I should be writing, working on a treatment to be exact, but I’m not. I thought if I threw all the ingredients in a pot (my brain) and let it simmer for a while (over a week now), I’d come up with a nice hearty word-stew. Needless to say, the stew isn’t ready, and because I’m starting to feel a little dried up with the waiting on brilliance, I decided to have some fun with my dehydrator.

Last weekend I dehydrated one pint of raspberries, two pints of blueberries, and two pints of strawberries. I’ve been throwing a handful on my cereal all week and let me tell you: it makes me happy. The strawberry slices are just too damn good!

This weekend, my dehydrating adventure involved kale, red and green. After I washed it thoroughly of organic dirt, I tossed it ever so lightly with olive oil, and sprinkled it with my premixed-mixture of hemp hearts, chia seeds, garlic powder and a pinch of sea salt. Wow! These kale crisps are so delicious it’s hard to believe they are packed with heathy goodness too!

Patti Smith is so incredibly COOL. That is all. For now.

★★★★

★★★★★

★★★★★

Guest post by Melicious Manners! Yay!

I had a dream, a wonderful dream Mama, I dreamed it for you Mama… Oh wait my mother’s dream for me was to end up happily settled down, running a restaurant and having grandbabies. I am on a slightly different life track. I want to be funny, professionally. I hear there’s a lot of money in it, money and respect.

The problem is I’m procrastinaty. Ahh, procrastinaty- a word I made up to describe the way I put things in the backseat of my life until I have time. Time being a mythological era that will give itself to me in one lump allowance and I will get to have all these backseat dreams realized. Procrastinaty also describes the things that get in the way of doing what I actually want to do. If you ask anyone- especially an artist, they’ll tell you, life can get in the way of doing the things you put in your backseat. My backseat was full of those little ideas that tickle my fancy and help me to breathe easier. So with spring on the horizon, I decided to do a little car/life detailing.

During this spring-cleaning I realized how reliant I was on others to do my things for me/with me. Red flag on the play! Creating something is not always about collaboration. As a creative person it is very important to be able to work alone. And it is work. Don’t get me wrong, writing fills me with joy and a sense of mental detox, but it is still work. Having someone as a coach or producer or buddy can help you to feel like you aren’t just screaming into the abyss, but really it’s you you’re supposed to be doing this for: It’s YOUR dream.

Using my “talent” (though that terminology is debatable), gives me a sense of accomplishment. Taking the time to sit down each day and write- especially about motivation, gives me the motivation to keep motivating myself… What?!?! It’s a cycle. Of course it is, to everything turn, turn, turn. When I was little my mother would squawk at me to get outside and play; “A body at rest, stays at rest.” And I never understood her, until now. Though the logic is sound- it’s still strange. I hear people say: I’m working hard and I’m tired. And I know it’s true, we as a society are working harder than we ever have before- our Smart phones encouraging us to work on our way to work. But that’s just work- we have to remember the passengers in the backseat.

If your backseat is filled with the things you find great pleasure in, but don’t have time for, maybe it’s time for a carwash. At what point do we admit that the things we’re putting in the backseat aren’t going to wait around? It doesn’t have to be painting, writing or performing- it can be anything big or small. A great joke or a trip, a blog or a cake, it’s time we let our backseat passenger sit in the co-pilot’s chair and navigate. The things we sacrifice for “life” (the mundane and repetitive motions we go through), can be greater than we realize. A good rule of thumb: Don’t leave things in your backseat with the windows rolled up, it’s fatal.

Melicious Manners is a lonely hermit born out of the desire to connect with others, waving a #FreakChic flag for all the world to see. With a flair for manipulating the mundane and an uncanny capacity to find humour in the dark (turn the light on, duh) Melicious is quickly gaining an online audience of dedicated procrastinators. Follow the mental mayhem @MeliciousMona
There’s a prize in every box!

www.meliciousmanners.com

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Guest Post by Ilchi Lee

Everybody has experienced it. You’re sitting at your desk, trying to get stuff done, when the mental fog overtakes you. You sit there staring blankly at the computer screen, sinking into a puddle of non-productivity. In the back of your mind, a loud voice is yelling at you: “You’ve got a deadline! Hurry up! Get something done!” Yet, the minutes tick by and nothing gets done as your mind wanders everywhere but toward your work.

For most people, the typical remedy is to reach for a cup of coffee. This makes some sense, because the caffeine in coffee will indeed wake you up. However, it will not get to the root of the problem at all.

When you feel mental fatigue of this kind, it is because your brain needs to rest. It is crying out to you to slow down your mental processes and to take a break. By stimulating your brain with caffeine, you are forcing your brain to work overtime and pushing your mind toward burnout. Thus, you need to rest your mind truly to let it recharge.

The best way to do this is through meditation. Yes, you could take a break and go relax or search the Internet, but that may not solve the problem. You really need to slow down your thinking, which even while you are relaxing could be buzzing at a hundred miles a minute. Meditation, in essence, is the art of emptying the mind, and that is exactly what your brain needs to rejuvenate in the middle of the day.

Fortunately, you don’t need to join an ashram or visit the local Buddhist temple to do this. In fact, you can do it right at your desk, spending only a few minutes. Yes, it is very helpful if you can spend more time practicing it, but even a three or four minutes can help change your brain waves from flustered to focused.

Try this simple meditation while sitting at your desk:

1) Sit up straight in your chair with your back straight, feet parallel and on the floor, and your hands resting on your thighs.
2) Close your eyes and relax your body completely.
3) Focus on your breath, inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth. Breathe naturally, but allow your lungs to fill and empty completely. As you breathe, try to release all tension from the body.
4) Watch the thoughts that come to your mind as you relax. It is natural that your mind will be busy at first, but keep trying to return your focus to your breath.
5) When you feel completely relaxed, open your eyes and return to your work.

If you try this, you will be able to focus better and be more productive throughout the day. Many studies have confirmed that meditation is great for improving focus and for creating an overall sense of wellbeing. Give it a try and see how you feel.

ILCHI LEE is an educator, mentor, and trailblazer who has developed many mind-body training methods including Dahn Yoga and Brain Education. He is also the founder of Sedona Mago Retreat and the author of thirty-three books, including the New York Times bestseller, The Call of Sedona: Journey of the Heart. For more information about Ilchi Lee and his works, visit www.callofsedona.com.

Every year millions of visitors journey to Sedona, Arizona, to find themselves captivated by incomparable landscapes, and majestic sunsets. Sedona really is one of the most breathtakingly beautiful, magical places I have ever been. Both times I have passed through Sedona I was on a road trip, en route to The City of Angels, and both times my brief stops in Sedona were the highlight of my journey. The subtle and steady current of peace has been calling me back ever since.

I recently read the New York Times best-selling book, The Call of Sedona- Journey of the Heart by Ilchi Lee and found this trademark peacefulness within its pages. The book includes many striking colour-images to feast upon as Ilchi Lee recounts how he personally discovered Sedona. He also goes into great detail describing each of the most stunning and notable areas of Sedona.

ILCHI LEE is an educator, mentor, and trailblazer who has developed many mind-body training methods including Dahn Yoga and Brain Education. He is also the founder of Sedona Mago Retreat and the author of thirty-three books, including the New York Times bestseller, The Call of Sedona: Journey of the Heart. For more information about Ilchi Lee and his works, visit www.callofsedona.com.