Head out back and breathe

It is as simple as taking a deep breath. Just step out the back door, find your favorite perch, close your mouth and inhale. Then, exhale. Repeat. Mask with the Molecule of the Year (1992) You’ll recapture your sense of calm when you spend some time with the sun on your face and the wind at your back.

Tips to Follow

• Be comfortable. Dress comfortably. Cover up with a blanket if it is cold. Avoid wearing shoes-let your feet connect with the earth.
• Avoid distractions. If you take your cell phone outside, turn it on silent mode to avoid being alarmed by its ringtone. For now, you plan to exchange your own world for that your breath and the outdoors has to offer.
• Forget about the noise going on in your head. Allow the stressful thoughts to exit on your exhale. Just let go of all the pressures. You’re in one of your favorite places now. No worries exist in the serenity of your own backyard!
• Listen to the sounds that surround you. Connect with the leaves rustling in the wind or the singing birds. Try to hear as many different sounds as possible.

Head out back and play in the dirt

Sometimes the secret to finding serenity in your own back yard is as easy as playing in the dirt.

Tips to follow (green thumb, or not)

• Focus on visual cues to relax. Leave your world behind. Look around and notice the green around you. Look for the dirt patches. Find the tiny ants crawling on a log, the lounging lizards, or the intricate spider webs glistening in the sun.
• Steep yourself in the smells of your surroundings. What is that fragrance? The hint of a Rose? The woodsy fragrance of a tree? Breathe in and breathe out consciously. Identify as many smells as you can.
• The tactile sensations come next. Is there a dandelion you can use to tickle your arm? Can you feel the grain of course soil between your fingertips? Are you able to feel the dewy grass under your feet? In addition to experiencing the sights, sounds and smells of the outdoors, physically coming into contact with nature is an important part of finding serenity in your own backyard.
• Be aware of what the air feels like. Maybe the sun is shining directly on your skin. Or perhaps you’re under a tree where it’s cool and breezy. Move around to discover as many different places of serenity as possible in your own backyard. You may find different areas you enjoy at different times of the day. When you find an area you like, decorate it with items that soothe you.

Mindset is Key

Although life can be overwhelming, we can use nature as a reprieve. We can choose to focus on the negative constantly, or we can allow the energy of nature to give us a break, if only for a moment. Even the smallest piece of nature can make a big difference, if you put your mind in the right place.

Tips for Optimal Mind-set

• Think about gratitude. What are you grateful for in your life? Focus on the simple things. “I love feeling the sun on my face in my backyard.” “I’m grateful for the sunset I see each evening from my kitchen window.” “I’m grateful for having eyes to see and hands that work for me.”
• Reflect on your accomplishments. Toward the end of your backyard serenity session, give yourself a pat on the back for a difficult situation you’ve survived recently.
• Enjoy the peace. Realize that right at this moment, you feel a sense of calm, peacefulness, and serenity that you can return to any time you want, because it is in your own backyard!
• Use essential oils to increase focus or to curb seasonal irritations. www.mydoterra.com/denisekuhn

In Conclusion

To experience nature, you do not need to leave the safety of your own back yard. Simply, immerse yourself in the experiences of your immediate surroundings. Allow yourself to be keenly aware of the sights, sounds, smells, and atmosphere around you. No matter how big or small your favorite backyard spots are, visit them regularly to return to what’s most important: You!

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Rewilding balances a dying ecosystem (or a biome) by re-introducing one or many different forms of life. As the newly established flora and fauna grow, the biome becomes balanced and diverse. Without this biodiversity, natual and human systems fail to reach their full potential. That’s why it’s important to rewild your life to bloom your biome

Rewilding History

In the 1990’s, rewilding began as an attempt to preserve biodiversity in nature. One of the most widely known examples of “re-wilding” took place in Yellow Stone National Park in 1994. At that time, humans hunted Wolves to extinction. Without the wolves, the Elk stopped hiding. As, the elk moved to and grazed the grasslands, massive cascades of change followed. Smaller animal population dwindled, riverbanks began to erode, and the land became barren. To help restore balance, conservationists placed fifteen wolves back into the Yellowstone habitat. As the wolves began to to prey on the Elk; the grasslands, the riverbanks, and the animal population began to flourish. Yellowstone is now one the most beautiful and visited natural landscapes in North America.

Rewilding Humans

As we already know, rewilding humans has nothing to do with chandeliers or table tops. However, it does have to do with parting from modern gadgets. Without a break from modern technology, the bacteria, fungi, and other organisms that comprise much of our human form will die. The guilty pollutants come from devices, food, medication, and many items humans use on a daily basis. Unfortunately, this constant exposure is reducing human biodiversity. Just as the extinction of the wolves caused a loss of biodiversity in Yellowstone years ago, technology is causing an extinction of the human microbiome. As a result, now is the time to rewild your life to bloom your biome.

Tips to Rewild your life to Bloom your Biome

• Go Barefoot– Get your feet dirty. Release some of your positively charged, oxidated ions back to mother earth.
• Play in the dirt-Plant something. Reconnect with the earth and disconnect from the blue light of technology.
• Hug your dog– Let it give you a few kisses. Dogs are great for increasing the diversity of the human microbiome.
• Breathe Wild Air– Get outside, close your mouth, and breathe! Let your nose go to work!
• Play Outside-Get childish! Roll in the grass. Stomp through the leaves. Play in the puddles. Frolic in all the glory that nature has to offer. Rewild your life and bloom your biome!
• Stop and smell the Flowers-But don’t stop there, smell the trees, the bushes, the grass, and the water. See if you describe the differences. Write them down. Look back later to stimulate your brain.
• Create a nature photo journal– Take photographs of all the natural wonders that inspire you. Make a book to browse through. Develop pictures to decorate your space. When you can’t go to nature to relax, you can bring nature to you.
• Experience the change of the seasons– Enjoy each season for what it has to offer. Get as cold as safely tolerated in winter. Heat up as much as safely possible in summer. Get as dirty as possible with the soil in spring. Immerse yourself as deeply as you can the colors of fall. Toughen up, butter cup. Thicken the thin skin to bloom your biome!
• Visit local ecosystems regularly-Every community has natural biology to offer. It’s not necessary to go far to enjoy the outdoors. Even your own backyard can bloom your biome.
• Leave your phone at home-It is possible to set your phone down. Let your eyes rest. You will be amazed at the freedom leaving your phone behind has to offer.
• Try natural, toxin-free products to repopulate your microbiome–http://www.mydoterra.com/denisekuhn

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What is a well-balanced life?

It’s a life that has all the resources and activities that you most desire. It largely avoids feelings of sacrifice. A balanced life isn’t for those that want to be the best in the world at something. It’s not for the people that live on the edge or the fringe. Contrarily, It’s for regular people that want to enjoy all aspects of life, rather than focus on one thing.

In short, a balanced life contains everything you want it to contain.

All balanced lives have several things in common:

1. Finances. When you’re struggling to pay your bills, your life feels unbalanced. If you can’t do the things you most want to do for financial reasons, your life feels unbalanced. If you are spending all of your waking hours trying to make enough money, your life feels miserable.
   
   1. You don’t need to be wealthy to have a balanced life, but you should decide how much money you need to feel secure. To gain financial balance, set a savings goal and put money toward it each pay period. Remember, you should pay yourself first!
      
2. Transportation. Feeling balanced and in control means you can you get where you need to be, when you need to be there. Remember, transportation can take the form of walking, public transportation, ride services, friends, or your own vehicle.
   
   1. Reliable transportation is an important part of feeling balanced and in control of your life. Remember, sometimes having a car is just a liability. It may be better not to own one in some situations. If not, remember to plan ahead for transportation if you do not have your own.
      

3. Friends. Some people might need ten friends; for others, one might be plenty. However, we all need at least one friend. Humans are not meant to do everything alone.
   
4. Intimate relationship. Intimacy is optional for many people, but entirely necessary for others. Remember, Intimacy comes in many forms. Weather you are looking for physical, spiritual, or emotional intimacy, most of us do better if we have an intimate relationship, or a relationship with the potential to become intimate. Busy people often mistakenly neglect this area of their life.
   
5. Health. Poor health can quickly change the direction of your life. Prevention is the best way to a well-balanced life that includes a healthy mind, spirit, body, and soul. With this awareness, it’s important to know that over 70% of chronic illness can be prevented with healthy life style choices! That leaves only 30% of your health that isn’t 100% under your control! So, remember, you actually have more control over your health outcomes than you’ve probably been exercising.
   
6. Time. When you don’t have enough free time, your life feels unbalanced. Since time is one of the only non-renewable resources we possess, it’s important to decide how much free time you need to feel good about yourself and your life. That amount is different for everyone. However, if you don’t have time to do the things you really want to do, you should consider reorganizing your schedule so you get the most out of your precious journey.
   
7. Fun. Everyone needs to have some fun-more than just once in a while. Without thinking too hard, make a list of five things you like to do for fun. Make it a point to do at least one of the fun things from your list weekly-if not daily!
   
8. Personal growth. Progress is part of feeling whole. We feel great when we’re making, growing, learning, and expanding our view of the world. Again, write a list of three ways you have grown and changed in the last six months. For example, I have been watching Brendon Burchard’s Growth Day Videos to develop High Performance Habits with my son. If you cannot think of any, write down three ways you want to change in the next six months.
   
9. Career. Making money is one thing. Choosing your career path is another. Although, they can be closely related, choosing haphazardly can create an unhappy and unbalanced life. If you make plenty of money, but hate how you make it, your life is not as pleasant as you deserve it to be. Choose wisely- be sure you pick a path you enjoy with people you will enjoy associating with!
   

Do you have a balanced life? It’s not always easy to know, but if your strive for these things, balance will be much closer than you think:

1.Do you have the money and time to take care of yourself, your family, and to do the things you most want to do?

2.Do you have the social life you desire?

3.Do you have enough time in your week to have fun and grow personally?

4.Do you enjoy your career?

Now, you have a checklist to assess if your life is balanced or not. If it’s not, decide what are you going to do to re-balance it! Remember, persistence beats resistance, every time!

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