Dr. Janice Lundy
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The Year of Living Gently - June News

5/12/2018

2 Comments

 
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Hello lovely friend,

I'm reveling in the beauty of a long-awaited summer. I'm also vowing to live EXTRA gently with myself this summer. For the last few summers (maybe more than a few), I've set the intention to savor the days in a variety of ways. Pure enjoyment!

But then "life" happens. Often it's been the call of caretaking that took precedent. Someone needed assistance for recovery from surgery, a mishap or health issue. That's alright. "It is what it is," my mantra for these times. And, of course, I want to be available to those I love. 

Your Deepest Need

Which brings me to the topic of this newsletter, "Your Deepest Need." ​As I think about what I'd ideally like my summer to look like, I'm getting in touch with my own deepest needs. I'd like to invite you to do the same. I'm hoping this little essay (adapted from my forthcoming book, Living Gently with Myself) can help. (Read on...)
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"​My journey of living gently didn’t begin until it was forced upon me. This is the way it is with many of us. We are tough nuts to crack! Like Energizer Bunnies, we’ve been going and going for so long we have forgotten that life can be more than a full-throttle, stress-filled effort. On some level, we know there is more to life than making sure the bills get paid, meeting deadlines, and doing all we can to keep up with life. We know we can (and should!) be calmer, happier, tuned into the more sublime states of being, but we’re not sure how to find the balance between work and pleasure, duty and relaxation, stress and ease.
 
Despite all our trying to get life just right, it is life itself that offers us the unique invitation to stop, self-assess, and take a long, loving look at how we are living. Life provides us with an opportunity to reorient; to turn us back toward what matters—living well and happily with ourselves and others. For me, this invitation has often come in the form of a health challenge. I imagine this might be true for you too. Whenever this has happened in my life, a clarifying question rises up, inviting me to stop once more, to look and listen deeply, to search my heart for an answer to this: 
 
What do I really need right now—on a soul level—to be happy and at ease in my life? 
 
I believe that deep within us there is a boundless source of wisdom that we can tap into and it always provides the answers we need. I’ve witnessed this same response in others over and over again when I’ve posed the question of participants at a retreat, for example. I know that when I ask it I’ve touched a nerve. The room becomes acutely quiet, eyes will close, heads will bow. In some, tears will flow. In the whirl of everyday life, we have deep soul needs that are not being met. Indeed, the voice of our soul has been quieted, and, for some, even silenced by the cacophony of the world.
 
The needs that need to be met vary from person to person. Rest, silence, or time alone. A body without pain. A mind without fear and anxiety. An end to responsibility or care-giving. Work that is life-affirming rather than draining. Relationships that are nurturing and authentic. A spiritual community where they feel loved and accepted for who they really are. 
 
Interestingly, when I’ve asked this question (of women of all ages), many of them go on to speak about being tired. It seems they are just plain fatigued; worn out from the “too muchness” of life. And this fatigue prevents them from getting in touch with what they really need on a deeper level. It also keeps them disconnected from any sense of personal joy. 
 
This is a good place for you to begin our journey of living gently, to ponder the question: 
 
What do you really need right now—on a soul level—to be happy and at ease in your life? 
 
Rest assured, whatever answer emerges is just right for you for now. Trust what comes. Even if it seems like the answer is a “surface answer” like, “I’m tired, I need a long nap,” that’s alright. That’s where you begin. 
 
We begin where we are. There’s no better place to be." 

(Adapted from Living Gently with Myself: A 30-Day Guidebook)


When you ask the question...

"What do you really need right now—on a soul level--
​to be happy and at ease in your life?" 
what do you hear? Share your answer in the comment section below. I'd love to hear! And love to know how I can support you in the process. 
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​Good news!

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​Your pre-ordered copy of Living Gently with Myself will ship out the week of June 25. Hooray! I appreciate the patience you've shown as I've navigated pesky health issues while completing the book. Book orders will be fulfilled in the order they were received. 

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June's Guided Teaching/Meditation & Video
​"Tapping Into Beauty"

One of the ways I address my soul's deepest needs is to tap into beauty, especially during the summer! Enjoy this 7 min. audio to help you do the same, if you're a beauty lover, that is.  :-) 
Listen:  www.awakenedliving.com/podcasts/TappingIntoBeauty.mp3
You might also enjoy this video from my archives on how to "Walk In Beauty."
Watch: https://vimeo.com/40011740

May June be a month of self-blessing for you as you attend to your soul's needs! As always, I send you greetings of deep peace, boundless love, and enlivening joy. 

Namaste',
Jan

Janice L. Lundy, DMin
www.JanLundy.com

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The Year of Living Gently - May News

5/12/2018

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Hello lovely one,
​
It's May, it's May, that glorious month of May, and my thoughts are infused with gratitude for the beauty that is emerging all around me. May is truly one of my favorite months for this reason, and a few others. 

It holds the essence of Mother's Day, of course, and I love having the privilege of being a mother. As I write this, I am assisting in the care of my youngest daughter who just had brain surgery. (She is doing well, thank you.) So "mothering" is on my mind and, at the same time, I'm also aware that this particular holiday can bring up painful memories for many of us. Not having a durable relationship with one's mother, having had an emotionally absent mother, the death of one's mother; experiencing loss as a mother-to-be (miscarriage, childbirth),  losing a child, being unable to have children ... These are all such tender situations, which is why I prefer to think of Mother's Day each year as "Mothering Day. (I created this short video a while back explaining this.) 

Mothering Yourself

On the path of self-actualization, it is vital that we, no matter our history or upbringing (or if we are a mother or not), learn how to "mother ourselves". To mother one's self means to cultivate a healthy relationship with yourself that is generous and unconditionally loving, nurturing and nourishing. When you effectively learn to mother yourself, you are no longer unskillfully dependent on others for the advancement of self-esteem. You know how to attend to your outer and inner needs. You believe in yourself. You can easily muster up self-compassion when it's needed instead of treating yourself harshly or judgmentally. In other words, you act toward and hold yourself as the ideal mother (archetype) would. Make sense? 
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​"Did Life Teach You to Love Yourself?"

In the spirit of mothering ourselves, my good friend Carol Egan agreed to let me share with you this beautiful essay she crafted. It really does get to the heart of what it means to live gently with yourself by loving yourself more. 
Did life teach you to love yourself?

Did someone teach you to care for and honor your body, your emotions and your Spirit when you were young?
 
Did someone teach you to nurture your creative ideas no matter how wild they seemed as you grew up? 

I’m not asking if you felt loved. 

I’m asking if you were taught to love yourself when you were a child, or an adolescent.

I’m asking if you were taught to freely express yourself and go after what you most wanted, or were there spoken and unspoken rules and expectations that told you you’d best temper your “wild ideas” and conform?

For that reason, were you taught to put others before yourself? 

Did you believe the fairy tale that someone other than you, like Prince Charming, or Princess Charming would come to complete you? That you would be “perfect” if they were “perfect.” 

And if you were not taught self-love, self-honor, and self-care, if you were taught to conform and acquiesce what you most wanted, and to look for love outside yourself, what happened to you? The original you? 

And if you were not taught self-love, self-honor, self-care, how could you trust you’re choosing what is best for you? 

Could choosing what’s best for you even be possible if you don’t have a relationship to loving yourself. 

If I’ve learned nothing, I’ve learned that no one can love us like we can love ourselves. 

No one can know what we need, what makes our hearts soar and where that comes from within ourselves, like ourselves. 

No one can care of us, and our wild and thrilling ideas… AND our tender, aching wounds, like we ourselves can. 

HOW can we choose what is vital and healthy for us, HOW can we know what’s really best for us, IF we have no relationship to who we are in the most important way? 

Self-love is the first step to reclaim our lost selves. 

Self-love is the first step we build upon. 

Self-love is our first step to finding our way back to who we KNOW we are within, but have been suppressing to conform, to be good, to follow the rules. 

Self-love is the first step to reclaim our healthiest and most powerful selves, physically, mentally, emotionally and Spiritually. 

If I’ve learned nothing, I’ve learned that self-love is the foundation for everything good we ever hope to be, do and have in life. 

It’s the place to begin. It’s the place where every healthy choice finds it’s source. 
​
Leave all the promises of others behind. You know what you need. Go within to find your love for you, so you can then go out into the world and more powerfully be of service.

©2018, Carol Egan

 
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Carol Egan is a Cornell University-trained Executive Health Coach and Founder of Immersion Health, a company that specializes in corporate leadership and wellness trainings. Learn more about her and her good work in the world at her website: www.carol-egan.com

Gentling Onward...

My wish for you this May is that you WILL treat yourself as kindly and gently as you do others. The rapid growth and abundant beauty of Spring remind us that anything is possible. We can heal all wounds, point ourselves toward a myriad of possibilities, and, at the same time, accept ourselves just as we are. May this affirmation guide your heart in this noble effort.

         Today, may I remember that I AM.
          a divine human with a boundless and loving heart.
          Spirit flows through me with every breath I take 
          and loves me as I AM.
          I let go of expectations I place on myself
          for being someone in particular.

          I am enough in my I AM-ness.

Peace, love, and joyful May blessings to you always,
Jan

© Janice L. Lundy
www.JanLundy.com


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The Year of Living Gently - April News

4/5/2018

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April

Happy almost Spring, dear ones, 

It seems like I've been waiting forever to walk in a world of green again here in the Great North. The longing is great to feel the warmth of the sun on my face, to savor the smell of April rain upon the earth, and to rest my eyes on color.

For the most part, I've been a patient patient. Following the sage advice of many Eastern teachers, I've done my best to "be here now" as my body heals up from injury and surgery. When life is showing up differently than we'd hoped (or planned), what are our choices really? We can be upset. This only makes us feel worse physically and mentally. We can resist the situation, which only creates more pain (emotional pain), proving the maxim, "What we resist persists." 

Live in the Present Moment

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"The Present Moment" is this month's Living Gently theme. It's what I come back to again and again to save me from myself—when I'm struggling with anything! As you may recall from previous writings, I seem to have inherited worry genes from my dad's side of the family and anxiety from my mom's. I was a nervous child and as an adult developed full blown anxiety in response to life as it was.

I know many of you have struggled with anxiety or worry over the years too. In fact, I don't know anyone who hasn't. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America cites: "Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older, or 18.1% of the population every year."

Current modes of Clinical Behavioral Therapy (CBT) often teach patients to come back to their breath to create inner calm when in the throes of anxiety. I love knowing this because it validates what spiritual masters have taught us for centuries: the breath is our friend and our fortress. Conscious breathing can stabilize feelings of overwhelm so we can function more fully in the present moment. This is the healing path I discovered organically for myself (without CBT) years ago. It is the path I stick to whenever life proves difficult once again.  

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3 Part Harmony

The months of April and May this year are proving to be two of the busiest periods I've experienced in recent years. From April 15 to mid-May, in fact, I will be on the road. During this span, I'll only be home for 3 days. 3 days! Just thinking about this can trigger anxious thoughts and feelings for me. Thank god I have a practice I can grab hold of when this starts to happen. I call it "3 part harmony." Here's how it works: 

Body Connection: Get grounded. Feel yourself fully in your body, feet on the ground, body held and supported by the earth. Connect with your breath. Rest attention in the abdomen, feeling the sensation of "being breathed." Let go, rest into that.

Mind Connection: Create stabilizing self-talk. Use a mantra, a phrase, that focuses your attention. Say it to yourself slowly, pairing with your breathing. Rest into the meaning of the words. "Be here now." "All is well." "I AM." 

Use a gatha by Thich That Hanh:
"Breathing in I know that I am breathing in.
Breathing out I know that I am breathing out.”

​He says, "We do not need to control our breath. Feel the breath as it actually is. It may be long or short, deep or shallow. With our awareness it will naturally become slower and deeper. Conscious breathing is the key to uniting body and mind and bringing the energy of mindfulness into each moment of our life."

Spirit Connection:
Bring yourself back to the divine. Remember that you are never distanced from It. Ask for help if you need it. Align yourself with thoughts and feelings of love or beauty and feel yourself let go into something greater than yourself. 

Ah, relief! Welcome home.

I hope my practice of 3-Part Harmony will help you feel more grounded this April so you can fully enjoy the present moment wherever you are. 

Suggested Reading for the Month of April

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A lovely spiritual companion gifted me with this wonderful book. I think it's perfect for revitalizing ourselves this spring. I am enjoying Thay's guidance once again through grounding thoughts and simple body movements to be where I am and fully enjoy the present moment. 

​"With each breath, we can notice we are breathing in. With each out-breath, we can notice we are breathing out. When we breathe like this, our body and our mind come together. And when our body and mind are together, we are capable of living it more fully. We are able to enjoy what is going on in and around us each moment." 

In Coming Home to Ourselves: Read Chapter 5, "Enrich Your Spirit"
In Your Truest Self: Read Chapter 2: "I Trust My Body's Divine Connection"


My April Gift to You

For those of you who might REALLY struggle with anxiety, I created a self-guided audio seminar a few years ago called, "7 Spiritual Secrets for Transforming Anxiety." I'd like you to have it. It includes a 60 min. audio presentation, small workbook, and a Guided Meditation. I hope you will find it helpful! 
Download it here: https://goo.gl/mZ9Jjy

Helpful Videos

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For the month of April, you might want to view these videos on my Vimeo channel. 
"Sacred Breath"
"Getting Grounded" 

You might also enjoy watching this (20 min.)
​Oprah Winfrey talks with Thich That Hanh

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April's Guided Meditation ~
​Breath as Portable Peace

Enjoy this 5-min. Guided Meditation for conscious breathing. May it bring you a greater sense of ease. 
Listen here: https://goo.gl/PLsVx8

March Winner and April Drawing

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The winner of the March Giveaway, the little book and magnet set on the friendship of women is Deb Winkler. Congratulations! And now, drumroll please, for news of the April Giveaway. I am going to gift one lucky person with a copy of a favorite book by Thich That Hanh! It will be a surprise, mystery title. (All his books are great!)

To be entered into the April Drawing, submit by April 30. Send me an e-mail stating what you do to bring yourself back to the present moment to bypass anxiety or worry. Good luck!


Connect and Share

Want to share your thoughts with others who are doing the "Living Gently" journey too? You can leave comments here on this page. This is a private page for subscribers only.  You can also leave comments on the "Year of Living Gently" blog pages. (Public pages) You may also contact me privately. I always enjoy hearing from you.

As April unfolds, may you find yourself peaceful and at ease in your body-mind. May your heart be happy and light. May your spirit feel nourished and refreshed by spring rains and beautiful blooms. 

May peace be your every step,
Love, Jan

Janice L. Lundy, DMin
Educator, Author and Interfaith Spiritual Guide
www.JanLundy.com

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The Year of Living Gently ~ March News

3/5/2018

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Hello Dear Ones!
It's March, Women's History Month. This month—declared as such by Congress in 1987—is one that recognizes the contributions made over time by American women. President Jimmy Carter (1980) designated National Women's History Week  as March 2-8. You can read more about how this month came to be here. International Women's Day is held annually on March 8. 

When I think of this week (and this month) I think of empowerment. A long line of women came before me to ensure that I would have not only the right to vote, but more choices to live the life of my dreams. Their actions empower me to claim my strength, harness my talents, and bring my vision to the world. Wow!

Hold on a minute!

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As I reread the words I've just written, I experience mixed messages moving through my mind. Alternately, chills  up and down my spine (empowerment!), shortness of breath, and a bit of heart racing (whoah!) One voice says, "Yes, go baby, go!" Another says, "Whew, that's a lot! Wait a moment here." 

I imagine many of you might feel this tension too—between what you could do and what you might realistically have the energy, time or mental energy for. I know I certainly do, all the time. Like a seesaw, I go up and down with what I get excited about and what  I'd like to do, balanced out with what is realistic for me. 

This is all good noticing! Noticing the tension between hopes and dreams and what is physically/emotionally possible. As busy women today, we play multiple roles. And, because we do, we have a myriad of responsibilities to attend to each day. I remember thinking to myself many years ago, "Really, how much can one person do?" At the time, I'm sure I was reflecting on my life, finding myself overextended, trying to do and be it all. I was juggling a lot of balls and doing an OK job of it, but I think I was also deluding myself believing that I could--should—be able to do anything I put my mind to. 

Wild expectations

• Do you tend to expect a lot of yourself?
• Do you expect even more of yourself than you do of others?
• Do you easily take on responsibilities that are not necessarily yours?
• Do you pick up the slack for others?
• Do you tend to take on more than you should, ignoring your wise self that cautions you against doing so?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you may have what I call "wild expectations" of yourself. You have a tendency to think "I can do that!" about many more things than you are actually capable of doing. The truth is you can do just about anything you want (thanks, in part, to the women's movement), but, perhaps not all at the same time. 
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I'll tell you honestly, now that I am empty nesting, this dis-ease has flared big time, but now it circulates around my professional life. I have folders and legal pads full of ideas about books I could write. One time, I even had the grand idea that I could write an entire series of 30-day guidebooks (like My Deepest Me), enough to fill an entire shelf. I actually came up with 30+ titles I could write. Wow! Am I creatively super charged or am I a bit delusional?

* Do you have expectations of yourself in any arena of your life that are unreasonable?
* Do you push yourself to meet these expectations?
* And do you 
feel badly about yourself when you don't meet them?

A kinder, gentler way

There is a better way to live, one that is rooted in reality and the truth of your humanity. You are one person. You can only do so much. You can only be expected to do so much. 

If we are to honor our time and energy, we may have to say "what is." To admit (and I think this is the most difficult part) that you simply just can't do something. You simply don't have it in you. To accept that you might move at a slower pace than others. To acknowledge that right now you may have limitations (health, finances, lack of support, responsibilities) to do everything your mind says you could or should do. Or to do what others expect of you, too. 

It's good and wise to acknowledge your unique story and just tell it like it is. Let yourself off the hook and be real, be truthful, be honest with yourself and others about how you are feeling. Do just this and go from there. This is the perfect place to begin. Vow to have more realistic expectations for yourself going forward. 

Then, ask yourself the most wonderful question in the world. "Knowing this, what is the kindest thing I can do for myself in this moment?" 

​This short video explains more:

Honor where you find yourself right now

I've realized that I can't do what I used to be able to do. "I do not have the "band width" for this" is my new self-empowering mantra. 
How is this self-empowering? By saying it, I am acknowledging the truth of my current condition. I am stepping into my power to say, "Enough is enough." Or, "This is good enough." And believing it!

With good self-awareness, you can begin to acknowledge the truth of your experience, and make excellent, caring choices for yourself. This is what living more kindly and gently with yourself is all about.

Perhaps "living gently" is another manifestation of women's empowerment.  Woo-hoo! Happy Women's History Week (and Month), dear friend. I'd say we are still making history by furthering the cause of self-compassion! 
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​Suggested Reading for the Month of March:

• Chapter 4 in Coming Home to Ourselves: "Feeding Your Mind"
Get to your know your unique mind, how you think, and what it needs.
• Chapter 11 in Your Truest Self: "I Courageously Live and Speak My Truths." Meet a brave and visionary woman, Frances Moore Lappe. She helps us claim our courage to live authentically as our truest selves! 

Helpful Videos

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For the month of March, you might want to view these videos on my Vimeo channel. 
​

"Making Comparisons"
"Befriending Yourself"


Transforming Fear ~ A Guided Meditation

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I've modified the Peaceful Pause in Chap. 11 of my book Your Truest Self, "Transforming Fear." I have recorded this and turned it into a meditative exercise in support of this month's theme: "I have reasonable expectations of myself." Sometimes fear comes a'calling when we make new choices for ourselves. 
Listen here: 7 min.
http://www.awakenedliving.com/LivingGently/MarchGM.mp3


February Winner and March Drawing!

The winner of the (random drawing) of the beautiful "Love shawl" in the month of February is Lucinda Zamani. Congratulations! I hope you will cloak yourself in Love from all of us!

For March, in honor of Women's History Month, I have a super fun gift. It's from "Magnetic Wisdom" and it's a darling (but empowering) book on the friendship of women and 14 magnets with quotes and affirmations on "sisterhood" in a fold-out case. 
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To enter the March Drawing (held March 31):
Send me an email before 3/31. 
Tell me in which area of your life you have unreasonable expectations for yourself. How could you approach this differently in March and beyond?

​A random name will be drawn from the entries. Good luck to all!

Connect and Share!

Want to share your thoughts with others who are doing the "Living Gently" journey too? You can leave comments here on this page. This is a private page for subscribers only.  You can also leave comments on the "Year of Living Gently" blog pages. (Public pages) You may also contact me privately. I always enjoy hearing from you. 
As always, I wish you the very best. I hold you in thought, heart and prayer as you remain faithful to honoring your sacred self and your unique life. 

May March find feeling empowered, yet, being ever so kind to yourself. 

Love,
Jan

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The Year of Living Gently ~ February News

2/3/2018

2 Comments

 
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Hello Dear Ones, 
I hope and pray that January treated you kindly and, more importantly, that YOU started to treat yourself more gently. 

It's February, traditionally thought of as the month of love. I'd like to invite us to reframe February 2018 as "The Month of Loving Yourself." This is the perfect time for you to remember that loving yourself well is the pre-requisite for loving others well. 

I've sure struggled with self-love over the years. The very first time came when I knew I had to take better care of myself, but if I did that--before I took care of everybody and everything else—wouldn't that be selfish? Ah, there's the rub! Over time, I came to discover that when I took good care of myself, I had the energy to care for others too. I wrote a short blog post about this the other day. Have you struggled with this, feeling selfish when you do what's best for you? 

Today, the word "selfish" is banned  from my vocabulary. I prefer the word "self-aware" instead, especially when it comes to taking time to do what my body-mind-spirit needs to be well and happy. Perhaps you'd like to ban the "S" word from your vocabulary too, to free yourself to care as kindly and lovingly for yourself as you do others! Be kindly self-aware, instead!

Here are some readings, resources, & practices you can do this month to help make February YOUR month of Love. 

Put yourself on the calendar!

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Have you considered scheduling in "me time" and actually writing it down in your planner? Or, better yet, how about using this strategy to help you give yourself the TLC you need?

Download this article ​I wrote, "30 Days to Loving Yourself More." It contains a February calendar with a square for each day citing something you can do to reinforce your growing practice of loving yourself. Enjoy, and have fun loving yourself more, all through the month! 

http://www.awakenedliving.com/LivingGently/Calendar.pdf

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Continue to read through your free books!

• In Coming Home to Ourselves, read Chap. 3: "Nurture Your Body." Invite yourself to find loving ways to love your body this month. How can you feed it better, move it for longevity, pamper it with kindness, and create self-nourishing rituals? 
• In Your Truest Self, read Chapter 5, "I Cultivate Compassion for Myself." This will be discussed in our webinar on Feb. 25.

Helpful Videos in the Month of February

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For your month of self-love, you might want to view these videos on my Vimeo channel. 
"What is Self-Compassion?"
"Take Self-Compassion Breaks"
"Breaking Habits with Self-Compassion"
​

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Being Enough - A Guided Meditation

At the conclusion of Chap. 6 in my book Your Truest Self, "I Cultivate Compassion for Myself," is a Peaceful Pause for "Being Enough." I have recorded this and turned it into a meditative exercise. I hope you do it, enjoy it, and begin to feel your "enoughness." 
Listen here:
http://awakenedliving.com/podcasts/PeacefulPauseBeingEnough.mp3
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Join the February Webinar:

On Sunday, February 25 at 7:00-8:00 p.m. (ET), I will be hosting the 2nd webinar on "Living Gently." We will use Zoom again. I'll send you an e-mail with a link to enter the webinar. As we get closer to the date, I will send you more information on this. The topic will be "Self-Compassion: The Myths and the Magic", based on Chap. 5 in Your Truest Self.  

If you cannot participate in the webinar live, no worries, though I hope you will try to join us! A recording of the program will be sent to you. 

Results of the January Drawing

I'll be sending you an e-mail in a few days announcing the winner of the January drawing and sharing a short video showcasing the February prize for the next drawing. It's very special and will "cloak" you in LOVE! 

As always, I hold you in the highest regard and send you whooshes of big fat, juicy self-love!
Jan

"May all beings be at ease."
Janice Lynne Lundy, DMin
www.JanLundy.com
Co-Founder & Co-Director,
Spiritual Guidance Training Institute www.SpiritualGuidanceTraining.com


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Click the "Comments" button below and we can connect!
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The Year of Living Gently ~ January

1/1/2018

6 Comments

 

January 2018 Newsletter 

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Hello and Welcome!

I am profoundly happy and deeply grateful that you have decided to join me throughout 2018 for a "Year of Living Gently" as I celebrate my 20th Anniversary. And, creating your own year of living kindly and gently with yourself. This is exciting, indeed!

This newsletter invites you to a gentle beginning of what can be a truly transformative year. As you know, I have been working with the principles and practices of gentle living for over  two decades—and I'm still working at it—kindly, of course! It takes time for us to remove any weeds from our inner garden—those encumbrances that keep us from feeling fully free, happy, healthy and whole. It takes time for newly planted seeds to grow. It takes even more time for what is planted to fully bloom and radiate its beauty to the world.

So let us be gentle with ourselves as we proceed; compassionate when we fall back into unkind patterns; patient with ourselves as we align ourselves with inner healing, as well as the divine timing of all of this. 


What does "Living Gently" mean?

This is how I view it. "Living Gently", first of all, is a courageous path. It is countercultural and misunderstood in general. It is not a path of giving up, but of letting go and "letting things be"; of deep acceptance. It is not a path of weakness. It is path of self-knowledge, setting kind goals for oneself (including self-acceptance) irrespective of societal dictates or expectations. It is not a meek path, for it invites us to see what is happening clearly (with self-compassion), and make significant changes that may be good for us but unpopular with others. Living gently is a path of empowerment by being deeply aware, caring and attentive to what brings us closer to whole health and spiritual well-being. 
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You will have a unique approach to living more gently with yourself ... 

Each of us comes to this path with a unique history, needs, and circumstances. I came to it because I had lost my health and there was nowhere to go but up. I had hit rock bottom. I found myself creating a personal protocol for getting well. I did what seemed intuitively right and with divine guidance found my way back to health and well-being.

As you may know, this is what I wrote Coming Home to Ourselves about. It outlined a path for living more gently with yourself by taking "Baby Steps" to "Nurture Your Body", "Feed Your Mind," and "Enrich Your Spirit." It allows the reader to create a personal plan (considering their time and circumstances) to harmonize body, mind, and spirit for optimal results.

Some of you may have come to the Year of Living Gently for similar reasons. Or, your own! You may feel stressed and overwhelmed by life. You might find yourself trapped in a relationship or job that is depleting your energy. You may have received a surprising health diagnosis and have been told you must slow down to live differently. You may be feeling exhausted, lost, or out of touch with your spirit. You may have suffered a loss, feel confused or empty, not knowing how to heal. You might know on a very deep level that your life is out of balance and you're not sure how to get it back. You may want to heal childhood wounds, making peace with your past. ​You may be struggling with aging. 

On the other hand, some of you might actually be in a pretty good place, but want to feel more rooted in peace, love, and joy on a daily basis; able to ride the rollercoaster of life and navigate everyday challenges better. I believe that no matter where you are on your life path, the principles and practices of living gently will greatly benefit you and all aspects of your life: health, relationships, work, spirituality, and more.
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"Start where you are." 

This is good advice. Acknowledge where you find yourself and begin there. That's your first step on the path of living gently. 

Say what's real. Say what hurts and isn't working. Name your frustration, your fear, your concern. State what you really want for yourself. That's the stepping off place. Once you can openly and honestly say to yourself, "This isn't working. This is what I need help with and want to change. And this is what I want for myself," forces will begin to align to help you do just that. I fully believe this with every ounce of my being. I have experienced it myself thousands of times.

When we begin to release the tight hold we have on our lives, when we open to the divine and bring as a partner into our healing journey, all manner of things begin to happen. Perhaps even coming to this "Year of Living Gently" will be one of those for you. A sacred nudge might have brought you here because it IS time: your time to do what you need to do to live differently in a way that supports your true nature, inclinations, and purpose. I am glad you are here!

Your January Invitation:

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This month, I invite you to explore Coming Home to Ourselves and the process I outline within its pages to take a look at what you need most in your life right now, and how to harmonize body, mind and spirit. It's a good book with which to launch 2018!
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And if by chance you've already read it, I advise you to return to it. It has become a self-care classic. You are likely in a different place now than when you first read it. It may offer useful, new insights. 

You received the link to this book when you pre-ordered Living Gently with Myself. But here it is again for ease of downloading.
http://www.awakenedliving.com/podcasts/ComingHome.pdf

I suggest you print the book from the pdf so you can actually write in it and use the journaling pages. (The paperback book is out of print, but used copies are available through Amazon.) 
 
Let Coming Home guide you to your essence this January. I trust that it can. It has helped, literally, thousands of women (5,000 copies sold) to get their lives on track and connect with deeper parts of themselves that needed nurturing and care. It can guide you too!


Helpful Videos for the Month of January

I have gathered up 6 helpful videos I recorded based on the principles discussed in Coming Home. You will find them here and through the link on the right side of this page marked "Videos." They go along with the first chapters of the book.
​I hope you find them helpful!

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Watch here. ​


January 13 Webinar

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On Sunday, January 14 at 7:00 p.m. (ET), I will be holding a webinar (the first of many!) about "Living Gently." The platform I will use for this so we can see one another and interact well is Zoom. You will need to create a free Zoom account to participate. It's easy to do! Once your account has been created, I'll send you an e-mail with a link to enter the webinar. As we get closer to the date, I will send you more information on this. The topic will be "Extraordinary, Loving, Mindful Self-Care", based on Coming Home to Ourselves. 

If you cannot participate in the webinar live, no worries, though I hope you will try to join us! A recording of the program will be sent to you. 


A Special Offer!

Would you like to do Coming Home to Ourselves as an actual course? Well, there is one available!

​I offered this program very successfully online several years ago and have now packaged it up as a self-guided, self-paced course. It contains 5 Lessons, based on the chapters in the book,  complete with audios, reflection questions, "homework," and more. It offers a detailed and comprehensive approach to implementing the wisdom of Coming Home into your daily life in a most gentle way!
Coming Home to Ourselves:
The Course

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This course will be made available to the public soon. 
 For "Year of Living Gently" members only, I am asking a Free Will Offering for the course.
​Make a Donation of your choosing and download now. 
Thank you and enjoy! 

January Gift Giveaway

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​Win a collectible copy of the paperback version of Coming Home to Ourselves. AND a free, 40-min. "Living Gently" personal coaching session with me. 

How to enter the drawing to be held Jan. 31:
Send me an email before 1/31 telling me about your highest hope in terms of living gently with yourself in 2018. A random name will be drawn from the entries. Good luck to all!


Thank you, lovely soul, for joining me this month's issue and being present to yourself in increasingly kind ways. Onward and inward we go! It's going to be an amazing year!

And remember to reach out for assistance if you need it. I am here!

With metta (loving-kindness), 
Jan

"May all beings be at ease."
Janice Lynne Lundy, DMin
www.JanLundy.com
Co-Founder & Co-Director,
Spiritual Guidance Training Institute www.SpiritualGuidanceTraining.com

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    The Year of Living Gently

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    ​Take a breath, and drop into a kinder, gentler place within yourself.

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Janice Lynne Lundy, PsyD, DMin, MPC
is an interspiritual director/guide, educator and counselor who has been pointing people back toward the Sacred for nearly thirty years. She is the author of several spiritual growth books, including My Deepest Me; Your Truest Self;  and Portable Peace. She is the co-founder and co-director of the Spiritual Guidance Training Institute. 

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