Healing

Sunlight Transforms Our Mind, Body and Spirit

Erin Keane

Light warms the Heart

and Brightens the Soul.

Light energizes the Body

and Inspires the Mind.

It truly is amazing how much the gift of sunlight awakens hope and inspiration in our lives. Light is a source of healing and renewal. Have you ever noticed that the flowers that do not receive as much sunlight take longer to bloom? This seems true for most of us too. When our bodies are not being touched by sunlight, even light that just comes in through the window, we may become less motivated or less hopeful. But when the sunlight is present, it awakens us both literally and metaphorically. We awaken feeling better; we feel like new possibilities can become reality. Just as sunlight is an energy source bringing forth life in nature, sunlight is also an energy source bringing forth healing, & inspiration within our bodies.

The last few days it has rained, and been cloudy daily. This weather has challenged my spirit: My soul, the deeper part within me, has been struggling to be hopeful. Today though the sun came out, and I honestly feel better. Does this ever happen to you?

The gift of light is essential to my well-being. I notice that I become more down in consistently dreary days; they become a metaphor for how I feel. However, in the presence of light I awaken and feel more grounded. I am able to reconnect to the wonder that I am rather, than losing sight of it. I also think this happens because at our core, we do need to be connected to the natural world—and when the sun is out, it invites us to come out too, and become a part of nature.

Other good things happen when we are touched by light like:

  • Taking a walk with the dog—exercising my body
  • Playing at the park with my son—provides a place for me to interact with other adults
  • Listening to the birds chirping—beautiful songs for my ears
  • Opening the windows—feeling the breeze upon my skin
  • Smiling—feeling better within myself—hopeful!

How about you? What happens when you are touched by sunlight? Share your wisdom…

Blessings, Bella Bleue
©Bella Bleue Healing, Health & Inspiration for Your Life™

Inspiration, Life

A Deep Longing, Fulfilled.

Erin Keane

Deep within us all is a longing to be connected, to be loved, to belong. Sometimes this yearning is more intense than at other times. Each of us discovers how to function in the world and how to be connected to this deeper part of who we are.  What do you do when you need to fulfill this longing within you, and have no one to really be there to help you fulfill these needs?

When this happens to me I turn to my “spiritual” side and take the time to pray or meditate. Opening myself to that which is beyond me, and inviting it to become a part of me seems to create that sense of connection that I need at any given moment. In other words, connecting to the Divine is something I need sometimes, well maybe lots of the time.

When I open myself in prayer I just allow myself to talk freely about what I feel. God is my journal buddy—-I can share whatever I need to from my heart, without writing it down, and yet it feels like I’ve got my pen in my hand. I find that when I have this deep longing for connection I need to release what I feel somehow somewhere, to someone. And why not give myself the gift of some quiet, where I can speak clearly, and know that the one on the other end of the phone-line wants to do nothing but listen to me?

Sometimes this longing for connection, love and belonging, is most fulfilled when I am able to share what’s in my heat & mind freely without hesitation. Or it happens when I just let go of my needs and send them out into the benevolent universe and into the hands of the Divine.

What happens to you when you meditate or pray? Do you feel the connection you need, or does the experience do something else for you? Do you have to be in a certain place or posture to achieve the connection or can it be spontaneous?

I find I need the spontaneity of sharing what’s on my heart and mind at any moment. But for the deeper sharing of my heart I need to take the time and be intentional, so that I can really allow myself to share what I feel.

If you haven’t already discovered a way to feel connected, I invite you to open yourself to all the energy in this beautiful world we have, and ask it to receive you. Do  it over and over again, until it becomes a part of who you are.

We are all connected to each other, the earth and all the creatures. So when you don’t feel connected, loved or like you belong. Just walk out your door step, and see the world…and thus you are, never alone.

And when I pray, I pray for your happiness too.

Blessings, Erin, Bella Bleue
©Bella Bleue Healing, Health & Inspiration for Your Life™ All rights reserved.

Healing, Inspiration

Allow Yourself to be Proud of You!

Erin Keane

Every one of us is filled with special gifts. We all are unique in our own special way. When you give yourself permission to feel pride within your heart, body and mind for your gifts, you can create a sense of gratitude within your being.  When you actually feel this gratitude, you are giving yourself love, and acceptance.  Being proud of yourself encourages a positive sense of yourself. As you feel proud of yourself more, you begin to love yourself more deeply. As you love yourself more deeply, you begin to treat yourself with more dignity and respect.

In this day and age, we are either encouraged to show our pride, which often can be misinterpreted for boasting, or we are shamed, and told not to be proud of our accomplishments because it can be seen as boasting.  (See Glennon Melton’s Post about Bragging Rights). Either way it’s really difficult to win. But the truth is you can win by being grateful for your gifts—i.e. humility. Being grateful allows you to feel good about yourself. When we are able to feel good about who we are, feeling proud no longer becomes a ‘bragging right,’ rather, feeling proud becomes a source of self-Love.

Allow yourself to be proud of your gifts and abilities, and by doing so, Love Yourself more:  As you love yourself more deeply and honestly, others will feel and notice this about you and in return feel love from you—being near you may cause them to discover a deeper love for themselves.

I felt moved to write this post because for me, one of my greatest challenges is feeling like “I’m good-enough.”  The deep truths of who we truly are, are so often revealed in our days as babies and children…somehow we just forget about it when we ‘grow-up.‘
Today, my little boy had a deep sense of pride in his eyes because he kept himself dry (potty-training). And as I looked at him and saw this sense of pride and accomplishment, I was filled with a sense of joy–I knew,without me saying any words other than, “Good-Job!” that he deepened his love and understanding of himself as a person at that moment.

And thanks to my two-and-a-half year old son, I was reminded that I too deserve to be proud of myself and thus, love myself more deeply.

WE ALL DESERVE TO BE PROUD OF OURSELVES, AND THUS, LOVE OURSELVES MORE DEEPLY.

A lesson you will have to  learn again and again: to see yourself with your own eyes, to love yourself from your own heart.–Oprah, from Oprah’s Letter to Her Younger Self

  • You have gifts & abilities. We all have gifts and abilities
  • You deserve to feel proud about who you are and what you offer.  We all deserve to feel proud about who we are and what we offer
  • When you feel proud of yourself—pride that is derived from a positive sense of self–not pride that is done to be boastful—you channel love for yourself throughout your mind, body and soul.

Congratulations to each of you for all you do and, all you share with the world! You are wonderful & amazing!

Blessings, Erin, Bella Bleue
©Bella Bleue Healing, Health & Inspiration for Your Life™ All rights reserved.

(Take a look at a post by my friend an fellow blogger Lisa,  How about a Little Tenderness?)

(See the Free Dictionary for a more detailed definition of Proud).

Healing, Life

Treating Yourself with Tenderness

Erin Keane

Providing yourself  with a source of quiet can create a sense of calm within your life and in your body, and rejuvenate you.

The last few days have been very noisy. Noise seems to be something that seeps into my being and removes me from being balanced in my life. I have become more attentive to my body lately, and realize how deeply I hold experiences, sounds, touch, etc. Thus, I really am trying to be better about taking care of myself.

Tonight I took my pup, out for a walk after sunset, in a light drizzling rain. And I became profoundly aware of the quiet all around me. There’s something really peaceful about the night, especially at twilight. It has always been one of my favorite times of my day. There is something about the world getting ready to go to sleep that feels me with a sense of gratitude and peace.

As I walked I opened myself to this peaceful quiet and let it soak into my bones and flow through me (even the rhythm of my footsteps calmed me–moving our bodies in a repetitive motion is calming—think of rocking a baby).

I am feeling this sense of quiet deep within me, and I take it with me even as I walk into the hustle and bustle of my home life. I let myself feel it within me–and being connected to my peaceful self creates a boundary around me–separating me from the chaos, even though I am in it. My body does not soak in the noise this time and I feel whole.

What brings you a sense of calm/quiet? Are you good at allowing yourself to experience calm when you need to?

May you become more deeply aware of your body, and nourish it with calm and quiet. You deserve it!

Blessings, Erin, Bella Bleue
©Bella Bleue Healing, Health & Inspiration for Your Life™ All rights reserved.

Inspiration, Life

Share Yourself with the World

Erin Keane

May you be blessed today with the realization that you are an awesome, beautiful & amazing creation for the world!

Blessings, Erin, Bella Bleue
©Bella Bleue Healing, Health & Inspiration for Your Life™ All rights reserved.

Inspiration, Life

Listening to your body is Good for You!

Erin Keane

It always amazes me how much our bodies hold. I know this too well. Whenever I am confused or stressed about something, my body goes into overdrive and falls apart on me…headaches, tummy aches and all that other stuff that comes with stress. I realize I need to be very conscious about my well-being during these times. As a person who has suffered from depression– I put myself on ‘high-alert’ so that I can regain my equilibrium without falling off the deep end.

I’m not always good at following steps—I just like to go with the flow, but these things seem to help me and re-ground me:

Take a Step Back: Remove myself from the stressor and find a place to go and breathe. Do you have a special place to relax?

Breathe in Deeply, and Let Go: Release all that is within me that is causing me suffering—Letting go with every exhale. And breathing in calm and peace. What do you do with your breathing that is helpful during a stressful event?

Pour a Cup of Coffee: The caffine helps with my migraines—they come along when I’m really stressed. I’m really good at holding stress right in my neck and head…Where do you hold stress in your body? Do you have a ritual of coffee or tea etc. that helps you re-center?

Listen to songs that make me move my body & dance: Even though I need the calm I also find I need to move my body and get those positive endorphins moving! There is something freeing about moving your body—it gets me out of my state. What do you do?

Get a Hug: My son is good for hugs during the day, and my dog and 2 cats also love to be hugged—there’s something about connecting to humans and animals through touch that releases so much of the negativity and refills my body with a sense of love and care. Do you have someone or a pet that you who reconnects you to sense of care and well-being?

Writing about it: I know this has been the topic of lots of my recent posts, but I’m realizing how much better I feel by having an outlet for my feelings. I used to journal all the time when I was younger and stopped when my life got too busy…and of course that’s when depression got in my being…I guess I need to write to get to that place of balance after I’m stressed, anxious, etc. What about you? Do you find change happening within you when you write or sing, etc.?

It’s Friday evening in New England. So I’m letting go for a while, and ready to just enjoy the evening. I hope you are well, and find joy in your journey today too.

Remember: You are capable of feeling good in your life whenever you want to—especially when you change  your state and give yourself the freedom to be happy.

Blessings, Erin, Bella Bleue
©Bella Bleue Healing, Health & Inspiration for Your Life™

Related Reading: Tea & Comfort by I Stop for Suffering

Healing, Health, Life

“I’m Not Tired. I’m Just Really Good at Not Falling-Asleep!”

Erin Keane

My 2 1/2 year old son, runs around the house yelling, “I’m not tired!” as he loses total control and has a meltdown. Sure, he’s not tired…”Mamma, I’m not tired at all!”

I realize my son, speaks with great wisdom and honesty. I know oh too well, how to stay up way past my tired place, and then discover the next day I am completely wore-out. Yet, I’ll go through my day, and do it all over again. “I’m not tired!” But the truth is I’m exhausted…emotionally and physically at times… But of course, I just won’t let myself fall asleep.

Does this ever happen to you?

I find in this day and age I’m always feeling the need to be connected.  Connected to all this stuff in the World Wide Web. I need to be fed by it, and nourished by it. And because I’ve become so involved in it, my mind at times finds it so hard to just be calm…and thus to just close my eyes and fall asleep.  I need to be better about disengaging!

Other times I feel like I just need to be alone, to discover something, to just relax. And then I end up busying myself with something and staying up too late at night—Like listening to music that energizes me rather than relaxes me…

My eyes are tired.

My mind is tired.

My body is tired.

“So just go to bed, Why don’t you?!”

But, “I’m not tired!”

Stop lying to myself, I say.

I realize that as I have become intentional about caring for myself by listening to my own breath better & getting to know myself deeper I have become happier and healthier. But I need to rest more.  I need to be intentional about taking the time to let myself deeply sleep.

So I am going to work on

  1. Washing my face and being intentional about imagining that I am washing away all the stresses of the day and leaving them behind.
  2. Drying my face and freeing myself of tomorrow’s worries—my face is refreshed and calm.
  3. Walking myself up to bed earlier—allowing myself to be done with the day, and leaving it downstairs–making my bedroom a place to truly relax.
  4. Taking the time to listen to my husband’s meditation music before falling asleep—creating a sense of bodily-felt calm.
  5. Taking the time to pray and be connected to the Divine or to Meditate—It helps me let go of my worries that might be left too deep to be washed away, and placing them in hands of the Sacred who can carry all things that I cannot.

What about you? What do you do to help yourself rest and fall asleep?  Are you intentional about allowing yourself to go to bed when you need to?

May you discover a sense of peace within yourself…

Blessings, Erin, Bella Bleue
©Bella Bleue Healing, Health & Inspiration for Your Life™ All rights reserved.

Healing, Inspiration, Life

You Have the Potential for an Amazing Day

Erin Keane

Each new morning opens
My Life
to a story of Healing
I do not let my past define me
nor determine my future.
I go forward knowing my past
is a part of me
but I am
Strong,
Amazing
& Wonderfully Made.
So today my present is
the force that propels me foward.

Blessings, Erin, Bella Bleue
©Bella Bleue Healing, Health & Inspiration for Your Life™ All rights reserved.

Depression, Life

Getting Back in the Driver’s Seat

Erin Keane

Do you ever get that feeling of being out of control? The kind of feeling you get when you are at the highest point of a roller-coaster and you drop completely out of the sky in a free-fall with no one to catch you?

I do.

It’s that feeling of being completely helpless and disconnected from reality—

It’s uncomfortable.

And yet as you walk through your day, you know only too well, this is your Life; it ‘s not a dream; you are wide awake and living.

When I used to get like this, I’d fall into that yucky pit of depression. But now I intentionally sit back, give myself some space from my life, and reflect—It is so important to give yourself permission to be removed from whatever it is that’s making you feel out of control—like today…I am grateful that my toddler son took a nap. I needed some “Me-time.”

WE ALL NEED ‘ME-TIME.’

Thankfully ‘Me-time’, provides space for reflection and gives me the distance I need to reconnect to myself, and realize, “Yes. Feeling like this isn’t any fun. And I don’t want to get stuck here. So how can I make a change? What can I do right now to get myself off the side of the road, and back into the driver’s seat of my life?”

I ask myself these questions:

  1. Why do I feel this way today?–I am feeling angry/sad because…. (these are the emotions that make me feel out of control…what are the emotions that make you feel out of control?
  2. It’s okay that I feel_____. (Affirm your feelings—they are a part of you—and nobody’s perfect!) But I don’t like feeling this way.  So how can I change the way I feel?
  3. I can change the way I feel by changing my state: I want to feel happy/good. What can I do to make these positive feelings real for me instead of the negative feelings I’m having?
  4. What are proactive things you can do for yourself that will help you feel the way you want to?

Then the answers start coming…For me, I need to write, when I’m feeling out of control. It grounds me. It re-centers me. It brings me back to my core.

This re-centering has helped me feel better now—I feel more like me again; I’m back in the driver seat of my life, and I can see where I’m going. No more free falls for today!

How about you? What are you going to do to help yourself feel better today/tonight?

And remember to give yourself that gift of  ‘ME-TIME’  

You deserve it!

Blessings, Erin, Bella Bleue
©Bella Bleue Healing, Health & Inspiration for Your Life™ All rights reserved.

See related post by Reality In Progress

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