"Dawn"

Software for Your Soul
by
Sunny Massad, Ph.D.

Do you feel good about living an active lifestyle? Are you pleased that yougive as much of your time and energy to others as you do? As Westerners, we value being productive, efficient, multi-taskers. But when your reserves become depleted, looking outside of yourself for pleasure, validation, security or love doesn't work. You have a treasure within that not only includes all of those things, but is infinitely greater than anything the world can offer.

If you have spent your life working hard and following the rules of society only to find that success is not necessarily bringing fulfillment, it may be time for some self-reflection. We know that doing, doing, doing does not necessarily result in feelings of clarity, balance, or joy. Remembering to take time just to “be” results in a radiant joy of Being and the unshakable peace that dwells deep within.

Develop the art of self-encouragement. Insure that your feelings and your lifestyle reflect the state of consciousness that you most value. If you say that you value peace, but live and work amidst noise, have the television or talk radio running in the background, find yourself in conflict with others, and rarely take a walk amidst the beauty of nature, you have to wonder what you are doing with your life. If peace is a treasured value, make time and create opportunities for yourself to drop into the intimacy of your own living, breathing Being .

The journey of life is too precious to waste on activities that don't nourish your soul. True self-care goes beyond getting your hair or nails done. True self-care begins with making time for your self, learning to talk to yourself with a voice of compassion, and immersing yourself in enriching experiences .

As Marilyn Grey once said, “No one ever has it all together. That's like trying to eat once and for all.” If you sometimes feel that you are unable to keep up with the demands of your calendar, routines, and to-do lists, and find yourself feeling frustrated about not having enough time to get clear, come and visit the Hawaii Wellness Retreat House, where the peacefulness and beauty of nature and the opportunity to afford yourself precious self-reflective time can nourish your soul . Here is a preview of upcoming opportunities:

Incredible Shrinking Women: A Painless Weight Management Lifestyle
5 Monday evenings, January 22-February 19 , 6-8pm and Sunday, February 4 , 10:30am-1:30pm , $199*

Transcending Your Old Self-Image
6 Sundays: First and Third each month, February 4-April 15 , 3-5:30pm , $25 per meeting (with a minimum commitment of 5 meetings)

Self-Hypnosis and Meditation
Sunday, February 18 , 10:30am-2pm , $49 (includes lunch)

Transforming Tension: Meditation and Stress Relief
5 Mondays, March 12-April 9 , 6:30-8:30pm , $179 (includes text and materials)

A Spiritual Spa Day: Care for the Soul
Saturday, May 26 , 10am-5pm , $89 (includes lunch)

One Year to Live: A Four-Week Exploration of Living and Dying
4 Mondays, June 1-25 , 6-8:30pm , $149 (includes text)

Learn How to Counsel Yourself and Others
Saturday, January 6 , 1-4pm , $35

The Wellness Counselor Career Training and Certification Program
Two Opportunities: January 20-March 11 or June 3-July 29 , 10am-6pm , $1,499, plus $100 application fee

Wellness Practitioner Professional Development Program
Two Opportunities, January 23-March 6 or June 5-July 17 , 6-8:30pm , $899

As always, we will send reminders prior to each to course. As Thanksgiving approaches, we here at the Hawaii Wellness Institute would like to express our gratitude about having you as a part of our ohana. Have a beautiful Holiday Season and we hope to see you next year.