A new year of gratitude

Today, and every day, is a chance to remember the beauty you have in your life. Here is a photo taken yesterday as I went for a walk with my friend at Jericho beach park in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The turning of the calendar

Some reflect

Some worry

Some stress

Some plan

Some are sad, some are happy,

But most of all, it’s another opportunity to be grateful for the time we have here on earth.

As the calendar turns, may I ask, where is your mind right now?

As we close 2014, I wish you love, light and laughter now and for 2015.

Thank you for following my blog.

~Wendy

Christmas Mindfulness

This time of year is filled with a myriad of experiences – joy, stress, time off work or the overwhelming feeling that Christmas is coming much too fast!

This is a gentle reminder to practice mindfulness at this time of year.

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is the awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally to things as they are.

How would you practice Mindfulness at this time of year?

There are many opportunities to practice mindfulness!  Here are a few:

Non-judging – not getting caught in a stream of likes and dislikes.  Catching yourself when tending to judge, such as when people are behaving ‘selfishly’ or ‘arrogantly’ at a party.  Watch when you might start to judge, and what thoughts or feelings may arise without acting on them in any way.

Patience – allowing things to be exactly as they are, watching them unfold at their own pace.  Not rushing to get from one moment to the next.  Christmas shopping is definitely a time to practice patience!  When standing in line, simply ‘be’, and it’s a good time to do a standing meditation.

Acceptance – Seeing things as they are in the present moment.  Accepting doesn’t mean we have to like the way things are, or passively resign ourselves to them. It simply means developing a willingness to see things as they are.  If you feel roped into too many social events, for example, try seeing them with a willingness to go with the flow and have the experiences they give to you.

Be present – stay present and in the ‘now’.  Giving 100% attention to whatever you are doing means you aren’t ruminating about the past or worrying about the future.  If you are having a conversation with someone, give them all your attention.  If you are cooking dinner for a party, be present, and enjoy preparing the dinner, and stop worrying if things will turn out perfectly.

At this time, I thank all my readers, and I wish you a beautiful Christmas filled with inner joy.

~Wendy

 

 

Super Easy Almond Roca recipe

Merry Orbs & Almond Roca

One thing that brings me joy at this time of year is one of our traditions – making home-made Almond Roca that is definitely not on the healthy eating list (and for those of you who know me, you know this is an indulgence for me!).

I’d like to share my recipe for Home-Made Almond Roca.  It’s flat, like almond bark that you bake, freeze, then break-up into pieces. It’s easy and awesome!  And people LOVE this because it’s not hard like a brittle, it’s softer to eat and so delicious!  The other treat pictured above on the left are Merry Orbs – a fantastic healthy chocolate/peanut butter treat.

Almond Roca – Ingredients

•  35 crackers (I use unsalted Premium Plus crackers)
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar (I use raw cane sugar)
• 2 cups choc chips
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup sliced, blanched almonds

Directions:

1. Line a cookie pan with tin foil (the type of cookie pan that has ridges around the edges).  Place crackers side by side to cover the bottom of the pan.
2. In a pot, melt butter and slowly add the brown sugar, slowly bring to a boil and lightly boil 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Pour the sugar/butter mixture over the crackers and even out with a spatula.
4. Bake in oven at 350 for 10 – 12 minutes. Enjoy watching it bubble!
5. Take the pan out of the oven, and use a fork to rearrange the crackers so they are straight and tightly touching each other.
6. While it’s still hot, sprinkle chocolate chips on top, let melt for 5 minutes and use a knife to spread the chocolate evenly (the funnest part!).
7. Sprinkle almonds on top of the chocolate.
8. Put the pan in the freezer, wait until hardened (maybe about an hour; leaving it in longer is not a problem).
9. Then breakup into chunks using your hands.

It is best to store these in the freezer or fridge, otherwise it may melt and become too soft.

Enjoy!  You’ll love it!

Happy Holidays are here!

~Wendy

Dr. Soon-Shiong finding new ways to consider cancer

Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong is finding multiple ways to attack cancer.

This 60 Minutes 13 minute video is important to watch if you know someone with cancer, or are worried that you might get cancer someday.  A multi-billionaire surgeon, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, is making the news in the cancer world by taking unique views on what cancer is, and how to treat it.

Watch the video, and you’ll see the various ways he is researching and thinking out-of-the-box about cancer.  He believes soon cancer can turn into a chronic disease rather than a killer disease, and that cancer cells aren’t necessarily growing out of control, but instead are cells that are not dying as they should be.

A genius who is able to describe his discoveries to the average person. Amazing!

Dr. Soon-Shiong is an incredible person.  What a drive, what a genius.  Thank you for dedicating your wealth and your life to help the world, Dr. Soon-Shiong.

Watch the video here.

I can’t wait to see his journey of discovery to change the world.

~Wendy

 

Celebrating Life today!

Birthdays – a great time to celebrate life.

Hi everyone,

Today is my birthday. It’s a rather ‘big’ birthday, so I’m a having a typical human experience of reflecting on my life and stressing out a little about a milestone birthday.

But overarching all this, is the feeling of Celebrating Life.  I am here, I’m alive, I am keeping myself healthy, and my life is filled with wonderful people who make my existence all worthwhile.

The yin and yang of life, the ups and downs, all make us human and life is rarely boring.

Thank you to each of my readers – you are out there, and we connect through this thing that we used to refer to as the ‘information highway’.  I’m probably showing my age by using terms like the ‘information highway’ and admitting that I love 80’s disco, but who cares!

A beautiful singing bowl from Nepal that I will use when I teach meditation! Thank you my dear, Vera.

Oh!  I got my first birthday gift just now – look!!  An authentic singing bowl from Nepal!  I’m so thrilled!  Thank you to my angelic, dear friend, Vera.  What a lovely start to my special day.

Sending out love, light and laughter to everyone today, and always.  Please celebrate life and enjoy the moments.

Love, light and laughter,

~Wendy