A very real, yet unexpected, consequence of the uncertainty surrounding 2020 is a sense of freedom I feel from finding that illusive sense of contentment. 

Over the summer this contentment took me by surprise. I’ve slowed down, I’ve gone within, I’ve gone without. And the most important take away from this disorienting time has been a quickening of coming home to myself. 

In the beginning of March, life felt restricted, controlled, and full of unknowns. Now, September has arrived, and the restrictions, control and unknowns still exist, yet, I’ve learned how to navigate them with more grace and ease that I would have otherwise imagined. 

The clarity that has emerged is enlightening, for the joy I feel is not found only in things, experiences or even other people. Joy comes from within, from the simple act of feeling and being okay with my current status and situation. I’ve found a easy happiness in the simple freedom of being who I am, enjoying who I am, and living the life I am destined to live. 

In our society, we’re encouraged to strive for ever more. Material accumulation and instant gratification are promoted paths to happiness, making the simple act of contentment difficult. 

“Contentment is natural wealth, luxury is artificial poverty.” —Socrates

Although everyone’s path to contentment will be different, here are five ways to become more intentional as you create a more content life. 

• Practice gratitude. Gratitude is a foundational pillar of contentment. When you have feelings of gratitude, there is no possible space for lack to push in. Developing an “attitude of gratitude” is one of the simplest ways to improve your satisfaction and contentment with life.
• Live in the moment. When you go down the rabbit hole of “I’ll be happy when…” you’re delaying your sense of contentment, happiness and joy. Instead, stay in the moment, and remember your happiness is not reliant on achieving a future outcome. 
• Resist comparing yourself to others. There will always be people who “appear” to have it all, but the truth is, you don’t know the full story. You have your life, they have theirs… period. When you know that you are enough, that you are special, and that you are unique, you automatically stop comparing yourself to others. 
• Be of service to others. Helping others by sharing your gifts and talents, your time and resources will help you refine your appreciation for what you have to offer. Knowing who you are and what you have to give to the world strengthens your feelings of contentment. 
• Keep growing. Stay curious. Never stop learning, exploring, investigating that which sparks wonder within you. There is always room for new discoveries and growth. 

Contentment allows you to be grateful and happy for what you have right now. It’s proven to reduce your stress levels, improve your mood and outlook for life, it relaxes your body and brings more happiness and joy to the present moment. 

But just to be clear, contentment isn’t the same thing as being complacent. The difference is that when you are content, you are happy with what you have and find satisfaction with your present circumstances. In contrast, when you feel complacent, you feel unsatisfied with your life, yet are unwilling to make changes to improve your situation. I hope that helps. 

At the end of the day, finding the joy in contentment is a choice you get to make. When you create the intentional mindset shifts, change the habits that make you feel less than, and become aware of your thoughts and actions on the regular, then, over time, these new behaviors shift into feelings of contentment. 

I’ll be honest, the tending of my inner garden over the past few years has given me the greatest gift during these uncertain times, and that is an inner sense of contentment I didn’t know I’d ever find. 

How about you? I always love hearing your thoughts and comments, so if you feel like sharing how this Mindful Moment touched you, I’d love to hear. 

Infinite ∞ Love, Lyn

Are you ready to begin that new cycle again? The New Moon will rise on the 17th in the sign of Virgo, giving you yet another opportunity to liberate yourself from the delusions and past agendas that have not worked.

As with all New Moons, you’re asked — what weeds can you pull from your garden of life — what needs to be watered and nurtured for it to come into bloom — and what new seeds are ready to be planted into the fertile soil of your soul?

This New Moon is giving you the push to dedicate yourself to a new routine, to set things up on a firm foundation, and to put in the time, no matter how hard or humbling it may be, to be your very best. 

This is a time to pay attention to the details, to look after your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health, as this will set you up to sustain your strength in the months to come. 

Now, dear one, is a time for letting go of the need to be in control of how others think and feel and to take on a more objective perspective. 

When your find yourself prioritizing the answers you already believe in, it’s easy to shut down your inquiring spirit. New Moon in Virgo asks you to stay open. 

When you stay open, you are more able to embrace the catharsis and regeneration that this year is requiring, and helps you keep a more positive attitude towards meaningful change and transformation.  If you can’t stay open, you may find yourselves living in fear and resistance which can manifest in all sorts of less-than-optimal ways.

A new moon is always strongest during the two weeks following it, so make sure to plant those seeds now. New Moons are always opportunities to start fresh. 
With this New Moon in practical, solution oriented, down to earth Virgo, this is a time to consider each detail of your life. 

Look at every part and ask yourself – is this in balance?  Look at your health, your family and close relationships, your intimate relationship, your finances, your work and career, your spiritual growth etc. 

Virgo likes the details and this is a good time to bring everything into focus to enable a bone deep restoration. Ask yourself…

• How can I create systems and structures that support my authentic expression?
• What regenerative actions can I incorporate in my life right now?
• Where does competition and scarcity stunt my growth?
• How can I work in cooperation and symbiotic right relationship to weave myself into the interconnected balance of life on earth now?

Join me on Sunday, September 20th to dive deep into these questions using shamanic practices and cacao ceremony to course correct your life path and to plant seeds of your new intentions.

The 90 minute ceremony is a small and sacred container for those wishing to remember what it means to live life in balance and harmony.

You’ll find the details and registration here.

As always, I love hearing from you. I encourage you to respond to this post with how your doing or anything else you wish to share. Each week I enjoy hearing from so many of you. Stay healthy and well my friends.

Infinite ∞ Love, Lyn

I know you’re angry. I’m angry, too. But I believe that peace starts within us. We cannot bring to the world what we do not have to offer it ourself.

Today I want to encourage all of us to find the self-love within so that we can build a world built on a solid foundation that includes peace, compassion, and empathy. 

For those of you who’ve been reading me for a while now, you know how important cultivating your own inner landscape is. It’s the first step to building a better world. 

When we can act from a place of self-love, we can radiate the energetics of peace and compassion outward into the world.

The Vietnamese Zen master and peace activist Thích Nhất Hạnh said: “Peace is at every moment. Peace begins with yourself.”

Let’s take a moment and put aside the anger and the outrage, for while there is a place for those feelings, in this moment, right now, I invite you to imagine a world where people in power (police, politicians, parents…) loved themself deeply, from the inside out. 

Imagine their power not as an end to proving their self-worth, but rather to their compassion and empathy for those they serve. 

We can become the peace we seek. Peace starts in our own hearts and minds, not outside ourselves. We can’t control what others do or how they act, but we stand in our truth and we can set the example.

Look to Gandhi, Mother Theresa, Martin Luther King and others for guidance during these dark times. I know it might not feel as mighty as raising your voice in anger, but the energetics of these peaceful protests help heal ourself and the planet through harmony instead of hatred.

There are ways to stand up to this aggression other than violence, hate and anger. I sit in meditation everyday and envision the world that I want to live in. It’s a slow process, but real change is never easy. 

I’m encouraged by the new generation of schools that are teaching children how to meditate and use non-violent communication. It’s taken me a lifetime to learn how to use these tools and to experience just how powerful and effective they are. 

I hope you are finding the power in your self-love practice and the other non-violent tools that you have in your toolbox. 

Reach out if you need to share, talk, scream, or be heard. I’m always here for you and want you to know that you are so vital, so critical, so important in our world, right now, and always. 

In this era of science and technology, many of us have lost touch with the sacred traditions and ceremonies that, in times past, kept us connected to community and the divine. As we step into the stream of ever more choice, ever more busy, and the infinite stream of information and more stuff, I’m afraid we’re sacrificing our intuitive wisdom and inner knowing for instant gratification and easy pleasure.

Over the course of my adult life, I’ve been a student of culture. The thing that I find most comforting within each are their sacred traditions and ritual practices. They can range from the simple to the complex, yet all are a way to step out of the mundane and into the extraordinary. 

It must have been the many years I spent immersed in Japanese culture that opened my heart to ritual and ceremony first. From the mundane removal of shoes before entering the home, or the simple “Itadakimasu” said before every meal— to the complex donning of a kimono worn during esoteric tea ceremony. These ancient practices are a way to consciously cross an invisible threshold into something more sacred, that offers reciprocity between humanity, spirit and nature. 

From these early experiences, I’ve continued to open my heart to the wonders of ritual and ceremony found in diverse cultures around the world. While some might criticize this as a form of appropriation, instead I offer that this is the language of prayer, a connection to spirit, and a deeper relationship with divine guidance. 

The more I observe clture, and study with skilled Shamans and wise teachers across the globe, the more I’m able to move through the veils of trauma that my human self has experienced. Ceremony and ritual have taught me about pure intention and have allowed me to see what doesn’t serve me any longer.

These days I live in deep connection with the plants, the animals, and the spirit guides that are my allies. Everyday they help and support me in reconnecting my lost parts of self to my natural state of wholeness. They guide me to dream my life into reality, and as a result, now more than ever I’m experiencing the life I’ve dreamed of living. 

Shamanic wisdom, ritual and ceremony are all gaining momentum right now, and for good reason. This is a very important time where the collective “we” is being called to come together for peace, equality, and a new understanding of unity on our planet. 

From ancient to modern times, ritual and ceremony are diverse and unique within each culture. What remains consistent is the intention to weave the sacred into the ordinary to bring forth wholeness. Tjhey offers the opportunity to strengthen the connection to inner spirit and as a result, to the collective spirit, as one.

What I know is that we are stronger, more beautiful and more powerful than we can ever imagine. Ceremony and ritual provide the conscious action to help keep us on our path. — Aho

Infinite Love,