Embodied Practices With Marlo

  I work in an office + just like everyone else, struggle with being patient while reading my work email. Sometimes I find myself getting caught up in the next thing I have to do + treating each email as though it is a "life or death" emergency which 99% of the time it isn't . At least not for me + the type of office work that I do. When I find myself hurrying, I tend to do a few things to get myself more grounded so that I don't jump from one thing to the next mindlessly. Whether I'm standing or sitting, I notice my feet making contact with the ground. Automatically that allows me to just slow down a fraction of the internal speed I'm usually engaging in. I also pause + if I'm holding the mouse in my right hand, I feel it, truly experience the sensation of how I might be holding the mouse.  Then I check my breath. Is it shallow + can I just experience my breath as it is? What does it feel like? So that's the kind of stuff I do when I do get caught up

  I was waiting for the train to go to work a couple of days ago + as I was standing, I decided to do an informal + quick mindfulness practice.  This is a great informal practice that you can do anywhere as a way to reconnect with yourself. And remember, this is an informal practice, you can do this for 30 seconds, 1 minute or longer + all dependent on you and your needs!  Here are the steps/suggestions/directions: Take a moment to notice where you are right now.  Are you in line at Starbucks or waiting for your train to arrive. Just take a moment to notice where you are.  What do you see? Do you see buildings, trees or other people? And now slowly + mindfully notice how you are sitting or standing. What is your posture? Are you standing tall or sitting down slouched over. Notice how you stand or sit.  And now, notice your feet. Feel your feet. What sensations do you notice? Are your feet achy, tired or sore? Do you feel tingling sensations or no sensations at all?  Without judging wha

  I decided to take up watercolor painting as part of my mindful self-care practice. With Covid-19 continuing to shape + influence my daily routine, I decided I needed a self-care practice that allowed me to get lost in the moment + simply take the edge of my daily stresses. While having a formal mindfulness meditation practice will always be part of my daily routine, I desperately needed something else to add to the mix. A couple of weeks ago, I came across this video (see below) from a woman named Cynthia's YouTube channel called Mindful Creative Muse.  This practice really helped me to connect to my breath in a way I didn't know I could! I highly recommend you this a try! Cynthia's channel on Youtube called Mindful Creative Muse                                                             I ended up perusing her channel + saw several videos of mindful painting + doodling for stress relief. After scrolling + watching some of her videos, I decided to buy myself a watercolo

  Late last night I noticed a slight tickle in the back of my throat. I was worried that I was coming down with something. More worried that I would get others sick especially if I tested positive for Covid-19. I work at an integrated health facility + I am client facing which means that I see plenty of people in any given day. I wear a mask when I'm at work + even in my personal time when I am doing errands such as grocery shopping.  So this morning, I called 811 HealthLink BC to see if it was recommended I get tested for Covid-19 based on my mild symptoms. While my symptoms are mild, it was still recommended I call in sick + my next call was to my employer to let them know that I was doing my due diligence. That meant I had to get tested today + that I had to self-isolate + wait for my test results. So today my partner + I went to a drive-in/walk-in testing site + in about 1 1/2 hours got tested.  So how did I feel while I sat there waiting for my turn?  Relatively calm.  I think

Hey hey everyone! Its been a while since I posted a new audio recording. It's been pretty tough the last several weeks + creating an audio was the least of my worries. But alas, I have a new one + it is all about having a cup of tea. And if tea doesn't work for you, go with whatever hot beverage you prefer. Coffee, hot chocolate, or whatever hot beverage you prefer, this is after all all about your own experience. I recorded this informal practice because I wanted to highlight that you can drop in to any moment you are in. Whether that's going for a walk or in this case, sipping tea or coffee, moments of informality are a great training ground for mindfulness . Hot Cuppa Meditation Exercise Things to consider when doing this practice  ~The ground to which you work on with this informal practice is your own direct experience. ~Take your time! Do this as slowly as you like + for as long as you like. The recording may end but you can continue for

It has been difficult + challenging the last few weeks. There's been so much unveiling of all the systemic racism that occurs in the US as well as other parts of the world + it has been incredibly hard to process. My emotions range from rage, anger to sadness + hopelessness. And the last few days I have been racked with self-doubt. The interesting thing, at least to me , is that having a mindfulness meditation practice allows me to watch my thoughts + feelings as they rise up. And fuck have they risen up a lot the last few weeks.  I've been doubting every move + thought + decision I make. What do I post? What do I share? Do I share only because others are sharing the same thing? Is it genuine to me? Does it feel right in my bones to share + post on Instagram. Am I doing enough? Am I enough?? And today I decided to lean in + write in my journal about what I've been feeling because in a way I've been avoiding my self-doubt thoughts/feelings. I may have been objectiv

I just did a Solidarity + Compassion meditation practice from Jeff Warren's YouTube Channel. Here's the link if you are interested in this practice.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12DFvZ71h-s   Fair warning, this is not a comfortable practice but that's the thing. Seeing systemic racism + violence play out isn't comfortable. It's fucking hard to watch. It makes me angry, upset, sad, ashamed, doubtful of what I can + cannot do. To just name a few of the complex emotions I've been feeling. And you know what I learned during this practice? I need to welcome all of that in. What I'm feeling is normal + human because deep down I know from being a visible minority what it feels like to experience systemic racism. I also know that I don't know what it feels like to be a black person in America or Canada or world-wide but I can imagine how fucking scary it is. When I chose to do this practice, it wasn't a way out of discomfort. It was a w

Yesterday, I was doing a bit of my own personal reflection while working on "The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook" by Kristin Neff, PhD & Chris Germer, PhD.  I was on Chapter 10 - 'Loving-Kindness for Ourselves' - taking a moment to reflect on what I needed to hear in terms of phrases for myself and it hit home for me that most times, I just want to be validated that I'm OK, that I will be OK. I came up with three phases that hit home for me which all included the word 'OK": "May I be OK as I am."  "May I begin to feel OK about myself." And a super simple one that I like that feels super validating is, "It's OK, I'm OK."  I thought about it + then meditated to one of Jeff Warren's meditation on YouTube. If you haven't heard of this awesome Canadian author & bonafide MacGyver meditation teacher, go check him out at the link below. https://jeffwarren.org/ After that practice of sitting + doin