La Dolce Vita Retreats

Although we ended the decade in trying times, we begin the next having grown wiser and stronger. For that insight, we should all be grateful.
I’ve attached an article that pretty much sums up my thoughts and I wanted to share it with you. I am hoping that none of us loses sight of the wisdom and faith in ourselves that we have gained

2009 was a year in which we all showed the mettle of which we were made.

Blessings to each of you for a superb 2010!

Resolutions for the Soul, by Julie Morgenstern _ wowOwow

December 31st is always a very reflective day for for me, one I always anticipate as I make a concerted effort each year to leave the day free for my “annual ritual”. That ritual consists of a time for reflection. During this time I review my successes and celebrate them. I also reflect upon disappointments, acknowledge them and then release them, mourn them so to speak, but say farewell to them.

I review my journal and gather up the remaining “goals” yet to be attained and consider if they are still relevant, If so, I advance them to the new year’s list, perhaps make some adjustments if needed. Put them “out to the universe”, as they say.

But my favorite part is taking the time to dream about what I want the new year to look like. I write everything in my journal – everything I fancy! I take time to make a vision board. I make a chart so that I can organize my thoughts. I use a LARGE 7 day calendar and write in things that I want to fit into my schedule on a regular basis – i.e exercise, reading time, language study, etc. – things I need to book as appointments, blocked off just like any other business appointment.

Once I have completed the basic process I cull the list to the top 3-5 in the areas of mind, body and spirit and say them out loud! Announce them to the world! Make them a reality and make myself accountable.

This year I want to:
1. INCREASE MY LIFE COACHING PRACTICE BY 10 NEW CLIENTS
2. FILL MY 2010 RETREATS WITH FASCINATING, INTELLIGENT, PRO-ACTIVE WOMEN
3. ACHIEVE MY YOGA TEACHING CERTIFICATION
4. HOT AIR BALLOON OVER THE SERENGETI
5. COMPLETE WRITING MY BOOK

So, there you have it! Those are my aspirations.

What are yours? Proclaim them, own them and make them your reality!

Looking forward to 2010 and living a life of passion and compassion and wishing you success in your endeavors!

Blessings,
Janice

One of the yamas in yoga is ahimsa. Ahimsa suggests that we embrace an attitude of compassion and non-violence toward all living things. This includes ourselves. We must be kind to ourselves, non- violent toward ourselves.

I was pondering the idea of friendship and how we treat our friends with compassion and support, and comparing that with how we treat ourselves. We can be very cruel to ourselves. We are all guilty of denigrating criticism of ourselves, unconscious as it may be.

If we counted the number of negative things we think or whisper to ourselves on a daily basis, one would be shocked. We say things to ourselves that we would never utter to our friends, or even strangers for that matter. Would we tell a friend that she is an idiot? Or looks like a wreck? Or has gotten so fat? Or is a failure? You get the picture.

If the concept of “you are what you think” is in fact a reality, and I believe it is, then we are setting ourselves up for disaster with these critical thoughts. Rather, if we have a set of affirmations that we repeat to ourselves each day, then we we cultivate our success. We reinforce our positives and change our perspectives, our outlooks on life.

Do you have an affirmation that you say to yourself each day? Or perhaps several affirmations? Begin the practice of ahimsa by showing compassion toward yourselves, by starting your day with gentle and generous thoughts about yourself, by establishing a mindset of self-acceptance and harmlessness.

I challenge each of us to adopt this practice from the time we arise until we retire each day. If necessary, wear an elastic band around your wrist and snap it each time you catch yourself thinking negative thoughts about yourself! Break the habit! Break the mold!

You are a child of God. Appreciate your existence, honor yourself. Be the friend to yourself that you would be to others.

2010 is the start of not only a new year but also a new decade. And for each of us, it is a new canvas on which to create our masterpiece!

Blessings,
Janice

Imagine hiking the Ligurian trails of the Italian Riviera with an herbalist who not only identifies the local herbs but also explains their various medicinal properties and methods for use!

Monica presents us with a most interesting hike and we look forward to integrating some of her wellness practices into our lifestyles!

Read about her at: http://www.ladolcevitaretreats.com/faculty/Monica-Macchelli-bio.php

When I founded La Dolce Vita Retreats in 2007, I sought to break the mold of what I saw as the self-care deficit among women, particularly women of the boomer generation. As women, we are the nurturers – the caretakers for our children, our spouses, and often nowadays, our parents. In addition, our generation is the first in which so many women have successful careers which allow them to contribute significantly to the family coffers, sometimes even exceeding the contributions of our spouses.

In addition to being the nurturers/caretakers we are also the marathon drivers for sports, medical and dental activities; the records/data keepers, homework tutors, cooks, cheer leaders; confidants, advisors, advocates; lovers, best friends; mentors and role models.

So, who nurtures us? When do we have time to stop and take time for ourselves? How do we re-charge so that we don’t run out of “juice”? And why in the world do we feel guilty about even thinking about taking a week just to focus on ourselves, doting on no one else but ourselves?

I learned a long time ago that one must make the time to do things one wants to do. No one is going to do it for you. As Carl Sandburg said, “Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.”

So, initially, the mold I wanted to break was the notion that women cannot reserve a week a year to indulge in activities of nurturing and personal growth. Nonsense! 1 week out of 52 should be a ritual of annual health maintenance. Guilt-free!
But what I have discovered over the last two years has profoundly shocked me. And, it has nothing to do with the economy. This mind-set has been prevalent since childhood. As accomplished as this group is, there still exists a double standard and I believe we impose it upon ourselves.

Therefore, it’s a much bigger mold that I now seek to break. It is based on the concept of self value, self regard, self-worth.

Clearly, La Dolce Vita Retreats is not for everyone, just as Neiman-Marcus, Cartier, Mercedes and so forth have a distinct clientele. Our ideal client is a woman between the ages of 45-65, affluent, well traveled, educated and often an executive or professional. So why is it that so many of these women are reluctant to invest in themselves? That is the mystery!

After hearing many of these women state that they “could never spend that kind of money on themselves“, I started to dig deeper and learned that the bottom line is that they value themselves in a far different light than they value their spouses and offspring. They do not feel deserving. Sadly, that line of “I deserve it” isn’t nearly as prevalent as one would like to think.

Curiously I learned this same group has some interesting habits. Here are some responses to four very simple questions:

1. When shopping for a gift for their spouse, they are indulgent seeking only the best. When shopping for themselves, they instinctively seek out the sale rack first.

2. When traveling with their spouses, they enjoy fine hotels and expensive restaurants. No guilt. When traveling with their girlfriends, they look for bargain vacations, stay at places they would never consider if traveling with their husbands, and often still feel guilty about the expenditure.

3. If cooking for the spouse or family, there is a conscious attempt at visual presentation – arrangement or a garnish, for example. When preparing a meal for themselves, a garnish is not even a consideration. Afterall, it’s “just me.” Same goes for linen napkins versus paper towels.

4. If the steak is burned, the cookie broken, the egg yolks over cooked, which one does she take? Unanimously, she takes the burned, broken or over-cooked one.

These are just random questions but I think they reflect a much bigger issue.

The mold I seek to break with La Dolce Vita Retreats is one of discomfort women feel in honoring themselves. As far as we know, we have one life on this earth. We need to live it passionately and with purpose. We need to value ourselves in the same light that we value our spouses, family and friends, no more and certainly no less.

So ladies, take the time to nurture yourself on a regular basis and feel deserving of investing in yourself. With all of the important roles you play, your health and well-being is critical to the well-being of your family.

Let’s break the archaic mold that we impose on ourselves.

Blessings,
Janice