Tag: meditation

Wednesday, July 20

Today is Wednesday, July 20, 2022. Spent last night, watching the fireflies sparkle in the evening sky. The sparkle still lingers.

A quote by Andrew Matthews, “Always speak well of yourself and consistently visualize your life working out as you want it.”

Photo by: tomertu

July is for sharing.  The act of sharing offers many health benefits.  When we give to others it has a positive effect on our brain.  Sharing allows us to connect more meaningfully and strengthens social connections.  Sharing your dreams and visions with others offers a chance to make the vision more believable to you, helps you clarify your vision, and build feelings of support for your vision.

    • Be open with friends, family, and colleagues about some or all of your vision
    • Host a party with the theme based on your vision
    • Journal about your vision
    • Visualize your vision in action

Practice this Mindfulness Activity to Re-energize your Body and Mind whenever you need a moment to reset – while waiting, before, after, or to transition between activities:

    • Straighten your spine. Roll your shoulders back and down, smile to yourself, & relax your jaw.
    • Take slow deep belly breaths, allowing your stomach to rise with each breath in and relax with each breath out. You may find that each breath gets better and better. Allow your shoulders to relax on each exhale.
    • Breathe in peace and joy as your belly rises.
    • Breathe out the unwanted feelings as your stomach releases.

Recharge yourself and share positive energy when you repeat:  

“I am [*Name*]. I can do this. As I connect to my inner self, I am open to the Happiness and positive energy around me. I send loving kindness and compassion to all people including me. Together, we can do great things.”

With gratitude and appreciation for all beings,

Naomi Parrella, MD & Fran Lee, FNP 

Monday, July 18

Today is Monday, July 18, 2022. Energized for a great day.

A quote by Albert Einstein, “Art is standing with one hand extended into the universe and one hand extended into the world, and letting ourselves be a conduit for passing energy.”

Photo by: Clément Rémond

July is for sharing.  The act of sharing offers many health benefits.  When we give to others it has a positive effect on our brain.  Sharing allows us to connect more meaningfully and strengthens social connections.  Share different perspectives and experiences of similar activities. Examples:

    • Join or establish a book club and read the same book and then talk about it together.
    • Walk through an art exhibit with a friend and discuss the various pieces or share the back stories behind the pieces.
    • Attend a musical or performing art show and get together after to talk about what you experienced.
    • Take a course with others and share what you are learning.
    • Participate in a meditation retreat with others.
    • Engage in an exercise class or play sports with

Practice this Mindfulness Activity to Re-energize your Body and Mind whenever you need a moment to reset – while waiting, before, after, or to transition between activities:

    • Straighten your spine. Roll your shoulders back and down, smile to yourself, & relax your jaw.
    • Take slow deep belly breaths, allowing your stomach to rise with each breath in and relax with each breath out. You may find that each breath gets better and better. Allow your shoulders to relax on each exhale.
    • Breathe in peace and joy as your belly rises.
    • Breathe out the unwanted feelings as your stomach releases.

Recharge yourself and share positive energy when you repeat:  

“I am [*Name*]. I can do this. As I connect to my inner self, I am open to the Happiness and positive energy around me. I send loving kindness and compassion to all people including me. Together, we can do great things.”

With gratitude and appreciation for all beings,

Naomi Parrella, MD & Fran Lee, FNP 

Friday, July 15

Today is Friday, July 15, 2022.  Noticing all the beautiful gardens, feeling connected to the earth.

A quote by Archbishop Desmond Tutu. “The fundamental law of human beings is interdependence.  A person is a person through other persons.”

Photo by: Fran Lee

July is for sharing.  The act of sharing offers many health benefits.  When we give to others it has a positive effect on our brain.  Sharing allows us to connect more meaningfully and strengthens social connections.  Share your time with your community.

    • Organize a park clean up
    • Donate books to a library
    • Donate your time or volunteer with a community organization
    • Walk a neighbor’s dog for them

Practice this Mindfulness Activity to Re-energize your Body and Mind whenever you need a moment to reset – while waiting, before, after, or to transition between activities:

    • Straighten your spine. Roll your shoulders back and down, smile to yourself, & relax your jaw.
    • Take slow deep belly breaths, allowing your stomach to rise with each breath in and relax with each breath out. You may find that each breath gets better and better. Allow your shoulders to relax on each exhale.
    • Practice tapping into loving energies:
      • Focus on channeling universal energies of love as you breathe in,
      • Focus on channeling the love you generate to others as you breathe out.

Recharge yourself and share positive energy when you repeat:   

“I am [*Name*]. I can do this. As I connect to my inner self, I am open to the Happiness and positive energy around me. I send loving kindness and compassion to all people including me. Together, we can do great things.”

With gratitude and appreciation for all beings,

Naomi Parrella, MD & Fran Lee, FNP 

Monday, July 11

Today is Monday, July 11, 2022.  Sun, birds, water, breeze, sounds of laughter. Special moment.

A quote by Maya Angelou  “A bird does not sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.”

Photo by: Chris Smith

July is for sharing.  The act of sharing offers many health benefits.  When we give to others it has a positive effect on our brain.  Sharing allows us to connect more meaningfully and strengthens social connections.  Share an experience or feeling with a close friend or loved one. Experience gratitude while tapping into the soothing nature of human connections.

    • Draw, paint, or sculpt and gift it to a friend
    • Create music to share
    • Join with others to play music with shared meaning
    • Dance with a loved one
    • Write a story or message and share it with a trusted person
    • Schedule a walk or date with a friend and talk together
    • Be present and smile together

Practice this Mindfulness Activity to Re-energize your Body and Mind whenever you need a moment to reset – while waiting, before, after, or to transition between activities:

    • Straighten your spine. Roll your shoulders back and down, smile to yourself, & relax your jaw.  
    • Take slow deep belly breaths, allowing your stomach to rise with each breath in and relax with each breath out. You may find that each breath gets better and better. Allow your shoulders to relax on each exhale. 
    • Practice tapping into loving energies:
      • Focus on channeling universal energies of love as you breathe in,
      • Focus on channeling the love you generate to others as you breathe out.

Recharge yourself and share positive energy when you repeat:  

“I am [*Name*]. I can do this. As I connect to my inner self, I am open to the Happiness and positive energy around me. I send loving kindness and compassion to all people including me. Together, we can do great things.”

With gratitude and appreciation for all beings,

Naomi Parrella, MD & Fran Lee, FNP 

Friday, July 8

Today is Friday, July 8, 2022.  Noticing each step going from here to there.

A quote by Rose Kennedy, “Life isn’t a matter of milestones, but of moments.”

Photo by: Lisa Bourgeault

July is for sharing. The act of sharing offers many health benefits.  When we give to others it has a positive effect on our brain.  Sharing allows us to connect more meaningfully and strengthens social connections.  Look for ways people in different parts of the world recharge and share their lands and geography.

    • Attending a fish boil in a lakeside town
    • Picking blueberries to share
    • Picnicking along the river or in a park
    • Camping in the woods or mountains
    • Sailing or surfing in the water
    • Hiking along a scenic trail
    • Soaking in a hot spring
    • Farm to table dining together
    • Planting a garden or tree
    • Capturing the scenery with photos, drawings or paintings

Practice this Mindfulness Activity to Re-energize your Body and Mind whenever you need a moment to reset – while waiting, before, after, or to transition between activities:

    • Straighten your spine. Roll your shoulders back and down, smile to yourself, & relax your jaw.
    • Take slow deep belly breaths, allowing your stomach to rise with each breath in and relax with each breath out. You may find that each breath gets better and better. Allow your shoulders to relax on each exhale.
    • Practice Physical grounding
      • When you are sitting in your chair take a few seconds to feel your feet on the ground, feel your buttocks on the seat, feel your back against the chair.
      • As your feet are grounded, with each deep belly breathe out, allow your shoulders to release and loosen.

Recharge yourself and share positive energy when you repeat:  

“I am [*Name*]. I can do this. As I connect to my inner self, I am open to the Happiness and positive energy around me. I send loving kindness and compassion to all people including me. Together, we can do great things.”

With gratitude and appreciation for all beings,

Naomi Parrella, MD & Fran Lee, FNP 

Wednesday, July 6

Today is Wednesday, July 6, 2022.  Looking up to the sky, seeing all the possibilities.

A quote by Yo-Yo Ma.  “When you learn something from people or from a culture, you accept it as a gift, and it is your lifelong commitment to preserve it and build on it.”

Photo by: Nicole Siparsky, MD

July is for sharing.  The act of sharing offers many health benefits.  When we give to others it has a positive effect on our brain.  Sharing allows us to connect more meaningfully and strengthens social connections.  For some, the first week of July is a holiday celebrated with friends and family.  For the beginning of July let’s explore ways to share culture.  Explore a culture through the arts.

    • Watch a movie from the country you are exploring
    • Visit a museum or cultural center
    • Listen to music
    • Check out a travel book

Practice this Mindfulness Activity to Re-energize your Body and Mind whenever you need a moment to reset – while waiting, before, after, or to transition between activities:

    • Straighten your spine. Roll your shoulders back and down, smile to yourself, & relax your jaw.
    • Take slow deep belly breaths, allowing your stomach to rise with each breath in and relax with each breath out. You may find that each breath gets better and better. Allow your shoulders to relax on each exhale.
    • Practice Physical grounding
      • When you are sitting in your chair take a few seconds to feel your feet on the ground, feel your buttocks on the seat, feel your back against the chair.
      • As your feet are grounded, with each deep belly breathe out, allow your shoulders to release and loosen.

Recharge yourself and share positive energy when you repeat:  

“I am [*Name*]. I can do this. As I connect to my inner self, I am open to the Happiness and positive energy around me. I send loving kindness and compassion to all people including me. Together, we can do great things.”

With gratitude and appreciation for all beings,

Naomi Parrella, MD & Fran Lee, FNP 

Monday, July 4

Today is Monday, July 4, 2022.  Enjoying the warm breeze and spending the day with family and friends.

A quote by Robert Alan.  “Cultural differences should not separate us from each other, but rather cultural diversity brings a collective strength that can benefit all of humanity.”

Photo by: Dovapi

July is for sharing.  The act of sharing offers many health benefits.  When we give to others it has a positive effect on our brain.  Sharing allows us to connect more meaningfully and strengthens social connections.  For some, the first week of July is a holiday celebrated with friends and family.  For the beginning of July let’s explore ways to share our culture.  We can appreciate a culture by exploring its cuisine.

    • Research the history of a culture’s cuisine
    • Select a few recipes that you would like to experience
    • Visit a grocery store that specializes in ethnic foods
    • Host a dinner sharing the new recipes

Practice this Mindfulness Activity to Re-energize your Body and Mind whenever you need a moment to reset – while waiting, before, after, or to transition between activities:

    • Straighten your spine. Roll your shoulders back and down, smile to yourself, & relax your jaw.
    • Take slow deep belly breaths, allowing your stomach to rise with each breath in and relax with each breath out. You may find that each breath gets better and better. Allow your shoulders to relax on each exhale.
    • Practice Physical grounding
      • When you are sitting in your chair take a few seconds to feel your feet on the ground, feel your buttock on the seat, feel your back against the chair.
      • As your feet are grounded, with each deep belly breathe out, allow your shoulders to release and loosen.

Recharge yourself and share positive energy when you repeat:  

“I am [*Name*]. I can do this. As I connect to my inner self, I am open to the Happiness and positive energy around me. I send loving kindness and compassion to all people including me. Together, we can do great things.”

With gratitude and appreciation for all beings,

Naomi Parrella, MD & Fran Lee, FNP 

Friday, July 1

Today is Friday, July 1, 2022.  Recognizing the sound of the cardinal singing cheerfully and finding the red bird in the branches.

A quote by Andre Pough Sr., “Just when you think you know exactly how it’s going, some unexpected possibility shows up and it begins to get even better.’

Photo by Jen DeVos

July is for sharing.  The act of sharing offers many health benefits.  When we give to others it has a positive effect on our brain.  Sharing allows us to connect more meaningfully and strengthens social connections.  For some, the first week of July is a holiday celebrated with friends and family.  For the beginning of July let’s explore ways to share our culture.

    • Consider researching your family tree
    • Reach out to a family “elder” to share their memories of the family or family history
    • Host/attend a family reunion
    • Take a trip to where your grandparents were born

Practice this Mindfulness Activity to Re-energize your Body and Mind whenever you need a moment to reset – while waiting, before, after, or to transition between activities:

    • Straighten your spine. Roll your shoulders back and down, smile to yourself, & relax your jaw.
    • Take slow deep belly breaths, allowing your stomach to rise with each breath in and relax with each breath out. You may find that each breath gets better and better. Allow your shoulders to relax on each exhale.
    • Thinking of your physical body as your home, where you reside, think of deep breathing as like opening the windows on a bright sunny day with a nice breeze.
    • Become aware of how every breath that fills your body is like having wide open windows, filling your home with fresh, clean air and every breath out clears out and releases so that your home is a refreshed space for you to be in.
    • Experience the happy moment of being in your clean, refreshed home.
    • Smile, knowing that you can take moments to open and be present in this space, anywhere you are. Your body is your home.

Recharge yourself and share positive energy when you repeat:  

“I am [*Name*]. I can do this. As I connect to my inner self, I am open to the Happiness and positive energy around me. I send loving kindness and compassion to all people including me. Together, we can do great things.”

With gratitude and appreciation for all beings,

Naomi Parrella, MD & Fran Lee, FNP 

Wednesday, June 29

Today is Wednesday, June 29, 2022.  The trees grow lush with sunshine, rain and all the in-betweens.

A quote by Hal Borland, “If you would know strength and patience, welcome the company of trees.”

Photo by Sa Oku

Finding Joy in June. Launching the second half of the year, we focus on ways we can find and create joy.

The middle of the week is a great time to try a day of “Appreciation Awareness” to create moments of shared joy out of appreciation. For one day, with every encounter with someone, pause, reflect and genuinely appreciate something and share it with that person.

    • “I appreciate having a moment to talk to you.”
    • “I appreciate your sharing with me.”
    • “Your art is inspiring.”
    • “I appreciate this sunny day.”
    • “At least we get to work together on this.”
    • “I appreciate how you have taken care of …”
    • “This class is fun!” “The [theatrical/musical] performance is moving.:
    • “I am glad we have each other. We are stronger together.”

Practice this Mindfulness Activity to Re-energize your Body and Mind whenever you need a moment to reset – while waiting, before, after, or to transition between activities:

    • Straighten your spine. Roll your shoulders back and down, smile to yourself, & relax your jaw.
    • Take slow deep belly breaths, allowing your stomach to rise with each breath in and relax with each breath out. You may find that each breath gets better and better. Allow your shoulders to relax on each exhale.
    • Thinking of your physical body as your home, where you reside, think of deep breathing as like opening the windows on a bright sunny day with a nice breeze.
    • Become aware of how every breath that fills your body is like having wide open windows, filling your home with fresh, clean air and every breath out clears out and releases so that your home is a refreshed space for you to be in.
    • Experience the happy moment of being in your clean, refreshed home.
    • Smile, knowing that you can take moments to open and be present in this space, anywhere you are. Your body is your home.

Recharge yourself and share positive energy when you repeat:  

“I am [*Name*]. I can do this. As I connect to my inner self, I am open to the Happiness and positive energy around me. I send loving kindness and compassion to all people including me. Together, we can do great things.”

With gratitude and appreciation for all beings,

Naomi Parrella, MD & Fran Lee, FNP 

Monday, June 27

Today is Monday, June 27, 2022.  Making efforts to find the path forward.

A quote by Alexander Graham Bell, “Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work in hand. The sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus.”

Photo by Nicole Siparsky, MD, Sunset of Lake Michigan 2022

Finding Joy in June. Launching the second half of the year, we focus on ways we can find and create joy.

There are times when the pleasant feelings and emotions seem overwhelmed by events, circumstances and unpleasant feelings and emotions. In those times, try these 3 steps to move forward.

    1. Create a moment of solitude- without other people’s inputs and start, reread or add to your gratitude journal. You may even begin with the Mindfulness Activity below.
    2. Consider what a more joyful future will look like. Tap into that future vision and joy and really see and feel it.
    3. Think of the one small thing you can do to move you towards that more joyful future and do it. You may center yourself with the Recharge statement below.

Repeat these steps as often as you need it.

Practice this Mindfulness Activity to Re-energize your Body and Mind whenever you need a moment to reset – while waiting, before, after, or to transition between activities:

    • Straighten your spine. Roll your shoulders back and down, smile to yourself, & relax your jaw.
    • Take slow deep belly breaths, allowing your stomach to rise with each breath in and relax with each breath out. You may find that each breath gets better and better. Allow your shoulders to relax on each exhale.
    • Thinking of your physical body as your home, where you reside, think of deep breathing as like opening the windows on a bright sunny day with a nice breeze.
    • Become aware of how every breath that fills your body is like having wide open windows, filling your home with fresh, clean air and every breath out clears out and releases so that your home is a refreshed space for you to be in.
    • Experience the happy moment of being in your clean, refreshed home.
    • Smile, knowing that you can take moments to open and be present in this space, anywhere you are. Your body is your home.

Recharge yourself and share positive energy when you repeat:  

“I am [*Name*]. I can do this. As I connect to my inner self, I am open to the Happiness and positive energy around me. I send loving kindness and compassion to all people including me. Together, we can do great things.”

With gratitude and appreciation for all beings,

Naomi Parrella, MD & Fran Lee, FNP