It’s just after 4:00 in the afternoon and as I gaze out of the window I can see the shades of yellow, pink and orange in the sky as the sun continues its descent.  By 5:00 pm it will be dark, the days getting shorter and shorter as we move towards the winter solstice on December 21^st.  

I reach to the lamp and switch it on so that I can keep writing. It wasn’t that many years ago (in the history of humans) that we would be making final preparations to go to bed at this time of the day.  Ahhhh, can you imagine going to bed at 6:00 pm and not waking up until the sunrise at 7:00 am the next morning? I am willing to bet that we would have a much more patient and creative population if we followed that rhythm!

I can feel the pull of my bed, wanting to put the pen down and crawl under the covers even if just for a short nap.  My body is telling me it  needs to rest but my mind has other plans.  My mind prominently displays my ‘to do’ list – long, challenging and impossible to complete – and I abandon my thoughts of a late afternoon nap, pushing myself to keep working at my list.  

Are you pushing yourself to get everything done?   Or do you follow the rhythms of your body and nature, balancing your work with plenty of rest and restorative activities?  We all know we are supposed to rest, we know it’s good for us but we still ignore the signals, keep the lights on and work well into the nights or early mornings.  The stresses and pressures of the holiday season make it even harder to hear and listen to our innate wisdom resulting in us having meltdowns instead of the ice cubes in our eggnogs.  

I am writing this newsletter for myself as much as for you…I need a reminder that this is the time of year to start slowing down, not to start revving up.  As we move into the season of winter, nature is instructing us to sleep longer, move slower, be more reflective and introspective, eat warm, earthy foods, do some soul searching and explore our inner worlds.  These are some of the teachings that I will be sharing in my Way of the Happy Woman Winter Retreat, ways that you can honor your unique rhythms and allow nature to show you how to live in alignment with your own wisdom.  

Take some time to rest over this next month.  Let go of the to do list and put your feet up instead.  Move a little slower, find a pocket of quiet time,
even if it’s just 5 minutes, power down your screens and turn out the lights. You’ll still get things done, trust me.  And you will be more joyful while
you do them!  

Now, it’s time for my nap….

Still a few more days left to get your discounted card deck!

I am still trying to clear some space by having a sale on my card decks.  The sale will continue this month through to the 21^st of December.

Ordering from my website isn’t the best way to go so to order your card decks, click on the link below and include the number of decks you would like and if you would like to pick them up in person or if you need a shipping quote. I’ll get back to you with instructions for receiving your cards.

******$10/ deck or $15 for two decks*******
Click Here to Purchase!

I sat on the lounge chair during our journaling session staring at what I had just written. The pounding of the surf was making it difficult to hear my own thoughts so I gave up on thinking and dropped into the feeling in my body. I felt huge tension and openness at the same time. I could feel the familiar anxiety in my stomach along with the fluttering of amazement at this new realization. Then I began to feel a bit nauseous and panicky about what was most likely ahead of me.

I was on retreat in Mexico – attending the Way of the Happy Woman SHE Retreat – and we were just coming to the halfway point of the retreat when I realized….

I don’t believe that I deserve self care.

Deep breath….

We had been in silence for 3 days (we spent the entire 6 days in silence) and while I had already had many aha’s, realizations and shifts in my perspective, I wasn’t quite prepared for this newest revelation.

I had been observing a pattern of tension in my body over the previous few days. I didn’t understand what was causing the tension until I gave it my full attention (which you can do when you can’t talk, read, journal, text, listen to music or go online for a week). Aha! I was trying to figure out how I was going to teach everything I was learning at the retreat to you – my readers, clients and students. The tension was a result of trying to remember everything my teacher was saying, feeling like I didn’t know enough about all the concepts being shared and believing I would have to do extra work to learn what I didn’t know before I could teach/share what I was learning.

“What if you didn’t have to teach it?” A quiet voice asked from deep inside my heart.

I felt a flood of relief and the tension left my body. But only momentarily. The all too familiar voice of my inner critic roared in my head.

“Of course you have to teach what you’re learning here. What other reason would there be for coming to this retreat??”

And there is was….I only allowed myself to come on the retreat by justifying that I could use what I learned here in my coaching and yoga classes once I returned home. As my inner critic so harshly questioned…”why else would I go on retreat?!”

Do you struggle with taking care of yourself? Do you allow yourself times for rest, contemplation, fun and renewal? Do you go to the gym or the yoga studio because it nourishes something deep in your heart or because “they” say it’s good for you? Is it okay for you to receive support, love and gifts without feeling that you have to reciprocate?

In that moment on my lounge chair by the ocean, I realized that most of what I have done for self care was not because it truly nourished me but because it would contribute to the way I could help my clients or because some “authority” said it was what I needed to do to be healthy, strong, beautiful, successful, etc, etc. All these years of coaching and teaching women (and some men) to get their needs met, listen to their own wisdom and love themselves and I was completely shocked to learn that I wasn’t leading by example! (Insert shame face here!!)

How do you change the belief that you do not deserve? Fortunately I know a good coach who can give me some ideas 😉 and I will keep you posted on my progress. What I know is that it takes a willingness to slow down, to listen to those quiet voices in your heart and to question the long held habits and patterns that we unconsciously default to in every moment.

So take good care of yourself – not because it will make you more productive or successful, not because I told you to, not because it will give you more energy to care for your children, parents, partner, neighbor, community….

……but because you are so very deserving.

Love,

Deb

I sat on the lounge chair during our journaling session staring at what I had just written.  The pounding of the surf was making it difficult to hear my own thoughts so I gave up on thinking and dropped into the feeling in my body.  I felt huge tension and openness at the same time.  I could feel the familiar anxiety in my stomach along with the fluttering of amazement at this new realization.  Then I began to feel a bit nauseous and panicky about what was most likely ahead of me. 

I was on retreat in Mexico – attending the Way of the Happy Woman SHE Retreat – and we were just coming to the halfway point of the retreat when I realized…

I don’t believe that I deserve self care.

Deep breath….

We had been in silence for 3 days (we spent the entire 6 days in silence) and while I had already had many aha’s, realizations and shifts in my perspective, I wasn’t quite prepared for this newest revelation. 

I had been observing a pattern of tension in my body over the previous few days. I didn’t understand what was causing the tension until I gave it my full attention (which you can do when you can’t talk, read, journal, text, listen to music or go online for a week).  Aha!  I was trying to figure out how I was going to teach everything I was learning at the retreat to you – my readers, clients and students.  The tension was a result of trying to remember everything my teacher was saying, feeling like I didn’t know enough about all the concepts being shared and believing I would have to do extra work to learn what I didn’t know before I could teach/share what I was learning. 

“What if you didn’t have to teach it?”  A quiet voice asked from deep inside my heart.

I felt a flood of relief and the tension left my body.  But only momentarily.  The all too familiar voice of my inner critic roared in my head.

“Of course you have to teach what you’re learning here.  What other reason would there be for coming to this retreat??”

And there is was….I only allowed myself to come on the retreat by justifying that I could use what I learned here in my coaching and yoga classes once I returned home.  As my inner critic so harshly questioned…”why else would I go on retreat?!”

Do you struggle with taking care of yourself?  Do you allow yourself times for rest, contemplation, fun and renewal?  Do you go to the gym or the yoga studio because it nourishes something deep in your heart or because “they” say it’s good for you?  Is it okay for you to receive support, love and gifts without feeling that you have to reciprocate?

In that moment on my lounge chair by the ocean, I realized that most of what I have done for self care was not because it truly nourished me but because it would contribute to the way I could help my clients or because some “authority” said it was what I needed to do to be healthy, strong, beautiful, successful, etc, etc.  All these years of coaching and teaching women (and some men) to get their needs met, listen to their own wisdom and love themselves and I was completely shocked to learn that I wasn’t leading by example! 

How do you change the belief that you do not deserve? Fortunately I know a good coach who can give me some ideas and I will keep you posted on my progress. What I know is that it takes a willingness to slow down, to listen to those quiet voices in your heart and to question the long held habits and patterns that we unconsciously default to in every moment. 

So take good care of yourself – not because it will make you more productive or successful, not because I told you to, not because it will give you more energy to care for your children, parents, partner, neighbor, community….

……but because you are so very deserving.

P.S.  You might not have time in your schedule to take a 6 day retreat but what about a 3 hour retreat?  My next Way of the Happy Woman Winter mini retreat is scheduled for January 16^th.  Registration will open soon so watch your email for the announcement and details.  Might I suggest that it would make a lovely Christmas present for you, a friend, family member…!

The Sale is still On!!

Last month I announced that I am trying to clear some space by having a sale on my card decks.  The sale will continue this month through to the 21^st of December. Ordering from my website isn’t the best way to go so to order your card decks, click on the link below and include the number of decks you would like and if you would like to pick them up in person or if you need a shipping quote. I’ll get back to you with instructions for receiving your cards.

            $10/ deck or $15 for two decks
Click Here to Purchase!

Follow Deb:

I do my best to teach yoga with the intention of nourishing all parts of you – not just the physical body.  Join me for a class and leave feeling refreshed, connected and cared for!

Yoga
Align Yourself – Mondays starting Nov 16 – Dec 14, 6 – 7 pm
Rest and Renew – Mondays 7:30 – 9:00 pm
Basic Alignment – Thursdays 9:00 – 10:00 am
Source Yoga Studios, 2567 Pembina Highway

Social Media
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/GetItDunnJoyfully
Twitter: @debdawsondunn

I read this quote recently and wanted to share it with you:

“Have patience with everything that remains unsolved in your heart.
Try to love the questions themselves….

At present you need to live the question.

Perhaps you will gradually, without even noticing it, find yourself
experiencing the answer.”

– Rainer Maria Rilke, Poet

It seems like I have had many, many questions lately.  Since the cancer diagnosis
two years ago, I have had to make many changes in my life – some immediate,
some more gradual.  The intensity of a diagnosis and the following treatments
don’t leave much room for processing or gradualness.  I’m sure most of you have
experienced this situation in some form or another whether it’s a sudden health
crisis, the loss of a loved one, the loss of a job, etc. 

What I have found now is that I am left with questions – how do I stay healthy,
what if it comes back, how do I build some of the relationships that lapsed, do I
keep doing the same job, do I take on more clients, do I teach more or less yoga
classes, do I stop public speaking, what can I eat for supper….I’m a little
overwhelmed with questions lately! 

Do you have questions about your life?  Am I doing enough for/with my children?
Should I look for another job?  How do I get healthier?  How do I take care of
my parents and myself?  Why am I here?  What is my purpose?  Why do the
drivers in front of me always go slower when I am running late?? 

What if we all rested with the questions?  What if we stop trying to find solutions
and instead just let the questions be there?  What if we gave them space?
What might happen then?  (And yes….I realize I am asking more questions
here!!)  Perhaps if we allowed time to live the question we might find that the
answers are more available than we think. 

Your Opinion

Sometimes when we have questions the simplest solution is to ask others for their
thoughts.  Instead of trying to figure out what I need to do next as I move forward
with Get It Dunn I thought….”why don’t I ask you??”

Can you please do me the great honor and a huge favor by taking 5 minutes to
answer some questions in my “where do we go from here?” survey?  Your
answers will tell me just how much (or how little ) I need to be offering for 2016.  

You can access the survey here:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KG6HXVC

A sale

Because fall is the season for letting go of things and making space  I have decided
to make some space in my storage by having a sale on my Reconnect to Yourself
Card decks!  It’s time to get these cards into more hands!  So until Christmas,
the special is:

            $10/ deck or $15 for two decks
               Click Here to Purchase!

Follow Deb:

Never done yoga before?  Why not try it with me?!
I would love to have you join me!

Yoga
Align Yourself – Mondays starting Nov 16 – Dec 14, 6 – 7 pm
Rest and Renew – Mondays 7:30 – 9:00 pm
Basic Alignment – Thursdays 9:00 – 10:00 am
Source Yoga Studios, 2567 Pembina Highway

Social Media
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/GetItDunnJoyfully
Twitter: @debdawsondunn

“Here Aunty….hold this for me,” my seven year old nephew said urgently as he dumped a loonie* sized, live crab into my hands.

“Don’t let him get away,” he called over his shoulder as he ran off to find more crabs.

I gazed at the crab in my hand, trying not to freak out. 

I had never held a live crab before.  All my instincts (and their pincers) had always told me NOT to touch or hold a live crab, yet here I was, now with a handful of live crabs because he had just delivered more. 

Deep breath.  I guess I’m a crab juggler now!

The next afternoon I found myself standing beside a shallow pool of water on the edge of the ocean with a flat, oval board in my hands.

“You just throw the board across the top of the water and jump on it with both feet at the same time.  It’s easy!” explained my nephew.

“Oookayyy…”  I was not convinced.  After several running starts, tumbles into the  water and about as much grace as a bull in a china shop I managed to figure out how to skim board.  I think it will take a long time to become passable at skim boarding but at least I was willing to give it a try.

When was the last time you tried something for the first time?** We spent a week  on vacation with my brother, sister-in-law and nephew on a somewhat remote,  wilderness island off the coast of British Columbia this summer and everyday  presented me with the opportunity to try something new.  Some things were  challenging, some things were scary and some things were a bit icky and smelly  but they all had the same outcome – I expanded my horizons and built my confidence in my ability to handle anything (especially slimy things!).

As we begin to transition out of summer and into the fall, what can you try that you  have never tried before?  You don’t need to stick your hand into the crab tank at Red Lobster but maybe you could sign up for a class on something completely new to you or if you are always revving things up in September, maybe you could try doing less this fall.  Or this is the perfect opportunity for you to try one of my Way of  the Happy Woman® mini retreats coming up on October 3^rd.  Whatever you choose, I hope you can give yourself the opportunity to try something new and experience yourself in a completely new way!

Love,

Last month I gave up my downtown office.  I sold the furniture, canceled the phone and internet and handed in the keys.  I still remember the day I agreed to take over the lease – I was excited and terrified (mostly terrified… was I grown up enough for an office?  Could I afford it?  What if I didn’t have enough business??  Was I ready to take this bigger step into the business world?).

My coach told me it was a good move.“It will give you credibility,” she said. “It will make you look more professional.”

As a new coach I wanted to do whatever it took to look professional. Everywhere I turned in the business world people were preaching about
all the things you were “supposed” to do to get clients, make money, be successful and so I listened to them and tried to follow their advice. Having the office did give me more confidence and I loved having a space that was welcoming, cozy and private for my clients.  My business was moving forward nicely. 

But nothing lasts forever!  I’d like to blame the cancer for the changes that started happening in my business but that wouldn’t be fair.  Business was starting to slow down before I was diagnosed and as much as I struggled to make it work, the writing was on the wall.  I needed to make some changes or the changes would be made for me!  The cancer gave me the opportunity to look more closely at how I was working and I began to see how following the experts’ advice on how to run my business was leaving out one very important expert – me. A big lesson that cancer has taught me is that I have to listen to, and trust myself first and foremost; even when the stakes are high and my inner wisdom tells me to go against the external “experts.” 

Who are you listening to these days?  Do you trust yourself, your intuition, your inner wise self? Or do you feel constantly pushed and batted around like a ball in an old pin ball machine, trying to do what (mostly well-meaning) external “experts” are saying is the “right” thing to do?

My office was one of the last pieces of my business that I had to let go of. In order to truly serve you and make room for what is unfolding now I have had to let go of what no longer serves me.  I was sad to say good-bye to the office but I am looking forward to creating my business in my own way.

What about you?  Are you ready to let go of what is no longer serving you?

Love,

Letting go is the theme for my fall retreat! Please join me for …

The Way of the Happy Woman Autumn Self-Care Mini-Retreat!

Sisters: self-care isn’t selfish. When we women slow down and attune to our bodies (and the cycles of nature), we become more vital, creative,
and powerful.

If you’re longing to give more, do more, be more, please join me for a very special 3-hour self-care mini-retreat for women!

Together, we’ll create a sacred container for quiet contemplation and creative group practices. Nourish yourself with women’s yoga, insight
meditation, seasonal self-care secrets, intuitive journaling, and more. It’s all based on The Way of the Happy Woman
(www.wayofthehappywoman.com ): Sara Avant Stover’s acclaimed book, practice collection, and global community.

It’s happening right here in Winnipeg, on October 3, 2015. 

And when you register by September 11, 2015, there’s a sweet discount.

Click here for details & registration. I hope to see you there!

I am away on holidays this week so I decided to share an old newsletter with you for this month.
It’s one of my favorites and it’s just as applicable today as it was when I first shared it.  Enjoy!

I love having my breakfast outside on a warm, sunny summer morning.  The fresh, sweet air, the birds twittering away in the trees and the warmth of the sun all combine to make a truly joyful start to my day. 

I realized several years ago that if I wanted joy in my life I had to create the conditions for it to show up.  There are two conditions that I know are necessary to help joy show up in your life – play dates and hammock time! 

I once heard a comedian complaining about having to arrange play dates for his children.  He thought it was ridiculous that play had to be arranged.  I don’t really have an opinion either way about play dates for children but I think it’s a brilliant idea for adults!  When you don’t play it’s hard to know that is joyful for you which means that you will often default to work or chores to fill your time. Scheduling time for playful activities seems like the perfect solution for creating conditions for joy!  Let’s get started, shall we?

• Schedule time once a week for your play date.  Once a week is important – this can’t be  an “every once in a while” activity.  If you want to develop a consistent connection to your joy, you need to develop consistent habits and actions.
  
  
• Choose activities and plan field trips that will make you feel light, energized and connected to your joy.  Have some play dates just with yourself and some with really good friends or family members who understand that this is a fun outing, not an opportunity to whine, complain or have you take care of them!
  
  
• Protect this time as fiercely as a mother bear protects her cub.  DO NOT allow this time to be rescheduled, infringed upon or otherwise interfered with and do not let other daily tasks creep in (ie: “oh, I’ll just stop and pick up a few groceries on my way to my date…”)

The second condition I mentioned was hammock time.  What happens when you lie in a hammock? Very little!!  You might read or maybe you can do some writing or check your emails but mostly a hammock is about relaxing, napping and day dreaming.  Slowing down is the point of hammock time.  In order for joy to show up, it needs the conditions of peace and quiet which allow you to truly feel it when it arises.  Here are your basic steps for hammock time:

• Find something that you can use to have a few moments to yourself – a hammock, a deck chair, a picnic blanket, a beach towel or even a favorite shirt or funky hat.  The idea is to have a visual clue for everyone (including you) that indicates that you are taking some time for yourself and that no one is to disturb you.
  
  
• Discuss with your family, friends, roommates, coworkers (anyone who may be affected by your hammock time) that this is your time to take a break and that when they see you in the hammock, deck chair, funky hat, etc, that they must be very quiet around you and under no circumstances, other than fire or profuse bleeding, are they allowed to come near you. Wondering what’s for supper is not an acceptable reason to interrupt hammock time!
  
  
• Make space for hammock time every day.  Do it for as long or as short a time as you want but I recommend a minimum of 15 minutes.
  
  
• Leave the distractions behind – no emails, text, music, books, phone calls, etc.  This is your time to listen to yourself and be open to what your heart wants to tell you.  Give yourself the gift of a distraction free zone.  It may feel uncomfortable at first but trust me; you’ll come to find it the most delicious time of your day!

Creating a balanced life requires a combination of taking action and resting/receiving. These are also the requirements for connecting to your joy and summer is a great time to get started.  I would love to hear about some of your play dates.  Post them on my blog if you want to share – that way you’ll be more likely to schedule them and others will be inspired to schedule their own!
Enjoy!

Love,

I gazed at the chocolate in its beautiful wrapping.  I noticed the colors, the shape and the twisted ends of the wrapping and my mouth start to water in anticipation of what was to come. Next I slowly unwrapped it, listening to the sound of the crinkling cellophane under my touch. The rich, flavorful aroma of dark chocolate drifted up to my nose.  I inhaled deeply, my mouth watering even more as I examined the color and shape of the exposed chocolate.  By now it was all I could to keep from drooling as I lifted the chocolate to my mouth and took a small bite. Instantly flavor exploded in my mouth – the sweet creaminess of the filling contrasting with the hard outer layer.  I let the chocolate melt on my tongue, savoring the complex combination of bitter and sweet, soft and hard.  Ahhhh….pleasure….

Before you run out of the room in search of chocolate….let me tell you why I am sharing this story.  I was leading a meditation using the senses to help anchor us into the present moment. Being present to and focused on the physical senses deepens our experience of every moment. It also gives you the opportunity to experience joy and pleasure.  I believe one of the main reasons we have these physical senses is so that we can enjoy our lives more deeply. Unfortunately, when you have laundry to do, groceries to buy, meals to make, reports to finish, science projects to “help” with, people to supervise, bodies to chauffeur, spanx to get into…there’s not much space for being present to anything. 

Our physical senses are the perfect way to embody pleasure.  Sight, touch, taste, smell, sound – our senses are a gift and it’s time we opened that gift fully.  This month, as we head into the energy of summer, make a choice to deepen your senses.  Each day pick one sense and explore it all day.  Taste all the flavors of the food you are eating, deeply inhale a fresh or beautiful scent, feel the silkiness of the blouse you are wearing, appreciate the greening of the trees or the smile on a stranger’s face.  The more you are present to these little experiences the more joy and pleasure you will experience each day. 

As I write this newsletter, the note on my calendar says “The more you enjoy, the richer you become.”  Here’s to embodying pleasure and becoming richer this month!  (now you can go and find some chocolate!)

Registration is open!

It gives me so much pleasure to offer a Way of the Happy Woman® Summer mini retreat.  These retreats are like a delicious cool treat on a hot summer day!  Here’s what women are saying about these retreats:

“It was a powerful experience taking the day to retreat from the business of life. I left feeling relaxed from the yoga, rejuvenated from the meditation and really connected to my inner voice.”  – Bev

“I learned that every minute or second doesn’t have to be filled. It’s ok to have time for pausing, waiting, resting, and absorbing.  I did more yoga than I ever have before and felt comfortable in that environment. It was ok if I couldn’t do everything or if I got shaky at times. I went further than I ever have and will try more now. Thank you for providing a calm safe place for women to be open and share and stretch together.” – Liz Peetsma

“I relearned the importance of taking care of myself and also the benefits of journaling.  I really enjoyed it, I found Deb to be very respectful, thoughtful and well-organized! It helped me get in touch with myself, my needs and with springtime.” – Suzanne

Registration is now open for my summer retreat and Summer is  all about playfulness, lush fulfillment and celebration!  Doesn’t that sound yummy?!  Please join me and treat yourself to a morning of pleasure!

Prairie Roots Winnipeg
Saturday July 11, 2015
Early Registration Date: June 19, 2015

And when you register by the Early Registration Date, there’s a sweet discount.
Click here for details & registration. I hope to see you there!

Two years ago yesterday (April 29) I was officially diagnosed with breast cancer. It was a rough day.

It was a day I will probably never forget.  It was a day that started me on one of the most challenging and rewarding journeys of my life. 

You read that correctly.  Going through cancer has been deeply rewarding and I am incredibly grateful to have had the experience.  I certainly didn’t feel this way at first or during the times I had doctors and nurses (and other people) telling me to do things I didn’t want to do or when I was in pain or when my skin was peeling off… but now that I have some distance I can see how every experience was helping me to grow.

It has taken hours, days…months of deep, personal work to be able to come to a place of gratitude for having cancer.  This is not something that I am saying lightly.  I know that many people see cancer differently and have had a very different experience from mine.  I am just saying that I have come to a place of peace with it.  I am grateful, regardless of how things turn out in the end.

Today I want to express my gratitude for this experience, for all the people who have stood by me and for the fact that I am alive and well today.  I also want to announce that I am starting something new on my Facebook page – www.facebook.com/GetItDunnJoyfully.  Thursdays are now officially to be known as Thankful Thursdays at the Get It Dunn headquarters!  Each Thursday I am going to post something I am grateful for and invite you to share something that you are grateful for.  The more we can find something to be grateful for, the more we will be in our hearts.  The more we can be in our hearts the more love we can have for ourselves and others.  So please help me share the love!  Let’s make social media a place of gratitude, love and joy!  What are you grateful for today?

Love,

P.S.  One of the reasons I have been able to be grateful for my cancer is because of my daily spiritual practices.  These practices have helped me to stay calm, release tension, stress and fear and to listen deeply to my own inner wisdom.  Being able to rely on my inner wisdom and strength has made many a rough day easier.  I teach some of these practices in my Way of the Happy Woman® mini retreats so if you would like to learn how to be at peace with the challenges in your life please join me for my next retreat – Saturday May 23^rd.  The early deadline is on May 1^st (tomorrow) and we only have 4 spots left so if you feel called to find more peace in your life, click here to get more information and to reserve your spot.  I would be grateful to have the joy of spending the afternoon with you!

Winnipeg, Manitoba (only 4 spots left)
Saturday May 23, 2015
Early Registration Date: May 1, 2015

And when you register by the Early Registration Date, there’s a sweet discount.
Click here for details & registration. I hope to see you there!

Follow Deb:

Yoga is another one of my regular practices that keep me healthy and balanced.
Why don’t you join me for a class?

Yoga
Rest and Review – Mondays 7:30 – 9:00
Beginner Basic Alignment – Wednesdays 9:00  – 10:00 am
Yin – Wednesdays 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Source Yoga Studios, 2567 Pembina Highway

Social Media
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/GetItDunnJoyfully
Twitter: @debdawsondunn

A few weeks ago I attended a silent meditation retreat.  I spent 5
days with 14 strangers, meditating, eating and learning in silence.
We were able to talk during teaching sessions if we had questions
and for an hour after lunch but the rest of the time there was no
talking.  We relinquished our technology – no computers, phones,
pads, tablets, notebooks, ghetto blasters….and no contact with
the outside world.

It was blissful….

…for about half a day.

Then it got hard and tedious and I found myself craving a distraction
from the silence and the seemingly endless sitting (it was a mediation
retreat, Deb.  What did you think you would be doing…zumba?).  

What I want you to know about retreats like this is that you will come
out the other side feeling way better than when you started.  It might
get a bit rough and uncomfortable in the middle but you will develop
a deeper connection with yourself and a deeper sense of calm and
peace.  

Because I was feeling so calm and centered by the end of the retreat
I wanted to recreate a piece of this feeling at home.  I suggested to
my sweetie that we try having Silent Sundays – meaning that we stay
away from all of our technology for the day.  He was game to try and
we have had 3 Sundays so far with pretty good success…except that
I have been getting more and more uncomfortable with this digital
detox.  When I took a closer look at why I was feeling this way I
realized that it is not because I am disconnected from my friends,
family or what is going on in the world, it’s because I can no longer
rely on the technology to make me look like and feel like I am being
productive.  

Yep – there’s the ugly truth!  I have equated being productive with
being on my computer or checking my phone.  I don’t get that many
emails in a day or a week for that matter yet I can spend hours with
my lap top checking for new emails, reading unimportant emails (the
kind that usually tell me how I am not enough and I need to try their
3 step system for success) or wandering around Facebook.  I came to
the realization that this mindless use of technology was giving me
the false feeling that I was doing something productive.  I was doing
something, there’s no question, but it was rarely productive.  What is
even more disconcerting is that I work by myself the majority of the
time so I don’t know who I was trying to impress with my “productivity”
– just more evidence of my being unconscious about my actions and
daily activities.  

Are you blocking yourself with unconscious habits?  Do you search out
distractions or fill your time with mindless or mundane activities in order
to feel like you are doing something?  Or maybe you do these activities
to avoid what really needs attention.  Are you ready to stop or at least
take a look at what might be in your way?  

When you step away from your usual routines and your unconscious
habits you can often get insight into the behaviors and blocks that are
keeping you from having the kind of life you really crave.  Try
unplugging for a few hours on a weekend or turn the TV off one night a
week or give up any one of your usual distractions and see what you
notice.  What in your life really needs your attention?  What is ready
and wanting to come alive in you?  I would love to hear about what
you discover when you take some time away from the distractions!
Leave your comments on the blog or share your thoughts on my
Facebook page (that will be time well spent with technology!!).

Love,

Want to step away from your daily distractions but not sure how to do it?  Consider
joining me for one of my mini retreats.  They are short, powerful, deeply nourishing
and will help you redefine what it means to be productive!

Please join me for …

The Way of the Happy Woman Spring Self-Care Mini-Retreat!

When we women slow down and attune to our bodies (and the cycles of nature),
we become more vital, creative, and powerful.

If you’re longing to give more, do more, be more, please join me for a very
special half-day self-care mini-retreat for women! 

Together, we’ll create a sacred container for quiet contemplation and creative
group practices. Nourish yourself with women’s yoga, insight meditation,
seasonal self-care secrets, intuitive journaling, and more. It’s all based on The
Way of the Happy Woman (www.wayofthehappywoman.com ): Sara Avant Stover’s
acclaimed book, practice collection, and global community.

It’s happening in two locations:

Steinbach, Manitoba (only 3 spots left)
Saturday April 18, 2015
Register By: April 17, 2015

AND/OR

Winnipeg, Manitoba (only 7 spots left)
Saturday May 23, 2015
Early Registration Date: May 1, 2015

And when you register by the Early Registration Date, there’s a sweet discount.
Click here for details & registration. I hope to see you there!

Follow Deb:

Another way to step away from the distractions is to join me for some yoga!

Yoga
Mondays 7:30 – 9:00 Rest and Renew
Wednesdays 11:00 am – 12:00 Yin
Source Yoga Studios, 2567 Pembina Highway

Social Media
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Twitter: @debdawsondunn