It’s the new year and so many people are talking about resolutions, goals and plans for the year ahead.  It makes sense as it is a ritual many of us have followed throughout our life to guide us into a new year that will “hopefully” bring with it new possibilities for growth and change.

This year feels different for me.  Although I love personal growth and finding new ways to deal with life challenges I honestly feel a calm and peaceful energy that is guiding me to understand the power I possess to bring balance and joy into my life.  

The feeling I am speaking about is when my mind connects me to my physical body and I notice the sensations that can be identified and labelled through the mind.  Let me explain this with an example.  

When I get excited, feel happy and am in the flow of my life I actually feel a tingling and expansion of my body most notably in my heart and lungs.  The rest of my body feels more grounded and I sense a rootedness in my life that invites me to stay present and hold onto the moment to experience it in its fullness.  

Notice that in this example that my mind labels the feeling as “happy/excited”.  My body responds to this feeling with a sensation in a specific area of my body (heart/lungs) and it tingles and seems to expand my chest.  

On the other hand when I feel sad, judged, or in victim I feel a collapse in my physical body. It is a tightness that brings discomfort, pain, and a dis-ease that shrinks my heart and my capacity to feel connected to the good in my life. 

Notice that in this example the mind labels the feeling as “sad, judgement/victim”. My body responds to the “feeling” by constricting in the area of my heart, often it feels like I am being punched in the gut or my breath becomes shallow and I am no longer connected to my heart.

The difference is palatable.  It is like a switch has been flipped and my physical body shuts down as my mind goes into hyper drive finding stories to tell itself to validate the sadness, judgment or victimhood I am feeling.

The calm and peaceful energy I mentioned at the beginning of this post is based on my awareness of these two examples that I have shared.  The power I possess to bring balance and joy into my life relies on my attention to what I am feeling in my body at any given moment rather than just the label my mind has given the feeling.  If I am in expansion and joy, I know I want to sustain the feeling and create more of it.  If I am in tightness and disconnection I know I want to shift the feeling into something that just feels better.  

The question that I hope you are asking yourself is “What do I need to do, know or be to make this happen?  What I have done, instead of making a list or setting goals for 2022  I set an intention and offered it up to the universe. 

I intend in 2022 to be inspired by life through my ability to create balance and joy daily no matter the circumstances or conditions that show up in my life. 

Now that I have set my intention it becomes important for me to create an action plan so that the opportunity for success is generated through the ability for me to notice and react to life as it happens. If I am not feeling balanced or joy in my life it is up to me change it.  The key here is conscious awareness in the present moment of what I am feeling and how to handle that feeling so that it keeps me in balance and feeling joy in my life.

My action plan has three steps.  I would like to share this with you to give you an idea of how to bring an intention into reality through conscious awareness, care and self love.

The steps are as follows:

1. Self Awareness:  When I notice a sensation or feeling in my physical body I will be given the opportunity to figure out what I need to DO in order to sustain or shift my self into balance and joy.

• If I feel pain/discomfort/dis-ease any where in my body… I will stop whatever I am doing and I will take my attention to the area that is impacted.  As I notice the location I will gently squeeze the muscles that surround it to let it know I am paying attention.  I will intentionally take a deep breath in through my nose and guide it to the discomfort inviting it to release and allow my breath to sweep away the pain.  I will release my breath and imagine it moving through my lower body systems to be grounded into the earth and transformed into love and light. This practice allows me to connect my mind to the sensation and guide the feeling consciously to shift or change it if it does not feel good. When I breathe in this love and light from the earth and return this breath to the area of discomfort holding it to gather any residual pain and then release the breath I can imagine it moving up through my upper body systems and out through my crown. Once the breath is released into the universe the healing light and love that exists here can create transformation. I will then repeat this breath several times, from the crown to the earth and back, until a shift is noticed and the pain gradually subsides.  
• Once I am aware of the shift in my pain level I will stay in the body to see if I feel any guidance.  This could be in a feeling that I may need medical attention, or I am dehydrated and need water, or I may need to rest further and stop what I am doing.  The need for fresh air, movement and connection may also be noted as an invitation to shift the pain. It may bring my attention to my mind where I have a thought that is creating the toxicity in my body and I can release the energy of the thought through my breath and stay present allowing the discomfort to release and balance as I breathe consciously to release the discomfort.
• If I notice my mind taking over with stories of woe, or victim or lesser energies that do not bring balance or joy, I will take another deep cleansing breath to keep me present and in the flow of the good in my life.  I remind myself that my body is a conduit to knowledge and wisdom. When it signals it is out of balance, it is reminding me that I can control the outcome through my awareness and self care.  If I ignore the signs, signals, and opportunities for healing the pain, discomfort and dis-ease it will escalate the likelihood of me being incapacitated and be forced to self care at a much deeper level.

2.  Self Care:  Through self awareness I will KNOW when to do the self care.  

• If I feel any type of symptom manifesting I will not judge it as good or bad.  I will accept that my body is letting me know that something is out of balance and it is time for me to pay attention.  A cold/ flu is a detox for my body.  Inflammation and pain are guiding me to slow down and focus on daily practices that will help me to heal.  Accidents and mishaps are signalling a time to stop and reassess my decision making practices and how I am spending my time.  The messages from the body are concrete communication systems designed to bring my attention into the present and allow the focus to be on self.
• The pillars of health rely on my body getting enough rest, nutrition, hydration, movement and heart based connection to life. 
• Focusing on daily practices to bring my awareness to what I need to do for me is important in the healing of my mind, body and spirit. This could be meditation, yoga/movement, healthy eating habits, hydration, walk in nature, connecting with a friend, family member or loved one. I am learning to feel the guidance my body is offering and I am following its instruction.
• The body is in balance when it is alkaline in nature.  Alkalinity is achieved through proper nutrition by eating predominately alkaline foods and beverages to assist in the healing from most illnesses.  Alkaline foods include mostly fresh fruit/veggies. Less animal protein and caffeinated food and beverages should be minimized.  
• Negative emotions cause the physical body to become acidic so tending to my feelings that are based in fear, stress, sadness, etc will keep me sick longer. Whereas, if I shift into heart expansive feelings my body returns to an alkaline state and my health begins to improve. 
• I use my breath to open my heart and remember I am supported by the knowledge and intelligence of my body to heal itself when I am connected to positive feelings of gratitude and appreciation. 

3. Self Love:  Through self awareness and self care, I am activating the highest frequency of healing on the planet.  It is called Love. Self love is the switch that makes the human body systems align with healing, wholeness and the ability to live a balanced and joyful life. To heal I need to BE love.

• When I treat myself the same way I would treat a beloved friend, pet or family member I am aligned with the healing energy of the body.
• When I am aligned with the healing energy of the body my heart feels expansive and connected to the good in my life.
• When I am connected with the good in my life I feel peaceful and calm and my body begins to respond to the care that I am providing through my awareness of self and what I need to be fully present and to be healthy in my own life.

In sharing with you my intention for 2022 I am making a commitment to myself and the universe, which includes all of you, that I will do better and be better in 2022 as inspiration and guidance leads me to live my best life.  

My hope is that your intentions for 2022 are inspired and grounded in the beauty that exists in your life so that you may enjoy more of it as each day passes.

Please check out my book “Take a Breath, The Path to Living Your Best Life” to provide more support in understanding human consciousness, energy and love.

Blessings to all and may you all live a year in appreciation and gratitude for the good in your life.

#takeabreath #love #liveyourbestlife #blessings #newyear #goals #inspiration #intention #selfcare #selflove #lifeisgood #appreciation#gratitude

This caption is so true.  In my book Take a Breath, happy was the state of being I was seeking on my journey to reconnect with the parts of  me that had faded in my life. 

“when I began my healing journey, I had difficulty remembering the memories of the good things in my life as I had held on too tightly to the painful ones” – Sharon Deugo

What I discovered, and share in the book, is that each moment of our life is meant to flow like the water in a river from its source to its final destination.  The source of the water provides a space for the water to seek its path as it flows outward and moves in the direction that it is destined to follow.  Obstacles along the path can be overcome by moving around, through and over what ever appears to create resistance as it flows towards its destination.

Being happy is like the source of a river. It is a state of being, it is source energy.  Happy can be your source energy if you choose it.  It will create the flow of life which will take you down a path the seeks what is like it.  If you choose happy as your source you are also choosing your destination.  The path in between will have its obstacles, however, knowing the path you are on will give you the power, strength, and creativity to move around, through and over whatever is taking you off your path to happy.  

Each obstacle is an opportunity to pause, assess, decide and move on.  What makes us mad, glad, sad, angry, frustrated, hurt, betrayed, abandoned, jealous, sick and tired can all be minor obstacles on our journey to our final destination of a happy life.  To grieve over the loss of a loved one, a job or stormy weather is natural, normal and expected.  However holding on to the sadness will stop the flow of your life and your ability to reach your destination.  

Make happy your source and then do your inner work to discover the parts of you that went missing when you got stuck on your path to living your best life.  If you need a little guidance to support the journey please connect at www.sharondeugo.com.  Simply take a breath and begin living your best life. 

Blessings and be happy.

#happy #lettinggo #breathe #energy #livingyourbest life #takeabreathbook #beingpresent #memories #journeyoflife #grateful #blessings

My recently published book, Take a Breath, has opened up some interesting doors for me as I continue to focus my attention on learning and understanding the importance of using the breath to stay present and focused on health and balance.

Recently a dear friend of mine introduced me to the work of Patrick McKeown, a breathing expert who incorporates the work of Dr. Konstantin Buteyko to address health issues related to poor breathing practises. The most obvious ones include asthma, sleep disorders, and performance issues related to sport.  However what intrigued me the most were the issues related to mental/emotional health as it is the main focus of my practice.

The COVID-19 pandemic has put the spotlight on the importance of respiratory health. Its like the universe has sent out a collective message to all of us not to take the “breath of life” for granted.  Hence, I am ready to update my book to include a chapter focused on proper breathing techniques to support the natural healing ability of the body to self regulate, moderate and calibrate our body system’s. The mindfulness connection to the heart through conscious breathing is an important piece to the puzzle but understanding the science behind it is the next level to breath work. 

Understanding the structure of the nose and how nitrous oxide forms in the sinuses as we breath in to create an anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-viral gas that we can breath directly into our lungs is mind blowing information. Think about this in light of the current virus. This is just the tip of the iceberg.  There is so much more cool science to understand. This type of information gets me excited and moves me toward wanting to learn and practice the exercises so I can take charge of my health and life balance.

I am currently reading the book The Oxygen Advantage and Anxiety Free, Stop Worrying and Quieten the Mind by Patrick McKeown, and I have also signed up for the Level One training course so that I can use this knowledge to support  those who are in my area of influence. 

My daily practices now include these new breathing techniques. I am noticing some really interesting changes as I slowly improve my ability to breath through my nose versus mouth breathing. It is amazing the difference it can make in sleep, energy, mood, detoxifying the body and improving the efficiency of other body systems.    

As a data/information type of person I am hoping who ever is reading this article is too. The more I understand and connect with the information the more it makes sense and resonates with the beliefs I currently carry. I want to share this information with as many people as possible, just like my friend who shared it with me. 

You will learn about nose breathing versus mouth breathing, using the diaphragm as the main breathing muscle versus upper chest breathing. The importance of mindfulness and presence is also reviewed which supports much of my work to keep you in the zone of living your best life  I invite anyone who reads this article to do your research and find out all you can about breathing and how doing it right can change your life. 

Many people who have yoga practices will be familiar with mindfulness breathing practices. However, there are so many different types of ways to breath. Understanding how the body uses the air we breath to keep us alive is really worth the investigation. Living our best life means each of us can do better and be better by staying focused on our self care.

Sending blessings, love and light as you discover more about the amazing capacity to breathe and stay present.

#takeabreath #breathe #breathing #patrickmckeown #theoxygenadvantage #thebreathingdiabetic #breatheXchange #drpaulsly #liveyourbestlife 

I began my day today with someone saying to me “you know you are awesome, right?”. It caused me to pause.  It was a take a breath moment.

I thought about the question and then I just embraced it and answered “yes I am”. It felt so good. In the past if anyone complimented me I always deflected or said something deprecating. It was not a good practice.  Learning to embrace the good parts of me and accepting compliments with grace and openness is what ignited major changes in my life. I would highly recommend that you practice this every time someone extends a compliment or validates your awesomeness. When you do it will transform the way you think and feel about yourself. This is a huge awareness to embrace so pay attention. It gets better.

One of my coaches asked me many years ago to list the people in my life that I admired and aspired to be like and to include the reason why. My list was quite long and many of the people were public figures, authors, actors, talk show hosts, influencers in my life and many more. The qualities these people possessed were diverse. My vision for myself was to be the best version of me by embracing the qualities that my role models possessed.

While reviewing the list of attributes with my coach he reminded me of Martha Beck’s “If you spot it, you got it” theory. He told me that if I can see these qualities in another, it means that they also exist in me. If they didn’t, I wouldn’t be able to see them. He explained this as the law of reflection and that it was scientific to the letter.

He suggested that if I didn’t feel I possessed the quality I needed to look deeper into my self and ask what part of me was holding back its expression in my life.

This is where the real work started for me in terms of finding my awesome.

I had to figure out what I believed about myself that prevented me from seeing the quality in me and only in another. I discuss these strategies in my book Take a Breath so I won’t go into too much detail here. The point I am making is that you are awesome.  Do you believe it? Can you embrace it? How do you express it? 

Trust me on this, you would not be reading this article if you were not awesome.  You and I are connected through the laws of energy and whatever attracted you to me was an energy that is like itself.  Remember the laws of energy state scientifically that what you radiate you magnetize.  I radiated awesomeness and I magnetized YOU!!  Yes you are awesome and my wish for you is to have an awesome long week-end.  

I used the cover of my book to illustrate awesome… the view, nature, mountains, it all is so beautiful and amazing…. It makes you pause and realize that if you open your heart and embrace what is right in front of you, you can accept that it is also in you. Beauty, wonder, expansiveness, connection.  It is all there for you to embrace and radiate.

Sending love, light and blessing to all the hearts that are open to receive.

#awesome #connection #oneness #reflection #energy #love #longweekendfun #takeabreath #sharondeugo #blessings #heart #loveandlight

REFLECTION

I love this image.  A tree is mirrored perfectly in the quiet stillness of a beautiful lake. The reflection is identical to the real tree.

Recently, someone said to me, “Everything was just starting to turn around for me and then the pandemic hit, I can’t catch a break.” They followed up with a series of questions that included, “Why does everything in my life have to be so difficult?”, “What have I done to deserve this?” “What am I doing wrong?”,  “How do I change this?”. Although we are all experiencing the uncertainty of Covid-19, this person was taking it personally. 

The answers to these questions are best understood through the principle of reflection and the laws of energy as they apply to your life. The process of unpacking these questions has been the focus of my work as an energy practitioner and a transformation life coach for the past 20 years.  

I remember reading an article in Oprah Magazine many years ago by Martha Beck. In the article she used the phrase “If you spot it, you got it”. How I understood this phrase is what you see or judge in another is also in you. And if what you are judging is also in you, then it means that the person or situation is reflecting for you what needs to be dealt with in your own life.

The principle of reflection in transformation work is to understand that whatever you think, say, do, believe, and feel will be reflected back to you through the experiences and people that show up in your life. If you think about your physical reflection in the mirror, you can understand that you can’t change your image until you change the person (you) who is being reflected. The same holds true with your internal energy systems.

All of the energy that you carry is constantly seeking similar energy to connect to so you can experience it more fully. Understanding this principle provides you with the basis for answering the questions posed earlier. For example, if your life seems to be difficult or chaotic, rather than project outward to lay blame or find fault in others, go inward and ask what part of me attracts difficult or chaotic situations, experiences and people in my life? Is it a belief you hold that life is hard? Could it be a recurring thought that it’s a dog eat dog world? Once you find the source, you can work to change it.  

Now, you have an opportunity to change the energy of the old belief to one that will create the life that you want. What would your life reflect if you believed life is abundant and full, I am blessed and grateful for all the good in my life?

The principle of reflection means that everything in your life is a reflection of you.  Unless you do your own inner work to discover what is seeking to be changed, transformed or healed, nothing will change. Your life will stay the same until you decide to change and look at life differently. Changing your reflection internally means you have to change your “mind” first to begin the process.

If you believe life is difficult, it will be. However if you believe life has many blessings, with a few bumps along the way, you will definitely have a less difficult life experience.  

Covid-19 showed up in all of our lives. The question now becomes what is being reflected in this challenge that can transform, change and heal each of us moving forward? What has been triggered in you? What judgments are you making? What are you doing with your time? What challenges are you faced with and how are you dealing with them?  Are you finding new strategies to handle this crisis or are you repeating patterns and habits from the past?

If you take some time to uncover the answers to these questions I think you will begin to see that you have more control in your life than you give yourself credit for.  It is up to you to create the image of yourself, inside and out that you want reflected in the world. As you practice changing your “mind” you will notice that the people, experiences and situations you want most in your life will begin to be reflected back to you. Gandhi said it best when he said: “Be the change you wish to see in the world”.  Reflect light and it will be reflected back to you…. Reflect shadow and darkness and it too will be reflected back to you. The decision is yours to make.

Take a deep breath, pause and listen to the quiet stillness in your heart. Follow its guidance and begin to reflect the parts of you that are grateful, appreciative, inspired and passionate about your life. When you do, watch as your image begins to transform in the mirror…. 

I will continue to send love, light and blessings to all who are open to receive it.

#reflection #mirror #healing #change #transformation #covid19 #energy #takeabreath #principle #love #light #blessings.

For most of us, the Covid-19 pandemic has certainly brought to the forefront feelings of fear and uncertainty.  Fear on the emotional scale of energy is hugely contagious and can be dangerous. Fear creates a range of emotions from anger, frustration, anxiety, and depression to hopelessness, helplessness and panic. Experiencing this on a global scale within the collective consciousness of humanity can be overwhelming and I for one want to shift out of fear and into love. It just feels better.

In this blog I want to offer a perspective on how to transform fear into something that feels better and more manageable on an individual scale. If this topic resonates, I hope this helps. 

Have you ever noticed that no matter what you are experiencing, whether it is joy or sadness, there is a background feeling of fear about life? When you are in the feeling of joy, for example, has your mind ever taken you to thoughts like “this probably won’t last’, “this is too good to be true”, “I just have to wait and the other shoe will drop”, “I don’t deserve to be happy”? If you can relate to any of these thoughts, you know what I am talking about. 

What are all these thoughts about?  Where does this fear come from? When these questions surfaced in my own life I decided it was time to figure out what was going on. I began to research and do healing work to find some answers. There is no better way to get started on a project than to have a goal that will set you on a path to find answers to the deeper questions that will have you living a better life.

I began to focus my attention and work in the field of energy and consciousness. The first step was to get in touch with my own patterns and habits of thought and behaviour. My course of study in university was psychology/sociology so I knew the importance of connecting with data, information and courses of study that would guide me. I also knew I couldn’t do it alone so I began to do the work to find the human resources that would support me in finding the answers.  

In my book, Take a Breath, I share with you what I discovered about fear and why it plays like background music in our head.  To get right to the point the answer is simply because it is a choice that many of us have made based on beliefs we carry in our consciousness. These beliefs may not be obvious to you because they are in the background of your mind, i.e., subconscious. Subconscious beliefs are activated without a conscious thought on your part. They simply become a habit of thought and a pattern of behaviour because you believe that life is just the way it is.

What if I told you that you can transform fear right here and now if you make a conscious decision to just change your mind? This sounds pretty simple doesn’t it. I am sure you might even begin to think if it is so simple why isn’t everyone doing it. Well the truth is, it is simple. However it is not easy.  Changing habits and patterns based on subconscious beliefs requires you to understand that thoughts can be addictive much like alcohol, food and drugs.

To change the behaviour or addiction you must first be willing to acknowledge the habit and pattern. The transformation comes from a conscious decision to move down a different path. For example when you notice that you are thinking thoughts that are fear-based, rather than going into the fear, you can pause to acknowledge the fear. 

The word “notice’ suggests that you are conscious of what you are feeling. This is perfect. The word “acknowledge” means that you are paying attention and you are taking responsibility for what you are feeling. This is even better. Now is the moment to get really excited.

You have just given your self permission to be present with your feelings. You are self aware.  This is where all the magic exists. Present moment consciousness is where change happens. 

For example, if you notice yourself losing your joy, you can take a deep breath to slow the thoughts in your head so you can really hear what they are saying. Once you separate from the thoughts, you will realize that you are not your thoughts. The thoughts are energy moving through your head. Your conscious self can now observe your subconscious thoughts. This is so important to understand and to practice.

The breath is key here. When you take a conscious breath you are pausing the thoughts cycling through your mind. This creates the space for you to separate from the thought and bring yourself back into your body and right mind. In your conscious mind you can actually hear the voice in your head.

Once you are aware of what you are thinking, your conscious self can decide to either change your mind to hold onto your joy or you can lose your mind to the subconscious thoughts you created. If you choose the latter, it will result in the patterns and habits of thoughts I shared with your earlier continuing to play out in your experience. 

You will notice here that I am putting the responsibility on you. You can blame or project what you feel onto others or you can own your feelings. What you feel is real and it is personal to you. The key to transformation is rooted in this truth. When you own your feelings you are in control and you can change them based on what you want to experience versus what you don’t. However when you project your feelings outward you lose your power and ability to change because you are making someone else responsible.

Fear can be transformed when you take responsibility for what you feel. Know that to be true. You have the power to make it happen. Changing your mind takes practice, commitment and most of all, courage. To challenge old belief structures that have created your patterns and habits can be exhausting work. However you are worth that effort. Trust me, if you do the work you will uncover and discover the best parts of your self.  

We were all meant to live in joy, no matter the circumstances. Have faith, trust and surrender to this truth. It will change your life. When everything is said and done, if you let your background music change from fear to love I guarantee your heart will open to joy, love, calm, peace, and happy energy.  This is where you will begin to feel like you are on the path to living your best life.

Love is always the answer and when you are focused on love, fear has no place to nest.  Remember you can not change what you do not acknowledge.  You must acknowledge fear to transform fear.  Pay attention, take a breath, and love yourself enough to practice daily the work required to transform the fear to an energy that just feels better.

Blessings,

#takeabreath #conscious #healing #fear #transformation #change #love #self #magic #energy

This quote is from my soon to be published book, “Take a Breath, The Path to Living Your Best Life”…https://sharondeugo.com/

Covid-19 became real in Canada in February of 2020 and it is almost 20 years ago, to the day when in 2000, I was catapulted into the scariest and most challenging life event that I could have imagined. My husband was laying in a hospital bed and I was told that the uncertainty of his condition meant that I should prepare myself and my family for the worst.  

It was in the depths of this overwhelming situation that I found myself experiencing the most profound shift in my consciousness. I found strength and courage that I did not know I possessed. I discovered the power of connecting to my heart and to the love of family, friends and community to guide me when I needed it the most. I witnessed the strength of the human spirit as my husband responded to treatments and timelines guided by his “will “ to live.  “Take a Breath”, is the story of how this connection was made possible and how it is within all of us to discover.

Now, 20 years later, I, my family, my friends, my community, and my world are collectively experiencing the scariest and most challenging event in our life-time. I do not believe in coincidences or accidents in life. I believe that we are always right where we are supposed to be on the pendulum of learning, teaching, experiencing and moving through life. The fact that we are all in this together makes this moment in our life time an opportunity to see what we are made of and what we each have to learn about our “self” as we react to this crisis.

As we follow social/physical distancing guidelines of our Government and health organizations to prevent the spread of this virus, it will give all of us time to contemplate our life from a different vantage point. It was Marianne Williamson who said, “This is a time we can’t go wide, but we can go deep”.  This is our time to go into self-reflection, care and love.

I, for one, am blown away by the synchronicity and timing of this challenge in relation to the content of my book and it being published now. When I finished writing it last year I was not certain whether I would publish it. I shared it with my family and they encouraged me to look into publishing it for a larger audience.  My 93 year old father was the one that was the most insistent. He said “there is an important message in this book. If an old guy like me can learn something new and think differently than there will be more people out there, with a lot longer life to live than me. If they can benefit from your message than you need to publish it.”

His words meant the world to me, so in January I reached out to a Canadian self-publishing company, Tellwell, and with their incredible team of professionals I will have a book to share in the next month with a message that will hopefully guide people through this time of challenge. Is it a coincidence?  You know that I do not believe in coincidences.  However, I do believe there is definitely something  in the ethers that is guiding us all to do our part in bringing healing and wholeness to the world we live in.  I can’t help but think that this book and its content was divinely guided by the unseen forces that knew exactly when and how it should manifest.  I am grateful to have had the guidance in the last 20 years to do the work and stay the course.

I send love, light and blessings to those that are open to receive it and pray daily for the healing of our planet and world as this crisis moves us forward on the path of living our best life.