Below is a list of my favorite tools that have helped me on my journey. I've put them together here as a starting point for you. Many of them I still use today.

Monroe Sound Science
In the beginning of my journey I had a really hard time turning off my mind chatter. My mind was constantly running and I was always figuring out the next "What if..." scenario. You know, like if this happens, what will I do. I couldn't turn it off and be in the moment. All that changed after attending a 2 day Monroe Institute outreach program in New York City using auditory neural entrainment. I was able to quiet my mind and be in a deep state of relaxation after just listing to a CD with headphones on. Fast forward to today and these tools are available in an amazing app called Expand: Beyond Meditation. 

Gratitude Lists
When my teaching position was eliminated and I was moved back to a school I had already chosen to leave a few years before, I had a really hard time finding things to be happy about. A mentor recommended that I start a list of things I was grateful for. This was really hard at first and sadly enough started with me saying "I'm grateful that at least I'm not a monkey." Start your own daily practice by quickly writing a list of 5-10 things for which you are grateful. This practice elevates your mood and your vibration. Giving thanks for what you already have really can change your life.

Morning Pages
I'm a huge fan of Julia Cameron's book The Artist's Way. It has been a vital part of my journey, but trying to do everything in the book was a bit overwhelming. Morning pages was one of the very first tools I used and is the activity that really helped me connect with my intuition and turn off my mind chatter. Click here to watch a short video of how Morning Pages work.

Artist Dates
At the start of my journey people kept telling me to follow my passion, but I had no idea what I was passionate about!! My default answer was my kids, and that was true, I was passionate about them, but I needed to find a different kind of passion. One that only had to do with me and my relationship with myself. Artist Dates are great at helping you identify things that you are passionate about and make your heart sing. They are also a great way to connect with your creativity. Click here to learn more about Artist Dates.