Starting Now...

This week, people all over the planet are looking back at 2019 and looking forward to 2020. I’m asking myself to do this from a compassionate and present-centered perspective. You are invited to do the same…

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Ami Ji Schmidfirst
A holiday gift for you...

‘Tis the ‘holiday season’ and I want to gift you acceptance, appreciation, and love.

It’s not always easy to access acceptance, appreciation, and love. And though it may seem strange, I’m going to try to help you access these illusive qualities by talking about death and grief.

I realize this does not sound like a fun gift! Stick with me, though - I promise, this turns out well!

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Ami Ji Schmidfirst
Both/ And (an expansive guided imagery exercise)

What would happen if we didn’t have to choose? What If we held dichotomous thoughts and feelings, equally weighed, in both hands? I find that when I let go of an EITHER/ OR stance, and hold seemingly dichotomous thoughts and feelings in a BOTH / AND position, I become more. It’s an expansive practice.

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Fall into Yourself

Falling has more than one meaning. The leaves in Vermont are falling. This winter, someone will be falling on ice. Maybe I’ll be falling in love. I often feel I’m falling from grace. Time and time again, when I remember to breathe, to allow, to come back to peace - I fall back into myself.

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Beginning to Heal the Wounds (from Soul Cuts)

External and internalized denial of thoughts, feelings and expression cuts away at the core – the source – of who a person is – their Authentic Self.  Soul cuts happen when authentic, core thoughts, feelings and expressions are deemed unacceptable or are denied, conveyed through statements such as: you shouldn’t or you don’t (think, feel, or express) as you do….

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Life, Loss and Love

Although Michelle no longer walks on this planet, we still have a relationship.  Although that’s my truth, I also grieve the loss of her. It’s complex. Her energy exists and I relate with her in that way, and she does not have a physical body and I miss that – I miss her. That’s part of the complexity of life and death – of grief – of Spirit – of love.

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Juice for Health! (part of the Florida Blog series)

Today was the second day of the rest of my healthy juicing life! It was not the 2nd consecutive day, just the 2nd time I've used my brand-spankin'-new juicer. I do not feel all-or-nothing about juicing and eating healthy, yet, though I feel it coming. At some point soon I will adhere to a strict period of being on a cleansing, healing, "no-cancer" diet.

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Back to Bratt (part of the Florida Blog series)

Home. I never intended to leave you. And now that I'm staying here, how could I do anything but (stay here)? And so, from pure longing came the brilliant thought that I will NOT rent my home again. I will instead find a HOUSE-MATE. A mate... to share my home... with ME. A house-mate who will live here solo much of the year (a roommate's dream) and me, who wil have my favorite home to come back to... anytime a low-cost plane-fare & school-break collide. A house-mate friend. Me, a happy Bratt.

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