7 Simple Steps for Transforming your Life into the One You’ve Always Wanted

I spent much of my younger life trying to be who others wanted me to be and fit into the molds that others endorsed. The more I tried to “fit-in”, the more miserable I became. It wasn’t until I learned how to “fit-out” that I finally figured out how to bring more joy into my life. If you want to start living your best life, here are the 7 steps you can take:

Step 1: Awareness

Check-in with yourself – are you happy? If you answered yes, that’s wonderful!  Whatever you’ve been doing, do more of that. If you answered no, please proceed to step 2.

Step 2: Reflection

What are the things and people in your life that drag you down, drain your energy and make you feel heavy? What are parts of your identity that are no longer serving you? Where do you feel stuck in your life? Got it? Proceed to step 3.

Step 3: Action

Get rid of all those things and people you identified in step 2. Just clear them right out, no explanations needed. Eliminate, separate and shed. No hard feelings.

Step 4: Rinse and Repeat

Repeat steps 2 and 3, as needed.

Step 5: More Reflection

How do you want to feel in your life? Envision this in your mind and feel it in your body.  What makes you come alive? Got it? Proceed to step 6.

Step 6: More Action

Do the things that make you feel the way you want to feel. Surround yourself with the people that inspire you and bring you joy. When you wake up in the morning, prioritize your day around those people and things. Identify and eliminate distractions.

Step 7: Continue the Process

Life is a journey of ups and downs. Each moment gives us an opportunity to learn and grow, however if we don’t take the time to reflect, we miss out on those lessons. Return to step 1 as you feel called. And remember we all get into our funks, so be easy on yourself… no judgments. 

Mindfulness Workshop

Meditation and Improved Exam Performance

Mindfulness meditation is a simple tool that can guarantee improved exam performance and thus help us to become better students.  When it comes to sitting for an exam, many of us have experienced the anxiety around the pressure to perform well.  We think our lives will end if we don’t pass our exams and imagine all the ways our life will come tumbling down.  Stressful! 

There have been numerous studies done correlating the effect of meditation on academic performance.  Besides reducing stress, there is strong evidence that meditation directly improves IQ, short-term memory, creativity and cognitive ability.  On a deeper level, meditation connects students to deeper levels of peace, inner fulfillment and self-consciousness.  How can meditation do all of this you ask?

Mindfulness meditation can help us keep our thoughts in the present moment, where our efforts can best serve us.  By freeing up mind space from thoughts of future worries, we can open up more space and energy to focus on the demands of the present moment.  This equates to improved focus and concentration, which leads to better test results.  When our focus improves, we are able to better comprehend and retain the material we are studying.  We also make fewer mistakes when we are truly concentrating and paying attention to what we are reading, writing and speaking.  In helping to remove self-doubt and improve exam performance, meditation also helps us to become more confident, which then makes us more assertive and resilient.  Ultimately we learn to love and appreciate ourselves, regardless of our exam scores.

Sources:(1) Art of Living (2) Leadership Training Programs

Journey Meditation Teacher Training: Deepen Your Practice & Share Your Gifts With Others

Calling All Meditation Enthusiasts, Health & Wellness Junkies, and The Curious & Inspired: Dive Into a Comprehensive, MultiLevel Meditation Teacher Program

Journey Meditation is a simple, approachable meditation practice that combines ancient wisdom and
modern science. Journey is taught around the world including many organizations such as Nike,
Conde Nast, Warby Parker, WeWork, Dow Jones and Time Warner.

The Journey Meditation Teacher Training Program allows you to deepen your practice, enhance your
ability to cultivate peace of mind and sustainable happiness, and provide you with the skills,
experience, and support to share your gifts with others.  Journey is offering this class on a limited basis in New York and Los Angeles. Use my discount code (Keri) to receive a $500 friends and family discount!

To apply, please fill out this application or for more information, please click here .
Take the next step of your journey today!

Incorporating Informal Meditation Practices throughout your Day

The benefits of mindful meditation are manifold and have been gaining widespread recognition of late.  Proponents cite reduced stress, a calmer mind, greater peace and happiness, better sleep and so on.  Despite the enthusiasm, some people still remain reluctant to start a daily practice.  I’ve heard people say, “There is no time”; “I am too busy, tired, stressed”; “I can’t do it right”; “my mind is too full”…and etcetera.  This may feel true and I can empathize with those sentiments, but I challenge us all to find the time.  The beauty of mindful meditation is that you can take the practice off the mat.  If you can’t find the time for a formal 1/3/5/10-minute sitting practice, then you can instead try to incorporate informal practices during your day.  Pay attention to the sounds around you while you’re riding the train to work, feel the water against your hands as you mindfully wash the dishes, feel your feet stepping on the ground as you walk down the street or actively listen to your friend as he/she tells you their story without thinking about what to say next.  In mindful meditation the goal is to draw your attention to a single point of focus or anchor to bring one’s self into the present moment.  In formal mindful meditation practices we mostly focus on our sense experiences, such as listening to sounds, noticing sensations in the body and feeling our breath.  However, we can get creative as to what anchor we use to concentrate our minds…birds chirping, musical progressions, taste/textures of foods in our mouth, the smells of nature and so on and so on.  It matters less about how we practice, just that we do practice.  We will reap the many benefits of meditation if we practice consistently.  How will you incorporate mindful meditation into your daily routines? 

5 Tips to Help You During Exam Time

Being a student comes with exams.  From one perspective, exams are an opportunity to show we understand what we learned from our teachers.  However, for some, they instigate an assortment of fears around self-worth.  We’ve been brought up to feel like getting an ‘A’ means we are smart, worthy and deserving of love and praise; and not getting an ‘A’ means we are not smart, unworthy and undeserving of love and praise.  When preparing for an exam, we create a host of stories around failing, having to drop out of school, living with our parents forever and etcetera.  These thoughts in our head create stress and anxiety and make it even more difficult for us to focus. People do not perform their best under stress and will exhibit a marked and immediate decrease in cognitive performance, memory, judgement and creativity.  Meditation is a tool that can help you clear your mind, reign your thoughts back out of the illusory, gloomy future you’ve created, and diminish anxiety.  With a clear and calm mind, you can more easily focus on the material you’re studying and you might even enjoy learning more, as you realize your world will not end over one exam.  Below are 5 tips to help you during exam time:

1.      Meditate!  You may feel crunched for time, but taking the time to clear your head will allow you to perform at your best.  Practice a simple mindful meditation for a few minutes just before you start your studies.  It helps you learn fast and retain information longer.

2.      Take care of your body.  Get enough sleep.  Eat well –whole foods, healthy fats, and lean proteins.  Move and stretch.  Your body and mind are intimately connected.

3.      Take breaks.  Stop to rest your mind at regular intervals.  Take a few breaths, listen to music, talk to friends or family, play outside or take a mindful walk. Then get back to studying.

4.      Before the exam – breathe.  Relax and take long, deep breaths.  Observe your breath going in and out of your nostrils and feel the peace wash over your mind.  This relaxed state of mind will help boost your memory recall and cognitive abilities during the exam.

5.      During the exam – breathe.  The deeper the breath, the more oxygen you’ll intake.  The more oxygen for the brain, the more efficiently it works.