Our world is in a state of transition.  What this planet needs now is support and love, just like anyone going through a change in life.  There are countless things you can do to support our Earth.  We live in an extraordinary time and are in a powerful position to help support and love the world we live in. 

A profound way to make an impact in the future of our planet is to connect to the natural world around you.  This can be as simples as stepping right outside your front door.  You can go for a walk in the woods, swim in the sea or gaze at the stars.  Being with the Earth and enjoying the bounty of wonders this colorful planet has to offer is a wonderful way to make friends with her.  Once this happens, your heart and mind will naturally help to find ways to care for your friend.  ​

Think of a wonderful thought.

Any happy little thought.

Peter Pan was right.  Our minds and bodies are so connected, just shifting your thinking can make a big impact in how your body feels.  

Our entire world is composed of different frequencies - energy and matter vibrating to give shape, texture, feeling and meaning to our lives.  Dense, heavy feelings or things vibrate at a lower vibration than light ones.  For example, a rock has a lower vibration than a flower.  Worry has a lower vibration than joy.

You know the feeling you get in your body when you are falling in love?  Or how you feel when you get great news?  For me, my heart feels like a flower blooming and my fingers and toes buzz like they are filled with bubbles.   It feels like my hands could float away if they weren't connected to my body.  You may feel a little dizzy.  Maybe like you are ... flying.

The molecules in your body respond to the thoughts in your head. That  includes the words you speak and especially the things you say to yourself (even if you never speak those words out loud).  That is why it is especially important to speak kindly to others AND yourself.

Try this.

Think these words to yourself:

Hate.

Jealousy.

Lonely.

Now try saying those words out loud.

Do you feel them in your body?  Where?  How do these words feel when spoken out into the space around you?  Do you feel them more when you think or speak them?  These words and corresponding concepts have a low vibration.  They may feel heavy or create a stuck feeling in your body.  

Now try the same exercise with these words:

Love.

Compassion.

Connection.

These words and concepts have a very high vibration.  They promote flow and a lightening effect in and around you.

Nobody wants to feel hateful or jealous, but we all find ourselves in these feelings sometimes.  An excellent remedy for these heavy experiences, is to focus instead on how you would like to feel.

You have the power to manifest, to bring to life and invite into YOUR life all that you desire.  You just have to ask.  It's called the law of attraction.  Just how a smile can attract happy friends to you, a happy thought can bring more joy into your life.  You become a magnetic force for all the wonderful things in the world when you shift your perspective to optimism.

Here's the trick - you have to think of what you DO want.  Not what you don't want.  The Universe doesn't speak in negatives.  Wait, let me try that again.  The Universe only speaks in positives.  Let's say you are celebrating your birthday, and your aunt always gives you weird socks as a gift.  You think, "I hope she doesn't give me more weird socks."  What the Universe hears is, "More weird socks."  Guess what your aunt is bringing to the party?

Instead, you can think, "I would like something to do with baking for my birthday."  You still might get weird socks, but it's possible they will have whisks stitched onto them.  Okay, so it isn't an exact science, but it could be a fun experiment.  Plus, I would much rather be putting my energy toward what I want in life rather than what I don't want.  

Remember the old way of punishing students in grade school where the student was asked to write out what they did wrong one hundred times in order to learn their lesson?  "I will not speak in class during the teacher's lesson."  

That punishment has a super low vibration because it reinforces again and again what the student did wrong.  A higher vibrational response would be to write out:  "I will listen during the teacher's lesson."  The focus shifts to be on the desired behavior.

What do you want in life?  Try writing that sentence again and again.

I want to find more joy in my life.

I want to connect more deeply with the people I love.

I want to inspire millions of people to feel better in their everyday life.

Nothing is impossible.  What do YOU want?  Write it.  Believe it.  Be it.

So, if you find yourself using negative self talk or speaking with low-vibe words to another person, you have the power to shift EVERYTHING by choosing high-vibe talk and subbing it in.

Instead of saying, "I can't ever do anything right."

Say, "I'm learning to be kinder to myself and others."

You may initially think, "I hate spaghetti and meatballs."

But you can shift that to, "I look forward to manicotti next time."

These may seem like little things, but they are huge shifts in how you perceive your experiences and the vibe of these statements is way higher vibe than a negative statement.  Saying what you won't do or don't want puts a block into your flow.  A positive statement opens your energy field back up to the feeling of flow and connectivity.  

That's what gets the bubbles fizzing in your fingers and toes.  That's when you feel you might float away.  

So put your energy toward identifying and manifesting what you DO want to have in your life.  How do you want to feel?  Think it.  Whisper it to yourself.  Repeat your hopes and dreams like a mantra as you fall asleep at night.  Write it on sticky notes all over your house.  Stitch the words on throw pillows.  Paint a canvas - how do you want to feel - and make the room in your life for those big, beautiful, high-vibrational feelings to come in and sweep you off your feet.  Prepare to take flight powered by the vibration of your thoughts, your words and your own magic.

Let what you do want be your happy thought.

So think of a wonderful thought.  Say happy words to yourself and others.  Feel your frequency rising - watch your world take flight.

When I was little, I was scared of the dark.  I slept with a dimmed lamp shining in my room, and even still, I would turn off the overhead light, run and launch myself into bed so that the monsters underneath couldn't swipe me down.  I was sure they were there.  It was like I could hear them breathing.

I grew up and forgot about the monsters.  

Years later, my two-year-old daughter called to me from her darkened room after being tucked into bed.  "Mom!"

When I peeked in, she was frozen - covers up to her chin.  "There's a monster under my bed!" 

We've all been there, and the protocol is usually the same.  It's probably the same system my parents worked through when I called to them in the night.  

First, I said there's no such thing as monsters.

Second, I turned on the light.

Third, I checked under the bed.

Just as I was settling in to sit with her until she fell asleep, she turned the tables.

"I think you didn't see it under there, because it's under your bed now."

And wouldn't you believe I FELT the monster too.  In that moment, I KNEW if I went into my room and looked under the bed, his eyes would be glowing in the darkness underneath.  Staring.  Waiting.  Very real and dangerous.

Fear is contagious.

I fell asleep in my daughter's room that evening.  Waking to go to my bed late at night, it was all I could do not to run and jump beyond that monster's reach.

The sun rose the next morning and those creepy feelings of nighttime nasties hidden in the shadows didn't seem to follow into the day.  Nor the next.  But sometimes, in the small hours, I wonder how can thousands of years of children KNOWING there are monsters under their beds at night be wrong?

Are the monsters really there?

Fear grows best in shadowy spaces.  Just as a chair in the corner of a dark room may look like a hulking, hungry wolf, a worry set loose in a dark, sleepless night can take on a life of its own.  If you shine a little light, clear perspective can return.

We are all living through what we hope will be the end of a long dark, Covid tunnel.  We can see the light shining on the other side, the possibility of opening back up to gathering with friends and family without restriction seems possible, though it is impossible to say exactly when we will live that possibility.  Still we can see it - the light in the distance has made that so.  

Much has changed during this time, and fear has played a large roll in many people's days and nights.

In some ways, that light represents hope, but in many other ways it also lights up where we've been so that we can finally take a good look around the darkened areas we've been muddling through to get our bearings.

What this world needs right now is more light so we can begin to see things clearly.  What have we learned?  Where do we go from here?  What do we take with us into this new potentiality and what do we choose to leave behind?

There is the light of hope up ahead, but we can add more light, more clarity if we each turn on our own lights.

Everything on this planet has a certain frequency - a signature vibration.  Emotions have frequency too.  This is how you are able to FEEL what you are feeling.  The emotion resonates in your body.  It actually resonates into your surroundings too.  This is why you can FEEL when somebody else is sad or how a joyful mood can be infectious.

Fear is one of the lowest vibrations humans can feel.  That's not to say it is bad.  Fear can save your life in truly dangerous situations, but living in fear for an extended period of time can keep you stuck in a rut of fear.  Fear attracts more fear and suddenly you are operating from that lower state.  It spreads from person to person, much like a virus.  If enough people are afraid, it's dificult to feel anything else.  You may have very little to fear, but if enough people around you tune into that vibration, you will find yourself up at night wondering and worrying about scary things.  You are stuck in that dark room with an underbed full of vicious monsters.

If you were to place emotions on a chart numbered one to ten, fear would be a one.  The antidote to fear, the opposite, might seem like it would be courage.  But the opposite on the Richter scale of emotions, the ten, would be LOVE.  

LOVE is among the highest vibrational feelings we as humans can experience.

How do you turn on your light?  You choose LOVE over FEAR.  If the monsters in the dark are keeping you up at night, focus on love.  To do this, you have to make the conscious decision to turn away from fear.

I CHOOSE LOVE.

When you are asked to make a decision about something that scares you, say it quietly to yourself.

I CHOOSE LOVE.

What we need to get through this dark time is more LOVE.  That is always the answer.  It begins with you loving yourself.  That means accepting and loving the dark, shadowy parts of yourself.  If you feel lonely, or you feel angry or broken or hurt or whatever it that you struggle to accept about you or your situation, LOVE that part of yourself.  Make friends with it.  Shine light on those shadowy aspect, the places where fear can take root, and you can begin to realize that love IS an option.

Our social circles did shrink during Covid, but that allows for us to learn how to use our energy to love and support one another first in our families and then in our own social bubbles.  Love will make each one of us and the people closest to us strong and promote high vibrations that can ripple out into our communities,  It starts with each one of us.

Just as FEAR is contagious, so is LOVE.

What if the next pandemic is one of LOVE!!!

Turn on your light.  Chances are you are that light for somebody else.  Show them it is possible.  Choose LOVE over FEAR. 

When we are all shiny and bright, we can sleep in the dark and the monsters won't come.  They can't exist in the presence of so much light.  

Or, we can invite the monsters in.  We can make friends with them and know we are safe in our light, wrapped in love.

That's why our children call to us in the night.  They call out the words they know for Love.  "Mom!"  "Dad!"

And we come running, shine the light they need, kiss them on the head and say, "Goodnight.  I love you." 

That's the protection they need.

​Our presence and LOVE lights the nightlight in the hearts of our children.  

We can each be a Light in this world.  It is as simple as choosing LOVE over FEAR.  It's as rigorous as doing this time and time again.

Fear can become a habit, so it is as if you are breaking any other bad habit.  It begins with the awareness that you want to find another way.  LOVE becomes a practice.  It is always and option and it is something you CHOOSE every time.  

The antidote to Fear is Love.  It truly is.  It always has been.

Don't believe me.  Choose LOVE.  Try it today.  Try it now.  Say it to yourself, "I CHOOSE LOVE."  Let that be your mantra.  Let it be your new way of BEing.  Love is your new operating system.  Let that light you up.

Love turns shadows into superpowers.  Love transforms monsters into friends - maybe even guardians.

Shine your light.  We need your light.  It's the only way to move forward toward Hope.

I CHOOSE LOVE!

We reach out into the world with all our gifts, hopes and dreams.  We set goals. We enter into roles and relationships with others.  We say yes.  We say no.  

We try to explain to the world who we are.

I am a teacher.

I am a mother.  

I am a woman.

I am tired.

I am trying.

I am here.

I am far away.

  ... from where I want to be.
  ... from where I once was.
  ... from home.
  ... from understanding.
  ... from what I know.

When trying to understand who we are, we label.  We define ourselves in relationship to others. Even if those labels are lofty ...

I am light.

I am limitless.

I am love.

They can fall short of describing the truth.

Honestly, the truth is beyond description.  It is WAY beyond labels.  You are beyond labels.  Your truth exists way out on the furthest edge of the most distant dimension you can imagine.  And even in that great reach and space it is just a small step toward understanding your truth.

No words can define you.  No action can define you.  No label can encompass the full magnificence of your being.

Nor me.

Nor any of us.

Any attempt to label or define the self can't do justice to any one of us.  

I am divine.

I am connected to the vast limitless of all creation.

I am the vast limitless of all creation.

That is true, but it is still not true enough.

In this case, sometimes less is more.

I am.

I am.

I am.

Wait, now we are getting somewhere.

All the things you do, all the things you are, all that you think or feel, none of it is who you are.

Don't believe me.  Still feel small?

"I am" is a mantra you can practice to reconnect to all that you are.  When breathing into the words "I am," you dissolve the barriers you have built around and within you with labels and definitions.  It's those labels that keep you separate.  Whenever I feel small and lonely, I chant "I am."  It's how I call myself back - it's like a soul retrieval song, calling back all the lost or disconnected places within me, in my past, or cast out into the future.

The mantra, "I am," can be a step back toward remembering you are a human BEing.  It's not what you do, what you think or how you feel.  You want something to do?  Do this mantra.  Do it until you are able to rest in it.  Do it until you are able to BE in it.  Do the mantra until it is true.  (Hint:  It already is true, but there will be a point at which you KNOW it is true.)

You are worthy of Being.

You are worthy of this time with yourself.

I am.

I am.

I am.

"I am" restores you to your true state and helps to reconnect you to the I am-ness of all that is within your awareness and beyond it.  

Take some time to breathe into the truth of yourself right now by chanting or even thinking the mantra "I am." 

Find a comfortable seat.  Close your eyes and take a deep breath in.  Think, "I am."  Breathe in the expanse of the Universe  - all of creation into that inhale because you can.  Because the entire Universe is within your reach at all times.  Breathe it in.  

I am.

Then, breathe out as an offering to the world around you.  Your I am-ness is a gift you give the world just by BEing in that state.  

Breathe in, "I am."

Breathe out the gift of your I am-ness to the world around you.

It's as if the phrase "I am," becomes a call both out into the world and deep into your soul, calling your true name, your true self, back to the surface of your awareness.

Spend time with this truth.  Be with the truth of who you are.  Breathing in "I am," until you remember the true reach of your being.

Which is everywhere

Always

At all times

Beyond time and space.

​Beyond definition.

You are.

I am.

We are.

That is enough.

It is everything.

You can BE the change you wish to see in the world.  There has never been a better time than now.  Paint, draw, sculpt, dance, sing, write or play the loving world of your heart out into the world around you.  

When you explore your creativity and share your vision with others you bring your dreams to life.  You can make the world a better place.  It’s possible.  The more you live from this creative center you are able to inspire others to do the same from their hearts.  We can create the world we want to live in.  Be inspirational.  

You are a unique and beautiful treasure - only you have your specific skills, talents and life experiences.  Only you can bring YOUR voice into the world.  And the world needs to hear your voice.  Let your creative expression serve as the vehicle through which you find your true voice and let it be a way to give your heart a voice in the world.  

Your "voice" may sound like flowers in a garden or ingredients in a cake.  It may sound like paint on a canvas or chalk on a sidewalk.  It may sound like words on a page, a body moving through a room or confetti in the air.  It may sound like one of these modes today and entirely different thing tomorrow - or in six minutes.  The key is to listen for that voice - your true voice - and learn to recognize it.  Get in touch with who you really are, minute to minute - and chart how that truth grows and blooms over time.  

Part of this journey involves listening to all the other voices you carry inside of you.  As you allow yourself the space and the permission to create freely it is crucial that you commit to loving yourself throughout the whole process.  It's not all sunshine and rainbows.  Sometimes it can be scary and dark.  Sometimes you will set out to dance in your kitchen to a beautiful piece of music and you will begin to wonder, "Is this crazy?  Am I being ridiculous?  Do I deserve to feel this free and happy?" 

Dance through it.

Those thoughts - those voices that make you stop dancing - those are other people's voices.

You have to dance to remember and reconnect to your own voice.  The more you do the creative things that connect you to your heart, the more you will learn to recognize what is true (that you are wondrous and creative being) and what is not true (any other voice or thought that keeps you from being your whole self).

You have the power to inspire others to reconnect to their deep and beautiful truth.  Each time you choose to dance through life rather than trudge through, you light up the world with your choice.  When you show the world that freedom of expression - that living the creative life - is an option, you inspire those around you to choose that path too.  

One-by-one we choose love and freedom over fear and oppression.  One-by-one, we light up the world.  Each time you choose to love yourself and expand into the furthest edges of your creative expression, you are literally seizing the opportunity to bring more love and freedom into the world.  You harness incredible and infinite creative potential - right now.  You are literally bursting at the seams with inspirational energy.  Unleash the beautiful and transformational force of your heart out into the world around you.  It can start wherever you are right now, but it can take you into the furthest reaches of the multiverse or deep into the unexplored edges of your soul.

​

I feel like I've been walking in a dark forest.  I've left a trail of breadcrumbs behind me so I can find my way back - to normal, to the life I've known.  Every few steps I let the pinch of bread hit the ground like an anchor.  Every day, I wake up and walker further and further from all I've come to rely on.  It's uncharted and a little scary.  I feel unsupported.  I feel a little lost.

But I've come to the point in this journey where I've run out of bread.  I dropped the last crumb long ago and when I turn to look behind me there is no path back to the old life I used to live.  A bird flies overhead with a stale crumb in his beak and I realize that even if I could keep leaving clues back to yesterday, they may not be there for me to find.  

I can't go back.

But the woods before me seems darker than they did even just yesterday.  It's like stepping into an abyss.  It feels like floating - like walking on the dark side of the moon.  

"I'd just like a little light," I whisper into the unknown space around me.  "Hello?"

There is no reply, but I do feel a flicker.  It's like a warm glow igniting in my chest.  

"Help!" I try to call out, but the sound is nothing more than a cracked whisper.

The silence is the only response.

But my feet are still moving.  

And the warmth in my chest - the light of my heart burns a little brighter.

I'm going to have to do this myself.

I laugh to think it.  I look back again to the path I've traveled - back to a time when I looked to others to light the way.  All the yesterdays in my memory are crowded with the "should's" and "should not's" pressing against me by others.  

"You will be safe if you do things this way."

"We have your best interests at heart."

"Trust us.  We will light the way."

Why would I want to go back to that?

Those voices aren't here in the deepest part of the woods.  Those rules can't reach me.

And now the floating feeling I have, the unsupported and untethered sensation feels like ... FREEDOM.

Floating is a lot like flying.

Anything is possible in this stretch of woods.  I have been given this space to learn how to be free again.  I have been given this dark and secret woods to learn how to fly.  

Wait ... I haven't been given anything.  I found this place on my own.  I claimed this space and time.  It is here for ME and I am worthy of this dark, new world.  

Suddenly, I'm not afraid.  I find I love the dark.  It is a gift.

For in the darkness, I have a rare and beautiful opportunity.  I get to see how brightly I can shine.  

Now is the time to find your light.  Now is the time to shine in ways you never knew were possible.  

We are infinite possibilities wrapped in the miracle of this life.  

​Shine.

Take a moment today to meditate on the sound of flowing water.  Maybe you are lucky enough to be near the sea or sitting on the banks of a river.  The sound of falling rain or even water running into a bathtub will do.  

Water will always find a way.  It's power and persistence can cut through the toughest landscape.  It's strength and connection can hold you afloat if you allow.  The water will carry you.   Let your emotions and imagination flow.

You can never step into the same river twice.  The river is constantly refreshing itself, flowing freely, navigating over and around obstacles and eventually joining with the sea.  All water is connected.  Water has a great intelligence.  Water remembers.  

Take a moment to flow like water.  Journal, dream - don't hold back.

Our world is in a state of transition.  It isn’t the first time this has happened and it won’t be the last.  What this world needs now is support and love, just like anyone going through a change in life.  There are countless things you can do to support our changing planet.  We live in an extraordinary time and are in a powerful position to help support and love the world we live in.

It can begin with loving yourself.

A profound way to make an impact in the future of our planet is to connect to the natural world around you.  This can be as simples as stepping right outside your front door.  You can go for a walk in the woods, swim in the sea or gaze at the stars.  Being with the Earth and enjoying the bounty of wonders this colorful planet has to offer is a wonderful way to make friends with her.  Once this happens, your heart and mind will naturally help to find ways to care for our planet.  

Here’s a secret though – all the elements of nature exist right now in your very own body.  Ancient humans knew this to be true.  Thousands of years ago, people living in Egypt, India or the Americas and beyond saw their own bodies as reflections of the earth.  

Their systems were simple, yet powerful.  The natural world is composed of five powerful elements existing in harmony with one another.  

Earth    Water      Fire     Air     Ether

Each one is just as vital as the next.  These elements resonate with the energetic elements of your body too.  In bringing your own body into balance and becoming aware of the vibrancy of these elements in your personal environment, we all move one step closer to helping to celebrate these elements in the larger natural world.

Imagine your body as the earth.  Your bones are like the support of the ground under your feet.  The power of the world’s waterways runs through the rivers that are your bloodstream.  The fire of transformation burns bright in your belly and empowers you to reach for your goals.  The air you breathe circulates around your beating heart.  Fueled with love and compassion that love reaches out into the world,  breath after breath.

You are infinite possibilities embodied in one incredible body. 

Your voice has the unlimited power to shape the world around you.  Your imagination can reach further than the most distant star.  You are unlimited AND your heart is connected to every heart of every person you love.  The love in your heart reaches every person you have ever known, those you’ve yet to meet and even those you may never see. 

You are boundless.

Just as a river running is more than the water carving its way to the ocean, each element within you is connected to all other elements.  The river is the water, but it is also the groove in the earth and the rocks tumbling along the riverbed.  It’s the sun shining in the running water.  The river is every beating heart swimming toward the sea.  

We are all navigating a new world together.  We are living in an extraordinary time right now and times of transition are an opportunity to share your gifts in new and exciting ways.  How we cope can become how we thrive.  We are excited to share our understanding of how you can heal right now.   Content for our second book Be Natural is available now on our website for free!  www.besensationalbooks.com. 

We will be adding new mindfulness activities, yoga poses and creative prompts to our site all the time in the coming months.  Check back often.  Our Be Sensational pages will be growing too.  Our hope is that we will be helping to do our part to bring a little inspiration (or maybe just a much needed brain break) to your days at home.  

We are new to this digital world, so please let us know what you think.  We know we have lots of room to grow in this arena.

Together, we will explore the elements of nature in our bodies and learn ways to celebrate these elements and care for them in our personal environments, in the world and beyond.
​
You can make a difference right now – one that will reach far and wide – one that can circle this globe.  It begins with you and it can be as simple as supporting and loving yourself.

Love, 
Laura and Whitney

It may feel a little like you are grounded.  Like maybe you stayed out past curfew and your parents put the hammer down.  Now you have to stay home, no going out with friends, no after school activities, no parties, nothing.  

It feels a little like that.  Like maybe we've been bad and we need to be punished.

Or, is it possible to reframe the whole idea of grounding in the first place.  What is it to ground somebody?

It's a time-out.  We've come to associate "time-out" as a punishment too, but with the right spin and time-out can be an opportunity to reset.  

Because as a population, we very much needed a time-out.  Our lives are busy.  We have become working machines.  Our social calendars would send any butterfly right back into their cocoon.  Think of the pace you were keeping three weeks ago and compare that to now.  I know it may feel like all the structure and fun has gone out of your life.  How does that make you feel?  Bored?  Worthless?

Or free?

Your time is now your own.  That's the beauty of being grounded.  That's the beauty of this time-out we have been given.  

It's an opportunity to reconnect to ourselves, to our families ... and to the earth.

When we were out running all over the world at break-neck speed to get here or there or do this or that, rarely did we look up to see how the world around us was changing.  We barreled on without the natural pace set by the natural world.  Our houses are the same temperature all year round.  We eat whatever foods are on our grocery store shelves, not necessarily what is in season.  We stay up way past sunset with artificial lights - many of which are screens.  Our body rarely comes into direct contact with the earth.

Our everyday lives were out of control.  We were disconnected.  It was like the equivalent of billions of wreckless teenagers rebelling against their mothers all at the same time (way into adulthood).

​Except in this case, we were all rebelling against THE mother.  Mother Earth.

So let yourself be grounded.  See it as an opportunity.  Take this time-out to reset yourself.  Reconnect to the Earth.

It's as simple as stepping outside.

Well, it's a little more than that.  First, take off your shoes.  Oh, and your socks.  

So many of our planet's illnesses (and specifically those in the United States) began when we went from wearing natural soles shoes to rubber soles or other artificial materials starting around the 1960s.  It was a huge step in the wrong direction - we separated from our planet and we've only gotten further and further away.

Just as plants draw their energy from the soil, we to draw healing energies from the earth into our bodies.  It is a little hard to understand because the energy we pull up isn't as easily defined as they are in plants.  We absorb electromagnetic energy from the earth.  Though invisible, it is one of the most powerful and natural medicines available to us.

Direct contact with grass, soil or sand for just a few minutes each day has been proven to reduce anxiety, inflammation and a whole host of other ailments in the human body.  Plus, it just feels good.  Add to that a sunny day and you may get hooked on walking barefoot in your garden.  

Don't believe me?  Try it.  Take those bare feet out today and wriggle them in the grass.  Really use all your senses.  Feel the loose soil beneath your feet and the sun on your face.  Let your body relax so your feel really connected.  Breathe deeply, drawing in the fresh spring fragrances bursting to life around you.  

Imagine your body is like a giant straw.  Instead of thinking of your breath coming in and out through your nose or mouth, imagine you are breathing up through the bottoms of your feet.  Draw that beautiful earth energy up your body.  Give it any color you like.  I like to imagine red.  Maybe the energy moves up easily like water from a drinking straw or maybe it is thick and seedy like a strawberry milkshake.  It's okay to give it whatever imagery works for you.  It's silly to be breathing through your feet - and that is fine.  It's fun.  Laughing helps the energy to move more freely.

This practice is a real thing called Earthing or Grounding.  Earth alone or with your family.  Pets love to Earth too.  If you have a dog or a cat see if they will stand or sit with you.  You could even lie down in the grass.  Breath through your back.  

Woah - did that just get weird?

Good.  Because to navigate in this new world, we are going to have to get a little out of our comfort zones.  Trust me.  Have fun with it.  Try resting your hands on the earth.  Can you breathe through your hands?  Silly is good.  

In this new world we are discovering - being grounded can be a very good thing.

What’s Sensational Living, you might ask?  

I’m glad you did.

Sensational Living is reconnecting with your sensational body (your senses, feelings and intuition) in a way that you feel safe and supported.

Basically, you are creating your own Sensational Oasis. Slowly.  That’s the key.  Take your time.  Go sense by sense.  One feeling at a time. Trust your instinct.  

Once you’ve reconnected and made friends with each of your senses in your own time, then you are able to invite others into this magical space.  It’s like they say on the airplanes, “Put your oxygen mask on first.”

If you are a parent, a teacher or a caregiver, this may be a hard thing for you to do.  It is crucial that you take time to take care of you and your body.  Once you do that, you really do become a fountain of love and care for the other people in your life.  

Do you want to try it?  

Find a quiet space.  It may be the back of your pantry.  It may be your bathroom with the lights off and the door locked.  Whatever option you have to not be disturbed for two minutes.

All you’ll need is your favorite bite-sized treat. Hershey’s Kisses work well for this exercise.  I also love Sweedish Fish or you could even use a small marshmallow or a spoonful of ice cream.  If you are lucky enough to have a box of fancy chocolates or macaroons, grab that and go to your quiet place.

Are you safe inside?  Find a comfortable seat.  

Unwrap your treat.  If you are sitting there with a spoonful of ice cream, no unwrapping required.  Just sit there and take a few deep breaths.  If there are layers of existence between you and your treat, enjoy freeing that sweet. Take your time.  Let the wrapper itself, the crinkly sound, the feel on your fingers, let it all be part of the process.  Let it all be a part of this special time.  

Once it’s just you and the treat, see if you can smell the sugary goodness.  Maybe just a little lick.  Take your time.  Is a lick enough to get the sweet feel on your taste buds?

Now take a bit.  Just a little bite.  Really take your time as you slowly and fully chew this bite. Even if it is iced cream or whipped cream from the can make sure you spend some time with it … tasting it.

When you are ready and the treat is down to a good size, let it sit on your tongue.  Maybe don’t chew it.  See if you can let the dessert dissolve on your in your mouth.  This may take some time.  While you are waiting, just enjoy this quiet time.  Breathe.  Feel good about this gift you are giving yourself.

When the last sugar speck has dissolved and the treat is gone, it’s still not over.  Sit with this peaceful feeling a moment longer.  Remember it.

Here’s your big decision.  Do you call to the kids?  Invite them? Show them what you’ve learned and all experience the sweet stillness together?

​Or do you have another one all to yourself?