3 Simple Steps to Change Your Life

Celebrate the New Year, yet there's no need to hide behind a mask. Change your life one area at a time with these simple steps. Notice that I did not say easy. Most of us can start just about anything. Following through to completion, though, that's the hard work. Just anyone who's been in a committed relationship for over 10 years.

Get Clear: When I first sit down with a student, this is where we start. Why are you here?

Use a process to help you clarify your goals. What do you want to do? How do you want to feel? I've used many processes over the years: T-chart, pro and con list, tarot, meditation, etc. Most recently, the book from Danielle LaPointe, Desire Mapping has been a helpful guide. Getting clear on my feelings and then figuring out how to create a life to help me feel that way. I am offering a Desire Mapping Retreat on January 17-18, 2015 in Salt Lake City. If you live a far, I am offering a Virtual Desire Mapping Workshop starting in February.

Commit: Once you are clear, you make a commitment to do the steps in order to achieve your goal. Sometimes we get stuck and feel we can't go on. We give up before we see the results we want. This can be good or not. Sometimes we need to break things down into smaller steps. We may need help. We may need to ask for help. An aspect of wisdom is knowing when to keep going and when to move on.

Complete: Follow through with the steps that you need to do, congratulating yourself for each small success. You may need to break them down further. There are no mistakes. If something doesn't go right, it clarifies more of what you don't want as well as paving the way for what you do want. Keep on. Follow through. Follow up. Get it done. Just do it.

Many of my students say their biggest challenge is knowing what they really want. We have so many choices today and many times we are guided by loved ones away from the choices that seem unattainable. I remember being told that artists starve and don't make money until they are dead. Only a few dancers make it to the top. 

Now I realize that those dreams are real. That's one of the way the Universe guides us. Truly follow your dreams and make them happen--one step at a time.

Inhale Love...

I was feeling overwhelmed and a friend of mine sent me this beautiful pic. I wanted to share it with all of you because this authentic gesture changed my day. I wanted to feel differently, but the change wasn't happening fast enough. Do some yoga. Breathe. You know move a muscle, change a thought.

This was one of those acts of kindness that takes little time or expense yet packs a powerful punch. Sometimes we become callous about sweet sayings because they are all over social media. Used in a timely way though, I find they offer a special connection.


Take a deep breath in...Inhale Love
Breathe out...Exhale Gratitude

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Share an act of kindness done to you or one that you received. It's the little things in life that can make the biggest difference.
#randomactsofkindness

How Do You WANT to Feel?

Let’s talk about your life.

Do you feel free? Joyful? Connected?

Most importantly, does your life feel the way you want it to feel?

When I read The Desire Map by Danielle LaPorte for the first time, my life was not feeling the way I wanted it to. I had just left my school teaching job and was unsure where teaching yoga was going to bring me. The Desire Map was the catalyst for the change I needed.

This book isn’t just intellectual theory. It actually walks you through the process of practically (+ soulfully) creating a life that you actually want to live, connected to people, experiences and things that you actually want to be connected to.

It seems so obvious, right? Of course! My life should feel good!

But the thing is, so many of us aren’t living that way. We’re fixated on what others think we should do. We’re pushing ourselves to meet someone else’s expectations of The Great Mom, The Successful Businesswoman, The Patient Wife or The Forgiving Friend.

And in all that striving to meet other people’s expectations, a lot of us have lost ourselves. 

For a while, I did.

The Desire Map snapped me out of it and got me back on my own life track, moving towards a future that feels right for me.

And because of the profound impact desire mapping has had on my life, I want to sing about this work from the rooftops. I want you to have this opportunity to reclaim your life too, which is why...When I heard that Danielle was creating a Licensing program so that people could teach this material, I was one of the first people waving my arms at the front of the line.

And now... I am thrilled to announce that I’m an official Desire Map Licensee (cue the confetti!).

I’m preparing to host my first in-person workshop in Salt Lake City, January 17-18, 2015.

If you’d like to join me, click here for more details and to register.

It’s never too late to live a life that feels good. A life that you consciously choose and design, based on your own core desired feelings.

I’d like to help you uncover those feelings so you can start building a life that helps you generate them.

Love, Jacqueline

PS- I will be offering a virtual workshop starting at the end of January. You can contact me to get on the update list.

5 Simple Steps to Change Your Relationship with Food

Tropical Fruit

I've been talking a lot about food lately and one of the most powerful tools we have to deal with how we eat is our mind.
We all know willpower is not an innate trait. Can we train our mind to relate to food in a different more positive way? Absolutely!
How you ask? Mindfulness. What is mindfulness you ask? It is simply becoming aware of what we are doing. In this case, eating.
Here are five simple steps that will begin to change your relationship to food:

1. Sit for a moment before you eat with your eyes closed (even if it's a snack.)
2. Open your eyes and look at the food in front of you.
3. Think about the nourishment you are about to consume. (If you don't like what you see on your plate, don't eat it.)
4. Eat slowly; chewing your food and tasting each bite. If it doesn't taste fulfilling, stop eating.
5. When you are partly through your meal, check in with yourself. Complete your meal when you are 2/3 full.

Try this exercise with each and every meal. I know time is limited. It will literally take a few moments. And yes, those moments can rock your world. Note the thoughts that occur while you go through this experience.

Some things you might consider:

• How and who prepares your food?
• Where does your food come from? 
• How are the people treated your harvest your food?
• Make sure you are in a safe place when you eat, with people you enjoy. 
• Avoid arguments, electronics (i.e. TV, phone), and negativity during meals. 
• Set up your eating experience to feel warm, safe, comfortable. 
• Prepare your food thoughtfully. I like to chant when I'm cooking. Some people enjoy music.

I can hear the distention already-"TIME", "I can't control who makes my food or where it comes from", "NO TIME." If you've stayed with me thus far, thank you.

I know you are busy. We are all busy and it seems as time passes, we are getting busier. I am of the mindset that we need to change our level of busy-ness. Some things need to be fast--like our internet connection, but some things were meant to be slow--like building relationships and eating.

The next few weeks I'll be taking a look at easy ways to slow down and build a mindfulness practice. 

You might even consider building a meditation practice if you don't already have one. I am offering a month-long program to build a meditation practice in November. Click here for details.

I would love, love, love to hear about your experiences with this eating mindfulness exercise. Please share below!