Quickeners Annie

Appreciation & Gratitude

There's a whole lot being said (at least that we should...) about gratitude. When a social worker told me, without a why or what - that science said I should keep a gratitude journal, I wanted to punch her. I wasn't feeling it. 

But, in other ways and from different parts of life - some surprising - I've heard an echo - yes, it's all about gratitude. 

So, here it is - what these 2 words mean, how they differ, how one informs the other and how to begin your practice. 

If you'd like more detail - like the links to the studies, and a link to a self-test, check out my blog post. 

All the very best to you, 

Annie 


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In this episode, I talk about stress - how high the stakes are (they are so high!). I'll tell you about the HEROS I serve, describe what stress can do and is doing to so many of us, and share the good news of the number of ways (beginning with rest and exploring your mindset) of beginning to deal with stress. 

We all have stress. We all get physical symptoms of stress. We tell ourselves things that can keep the stress cycle going OR begin to help us respond differently so that stress impacts us a little (or a lot) less. It's about the mindset we adopt (I wrote about a healthy mindset recently - check it out). 

Once you understand stress as an invitation to practice, there're a great number of tools that can help you manage it by becoming more of who you are. You can learn about your healthful boundaries, you can practice shifting your mindset, using your breath (that great vehicle between mind and body) and you can get clear about what fuels your life force - how do you express who you are in the world and what makes you feel fantastic, that is also reasonably healthful. 

If you are a seeker - someone who's experiencing a surprising and concerning health problem, or you're a health pro seeking more soul in medicine,  then this tribe is for you. The work I guide seekers on just might be for you. 

Reach out! 

Hari Om


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If we aren't safe, we can't relax. If we can't relax, it unlikely we can be and act consciously. 

Everyone needs a little bit of safety (hopefully lots more) in life - if you don't have it, over time it erodes your nervous system and you can become over-stimulated and ever-triggered. In Episode 9, Annie talks about how we can create safety for ourselves and others. It's a practice. 

She'll also share 9 steps to creating sacred rituals of self-care. These are Annie's adaptations of the work of Renee Beck & Sydney Barbara Metrick's book, The Art of Ritual. 

How do you create meaning, ease, and fun in your self-care? Care to share your story, or have a question for Annie about this topic? 

Send a message about this episode here. 

As always, thanks for listening. 


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Life is constantly changing, and the nature of change is to accelerate. How can we care for ourselves and others in the midst of constant and accelerating change? 

Yoga has a couple frameworks that can be helpful. In this episode, Annie shares two frameworks of yoga that bring the absolute into your daily life. You can get to know your own bliss body as a strategy to help you navigate this ever-changing world. 

Enjoy! 


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...It's An Exhale

If you let go a little, you will have a little peace. 

If you let go a lot, you will have a lot of peace. 

- Ajahn Chah (Thai Buddhist Monk of the Thai Forest Tradition)

Sounds good, but how does it really happen? Letting go is a practice, and we can study our own exhale (23,000 opportunities daily!) to learn how to do it. This episode contains personal stories (letting go is a challenge!) a meditation on exhaling with the aim of letting go, and a 3-step practice to dive deeper into letting a particular something you've been hanging on to go while learning and evolving. 

Horrible things happen in this life - often, life is unbearably cruel and unfair. Holding on - to pain, to injustice - gives us a compelling sense of identity. So, letting go is about releasing that part of our identity and re-imagining who we are. It's a great process but can be challenging. 

Letting go  and exhaling creates space; in your body and in your mind. Once you release, you can fill that space with things that serve you well now. 

The mantra I mention in this segment is: Om Nama Shivaya. 

Namaste 

Learn more about Annie at www.anniebkay.com


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Intention (said coach & Kripalu teacher Marcia Goldberg) is the thread upon which the pearls of life experience are strung.  

If we go through life without intention, we increase the likelihood of getting haphazard results. Knowing what we want, knowing what we'd like to bring into our lives just makes it more likely that we will. To me, intention is a thread that connects dharma (your sacred mission or truth - why you are here) with your core governing values (what's most important to you).  Yes they are all connected - together I think of them as a base that drives daily actions and decisions. 

So, taking time to think about (and to write down) dharma, core values and intention is time well spent. 

I'll explain how to do it, and describe how for me it felt when my intention was not fully in alignment. 

If you are a healer in your life (most are, I'd say), or if you are looking to live a considered life, working with intention is essential to your creating the healing in the world that you hope to. 


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