mini-retreat for Monday

Plus le vin est bon, moins la tete va mal,
il n'y a jamais trop de fetes!

May and June are really hectic months for busy moms; I've been away at singing competitions, atte3nding dance recitals, preparing graduation stuff, jet-setting to France, and this weekend we had three birthday parties at home, two for my husband and one for my 15 year old daughter. What was I thinking?

Anyway, this morning, feeling a little frazzled and confused, I decided to make myself a mini-retreat. (Original idea from Jennifer Louden, Comfort Queen who leads the writer's spa in Taos)

Here's what I did, just because it felt right. You may do things in a different order if you like.

Meditate in silence for one hour
Light a candle from Zena Moon candles http://www.zenamoon.com
Put on some soothing music (Eversound)
Stretch into yoga on the floor mat, open hips and legs and chest especially tight.
Open my Native American animals cards and do a Medecine Wheel Spread
(like a tarot deck, inner wisdom through our healer animal spirits)
Write in my journal, sit and feel whatever emotions arise.
Make a cup of herbal tea to calm stomach (next on my list).

I didn't turn on the computer or read emails until 11:00 a.m. (a rare thing for me).
I put off laundry and rushing anywhere, phone calls and all household duties.
Note: unplug the phone for real peace.

So there you have it, the ingredients for a successful inner peace retreat! It worked for me.

Through the Animal Medecine cards I found out Lynx at the center of the spread was calling me into inner stillness, and my keen Weasel ears and eyes observed the situations I get stuck in. Deer guided me towards love and compassion instead of fear, and Turkey reminded me that give-away generosity doesn't mean I have to give up Armadillo's need for safe boundaries - just keep the heart vulnerable and open, even while deciding what to take in, and what to exclude from my realm of experience.

have a beautiful day, a peaceful week
all you warriors of love,
musemother
p.s. aux amis qui me lisent en francais, un clin d'oeil :)