Celebrating Earth Day

Apr 22nd, 2011

In Lawrence, KS the earth is enjoying a gentle rain.  And I’m enjoying relaxing into the day with a slower pace than usual–expanding into the delight of a day off.

What are you doing to celebrate Earth Day today? 

For a peek into how you can have sustainable Earth-friendly habits, check out an interview Christine Metz from the Lawrence Journal World did with me last night.  Find out why these red coffee mugs are in this picture. 

Let’s Talk About Having Fun!

Feb 14th, 2011

I don’t know about you, but I tend to be a bit serious about life—I could use more fun in my life.   But what?  How? We’re kicking off our Let’s Talk About Healthy, Happy living series talking about fun.   

Here’s who needs to come to the call, Tue. Feb 15:

• You, if you’re good at having fun (we need to hear your secrets)

• You, if you seldom have fun (we want to inspire and expand your world)

• You, if you are in the middle like me (we want to tip you onto the fun end of the spectrum)

Come to the first call in the series this Tuesday, February 15 and share your take on fun (Do you know how to have fun? Are you fun-deficient? Do you have suggestions for having more fun?)

More info about the series and signup:
http://www.cherylmillerville.com/letstalkabout/

When you sign up, you’ll receive an email with the call-in details.  If you’re not sure whether you have signed up for this series yet, go ahead and sign up.  You’ll get just one notice (unless you use a different email). 

FREE Series: Let’s Talk About Healthy, Happy Living

Feb 9th, 2011

You’re invited to join me for a free conversation series (twice a month) about health and wellness topics ranging from getting good sleep, to healthy snacking, to personal development, to eating organic, to decluttering, to healthy aging and more.  All you need is a phone. 

Here’s how to join in the conversation:

First and Third Tuesdays every month
5-6pm PST | 6-7pm MST | 7-8pm CST | 8-9 EST

More info:  http://www.cherylmillerville.com/letstalkabout/

We’ll have folks from all over joining in on the discussion—from all walks of life and full of varying perspectives. Imagine the energy and wisdom! 

Everyone is invited to join in or just listen.  All you need is a telephone to participate.

If you’re longing for lively, engaging conversation about health and well-being, visit this link to find out more: 
http://www.cherylmillerville.com/letstalkabout/

You can participate in any or all calls, and you can opt out of the series at any time.

Don’t miss it!

Please invite your friends,  family, and colleagues to participate:
http://www.cherylmillerville.com/letstalkabout/

Tired of Winter?

Jan 25th, 2011

How I Stop Whining About How Much I Have to Do

Sep 20th, 2010

I’m basically lazy about doing chores.  I’d rather sit on my deck or front porch with my dog Toby and my laptop – watching the world go by.  It’s a great front porch isn’t it – like years gone by.  Getting up to do housework is the last thing I want to do.  I’m a right-brained, creative type and I have a high tolerance for leaving things undone.  Thankfully this lazy streak is offset by my vision for my life which I express in two words:  beauty and efficiency.  My lazy, creative self battles it out regularly with my vision for how I want to live my life.  Thankfully, my vision always wins, but it sometimes takes time—a week or two, or longer.

Here’s an example.  I woke up this morning a little tense.  I figured it had something to do with all that I need to get done but I wanted more clarity.  So I did what I frequently do—I went to my journal and asked myself a series of questions.  Amazing how smart I can be when I’m asking questions that are compassionate, nonjudgmental, and guilt-free. 

In a nutshell here is what I discovered.  I work hard and when I get a chance to sit on my deck at the end of the day and on weekends, I don’t want to have to do another thing.  It’s called demand resistance.  Now don’t worry and start giving me advice that it’s OK to rest and play.  I know that all too well – remember that’s what I’m battling and writing about here.  I want to rest and play all the time – seriously.  I’m such a kid!  But even after working hard at a job or business, there’s a household that needs to be taken care of, groceries to buy, food to prepare, weeds to pull, repairs to be made, fun to have with friends, potlucks to prepare food for and the beat goes on. 

I would love to be somebody who has that stuff taken care of for them.  Of would I?  Another belief I have is that it’s my duty and an honor to take care of my domain.  When I finally get up off my couch (on the porch) and get to work, I’m really pleased to engage with my yard.  I connect with the worms, caterpillars, squirrels, birds, and bugs of all kinds.  As I tidy up my domain (inside and outside), I feel a sense of pride and achievement.  So there’s another conflicting value – lazy – beauty and efficiency – pride in taking care of my domain.  No wonder I need to journal to get it all straight. 

I just need to give in to who I am and how I operate.  In the end it works out really well, so what’s the fuss?  This translates into being OK with whining to myself about getting up off the couch to take care of business, being pleased as punch about how neat my yard looks after a couple of hours of weeding and tidying.  In fact, the bottom line here is that happiness and peace of mind come with being OK with what is (says Byron Katie). 

Ah, I’m more Zen now.  

Speaking of Zen, did know I’m offering a free teleclass Thursday, September 30 at 7pm Central time.  It’s about being more Zen – one of the key things we’ll look at is whether you’re an accidental collector.  I think most of us collect things – even if we’re not packrats.  We collect plastic containers, rubber bands, batteries, ball caps, body lotion, toilet paper, whatever.  These collections start to edge us out of our homes (and cost a ton of $$).  Sign up for the teleclass – we’ll talk about how to be more Zen in 2010:  http://www.cherylmillerville.com/zen/teleclass-registration

LIVE in Kansas—Harmonious Home Workshop Retreat

Sep 18th, 2010

LIVE at Matfield Green, Kansas–Harmonious Home Workshop Retreat:  Three Rooms that Can Make or Break Your Self-Care Routine, facilitated by Cheryl Miller

Location:  Tallgrass Spiritual Retreat Center … Where Women Find Their Way

1780 Thurman Creek Road, Matfield Green, Kansas 66862

Dates:  October 1-2, 2010 – Fri 7:00pm – Sat 4:00p

Fee:  A steal at $80 including the workshop, overnight stay in the retreat bunkhouse, meals, workbook, and the lovely setting where you can walk and wander … and sit a spell to reflect on the place harmony plays in your life.  Plenty of breaks to walk to prairie labyrinth too!

About the Harmonious Home Workshop/Retreat

Your home is the starting place for everything that happens in your life.  It’s the foundation, and it’s the backbone of a regular healthy eating and fitness routine.  Your home is at the heart of your rest and relaxation.  It’s your wellness environment – or could be.  That’s why at the beautiful Tall Grass Spiritual Retreat (LIVE) we’ll be focusing on the three most important rooms in your home:  the kitchen, the bathroom, and your bedroom.  Find out why these three rooms are so important to your health and well-being.

Through instruction and interaction, you will learn to . . .

• Create a personal vision for your home
• Make an awesome Harmonious Home ™ action plan
• Troubleshoot (and solve!) problem areas in the bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen
• Get rid of the excess                                     
• Take consistent action each day – small steps will get you there!
• Create organized zones in each room
• Use inexpensive containers and other organizing tools to simplify storage and retrieval
• Eliminate dread and procrastination
• Use tricks to help you stick with it – even when you want to chicken out
• Discover how to finish what you start!
• Streamline daily routines and create pleasant rituals

And there’s more!

You’ll  also receive a 40-page workbook: Harmonious Home™:30 Days to More Harmonious Living by Cheryl Miller

To learn more and to register to attend LIVE at the Tall Grass Spiritual Retreat:  visit this link:  http://www.tallgrassretreats.com/HarmoniousHome.html

If you haven’t already heard, I’m also offering a free Zen in 2010 teleclass September 30 at 7pm Central.  This class will focus on all the unintentional collections we have of all kinds including books, jewelry, beauty products, souvenirs, plastic food containers … and the list goes on.  Find out why you collect the things you collect and what you can do about it (if you want to do anything about it).  Get the details and signup here:  http://www.cherylmillerville.com/zen/teleclass-registration

Summer Evening Walk – Where Do Dragonflies Come From?

Aug 31st, 2010

Tonight there were at least 1,000 dragonflies on the levee – a sure sign of summer.  The hotter it gets, the more of them I see.  I’d never seen so many before, though.  Maybe it’s their last hoorah before the end of summer.  It occurred to me that I don’t know much about the life cycle of dragonflies.  How long do they live, what do they eat, how do they reproduce?  Where are they all going to go once it gets cold?  Do they just die and resurface next summer? 

I’m a city person – love nature – but don’t really know that much about the specifics.  I really appreciate the flora and the fauna and study it when I get curious – like now.  I see a Google search in my near future.  And the future is now.

I had no idea dragonflies started out in the water – and kind of ugly at that.  But fascinating.  Now to find out where they go before they die … to start the life cycle over again…..

Are there any insect experts out there who can add to the description provided in this short video?  Click the comment link below.

If you cannot see the video below, your work place is blocking it—I hope you can watch it at home or convince IT to allow this feature (a long shot but worth a try).  Once you click the arrow to watch, you will need to click the link to watch it on youtube – but it’s worth it.

Nighthawks on the Kansas Levee

Jul 20th, 2010

The other evening while walking on the Kansas levee with Toby, I watched the nighthawks dive bombing for insects. Their wings look like boomerangs.  So when I got home that night, I did a google.com image search to find a picture to see if I was right to call them nighthawks.   My search brought me to a little audio lesson (a few seconds) that tells about the bird and its song.  Here ‘tis:  http://www.birdnote.org/birdnote.cfm?id=198  (click to play the MP3).  Note, the bird is really not a hawk but in the whippoorwill family.

What’s the tie-in with wellness?  Nature.  When we have a strong connection with nature, life is more interesting.  In fact, I drove home from the dentist in torrential rain just now.  Lightning all around me.  My wipers couldn’t keep up.  After a quick prayer of safety for everyone traveling, I anticipated coming home and throwing open my front and back doors so the energy of the storm could move through my home.  Love it!  The temperature dropped 20 degrees or more – a welcome respite from the scorching heat. 

The wind was so fierce the rain blew in both the front and back doors.  So I propped my heavy umbrella in the doorway to keep the rain from the hard wood floors (mostly).  I can think of nothing more relaxing than sitting in my oversized chair enjoying the surround sound of rain and thunder. 

Without a connection to nature we’re more likely to be afraid of bugs and stay cooped up inside our cars, homes, and office buildings.  And if we really lose sight of the benefits of nature, we may start to trash the landscape and use up more than our share of the natural resources.  Without a regular dose of nature, we’re more likely to feel stressed.  Spending time in nature has a dramatic calmative effect.

As I started this description about why it’s important to  have a connection with nature, a loud clap of lightening enlivened me (read: startled me).  What a great way to revive one’s energy.  I was getting a little sleepy on the drive home….until the rain hit.  Now I’m alive, alert, awake, enthusiastic – just like the Girl Scout song says.  I found several renditions of this song on youtube – from many different cultures.  I thought I was the only one who thinks that song is cool!  And fun!

How does nature impact your wellness?  Share at the comment link below.

Secret to Reduce Your Stress Level

Jun 8th, 2010

Any cleansing cleansing program can be amplified by a cleansing of negative thoughts and feelings. Angry or stressful thoughts can wreak havoc on our health and well-being. The Loving Kindness Meditation as taught by Buddha has been practiced for decades to great effect. Try it for a few days and watch how it works in your life to bring peace and calm.

Close your eyes and imagine people you love (or just one person) as you mentally recite these words (slowly):

Breathing in, I breathe in the world’s pain.

Breathing out, I send it healing love.

May all beings be happy.

May all beings be peaceful.

May all beings be kind.

May all beings be free.

Next, visualize people (or a person) you do not know well – a neutral person (e.g., check out clerk, someone you see in your building) and recite these words slowly again:

Breathing in, I breathe in the world’s pain.

Breathing out, I send it healing love.

May all beings be happy.

May all beings be peaceful.

May all beings be kind.

May all beings be free.

Finally, visualize someone in your life who you feel is difficult to be around or someone you are having conflict with. Repeat the following words with this person in mind:

Breathing in, I breathe in the world’s pain.

Breathing out, I send it healing love.

May all beings be happy.

May all beings be peaceful.

May all beings be kind.

May all beings be free.

Let us know how this stress reduction practice works for you. Do you practice other stress reduction exercises?

Tornado Aftermath

Apr 26th, 2009

I’m glad I went to the basement during yesterday’s tornado warning.  I noticed the flag was half mast this morning so I went online to check the news in the local paper.  One man from here died in that storm and there was considerable damage in some areas.

It was quite a storm.  Here are some amazing photos captured by individuals out and about.  And here are some more. We think we’re powerful, but we our power pales by comparison to nature.