Tag: the magic

Editor’s Advice: My New Year of Self-Care

Posted on by Tammy

Last year I wrote a blog post “Five Resolutions for a Spiritual New Year,” and got great feedback from our readers about it. These five resolutions are still amazing ways to start your new year off right, so be sure to take a look if you missed it.

This year I wanted to share a little more of myself with you, and ask you to embark on a journey of self-care with me. So many of us spend time taking care of others – whether it’s at work, at home, with friends or extended family. If someone we care about is in need, we will drop everything to be by that person’s side. But do we do the same for ourselves? In fact, I bet some of you are so busy, you haven’t even noticed your own body and mind crying out for attention.

Do you keep getting sick, or still can’t get rid of that cold from last month? Maybe your immune system is trying to tell you something.

Are you suffering from chronic pain in some way, but just keep popping ibuprofen in hopes that it will go away. Maybe your body needs rest, or your mind is creating a distraction in the body for something emotional that is going on.

This year, I decided to focus on self-care because for me, it has always been an area I am lacking. It really became clear to me this summer when I found myself in bed with Shingles, and then a few months later with a neck spasm that wouldn’t let go for more than three weeks! I decided to take a look within and see where I am abandoning myself. And it wasn’t a pretty picture.

Here is how I am starting the year off differently:

1– I found a new yoga studio in December, and have been going to classes two to three times per week. It’s only been five weeks, but I notice a big difference in my mental, emotional and physical life.

2– I’ve decided to try acupuncture since three different people in a matter of weeks told me how wonderful it was, and how much they believe I would benefit from it. (O.K. universe, I got the hint. I’ll make an appointment!)

3– I am doing another cycle of the 28-day book “The Magic.” If you missed my blog post about this book, you need to take a look. It produces amazing results and helps to keep you in a state of gratitude – the best place to be!

4– Recently, I received a new book to review. It’s called “May Cause Miracles: A 40-Day Guidebook of Subtle Shifts for Radical Change and Unlimited Happiness,” by Gabrielle Bernstein. Since I don’t believe in coincidence, I decided to embark on this 40-day journey of learning to release fear and replace it with love. Bernstein’s work is based on “A Course in Miracles,” and so far (it’s Day 5) I am amazed by the simplicity yet effectiveness of its exercises.

5– In the coming weeks, I plan to review an online course by Sonia Choquette called “Creating Your Heart’s Desire,” which helps bring you back in touch with your spirit, and tap into the power of attraction. Stay tuned for a review on this in a future Editor’s Advice column!

These are just a few of the ways I’m focusing on self-care and improving my life – physically, mentally and emotionally. I’ve incorporated each of these into my daily routine, and I already feel lighter.

I encourage you to pick at least one thing to do for yourself this year, and stick to it. Whether its taking yoga once a week, meditating for 5 minutes every morning and night, taking an online course, following a self-help guided book … or just doing something nice for yourself at least once a day. The goal is to check in with yourself and find what area of your life needs you the most. And then show up for yourself the way you would your best friend.

Join me, and let me know how your mission goes! Leave a comment, or email me at tammy@elevatedexistence.com.

Blessing and love to you all in 2013!

Tammy

Tammy Mastroberte
Founder, Publisher & Editorial Director
Elevated Existence Magazine

 

Editor’s Advice: Gratitude & “The Magic” Book

Posted on by Tammy

Recently I accompanied a friend on a trip to the local library, and while I was waiting for her to check out, a book jumped out at me from a nearby shelf. Written by the author of the best-selling book “The Secret,” this book was called “The Magic,” and I had been meaning to review it for Elevated Existence. It was surrounded by books in all different categories, and since I know there are no accidents, I picked it up, handed it to my friend and asked, “Can you add this to the books you are taking out?”

I’ll admit, it sat in a pile on my desk for a while, and I finally picked it up because I knew it was due back soon at the library. I realized the book offered an introduction of about 20 pages, and the remainder was broken up into 28 chapters – each offering a new gratitude exercise to be done consecutively over the next 28 days. Knowing the act of gratitude immediately raises our vibration, and activates the law of attraction to bring us more of what we are grateful for – I decided to give it a try!

I even called a friend and asked if she wanted to it with me. I said, “What is there to lose. If we concentrate on gratitude consistently for 28 days, something good has to come from it.” She agreed, and told another friend, so the three of us embarked on this journey of gratitude. What we discovered is … this gratitude stuff works!!

The exercises range in topics from health and career, to money and relationships – each day applying a specific gratitude exercise in one of these areas. And it didn’t take long to start seeing results!

Within the first week, my friend did a relationship exercise where you find three pictures of people you want to improve your relationship with and find five things to be grateful about them specifically. She chose someone she was estranged from, but missed. That afternoon, out of the blue, the friend contacted her to get together!

Here are some other things we noticed in the 28 days:

  • I got unexpected checks in the mail totaling more than $500
  • My relationships improved immensely with those who I concentrated on during the practice
  • One friend got free products in the mail – a coffee maker and coffee grinder – both things she had on her list to buy, but they just showed up for free
  • One friend was concerned with how she was going to pay for a party she was giving her child, and she got a temporary job opportunity that lasted three days – just enough to pay for what she needed.

These are all exciting things, but honestly, the best part of consistently going back to gratitude is this – you begin to feel good about every area of your life. Things that would have bothered you in the past don’t seem to faze you anymore, and even when you face a disappointment, you bounce back much quicker than before. Gratitude has the ability to instantly pull you up – it lifts your vibration, your heart, your mind and your soul. To me, there is no unexpected check or free product that can even come close to that.

The three of us who started this experiment recently started round 3 of our 28 days – and we have been joined by many others through word-of-mouth. I wanted to share this with all of you loyal readers, in hopes that you might give gratitude a bigger role to play in the theater of your life. This book is certainly a way to start.

Blessings, love & gratitude,

Tammy Mastroberte
Founder, Publisher & Editorial Director
Elevated Existence Magazine
www.elevatedexistence.com