve given up diets and strict food plans. I’ve taken away all restriction from my eating. I don’t avoid gluten or dairy like I used to, I’m not a vegetarian, and I eat “bad” foods that are processed or sugary. Overall, with this non-restrictive approach, I find that my body drifts toward what it needs and we don’t have fights. I don’t overeat very often and I don’t eat piles of things that my body doesn’t want. We’ve found a peaceful medium.

This current pregnancy diet is not a mind-imposed experience. I am not eating in this strict fashion because I think it is good for me, or I’m afraid of gaining weight, or I’m afraid that eating certain foods will exacerbate a pain syndrome. (Those are all things I’ve done in the past.) No, I’m eating only the foods that work in my body because my body is insistent about what it needs and wants. After so many years of mind ruling body, now body is ruling mind. It’s a funny switch. I’m comfortable now only because I surrendered and stopped fighting with my mind.

I tell you this long story because I’m smack in the middle of a new journey, a new learning curve with my mind-body relationship. I’m right in the middle of the learning process, and I’d love to take you with me. I’m fascinated. I’m amazed. I’m seeing the food and body image thing so differently now.

I look forward to someday having the pleasure and joy of eating return. I now see it not as a frustration or an addiction, not as bad or good, not as a siren song or temptress, but even more as a beautiful, joyful part of being alive. I can still have joy and peace and contentment in my life without the joy of food. I can still feel perfectly good and I can still love my life.

But there is something to be said for the spice of life – literally. Taste and texture and deliciousness are to be enjoyed and loved, because they are a part of living. A part of taking care of our beautiful bodies. A part of being physical in these beautiful bodies.

It’s a strange experience, my body being hijacked by baby. I salute to its demands, and I do not argue. My body is infinitely wise. In some ways, it’s kind of nice to be completely and totally, one-hundred-percent free of emotional eating right now. I am gaining a new perspective. I can separate out nutrition needs versus emotional needs with ease. I can see the purpose of loving food without using it as an emotional tool.

I can also see just how confused our relationship with food can be. What if it was so simple – ask your body what it really needs, verify through trial and error that you’re hearing its messages accurately, feel emotions when they arise, and then take immense pleasure in the taste of every bite you eat? Toss in a few non-essential foods that just sound fun each day. Done.

I’d love to hear from you about where you are on your food and body-image journey. What if you were in my shoes, and nothing tasted good at all? (Trust me – though you may wish for it, it’s not all its cracked up to be.)

I’m inviting you to enjoy a bite of food today, with all your taste buds, all your senses, every ounce of delight available, and immense joy. Just one bite. Do it for me. I’m living vicariously through you.

Even better – do it for you. Take pleasure and joy in the gift of eating. Let yourself love your food and yourself, for at least one bite today.

Why practice at all?

Because it’s so much fun and so amazing to hear your intuitive inner wisdom. And it’s even more fun to hear it loud and clear. The more you practice (playfully!), the louder your intuitive voice speaks to you. It makes daily decisions much simpler and the path to your right life much more efficient. Whether you want to re-align with your body and feel healthy and comfortable in your own skin or you long to have a successful and fulfilling coaching practice, your intuitive voice is the ultimate guide. Your soul steers you perfectly. All you have to do is tune in!

On my birthday in December, 2010, I did a meditation and tuned in to my soul. It told me it was time to start down the path to motherhood. Prior to that, I wasn’t sure whether or not I wanted to be a mom. After that, I knew I was meant to be one. A little soul wanted to come hang out with my husband and me. Even though it sounded terrifying and exciting and life-changing and mind-blowing all at once, I knew it was the right next step.

Now I’m going to write something I had no idea I’d write today. I’m going to tell you the whole story that led up to this moment, today, where I’m having fun announcing if baby is a boy or girl. (I’ll tell you, I promise!)

When I miscarried last year, it was too early to know whether or not we were having a boy or a girl. However, from going through the experience, I felt that it was twins, and my doctor thought that was probably the case. I knew it was a boy and a girl. After the miscarriage, whenever I meditated and tuned in to my soul, I felt like I was also in touch with the little girl’s soul. She began to send me loving messages every time I connected to my own soul.

She told me that she wanted to be with me, to be my child, but that the first attempt wasn’t quite right – there were reasons we had to wait and start over again. Some were physical, some were spiritual, and some were emotional – I had things I needed to work through. She told me I would grow and learn and be ready soon. She said she and her brother were just fine, even though they didn’t finish their journey to be here in little baby bodies. I could feel the truth of this. Even as I grieved, even as I felt the loss of what was to be, I could feel that they were truly okay.

The baby girl soul told me she was coming back. She’d even already told us what her name was, but asked us to keep it to ourselves until she was born.

After this, I felt really excited to get pregnant again. Yet, my soul kept telling me to wait. I had healing to do, on every single level possible. So, though I was impatient and sometimes argumentative, I listened to that intuitive voice and waited.

I’m not really good at waiting. It was hard. Then, one night I had a dream. In the dream, I was far along in a pregnancy, and really happy. The dream was so vivid that it stuck with me for days. You see, in the past, I’d had a recurring dream that I was pregnant. In that recurring dream, I’d be very excited, but then I’d go stand in front of the mirror only to discover that I didn’t look pregnant anymore, and there was no baby. Three days before my miscarriage, I was standing in front of the mirror in my bathroom, and I noticed something looked different, as though I wasn’t pregnant anymore. It was the moment from the dream, happening in real life. (I’ve always had eerily accurate dreams like this, about myself and other people.)

To finally dream about being happily pregnant, for the first time in my life, felt like a deeply joyous message. I took it as a good sign. I thanked my soul.

Then, finally, the waiting was over. It was time to embark on the journey again. Exactly one year after my birthday meditation, I got the news – I was pregnant. It was the perfect birthday present.

Over the next two months, I had six dreams. In the first five, I was holding a little baby girl. I could see every feature of her face. In the dreams, I kissed her face and told her how adorable she was. I nursed her and snuggled with her. It was as though she was already here, in my arms. In the sixth dream, she was a little girl, laughing and playing. She seemed so absolutely real that I could hardly imagine anyone else but her inside my womb.

So I have to say, when the doctor looked at the ultrasound screen, smiled and said, “It’s a girl!” I wasn’t exactly surprised. Filled with joy? Yes. Deliriously happy? Yes. Filled with love? Yes.

I can’t wait to hold you in my arms, little baby girl!

I am not one of them.

I’ve always had a terrible case of curiosity, which I like to think makes me a great coach. (I’m sure it can also make me an annoying sister and friend, but hey, I’m going with the positive thinking here.)

I’ve been waiting for months for the ultrasound where, hopefully, my curiosity will be abated. On April 2, if the doc can see everything clearly, we’ll know if we’re having a boy or girl!

I thought it would be fun to play with intuition and invite you to practice tuning into yours for this momentous event. I’ve been intuiting and I have a feeling about the baby’s gender. (No, I’m not telling.)

Want to play? Here’s how:

1)     Take a couple of deep breaths. Notice your feet and hands to help you ground into your body.

2)     Imagine your wise soul sitting with you and enveloping you in loving, wise energy.

3)     Ask your soul to show you an image, share in words, or convey in whatever way works best for you whether the baby is a boy or girl.

4)     Wait for the answer without any pressure to get it right. We’re just playing, here!

5)     When you have it, fill out the survey below!

This is an ideal way to practice tuning in to your soul and hearing your intuition, because chances are you are not emotionally invested in my baby. You’re likely just fine with me having a girl or a boy. There’s nothing riding on the outcome, so you can just play. And play is the key to tapping into your intuitive inner wisdom! The more you play-practice in this way, the more trust you’ll build in your intuitive abilities. You do NOT have to be perfect. All you have to do is be willing to play. 

Here is the survey! I’ll share the results next week, as well as the results of the ultrasound!

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GBDZB7D

 As I brainstormed the new website, the new materials I was creating, and how I wanted my business to look and feel, I realized that I want to converse with you all, on a daily basis, about all of this. Body, mind, emotions, and soul. I want to create a giant conversation that brings the soul to the forefront of our conscious awareness, rather than just this nice thing that we ponder sometimes but that gets lost in daily life.

That’s why I started the anamsong Facebook page. I wanted a place where we can talk daily – about whatever you need. I can give you tips and tools to use, or concepts to think about, or just start a conversation. I can hear how things are going for you, where you’re confused, where you’re really aligned with your soul, and more. We can troubleshoot and we can celebrate, both.

I thought you should know my intention and my vision, so that you can join in if it feels fun and freeing to do so. You’re most certainly invited! Come hang out, hit the Like button, and share (or just take in the conversation). Do what serves you and your soul the most. Most of all, though, I look forward to talking with anyone who wants to talk about the magic of tuning into the soul, the journey of listening to the body, the power of feeling emotions, and the creative force of a soul-aligned mind.

See you over there!

Anamsong Facebook Page

 I’m guessing it’s a lifelong project to live, express, and encompass your soul song to its fullest. There’s a process of gathering up new realizations and insights that show you more about your soul. There’s a process of letting go of old beliefs and perceptions that keep you from realizing various parts of your soul song. It’s a bit like a continuous mystery – you get to discover more about you, every day.

Lately, I’ve been feeling like I’ve collected enough elements of myself to sing my soul song on a whole new level. If I was standing on a stage, singing a melody before, now I am belting it out with new energy, more color, strobe lights, more notes, more volume…just more! It feels so good that I want to help you belt yours out, too.

To find out what belongs in your soul song, you can look back to childhood. I believe that kids sing a fairly pure soul song tune, at least at first. Growing into adolescence and adulthood might teach us to hide or hold back, but when we’re first born, I think we’re singing loud and clear.

As a kid, I loved many things. Creating stuff. Imagining. Putting on productions and generally leading creative projects. Playing music. Writing music. Reading books about magic. Reading books like Harriet the Spy – mysteries and spy stories. Learning instruments. Singing.

I remember spending long afternoons playing “Ode to Joy” on the piano ad naseum. I couldn’t get enough of the sound of melody and how much I loved making it happen.

I got lost at night in books that took me to magical places or taught me how to spy. I often practiced my spying on family members, who learned to look for me around corners and behind furniture.

I fell head over heels in love with American Girl Dolls. Their stories were so fascinating! All that history. I’d always found Barbie to be an utter snoozefest, but American Girl Dolls were – real.

I constantly pinned pillowcases to my head and pretended I had long, flowing, curly hair. When I was ten, I got my first perm and felt like a million bucks. That started a lifelong search for the perfect curl and wave for my naturally straight hair.

I spent weeks every Christmas writing and rehearsing elaborate productions in which I also performed, prodding my brother to practice his part and prepare for the big final performance.

All of these things are clues to how I can fully sing my soul song as an adult. Harriet the Spy taught me how to observe – both myself and others – without judgment and with curiosity. This is the foundation of my coaching, now. My love for American Girl Dolls shows up now as a love for play, a connection to my inner child, and a love for people’s stories. I am endlessly fascinated by people.

All the magic I learned as a kid makes me able to tap into magic as an adult, in a real and practical way. I can let energy create for me, instead of over-efforting and over-working. My musical self still writes music and uses music to connect to my inner wisdom, soul, and inner peace. And I’m most definitely still creating productions, which is my definition of being an entrepreneur.

Eventually, I finally found the perfect hairstyle and curling tool – the deep wave hairwaver (you can read more about this on the About page). My hair is an expression of me, and feels comfortable and fun. The funny thing is, ever since I started using the waver, women stop me wherever I go and ask how I curl my hair. I think this has less to do with my actual hair (though the waves are truly magnificent, if you’re a curl addict like me) and more about the way I feel with my hair waved. I feel so – me. It might seem trivial, but it’s actually not. Anything about you that expresses your soul song, be it a color you wear, a favorite shoe, or a deep internal sense of purpose and clarity, is worth celebrating and embracing.

In the end, being fully you and letting all these parts of your soul come together is what makes you magnetic. This is why letting yourself express your soul song is how you master the law of attraction. You shine bright, you pull what you love toward you, and you radiate a light that connects you to others.

Plus, it’s a whole lot of fun.

Ready to start consciously expressing your soul song? You can start today. Go back in time and think of one thing you absolutely loved as a kid. Then figure out how you can incorporate more of it, the essence of it, or some form of it in your life now. Get ready to feel like you’ve pulled in a piece (or pieces) of yourself that was asking to be included all along.

Start making a list. It’s a never-ending list that you get to keep adding to for the rest of your life. What makes you feel utterly you? What feels like an expression of your soul? What makes you tick? What do you love? Even better, what do you love about you?

I can’t wait to hear about your soul song! I’d love it if you’d visit the anamsong Facebook page and share one-three of your list items!