Ananda Leeke

A Mindful Cup of Tea Podcast on Practicing Loving Kindness

Posted by Ananda Leekeon November 15, 2016November 15, 2016in Mindful Cup of Tea, Mindfulness, UncategorizedLeave a comment

London-meatlondonbuddhistcentre — Ananda at the London Buddhist Meditation Centre, 2007

The past week in the United States has been filled with a lot of emotions and change as a result of the elections. How are you doing? Are you taking great care of yourself? Are you being lovng and kind to yourself? Take a moment to listen to the third episode of A Mindful Cup of Tea podcast that features a reflection on using your breath to connect with your spirit and open your heart to loving kindness. Click on the arrow below to hear the podcast.

Looking for more mindful reflections and resources? Looking for a mindful community? Click here to join A Mindful Cup of Tea Facebook group. It’s free, fun, and fulfilling!

Headed to Mindful Leadership Summit on November 4 and 5

Posted by Ananda Leekeon November 4, 2016November 4, 2016in UncategorizedLeave a comment

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My weekend is going to be MINDFUL!

Why?

I am headed to the Mindful Leadership Summit. I’ll be working with Meico Whitlock, Founder and CEO of Mindful Techie, on the Summit’s social media. Be sure to follow the conversation on Twitter @mindfulsummit and #mindfulsummit. Also, follow @anandaleeke on Instagram and Twitter.

Photo Credit: mindfulleader.org

Mindful Mornings

Posted by Ananda Leekeon November 3, 2016November 3, 2016in UncategorizedLeave a comment

Mindfulness is a gift we give to ourselves. The gift is wrapped in the intention of slowing down and becoming present through our breath. Deep breathing creates space within ourselves to experience awareness, balance, and calm. I call them the ABCs of mindfulness and yoga.

Some of my best mindful moments have come from morning walks in my U Street neighborhood. Today, I took deep breaths as I walked slowly and allowed my five senses to explore the beauty of the sky, the coolness of the air touching my skin, the urban traffic symphony, the facial expressions of my fellow pedestrians, and so much more. I found myself making more eye contact with people, smiling more, and saying good morning. Guess what? I felt more connected to myself and others. What happens when you slow down and become present?

Looking for an online mindful community to grow and share with? Join my Mindful Cup of Tea Facebook group.

To learn more about me and my art, books, and coaching and consulting services, visit anandaleeke.com. Drop by and like my Facebook page. Follow @anandaleeke on Instagram and Twitter.

Mindful Social Media at the White House

Posted by Ananda Leekeon November 2, 2016November 4, 2016in UncategorizedLeave a comment

Halloween at the White House was filled with lots of treats including one for social media professionals like yours truly: the announcement of the Obama administration’s digital transition plan that outlined how the presidential transition will work after having the first-ever social media POTUS in U.S. history.

After reading the WhiteHouse.gov blog about the plan, the phrase mindful social media came to mind. Why? The plan is well-thought-out. It reflects a high level of awareness of the present state of the Obama administration’s digital footprint and how it can be accessed in the future. Read more here.

What do you think about the plan?

Nourish Your Soul Retreat: My Reiki Video Interview

Posted by Ananda Leekeon October 28, 2016October 28, 2016in Reiki, UncategorizedLeave a comment

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Happy Friday!

I invite you to check out self-care specialist Egypt Burge’s free online Nourish Your Soul Retreat featuring a 30-minute video interview with yours truly about the practice of reiki healing touch in my life.

During the interview, I discussed my personal practice, work with clients, and recent volunteer work with my church, Unity of Washington, DC’s reiki ministry to provide reiki to pets and their owners in Malcolm X/Meridian Hill Park (October 8) in Washington, DC. We had a great time serving members of our community. I loved working with Riley, the dog featured in the photo. She was filled with a lot of nervous energy. After several minutes of reiki, she calmed down. It is was powerful to witness.

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Click here to learn more about my reiki journey and services.

Launch now, improve later: A Mindful Cup of Tea podcast is born!

Posted by Ananda Leekeon October 17, 2016October 18, 2016in Mindful Cup of Tea, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Happy Monday!

How is your week going so far?

I spent the day mindfully taking action on my business to-do list I made and talking to a potential client I met during the Happy Black Woman Location-Independent Business Academy. Here’s what happened with my to-do list:

Answered email
Created a Canva graphic design
Reviewed feedback on my services from my email focus group
Connected with my Facebook group members
Updated my web site, bio, Amazon page, and social media to reflect my new focus on mindful coaching
Recorded and launched A Mindful Cup of Tea podcast on Soundcloud.

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The first episode discusses being in the present moment. Go here to listen. What a productive day!

May you have a great week filled with an abundance of mindful moments!

Coming back to blogging with a “Mindful Cup of Tea”

Posted by Ananda Leekeon October 14, 2016October 15, 2016in Mindfulness, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Happy Fall!

It’s been awhile since I last blogged. Why? I took time off to CHILL and REFLECT on what I want to do next. It’s one of the best things I’ve done all year.

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Today, I explored different ways to redefine and improve the way I package my genius at the Happy Black Woman Location-Independent Business Academy. The word mindful kept coming up. So I decided to create and launch Mindful Cup of Tea on Instagram to inspire and share mindful moments that will help you slow down and come into the present moment. When you breathe intentionally, you come into the present moment. That’s where you will find awareness, balance, and calm.

YOUR SPECIAL INVITATION: Join my free Mindful Cup of Tea Facebook group to get weekly inspiration and tools that will help you create more mindful moments in your life.

Join Me for Restorative Yoga at 2016 Self-Care Kickstart Retreat

Posted by Ananda Leekeon January 8, 2016January 9, 2016in Uncategorized, YogaLeave a comment

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Happy New Year!

I am excited about 2016. Are you?

It is the Year of Self-Care!

Do you need and want more self-care in your life?

I DO!

That’s why I am attending the 2016 Self-Care Kickstart Retreat hosted by SelfCarebyAisha.com founder and coach Aisha Moore on Saturday, January 16 from 12 noon to 5:00 p.m. at the Anacostia Arts Center, 1231 Good Hope Road, SE, Washington, DC. Go here to listen to my December 30th podcast interview with Aisha about the retreat.

During the Self-care Kickstart Retreat, I will teach a restorative yoga class that will guide you through deep breathing exercises and yoga poses. These self-care tools will help you create awareness, balance, and calm in your spirit, heart, mind, body, and life. Click here to listen to my podcast about the class and retreat.

Go here to learn more about my yoga journey and teaching services.

For more information about the Retreat ($97 fee), go here. Register ASAP. There are only a few slots left!

Yoga & My Creative Heart

Posted by Ananda Leekeon August 24, 2015August 24, 2015in Art, Creativity, VIDA Voices, Yoga, Yoga MondaysLeave a comment

Happy #YogaMonday!

Mondays are all about yoga in my social media world (confession: every day is a yoga day in my real life world). Today, I am savoring the juicy feelings of gratitude I experienced while leading my workshop on Fierce Living from a Woman’s Creative Heart on August 22 at Embrace Yoga in Washington, DC.

The workshop gave me an opportunity to serve and share from my heart. It also blessed me with two creative yoga workshop participants, Krystal Tingle and Rhiannon Landesberg. Together, we practiced breathing exercises and our favorite yoga poses as we journaled and shared our reflections.

During the workshop, I wore my “Karma: Aham Prema” VIDA scarf I received the night before. It was a special moment because the scarf was created through my partnership with VIDA in May. We used my painting that appears on the cover of my yoga-inspired novel, “Love’s Troubadours – Karma: Book One” (Amazon) to make the design. It is a part of my VIDA Voices scarf collection which include three additional scarves that use artwork from my books, “That Which Awakens Me: A Creative Woman’s Poetical Memoir of Self-Discovery” and “Digital Sisterhood: A Memoir of Fierce Living Online” (Amazon). Click here to learn more about my scarf collection.

Many thanks to Embrace Yoga and my yoga teacher Faith Hunter for blessing me with an opportunity to serve and share from my heart. Thank you Krystal and Rhiannon for attending the workshop.

Join Me for My 8/22 DC Women’s Creativity Workshop

Posted by Ananda Leekeon August 21, 2015August 21, 2015in UncategorizedLeave a comment

DC, DMV and Baltimore ladies join me for my Fierce Living from a Woman’s Creative Heart workshop on Saturday from 2-4:30 p.m. at Embrace Yoga in DC. See flyer for details.