First of all, Happy Easter to those of you who celebrate!  Hopefully most of us will, at the very least, have the opportunity to spend some restorative time on this gorgeous long weekend!

I want to share a phenomenal video that I was introduced to recently. I have the privilege of being part of a committee helping to offer a program on mindfulness for health-care providers through McMaster University in Hamilton.  We ran our first of three, two-day workshops last weekend.  The main focus was on neuroscience and mindfulness.

During the workshop we talked about how mindfulness, and the way in which we choose to think, actually changes the physiology of our brain – how cool is that?!  We also looked at the differences between right brain and left brain activities and thinking.  It seems that the tendency for most of us is to spend a great deal of our days expressing ourselves using the left-side of our brain.   We approach the world through logic, linear and analytic, concrete thinking and often we end up very much removed from our own self-awareness and the natural rhythm of the world.

Mindfulness meditation is one way that can help activate the right-side of the brain – the part that is more intuitive and creative.  I often describe meditation as a practice in which I get to know myself, and be present with myself, in a compassionate and non-judgmental way. And of course, while getting to know ‘me’, I end up being more authentic and present in my relationships with others and my connection with the world. I access my intuition and learn to trust my internal wisdom.

I wanted to share with you one of the videos that we watched during our workshop that illustrates the power of our ‘right-brain’. I invite you to take a few moments to watch as Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor is unexpectedly confronted by the power of her ‘right-brain’ and the impact that this experience has had on her life!  I have watched this video a number of times and all I can say is WOW’!

Let me know what you think!

And finally…stay tuned…I will soon be posting more details on my upcoming group “WATERING OUR JOY SEEDS: Cultivating Everyday Happiness” (just working out the details…)

and now off to spend some time with family…

blessings to you…

Valerie

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