Self-Compassion

Lovingkindness Meditation

Boldly Step Into Your Future

Boldly Step Into Your Future.

Boldly Step Into Your Future

Loving Life

We have moments in our lives where we must bid farewell to a part of ourselves and begin anew. This year I resigned from teaching in the public classroom. This was my affirmation before I mailed my letter. May it help you step boldly into new opportunities for which you were destined. This is an excerpt from my upcoming e-book: Heart Space Wide Open ~ Simple Ways to Feed Your Soul in 7 Days.

Dear Universe:

For the gift of choice & new beginnings, I thank you. I have learned that until a door is fully closed the energy from the past somehow drains our future of its full potential. That is not to say I didn’t love this piece of my past. I have loved all I have done, but it was time to take my leap. I have learned from much experience that any choice made out of fear does not serve my higher self. And with that thought in my heart, today I sent one of the most life-changing letters of my life. I said a prayer, shed some tears, and mailed it. To that beautiful brilliant part of my life, YOU were an amazing gift. I love you and all the little pieces of you which I will treasure for a lifetime. I will miss this part of my past BUT NOW I stand with open arms excited and ready for ALL the future brings. This is not a new chapter. THIS is a new book. To those who have tirelessly supported this step — much love. You know what fresh start? I’m going to rock your world.

Wishing you brilliance in your journey.

With love & gratitude,

Jennifer

www.infinitelifelearning.ca

https://www.facebook.com/InfiniteLifeLearning?ref=hl

California, here I come!

I had a dream to study at the Mind Detox Academy in Scotland in the next couple of years and last week on the last day of our family vacation, I received an email from the founder that threw that timing completely out of the water. The email from Sandy Newbigging, founder of the Mind Detox Academy, stated he was coming to California to teach the same program & he invited me to take one of the only 6 spots for the training.. While the timing was not AT ALL what I had planned, I’ve learned the Universe knows best what the perfect time is.

I  booked my spot. That same night, I reserved my flight to California & last Wednesday I had to order a rushed renewed passport. While I am scared about leaving Alexander, I am equally exhilarated about studying again and following my heart. The excitement running through me  is indescribable. I will have an exam upon completion of my studies but very soon I will be adding mind detox therapist to my curriculum vitae.

I still plan to teach various classes & workshops of interest to children & adults, but this is something I have long thought of doing and the synchronicity of it all is mind-boggling. What has struck me most in the process has been the ease in the planning. I have traveled a lot, & no trip planning thus far has ever been coordinated so effortlessly. THAT is another sign that I am meant to do this.

So here’s my challenge to you as I rush around packing my bags, dare to dream. In fact, dare to dream BIG. Figure out a way you can honour something deep in your soul ~ something that electrifies you & in the words of a dear friend “if it doesn’t somewhat terrify you, it’s not worth it”. Take your step. You owe it yourself; you owe it to the world!

With much love & gratitude

Jennifer www.infinitelifelearning.ca

Here’s the link for the program I’ll be studying!
http://www.sandynewbigging.com/academy_mdm_about.php

_____________________________________________________________________________________________
ONLY 2 spots left for an amazing workshop opportunity!

Embrace your space! Learn to Create Sacred Mindful Space

with Jennifer Alexander, mind detox practitioner & Maureen Harrison, aromatherapist.

When: August 25th 1-4 pm

Where: Infinite Life Learning, 26689 Brady Road, Kerwood

Cost: $87.00

*Learn the essentials of creating a space that is nurturing for you

*Create your own take-home aromatic blend with Maureen

*Personalize inspiration in a handcrafted vision frame.

* Register by August 16th via Paypal at www.infinitelifelearning.ca/best_self.html

Because nurturing others begins with making space for ourselves.

Exit Past. Enter Possibility.

Make space for the new

When we cling to the past, we give energy to WHATEVER we are holding on to. I say this with love and experience. I recently resigned from my 12 year position as English Department Head with the Greater Essex Board, but as of a month ago, there was still some lingering paperwork I had yet to complete. And then, I decided it was time. The past had been hanging over my head long enough, and I wanted to be done with giving energy to that part of my life. I wanted to be free. The interesting lesson for me was soon after I mailed my paperwork, I was contacted by Gail Vaz-Oxlade’s assistant to be interviewed on her national radio program because Gail had enjoyed one of my recent blog posts. Again, I was reminded that when you close a door, new gifts emerge. As an aside, Gail will interview me on July 29th at 11:30 pm on NewsTalk1010.

Is there something in your life that has been weighing on you, that you have given much energy to, that you know it’s time to leave behind? Remember that saying “no” to the Universe is okay because saying “no” makes more space for the “yesses”: for more of what you DO want in your life. When is the right time to do this? All I can say to that is you’ll just know. It’s a feeling. Stand up for you. Close a door on something that no longer serves you, and trust that another door will open. Other opportunities may not instantaneously appear, but there will be a space present that will allow the Universe to respond with new ideas & fresh dreams.

Much love and infinite thanks,
Jennifer

Here’s the blog Gail Vaz-Oxlade enjoyed reading: https://infinitelifelearning.wordpress.com/2013/06/11/plant-your-dream-seeds/

www. infinitelifelearning.ca

https://www.facebook.com/InfiniteLifeLearning?ref=hl#!/InfiniteLifeLearning

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

EARLY REGISTRATION SAVINGS

Being Good to You – Fall Mindfulness Program: Early Discount Reminder – Last day to save = Jul. 31st·

· Increase your calm and happiness
· Strengthen your connection to nature & to YOU
· Expand your ability to be still & be good to you.
· Be a witness to your true nature.

*teachings based on my mindfulness certification course

Register & pay by July 31 and save over $35.00. Prices will go up after.

Two Discount Options if registered & paid by Jul. 31st

Package 1- 4 weeks of mindfulness lessons – $100.00
Package 2 – 4 weeks of mindfulness lessons + 4 weeks of meditation classes $120.00

Signing up for the meditation classes will allow you to incorporate more of what we learn in the mindfulness program in your life. Many believe it takes 8 weeks for mindfulness to change our patterns and to even physiologically change our brains and the way we respond to life. To register for these savings, kindly make a cheque out to Jennifer Alexander by July 31st & mail c/o Infinite Life Learning, 26689 Brady Road, Kerwood, N0M 2B0. Please email me with any questions: infinitelifelearning@xplornet.ca

Please note:
After July 31st, the Being Good to You Mindfulness Program will be $125.00 and the 4 weeks of meditation classes are $30.00.– for a total of 155.00

Plant Your Dream Seeds

Trust your dreams. Trust your heart, and trust your story~Gaiman

Taking steps into the unknown can be really hard & really scary. I’ve experienced this several times in my life ~ leaving a job, leaving a city, & leaving the country. Last year, I left a job with the school board for many reasons, but one reason was because something was pulling me toward another dream. So I got quiet & listened to my soul.  I did a vision board. I imagined my new life. I felt my new life. I planted my dream seeds and then, here’s the toughie. I trusted all would unfold. That’s not to say there weren’t moments of questioning or moments of fear. There were. LOTS! But, I re-aligned myself and realized that I had to leave those dream seeds be.  So often, we plant our seeds and we keep checking on them. And checking on them! But if we keep checking them & moving the “soil” so to speak, our dreams will never have a chance to take shape.
I had another dream seed reminder in May. I had just finished my mindfulness certification. I knew I wanted to take a course to teach teachers but I didn’t know where. I didn’t know how. And then, one day an email from Mindfulness Schools Project in the UK randomly appeared in my email and there was my answer – a 4 day certification course in San Diego. Again, I was reminded of the importance of planting the idea, planting the dream seed, believing in that seed, and trusting it would emerge in the right way at the right time. This is not to say there aren’t times to be active. There are. But there are also times in our lives, equally important times, when we have to be still & trust.
With a new moon, this is a perfect time to plant your dream seeds. Think about it. What’s a dream YOU have? Dig deep. Dream it. See it. Put it on a vision board, and then, trust. Believe: that at the right time and in the right way, your beautiful dream seed will grow and take shape in a way that is perfect for you.

With love, infinite thanks, and dream planting encouragement.

Jennifer at www.infinitelifelearning.ca

** Please spread some dream planting encouragement **

Visit us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Infinite-Life-Learning/103566926446938?ref=tn_tnmn

~ Be inspired. Be connected. Be you.~

Want a wee bit more inspiration in your life?
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Infinite-Life-Learning/103566926446938?ref=hl#!/pages/Infinite-Life-Learning/103566926446938?id=103566926446938&sk=app_190322544333196

---

Be inspired! Make a difference: here & beyond!

ONLY 1 WEEK LEFT TO GET YOUR TICKETS for We Are All Connected: $50.00 each A PORTION OF PROCEEDS goes to Women’s Rural Resource Centre & KIVA Last day to purchase tickets = June 19th
~ Stories of volunteering in Ghana ~ inspiring travel photos ~ amazing keynote speaker on microfinancing, Kiva, & experiences in Africa ~ a drumming circle ~ travel art ~ chai & chocolate

Facebook event page = https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.alexander.167#!/events/515788508477302/?fref=ts

Tickets can be purchased at http://www.infinitelifelearning.ca/adult.html  OR
kindly make cheque out to Jennifer Alexander and mail c/o Infinite Life Learning 26689 Brady Road Kerwood  N0M 2B0 before June 19th

Let’s come together to make a world of difference

Taking Care of YOU

If you’re feeling tired, it is best to restore yourself. ~ Dalai Lama

In all the mindfulness classes I have taken, it has been repeated over and over that mindfulness is cultivating a friendship with the self, a gentleness, a compassion for YOU.

And in every class I have been in, many have spoken of not having time to sit quietly for 5 minutes.  The teacher never judged but quietly said that if this is the case, if you don’t have 5 minutes for yourself, you need to step back and gently ask yourself why. Time for the self is not an indulgence; it is a necessity.

So with that in mind, what WILL you do for yourself today? Intend it. Revel in it! Let me know what self-care looks like for you this 9th of April.

I’d love to hear your thoughts at infinitelifelearning@xplornet.ca. Please share this with a friend.

With love & infinite thanks, Jennifer

Please visit www.infinitelifelearning for class information or Infinite Life Learning on Facebook for class updates.

Go ahead; breathe it in!

In one of my favourite novellas The Alchemist, the old king asks Santiago to balance the oil on his spoon and then, asks if Santiago has noticed his surroundings. Santiago has not. Essentially, this is a lesson on balance, but it is also a story on noticing the natural beauty around us. Because noticing nature, SOAKING IN NATURE is integral to our well-being.

It’s not new knowledge. Still, it never  hurts to be reminded of the POWER OF NATURE. Researchers have proven time and again that nature lessens anxiety &  stress. It enhances our concentration AND our healing.

How many of us loved running outside when we were little?  I remember the liberating feeling of running barefoot through the lawn, of jumping in mud puddles, of smelling lilacs, of making my one-of-a-kind dandelion soup. This was my introduction to nature’s many gifts. Early in my life, although unconsciously, I recognized the power of the space where I was best — in nature. But somehow when I grew up — at least until my mid-30s — between studies, work, and life, I spent less and less time outside. I still loved being in nature, but I didn’t revel in it enough. I didn’t breathe it in enough. And THIS life choice seriously hurt me

As I got older, I became more aware of nature’s impact on me . It grounds me; it grounds us all. I watch our son Alexander’s almost daily connection with nature, and it reminds me of a universal lesson. We need to spend time outsdie. Alexander is happiest outside; he is MOST AT PEACE outside. He loves feeding the birds, loves rolling in the snow, loves smelling the flowers, loves running in our backyard. In fact, he cries when we bring him in. And I know why. Nature raises our vibration. Nature amazes. Nature calms. SHE lifts us out of our stories to experience the ALLNESS of life.

I know now how imperative time outside is. It is imperative for everyone. Some days, I don’t have time for lengthy stretches outdoors or the meandering walk I’d like, but really time in nature can be as simple as pulling off the road to revel in the geese flying overhead, pulling in the driveway turning the car off and listening to the wind in the trees. It can be THAT simple. Maybe the sound of the wind isn’t for you. Maybe it’s watching water; maybe it’s the sound of waves. Maybe it’s watching a sunrise. Or maybe,  just maybe, it’s the simple feeling of being outside any place, any time. Whatever it is, wherever it is, breathe it in. Visit it. Listen to it. Revel in it and PROMISE YOURSELF, you’ll do it often.

Would you like GET YOUR KIDS OUTSIDE to enjoy nature more? Check out Infinite LIfe Learning’s NEW NATURE CLASSES. Some of the many great benefits include greater calm, awareness, connection and just plain fun! AND there will be some VERY special guests including Slegers Organics! http://www.infinitelifelearning.ca/childrens.html  Infinite Life Learning will also be having a NATURE CAMP this summer. http://www.infinitelifelearning.ca/camps.html AND FOR ADULTS, there’s an awesome RECONNECTING TO NATURE  workshop  coming up http://www.infinitelifelearning.ca/workshops.html    Let INFINITE LIFE LEARNING help YOU get back to nature!

Open Minds Straight Ahead

** Lisa Bloom’s new book Swagger really made me think more deeply about the necessity of  teaching culture to a  child. **

My introduction to other cultures began as an ESL teacher. I loved hearing all of the stories, the recipes, every part of learning about other people.  And I’m certain that started my travel bug and my desire to volunteer teach abroad. When I designed a special course for high school students in 2001 that married literature with lessons of culture, the changes I saw in my students were enormous. While the majority of the students were open-minded to begin with, I still saw great transformation. One part of my course was taking my students to my former place of work: the New Canadians’ Centre in Windsor for an afternoon to sit and talk with people from around the world. I loved stepping back and watching the magic unfold: the walls fall away. In those 90 minutes, similarities were realized, stories were shared, and friendships were forged.

I distinctly remember one young woman who signed up for LIt as my course was affectionately named. She was terrified of other cultures; she had been raised in a culture of fear: us versus them. How I admired her for choosing to take a course she knew would cause discomfort but more importantly growth. That day, Sam we’ll call her, was very nervous about sitting for 2 hours with people from around the world. What would they talk about? What would she say? And then, we arrived. As we passed the centre’s daycare, a young boy from China rushed out to her. She smiled & picked him up; her walls had begun to fall away. Two hours later, she beamed at me and said “we really ARE all connected.”

Lisa Bloom argues in her latest book Swagger  that learning of other cultures is not only important for children but imperative. While her focus is young boys, I believe it’s true for all of us. She states “one of the best antidotes to the arrogance of our culture [is to take {our children] out of their everyday life and into a brand new expeience, ideally into a place as different as possible from” what they are used to. (Bloom 191) While travel may not be possible for all of us, I believe at the very least experiencing difference is essential: trying new foods, saying hello to someone new to Canada, maybe even learning of their story and how they came to be here — living with an open mind and an open heart.

These are the lessons I strive daily to teach our son. The seeds have been planted. He loves Turkish music, loves dragon fruit, & enjoys playing an African drum. I want him to know at evey level that we really are all connected. Tonight as I prepare for my kids’ Culture Classes at Infinite Life Learning, I will do my best to share this lesson with the four special children coming through our door because “we come to know ourselves, … through coming to know each other .. other cultures. And the deeper that knowledge, the richer the world we build together”. Danny Martin

With love and infinite thanks, xo Jennifer

Join me (Jennifer Alexander) at Infinite Life Learning on Facebook or check out the website for classes that open minds and hearts:  adult travel classes http://www.infinitelifelearning.ca/adult.html,  kids’ classes on culture http://www.infinitelifelearning.ca/childrens.html or kids’ camps that teach global awareness  http://www.infinitelifelearning.ca/camps.html

WE CREATE CHANGE

Be the change you wish to see in the world. ~ Gandhi

Change is such a powerful word on so many levels — transition, metamorphosis, but in this case, I am talking about coins with the power to transform. Free the Children has always been a cause very near to my heart. I have seen Craig Kielburger speak on two occasions, once to a group of only 30 or so individuals at the University of Windsor. I asked Kielburger for an autograph after his presentation, and I talked with him about following life’s passions. He then asked me about my passion and thanked my students for being trailblazers for various causes. Wow! So Inspiring! Three time Nobel Peace Prize nominee and thanking us. For those of you, who do not know Kielburger’s story, he was a 12 year old child right’s advocate (still is) who had a vision to change the world and end child labour after hearing the heart-breaking story of Iqbal Masin: a young boy murdered for speaking out against child exploitation. Despite all his naysayers, Kielburger flew to Pakistan, sought justice for Masin, became a change agent, and formed one of the most positive organizations for change in the world: Free the Childen  To date, Craig and his brother Marc’s vision for a better world is responsible for development programs in more than “45 countries” and the building of more than “650 schools in the developing world” (www.freethechildren.com/).

Last fall, he and his brother Marc initiated  the We Create Change penny campaign. Each We Create Change bag filled with pennies had the power to give one person somewhere in the world clean water for life. My Be the Change class was small but mighty, and we eagely embraced this cause. In one month, Shae, Blake, Hope, Hannah & I collected 140,000 pennies: enough to give 7 people clean water for life. No small feat for five people!

As the penny is phased out, today an urgent announcement comes from Free the Children that from February 4th-8th RBC will be accepting pennies in ANY container, ANY amount to add to this great cause. Think of Craig Kielburger. Think of Shae, Hope, Hannah, and Blake. But more than that, think of all the people in the world WITHOUT clean water: “780 million people — 2.5 times the population of the United States” (http://water.org/water-crisis/water-facts/water/).

Be inspired. Be generous. Look through your drawers, your pockets, your car, and drop off whatever pennies you can find.

And remember above all that change is about difference, transfomation, and sometimes something even more profound: saving lives.

Join me (Jennifer Alexander) and Infinite Life Learning on Facebook. Or visit us at http://www.infinitelifelearning.ca