HAPPY BIRTHDAY PROMOTION - 10 YEARS

Not my Birthday yet but something I'm very connected with.

Simply, One Breath At a Time

A Collection of Guided Relaxations

to Refresh your Body and Soul

10 years old already.

Special Offer coming up.  Details below.

Dona Anderson
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I love this book ...

Last month at a Wellness and Spirit Fair the organizer came to meet me and let me know she had a copy given to her and said she uses it a lot in her work. 

Another vendor came to tell me she had gotten a copy years ago. Since then she's moved several times and recently joined a yoga class where she's living now and the teacher was using Simply, One Breath At a Time. She told me she got a big smile and enjoyed telling the teacher that she had one also.

Small world ... 

Here's another story you might like.

In addition to my sharing Simply, with others in Yoga, I used it to make the One Rose Wellness cards, my CD Permission to Rest, most of my photo messages and many excerpts that are in previous posts on this Blog.

Click on the labels at the bottom of this page for Simply, One Rose Cards and Photo Message.

Happy Birthday Simply! 10 years ago you were at the printers getting all set up, your beautiful cover and waiting for me to return from vacation. 

Is it Time to Get your Copy? Plus ...

For the month of November 2018,

when you purchase a (paper) copy of Simply, One Breath At a Time, I'll add in the CD, Permission to Rest for Free. 

Total Relaxation for the whole Body, Mind and Soul.


See all the wonderful comments from others on the Wellwishers page.

Head over to the Resources page here for more information about Simply, the CD and also direct from author purchase information. 

Just to start you off Simply, has 65 guided scripts for Relaxation & Meditation.

Use for Stress reduction, before Bed, Breathing techniques, Mindfulness, soothing Emotions, reducing unwanted Thoughts, increasing Awareness, Imagery, Gratitude and more.

Now is a Wonderful time not only to get Gifts for Self to Support your own Wellness but you may also know someone else who needs to Relax, let go of Stress and Breathe. 

Hope to see you in my inbox.

Check out this post that has been travelling the World

Thanks for your visit and have a wonderful week ahead.  New post out next Tuesday.

    

Do we need to rewrite the Script?

Would you know what to write?

Stories to Tell

Dona Anderson

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Hello to you and hope you're having a wonderful day.

Messsage from Moving Forward from the Heart 

In the past years I contributed articles to a local Recreation Guide and to the island magazine, Island Gals. 

I even got my photo with others on the cover of Volume 2 Issue 3. 

It's weird how things come later in life that are so unexpected, no prior thoughts or talent.

I guess it just started with writing memos and other things at work so I felt comfortable putting words on paper but where did these new and different words come from?

I've talked to other writers as well who just found a safe place to put down their words and it just starts to flow with ease.

The words may flow but our lives usually don't sound like

Story Books, TV and the Movies!

They're not documented and only a few get mentioned years later in a book about the town history, a project, major event or YUCK, when someone writes our obituary.

How do we get our past and the past of other relatives or friends into the family/world archives for others to see in the years to come.

The Meditation Stories to Tell, in my book Moving Forward from the Heart talks about how lots of old stories may have been true or untrue, some are made into songs or movies, scary campfire tales and others get forgotten or not shared.

Life changes so much we forget to remember them and pass on those different times and places.

Some of us may be lucky to have family tree books that list the past generations and lots of info used to be kept in old Bibles.  

What if we could think about and pass on some of our memories and stories so they don't get forgotten. Perhaps we could write a bit about our lives and also talk about our parents, grandparents and other relatives - take them into the future as well.  

I know my children and grandchildren don't know much about past generations and I think those we write about would be Thankful that we remembered them, their journey and struggles in life and for being like us, just doing the best they could do. 

As our lives & technology change so fast it is hard to remember life before computers, cell phones, fast food and all we have today. 

How did they survive?

Something to think about.

Hey, you may find a new passion in writing!

And don't forget to find out about family Medical History.

Scroll down for more posts or visit the archives

New Post every Tuesday.

Links to share or comment below.

Bye for now.

Check out these Wellness Resources

Ted - Dame Stephanie Shirley

A great Video for You today.

I hope you'll enjoy this

Very Inspirational Story.

Dona Anderson

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We have to keep learning from the Past and Others.

There will be many ground breakers we never hear about.  

Don't miss this one!

Thank You Dame Stephanie Shirley for all your extraordinary work,

and Thank You for your visit.

Two words that Mean so Much

Thank You is just 2 simple words but they hold ...

Power and Energy

No sad story this week only thanks to you for being here.

Dona Anderson

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Who in your life needs to hear these words? 

You know the ones - some may even go unnoticed!

This story is about those we thank and others we may have forgotten, so I'll start off by saying Thanks to You for your visit, and I hope you'll pass this one to others so we can all join together and send more Thank You's out into the World!

It’s the time of year when we start thinking about the upcoming holidays, being thankful, giving, celebrating and taking some special moments for reflection. 

To those reading this YOU may be part of the many I thought of that often get missed so here goes.

I would like to send out many Thank You's to all those who show up every day to support our lives and help keep us healthy and safe.

Some work through both the good and bad, and in dangerous times like police, military, firefighters, ambulances and hospitals.

Some go out in storms to plow roads, tow us, restore services, do search and rescue, and don’t forget about those who provide the food to feed us.  

There are those who keep the stores, schools, services, businesses and cities open & running, safe and clean.  

There are those who care for and nurture us. Those who teach, build, fix, create, transport, grow, entertain, inform and inspire us, and there's the scientists, chemists, photographers, journalists and those who explore and document  our world & history to change the future or help us learn from the past.

I am grateful to all those who show up, help out and do their jobs the best they can each day. Everyday there is so much happening that we sometimes don’t notice what all goes into making our days and lives run smoothly, and often only notice what went wrong. 

I want to sincerely thank those who showed up at work or an event after some kind of crisis in their own lives.  We often don’t know what someone just went through before they were there for us that day.

I’d like to thank all those who when others couldn’t make it, things broke down, or in times of total chaos they took on the extra load and made us think and feel that all was well, nothing was wrong, and it was work as usual.

My heart goes out to all those wonderful volunteers whose dedication supports our communities and our world.  They are everywhere and the survival of so many services and organizations depend upon them and their work – Thank you!

Upon reflection, each of us will have our own special list of individuals to thank, and thinking back these are some of mine. I will always remember how they were there to help and I could have done more to show my appreciation and gratitude...

like in 1969 when we needed oil for our empty furnace on a very cold Christmas morning in Saskatchewan, 

when our house burned down on Good Friday in 1970, 

when we were stopped on the Coquihalla highway for 8 hours in a snow storm, 

when I needed an ambulance, 

the times we needed an emergency vet, 

when the dental assistant held my hand again and again, 

and making it through all those crazy days at work.

Thank You to all those who greet us with a smile whether it’s at work, on a walk, at the market, in a line up, or anywhere else. 

Please know that those smiles were always passed on!

And, thanks to friends, family and neighbors for simply showing up at the door or calling to say Hi - you will never know how many times it was perfect timing.

Thank You, Thank You!

We have so much to be Thankful for
and it's so easy to Say.

Pass on Thank You's to others with this post 

I know I probably missed a lot of very special people, so please share in the comments. 

Scroll down for recent posts or slide over to the archives.

Bye for now & thanks for helping send good energy out into the world.

15 Years wasn't long Enough.

Chloe 

Warning this is about -

Loss of a pet

Tear jerker

The Ugly Cry

Tears of Love

That about describes it all

Dona Anderson
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This is what I shared on FB at the time

Yesterday Chloe traded her wheels in for wings to Fly.
I believe in doggy heaven
I believe in doggy angels
I believe in friends to meet you and Love you
I believe that we'll see you later
Go forward Beautiful girl.
You will be and have all of these.
We are so lucky you picked us to Love you.for 15 years and forever.
We Love you so.....much Mom Dad & Lucy.❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️


It's been six months now and while the hurt softens it's still there as we remember our last kisses.

Chloe our beautiful West Highland White (Westie) girl had to leave us.

For 15 wonderful years we had the privilege to look after and love her. But the loving never stops and it's the love that hurts - it has no place to go.

In our hearts we still hold her close by and remember all the travelling we did, the cuddles under the covers, the kisses, the tricks to get more cookies, the smiles she gave out to others on our walks, and watching her personality come out as a terrier and a best friend.

She didn't care about getting dirty when a hole needed to be dug, that maybe she shouldn't be licking our friends toes that always tasted so good, and turkey gravy,  tuna water or rice and peas were always the favorite extras to her supper bowl.

When they're puppies they try to go fast to see what's ahead and it was nice to see her slow down, stop to look around, and as they say, smell the roses.

Luckily we have our Scottie girl Lucy to hold on to but she didn't know where Chloe went so she was also very sad and lonely.

Where's my sister? Who am I going to eat and sleep with?

I've never been alone before...

Over time we stop crying as often, lessen the reminders around the house and think of her up in Heaven with her doggy friends and a few people who also Loved her so that helps a bit.

I noticed that because we're retired, home more and travelled a lot with the dogs we are attached even more to them and the places she slept summer & winter are now all empty.

We also got to dog sit their friends so more dogs to love and remember.

Many people say when their pets pass they can't get another because the loss was too hard on them.  I get it but for me now, not having a pet to cuddle would be even harder. Later when our Lucy passes we may be too old but I hope we will partner with someone to be the dog sitters, walkers or whatever we can to keep sharing the love we have to give and getting the love they give.

Cuddles and walking are wonderful Stress reducers.

Several years back when we lost our Scottie girl Tilly I wrote about how life changed and about telling our stories. I guess we've been reliving some of that again and I often go back to this post to feel close to her again.  Here it is if you want to read it.  For us dog lovers we all seem to connect at these times as we all know how the loss deeply affects us.

Keeping the Heart open is often really hard but that's where the 
Love and Memories live.

Salton Sea California

Please give your pets an extra HUG for me, thanks.

Thanks for listening.

Wellness Messenger - Taking time to notice.

One Rose Wellness Message

Dona Anderson

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When One Rose will do ...

Dona's Dream - help others and send wellness out into the world. 

I picked this message to share with You today.

Messages are from the pages of Simply, One Breath At a Time.

Thank You for sharing this message to help others!

Enjoy the gift of this time to slow down,

to quiet your body and mind,

to notice ...

Taking Time to Notice

This is important.

We often treat ourselves to relaxing thoughts or things but within a few seconds get busy, are  interrupted, or start doing other things at the same time - sound familiar. 

Later we forget about it or never take the time to notice the giving or feel  the receiving  - to remember how it felt. 

Huge health benefits come when we reduce Stress but often we don't notice or give the benefits a chance to sink in.

Please stay with me for a few Wellness Moments

Let's start by first noticing your breath and see if you can relax it to be a bit slower & fuller ...

Now with this more relaxed breathing, 

focus on to your body and start to relax both shoulders,

then invite relaxation into both your arms, hands & all your fingers ...

Enjoy a few more of those full smooth breaths...

Our Face and Jaw can hold a lot of stress so start to soften and relax your whole face and neck a bit - think about your mouth, cheeks, eyes & ears ... you can do it. 

Want some FUN - make a few funny faces then relax.

With the shoulders and arms already relaxed and now the face, send the invitation out to the rest of your body ... don't forget to include your toes.

Feel your breath breathing you and relaxing your body even more ... 

Please repeat the message below to yourself  2 or 3 times - each time a bit slower. 

Enjoy the gift of this time to slow down,

to quiet your body and mind,

to notice ...

If OK to do so - 

Begin to inhale for a count of 4, then change to exhale for a count of 4

Again - inhale for a count of 4 and then change to exhale for a count of 4

Last time - inhale for a count of 4 and then change to exhale for a count of 4

Gently return to your own smooth calm natural breath, 
 & just let your whole self RELAX a few more minutes ...

Give yourself time to notice.

You did Great!

I was at a Wellness Fair a few weeks ago and a visitor who stopped by my table brought this same thing up - that most often we don't take time to notice - our days go by so fast that we miss those precious moments of peace and breath.

I mentioned to her that I had a post coming soon about this same thing ... it was wonderful to connect and have a great conversation.

Just Breathe

 More on Facebook, Dona Anderson, Roots to Breath

 Info on One Rose Wellness Cards and other products here.

The One Rose Wellness Cards are a set of 105 messages for mini moments of meditation, awareness, inspiration, gratitude or simply a reminder to breathe.

Links for sharing below.

Copy the post link and put in an email to yourself to save so you can do this little meditation whenever you want.  

Love it when you Share with others.

Lots more coming & check out the archives.

Subscribe to Dona Anderson by Email

to receive weekly wellness posts.

Click on the Label One Rose Cards below for more.

When it's fun it sometimes feels like Cheating

didn't think of this before ...

 Dona Anderson

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I love my Yoga mat! 

I hope you do too!

Many of the great benefits and opportunities of yoga are found through letting the yoga mat take us to different places.  

Whether it's to simply focus and breathe, create stillness, be strong like a mountain or fold to release we go places and do things that are just for us to feel, enjoy, experience and each time is unique. 

Every time I reach for my yoga mat I think about what will happen in my practice that day. What do I think my body needs or  should I just let the mat tell me ... it usually always wins!

When I finally began yoga in my very late forties, I quickly learned more about how my body didn't work.

I remember being tired and hoping/asking if the guided relaxations could be the whole class.

Later on I started trying to find ways to relax myself at home and those days when I couldn't stand, sit or walk, I got out the couch cushions and blankets to build myself a nest.

I didn't know it at the time but I was doing some restorative yoga poses.

I will always be an ongoing beginner.

I go slowly and am open and happy with whatever comes through that day.  

The following is a meditation about a Yoga Mat! 

Really it is and don't get upset for the lonely mat, it's OK.

It is timed for our return to fall activities after a summer break and I hope you connect to its sense of union which the word yoga comes from. Enjoy! 

Forgotten – One Yoga Mat

When the warm days of summer take us outside to other activities or on vacation, we sometimes take a break from our yoga mat.

Instead of travelling to our yoga class or the gym, they stay rolled up leaning against the wall, in the closet, or buried somewhere in our vehicle.  

They’re put out of our minds for a few months.

The pleasing colors of green, pink, blue, purple, yellow, and red that were our close companions during the rest of the year are left unused, forgotten.

When we do get a glimpse of the lonely mat we think, maybe later or another day.  It’s too hot, or I’m busy right now.

The mat doesn't complain, it knows you are taking a break and will return eager to begin again.

Where else can you immediately find a place to honor your body, a place to build and feel strength, awareness and balance.  

It's a place for your body to breathe and soften, a place for your mind to find stillness and peace, and a place for your heart to find courage and compassion.

This small mat gives us permission to open up

 to possibilities and choices. 

It gives us a place where we invest in ourselves and create an awareness that we can take out into the world.  

It is a place where the gifts are endless and lifelong.

When you’re ready – Welcome Back!

You can also find me on Facebook 

If you love Yoga you'll connect to this post - 10 Gifts of Yoga

Love it when you share this with your friends or comment below.

I hope you share with your Yoga Teacher, class or other Wellness groups!

Thanks so much for visiting!


More posts below or in the Archives.

                                      

Ted Talk - Giulia Enders - talking about our Gut

So how is Your Gut?

Dona Anderson
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There is a lot of new information the past few years about how the gut affects our whole body and the connection between the gut and the brain.

I really enjoyed her excitement as she tells us all about the gut in a fun way to hear.

Scroll down or check the archives for more posts. 

What did you spend your Golf money on?

I tried to Golf a couple of times.

Unfortunately or Fortunately, I didn't have much success...

Dona Anderson
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But in hind sight it was not to be my thing, 

so I spent the money anyway - on other things.

I enjoy seeing what others are doing in their hobbies, outings, travels so it's always fun to find out new things or places to go.

When I started Yoga I got interested in music and joined a community choir for a few years, then I started to learn drumming, energy work, started writing and on and on.

Funny how you can't just have one drum, singing bowl, Himalayan salt lamp, basket of rocks and so on. 

Now I'm playing guitar with a group of seniors and so far am lucky with only 2 guitars and 1 ukulele.

I'm not getting great at playing yet but what is great is that it's a place to go where others know your name and are glad to see you.

I guess that's what all our hobbies, outings and travels are about.

It's the getting out and spending time with others, having fun, not being lonely for a few hours, learning, helping others, being active or whatever else your activities bring you.

As we start the fall season of getting back to regular life after our summer break I hope we let our minds be our opener to possibilities rather than a limiter. 

Life has so much happiness, wonder and gifts to offer us. 

You'll be amazed at what you can find if you just

Go For It.

Update - from when I first started to write this, so Ok the guitar number went from 2 up to 3 - I guess we shouldn't visit the music shops anymore.

Is there something you're going to learn or be doing again soon?

Links below for sharing.

Thank You for your visit.

Love to hear what you do for Fun!!!!!!!

And what I don't understand is that they say Seniors don't spend money?

New posts are every Tuesday, and visit the archives for lots more.