Creative mind

I love fall!!  A lot of kindness and thankfulness is being spread around. Plus boots, cute scarfs and pumpkin spice lattes... Yes please !!! 

E-squared

I am currently reading a book "E-3" by Pam Grout and I'm a little in love with it. If you're ever feeling "meh" about your life and in need of a little mind/body/spirit pick me up. I would say this is "the book" for you !!! It's a fun easy read full of great quotes by some amazing philosophers, psychologists, artists and more! E3 reminds you not to take life so seriously and to have fun with the life we've been given! Don't be so serious mew ..... 😉

The Art of Power

Thich Nhat Hanh challenges us to realize that genuine power comes only with a clear mind and a calm heart, and that when we are not in control of our own thoughts we are actually quite powerless, nothing more than slaves to our fears, emotions, and craving. When this happens, it is not we who possesses power; it is power that possesses us. He states boldly that every person is born with capacity to be free of fear, delusion, and tyranny, whether external or, just as important, internal. -Pritam Singh 

In the moment

I love the smell of fresh coffee in the morning… especially today for some reason.   Sometimes in the midst of all the chaos I forget the little things. I get so busy in my thoughts and life that a cup of coffee usually is juts a cup of coffee. Most of the time I drink it while performing other tasks always in the hurry, sometimes reaching for that last sip only to realize that it’s gone. But today it’s more then that, it’s extraordinary, extra sweeter, and I am fully present to enjoy every sip. So I love mornings like this when I remember to live in the moment, makes me feel grounded, recharged and thankful.

FRIENDS …Don’t forget to live today; it’s the little unnoticed things today that shape our lives and build character for tomorrow and the rest of our lives. Ride with the little changes no matter how painful they may be, embrace them to the fullest, don’t fight them, just be!

 Oregon Coast (Astoria)

Love to All!!

Lena

PHOTOS

Happy thursday loves. I want to share a few photos I have taken over the past few months. I know they are kind of random and out of order but it's ok because I am kind of random and out of order my self lately.

I love living in Central Oregon! So much beauty around. This is a photo of the Lost lake. Every year the lake drains in to this hole (I believe it's a lava tube?) Here is a good post about this phenomena (Lost Lake.)

Old but magical

 Sweet cheeks

So fun (The Bend Life) featured one of my photos of the Metolious River

Friends forever 

One of my favs: (Huntington Beach CA)

To see more of my photos please check out my Instagram page :)

Summa time

FINALLY!!  School is over, craziness is over and YES it's been hellish but It's OVER/ done / no more / move on = ready for a break and some serious creativity time !  I miss my paint brushes and pencils, good reads and yoga ! Basically all the things that nurture my soul!

HAPPY FRIDAY
LENA

I dream in color...

Here is what I have been up too :)

I have had this reoccurring dream for years... so I decided to throw it on canvas. 

I will keep the details of the dream to my self because I don't wan't to influence the perspective and the wandering mind of others. That's what makes ART so beautiful and fun :)

A little closer ;)

I believe when we dream we go into different dimensions, different worldly realms. I love writing my dreams down. I truly believe they contain messages for us.

Share with me, what do you see?




Here is another piece... It's a mixed media, I named it "ESCAPING TIME."

I love being crazy and using bright, strong colors.  More than anything I love seeing the reaction on people's faces when they explore my art. It's amazing to see how the human mind works, everyone sees something different.
I often learn something about myself from the feedback I receive.



And just for fun :)   "GO DUCKS"

Thanks for letting me share

Lena 

Yes this happened… I went into a Sensory Deprivation Tank, I survived and it was AWESOME!

 Sensory Deprivation Tank aka ( float tank, isolation tank, escape pod, the i-sopod)

 It looks like this, well at least the one that I went into:

You’re probably wondering why in the world would a person go in to something like this purposely? And that’s okay…, because I thought that same exact thing until I learned about the amazing health benefits it has on a human mind/body/spirit.

A few to mention:

Alleviates stress- mental and physical

Energizes, rejuvenates and revitalizes

Diminishes depression, anxiety and fear

Decreases the production of Cortisol, ACTH, Lactic Acid and Adrenaline

Increases production of endorphins

Boosts immune function

Reduces blood pressure

RELIEVES PAIN (true story!)

Stimulates left and right brain synchronization that leads to mental clarity, alertness and creativity and much much more…

Soo after I mentally prepared myself (or so I thought) I bravely made the appointment for a 90-minute floating session at the Float Central in Bend Oregon. Once I got there and seen the float tank in person all that I could think was “ No way in HELL am I going inside this box and floating in THE DARK for 90 minutes ESPECIALLY with the door CLOSED SHUT!! And OMG did I really just pay money for this craziness? And why am I so weird for always wanting to try strange, random things?” Not going to lie…at that moment I slightly wanted to run. But… I gathered my self together and proceeded with my experience.

In a super awkward looking like an ostrich way I worked my way inside the tank and slid inside the salty solution (magnesium sulfite) I wasn't about to shut that door behind me either. A slight glow from the salt lap from around the corner gave me some comfort; So there I was floating,  it was so freaky but so AWESOME all at the same time. I was completely weightless and my mind just couldn’t wrap around how I can be floating without having to put any personal effort into it.  For the first 15 minutes or so my brain was running wild. Between trying to make sense of this new sensation and outrageous thoughts such as “what if I relax so much that I go in to a coma, followed by this ridiculous visual imagery in my mind of people fishing my awkward naked body out of this pool of salty water; And what if I’m the first person to ever drown in one of these? As well as "why didn’t I just stay home, stick some ear plugs in my ears and hide myself in the closet, I mean it’s bound to have similar effects right?”

So I reverted to my breath (deep breathing always does the trick), I finally was able to surrender myself to the stillness. Before I knew it I was even able to shut the door  AT MY OWN WILL. I do not have the words to explain how relaxed and calm I felt. Every so often I had to move my hand or foot just to make sure I was still in my body. Because to me it felt like I was floating out in space and my body was detached from my mind. Pretty sure I ended up dosing off because the next thing I knew soft music came on indicating that it was time for me to get out. “What?? No way!” I felt like I just got started, I completely lost all sense of time. I was NOT ready to get out.

So in conclusion I LOVED IT!! And I CANNOT wait to do this again! I felt so amazing the rest of the day not to mention slept like a baby that night.  I would recommend this experience to everyone in the world because Awesomeness is the only side effect.

For more information on the benefits and research that Sensory Deprivation Tanks have on a human body click here.

Happy Thursday

Lena

Well Being Journal

Let's be healthy 

Have you ever heard of Well Being Journal? Well.. I am slightly obsessed.

In my opinion it is one of the best health magazine out there.  It is abundant with valuable information in regards to healthy mind, body and spirit. It is very informative and is loaded with great recipes for maintaining vitality and a healthy life style.

I’d like to share a few random, interesting facts that stood out to me personally:

1.     Did you know?... that researchers have found that preventing type 1 diabetes with daily doses of 2000 IU of vitamin D is effective for about 80 percent of infants; this was the conclusion of a 31-year study.

2.     According to a study originally published in the British Medical Journal, cavities and tooth decay could potentially be healed or reversed with diet.

3.     Another fun fact: In the beginning of the eighteenth century, the intake of sugar was about ten pounds per person per year. By 2000, it was ONE HUNDRED FIFTY pounds per person. huumm….

4.     Probiotics to the rescue…

Reduce diarrhea of various etiologies

Reduce lactose intolerance

Improve the intestinal ecosystem

Maintain bacterial balance

Moderate immune system response

Improve antibacterial response

Protect against the ugly “C” word (cancer that is)

5.     For the poor souls that suffer from allergies, some herbs to consider:

Chamomile

Basil

Stinging Nettle

Echinacea

Fennel

Ginger

Wild Oregano

Parsley

6.     And last but not least…Fun fact about garlic:

Garlic contains antioxidant that may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Garlic may help you live longer, so eat your garlic J

Thanks for letting me share :)

Happy Tuesday and stay well

Source: (Well Being Journal)

Check out their FB page Well Being Journal

Oh Where Does The Time Go

It’s Monday and the rat race begins…

We have this obsession with time, whether its conscious or unconscious, we obsess about it.  The famous words “ not enough time” “time flies” “if only there was enough time”…

Some questions to ponder on…

Why do we feel this way? Why are we so anxious? It’s always such a race. Where are we rushing too? Why do feel that way? Why do we make our lives sound busier then they really are?  How can we slow down and enjoy the present moment “the now”? How can we learn to love what is in front of us instead of obsessing about yesterday and tomorrow?  No doubt the answers are different for all of us, but if your anything like me and you’re seeking that mental clarity and want some tips on how to stay grounded throughout the “busy day”  here are a few things that work for me and may work for you.

I’m learning how to love TODAY.  Yes, it is very hard to do, because I am constantly in my head going over yesterday and planning for my tomorrow. But practicing AWARENESS can really awaken us. You may notice things, people, situations you haven’t before.  Being aware forces you to stay in the present moment and teaches us acceptance of letting things be the way they are.  Letting go of the chatter. A lot like meditation, but with your eyes open and functioning.

MEDITATION. Even 10 minutes a day can dramatically reduce stress levels and over time can improve task performance levels.

BREATHING!  Yes… we have to breathe it's part of our anatomic system, but have you ever tried breathing consciously? If not.. It’s a great way to bring us back to planet earth.  The 4, 7-8 rule really works for me. That’s breathing in for 4 seconds, holding the breath for 7, and breathing out of your mouth for 8 seconds. 

Another tip, and this is my personal favorite, is JOURNALING. You can journal in the morning, you can journal in the pm, or you can journal throughout the day. Writing brings you back to a state of awareness, and sometimes going back an reading your entries can give you an insight to what is really going on in your life. Because we are all are “so busy” we sometimes forget to ask ourselves “how are we really doing...”

Anyway, happy mindful Monday everyone!

Lena