Our bio-energy field is susceptible to the thoughts and feelings of the people around us. Have you ever had the experience of suddenly feeling anxious and you don’t know why? If may not be your energy. You may be detecting and responding to the energy from someone else. It could be the person who just walked past you in the grocery store aisle or your server in a restaurant or a coworker. In their 2022 survey “Stress in America,” the American Psychological Association (APA) reported that 27% of adults reported feeling too stressed to function on most days. They were having difficulty concentrating and making decisions. The rate was significantly higher, 46%, for adults under the age of 35. APA Stress in America Given that nearly 30% of us feel too stressed to function on most days, that’s a lot of anxiety being broadcast into the collective field. In this video I guide you in a 6-minute meditation to energetically shield yourself. Use this meditation to prepare yourself before going into a situation where you will be around other people - such as work, school, or a store.

It’s that time of year again. The school year is restarting for students everywhere. Going back to school must have been an emotional time for me. All these decades later I still feel that cocktail of anticipation (new classes, supplies, and clothes) dread (will the other kids in my class be nice to me?), and loss (summer is over...waah). Over the next few weeks I will be posting health and wellness tips for students starting with the Afterschool Energy Reset. I designed this 10-minute guided meditation practice for teens to clear excess energy from school in preparation for whatever comes next in the student’s day. Techniques in this video include: Healing Head Hold Adapted from Terrence Bennett’s Touch for Health Neuro/Vascular Points Calming Hug by Ron Ruden, Ph.D. Soothing Butterfly Hug originated and developed by Lucina Artigas For more energy soothing techniques visit the Peaceful Heart Network or the Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology (ACEP) Resources for Resilience.

There is a reason that humans have meditated for thousands of years. Personally, I receive profound insights and creative inspiration during a meditative state. Achieving quiet stillness requires intentional effort and consistent practice. If you are new to meditation, or if you gave up on it in the past because sitting was too difficult, then this video is for you. I designed this short sit to help you begin to cultivate the skills that can lead to a deeply fulfilling experience. This guided meditation for beginners is about 5 minutes long including introductory instructions. I hope you enjoy it. Let me know how it goes.

Try this EASY superfoods salad recipe of kale, quinoa, and blueberries! Kale has calcium, iron, vitamins A, B6, C and K, and antioxidants. The Mayo Clinic considers kale a superfood that supports the immune system, regulates blood pressure, and potentially reduces the risk of cancer. Plus, 1 cup of kale has only 20 calories. Kale is also a great source of fiber. But all that fiber means that you need to give your digestive system a little help if you are eating kale raw. Salt and massage helps to break down the fibrousness. Quinoa is a gluten free ancient grain. Like kale it is low in calories and a good source of fiber, B6, and iron. It is also packed with protein, vitamins B1 and B2, plus a host of minerals like folate and magnesium. Quinoa is one of the few plant-based foods that have all 9 essential amino acids. According to the Cleveland Clinic quinoa has been shown lower the risk of diabetes in people with pre diabetes. When you are ready to assemble your salad, make a light dressing - 2T EVOO, 2T white wine vinegar, and 1T maple syrup. Add the quinoa to the kale. I use about half of the quinoa. I’ll show you want to do with the other half in a sec. Add fresh fruit. Toss gently. Plate and top with pumpkin seeds. So for the rest of the quinoa, I usually combine it with roasted veggies such as broccoli, carrots, or cauliflower. I have also used quinoa in a chili like concoction. Here I added beans, a can of Rotel tomatoes with chilis, and shredded spinach. I would have added sweet peppers and black beans but I didn’t have any on hand. The whole mess is spooned over cheesy vegan polenta and topped with plant-based sour cream.

Did you know I am writing a book? The working title is, “Intend Well: Build the Skills to Transform Your Life in 10 Weeks.” In this video I read from Chapter 4, Our Flashlight of Focus. This is still a work in progress and your feedback is appreciated! Leave me a comment or drop me an email at IntendWellLLC@gmail.com. Our minds are like a flashlight beam—focusing on one thing, and then another. Quantum physics teaches that everything is energy including our attention. Whatever is illuminated in the beam of our flashlight of focus, receives some of our energy. Consider how children, pets, and other people respond when we direct our attention towards them. Recall how it feels when someone pays attention to you. The quality of our energy / attention / focus matters. Energy vibrates at a frequency that is measured in hertz (Hz). How does it feel when your pet gazes at you with unconditional love? Love is a high-vibe emotion. How does it feel when the boss is angry because you made a mistake at work? No one wants to be the the beam of low-vibe emotion. The direction of our beam matters, too. Where we direct our attention effects how we feel. Old perfectionist me tended to focus my mental flashlight on the gaps between how things were and how I thought they should be. As I shifted my focus I noticed that the house needed cleaning. I needed to lose weight. I should have done a better job with that thing at work. When I say to myself, “I need to lose weight,” I am sending myself low-vibe energy. Often I would direct the beam internally—replaying irritating conversations over and over in my mind. Or imaging confrontations that hadn’t even happened yet - and maybe never would. Because I kept my attention zeroed in on the gaps, I felt anxious and annoyed most of the time. As you move through the rest of your day, notice (without judgement) where your flashlight is pointing and how it makes you feel. How illuminating it was to realize that I was holding the flashlight! I could control the direction of my focus. Old me was too obsessed with the gaps to notice my life was also filled with gifts. With a shift of focus, new me is bombarded with awareness of the simple pleasures in every moment—the aroma of a steaming cup of coffee, the softness of a cozy sweater, the pleasing sensations of a full belly, a text from a friend, warm sun on my skin. As soon as my awareness settles on a gap, I redirect my beam toward a gift. Perhaps the most often repeated self-help advice is to cultivate ‘an attitude of gratitude.’ But what does that even mean? I used to think it meant expressing thanks for the ‘big’ stuff. I am grateful for my health. I am grateful for my family. I am grateful for…yada yada yada… That addresses the gratitude part but what about attitude? Creating a mental list of our blessings takes a few minutes at most. Our attitude emerges from how we think and feel most of the time. Where we direct our flashlight of focus shapes our attitude. Everything that we touch in our daily activities is not available to someone—safe drinking water, indoor plumbing, nourishing food, self-help books…the list is endless. Now when I open my eyes in the morning, I take a moment to shine my focus around the room starting with my bed. I consider all the refugees fleeing violence and the unhoused sleeping in tents so I really mean it when I think, “Thank you for this comfortable bed. I am happy to be in a place where I feel safe and secure.” I send love to the roof over my head and the system that keeps my bedroom cool in the summer and warm in winter. My fondness for indoor plumbing is deep and abiding regardless of the season. How lucky we are! Even doing laundry can be pleasurable when we remember that some people do not have access to clean clothes. Reminding ourselves of the wonderful aspects of our life builds resilience. As we radiate high-vibe emotions, our ANS switches to parasympathetic mode. We reap all the health benefits associated with Rest, Digest, and Heal. Just as plants need sunlight to grow, our flashlight of focus nourishes our life experience. Direct the beam toward your gifts and watch them expand and multiply. Ignore the gaps and they will wither in the darkness. Take a moment to look around at your surroundings. Right now, in this moment, what lights your gratitude fire? Never miss a video by entering your email address at IntendWell.US. Every Friday I will email you a link to my videos for the week PLUS a special video just for email subscribers. For a limited time, receive a free copy of my “Quick to Calm” guide when you join my email list. I promise not to flood your inbox or sell your email address. You may unsubscribe at any time.

A creative way to improve focus and increase memory retention We all know about the health benefits of meditating. But many people find sitting still boring at best and downright impossible at times. Doodling a design that coordinates eye / hand movements in repetitious movement stimulates the relaxation response. Our brain quiets. It enter a meditative state where healing happens. “Doodle Your Way to Better Mental Health” Doodling improves focus. Studies show that people who doodled while listening to a lecture remembered more the the information than people who didn’t. "The Thinking Benefits of Doodling" In this video, I show you how to draw one of my favorite doodles. It looks complicated but it's super simple once you know the secret. Drawing straight lines freehand encourages our brain and body to slow down and pay attention. It's a way to enjoy the health benefits of meditation without sitting motionless on a cushion. Enjoy!

Do you ever feel so frustrated you could just burst? In this video I guide you in a technique to release pent up energy and restore your inner peace. Safety first. If you get lightheaded, stop immediately and sit down. Choose a location with plenty of space around you. Stand with your feet hips-width distance apart. Soften your knees. The breathing pace is 3 inhales through your nose and then a big exhale through your mouth. Swing your arms forward, to the side, then over your head as you inhale through your nose. Then drop your arms to your side as you blow all the air out your mouth. After 10 rounds, stay down for a few seconds before slowly standing. How do you feel? Do another round if you have more energy to release. I would love to hear how this technique works for you.

Why do particular treatments work for some people but not others? What is the defining difference between those who emerge stronger and those who are still searching in the shadows? What is the source of healing? Is it science, divine intervention, or perhaps a combination of the two? How might our personal beliefs influence our healing? If you or a loved one is grappling with a chronic health challenge, grab your journal and dive into this week's prompt. Explore the essence of well-being and the road to healing.