Canada’s national newspaper, The Globe and Mail, has been doing a series of articles this year on different book clubs from around the country. The articles show up periodically in the Focus and Books section of Saturday’s paper and have profiled clubs from Moncton to Victoria.

As the series has unfolded, one of the most interesting aspects of it has been that every book club profiled has been so different from every other one. What they have in common is that the members love books and reading, after that the commonalities stop.

The latest article features a club in Ontario that meets just three times a year, rather than the more common once-a-month. This group of retirees has created a club schedule that fits into their busy lives.

Another club that we were fascinated to read about was a mother-daughter club, also in Ontario. Founder Karen von Jagow came home from her adult book club a few years ago to find herself peppered with questions from her then-11-year-old daughter. Von Jagow realized that her daughter had observed how important her mother’s club was to her and was, in her own way, expressing a desire to be involved with a group in a similar way.

The idea for a mother-daughter club was born and they’ve been meeting now for three years. One beautiful thing the mothers have noticed is that their girls have transformed from being a bit shy about talking about the books to being more confident about hosting, leading a discussion and creating provocative questions for the group to discuss. The added bonus of keeping conversational doors open between parent and child during the teenage years is one we’re sure these mothers are happy about too!

Do you belong to a book group?
If not, would you like to create one?
Who would you invite to join you on the reading journey?

namaste,

Zoey

Zoey Ryan
life & business coach for women
inspiration * clarity * wisdom * enchantment
www.shaktisage.com
604-323-3700

“Coaching for your heart & soul & the heart and soul of your business.”

A tiny and unique publishing house in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadhu has been improbably successful at a time when bookstores and publishing houses are struggling and the world economy is not helping.

When Gita Wolf moved back to India from Germany, where she was feeling unfulfilled teaching comparative literature, she brought together some writers and designers she knew and formed Tara Books in 1994. She and her friends decided to focus on children’s books so that the children of India would be able to find their world depicted in literature.

Toronto’s Annick Press, famous for producing Robert Munsch’s children’s stories, got involved with Tara in 1996 and placed what was, for Tara, a huge order of 8,000 copies of one of their first titles, The Very Hungry Lion.

One of the things that is unique about Tara is that all the books are handmade. Early on, colours for the paints for the books were mixed in oil drums using cricket bats. Their processes have been upgraded since then and just few months ago, founder Gita Wolf converted Tara into a worker-owned collective.

Now that’s a small business success story with heart!

namaste,

Zoey

Zoey Ryan
life & business coach for women
inspiration * clarity * wisdom * enchantment
www.shaktisage.com
604-323-3700

“Coaching for your heart & soul & the heart and soul of your business.”

“Women and Being a Fiery Shakti Sage”

During the past 18 years, our family and myself personally have gone through many “ups and downs, backwards and sideways”, including more than a few major traumas. We have become intimately aware of the sadness of depression, the restlessness of anxiety, the pain of losing a loved one, the devastation of addictions and…the healing fire of pain, anger and hurt transmuted into unconditional love and forgiveness.

If one “googles” ‘goddess of fire”, we read about Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of fire, who is both a creator and destroyer; about Arani, the Hindu goddess of fire and sexual energy; about Freya and Aodh, Sekhmet and Vesta. In every ancient tradition, there is a goddess of fire.

One of of my designed “shakti sage” sub-qualities of power is fire. Consider these phrases: the fire of burning desire, a heart on fire, “the most powerful force on earth is a soul on fire”. Your “fire” is your internal life force.

Fire can also show up as anger, or powerful “aggress energy” (as my friend Gina Dingwell refers to it). Anger can be amazingly energizing and cleansing if it is “purified” through a soft and loving heart, filled with forgiveness.

The qualities of wisdom, unconditional love, integrity and gentleness balance the amazing power of our internal fire and I find with many of my coaching clients, during a coaching conversation about fire, it helps to also bring in the balancing qualities. Keep this in mind as you consider your internal fire!

Ayn Rand from Atlas Shrugged says

“Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark in the hopeless swaps of the not-quite, the not-yet, and the not-at-all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish in lonely frustration for the life you deserved and have never been able to reach. The world you desire can be won. It exists.. it is real.. it is possible.. it’s yours.”

Wonderful luscious fiery shakti sages, don’t let your fire go out, this week, ponder and play with the idea of you as a fiery woman.

Self-care Enchantments:
1. Can you feel your internal fire?

2. What does it feel like, what does it taste like, what colour is it?

3. How has your internal fire “shown up” in your life?

Add your comments in to the powblog http://thepowblog.com.

Namaste,

Zoey

Zoey Ryan

life & business coach for women

inspiration * clarity * wisdom * enchantment

http://shaktisage.com

604-323-3700
“Coaching for your heart & soul & the heart and soul of your business”

Have you had experience with “the book angel”?  Do you know the one I mean?  Other people may call it synchronicity, “just at the right time” or a coincidence when the perfect verse, saying, article or book falls into one’s lap at just the perfect time with the perfect information for one’s current life situation or issue.  I call her “the book angel” and while I have been experiencing this phenomena for about 20 years, it never ceases to provide a profound sense of awe when it happens.

 

In a coaching conversation last week, my client mentioned something similar, she didn’t call it her “book angel”, however, the, process was the same.  Just at the right moment, necessary information, encouragement, inspiration would show up, provide direction and resonate deeply.

 

So, in this sacred build up time to all the festivals, holidays and celebrations of December, attune to your “book angel” and notice how support and “just in time” help and information may be available to you!  Of course, you may have different names or way of describing this and we would love to hear these stories too!

 

Self Care Enchantments for the week:

 

1.  Make note this week of the times that crazy coincidences or synchronistic events happen and write about this in your journal.  Stay open to the energy of this process and just for fun, give it a name.

 

2.  Continue the process of letting go of the old to make room for the new with the start of a new “soul year”, the first Sunday of Advent,

 

3.  Take some time to organize for the busyness of the season ahead.  It can be very helpful to stock up on non-perishable groceries, buy gifts early, decide to not buy gifts at all etc so that you can fully enjoy the sacredness of the season in all its glory.  This is a time when attention to one’s self-care and health is particularly important!

 

“The true harvest of my life is intangible – a little star dust caught, a portion of the rainbow I have clutched” – Henry David Thoreau

 

We would love to hear about your experience with these enchantments.  Please share about your learning and exploration with these enchantments on www.thepowblog.com in the comments section!

 

namaste,

 

Zoey

 

Zoey Ryan

coach . catalyst . shakti sage

life & business coach for women

“Coaching for your heart & soul and the heart & soul of your business”

www.positivelyoutrageouswomen.com

www.entrepreneurialsuperstars.com

604-323-3700

Support fair trade, eco-friendly gift giving at Hippy Grandma: hippy love for generations – earth friendly treasures for your grandbabies, their mamas and you! www.hippygrandma.com

“The Enlightened Entrepreneur: A Spiritual Approach to Creating and Marketing A Company”   by Grace Bulger

In this book, Grace Bulger, a marketing consultant specializing in corporate identity work and former VP of communications for GE Capital Rail Services, brings a strategic, values based process to designing a business.

While totally open to her wording the title with the use of the word “spiritual”, I couldn’t actually find many references to spirituality and certainly few references to religion or a higher power.  What I did find was a clearly laid out, easy to read primer for any socially responsible entrepreneur who wants their business to be an expression of their life purpose.

Not just for the pre-start up phase but for any entrepreneur wanting to re-energize their business, the author mixes real life business examples with practical and easy to follow exercises.  You and your business will benefit!

If you admire business women like Anita Roddick of the Body Shop or respect the social responsibility of Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream, then I think you will love this book!

Namaste,Zoey

Zoey Ryan

coach . catalyst . shakti sage

life & business coach for women

“Coaching for your heart & soul and the heart & soul of your business“

www.positivelyoutrageouswomen.com

www.entrepreneurialsuperstars.com

604-323-3700

Zoey’s Top 7 Book Picks:

 

“Passionate Presence: Experiencing the Seven Qualities of Awakened Awareness” by Catherine Ingram

 

“A Path With Heart: A Guide Through The Perils And Promises of Spiritual Life”

by Jack Kornfield

 

“A Thousand Names for Joy: Living in Harmony with the Way Things Are”

by Byron Katie

 

“The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment” by Eckhart Tolle

 

“A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose” by Eckhart Tolle

 

“A Woman’s Journey to God: Finding the Feminine Path” by Joan Borysenko

 

“When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times” by Pema Chodron

 

“May your life be like a wildflower, growing freely in beauty and joy each day.”

www.positivelyoutrageouswomen.com

www.entrepreneurialsuperstars.com

604-323-3700

If your childhood was anything like mine, you grew up believing that “rich people are greedy”, “money is the root of all evil” and that the dad in the house is the main “bread winner”. 

 

In my work as a life & business coach for women, I often work with clients for whom “money issues” are like grungy coloured threads knotted up in their otherwise beautiful tapestry of life.  For many women, money and being wealthy is all tied up with a sense of unworthiness, un-deservedness and shame.  Particularly, it seems with women on a spiritual path, poverty can be directly attached to “purity” and being wealthy is viewed as somewhat shameful and taking money away from those who need it more.  It is confusing and convoluted and this knot of threads can take courage, commitment and gentle resolve to untangle.

 

Lynne Twist, in her excellent book “The Soul of Money” page 223, says “we all have life sentences embedded in our beliefs and our worldview” (about money).   She reminds us that “It is possible to rewrite them and consciously re-script our responses to include the inspiration we need to ground ourselves around money.” Read through the following guidelines that she shares and spend a few moments right now appreciating and blessing the money and prosperity in your life:

 

Money is like water.  It can be a conduit for commitment, a currency of love.

 

Money moving in the direction of our highest commitments nourishes our world and ourselves.

 

What you appreciate appreciates.

 

When you make a difference with what you have, it expands.

 

Collaboration creates prosperity.

 

True abundance flows from enough, never from more.

 

Money carries our intention.  If we use it with integrity, then it carries integrity forward.

 

Know the flow – take responsibility for the way your money moves in the world.

 

Let your soul inform your money and your money express your soul.

 

Access your assets – not only money but also your own character and capabilities, your relationships and other non-money resources.

 

Aren’t those beautiful statements?  Imagine untangling your knot of “money issues” and weaving in these beautiful and brilliantly coloured phrases instead!  What a amazing tapestry you would create!

 

“May your life be like a wildflower, growing freely in beauty and joy each day.” – Native American Proverb

 

namaste,

 

Zoey

 

Zoey Ryan

coach . catalyst . shakti sage

life & business coach for women

“Coaching for your heart & soul and the heart & soul of your business”

www.positivelyoutrageouswomen.com

www.entrepreneurialsuperstars.com

604-323-3700

 

During my morning meditation today, I was reading the 29th verse of the Tao and accompanying message “Living by Natural Law” in the book by Wayne Dyer “Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life: Living The Wisdom of the Tao”.  Included in this section was the wonderful poem by Naomi Long Madgett:

Woman With Flower

I wouldn’t coax the plant if I were you.
Such watchful nurturing may do it harm.
Let the soil rest from so much digging
And wait until it’s dry before you water it.
The leaf’s inclined to find its own direction;
Give it a chance to seek the sunlight for itself.

Much growth is stunted by too careful prodding,
Too eager tenderness.
The things we love we have to learn to leave alone.

This poem brought to mind a recent experience I had with a water lilly!  Last week, I was very excited to add the water lilly to our little gurgling pond and immersed it in the water as instructed.  I then tried to turn the lilly pads over to face the sum and arrange the pads to fit into the pond in a way visually pleasing to me.  The lilly pads did not cooperate!  I would gently turn and arrange and look back in a few minutes and the pads had gone back to the original arrangement.

This morning I looked at the pond and saw the lilly pads open and basking in the sun.  The lilly pads had their own timing and agenda, and silly me to try and change this.  It was a wonderful opportunity for me to learn (again) to live in the “harmony of natural law”!

“May your life be like a wildflower, growing freely in beauty and joy each day.” – Native American Proverb

namaste,

Zoey

Zoey Ryan

coach . catalyst . shakti sage

life & business coach for women

“Coaching for your heart & soul and the heart & soul of your business”

www.positivelyoutrageouswomen.com

www.entrepreneurialsuperstars.com

604-323-3700

Inrageous/Outrageous Self-Care Enchantments for This Week

The self care discussions of the past few weeks have been kind of “heady”, requiring self-inquiry and reflection.  Let’s change things up abit and for this week, sink into body centered practices and the concept of mindfulness.

Jon Kabat – Zinn in his book, “Coming To Our Senses: Healing Ourselves And The World Through Mindfulness” calls “mindfulness” a particular kind of awareness, he says “Mindfulness is the final common pathway of what makes us human, our capacity for awareness and for self-knowing.  Mindfulness is cultivated by paying attention, and, as we shall see, this paying attention is developed and refined through a practice know as mindfulness meditation’.  I add that mindfulness is about using all of you, all your senses and all of your body, to put your full self into living your life!

So, the self-care enchantments for this week are about paying attention to yourself, your life and your body and about deepeing your awareness and mindfulness.

Self Care Enchantments for the week:

1.    For this week, every morning before getting out of bed, ask yourself, “how does my body feel, where do I feel tight, or tense or relaxed and melted”.
2.    Pick a food that you enjoy, something like a fresh strawberry, cool firm grape or a delicious bowl of homemade soup.  Eat this food with mindfulness, care and attention, savouring every mouthful, fully experiencing all the flavours, textures and smells.  Draw out the eating of this food, make it slow and sensual; spend at least 5 minutes eating this one food!  Do you feel satiated?
3.    Think of the areas or times in your life that you are “mindless” not “mindful”.  How does mindlessness serve you and not serve you?

If you feel drawn to this, write about your experiences with mindfulness this week.  You may wish to start a mindfulness journal or a mindfulness ritual.  Enjoy the fullness of you!

namaste,

Zoey

Zoey Ryan
coach . catalyst . shakti sage
life & business coach for women
“Coaching for your heart & soul”
www.positivelyoutrageouswomen.com
www.entrepreneurialsuperstars.com
604-323-3700

“I walk ahead of myself in perpetual expectancy of miracles”  – Anais Nin