Crystals for Patience

Emerald Photo by: Jens Johnson @jens_johnson

Emerald signifies infinite patience and is connected to the Heart. Emeralds are great to wear when healing a bruised or broken heart.

Amber is know to balance or stabilize emotions and create patience. Amber is aligned with trusting in the process.

Petrified Wood Photo by: tina natalini

Petrified wood is fossilized wood with smooth finish and a wide range of interesting line formations and pattern. Petrified wood takes centuries to create so it properly represents patience and steady growth.

“All We Need Is Just A Little Patience” - Axl Rose

Photo by: Kloud Walker @callmekloud

Patience can be cultivated through a meditation and mindfulness practice. Patience with yourself is important especially when you’re in the midst of bringing a goal to life. It is easy to become anxious and doubtful when goals take longer than expected. Negative thoughts can creep in right about now and can halt further action. Giving up is the exact opposite of what should be done in order to move through this rough patch. Consistency is what will bring a goal to life. This is keep on keepin’ on time. It’s just about to get good, so don’t stop now.

Here is a meditation for patience from The Mindful Movement inspired by “The Tao Te Ching” by Lao Tzu

Weekend Design & Wellness Project

Photo by Scott Webb @scottwebb

PLANTS

Plants are a perfect example of DESIGN & WELLNESS working together. They are both aesthetically beautiful and possess emotional and physical healing properties including purifying air.

This weekend, consider spending extra time nurturing any plants you may have or bring new plants into your life and home.

Aloe is an important plant to have around since it’s great for burns and cuts and can be added to blended drinks for gut and joint support. Most grocery stores sell starter herbs like basil, rosemary, mint and oregano that would be a great way to bring in fragrant and edible herbs home. If you want to start a plant from seeds, I suggest using the seeds from an organic fruit of your choosing. Eat the fruit, rinse the seeds and drop them into a small pot with food appropriate soil. I also add water at the roots in the pot saucer.

Many years ago, I started out with a cactus, then moved into succulents and herbs and now I have graduated to “Phil” my Philodendron, a ZZ plant which thrives when ignored and left in the dark and my first lemon tree from organic lemon seeds that will produce fruit in a few years. My newest additions are lemon verbena and chamomile.

If I could learn to keep plants and herbs alive, anyone can. Enjoy your healing and fragrant weekend filled with purified air!

Oh yeah, and it’s completely okay to talk to your plants and especially thank the herbs when you pluck from them. Haa

Tranquility

Photo by: Laura Barbato @laura_barbato

Creating tranquility can be challenging while keeping a busy life going with never-ending tasks. It may seem like tranquility is a waste of time that could be spent sleeping or scrolling through other peoples’ lives, maybe even watching them create tranquility.

What feels tranquil to you? Is it complete silence, meditative music or a busy city at a distance? Well, tonight it’s raining hard in Philadelphia with a mixture of force and sound that is hitting wood, metal and concrete in a relaxing way. The rain was the perfect backdrop for a candlelit shower so I grabbed my favorite Limoncello scented candle and had a rainforest like experience in the concrete jungle. I feel so relaxed now and I know I will be sleeping well tonight. Treat yourself to something tranquil that is just for you.

Procrastination Station

Photo by: Brett Jordan @brett_jordan

How many times have you put off “important” things for another day only to remember months later? Well, you survived so they must not have been that important. How about when you put off something and find out that procrastination saved you time or better yet, your life?

The next time you decide to put something off for another day, write in a list of other tasks or priorities and number them in order of urgency. Try you best to complete the first three on the list. This process will ease your conscious so you won’t feel defeated or overwhelmed with endless tasks.

Practicing mindfulness aids in keeping the mind present in the moment while using a single word or phrase to bring the mind right back to what is happening.