Tag: Mindfulness

Ananda Leeke’s September Meditation Classes & Mindfulness Workshops

Posted by on in #ThrivingMindfully, Meditation, Mindful Creativity, Mindfulness, Uncategorized1 Comment

Get ready for the autumn season with my meditation classes and mindful movement and creativity workshops in September. See the dates, descriptions, and links below.

And remember to share my offerings with your family, friends, colleagues, and online network. Invite them to come with you. I look forward to seeing you all soon!

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The #MindfulMonday Meditation is offered every Monday (except Labor Day and the last two Mondays in December). During the class, you will practice mindfulness meditation and learn mindful at work practices on September 10th, 17th, and 24th from 6:15-7:30 p.m. Bring a family member, friend or colleague!

Click here for more information about the #ThrivingMindfully Meetup Group and classes. Don’t worry if you are not a member of the #ThrivingMindfully Meetup Group. You can still attend the class. Drop by and meditate with us!
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Register on Eventbrite for Wellness Wednesday Meditation on September 12th from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Femme Fatale DC, 4620 Wisconsin Avenue, NW in Washington, DC. Bring a friend, family member or colleague!

 

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I am super excited about leading the Mindful Movement Workshop in celebration of the 25th Anniversary of Unity World Day of Prayer at my church, Unity of Washington, DC on September 13th from 4-5 p.m. at 1225 R Street, NW in DC. Visit Unity’s website for more information.

 

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When’s the last time you allowed yourself the space to dream, imagine, and create? Come explore how to open your heart to your own creativity through the power of mindfulness at the Open Your Heart to Mindful Creativity Workshop on September 16th from 1-3 p.m. at Femme Fatale DC, 4620 Wisconsin Avenue, NW in Washington, DC.

During the workshop, I will help you explore your inner archetypes (or personalities) and the role they play in your creativity through deep breathing exercises, meditation, journaling, and discussion. The takeaways include ways to tap into your intuition, imagination, and nurturing energy as growth opportunities during the autumn season.

Register on Eventbrite. Bring a family member, friend, or colleague!

Join Ananda Leeke for a Conversation on Meditation on WHUR FM on May 17 @7PM ET

Posted by on in Meditation, National Meditation Month, UncategorizedLeave a comment

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Meditation is the practice of resting your mind and focusing your awareness on what’s happening inside of yourself – what’s happening in your spirit, heart, mind, and body. In meditation, you can use your breath to help focus your attention and cultivate stillness by observing and coming back to it when your mind is distracted by thoughts.

Meditation can help you become friends with your mind when you offer yourself compassion and nonjudgment. It can also help you increase your self-awareness, relax, improve concentration, reduce stress, strengthen your emotional and physical well-being, and encourage a healthy lifestyle.

Join me on May 17th at 7 p.m. ET on WHUR 96.3 FM for a conversation about meditation on The Daily Drum with Harold Fisher, my Morgan State University classmate, and Sherrell Moore-Tucker of Faith & Flow Yoga. You can listen online here.

UPDATE: LISTEN TO SHOW’S AUDIO RECORDING.

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Check out the #ThrivingMindfully 31-Day Challenge, events, and books below.

TM-31DayMeditationChallenge-FacebookPostIf you want to create more mindful moments in your life, join the #ThrivingMindfully 31-Day Challenge. It is a self-directed challenge. That means you do it at your own pace. Here’s how the #ThrivingMindfully 31-Day Challenge works. There at 31 #ThrivingMindfully podcast episodes that include guided meditations, breathing exercises, short talks, tips, and resources. They are divided into three sections: mindful living, creativity, and technology. Follow the steps below to access the podcasts. You can follow them in numerical order or pick and choose the ones that resonate the most with you. Use what works and leave the rest behind. Read my blog for more details and links to the challenge. Enjoy your #ThrivingMindfully 31-Day journey!

EVENTS

Join me for “Breathe & Meditate,” a free Facebook Live series, on May 20th and 27th from 7 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. EST: http://www.facebook.com/anandaleeke64. Each morning I will guide you through three short meditations and offer tips on how to create mindful living moments in your daily life.

If you live or visit the DC area in May, consider joining me for two #ThrivingMindfully Meetup Group meditation events on May 19 and May 21. Go here for more details.

BOOKS

Looking for mindfulness-inspired books to read? Click here to learn about and buy my three books on Amazon: yoga-inspired novel Love’s Troubadours, mindful creativity memoir That Which Awakens Me, and mindful technology memoir Digital Sisterhood.

 

 

National Meditation Month – #ThrivingMindfully 31-Day Challenge: Part 1 – Mindful Living Podcasts Day #1-Day #15

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There’s still time for you to join the #ThrivingMindfully 31-Day Challenge during National Meditation Month. Here’s how the #ThrivingMindfully 31-Day Challenge works. There are 31 #ThrivingMindfully podcast episodes that include guided meditations, breathing exercises, short talks, tips, and resources about mindful living, creativity, and technology.

  • Step 1: Each day go to the #ThrivingMindfully Soundcloud page and click on the #ThrivingMindfully 31-Day Challenge playlist.
  • Step 2: Select the podcast episode for Day #1, #2, #3 etc. and listen to it. You can also choose to listen to a podcast that resonates with you. Make the challenge your own. Take what you need and leave the rest behind.
  • Step 3: Practice the breathing, meditation, and reflections exercise(s) throughout your day and/or week.
  • Step 4: Join the A Mindful Cup of Tea Facebook Group and share your experiences with others.

Part 1 (Day #1-#15 podcasts) focuses on breathing in the present moment to experience mindful living. See the podcast topics and links below. Happy Listening!

Day #1: Breathe in the present moment

Day #2: Choose your experience in the present moment

Day #3: Discover your emotions and energy that come up after you breathe deeply and choose your experience in the present moment

Day #4: Explore the power of your force – intuition through mindful breathing exercises

Day #5: Trust your intuition when you breathe deeply and come into the present moment

Day #6: Allow yourself space to connect with, listen to, trust, and follow your intuition when you breathe deeply and come into the present moment

Day #7: Thank your intuition for providing guidance when you breathe deeply and come into the present moment

Day #8: Expect goodness, grace, and growth when you breathe deeply and come into the present moment

Day #9: Create a mindful living intention

Day #10: Make your mindful living intention come alive with action

Day #11: Mindfulness and health

Day #12: Mindfulness and relationships

Day #13: Mindfulness and finances

Day #14: Mindfulness and personal style

Day #15: Mindfulness and home

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My online offerings and events are offered as a gift. If they have blessed you, I invite you to show gratitude by supporting my work with a donation on PayPal or with the Cash app: http://www.paypal.me/anandaleeke or http://cash.me/$AnandaLeeke. Thank you for your generosity. It is deeply appreciated!

Mindful Technology: Listen to Ananda Leeke’s Interview on Technology for Mindfulness Podcast

Posted by on in Mindfulness, UncategorizedLeave a comment

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Check out my Technology for Mindfulness podcast interview (53.55 minutes) about my mindfulness journey for the past 25 years, mindful technology, and how the power of one’s breath and the practice of mindfulness can help outsmart stress with Robert Plotkin, founder of Technology for Mindfulness, engineer, and long-time mindfulness practitioner.

During the interview, I share tips on how to cope with stress in the workplace based on self-care lessons I learned from my early career in finance and best practices from my work with clients as a mindfulness yoga teacher and reiki practitioner. I also share how I used mindfulness, meditation, yoga, and journaling to overcome stress caused by failing the bar exam eight times as a young lawyer. You can also listen to the podcast interview on YouTube.

 

Celebrate National Meditation Month & Join #ThrivingMindfully 31-Day Challenge (May 1-31)

Posted by on in #ThrivingMindfully, Mindfulness, UncategorizedLeave a comment

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Need more mindfulness in your life?

Join the #ThrivingMindfully 31-Day Challenge to incorporate more mindful living, creativity, and technology moments in your life. It starts May 1st and is self-directed. That means you do it at your own pace.

Here’s how the #ThrivingMindfully 31-Day Challenge works. There are 31 #ThrivingMindfully podcast episodes that include guided meditations, breathing exercises, short talks, tips, and resources. They are divided into three sections: mindful living, creativity, and technology. Follow the steps below to access the podcasts.

Step 1: Each day go to the #ThrivingMindfully Soundcloud page and click on the #ThrivingMindfully 31-Day Challenge playlist.

  • Mindful Living: Listen to episodes 1-15, 29
  • Mindful Creativity: Listen to episodes 16-21, 30
  • Mindful Technology: Listen to episodes 22-28, 31

Step 2: Select the podcast episode for Day #1, #2, #3 etc. and listen to it. You can also choose to listen to a podcast that resonates with you. Make the challenge your own. Take what you need and leave the rest behind.

Step 3: Practice the breathing, meditation, and reflections exercise(s) throughout your day and/or week.

Step 4: Join the A Mindful Cup of Tea Facebook Group and share your experiences with others.

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Join me for “Breathe & Meditate,” a free Facebook Live series, on May 1st, 13th, 20th, and 27th from 7 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. EST: www.facebook.com/anandaleeke64. Each morning I will guide you through three short meditations and offer tips on how to create mindful living moments in your daily life.

If you live or visit the DC area in May, consider joining me for two #ThrivingMindfully Meetup Group events on May 19 and May 21. Go here for more details.

Looking for mindfulness-inspired books to read? Check out my three books on Amazon: yoga-inspired novel Love’s Troubadours, mindful creativity memoir That Which Awakens Me, and mindful technology memoir Digital Sisterhood.

ALWebsite-SUPPORT

My online offerings and events are offered as a gift. If they have blessed you, I invite you to show gratitude by supporting my work with a donation on PayPal or with the Cash app: http://www.paypal.me/anandaleeke or http://cash.me/$AnandaLeeke. Thank you for your generosity. It is deeply appreciated!

National Meditation Month: Breathe & Meditate with Ananda Leeke on May 1, 13, 20 & 27 on Facebook Live

Posted by on in Meditation, National Meditation Month, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Meditation has been a part of my life for over 25 years. During this period of time, I have come to know meditation as a mindful living practice that helps me make friends with my mind. In meditation, I make the choice to focus my awareness on what’s happening inside of myself – what’s happening in my spirit, heart, mind, and body. Through the power of my breath, I cultivate stillness by observing it and coming back to it when my mind is distracted by thoughts. Meditation has helped me increase my self-awareness and self-acceptance, relax, improve concentration, outsmart stress, cope with panic attacks, strengthen my emotional and physical well-being, develop deep listening in my interactions with others, and commit to a healthier lifestyle.

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This month I am using National Meditation Month to offer “Breathe & Meditate,” a free Facebook Live series, on May 1st, 13th, 20th, and 27th from 7 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. EST. Each morning I will guide you through three short meditation sessions and offer tips on how to create mindful living moments in your daily  life.  Join me on  www.facebook.com/anandaleeke64! 

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Need more mindfulness in your life? I invite you to join the #ThrivingMindfully 31-Day Challenge to incorporate more mindful living, creativity, and technology moments in your life. It starts May 1st and is self-directed. That means you do it at your own pace.

Here’s how the #ThrivingMindfully 31-Day Challenge works. There at 31 #ThrivingMindfully podcast episodes that include guided meditations, breathing exercises, short talks, tips, and resources. They are divided into three sections:mindful living, creativity, and technology. Follow the steps below to access the podcasts.

Step 1: Each day go to the #ThrivingMindfully Soundcloud page and click on the #ThrivingMindfully 31-Day Challenge playlist.

  • Mindful Living: Listen to episodes 1-15, 29
  • Mindful Creativity: Listen to episodes 16-21, 30
  • Mindful Technology: Listen to episodes 22-28, 31

Step 2: Select the podcast episode for Day #1, #2, #3 etc. and listen to it. You can also choose to listen to a podcast that resonates with you. Make the challenge your own. Take what you need and leave the rest behind.

Step 3: Practice the breathing, meditation, and reflections exercise(s) throughout your day and/or week.

Step 4: Join the A Mindful Cup of Tea Facebook Group and share your experiences with others.

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Check out my resources page.

If you live or visit the DC area in May, consider joining me for two #ThrivingMindfully Meetup Group events on May 19 and May 21. Go here for more details.

Looking for mindfulness-inspired books to read? Check out my three books on Amazon: yoga-inspired novel Love’s Troubadours, mindful creativity memoir That Which Awakens Me, and mindful technology memoir Digital Sisterhood.

ALWebsite-SUPPORT

My online offerings and events are offered as a gift. If they have blessed you, I invite you to show gratitude by supporting my work with a donation on PayPal or with the Cash app: http://www.paypal.me/anandaleeke or http://cash.me/$AnandaLeeke. Thank you for your generosity. It is deeply appreciated!

 

Stress Awareness Month: How I Outsmart Stress with Mindfulness (DC Events on April 16, 21, 23 & 30)

Posted by on in #ThrivingMindfully, Mindful Living, Mindfulness, UncategorizedLeave a comment

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S-T-R-E-S-S. Stress impacts everyone. It happens when we experience pressure or a situation that exceeds our ability to cope. It’s also one of the main sources of wear-and-tear on our spirits, minds, bodies, and relationships.

In the United States where I live, the most common sources of stress include work, money, the current political climate, the future of the nation, violence, and crime. Guess which ones are the most common among adults? Here’s how the American Psychological Association’s 2017 Stress in America survey answered the question.

  • #1 – The Future of the Nation, 63% of adults (specific issues include health care – 43%, economy – 35%, trust in government – 32%, crime and hate crimes – 31%, terrorist attacks – 30%, high taxes – 28%, social security – 26%, and government controversies and scandals – 25%)
  • #2 – Money, 62% of adults
  • #3 – Work, 61% of adults
  • #4 – Current Political Climate, 57% of adults
  • #5 – Violence and Crime, 51% of adults

What are the most common sources of stress in your life?

How do you manage them?

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Over the past several years, my most common sources of stress have included money, relationships, work, health care, the political climate, and hate crimes. I have used mindfulness and mindful living, creativity, and technology practices including meditation, breathing exercises, deep listening, journaling, yoga, and unplugging from my digital devices to manage them.

In case you are wondering what mindfulness is, I thought I’d share my two-part definition. Mindfulness is our birthright. Each of us is born with the ABILITY TO BE AWARE  of what’s happening in our spirit, heart, mind, body, and surroundings.

Mindfulness is also a practice that we can CHOOSE to PAY ATTENTION to what’s happening in our spirit, heart, mind, body and surroundings ON PURPOSE in the PRESENT MOMENT and WITHOUT JUDGMENT.

I am using Stress Awareness Month and National Stress Awareness Day on April 16th to outsmart stress with more mindful moments in my life. If you are in the Washington, DC area on April 16th, join me at the #ThrivingMindfully Meetup Group event below. Sessions will also be held on April 23 and 30. Go here to join the free group.

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Not able to attend the event? Check out my #ThrivingMindfully Podcast on how to outsmart stress with mindfulness meditation. Listen here.

I am offering a Saturday morning meditation on April 21st from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in Malcolm X/Meridian Hill Park. Go here for more details.

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My blog, podcasts, and meetups are offered as a gift to the community. Donations are encouraged to show gratitude. Feel free to make your donation in-person at the #ThrivingMindfully Meetups. You can also support me via the PayPal app or website – paypal.me/anandaleeke or the Cash app – cash.me/$AnandaLeeke. Your generosity is deeply appreciated!

 

 

Celebrate Spring & International Day of Happiness with Mindfulness & Mouth Yoga (Smiling)

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Are you ready for Spring? Start it by celebrating International Day of Happiness on Tuesday, March 20, with a mindful practice of mouth yoga a/k/a smiling. Smiling is one of the best ways to create positive energy inside of yourself. When you smile mindfully, your positive energy can help open your heart to more gratitude. Also, your smile also has the power to brighten another’s person’s day!

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Check out my #ThrivingMindfully Podcast resources.

How are you planning to celebrate Spring and/or International Day of Happiness? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Enjoy Spring & International Day of Happiness!

11 Ways to Use Mindfulness for Unplugging & Sleeping Well

Posted by on in #ThrivingMindfully, Love's Troubadours - Karma: Book One, Meditation, Mindful Living, Mindfulness, Uncategorized, unplugging, YogaLeave a comment

 

One of the lessons I learned during National Day of Unplugging last weekend was about sleeping. I discovered a better way to enjoy sleeping by turning my smartphone off and allowing myself to wake up without the alarm on Saturday and Sunday. Read my opinion piece on unplugging that was published in the Afro-American Newspaper to learn more.

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On Sunday evening, I decided to use Sleep Awareness Week (March 11-17) to add several mindful sleep practices to my daily routine. Check out the practices I used below. Since today is the last day of Sleep Awareness Week, consider trying one or more of them.

  1. Place your smartphone and digital devices in your living room, kitchen, or home office. Mute the sound on your phone ringer and notifications. If you can, turn the phone off. Use an alarm clock. Muting the sound on my phone and placing it in my living room really helped.
  2. Give yourself a few hours off from using social media, email or texting in the evenings. Set a curfew. Try 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. I tried a curfew of 11:15 p.m. to 8 a.m. on several days.
  3. Express gratitude for people and experiences. This practice opens my heart.
  4. Say a forgiveness prayer for yourself and others before you go to sleep at night. My forgiveness prayers help me release anger, disappointment, grudges, judgments, thoughts, and stories I have made up about myself and others. They help me clear my mind and cleanse my spirit and heart.
  5. Drink your favorite decaf tea before bed. I love to sprinkle turmeric in hot water or use Trader Joe’s turmeric and ginger tea.
  6. Use your favorite sheets and blankets on your bed. I love my purple sheets and cream blanket.
  7. If you are NOT allergic to scents, smudge yourself and your bedroom or home with a smudge stick to remove any negative energy. I use my smudge stick in the morning and evening.
  8. If you are NOT allergic to scents, burn your favorite incense or candle in your bedroom or home an hour or two before you sleep. You can also use a room freshener with essential oils to spray your bedroom or home. I like to use Mrs. Meyer’s lavender room freshener.
  9. Take an evening shower or bath to relax yourself. Showers are my favorites.
  10. Meditate for a 1, 5, 15, 20 or 30 minutes before going to sleep. Meditation with breathing exercises is a great mindfulness practice that can help you slow down and become aware of your thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations. It can also help you go within and connect to your higher self. I like to practice a short meditation while laying in child’s pose, one of my favorite yoga poses, before going to sleep. Listen to my #ThrivingMindfully Podcast Series for a guided mindfulness meditation. Here’s a guided compassion meditation to open your heart. Check out my Mindful Living podcast playlist for more resources.
  11. Try gentle yoga. Like I mentioned above, child’s pose helps me relax before sleep. Go to YouTube and try my teacher Faith Hunter’s gentle yoga session. Also, do a search for gentle yoga or restorative yoga for beginners on YouTube. Check out Yoga In Bed: 20 Asanas to Do in Pajamas by Edward Vilga, one of my favorite yoga books. Learn more about my journey as a gentle yoga teacher (includes my yoga, reiki, and meditation services) and my yoga-inspired novel, Love’s Troubadours (available on Amazon). My novel tells the story of Karma Francois, a 30-something yoga teacher who is on a self-discovery journey that allows her to heal, forgive, and reinvent her life with art, meditation, mindfulness, spirituality, therapy, yoga, travel, and the support of family and friends.

If you are unable to try these tips today, I encourage you to use Sleep Awareness Week as inspiration for getting more rest in your life in 2018. Try one or more of the tips and let me know what happens in the comment section.

Happy Unplugging and Sleeping!

Photo Credit: National Sleep Foundation