Just released: New guided meditation recordings

5 new recordings just posted in Volume 2.

I’ve just posted 5 new guided meditation recordings. Thank you to everyone who has downloaded and enjoyed my recordings previously.

I’ve had lovely feedback from people who have downloaded my meditation recordings.  Whether you are a novice or experienced meditator, these recordings are a wonderful way to keep meditation in your life.

Volume 2’s guided meditation recordings is now 60% off as an introductory price. (Regular $29.94, on sale for $11.98 CAD).  Try some for free.  In fact, both Volumes 1 and 2 are on sale now.

On each volume:

• 2 instructional recordings for beginners
• 5 guided meditations, with a choice of my voice (female) or James’ voice (male)
• Each guided meditation is 15-20 minutes long – easily fit them into your busy life
• Listen to sample clips before you decide to download
• Professional recordings with soothing background music
• Developed from years of personal and teaching experience

Volume 1 meditations:

1) Basic Breathing & Relaxation. Foundational breath meditation to get you into the present moment. Includes a special relaxation breath. (Length:  14:10)

2) Healing Screen. Filter out stress and discomfort from your body, feeling refreshed and clear. A favourite in all my classes! (Length: 16.25)

3) Healing Tree. Experience serenity of mind and body when you encounter healing fruits (Length: 16:45)

4) Letting Go. Release what disturbs you with a soothing silent mantra. (Length: 16:40)

5) Self-Confidence. Cultivate self-confidence by learning to feel confidence in your body. (Length: 15:25)

Volume 2 meditations (just released):

1) Gratitude. Cultivate gratitude and feel it in your body. (Length: 15:50)

2) Meeting a Trusted Guide. Develop your intuitive ability and learn to listen to guidance (Length: 23:15)

3) Smiling. Experience the joy that smiling with a loved one brings.  (Length: 15:30)

4) Concentration. Practice improving your concentration. (Length: 13:25)

5) Tree of Life. Be nurtured like a tree, from both the earth and the sky.  Feel grounded. (Length: 14:10)

Please to go ‘Meditation Recordings‘.  It’s easy to download them.

With these recordings, I offer you peace and calm in your life.

~Wendy Quan

State-of-the-art: UC Berkeley’s ‘Mindfulness at Work’ conference

Conference at UC Berkeley in California in November

I am excited to be speaking and teaching at UC Berkeley’s conference dedicated to successfully implementing mindfulness into workplaces.  Imagine, a conference specifically on this subject!  Please help me spread the word about this or join me at this conference in California   🙂

Mindfulness & Well-Being at Work conference, Nov 2015

The description:

Join Wendy Quan of Pacific Blue Cross – along with other top scientists, workplace leaders, and mindfulness teachers as they share practical strategies to help transform your work experience and your workplace. This two-day event will cover the state-of-the-art mindfulness at work information and offer in-depth, hands-on workshops. Group rates, sponsorship opportunities, and other discounts available.

Wendy Quan’s train-the-facilitator workshop will equip participants with the tools to set up and run ongoing meditation and mindfulness sessions in their workplace.

I’ll be in superb company as the line-up of Mindfulness and Well-Being conference speakers is impressive.

The Greater Good Science Center of UC Berkeley sponsors groundbreaking scientific research into social and emotional well-being, and brings the research to lives of people’s personal and work loves.

When UC Berkeley called to invite me to speak, what struck me is that this is being put on by their Greater Good Science Center. This center is part of UC Berkeley, put together for making lives more meaningful!  My website’s name was ‘Meaningful Western Life’ before it turned into ‘The Calm Monkey’ – so the alignment of values here was completely perfect!  They also take the research produced by UC Berkeley and translate it into meaningful purposes for people, communities and families.

This will be another highlight of my life and I am extremely grateful to be speaking and teaching at this conference.

This opportunity came about because of my white paper selected as the top winning paper by the Association of Change Management Professionals (ACMP) for their 2015 global conference:  Meditation – A Powerful Change Management Tool 2015, W Quan.

With much gratitude, I wish you a wonderful day.

~Wendy

 

A Wondrous Company

James Fielden is not only my meditation recording partner, but also a treasured friend of mine. I invite you to listen to his purely beautiful recordings of his own poetry on his website. If you go to his site, you can play his amazing recordings.

Chia seed pudding – super easy!

Add toppings of your choice for this refreshing and simple dessert!

Once I discovered how delicious, nutritious and easy chia seed pudding was, it became an all-time favourite in my personal cookbook.  All you do is mix the ingredients together and chill it in the fridge for a few hours, and you’re done!

Chia seeds are fast becoming more popular as a superfood, known for being high in nutrients, antioxidants, protein and fiber, and even weight loss.

I personally enjoy the dark chia seeds more than the white ones due to the flavour.  This pudding recipe is refreshing and has a tapioca-like texture. Everyone I serve it to loves it!  This recipe could not be any easier.

Chia Seed Pudding – Ingredients:

• 2.5 cups almond milk (or alternatively cashew, hazelnut, hemp or coconut milk). I use unsweetened almond milk.
• 2 to 3 tbsp agave, or raw honey
• 1/2 cup dark chia seeds

 Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients together in a bowl, then stir.  I find if I wait a few minutes then stir again, it helps to remove any lumps.
2. Chill for about 2 to 4 hours in the fridge.  Stir again and you’ll notice a nice tapioca-like consistency.
3. Top with your favourite things such as:  berries, sliced almonds, pistachios, cinnamon, etc.

This makes 4 servings.

Enjoy!  You’ll love it!

~Wendy

My life is overwhelming!

Life feels so fast and busy. How do you cope?
Photo credit: James Fielden.

I feel a level of sadness when I notice how every single day I have people telling me how overwhelming their lives are.  I hear:

• “My life is just so busy, I don’t have time for anything!”
• “There’s not enough hours in the day to do everything.”
• “I know I put this onto myself.  It’s me who creates the pressure to do everything, but…”
• “I’m exhausted.”

Sound familiar?

I’m certainly not immune to feeling this way either sometimes and it does take work to keep a good perspective in check.  Here are some tips that may help if you are feeling this way:

1. First, take a breath.  Honestly, this may sound silly, but your breath is always available to you even on the busiest of days.  Pause and take some slow, conscious breaths. This will help ground yourself in the present moment and give you a mental break from your busy day. It feels so good to just breathe.
2. Adopt an attitude of “There is exactly enough time to do what’s important in my life.”  When you change your perspective and take on a different attitude towards your life, your experience of life changes.  Say this quietly to yourself several times, then see how you feel.
3. Take a mindful approach using Tara Brach’s RAIN.

I am a work-in-progress, but I am making progress!  Through self-awareness and making conscious choices, I know that the important things in life will happen as and when they should.  I go with the flow of life.

Life is about the present moment, and ensuring we don’t let these moments pass by unnoticed because we are too busy trying to get somewhere else.

Wishing you all the best,

~Wendy