Please Sign the Petition to Save this Dog!

http://www.dogheirs.com/dogheirs/posts/2744-disabled-veteran-asks-for-public-support-service-dog-faces-euthanasia-for-biting-woman-who-beat-him-with-metal-poles

Sign here please:  http://www.thepetitionsite.com/590/736/158/save-dutch-the-service-dog/

Self-Coaching Group Study on Mindfulness vs. Self-Control‏

Group Self-Coaching Study

Hi Everyone,

I am doing a self-coaching study for the next 3 weeks.  You are welcome to participate if you like and fill out a very brief survey at the end, on February 28th.

The self-coaching is going to focus on changing your health habits using either self-control or mindfulness.  You can experiment with one or both to see which one helps you more in changing a health habit, or health habits that you would like to change in order to improve your overall health and/or feelings of well-being.

Changing a health habit happens in stages, and one marker is around 3 weeks.  So our self-coaching study will start today and end on February 28th, at which point you can fill out a very brief survey if you wish to participate to share your experiences.  I will post the survey here, but you can also sign up for my mailing list if you want to make sure you are notified of when to take the survey: http://portlandwellnesscoach.com/?page_id=67

Here are some mindfulness tips, techniques, and links for those of you who wish to try using mindfulness to change your health habits, including a free download on mindfulness from leading experts from Sounds True and a 30 minute radio show on MSStationWellness on how living mindfully can help you cope with a chronic condition:

http://www.soundstrue.com/practicemindfulness/

http://msstationwellness.com/mind-body-spirit/

Mindfulness is practicing being present, but with focus on non-judgment of self for thoughts, behaviors, or actions, practicing curiosity, and self-compassion.  It is about observing oneself without judgment.   It’s about complete acceptance of where you are right now, and acting out of choice and free-will, rather than fear or control.

“Mindfulness could be thought of as being conscious that your mind and body are one living field of energy that responds to your light-bulb of awareness. Healing is about waking up to the bright light of awareness.  It's when you slow down for your life that you can become present, and presence is where the world of possibility lies, including the possibility of better health.”

~The Memory of Health

Keep Your New Year's Resolutions! Join Me for FREE Group Wellness Coaching on Learn It Live.com!

http://www.learnitlive.com/class/3318/New-Year-New-You-Change-Your-Health-Habits-for-Good

Gra Im Thu! I Love You! by Joan Gordon

http://www.lulu.com/shop/joan-claire-gordon/gra-im-thu-i-love-you/paperback/product-20534577.html Two Irish families, with different beliefs about religion and politics, want to inter-marry. They learn that freedom of thought breeds diversity, and diversity morphs into an urgent need to overcome conflict and generate harmony in their relationships. The O’Grady and Gwynn families learn how to build tolerance. A 13 year old boy is key to the process.

"We are the imagination of our cells." ~ Deepak Chopra

Meet Sam, Rescued from DogFighting

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OluE-PFfbvo&feature=plcp

What Does It Take to Be Well? YOU!

Remember how Dorothy didn’t know that she had the power all along to get back home to Kansas? Turns out all she had to do was CLICK HER HEELS. What is the magic ingredient in changing your health for the better? YOU. You’ve had it all along! A lot of times clients get really excited at the beginning of sessions and think the coach is going to magically transform their life and their problems will just melt away. It doesn’t exactly work like this, although you can and will experience RADICAL transformation if you jump in the river and GO WITH THE FLOW of the coaching process. Your coach or therapist DOES play a crucial role in your healing journey. This is true, and you should be excited. A compassionate, non-judgmental relationship with a coach or therapist goes a LONG WAY toward change and healing. HOWEVER, the most radical, beautiful, change happens because of YOU! This is a good thing, trust me. When you realize YOU have the power to change your life, this is where the real MAGIC HAPPENS. How does change happen then? And why does it feel like work? When you change for other people – to please them – or when you change out of FEAR – so you won’t feel humiliated on the beach – you are changing for EXTERNAL reasons, and that, my friend, is HARD WORK. In fact, it feels like you are carrying the weight of the world on you. Who wants to do that FOREVER? When you change because you LOVE yourself, and VALUE yourself, change FEELS GREAT and EFFORTLESS often. Here’s a tip, figure out what your very HIGHEST IDEAL is, and change FOR THAT REASON. When you change a health habit because you desire so strongly to stay true to and be there for your VISION – what you VALUE, YOUR HIGHEST IDEALS – change is not only effortless, it’s enjoyable, because you are FOCUSING ON YOUR VISION, AND SEEING IT COME TO FRUITION. Real change also happens when we build a sense of self-confidence, that yes, I CAN DO THIS. Self-confidence comes by achieving, small, attainable goals. One…goal…at…a…time. This is another way a coach can really help you along your JOURNEY. Yes, there are so many benefits to wellness coaching. But the most important benefit of all is that you get to meet your amazing, powerful SELF in the process. And your POWERFUL SELF, my friend, can do and be anything she wants. Just look within, believe in yourself, and click your heels…