I had a photoshoot this weekend with a professional photographer (because, you know, I’m fancy like that), and she gave me a piece of advice that resulted in awesome photographs.

The advice?  Breathe.

Yeah yeah, I know.  We hear that all the time.  But she showed me the difference.  It was right there in her camera, undeniable, staring me in the face: when I took a deep breath and then let it out, my face relaxed, my eyes opened up, and I looked more present and connected.  When I wasn’t breathing I looked nervous and tense.  I had visible proof that breathing makes a difference.

So what’s the big deal?  We all breathe.  And we tell ourselves and one another all the time to slow down, stop and breathe.  I’ve said it here before.  We all say this. But what does it mean? Read the rest of this entry »

It’s hard to believe right now while our kids are still small, but one day they will be grown up and they’ll be looking back on their childhoods, reflecting and remembering.  Certain things will stand out to them, certain things that were important or intense or simply memorable.  What will they remember?  Read the rest of this entry »

Yep, my weight loss journey is at a stand still again. Now that the wedding has past, I knew I had to set a goal to keep me on track, but it’s been difficult adjusting to the new school schedule.

Being a solo mom all week, driving the kids to New Town from the rental so they can attend the school they would be in if the house was built, cooking, cleaning, shopping…well I’ll be honest and say although my intentions are good, I’m falling into a funk with snacking and not going to the gym.

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One of my original goals was to fit into a bridesmaid dress for my brother’s wedding. Seeing as I was a size 16/18 when I started this journey in January, I was sure excited when the zipper went up on a Junior size 12/13 last weekend, which the saleslady said was the equivalent of an adult 10.
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I moved recently, and I’ve been hitting up Craigslist, Freecycle, and other groups both to download stuff at my old place and to upload new stuff at the new.  From all these interactions, which have ranged from good to bad to downright ugly, I’ve learned a few things.  Things that are totally applicable to the business world, and, well, to Real Life.  Things your mother should have taught you.  Things you are likely already passing on to your own kids: Read the rest of this entry »

Last night I went to a group meditation, my first group sit since the ten-day meditation retreat I went to in late June.  Here is what we did:

• we sat
• we walked
• we drank tea

I know, it sounds like a rip-roaring time, doesn’t it?  The wonderful thing about it, though, was the mindfulness applied to each simple action.  That was the point.  And the entire time I was there I was thinking* about how I could tell you how to find your own space of mindfulness in just five minutes a day. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s summer and I know as well as you do that summer brings parties, BBQ’s and get-togethers. With all the bridal showers, bachelorette parties, and post-baseball trips to the bar, indulging in alcoholic drinks is something most of us like to do.

So how do we avoid sabotaging the hard work we’ve been doing?

Besides avoiding binge drinking (the obvious), there are certain drinks that will keep you within the routine of your new lifestyle.

Here’s a list of drinks to help keep your damage in check:
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That’s right!  I want you to put that plastic water bottle down and step away with your hands in the air.  And you’re all, “But I thought that Karen Murphy blogger-person was all love-and-light, so what’s up with the water?  I thought water was GOOD for you!”

Oh, it is.  It really is.  And I can tell by looking at you that you need to drink more of it.  (You’re not alone.)

It’s the bottle I take issue with.  You know those handy plastic water bottles, sold for next to nothing by the case, stored atop refrigerators and in pantries and handed out like candy at every event (unless it’s the $4 airport version, but whatevs), meeting, and human get-together across the North America.?  Yes, those bottles.  Get rid of yours.  Now.  And this is why: Read the rest of this entry »

It’s not an easy thing, this losing weight gig. Since I started in January, I’ve dropped about 20 pounds in total. This coming week, the trainer and I are about to measure the inches, which will give a true picture as to where I’m at. Last time we checked was April and I had lost 9 inches. Considering the way my pants hang down like those punk kids in the mall, (not that I go out in public that way) I’m thinking I’m in for some really good news.

Like I said, it isn’t easy. When I used to smoke, cigarettes weighed heavily on my mind. When I would have another, how many I had left, how good the current one made me feel, did I have to stop on the way home to buy more, you get the picture.

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I’m lucky enough this week to be visiting a place where there is a beach not too far away.  A beach that’s not too crowded, not too hot, and, well, it’s a BEACH.  And I’ve been finding time to take walks there, meditate there, or simply watch the hypnotic waves.  And I noticed how much joy I got from simply being in a place outside my normal frame of experience, and how that made me pay attention to the little things that added up to make the big thing that was this joyful beach experience.

Kids know all about how to make the small moments add up to joy. I love how there’s absolute delight in ice cream, a cookie, or an interesting rock.  Until a certain age there’s no judgment about relative worth of interesting rocks vs ice cream (well, maybe that one starts early); all things, especially new things, are joyful.  It’s hard for us to remember what it’s like when everything is new and wonderful and even a little mysterious, but we can train ourselves to look at our present lives that way. Read the rest of this entry »