Relaxed Flow

I have stopped going against the grain. If it doesn't feel good, expansive, and amazing, I just wont do it. What I have learnt is that this is not the energy that leads to the life I desire. See, we must be clear of the feeling we are after. The type of life that we envision must be in alignment with everything we are currently doing.

Here's an example: I recently signed a contract. Withing a short period of time that contract started to feel very limiting and my energy was drained. The project turned out to be so much more work than I had originally anticipated. But I stuck to it (stubbornly) because I believed (erroneously) that I had to fulfill my commitment. Fortunately, I got some sense talked into me. Sent a simple email stating that I wished to be release from the agreement, sat back, and expected the best. Sure enough, I received a reply that was easy and in agreement with my request.

Sometimes it is wise to keep pushing, but we must always check with our body/senses to see if what we are bringing forward is what's right. I believe that the Universe will always supply accordingly and all we have to do is show up, do whatever we can, the best way we can, and expect miracles along the way.

It has taken me entirely too long to understand the ease of this whole process, but now I'm happy to have found my answers and just as happy to share it and help those who are ready to bring their best lives forth.

The world is yours! What type of life do you dream of? What type of world are you ready to build?

Many Blessings,
Erika

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Erika Matos is a transformational agent, a certified health and nutrition educator, intuitive healer, and life coach helping people shift in the right direction by critically rethinking everything assumed to be true about what it means to be a happy, healthy, prosperous being. To learn more about her work visit http://www.realitymanifest.com

Richard Strozzi-Heckler's Led to Gratefulness

I received this in my email inbox today, and had to share. I'm a huge fan of this work, and read The Leadership Dojo: Build Your Foundation as an Exemplary Leader, which I highly recommend!

Led to Gratefulness by Richard Strozzi-Heckler, Ph.D.


For the second year in a row an early fall storm soaks us with an inch of rain, followed by a robust sun. The air is thick and damp and the windows in the dojo steam over as the heat of moving bodies transforms the space into a translucent glaze of moisture. Despite the focused heat my waning garden reminds me it is not spring, as does the thickening light and the Vs of geese that arrow south. Mice, voles, and Brewer's sparrows scurry in the underbrush, amending their rhythms to imminent change. As I harvest the last of the tomatoes, lettuce, and squash I'm reminded of what seeds were planted in the spring, both in the receptive earth and in my psyche. If we stop and quiet ourselves there's a transparent abundance in this turning toward winter. Heeding our fragile place in its unfolding we are inevitably led to gratefulness. I perform a deep bow to the fence posts, to the corn, to the stones, to the gophers that ate the melons, to the emptiness of mind, to Life.

Our body is precisely the medium of exchange with this field of awareness we call Life. The body is life, it is the interface with life, it's the ground in which we participate with the air, the falling leaves, the smile of a grandchild, the doe and its fawn darting through the live oaks. In concert with other bodies- waving our limbs, sighing and laughing, shouting to the night sky, walking into a shared unknown - we co-author a story that can be told an infinite number of ways, a pluralism that is mysteriously One. Our sentience is not a body in seclusion; it is birthed by our direct encounters with the terror of the night as well as the delight of a fresh Roma tomato dribbling off our chin; and everything in between. Let's not fall into the trap of thinking that our capacity for conscious reflection is the result of only partnering with our self, rather than with the world at large.

Here's a profoundly simple way of practicing that partnership: Align along your vertical line, extend through the crown of the head up towards the heavens and through the soles of the feet down to the earth. Now draw in a breath and let the vertebrae and rib cage swell while you both settle and straighten. Do this again, each time feel, and imagine, that the breath is connecting the world with your most inner places. Pull the breath from the outermost edge of the cosmos and feed it to your cells and let it expand your soul, and your skin. Notice how it is all tied together: breath, tissue, sensation, community, energy, self, the Mystery. Now say "Thank You" from this Unity.

Take It Easy, But Take It


Richard Strozzi-Heckler, Ph.D.
http://www.strozziinstitute.com/

Gandhi’s Top 10

I came across a blog that listed Gandhi’s Top 10 Fundamentals for Changing the World.


1. Change

“You must be the change you want to see in the world.”

“As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world – that is the myth of the atomic age – as in being able to remake ourselves.”


2. Control.

“Nobody can hurt me without my permission.”


3. Forgiveness

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”

“An eye for eye only ends up making the whole world blind.”


4. Action.

“An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching.”


5. The present moment.

“I do not want to foresee the future. I am concerned with taking care of the present. God has given me no control over the moment following.”


6. Everyone is human.

“I claim to be a simple individual liable to err like any other fellow mortal. I own, however, that I have humility enough to confess my errors and to retrace my steps.”

“It is unwise to be too sure of one’s own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err.”


7. Persist.

“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.”


8. Goodness.

“I look only to the good qualities of men. Not being faultless myself, I won’t presume to probe into the faults of others.”

“I suppose leadership at one time meant muscles; but today it means getting along with people.”


9. Truth

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”

“Always aim at complete harmony of thought and word and deed. Always aim at purifying your thoughts and everything will be well.”


10. Development.

“Constant development is the law of life, and a man who always tries to maintain his dogmas in order to appear consistent drives himself into a false position.”

http://paulocoelhoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/gandhi.jpg

Liberation

I learnt so much this past 4th of July weekend. About love, life and the pursuit of happiness. About releasing my self-imposed roles. About relaxing and allowing myself to ride the incredible wave of life. About the unexpected lessons, and happy new connections. I experienced pure magic.

For a while, I allowed myself to surrender, and then wondered how come I didn't do this more often! Life happened beautifully without me trying to control what was going on around me. Better than I could've expected. The food, the company, the exchange of genuineness, all fed my soul, which was apparently hungrier than I imagined.

So this weekend I went with the flow, got into a state of flow, and loved every second of it! Maybe this holiday was meant to liberate me from myself. To feel my way through this journey just a tad bit more, and to put the mind at ease. The fireworks ignited within my soul, and I fell in love with life all over again...

Hoping that your holiday was filled with joy!

Many Blessings,
Erika

You Are What You Eat

Heart Disease. Diabetes. Cancer. Obesity. These and many other common ailments are easily prevented with a change in diet. The problem is that people don't know how to eat, how to cook, or read labels. We are suffering from epidemics because of our fast-paced, convenience-driven consumer society. Can you imagine a life without pain or illness?

Here's a video with great information on Raw Living Foods from Chef Matthew Kenney:

Our health is our biggest asset! We need to educate ourselves and take charge of our well being. We have been incorrectly informed by mass media and advertisements for far too long. You know what's right for you. There's no "One Fits All" diet, recipe or prescription, but eating living food reaps nothing but benefits. Enjoying more fresh, raw fruits and vegetables will immediately create positive results.

Get in touch with your body and learn to listen to it. A long, healthy life will be your reward!

Thrive!
+Erika

________________________________________________________
Erika Matos is a transformational agent, a certified health and nutrition educator, intuitive healer, and life coach helping people shift in the right direction by critically rethinking everything assumed to be true about what it means to be a happy, healthy, prosperous being. To learn more about her work visit http://www.realitymanifest.com

Are You Focusing on the Clock?

Clock time is a social construction. While we oblige by it, we must also find time to disconnect from it.  I want to share in this post some very useful insight from Eckhart Tolle:

The elimination of time from your consciousness is the elimination of ego. It is the only true spiritual practice. Here are three exercises to help you move in this direction:


Step out of the time dimension as much as possible in everyday life. Become friendly toward the present moment. Make it your practice to withdraw attention from past and future whenever they are not needed.


Be present as the watcher of your mind—of your thoughts and emotions as well as your reactions in various situations. Be at least as interested in your reactions as in the situation or person that causes you to react.


Use your senses fully. Be where you are. Look around. Just look, don't interpret. Be aware of the silent presence of each thing. Be aware of the space that allows everything to be. Listen to the sounds; don't judge them. Listen to the silence beneath the sounds. Touch something—anything—and feel and acknowledge its Being. Allow the "isness" of all things. Move deeply into the Now.

– Eckhart Tolle

It is true that time will pass, and that there will be many things around us to remind us of just that.  In your daily hustle, make sure that you slow down from time to time to enjoy the flowers along the path.  Rushing all the time depletes us of essential life force, making us inefficient and clumsy. Take a few moments to connect with your breath: five consecutive breaths will oxygenate your body and begin to release tension.

Life is passing us by. Are you enjoying every moment as much as possible?

I Am, as are you...

+Erika

________________________________________________________
Erika Matos is a transformational agent, a certified health and nutrition educator, intuitive healer, and life coach helping people shift in the right direction by critically rethinking everything assumed to be true about what it means to be a happy, healthy, prosperous being. To learn more about her work visit http://www.realitymanifest.com

What Have You Done for You Lately?

We're busy. We give of ourselves. We have quite a bit to do, and then some. We put other people first. We take care of everything we possibly can. Sounds exhausting? It is!

The question becomes: how are you taking care of yourself on a regular basis? Are you scheduling time to pamper and nourish "you"? Are you doing special things that make your soul sing? Are you spending time alone to recharge?

If you are not, I ask you to reconsider.  Ask for help if you need to, but set aside time for uplifting your spirits.

Other people might not give you this time, so you must learn to take it/make it. Build it into your schedule: ME TIME!

It doesn't have to be very long or costly, just enough for relaxing effectively. I go to the sauna, spend time with nature, read, explore a different area, take a bubble bath or go to a movie. None or these are out of reach - simple and inexpensive. When splurging, I'll get a massage as often as I can. It's the best thing ever!

Ask yourself: What is that thing I've been wanting to treat myself to that I keep postponing? Think of ways of making it happen within the next week or two. The sooner the better.

When we are our best, we give our best. It is, therefore, crucial for you to maintain a sense of self, peace and balance. Then, go out there and deliver like the shining star that you are!


Spend time with fabulous you, and the world will reap benefits.

You totally deserve it.
+Erika


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Erika Matos is a transformational agent, a certified health and nutrition educator, intuitive healer, and life coach helping people shift in the right direction by critically rethinking everything assumed to be true about what it means to be a happy, healthy, prosperous being. To learn more about her work visit http://www.realitymanifest.com

Will I Ever Be Enough?

Are you trying to accomplish a lot because you feel you are not good enough as you currently are?

Sometimes we feel that if we reach this goal, or do this other thing, then life will be finally a dream come true. We keep thinking of the conditions we want in order to be finally happy "in the future". It's a trap! Boy, and do we fall for it often...

What we need to remember is: 

1.  Acceptance:  To learn to love life exactly as it is in this current moment. To realize that tomorrow never comes and all we have is right now. To understand that the more positive you are, loving everything that you already are and have, the more you create the correct magnetic vibration to attract even more of what you want. Do not confuse this with complacency. You still have every right to living a life full of purpose and expanding to your highest possible potential.

2.  Gratitude:  How often do we take this for granted?! The simple act of humbling ourselves and saying "Thanks for ________ " rather than complaining about the silly things that bother us. Don't know what to be thankful for? Start with "for being awake and alive right now" then take a quick inventory of those things that are supporting you daily, that might not be getting the credit they deserve. Even going as far as being grateful for a difficult person or situation in your life, for they are paving the way for you and teaching you lessons as you walk

through it.

"When we are busy focusing on what we don't have, we don't pay attention to what we do have. Wanting is different from having. Wanting is in the future. It is based on an idea of what might make you happy in five minutes, tomorrow, next week. But having is here, now. Most of us don't let ourselves have what's in front of us, so we're always wanting more. When you don't let yourself have what you already have, you are always hungry, always searching, always restless." – Geneen Roth

Go out today with an attitude of acceptance and gratitude and watch the mental clutter start to dissipate and the joy in your heart fill your spirit.

I am grateful for you! You are enough.

+Erika

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Erika Matos is a transformational agent, a certified health and nutrition educator, intuitive healer, and life coach helping people shift in the right direction by critically rethinking everything assumed to be true about what it means to be a happy, healthy, prosperous being. To learn more about her work visit http://www.realitymanifest.com

Really Busy? Maybe Not...

If you are like me, your plate feels full. There a big things to take care of, and the tiny details that follow. Between seeking information, implementing changes, taking care of clients and developing a strong brand, we don't have a lot of time in our hands. Or do we? I found the article segment below and it filled me with valid questions about my state of busy-ness:

"Am I Really Busy or Does It Just Feel This Way?

Most of us judge how busy we are by how much we have to do. When there are too many things to do, we think we're busy, and when there isn't much to do, it feels like we're not busy at all. But in fact, we can feel busy when there isn't that much to do, and we can feel relaxed even when there's a lot going on. The states of "busy" and "not busy" aren't defined by how many things there are to do.

Contrary to popular opinion, there is no such thing as multitasking; the brain can tend to only one thing at a time. Being too busy or not being busy is an interpretation of our activity. Busy-ness is a state of mind, not a fact. No matter how much or how little we're doing, we're always just doing what we're doing, simply living this one moment of our lives. –

Norman Fischer "

 

 

Learning to balance our mindsets to allow us to still enjoy life will fill us with more joy, no matter how busy we think we are or seem. How long is your to-do list? How relaxed are you during down-time? Do you even feel like you have down time?
 

Don't convince yourself that you are important because of what you have chosen to do. Life still needs you to simply BE. Know when to release and let go, and when to be on!

 

Remember, we only have this moment. Stay present and clear.

 

Here and Now,

+Erika

 

 

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Erika Matos is a transformational agent, a certified health and nutrition educator, intuitive healer, and life coach helping people shift in the right direction by critically rethinking everything assumed to be true about what it means to be a happy, healthy, prosperous being. To learn more about her work visit http://www.realitymanifest.com