Do you ever feel like there aren't enough hours in the day? Or do you ALWAYS feel there aren't enough hours in the day. If time is a human construct, can we find better ways to shape our days? 

Over the years I have tried a lot of different planning systems. As a librarian, organization is my thing. The problem is that sometimes I spend too much time organizing! 

So about eight years ago, I developed a system to track my time and goals. It became a planner and for 2024, I have fallen in love with it again. The video explains how it works. Basically, you do the three things each day that research shows will improve health, focus, and mindset: Sit, Write, Move. The calendar helps you remember to follow through.  

Use the chart below to check in with yourself each day. Did you make time for self-care? Did you take care of your bills? Did you spend time with the ones you love?  Give yourself a pat on the back and check the box. 

Writing Yoga ®...

It's never too late to go back to school! I took two graduate courses this summer, even though I have been an educator for over 20 years. Learning and teaching are inseparable practices. Plus, we all must stay current to thrive.

I became a librarian for the love of books and reading but there is little time for sitting quietly at the desk and reviewing new acquisitions these days. Librarianship sure has changed since I first learned manual cataloging using the Dewey Decimal System. Some change is for the better. No one gets shushed and we can practice yoga between reading to stretch our bodies and minds. 

At the start of the school year we had district faculty meeting led by a yogi, business owner and Speaker, Regina Smith. “Take a breath; begin again," was her refrain. It resonated with us because we had learned to breathe while teaching through Covid. She was a stellar speaker. My work with teachers using yoga and mindfulness practices had been reinforced and...

Even if you are not a teacher or a parent, you still can feel a back-to-school kind of energy in the air.  Everyone seems to be running around trying to settle back into the routine of learning and more structured days. 

If you are looking for quick ways to stay calm, focused, and  find joy the work day, please watch my video. 

Thank you and have an amazing 2022-2023 school year! 

After working with thousands of students over the years, I know for certain that most people believe they do not have enough time, talent, or energy to live the life of their dreams.  I also know it's just not true!

Keeping a journal helps us to consider our deepest desires, dreams, goals and challenges. People love writing in journals, but where to start? If you feel overwhelmed or unable to connect to the part of you that has big dreams, The Writing Yoga® Method can help. It is based upon the philosophy that life does not have to be overwhelming and complicated. In fact, we work best when feeling healthy, confident, and joyful!

Here are some simple things you can do NOW to get started with a dream-building and journal writing practice. 

Sit:

Before you start writing in your journal, take a "Lumi Breath."  This is what I tell my young students and this is what I will say to you. A Lumi Breath is a deep breath that makes you feel luminous. When you take a...

Give me a beach. Find me a corner in the reading room. I know, I know, not everyone likes a beach. Some people can't stand the stillness of a library.  That's okay, we all have destinations we love and ones we avoid but if you ever spent time watching sea birds wade, you know how much there is to learn. 

Beaches and libraries can both be introspective places filled with endless possibilities but they can also be the very place where storms and ideologies conflict.

So for this prompt, let's imagine powdery sand and turquoise sea and sky.  After all, you came here to relax. 

Lumi Sit:

Breathe deeply. Close your eyes.  Think of a quiet place that makes you feel happy and secure.  Sit for 5 minutes noticing all the thoughts and feelings (even the ones that make you uncomfortable). Open your eyes. Move to the "Lumi Write" without pause. 

Lumi Write: 

What did you feel and see in the "Lumi Sit"?  Take 5...