Transcendental Meditation (TM)

I don't even remember how I first heard about Transcendental Meditation. All I know is that I had been wanting to learn to meditate for the longest time and the church's definition of 'meditating on the word of God' wasn't doing it for me.  I wanted to clear the mind. I researched my neighborhood libraries catalogue for anything tagged as 'transcendental meditation' or 'TM'. I came across a book by David Lynch - writer/director and actor among other roles- Catching the Big Fish.  In the book, Mr. Lynch shares how his practice of Transcendental Meditation has aided him in his creative process in writing, directing and painting. I really enjoy reading about artists and the process by which artists (anyone skilled in their trade) go about gaining and using their ideas. Although the book itself did not teach me how to practice Transcendental Meditation, it did urge me to continue my research on the subject.



I found a website which pointed me to TM teacher's within my area only to find out that it came with a price tag exceeding $1000. My DIY mentality leaks into all areas of my life and I quickly uncovered a wealth of information to learn to do-it-myself.  Transcendental Meditation is said to help reduce stress, reduce depression, increase creativity, increase energy, increase inner calm, and increase happiness and self-esteem. You can read more on the subject here.  Or on wikipedia here. It should be noted that negative perceptions on the movement have been aimed at the high cost of the practice.  However, both you and I are exempt from this burden and free to reap its benefits if we pursue it with open hearts and open minds. Afterall, Jesus himself meditated.

1. Pick a mantra. Found here.  {Mantra's are chosen by age. Existing arguments have been made over a mantra being "carefully chosen" by a trained teacher and not shared with anyone else, however, the mantras were allegedly all the same and based on the meditator's age. For example, given my age, my mantra is "shirim"}

2. Find a comfortable spot to sit down uninterrupted. Bodily position is not of importance.

3. Silently repeat your mantra over and over again for 15-20 minutes. Once in the morning and another in the evening. Pause for a moment before you begin and settle into it and pause at the end as well.

It is said you will receive heightened creative awareness and calmness once you have completed your meditation. If you gain nothing else, refer back to this calming episode whenever life gets a little too chaotic. Repeat your mantra to yourself when you are about to tackle a stressful project. Translations for your mantra can be found here and here. 

Remember to approach each day with gratitude. It is a good time to be alive.

Tats...

When I was 18,  I got my first 'real' job. When I got my first 'real' paycheck, I got a tattoo. True story. It was, and is, a tattoo of a dolphin on my ankle. Why a dolphin? Tranquility and ocean living. It's what I loved then, and what I love now.

Being an artsfy fartsy type, I'm really tempted to get another, something on my inner arm but, working in the field of education, I don't think a visible tattoo would fit the bill quite right. There are days I think I should just go and get this massive tattoo to burn the bridge I have to my 'safe' lifestyle, but then that wouldn't be very safe. :)

In the meantime, these colorful tattoos are pretty darn cool, and non- permanent, and also just in time for some Halloween decorating ...
like a pimp...


or an artsy fartsy costume type...


or a vato loco, "who you trying to get crazy with, ese? don't you know I'm loco" type...


or just go as Zoolander...



All images and tats from Tattly.

Ed Emberley { author + illustrator extraordinaire }

Another post on illustration?!? Why, yes. Indulge.



After browsing Amazon yesterday and posting about Sachiko Umoto , I then came across Ed Emberley and made another purchase for his version of Drawing Book of Animals (picture above). Ed Emberley has not 1, not 2, but 13 drawing books!


Including Make a World (you too can learn to draw a little VW beetle), Great Thumbprint Drawing Book (ever wondered what to do with thumbs other than a thumbs up? Question answered!), and just in time for Halloween...


Drawing Book of Weirdos, and



Drawing Book of Halloween.

If you're not totally convinced of these books' awesomeness, check out Ed Emberley's site here. He's got a little sampling of learning to draw here.  He is also the author of the book Go Away Big Green Monster!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Book: Don't Feed the Monster on Tuesdays!

When I first noticed one of my little boys exuding melancholic tendencies either due to moving a thousand miles away from 'home', losing a beloved pet and/or repeating a grade, I knew I had to find every means possible to nip it in the bud.  When I was pregnant and undergoing some major life changes and depression, my mother-in-law gave me some sage advice, "depression is a choice."  It really struck a chord because, despite not finding reasoning behind the comment then, it makes perfect sense now.  Depression was a choice. I was choosing to feed my melancholic thoughts. True, motherhood poses some changes that would loosen up screws in just about everyone: sleep deprivation, time-managment overload, MAJOR responsibility but, ultimately, it was up to me to choose happiness or choose depression.

Don't Feed The Monster on Tuesdays! explains in a very simple format the way self-esteem can be eaten away at, and conversely, how you can feed your self-esteem...by NOT feeding the monster. It's a wonderful little read for both child and adult.  So many times when we want to understand something we reach for the largest most in-depth book when all we really need is the very basics to form the foundation for our wellness pyramid.

I've created a simple little print as depicted in the book, available here, to remind yourself, child or loved one to NOT FEED THE MONSTER ON TUESDAYS...

A Lesson on the Word ''uber'' AND a video....

PRINT WORKSHOP by Christine Schmidt from Yellow Owl Workshop on Vimeo.

I had originally intended to post this back in May, when I first spotted it over at D*S.

I had Christine Schmidt's book Print Workshop: Hand Painting Techniques on my 'book-to-buy list' but since I had spotted Lena Corwin's Printing by Hand book first, I bought that one instead.

Had I remembered this video and the happy sensations which accompanied it, I might have gone with this selection. It's been a week since I ordered Lena's book and I am super antsy about getting it and making uber incredible creations with it. And I was finding a way to squeeze in the word uber in there since all of a sudden you hear it nowhere and it was uber cool to say uber  just a few months ago.

So, really, there is no lesson, just a few words on the word and a pretty nifty video.

Nifty..there's the new word for the season. :)

Customizing "The Greatest Salesman..."

I first came across Og Mandino's, The Greatest Salesman in the World while browsing the shelves at my nearest library.

The fact that the book was such a simple read made it all the more alluring to check out, browse through, return and check out again and again.

If you've never read it, it is an absolute must read. It's so simple yet majestic and necessary. It is written in fictional fashion with the life principles portrayed as scrolls, 10 scrolls total.

At different episodes in my life, there seems to be one scroll most applicable to me, but one seems to stand out above them all: Scroll VI - Today I will be master of my emotions.

If I feel depressed I will sing.

If I feel sad I will laugh.

If I feel ill I will double my labor.

If I feel fear I will plunge ahead.

If I feel inferior I will wear new garments.

If I feel uncertain I will raise my voice.

If I feel poverty I will think of wealth to come.

If I feel incompetent I will remember past successes.

If I feel insignificant I will remember my goals.
Today I will be master of my emotions.

In thinking about the book today, I thought about ways to customize this according to my needs and results and possibly influence you in customizing it for yourself.

If I feel depressed I will go for a jog.
If I feel lazy I will go for a jog.
If I feel upset I will go for a jog.

Obviously there is a recurring theme here.  I was originally thinking If I feel lazy I will clean my home.

But usually cleaning my home is in sync with feeling depressed and upset...

When everything fails...go for a jog. Maybe I should change my post title. maybe I should just go for a jog.

Festive Monday to you.

As A Man Thinketh

"As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he."

Treat yourself to a short read here.

Quote

My children are animal fanatics. When they were younger, we had a  50 gallon fish tank with about 20 different fresh water sea creatures including eels, shrimp, turtles, pacu fish, oscar fish and some other fish I can't name. 

Recently we acquired a 30 gallon fish tank. We had one red belly frog and three goldfish. Nothing fancy, just enough to satiate the little ones' longing for more 'pets'.

Then one day we decided to get a little fancy and bought more fishes.

The next day one original goldfish died, and then another and then the other.

One week later, our red belly frog had contracted some infection which was spreading through his leg. We quarantined him in another tank but he died within another week.

The wrong kind of friends are a lot like that. If we bring the wrong kind of friends into our lives, we poison our water. And though our death is not physical, it is spiritual.

Protect your waters, and your fish. ;)

Quote of the Day...

"The most fashionable thing you can be is you." via The Cool Hunter

I've apologized here for not posting more Anti-Depressive Decorating material, or more DIY. If you've read  about me, you know about how I overcame depression, hence my tagline Interior Decorating for the Home + Soul.  While I was overcoming depression, I realized I needed to accept me, all of me. From my curly locks, to whom I have chosen to be the love of my life (despite my family's lack of approval), to my childrens' hyperactive tendencies.

This being said, I thank you for your dedication to reading my blog despite my ADD tendencies to bounce around topics. I quickly realized while my stats fluctuated that all I could possibly serve was a good dose of me in my posts. Whether I've been feeling hungry (Get Your Grub On), sisterly (Liken To An Advice Column) or Inspired (Have Heroes). The thing I do best is be me.

How about you? Do you have trouble being yourself around certain people? Or do certain people give you a hard time for being yourself?

Quote of the Day...

 Can you be a bad*ss and still be kind? I think Emily Henderson  of Secrets from a Stylist proves yes, yes we can.

Quote of the Day...

"It's not what you believe, it's how you behave."

{Quote} Your Life Is A Work Of Art..

               

"..Your life is a work of art and like any work of art, you are an original. God does not make copies."
Excerpt from The Journey to Greatness and How To Get There!  by Noah benShea

I'm a sucker for quotes and feel good material, and so in an effort to keep this blog for the home + soul, I've opted to dilute my soliloquies to excerpts from books I've read and loved.

[Fitness] Have you heard of Body for Life?



 { Image: BFL }

               

Body for Life is based on the book Body for Life: 12 Weeks to Mental and Physical Strength written by Bill Phillips. The book covers diet, weight training, cardio and a healthy dose of material on mental power and tools to get started.

I first picked the book up in 2000. I was depressed and insecure at the time, excessively thin ( I know that's the opposite of most cases but I'm latina, I was suppose to have meat on my bones). When I finally turned 18, and started working, my first investment was in joining the gym. I didn't know a thing about working out so I explored different literature to educate myself on the ethics of gym life. And then I stumbled upon this book.

This book has been an invaluable resource. It taught me proper technique, proper eating habits and introduced me to routine, which I desperately needed. The challenge and opportunity to make $25K was also a great incentive for getting started. I continue to follow the principles outlined in the book, and it's been 10 years! It's my workout bible and I recommend it to anyone and everyone who isn't yet physically active or active but not seeing results.

Exercise, esp. cardio is a valuable tool if you experience depression. Depression is an internal affair but working out gets your blood going and oxygen pumping through your overall being and you feel amazing. After regular physcial activity I didn't even think or feel depressed. A few short months after working out, I met my husband at the gym. He also testifies to the power of being physically active as a wonderful tool for total health, mental included.

This book combined with a quality program geared toward depression such as "Attacking Anxiety & Depression", and you'll see results almost immediately.

I leave you with additional inspiration:

               
              
Bill Phillps has also authored other books such as Transformation: The Mindset You Need. The Body You Want. The Life You Deserve. Or visit him at his website by clicking here.

Top Three TV Shows

Be warned, I don't indulge in reality tv (one exception: Jersey Shore and occasional channel surfing tidbits) and I don't like much of the gossip shows. I do indulge far too much in Spongebob (it makes the kids happy) and all this translates to my inexperience as a regular television watcher.

Without further ado, the countdown:


{Photo credit: TV.com}

{03} Bones.  I know it's uncommon to find six super sexy people canoodling in laboratories but you have to admire Agent Bones' quirky intellectual talk, which makes her doubly sexy. And it's almost a must after my next two favorites.


{Photo Credit: TV.com}

{02} The Office. The intro. song, the quirky (cookoo?) characters, the close link to reality. This is the kind of reality I like, actors acting the way real people would act. 



{ Photo credit: FX Networks}

{01} It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. It doesn't get funnier than this. My words just wouldn't suffice.

The End

Optimism

Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life

A synopsis of the book available here and here:

Optimism:

                    Inoculates against depression
                    Improves health
                    Combines with talent and desire to enable achievement

I know we all know this, it just feels good to be reminded once in a while.

The Awards for Best Romantic Movies goes to...

{drumroll}



{01) Love Story. I didn't realize it's influence on pop culture of its time (the world hadn't met the like of me yet) but this movie is near and dear to my heart.

One day, some years ago, my dad invited the whole bunch; mom, brother, brother-future-wife, myself and my future-husband for a "date". We all got really nice as we prepared for some five course meal at one of our favorite chinese restaurants, as was the norm for special occasions, or so we thought. It turns out dad had ordered Pizza Hut, bought Love Story and greeted us in pj's upon our arrivals. Little did I know, he knew his family was complete. It was the best day ever. And for this reason, along with a wonderful compilation of music, cinematography, script I salute Love Story.


{02} The Holiday. Again, close to the heart. This movie came out around Christmas time, we were new parents, and we had few chances to go out, until one day my husband surprised me and invited me to the movies to watch The Holiday ( note: he is 120% Arnold Schwarzeneggar/action material).  We went, we enjoyed it, and now every holiday when it airs it brings such fond memories. Isn't that a valid reason to love this film?



{03} Happy-Go-Lucky. To be quite honest, I'm mad. I overdue things I love. I eat at my favorite restaurants almost incessantly {"Caribbean Chicken Salad as usual?"}. I love my children to bits so much so that I can't shake them off my leg. I read my favorite books far too many times and complete their sentences. And I'm guilty to loving Happy-Go-Lucky simply because it made me laugh a little, cry a little, and inspired me a little.

Because they evoked happy feelings when I watched them, because I was with people I adore when I viewed them, because they evoke happy feelings presently, for this reason and more, I award these three as my ultimate favorites.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Happy Go Lucky

                            

I don't want to get in the habit of getting lazy but occasionally I indulge and I sob, and I do enjoy a good movie and that's a good thing.

Cheers to good movies and taking time off for us [Gently lifts half filled cup of coffee mid air]. "Cheers"

Happy Tuesday.

Excuse Me, Your Life is Waiting (Can you FEEL it)

                             

Title: Excuse me, your life is waiting

Author: Lynn Grabhorn

Genre: self-help

312 pgs

2000

Based on The Law of Attraction but published prior to The Secret (2006), this book introduces the reader to the law of attraction. Grabhorn illustrates with various examples in her personal life when she was "attracting" much the same as she was giving.

Anti-Depressive Decorating

             


Live with color...

Johnathan Adler Book: My Prescription for Anti-Depressive Living

Book {The Four Agreements}

The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, A Toltec Wisdom Book
 (Don Miguel Ruiz)

                        
"When you honor these four agreements together, there is no way you will live in hell...If you are impeccable with your word, if you don' take anything personally, if you don't make assumptions, if you always do your best, then you are going to have a beautiful life. You are going to control your life one hundred percent."


"In the Four Agreements, don Miguel Ruiz reveals the source of self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, the Four Agreements offer a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness and love."