Mindful pauses

Written By Lisa Vratny-Smith

We had the privilege of spending the past 10 days in Nice, France enjoying the beautiful Mediterranean Sea, majestic French Alps, delicious food, medieval villages, and wonderful people. It was lovely to have the time to slow down, savor the experience, and follow our own rhythm. Travel is is wonderful opportunity to step out of our habitual responses and the chaos of daily life to be present in new experiences.

We are so often caught up in the routines and chaos happening around us that we forget to pause, breath, and rest. As we move into autumn this week, I encourage you to explore ways to build those mindful pauses into your daily routines. Notice when your rushing out of habit rather than necessity and slow down. Notice when you are holding your breath and let it out long and slow. Notice when you are clenching your muscles and soften around them. All of these small actions bring you back into the present moment to reset and make mindful choices about how you move forward in your day.

Yoga & Sound Healing

There will be no Saturday Morning Yoga September 19th, but please join me September 25th at 8:30 AM MT, as we pause, listen to our bodies, and care for them with lovingkindness.

Our next Full Moon Sound Bath is Saturday afternoon, September 26 from 5-6 PM, where we will relax and soak in the energy of the Full Moon.

Women’s Circles

What happens when the roles that have defined you begin to shift—and you finally have space to ask, “What do I want the next chapter of my life to look like?” Join our Circles of Audacious Wise Women to reconnect with what still feels true, question what no longer fits, and connect with other women asking the same questions. We will come together to honor our strengths and imperfections, all the versions of who we’ve been throughout our lives, and the inner knowing and accumulated wisdom that guides us as we move forward. The first group is scheduled October 4, 11, 18, & 25 1-3 PM @ Harmonist Sanctuary.

Self-Compassion

NEW! Would you like to nurture your inner self-compassionate voice and quiet your inner critic? I am offering a 6 session, self-paced Self-Compassion Meditation Course to support you. Each recorded session includes a short reading and a guided meditation designed to support your journey toward greater lovingkindness and compassion for yourself. Your purchase of the course offers unlimited access to the recordings.

NEW! The Short Course in Mindful Self-Compassion - Learn to use the skills of mindfulness to develop the inner resource of self-compassion and enhance your capacity for emotional wellbeing. In the course we will explore the research supporting the benefits of self-compassion and barriers that often prevent us from being kinder to ourselves. Through practices, exercises, and discussion we will nurture and strengthen our inner self-compassionate voices and learn to quiet and redirect our harsh inner critics.

Retreats

Next year’s Mindfulness for Educators Retreat is scheduled for June 13-17, 2027, so save the dates and your pennies. We would love to have you join us!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Remember to check out the FTBW Gear page and order your Finding the Balance Within, LLC logo gear. I love mine! Get yours and join the fun!

I would love to offer you an individual or group Reiki and/or Sound Healing session to support your own wellness journey. Contact me for scheduling options - lisa@findingthebalancewithin.com. Gift certificates to share with others are also available.

As always feel free to practice with previous recordings of Saturday Morning Classes as well as Evening Chair Yoga on my Youtube channel. You may also enjoy a growing variety of meditations I have available on the Insight Timer app that you can access for free, the latest is a Heartbeat Meditation. I’d appreciate your offering a rating on the meditations as well. Additionally, my friend Kate continues to offer live online classes Monday and Wednesday mornings from katekelly.yoga.

May you be safe, may you be happy, may you be healthy, may you live with ease. ~ Lisa ♥️

Lisa Vratny-Smith
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Forgiveness