Video Blog: Helpful Tip for Staying Present

Hello again, friends,

The next entry in my video blog series is here.

It offers a technique I use to bring myself back to the present moment so I can be HERE instead of THERE - and feel more peaceful inside myself when I do.

I hope you find it helpful!


Awakened Living with Jan Lundy: A Helpful Hint for Living in the Present Moment from Jan Lundy on Vimeo.

__________________________________________________________________

Unique Growth Opportunities for You. Online, but intimate!

I'm a practical Chick and I'm passionate about finding and sharing what works—

what brings us peace or joy; profound love or enhanced health.

I want to know the practices and possess the tools that will create the life I desire for myself.

Do you?

Consider any of these life-altering programs—from a 90-minute course to a year-long Sacred Journey with personal support from me.

Programs for Healing and Hope

Programs for Peace of Body and Mind

Programs for Life Transformation within Sacred Community

 

All online, a gentle "go at your own pace," get support as you need it programs. What could be better?

Oh, did I mention, budget-minded?

Always a good thing in a downturned economy. Our personal growth need not be expensive or suffer in tough times.

With metta (lovingkindness) for you and all beings,

Jan

"I am beginning to love myself again. 

I've been given tools and resources to live a more calm, kind, and mindful life. 
Thank you, Jan!"

C.B. Minnesota, 

Getting Calm, Clear and Wise—At Work!

As we head back to work after a long holiday weekend, it may feel challenging to return to a routine and responsibilities, even our co-workers or boss. Is it possible to carry our inner peace, clarity and wisdom with us as we go? Is it possible to root it there, despite challenging circumstances or office drama?

I wanted to share a column I recently wrote for a women's magazine. I'll hope that it will offer you some ideas for how you can stay serene and productive, 9-5, Monday through Friday.

Drive thy business or it will drive thee.
~Benjamin Franklin

This thought by one of our wise forefathers poses a powerful question for working women today. I’ll re-state it for us in modern terms. Whether you work inside the home or out in the wider world, consider this: Is your “business” driving you or are you driving it?

I imagine that many of us would hesitate to admit that our place of business—our work environments and the people who inhabit them—do drive us. But it’s true. It is far too easy to be drawn into work pressures, stressors, and co-workers’ moods. Sucked into “office drama,” we lose any sense of equanimity with which we may have started the day.

Whether your “office” is a battered desk in your children’s playroom (my first!) or a cherry-trimmed beauty with a riverfront view—the stressors are the same. No matter where we find ourselves, it is up to each of us to create moments of calm throughout our day so we can function effectively.

Office Oasis
Instead of arriving at your desk or office each day dreading what will greet you, create mini-spaces that help you focus or shift your attention from stressed to serene. Dedicate a corner of your desk, a section of bulletin board, or a space on a bookshelf and create a “portrait of peace.” Place objects or pictures there that calm and center you. People you love, places you visited, even sacred objects that have special meaning for you or bring comfort. At various intervals throughout the day, close your door, turn off the phone, close the laptop, and sink into a few moments of peace by focusing on your “sacred space.”

Human beings think in pictures so by focusing our attention on images that create feelings of love, awe, or appreciation we nurture ourselves with a few visually serene moments. Consider them “mini-vacations,” forays away from the pressures of work to places of ease inside of you. 

Use this time to do some conscious breathing too. So easy and effective! Simply bring your attention to your breath. Focus on “belly breathing” and inhale to the count of 6 or 8. Exhale to the count of 8 or 10. Feel the relief. Do this for as long as you need to “drop in” to a calmer version of yourself.

When workplace tension arises or a disgruntled co-worker comes into your space to kvetch, bring your attention back to your “portraits of peace” and do your breath practice. No one will even know what you’re doing; how you are creating a pipeline to inner calm—even in the midst of chaos.

Cultivate Clarity
It’s been said thousands of times before, hundreds of books written on it— a cluttered desk, office, or house creates inner turmoil. It’s true. I know it is for me. I cannot write (even a column like this) if there is disarray around me. It is as if my mind picks up the exterior mess and dumps it back inside creating an inner landfill.

Before you begin your workday, clear and organize your desk as best you can. Even if what’s there is in piles, that’s better than loose-leaf papers strewn all over. Organize the desktop on your computer. A monitor screen cluttered with documents can set the mind awhirl. By taking a few moments each day to stay organized, you set the stage for clearer thinking. The calmer you are the clearer your mind will be. That’s a fact.

As “working women,” with multiple roles and responsibilities, it is up to us to be as calm as possible—and to access it as often as we can throughout the day. Our homes and businesses need us to be “grounded” and clear thinking. Their success depends on our ability to be present, not scattered; effective, not exhausted.

Know what simple activities plant you back in your calm center—then do them! Step away if you need to. Take a music break. Go outside and breathe in Mother Nature. Walk on your lunch hour. Your inner peace quotient is up to you. It will rise and fall with every choice you make.

I once asked Jungian analyst and author, Clarissa Pinkola Estes, in an interview what wisdom was. Her answer? “Wisdom is what works.”  I was taken aback by the simplicity of her response, but I knew what she said was true. Wisdom—especially women’s wisdom—is sourced in the practical. It is what we know works, especially what we can and should do to keep things running smoothly—and to take care of ourselves in the process.

Today, begin to take the first steps toward bringing a greater sense of calm into your workday. When you do, I guarantee you will feel your clarity return. And out of that clear-mindedness, your wisdom will rise and make itself known to you. Life will begin to look and feel different, even behind a desk or in the boardroom.

Calm, clear, wise—that’s the magic formula for a successful business and a stellar life.

When Ego Goblins Call, What's a Body to DO?

(This is an older blog post from 2008, but I thought you might enjoy reading it this Halloween too!

When Ego Goblins Come to Call, 
What's A Body to Do?


I awoke to the most amazing fall morning in northern Michigan. It's the last day of October—Halloween— and so often this day has been characterized by biting winds, rain, and scores of soppy, shivering Trick-or-Treaters. This morning it was in the high 50's, glorious sunshine, with temps predicted to go as high as 70 degrees! The swans are parading in front of my house on the Bay, the Canadian Geese are swimming in formation, and the finches, chickadees, and two pesky chipmunks are nibbling at feeders in the backyard. It feels like a fairy tale sort of day when I look out my windows, and I am certain that the inner peace I am feeling now will prevail throughout the day.

Until I go to my computer that is. Then the "real world" seems to cascade in. It threatens to blow me off course and take me into murky waters—stress, worry, too much to do, deadlines to make, and the like. I't's been suggested by my publisher to create another blog on amazon.com to help promote Your Truest Self, and I gladly comply. Until, that is, all those technological goblins hit and I am seconds away from being a teary  mess. I am not a techno sort of gal. I'd rather be watching swans any day. But duties call, and what that means to me is diving into a computer world with which I am somewhat inept and uncomfortable. (I may have been the last person on the planet to sign up for e-mail, no kidding!)

But I want to hold on to my sense of peace this morning. I really do. So I open up my inner peace toolbox and see what's there. Here's what I found:

1. I can observe what's happening to me. I can feel my peace slipping away—literally.
   This is good!

2. I can say "No, thank you," and decide in that moment to reorient myself.  
   Yep, did that!

3. I can choose an activity (even for a few moments) that will enable me to shift my energy—from tear-filled frustration to calm.  
   Ok, move away from my desk, go into the kitchen, refill my coffee cup, make some peanut butter toast, and check back in with the Bay. No swans this time, but a large gaggle of geese.  Nice!

4. I can choose to re-engage the activity with a new intention to get the job done with minimal frustration and maximum calm. 
   I take some deep breaths, go slowly, and relax. 

5. Accessing calm brings greater clarity. Clarity brings wisdom.  
   Feeling more clear, I get an inkling that I might be using the wrong e-mail address and password. Amazing! All the pages work now. I am in. Hallelujah!

This is a process any of us can engage in. I truly believe that. As long as our heartfelt intention is to remain peaceful throughout our day, no matter what comes—no matter how frustrating, nasty, or ghoulish the news or situation, I believe we can choose how to respond. It just takes practice. It begins with learning how to notice (become acutely aware of the thoughts and feelings that rise up from within us), and redirect our thoughts. Then make a new choice.

I can choose peace for myself. You can too. It's not that hard. Practice peace and you will experience more and more peace. Practice peace and, in time, you will be peace. 

Remember, engaging in life in a new way, breaking old habituated ways of acting, and incorporating healthy new ones, takes time. Researchers say it takes 3 weeks to create a new habit. 90 days for it to stick. Even longer to become part of your lifestyle. 

Believe you me, inner peace is a choice. One we make again and again for ourselves—especially when life threatens to overwhelm, sabotage, or defeat us. We make or break our own peace. This is empowerment. This is living as our truest self. 

Inner peace is mine, one choice at a time.

Inner peace is mine, one step at a time.

Inner peace is mine, one breath at a time. 

I'm off in a short while to enjoy Halloween with my 7-year-old granddaughter. I'll carry my newfound peace with me as I go. And no goblins or spooks—even ego based ones, will knock me off of my peaceful pedestal. Care to join me? 

Sending warm October breezes of inner peace your way ...

All Love,

Jan

~~~~~

Want a great resource for accessing inner peace when ego-goblins come to call? Check out Peace is Every Step by Thich Nhat Hanh. It's a life-saver! Saved mine in 1994 when illness struck. But that's another post. ;-)

©Janice Lynne Lundy, 2008

Announcing My New Tele-Class Series on Spiritual Invitations

I believe there are no such things as spiritual lessons to learn—
         only spiritual invitations to embrace.

Lessons be gone! No more stumbling, no more getting it right so we won’t experience something again. Learning "spiritual lessons" in my view, is an outdated way of thinking.

In the new spiritual paradigm of which you and I are a part, life happens. And each time something does, we are offered a powerful “Invitation” to go within.

To uproot what no longer serves us and our truest selves. To heal, let go, and, most especially, embrace new ways of thinking and being in the world that can transform us—and everyone in our global community of awakening beings.

When we are able to accept the Spiritual Invitations that are offered, we make a powerful inner shift. We change our individual and collective lives—forever!

Think about it. Doesn’t “accepting an invitation” sound much better, feel better, than learning a lesson? A lesson may have negative connotations, implies it is going to be really difficult, even perilous.

Personally, I no longer think about “Lessons”—nor do I use word in my spiritual vocabulary.

Instead, I am excited about accepting “Invitations.” I love being invited to things, don’t you? There is an ease, a grace (even fun!) in that. Invitations are welcoming. They hold the spirit of aloha.

We are evolving beings, multi-dimensional—a unique blend of spirit and stardust, and it is time for each of us to embrace that holy fact.

Let us continue to welcome ourselves and one another H.O.M.E. (Heaven On Mother Earth)

I hope you will join me on this bold new journey!

Beginning May 4, 2011,

I will be launching an 8-month tele-class series

on Spiritual Invitations.

Each month will focus on one especially difficult mindset, emotion, or personal issue that can keep us stuck in pain or suffering, disconnected from our true self—separated from the peace and joy with which we are meant to, deserve to, live. Learn to accept the Invitation, and freedom is YOURS!

(You do not need to commit to or attend all classes. Pick and choose the topics that interest you.
You may register for each tele-class separately.)

Held the first Wednesday of every month, from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. EST, each tele-class will include: 

• a content-rich presentation on the Invitation, offering insights on how to “change your mind” about the issue, along with concrete practices for transforming the issue in everyday life.

• a guided meditation to help heal you the issue and lead you back into feelings of peace, joy, and love.

• a live Q and A session with call participants.

I ask that you make a donation of any amount of your choosing in support of this tele-class.

  
 I am very excited to announce the topic of our first Invitation— 

Anxiety

A dis-order so prevalent that over 18 million Americans report they experience it regularly!

And, as you may know, I have personally journeyed with anxiety for over 20 years now—successfully!—and un-medicated.

I’m eager to share with you how I have embraced anxiety 

as a Spiritual Invitation 

and how it took me on a beautiful journey to inner peace.

Will you join me?

Wednesday, May 4 for

Session 1: The Spiritual Invitation of Anxiety

I’ll share "7 Powerful Secrets to Transform Anxiety." Get your notebook ready! 

Inner peace is on the horizon!

Read more/Register

Upcoming Topics and Dates for 

The "Spiritual Invitations" Series:

Wednesday, June 1 (registration begins May 5)

Session 2: The Spiritual Invitation of Anger

Wednesday, July 6
Session 3: The Spiritual Invitation of Fear

Wednesday, August 3
Session 4: The Spiritual Invitation of Worry

Wednesday, September 7
Session 5: The Spiritual Invitation of Self-Doubt

Wednesday, October 5
Session 6: The Spiritual Invitation of Illness

Wednesday, November 2
Session 7: The Spiritual Invitation of Scarcity

Wednesday, December 7
Session 8: The Spiritual Invitation of Disappointment

Each tele-class is a separate powerful teaching in and of itself. You do not need to commit to or attend all classes to receive tremendous benefits.

I ask that you make a donation of any amount of your choosing in support of this tele-class.

Register today for the first tele-class, “Transforming Anxiety.”

I look forward to journeying with you in this way. Personal transformation is ours by accepting one Invitation at a time!

May you believe, breathe, and be well,

Jan Lundy
BuddhaChick.org

Questions? Email me:
support (at) buddhachick (dot) org

Following the Yellow Brick Road

As a young girl, I loved the story of Dorothy and her journey to Oz. The lyric, "Follow the yellow brick road," can easily pop into my mind just thinking about the film ...

I sense that Dorothy's journey is every woman's journey. We set out on a path through life, certain that the answer to what ails us is out there somewhere, even in the hands of a wise other. If we can just find him/her/it, we'll know how to live—to be truly happy.

The wonderful Wizard of Oz, as it turns out, was a phoney. He had no magic to turn Dorothy's life around, no cure to relieve her pain. But he did point her back in the direction of her own heart—to her inner knowing—home to her wise self.

Lately, I've been thinking that the Buddha Chick journey is a lot like the road to Oz. "Buddha Chick Training" course participants start out all enthused, suitably excited that they will find the answers they need to stop feeling stressed or overwhelmed by life. Almost as if the Course itself is a magic pill that will take it all away ... 

And what they learn in the very first Module is this: Within them resides every answer they'll ever need. That peace and happiness are already there, right beneath the surface, but no one has ever really showed them how to make these virtues shine. Or how to use powerful tools to excavate true peace and joy. Especially when life can be so difficult ... 

How in the world do you feel calm and collected when things feel like they might be falling apart?

How do you feel hopeful when you feel depressed? Confident when you struggle with anxiety? 

This is what Buddha Chick Training is all about. This course is not about going somewhere— to a Wizard who makes grand promises. It is about wearing the ruby slippers, the same slippers you've had on your feet the whole time but never knew how to use. Until today, that is!

I am very eager, over-the-top passionate, about showing you how to wear your dazzling slippers and using them to walk through life with more ease and grace, with a calm demeanor and a smile in your heart—especially when your life feels difficult!

I will faithfully companion you on your personal yellow brick road. Through one-on-one interaction and mentoring, I'll walk with you, show you your tools, remind you to use them when you forget, and, before you know it, you'll be skipping again. Life will look and feel completely different. I guarantee it!

Buddha Chick Training is now available for you to take as a Home Study course. 10 Modules, one action-packed Lesson mailed to you each week. Begin when you want and take as long as you need to work through each life-altering invitation. 

You and I will have email contact throughout, even some phone mentoring, and, together, we will breakthrough everything that holds you back from living as your calm, clear, wise self.

Don't you think it's time? To stop searching, struggling, and fall back in love with yourself and your life? 

Don't put off your personal peace any longer. Come home to yourself ... Please let me show you how. 

Learn more.    Register...

And we'll start walking together today. I promise you a powerful journey of awakening and I will be holding your hand all along the way ...

Blessings and all good things are coming to you, I can feel it!

With loving-kindness,

Jan

p.s. I'm pretty sure you are going to want to read some of the testimonials by women I've companioned through Buddha Chick Training. Like Mary Jo who said:

"I was finally able to see my own spirit/light within my eyes and to feel it deeply. This is the first time I've been able to experience this in my entire life."

Read more success stories here.

Happiness is an Inside Job

Have you checked your happiness quotient lately? 

How happy are you—really?

I like to imagine that on any given day, I can stop, take a pause, and check my happiness level—an inner barometer with a contentment range of 1 to 10. Today, I’d say I’m at a 9. You?

I firmly believe that happiness is an inside job. Sure, it’s nice to have creature comforts, but these can be fleeting. Real, lasting happiness comes and stays as a welcome guest when my mind and heart are pleased and satisfied.

If your happiness quotient is low today, I’d like to invite you to consider two very important principles—and their supporting practices. They can boost your happiness barometer to enjoyable new heights.

Your Most Predominant Thought

What do you think about most often? When you stop and take a moment to notice your thinking, what preoccupies you?

If you are like most people, your mind may be focusing on what is wrong. That’s the nature of the human mind. Its “default setting” is negative. It naturally drifts off to troublesome scenarios. It scans your horizon, seeking security and comfort; noticing what it doesn’t like or wants to be different. As a result, we easily find ourselves lost in thoughts of worry or regret, fear or anxiety.

Doesn’t it make sense that if we’re spending much of our time focused on what’s wrong—albeit, unconsciously—that we might feel unhappy or discontent? It does to me, and I know for a fact that this is how my mind responds to life—if I don’t do something about it.

If we want to feel happier, we’ll need to practice shifting our attention toward what feels good, right, or true. The mind is quiet elastic, trainable, and we can literally point it towards something new. With time and practice, focus and concentration, we can retrain our brain!

Begin by stopping yourself, at regular intervals throughout the day, to notice what you are thinking. Stop, look, listen and feel. Then consciously choose to think about something else—something positive, hopeful, appreciative, or joyful. Notice how different this makes you feel.

We will need to engage in this process again and again for the mind to catch on. Give it at least 21 days of practice. What we focus on expands. Patiently, we retrain ourselves, and how we respond to life. We’re switching our mind’s default setting to “Happiness”!

Your Most Predominant Mind Pattern

Each of us has very specific ways in which our mind works. We have deeply embedded patterns, story lines, likely sourced in childhood events, that have become habituated ways of thinking—and they tend to run us. And they cause undue stress.

For example, many women have “worry mind.” We incessantly mull over what might happen in the future to ourselves, or to our loved ones. Another pattern is “busy mind.” With the frenetic pace of our lives, this is not surprising. The faster we go, the busier our minds get. “Busy mind” can cause anxiety levels to escalate. Both of these mind patterns can be extremely debilitating, causing severe stress, culminating in poor health.

One of my predominant mind patterns is “planning mind.” Being a teacher by training and calling, I often find myself lost in thought, creating lesson plans for an online class I teach, blog posts, or simply planning out my life months ahead of time. I seem to think that allowing my mind to behave in this way will bring peace of mind. In reality, it often creates feelings of anxiousness or overwhelm.

What would be one of yours?

No matter which one you have you can work with it successfully. And please know this: there is no shame in having a particular “kind” of mind. It is simply a result of being human!

Use the “Stop, Look, Listen, and Feel” process with your predominant mind pattern too. Simply notice it, name it, and with the assistance of some deep breaths—let it go. Turn your attention to something else. In time, you can “rewire” your thinking to be less rigid, more flexible, workable.

Choice by choice, we can shift how we respond to our minds. We do not have to be run ragged by pesky thoughts or mind patterns. Infuse yourself with passion to be happier and you can. Take good care of your mind and I’m confident you’ll feel happier in no time—from the inside out!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 What's Happening This Week at Dharma Sisters Circle?

• Self-compassion practices for the woman who pushes herself too hard and gets easily overwhelmed or exhausted  ...

• Mindful eating practices for healthy weight loss, healing body image, and eating disorders with Jean Fain, author of the Self-Compassion Diet.

• Breath meditation and "Sacred Writing" exercises in our Khanti ("patient endurance") Healing Circle, for women with chronic health conditions, injury, or pain.

• Lively discussion of creativity as sacred effort in the "Art Walk," including a new exhibit on prayer bead making. Display your art, too!

• Forums, book discussions, and so much more for the mindful, compassionate woman!  

 If you are a woman who wants to experience inner calm, to let go of drama, and connect with the wisest part of yourself, please join us at Dharma Sisters Circle.

 It's my new, interspiritual membership community for women like you, like me, who are finally ready to live in a bold new way—with truth—"dharma."

  

Only $15.95 per month for full benefits, membership in all special interest Groups, enlightened (and private) social networking, and more. Includes your seminar with a Guest Teacher!  

Go month to month. Cancel easily at any time. Try it for a month and see if you like it!  

Get ready for the warmest of welcomes. Hospitality is our trademark. All are welcome here!

Coming March 1: Sylvia Boorstein

"The Four Foundations of Mindfulness."

Learn from one of the West's most beloved teachers in a completely private practice community! Safe, secure, nurturing ...

  DharmaSistersCircle.Org

Elegant   ∞   Warm   ∞   Inspiring

Buddha Chick™ ~ Registration is Open!

Drum-roll please!

It's the announcement we've been waiting for:

The official launch of Buddha Chick™, the online course, and all its juicy details, including price and how to sign up.

Many people believe that we are in the midst of the greatest spiritual awakening of all times. I’d like to believe that Buddha Chick™ and you and I are part of this grand awakening.

Every single one of is a “Buddha Chick™” ~ an interspiritual gal with a calm demeanor and a smile in her heart, able to navigate the challenges of life with grace and ease.  

I am a Buddha chick and you are too! We just don't believe it, nor have we been shown how to live this way.  

Will you let me show you how to embrace her, to live as her? To let go of fear, worry, and anxiety—once and for all!—and sail through life with greater ease? To greet life, no matter how it shows up, with a relaxed body, clear open mind, and a warm, loving heart?

And with joy! Let’s not forget about greeting life with joy.

And fun. Chicks do want to have fun! Spiritual growth does not have to be gut-wrenching.

It's time. Time for all of us to wake up, to live as our coolest, calmest, clearest, wisest selves. Are you ready?

Join me September 27 – December 5 for a unique opportunity to be the Chick you were born to be. Transform your thoughts, emotions, and make new life choices that will take you from stressed to serene!

And contribute to global awakening. Your choice to live as your Chickiest Self will allow others to do the same. Heart to heart we grow, heal, change the world ...

But hold the phone! Before you read the sweet details and how to sign-up, let me address a few questions that have come up about Buddha Chick™.

1. Is Buddha Chick™ or this course Buddhist?

It’s not. She’s not. Buddha Chick™ is any woman who desires to live as her essence (true nature), which is peace, love, confidence, courage, generosity and more. She is an interspiritual Chick who is open to the teachings of the world’s wisdom traditions. It's true that many of the perspectives and practices I share in the course are sourced in Eastern thought, for they are the ones that have transformed my life and brought me the greatest peace. I’m eager to share them with you!

2. What “work” is required in this course?

This is the "work of self," meaning, you are willing to take an open, honest look at how you currently operate in the world and you have a desire to change that. The one and only Buddha Chick™ rule is to be transparent. Ok, there are two rules. The other is to be kind to yourself. Really kind!

This work is also about “letting go”; shedding what you have been taught about how to react to life. It is about remembering your true nature and living from that divine place. I beg you to stop searching, stop looking outside of yourself for “the answers,” and drop down inside your Buddha Chick™ self. Everything you need to know
about how to live with ease and joy is there.

3. How is this course different from other online courses?

It is radically different because it is mentoring based. I will be your personal mentor all the way through the course. This is done in three ways: private e-mail contact, participation in our "Dharma Sisters" community, and through live tele-conferences.

In many online courses, the facilitator is not really present in the “forums,” or they stop in once a week to answer pre-selected questions. Or you may be told that you can send your questions to the facilitator, but it is not guaranteed they will be answered, or your question is answered by an assistant. Or you have to pay extra for personal “coaching.”

Not with Buddha Chick™! All the mentoring you will receive is included in the price of the course. “I’ve got your back,” as the saying goes. I am here, really here for you, for a full 10 weeks of transformation. (Read testimonials by those I’ve previously mentored here.)

I hope this addresses any of your concerns. Now on to the deliciousness. Another drum-roll please!

What you’ll get in the Buddha Chick™course:

• 10 written Lessons, one each Monday. 

Each Lesson will include exciting new content with a dual focus: how to create a new peace-filled mindset and the practical applications (exercises) for doing so. The Lessons will be sent to you via RSS Feed (e-mail) and also posted on our private Buddha Chick™ website.

Course Content includes how to:

-Create your personal foundation of unshakable peace
-Be mindful, the Buddha Chick™ way
-Work with difficult mind states
-Cultivate radical tenderness for yourself
-Meditate, even when you say you can’t
-Trust your body’s wisdom
-Tame wild emotions and quiet the ego
-Say goodbye to fear and anxiety
-Re-frame difficult people and circumstances
-Purify your heart through loving-kindness practice
-Grow a heart of compassion
-Live with equanimity (the ability to hold everything)
-Ride waves of joy ~ daily!
-Leave a trail of peace wherever you go

Each Lesson will also contain:

~ A “Peaceful Pause”: a practice for soothing the body, stilling the mind, or opening the heart

~ “Homework”—reflection/journaling questions. (You are invited to share your noticings in our sacred “Dharma Sisters” circle.)

~ An audio message to jump-start your week with inspiration and calm, including a Guided Meditation.

~ A Buddha Chick™ Affirmation Card, a printable reminder card featuring our Chick (designed by artist Mari Gayatri Stein) delivering a transformational truth or mantra. By the end of the course, you will have a complete deck of cards. How cool is that?!

• Private Mentoring

~ 5 personal mentoring sessions via e-mail, timed to your convenience and need, spaced throughout the course. This is the feature of Buddha Chick™ that will truly help bring about the changes you desire!

~ As I said earlier, you and I will interact personally in our private community and in tele-classes. You can ask questions and get answers.

~ Additional personal mentoring via phone, can be arranged, and at a special members' rate (45 minutes for $35).

• “Dharma Sisters” Sacred Circle

I am very excited about this. Our own community! This is our member only blog/forum where we will gather daily to share our learnings, support and interact with one another. Woo-hoo!

• Tele-Classes

~ 4 interactive, “live” tele-classes where we’ll discuss the Lessons. You can ask questions and get additional support. These will be held at varying times to ensure that our Dharma Sisters from different time zones around the world can have a “live” experience.

~ 5 podcasts with our Buddha Chick™ guest mentors: Daphne Rose Kingma (6 time guest on Oprah!), Sue Patton Thoele, Carolyn Hobbs, Mari Gayatri Stein, and Diana Lang. These are some of the coolest, wisest, women on the planet and we are so lucky to have them with us! Each will present on her area of expertise. (Read more about them here.)

• Free Book

You will be asked to read the opening chapters of a book I co-authored with my husband, Brad Lundy, Perfect Love. I will send this to you in PDF form via e-mail upon Registration. This will give you a running start toward developing an enlightened relationship with your ego.

• Upon “Graduation”…

You will receive a classy Buddha Chick T-shirt to go with your new lease on life. Yeah!

And “Dharma Sisters,” our online blog/forum, will remain open after the completion of the course. The supportive connections we have made can continue!




Now, If I had one of those long, brass horns that announced the arrival of something fabulous, I would be sounding it.

Da Da Da DA!!!

Course Fee and Payment Options

 Option 1 – Payment in Full – $265

 Option 2 – Installment Plan – $280, with 4 easy payments of $70 (4 x $70 = $280)

Option 3 – "Dharma Sisters" Plan – $250.
Register with a friend and pay only $250 per person. This is a great way to journey deeper with a close friend. It will also help build our community of Sisters!

Early Bird Special:
Register between Thursday Sept. 9 and Saturday Sept. 11, EST (US), and receive 1 FREE 30-minute, private Buddha Chick™ phone mentoring session with me. (By appointment.)

Accepted Forms of Payment – MasterCard, Visa, Discover, American Express, and PayPal.

I told you the price would be amazing!

Ok, let's Register. 

Step 1. Send me an e-mail telling me you wish to register. Include the good e-mail address you wish to have your Lessons sent to.

Click here to send.   (jan at awakened living dot com)

Please be sure to change your e-mail/spam settings to accept my e-mails.

Step 2. Choose the Payment Option that's right for you.

Option 1 – Payment in Full – $265
Be sure to include an e-mail address at PayPal checkout to receive a paid receipt.

Option 2 – Installment Plan – $280, with 4 easy payments of $70 (4 x $70 = $280) 
First payment will be made upon registration, then again on October 1, November 1, and December 1 using our secure payment system through PayPal.
Click here to set up your Installment Plan. 



Option 3 – "Dharma Sisters" Plan – $250
Register with a friend and pay only $250 per person!
To use this Plan you will have to e-mail me for instructions. 
Each Sister will need to e-mail me separately, including the name of her Sister to initiate the Plan.
E-mail me now to set up your Dharma Sister Plan. 


If you have any trouble registering, please call (231) 218-1996 from 9:00 am - 9:00 pm EST (US), 7 days a week. 


Refund Policy – Cancel at any time and receive a full refund of your remaining (pre-paid) sessions. If you do need to cancel, you can keep all of the course materials you've received so far.

I really look forward to seeing you in class soon. 

What Chickie fun we will have!

Love and blessings,

Jan

Heart to Heart Press

Buddha Chick™ ~ The Online Course is Here!

 

Buddha Chick™

Calm, Clear and Wise ~ No Matter What!

Dear Friends, 

It feels as if I have been waiting my entire life for this moment ...

... for the announcement and launch of my online class, "Buddha Chick™."

I have been listening to you, especially those of you from different parts of the globe, asking about when I would offer programs online for everyone to participate in. That time has finally come. Oh, happy day!

Buddha Chick™ feels like the culmination of my life's work. It is a reflection of every woman's journey into inner calm, clarity, and wisdom, and I am so pleased to share it with you here.

For now, as I prepare the "official Buddha Chick™ site," getting it ready as our virtual classroom, I want to offer you just a brief overview of what this program is all about, its basic features, and how it will transform your life. It has transformed mine!

You see, for most of my adult life I admit

I have not been calm, clear, and wise. 

I have been stressed, overwhelmed, and anxious ...

 ... at the mercy of an overly busy mind, regularly side-swiped by wild emotions. Drama!

I am a woman who thinks and feels alot, and this, over time, has affected my health and well-being, my relationships, and my creativity. Talk about toxic! 

Does this sound familiar? I bet you've experienced this too.

Today, thankfully, I am a different woman. Most of the time I truly am physically calm, mentally clear, and able to tap into my inner wisdom, all the while living with a wide open heart. 

Sure, sometimes I fall down when life gets bumpy. I skin my knees a bit, but now, with all I've learned, and all that I have put into practice after twenty years of spiritual journeying, I don't stay down as long, or get quite so beat up. I surf instead of sink and life is easier, more enjoyable.

I've nicknamed this woman who lives within me, "Buddha Chick™"~ an interspiritual gal with a calm demeanor and a smile in her heart, able to navigate the challenges of life with grace and ease. 

And Buddha Chick™ lives inside of you too. She's just waiting to emerge and I know you know this or you wouldn't be visiting my website or reading these words. And I'm pretty sure you want to meet her, live as her, and spread her joy out into the world. Yes?

So here's the plan. If you are ready—really ready—to live with serenity, joy, and openheartedness as your most Chickie self, then this course is for you.

Though I need to tell you from the get-go, 

that this online course is very different. 

How? 

Because, as Sandra Bullock's character in the film, "The Blind Side," said, "I've got your back," and I do. I am going to personally mentor you through this process. I will be there for you, lending a hand when times get tough, or when you slide into the muck of life and get swallowed up again, forgetting what you know, losing your peace. So, besides

~10 weeks of life-changing lessons with practical exercises

~4 live tele-conferences

~weekly audio messages with guided meditations

~podcasts with 5 of the most notable, enlightened Chicks you need to know

~a lovingly supportive international community of Chicks (member's only blog)

you and I will have private e-mail correspondence throughout the course. 

Why personal mentoring?

Because this is what I do best and what I love to do the most: to walk side by side with women as they get to where their soul wants to take them. 

  

AND because no one should do this journey alone. I didn't. I had wonderful women mentors to guide me all along the way. Thank goodness!

And also because embodying our Buddha Chick™ self is not always a walk in the park, no m'am. It can be hard work—yes, it can be fun, exhilarating even—but challenging, too.

Becoming a Buddha Chick™ is pretty serious stuff and we will work hard—together!

We will also have plenty of fun. (I have some wonderful surprises planned, gifts too. Gifts are good!)

But I must say this: 

I am looking for eager women who are ready, willing, and able to work this course. I'm just being honest here ...

(So if you are not ready, that's fine. Soul growth is all about timing and readiness, and if it's not your time, no worries. You know that I love and bless you, no matter what.)

Buddha Chick™ is a mindset ... a practice ... a lifestyle. 

Buddha Chick™ is who we really are. 

Do you think you might be ready to fully experience her? 

 

Ready to be calm, clear, and wise ~ once and for all?

I hope so!

"Buddha Chick™," the course will begin Monday, Sept. 27 and run through Sunday, December 4 (10 weeks).

Price?  

I'll announce this within one week. I guarantee it will be an exceptional value considering all that you will receive: practice sessions, tools, and personal mentoring, to name a few. There will also be an "Early Chick" enrollment price special.

So save the dates. Save your money. (Stay away from TJMaxx and HSN for a couple of weeks!) And stay tuned!

Next week I will also release the Course Outline/Lessons and announce our special guests.

Thank you ahead of time for sharing this journey with me. I can hardly wait for us to begin!

With love and blessings,

Jan

(If you are not currently on my mailing list and want to be notified about all Buddha Chick™ developments click here.  I will keep you posted via e-mail. And I do not share your information with anyone.) 

Buddha Chick™ logo created by Mari Gayatri Stein