Granola Crunchiness

I know—it's been quite a while since I've blogged.  Emma's first birthday has come and gone!  I've had blog posts in the works for several months now but just haven't had the time, energy or will to complete any of them!

Until now.  I spent the weekend at an amazing conference—I'm giving my mind, body and soul a reboot, and so, I'm rebooting my blog as well.  We spent three nights in Reston, Va., at the Freedom for Family Wellness Summit.  I had the chance to see some amazing people speak—Peggy O'Mara, editor-in-chief of Mothering magazine, Ina May Gaskin, Midwife Extraordinaire, Dr. Joseph Mercola, Dr. Joseph Dispenza, Dr. Bruce Lipton, Dr. Jeanne Ohm, Barbara Loe Fisher, Dr. Larry Palevsky and many more!  I attended the conference with a couple friends and our family's chiropractors!  I spent the weekend surrounded by chiropractors, doulas, birth educators and fellow parents.  It was wonderful to be surrounded by so much positive energy.  I came home feeling like a whole new person and ready to start a movement (our homework assignment assigned by Dr. Guy Riekeman, president of Life University).

Here are just a few key points that are fresh in my mind from the weekend.

• A memory without the emotional charge is wisdom gained.
• When you are having a negative thought, just whisper to yourself, "cancel, cancel."
• Take a moment every day to compliment yourself in the mirror.
• Time spent in nature, among the trees, will do us all some good!
• Your birth and first year really, truly forms the person you are, believe it or not! 
• 95% of our actions are controlled by our bodies and 5% our conscious mind.
• It takes ONE person to start a movement!

I'm not really sure what "my movement" will be.  However,  I now have some personal goals I've set for myself, which include reading 15 minutes per day and making time to blog and journal. Here's a short list of a few books that I'd like to read in the next year.  They were all written by speakers of the summit OR recommended over the course of the weekend.  (They are in no particular order!  Some I have bought and some I still need to acquire!  I'll be adding to the list as well!)

1. A Quiet Place: Essays on Life And Family (Peggy O'Mara)
2. Evolve Your Brain: The Science of Changing Your Mind (Dr. Joe Dispenza)
3. Magical Child (Joseph Chilton Pierce)
4. The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem (Nathaniel Branden)