Archive for the ‘Tips and hints’ Category

Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and Cinderella
have taken a back seat to Luke Skywalker!

My four year old granddaughter, Aliya,
is asking for a white shirt and black
trousers to replace the fluffy, extravagant
gowns of story book royalty.

Although she has never seen the movie,  
“Star Wars”, this young Jedi is captivated
by the epic saga being told by
her elders.  

Rather than playing the wicked witch,
or the jealous queen, from the
fairy tales, Aliya is using fantasy
and make-believe to reconcile the
same struggles between good and evil.

The inner voice, the one that
Obi-Wan Kenobi represents in “Star Wars”,
is clear and brilliant for all of us.  
When you learn to love yourself, you develop
the courage to know what is right and what
is in your best interest.

Listen to the soft voice that comes from your
heart. Have faith and a commitment to
begin to tame any self doubting statements,
negative thoughts or self criticisms.

Know that your are loved and self love
is the highest force in the universe.  

We are all brave Jedi Knights in this human
adventure. Now, go forth and delight in life.

“May the Force be with YOU”

Gena

P.S.  In my book  “Love Your Slim Self” you’ll find
ideas that were inspired by “Yoda”, the Jedi Master
in “Star Wars”.
Take a look:
http://lysscentral.com

Pass along “THE FORCE” and send teachers and educators to:
http://loveyoursignificantself.com

The lovely yoga instructor directed
us to relax on our mat in a comfortable
and easy position.  

She caught me by surprise when she said,  
“allow yourself to take up as much space
as you would like.”  

Her words triggered an expansion of
possibility in my mind.  

Did she intend for me to sprawl out on
the mat or was her instruction meant
to magnify my inner self by taking up
more space?

The challenging action was to focus
on an internal expansion of myself.  
As I began to mentally take up more
space, I had the feeling of confidence,
connection, hopefulness, security and
even optimism.  

The impulse to smile came without warning
and I melted away any doubt that my lovely
self was the most important person in the
moment.

Let the yoga mat remind you of your own
significance and how precious you are.

Your  ability to take up space in the
world is a birth right. You are encouraged
to let your light shine.

Enjoy the sense of connection with your
body and love yourself into becoming
your own best friend.

Smiles,
Gena

P.S.  You can get my book “Love Your Slim Self”
at  http://lysscentral.com

It’s 89 degrees outside and I am
making a blueberry rhubarb pie!

One of my favorite things to do,
when I have a little time to fuss
in the kitchen, is to make a pie.

There was a moment that I thought
I must be crazy to bake in such heat,
but my attention was captivated by
what my hands were doing.

Without any prompting, the appendages
of digits on my forelimbs, had a
mind of their own.

I watched with amazement as my hands
wandered in and out of the flour
container measuring and sifting
the ingredients to prepare the
pie crust.  

The  memory of shape and thickness
came naturally as my hands grabbed the
rolling pin and began flattening
the dough.  They knew exactly when
to stop rolling.  

A moment of tender reflection
twinkled in my mind, as I remembered
my mother’s love of baking pies.

Take time to stop and watch the
actions of your own hands. Perhaps
you can pay attention when you are
driving, typing on the computer,
gardening, knitting, cooking,
brushing your teeth, eating dinner
or getting dressed.

Smile at your hands and say out loud,
“thank you”.  Offer this gesture
of gratitude to your hands for all
they do for you.

Loving your hands is a simple
and honest way to connect to your
body.  Loving yourself is the
beginning of connecting to your joy.

Enjoy the pie!
Smiles, gena

p.s. Please pass along to friends and family:

My website for fr*ee downloads:  http://lysscentral.com

Your health and well Being:  http://love.reliv.com

What does Horse Training have to do
with loving yourself?

On a sunny afternoon, I had a
delightful opportunity to
visit Claire and Mystery, two
beautiful horses. They were
charming, majestic and very
well behaved.

But horse training????
How can that possibly help us
love ourselves.

The Parelli Method of Natural
Horsemanship is a way to have
fun with horses and achieve
amazing results.

The basic philosophy is that there
really are no problems, just solutions
waiting to happen.

The first principal is that
HORSES are fine just the way
they are.

The next consideration is that
the only training aids are love,
language and leadership in
equal amounts.

Simply stated it is relationship,
communication and trustworthiness
that makes the difference.

I was able to capture the strength
and beauty of Mystery on video.

Think about your journey to training
yourself towards self love.

Check YouTube Love Your Slim Self or try the link

http://www.youtube.com/user/LoveYourSlimSelf#p/a/u/0/ex5ii6wMnOE

Are you just fine, the way you are?
Are you cultivating love and positive
inner self talk as you lead yourself towards
a happier and a more joyous life?

Consider the relationship you are cultivating
with yourself. You are precious and your effort
to fall in love with yourself is the foundation
for personal health, happiness and well being.

Be well and stay that way,
Gena

LULU.com has a summer offer for my book follow the link:
http://bit.ly/dvzX6z

While I was up too late, working on
the computer, a horrifying  rain
storm blew through the area
around midnight.

In less than an hour, trees and
power lines dropped like leaves
falling to the ground.  When the
lights went out and the computer
sounded off, I was sure it Kansas,
in the middle of Dorothy’s
tornado.

Destruction happened quickly and
without warning.  There was a
whirlwind of debris all over the
neighborhood.

In the morning light and the calm of
the next day, we were able to
assess the damage and put things
back in balance.

In the wake of the fury, we could only
wait for the storm to pass before we
could make things right.  

Have you had the experience of an
emotional storm rise inside you,
without warning, and throw you off
center?

In that emotional fury, did you
choose to express the energy as an
angry outburst,a disappointing encounter,
an irritating look, a frustrating
conversation, an annoying attitude
or even a violent attack?

If you wait for the storm to pass, just
wait it out, the emotional energy will
move THROUGH you rather than USING
you to do damage to those
you love and cherish.

Practice being your own best friend and
wait with yourself until the tempest moves on.

Linger in a place of patience, compassion,
love, gratitude and forgiveness.  The energy
will calm, your thinking will clear, your attitude
will become kind, your heart will open and you
will make a different choice of behavior.  

There will be no mess to clean up in the morning.

Practice the self love you are learning and
remember to be your own best friend.

Be well and stay that way,
Gena

P.S.  Please pass along the websites
for learning to love your precious self
http://lysscentral.com

P.P.S. and for your health and well being
http://love.reliv.com

When you see yourself in the mirror,
are you willing to talk to yourself,
out loud?

When you actually look at your reflection,
have you ever just smiled and winked at the
face looking back?

What thoughts run through your mind?
Are you willing to be the one to give
yourself the pep talk rather than waiting
for others to do it for you?

Take a look at Jessica and her enthusiasm
for demonstrating what being in love
with yourself LOOKS like. We are always
in a state of remembering the skills of
“Excellent Self Care”!

After watching the video, notice the smile
on your face. You are beginning to
understand what being your own
best friend actually FEELS like.

In less than 50 seconds,
Jessica gives us all hope!

Click on the link or google
Jessica’s “Daily Affirmation”
and enjoy!

Smiles,
Gena

p.s. I am presenting a class called
Mindfulness Based Relapse Prevention,
let me know if you, or someone you love,
would like more information.

This past fall, while visiting my granddaughters in Budapest, Hungary, we spent an afternoon planting tulip bulbs randomly in the front yard.

As we dug all the holes in the ground, we talked about the beautiful flowers that were waiting inside those tiny little ugly tulip bulbs.

It is the end of March and I am back in Budapest for the third time visiting my grandchildren.

Yesterday, the girls and I were very excited to find that the tulips were beginning to push up through the earth.

There is glorious perfection and magnificent preciousness in a blooming tulip. The requirements are simple: earth, sun, rain and patience.

Are you continuing to plant the bulbs of confidence, acceptance and positive self talk? Those bulbs of encouraging self esteem have everything you need to be happy.

This is the season for you to witness your own preciousness that has been waiting to bloom.

Loving yourself, right now, in the present moment, is the sun and rain and rich earth that nourishes your true self and fosters faith in your success.

If the tulips can do it…so can you!

Smiles, gena

P.S. Pass this along and Save the date: April 12, 2010 7:30pm

I will be at Pazzo’s Restaurant in Springfield with Sheila Magalhaes from HeartSong Yoga. Join us for an evening of inspiration and well-being! http://www.lysscentral.com

Mornings can sometimes be a challenge. But starting the day off on a positive note is always helpful.

Loving yourself can begin with an encouraging and confident thought. Look in the mirror, and no matter what you look like, SMILE and say: “I am terrific and I am going to have an awesome day”.

Most of us have certain habits that help make the day run smoothly. Habits are just that, habits. You decide if they are positive or negative and what works best for your health, well being and welfare.

About ten years ago I decided to begin using an electric tooth brush because I wanted to have routines that were easy and effortless.

I love my electric tooth brush and it has served me well. My dentist has even commented on the improvement in my oral health.

Recently, I acquired a new tooth brush that keeps track of the brushing time. When I brush for two minutes or more…(which is a very good habit), there is a little smiley face appearing on the screen in the middle of the tooth brush.

I find myself checking to make sure the tiny happy face shows up as a reminder for doing a good job.

The mirror smile and the tooth brush smile help me start the day off with a positive and enthusiastic attitude. And in the evening, I find the reinforcement of that little smiley face inspiring and supportive.

If you are having a hard time smiling at yourself in the mirror; get yourself a tooth brush that will.

Smiles, gena

p.s. Let me know what makes you smile in the morning!

p.p.s. Pass along this little coaching email to help your friends and family learn more about what it means to become your own best friend. Send them to: http://www.lysscentral.com

The saying, “Pull yourself up by your
bootstraps”, has been around for decades.
No one really knows where it came from
or who said it.

It’s origin is not important. The
meaning is very profound: “improve your
own situation without any help from others”.

I have been using the straps on my red cowboy
boots to pull them on each morning and it occurred
to me that I could just as easily pull myself “UP”.

Having a positive attitude and feeling grateful is
totally my responsibility and when I intend to make
that happen my day runs smoothly.

I have gotten in the habit of pulling my boots
on and sauntering out to meet the day with a
smile on my face.

How do you pull yourself up by your bootstraps.
Straps are really crafty little handles to make
the task of improving your attitude much easier.

Loving yourself is at the core of your
intention to become your own best friend.
No matter how difficult the situation,
you are the coach. Encourage yourself to
take a deep breath, plant a smile on your
face, dust yourself off and start all over again.

Be well and stay that way,
Gena

p.s. Join me on Monday Feb 22, 2010
HeartSong Yoga in East Longmeadow, MA
7:30-9:00pm
Workshop and Booksigning
“Love Your Slim Self”

http://www.lysscentral.com

http://www.heartsongyoga.com

Proceeds to benefit the Haiti Relief Fund

Spending time with my new grandson,
Mason, was an absolute treat. At three
months old, he is eager to smile
and engage in story telling.

His cheeks are chubby and his breath
is sweet. I can’t help but laugh softly
when his eyes sparkle with enthusiasm
for the connection between us.

When you want to be reminded of your own
preciousness, find a baby to love. That
little infant will remind you of exactly
what you have forgotten.

Babies are pure joy and Mason knows that
he is precious, cherished and perfect.
Even when he is having a rough time being
hungry or tired or wet, there is no doubt
in his mind that all will be well.

When was the last time you looked
at a picture of yourself as a baby?

Our life long journey is just to
remember….to simply remember our
own preciousness and the inner joy
that is our birth-right.

Think of yourself as an infant or find
a baby picture of yourself. Sit with
the memory for a while and imagine being
loved.

You might experience some tender emotions
for your initial innocence as a baby.
Allow the feelings to pass through you.
Trust that you are beginning to acknowledge
how beloved you truly are, and that all
will be well.

By spending time getting to know yourself,
you are learning new ways to practice
loving yourself unconditionally.

Love your cute little baby self, right now!

Smiles, Gena

P.S.
Join us at:
HeartSong Yoga Studio
264 North Main Street
East Longmeadow, MA
Book signing and Workshop
“Love Your Slim Self”
Feb 22, 2010
7:30-9:00pm
413-626-6528

http://www.lysscentral.com