Is This Really Happening?

My heart is ready to explode out of my body today...in a good way! I just can`t believe this is happening...

Let`s back up a little. This is a picture of me at my CD release party back in Montreal a few years ago. As you may know, I decided to quit the music business and instead continue spreading a message of health and happiness as a holistic healer. My CD was released with my first book, and the entire package, including the songs, is all about following your heart, staying aligned with who you truly are and understanding universal laws in order to make your dreams come true. I believe spreading this message and empowering others to become the best possible version of themselves is my life's purpose. I can sing it, I can write about it, I can coach people on an individual basis...it doesn't really matter which way it comes out!

I've always been a strong believer of the Law of Attraction, but I've been practising it more intensely lately. One of my intentions has been to bring some of my music 'back to life'. I started writing these intentions in my journal a couple weeks ago and wonderfully strange events have been happening! I've been receiving emails from people congratulating me for my CD (it was released 7 years ago!) I've been receiving royalty cheques for substantial amounts (for international radio play that I was not even aware of!) and, today, the producers of Radio-Canada in Montreal will be broadcasting my duet with the wonderful Daniel Lavoie accross Canada (5:25 in Edmonton on Friday, Dec 6, on 98 fm).

Although I know my songs have been getting some radio play here and there, I've never actually had the chance to hear one broadcasted live! This is going to happen for the first time in my life today, and I'm just soooo excited about that! This is truly a dream coming true...one I can check off my list now! Never underestimate the power of clear intentions and focused energy! This is truly the fabric of miracles.

Warmest wishes,

Lise
www.lisevilleneuve.com

What You REALLY Want For Christmas...

Maybe we should just be honest with ourselves this year and cut to the chase by answering this simple question: what do we REALLY want for Christmas? Let me help you out here. We just want to feel good or, at least, better! The truth is, everything we choose to do is done because we think it will somehow make us feel better or avoid pain.

Think about it. The whole Christmas shopping ordeal is either fuelled by a desire to please and/or a desire to avoid guilt or embarrassment! We give "things" because this makes us feel better. Sure, it's nice to give and receive new gadgets, they distract and entertain us for awhile, but we all intuitively know that material things are not the key to feeling that deep, lasting peace and joy we all crave! What if we could wrap up those wonderful feelings in a little box, instead? What if we could offer them as gifts to ourselves, as well as to the people we love? Wouldn't that be the perfect present? Well, you actually can!

Instead of embarking on the 2014 Shopping Crusade this year, unconsciously trying to please everybody -including yourself- with a material solution to a metaphysical problem, why not just focus on this idea: "what can I do to make myself and others feel better?" It's time for you to get creative here! Shopping is somewhat easy (especially if you have masochistic tendencies) but it only brings superficial, momentary pleasure. 

Obviously, sometimes it's inappropriate to want to offer "the feelings of love, peace and empowerment" to your boss, your mother-in-law or your ex, and a box of chocolates will do just the trick. But for those souls who are really close to you, whom you dearly love and wish the absolute best, why not give them what they really want (but may not know it yet)? Help them to feel more confident, help them become healthier, help them reach for their dreams, help them experience true joy!

If you are looking for suggestions to bring this idea to life (and you are in the Edmonton area), I can offer you a 1-hour "Soul Spa" Package (Gift Certificates available).

Warmest Wishes,

Lise

www.lisevilleneuve.com

10 Secrets to Living a Fulfilling, Wonderful, Magical life...

Would you like to know 10 secrets to living a fulfilling, wonderful, magical life?  

1.       Wake up from the illusion. You are a spiritual being in a material world. The current reality you are experiencing is not set in stone. The physical world you interpret each day is only a tiny fraction of the whole. I can help you broaden your perspective and empower you.

You are a beautiful, luminous, intuitive and creative Being

2.       Understand energy and start shaping your reality. The Universe, all matter and even your thoughts are all made up of vibrating energy. This energy is governed by very specific laws. Once you understand these laws, you become a conscious creator. I’ll show you how and help you practice, practice, practice until you don’t have any more doubts!

You are a powerful co-creator in this unified Universe

3.       Redefine success. Forget about money, power, adventure. Those things are great, but true success is measured by the amount of JOY you feel every day. You intuitively know this to be true, and I can help you get there, step by step.

You were meant to experience love, joy and purpose every day

4.       Admit that we ALL have some healing to do. Whether physical or emotional, there are parts of you that want to heal. You may or may not be aware of it, but your mind / ego have been in the driver’s seat for awhile now. This may cause you to feel exhausted, sick, depressed, anxious, angry, discouraged or confused. It’s time to get realigned with your heart and spirit because life was not meant to be a struggle. You deserve to feel great each day and I can help you heal those disowned parts of yourself.

You CAN heal your body, your mind, your relationships and feel fantastic!

5.       Focus exclusively on what you want, not what you don’t want. Stop dwelling on the past, on the problems in your life, and start to clearly define what you DO want instead! Positive focus is an extremely powerful skill. It may take a little practice at first, but I’ll help you master it in no time.

Your desires are extremely important and achievable

6.       Embrace all your emotions. Stop running away from what you are feeling and let yourself fully experience your emotions. They are sending you very important messages, such as “you are not in alignment right now, do something about it!” I will help you fine-tune your emotional compass.

Your emotions are your internal compass guiding you each step of the way

7.       Get comfortable with just “being”. It’s time to stop obsessing about doing, doing, doing and time to start being ok with being. After all, you are a human being, not a human doing! I will help you become more aware of the unconscious thought patterns that make us compulsive “doers”. By learning to be still, you will gain access to your inner wisdom, intuition and creativity.

You have access to deep wisdom within you

8.       Treat your body like the sacred temple it truly is. It’s time to stop fueling yourself with garbage! Your body is begging to be loved, nurtured, accepted and listened to. I will give you gradual, simple tools and instructions that will help you take better care of yourself. This will increase your energy and improve your mood.

You can release blocked energy, look and feel great and inspire others

9.       Understand the ultimate motivation behind everything you do. Every action you take is designed to make you feel better. Let that sink in for a second. Even selfless acts provide us with rewards like satisfaction and increased self-esteem. Be honest with yourself and give yourself permission to take actions that make you feel good directly. What do you really want? What makes you feel good? What brings you joy? I will coach you as you learn to choose better-feeling thoughts and actions each day.

You can learn to love and believe in yourself again

10.   Create your reality consciously, not “by default”. Whether you know and understand the rules of the game or not, you are creating your reality right now with every single thought that you have. The majority of your thoughts are unconscious, so it may seem like what you experience in your life are things you never asked for, but in reality, everything in your life originates from your thoughts. I will help you grow in awareness so that you can become a conscious creator of the life you truly want.

You CAN create the life you truly want!

For more information, please visit www.lisevilleneuve.com

Warmly,

Lise Villeneuve

Founder of Conscious Living Solutions

Health Coach / Reiki Master

How To Create The Life You Truly Want

I finally get it. After years of soul searching, studying, and experimenting, I can now say that I understand how I've slowly been creating the life I truly want, and I also know how to help others get there. This has been my lifelong passion, and I have shifted from inspiring people through music and writing (as a touring singer-songwriter and author) to empowering individuals directly as a holistic therapist.

I love being able to make a difference in peoples' lives. There is so much unnecessary suffering in our hearts. When I meet someone who's at the end of their rope and I'm able to guide them towards a brighter perspective -and eventually, a happier, healthier life- I know that I'm doing the work I was really meant to do. Today I'd like to share some insights to help you understand how you can create the life you truly want.

The Biggest Illusion
Our senses deceive us. You may think that your computer is solid and static, but it's not! Quantum physicists tell us that everything in this universe is made up of vibrating energy fields, including you. That means that everything has its own frequency, or vibration. Even your thoughts are vibrating energy particles that have their own frequency.

You may wonder how any of this affects your life. Well, say you wanted to lose some weight. Most of us would approach the problem of being overweight like this : "I see some unwanted fat here, I can touch it, it's real, so what I need to do is find a solution on the physical level to remove the fat. I'll try dieting and exercising." Will this work? Sure, you can get results that way, but what are you going to do about the thoughts (conscious and subconscious) that caused you to make the wrong choices and created that fat in the first place? If you remain unaware of those thoughts, they will eventually sabotage your short-term success and you will gain weight again.

The biggest illusion is that we believe the best way to control our physical reality is through our physical senses. We look for solutions to most of our problems on a physical level : "If I work more hours, I'll experience more wealth; if I look better, I'll attract a partner; if I find the right doctor, I'll be able to heal from this illness". We are skipping an important step here. Everything that has manifested into your life is the direct result of a thought you believed, somewhere down the road. Your thoughts create your reality. If you don't like that reality, the fastest way to change it is by changing your thoughts! Remember, if everything is made of vibrating energy, it makes sense that thoughts are the precursor to physical matter.

The Rules of the Game
Energetic vibrations are not just random and chaotic, they follow a universal law. Energetic vibrations that match are attracted to each other, and vibrations that don't match are pushed away from each other. You may have guessed that this is called the Law of Attaction. Again, how does this affect your life? Well, you have your very own energetic vibration. It changes from day to day, depending on how you feel and how well you take care of yourself. So, imagine that today you feel great and you have a very high vibration. Following the law of attraction, what do you think you are going to attract in your life today? Like attracts like, so get ready to be a magnet for other high frequency (or positive) circumstances, people and events. The same goes that if you feel down, you will unfortunately attract what you are emitting. Your life today is a perfect reflection of your most frequent thoughts. The good news is that you can learn to control your thoughts, as opposed to letting them control you.

The Key
You hold the key to transforming your life once you develop true awareness. Becoming aware is waking up from the reality you have been creating "by default". You then realize you had the power to shape your reality all along (by becoming aware of your thoughts).That can be scary for some. Now that you know YOU are the ultimate creator of your life, what are you going to create? What do you want? There are no more excuses to play small. It's time to raise your vibration and start attracting all the good stuff!

How to Change Your Reality
You may be thinking, "Ok, I understand all of this, but how can I control my thoughts and raise my vibration? Or, you may be saying "I've tried, and this law of attraction stuff doesn't work". Well, it's not enough to simply understand the concept and think good thoughts. It's all about practice, practice, practice, each and every day. This is actually what I specialize in. I provide tools and techniques to raise your awareness and increase your vibration on an energetic level over a period of 6 months. I teach you how to:

• Become more aware of core limiting beliefs and negative thoughts, and then change them
• Tune in to your emotions and higher self
• Take great care of your body / mind / spirit (nutrition, exercise, meditation, self-expression)
• Use consistent, regular, positive focus to reach your goals / intentions
• Learn to gravitate towards what brings you joy and peace

The Life You Truly Want is Built From the Inside Out
Once you understand that your life today is a direct reflection of your most practised thoughts, you can confidently decide where you want to go from here. The sky is the limit! The life you truly want is within your reach. You just need to plant those "dream seedlings" inside you and create an environment that will allow them to grow and manifest in your outer reality.

Are you ready to get to work?
It's time to walk the talk! Contact me today to set up a free consultation. Please visit my website for more information.

Warmly,

Lise
Holistic Therapist / Reiki Master
www.lisevilleneuve.com

My Epiphany...

This week, I had an epiphany. I've been working on developing this health program for a few months now and the pieces have been coming together quite harmoniously. But just recently, I saw the entire puzzle for the first time! It was like I finished writing the book and finally knew what the title was supposed to be. I realized that "24 weeks to better balance" was sort of like describing all the little pieces of the puzzle, but once I assembled them, the picture before me read "Create The Life You Truly Want".

I spontaneously began to draw a diagram that incorporated all the different parts of my 6 month health program, and my role as a holistic therapist became clearer than ever because I am now able to break everything down into 4 major steps that lead to a goal. I think it's crucial for anyone embarking on such a transformative journey to know exactly where they are headed and why.

Here is a very simplified version of the outline of my health program:

Create The Life You Truly Want:

Step 1. Acknowledge and accept who and where you are right now / Understand how you got there.
Step 2. Clearly define where you want to go / what you truly want, and why.
Step 3. Start to raise your awareness by practising self-care and self-acceptance:

• Become more aware of core limiting beliefs + negative thoughts / change them
• Tune into your emotions and higher self
• Take great care of your body / mind/ spirit (nutrition, exercise, meditation, self-expression)
• Use consistent, regular, positive focus to reach your goals / intentions
• Learn to gravitate towards what brings you joy and peace

Step 4. Start to create the life you truly want from the inside out / Keep redefining new goals and intentions.

These steps may appear simple because they are easy to comprehend, but the challenging part is that in order to be effective, they need to be practised and applied on a regular basis (especially step 3). That's where I come in and crack the whip! Lol! This program is like a self-love and self-care boot camp that helps individuals experience a different perspective of reality. In this quantum perspective, you are the ultimate creator. 

I really love this work and I'm happy to say I'm now offering group coaching starting this September! There are 2 available spots left in a group that starts on September 13. Would you like to be part of this group? Contact me.

Warmly,

Lise

www.lisevilleneuve.com

Congratulations! You Are Certified Awesome!

I knew we would get these mid-year certificates today from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition to be officially qualified to work with clients professionally. I really don't think this certificate is a big deal. I, like many people today, seem to have started a little collection of diplomas and certificates for this or that. However, I must admit it's still a nice little pat on the back to receive this today! 

To me it's a visual reminder of the continual efforts we, the students at the IIN, have been putting in since last October. Every little step has counted towards getting us here now, just past the halfway point. What a life-changing experience! It makes the rest of the journey even more inspiring, and I must say, I don't really want it to end!

Maybe we should all give ourselves certificates like these for important milestones such as... having been a mom / dad for 1 year, having changed a bad habit for 1 month, having done the cleaning for 1 week...lol! It seems silly, but we should give ourselves more credit for the many things we do so well. In fact, I think I'll include the certificate idea in my practice with my clients! When they reach one of their goals, they will get a certificate for having done an awesome job. It seems kinda lame until you actually get the certificate with your name on it. Then, you secretly smile inside!

If you were to write up a certificate for yourself today, what would it be for? Don't be shy, write it in the comments below. You deserve a little praise!

Warmly,

Lise

Health Coach / Reiki Master

www.lisevilleneuve.com

Facebook: Conscious Living Solutions

Client Blog

My Confession...

I received this quote by Eckhart Tolle in my inbox today. As usual, the timing of these words of wisdom was perfect. Lately I've been thinking about my new "role" as a  health coach and I have to confess, I've been feeling some pressure and apprehension. I feel like I have to disclose the following: "Yes, I'm a health coach but no, I'm not perfect!" Of course I'm sure most people realize that my life cannot be perfect all the time, but writing it helps me break free from some of the expectations I may have unfairly put onto myself. I've also been experiencing different situations with clients that made me think about my "role" and the appropriate ways a health coach should or shouldn't act. I didn't like the energy this neurotic thinking was requiring.

You see, the Institute for Integrative Nutrition gave us some clear guidelines about being professional and ethical, not crossing certain boundaries with clients, walking our talk, always being positive, dressing professionally...etc. All these notions make perfect sense to me, yet I don't want these guidelines to create a wall between me and the people I genuinely want to help. I don't want a bunch of mental concepts to guide and restrict my behaviour. That's just too heavy and it doesn't feel authentic.

But it's tricky. As much as we may not want to adopt any role, we all end up playing them. We become the mother, the father, the friend, the lover, the business person, the employee, the client...etc. Why do we do this? To protect ourselves, to set boundaries, to be in control. 

The only way to not fall into a role is to distance ourselves from our thoughts, beliefs, memories, reactions and expectations. In other words, it's only when we become fully conscious and present that we are able to drop all the roles and truly be our higher Selves. Therefore when I view myself as "the health coach", I am identifying with my thoughts and beliefs about health coaches, I am deriving my identity from a mental construct, and I'm not being truly authentic. Thank you Eckhart for this insight. I'm going to mentally burn the "perfect health coach handbook" and I will try to deal with each situation with a beginners' mind, as it arises. Ah, things feel lighter already.

Eckhart Tolle's partner, Kim Eng, was asked what it was like to be in a relationship with an enlightened being. This is what she wrote:

"As long as I have the idea in my head “I have a relationship” or “I am in a relationship,” no matter with whom, I suffer. This I have learnt. With the concept of “relationship” come expectations, memories of past relationships, and further personally and culturally conditioned mental concepts of what a “relationship” should be like. Then I would try to make reality conform to these concepts. And it never does. And again I suffer. The fact of the matter is: there are no relationships. There is only the present moment, and in the moment there is only relating. How we relate, or rather how well we love, depends on how empty we are of ideas, concepts, expectations."

I don't want to build a professional relationship with clients that's pre-defined by my mental concepts and expectations. What I really want is to relate to another human being in the present moment. That frees both me and the client from the roles that were assigned to us, thus allowing the occurrence of a truly authentic human interaction.

Warmly,

Lise

www.lisevilleneuve.com

Facebook: Conscious Living Solutions

Client Blog

Happy Easter! Win the "FoodMatters" DVD

I'd like to thank the many people who have taken the time to contact me recently (either through my website, www.lisevilleneuve.com, on Kijiji, or during a free health consultation). I also want to thank YOU for reading this blog post right now. Merci!

I hope you have a wonderfully relaxing Easter weekend!

My role as a Health Coach is to help you stay healthy and happy from the inside out, so if you'd like my support, please don't hesitate to contact me. I won't bite! I have two health programs you might be interested in.

On another note, have you seen the documentary "FoodMatters"? Would you like to own this great DVD? I'll be giving away 2 copies in a draw this Easter Sunday. To enter the draw, just email me (consciouslivingsolutions@gmail.com) and write the names of the two health programs I offer. Good luck!

Warmest wishes and Happy Easter,

Lise

www.lisevilleneuve.com

Facebook: Conscious Living Solutions

Client Blog

Oh-Oh, I Had Another Idea...

Oh-oh, I had another idea! 

As I've been doing more and more free health consultations with individuals wanting to improve their health, I've been able to get a clearer sense of what people really want and need. Would you agree that this is what most of us want:

-a simple roadmap to better health that doesn't require too much effort
-a nudge that will keep us motivated and prevent us from giving up

I also know what people don't want. They don't want to be told to drop all those habits that provide comfort. They don't want to put effort into something, only to fail...again. They don't want to spend a fortune. Fair enough.

The truth is, getting healthy and happy can be done faster than we think simply by taking a few ridiculously simple steps each day. For example, doing a single one of these actions can dramatically improve the quality of your day:

-drink a large glass of water before breakfast
-chew your food 20 times per bite
-do a 5 minute breathing exercise
-be thankful for the food in front of you

When it comes to improving the quality of your life, the most important determinants of success are your beliefs, your attitude and your intentions. Do you want to get healthy and happy? Do you feel like you deserve it? Do you believe it's possible? If the answer is yes, yes, yes... then what you need is a roadmap. That's where my new idea comes in!

My education in psychology, energy healing (Reiki) and holistic nutrition has given me plenty of tools to build an awesome, dynamic, 24 week roadmap to health and wellness. Basically I've put together a simple, motivating, inspiring roadmap that you can follow online for 6 months. It will teach you what you need to know about eating and preparing healthy, delicious meals; it will give you weekly tips; it will encourage you to try a different exercise video each week; it will teach you basic breathing and meditation techniques and it will even possibly open your mind to the idea of truly healing yourself. I've even included a blog page for everyone that signs up so that they can share their health journey with friends and family, and in return, friends and family can give them that little nudge to keep them on track.

Sounds good? And how much does it cost? Don't worry...not a fortune! This complete 6 month self-directed program is only $90. That's $15/month. Check it out, you can see the complete table of contents and even sample a weekly page.

But there's more good news! I will be offering this 6 month self-directed program for FREE to 2 lucky individuals who arrange a free consultation with me (can be done in person or on the phone). I will offer the free trial to the two people who can demonstrate that they want it the most and will get maximum results from doing it. When you email me back your health form, write "Free trial please" in your subject.

Good luck, and THANK YOU so much for your attention.

Warmest wishes,

Lise
www.lisevilleneuve.com
Facebook: Conscious Living Solutions

Welcome To My Office! Doors Are Opening...

I feel overwhelmed with gratitude for all the positive things that have been happening in the past few months! The latest joy was finding this perfect, cozy, welcoming office where I'll be working with clients as of next month (May, 2014). 

I want to thank Donna and Murray Armstrong from Armstrongs' Counselling for giving me the opportunity to share their gorgeous and serene facility. This office even comes with a massage table (next to the aquarium and zen garden!), allowing me to practice Reiki (I've been a Reiki Master since 2012). There is a sound system, a built-in bathroom, dimmer lights, a large stone for energy cleansing and even a Keurig coffee dispenser! I'm very eager to get started! 

My medium to long-term vision is to work out of a wellness center where parents will be able to safely drop off their kids in the room down the hall while they go for their consultations or treatments. This will allow mom or dad to fully focus on themselves while their kids can play with others and be supervised by a professional. This will allow me to continue homeschooling my own kids while working part-time. Eventually I want to develop this idea of "consciousness for kids" and offer workshops and educational activities for children. Another cool thing is that I've recently met some amazing healers and practitioners and I'd like to team up with them in the near future. I just can't believe the synchronicity I've been experiencing lately! 

So for now, (because it's all about the Now, right?) the office you see in the picture truly is my dream office! Want to come see it!!?

I will be pacing myself and starting slowly, with a maximum of 4 clients starting in May. I will be working with in-person clients on Saturday afternoons only. For those of you interested (and located in Edmonton), I have 4 available spots in my 6 month program starting on:

-Saturday, May 10 at 2 pm
-Saturday, May 10 at 3 pm
-Saturday, May 17 at 2 pm
-Saturday, May 17 at 3 pm

I've added a description page of my program on my website (under Health Program) with my very first home-made "infomercial" (Lol!)

Also, I added a "sample page" of the 24 weekly support pages my clients will have access to on my website. The goal is to keep them inspired and motivated between our sessions together. Have a look and tell me what you think of the format. I always appreciate feedback (as long as it's good! Just kidding!)

Thank YOU so much for your presence and support. I'm happy to be sharing this journey with you! Let's keep in touch!

Warmly,

Lise
www.lisevilleneuve.com
Conscious Living Solutions (Facebook)

Time To Upgrade My Deodorant...

 

I've been falling behind on my blog because I've been so busy lately. Doing what? Mostly forcing myself to step out of my comfort zone! Let me tell you, I've done a LOT of sweating in the past couple of weeks, so much that I'm going to have to upgrade my deodorant! It may be "strong enough for a man", but not strong enough for Lise stepping out of her comfort zone :)

It all started when my school - the Institute for Integrative Nutrition- gently let us know we had to start practising health consultations with classmates and friends. I overcame my initial resistance and practised with people I'm very comfortable with. That was relatively easy. Nevertheless, I felt like I needed to challenge myself a little more. I wondered what would be the hardest part about doing these consultations in real life? Well, because I'm a hyper-sensitive, intuitive introvert, being face to face with total strangers would obviously be very disorienting for me (at first, anyway).

So what did I do? I went and posted the following online ad: "Student Offering Free Health Consultation..." And yes, many people replied to it. Gulp. No backing out now, Lise! I decided to put my big girl pants on and meet these individuals in a little coffee shop in my neighbourhood. So far, I've done four consultations with very different people and I have four more lined up in the next couple of weeks. I'm doing two every Saturday, that's plenty for now.

And how is it going? Pretty good I think, except for the sweating! I'm learning SO much about energy and how I really need to ground myself before, after and during these consultations. I'm more aware than ever that the best thing I can do during these sessions is to be fully, completely, present. I'm reminding myself to breathe. I'm experiencing compassion and seeing the necessity for detachment at the same time. I'm discovering that my intuition is a reliable tool. I'm discovering that I CAN do this, I CAN overcome my fears and I even enjoy it in a sort of masochistic way.

Nowadays, everybody can benefit from a little guidance, encouragement and support. Everybody should have a chance to talk freely and be listened to without feeling judged. It feels fantastic and meaningful to be able to offer that to the individuals who will cross my path.

On top of doing consultations, studying, homeschooling my kids full-time and managing the household, I thought I'd also look for an office to start my practice. What do you think of the one in the picture? It's available... immediately. It even has a massage table where I could practice Reiki. Well, I'll keep you posted, but in the meantime, I better do something about that deodorant!

Warmly,

Lise
www.lisevilleneuve.com
Join me on Facebook: Conscious Living Solutions

Learning To Trust Ourselves Again...

As I'm defining my holistic health practice a little more every day, things are starting to become very clear for me. It's an incredible sensation to tap into this knowledge of what I need to do next because I truly feel like I'm being guided every step of the way. It just feels right and everything so far leading up to the creation of Conscious Living Solutions has been completely flowing and effortless. I've been experiencing so many beautiful synchronicities, and the information I need somehow always presents itself at the perfect moment. 

What's even more incredible is that the ease I'm currently experiencing in all aspects of my life is exactly what I wish for others to experience. Eureka! That's it! That's what my holistic health program is all about : getting people to experience flow in their lives by learning to trust themselves again.

And how do we do that? By learning to trust our Selves, our hearts, our guts, our intuition. There lies the answer to finding balance and harmony in all aspects of lives.  It's really that simple. Of course, the mind, the ego, they like to complicate things for us, but once we develop our awareness of these little "sabotage factories", then our potential is limitless. 

Too often, we look outside of ourselves for solutions to our questions. What's the perfect diet? What should I do with my life? Why can't I find a partner? How can I heal this disease? How can I make more money? Why don't I have more energy? The truth is, all the answers lie within. If we can perfect our ability to hear our inner wisdom by diving under the layers of our minds, then we will be able to find that perfect balance in our lives without struggling all the time. Health, prosperity, joy, creativity, love...they are all within our reach if we are willing to listen to our hearts and trust the process.

I really want to help clients tap into their inner knowledge and wisdom. I want to help them discern which part of them is leading : their head or their heart. I can show them techniques that will help them get in touch with their true Selves. I can get them to recognize how beautiful, worthy and complete they are and how much they are deserving of self-love. I want to remind them of the incredible healing properties of their own body. I want to help them unblock their energy, their creativity, their inner-joy. I would like to remind them how to break free from their limiting beliefs and their personal prison. I can encourage them to release the pain from the past that's holding them down. I want to support them in redefining their comfort zones to allow them to live the life they REALLY want.

I know it's possible because I'm experiencing this flow right now for the first time in my own life. What a rush! I know It will bring me great joy to help others break free from the conditioning of their minds. How do I know this? Because my heart told me so. I'm ready to get started!

Warmly,

Lise
www.lisevilleneuve.com
Join me on Facebook: Conscious Living Solutions

I Have To Do WHAT???

As you may know, I have been studying holistic health and nutrition at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition since the end of October 2013. I've been learning a great deal and have been feeling quite comfortable absorbing all this new information at my own pace, in the comfort of my home (while homeschooling my kids at the same time). However, things are changing quickly now. 

I feel like I am being pushed off the passive student chair and kicked into real-life action! Already, after not even 4 months, I am required to start doing Health Consultations with clients! (I graduate officially in October 2014). Of course, we start practising gently with the people we trust the most -friends, family, fellow students- but I'm really just a step away from posting an add on Kijiji asking total strangers to sit with me for a free Health Consultation! I was a little resistant at first, (ok, very resistant). I have to admit I felt some fear and anxiety. I was not expecting the leap from student to consultant to happen so fast! But you know what? I'm ok with it now. Not sure how I'll feel when I sober up...(just kidding!)

Seriously, it took me a couple of weeks to get mentally prepared to go out and work in the "real world". I reviewed all the step-by-step instructions given by the school to lead a successful first consultation. I realized I actually do have a lot of information and insight to offer to people who are looking for ways to live happier, healthier lives. I plan on integrating some basic consciousness / awareness notions in my practice because I believe they play a key role in reducing stress and allowing true healing to happen. I also think I'm a good listener, and that's the most important part when working with clients.

So, last Sunday, I practised my very first health consultation with my "peer coach" -a friend who lives in my city who's also enrolled at the IIN. She said I did a great job. Of course, as a peer coach, it's her job to say that, but I trust her judgement! Tomorrow, I'll be practising with my sister-in-law. In a few days, who knows, I could be practising with you! (just email me if you are interested! www.lisevilleneuve.com)

What's amazing about the Institute for Integrative Nutrition is that they really offer a complete package that gives us all the tools to get out there and start working within one year. They cover all the bases -education, business, marketing, self-care, and they address the common insecurities most students face. They get us off our butts and into action in no time, and they empower us to make positive changes in the world by helping others help themselves. 

After I completed my degree in Psychology from University, I had no clue how to quickly turn that into a job. Thanks IIN, you have shown me exactly what I needed to learn...and it's not over yet...there are several months of training to go.

***By the way, for those of you possibly interested in being my "guinea pigs" for a free health consultation, let me just explain how this works: 1) You fill in a brief questionnaire (health history) that asks general questions about your health and diet. 2) You email it back to me and then we set a time to go over it together. 3) You basically get a chance to talk about yourself, your health goals and challenges (everything we discuss is confidential). 4) I listen, mirror back to you some of the things you said (it's sometimes surprising for some people to hear back what they just said), we identify your main health concerns together and then I tell you about my health coaching program. 5) You pretend to sign up, I congratulate you and we both fly off into Nirvana...well, something like that. Contact me at consciouslivingsolutions@gmail.com if you'd like more info about this free consultation. Thanks for being part of my training!***

Warmly,

Lise
www.lisevilleneuve.com
Join me on Facebook: Conscious Living Solutions

A Big Pain In The...

...HEART! A Big Pain In The Heart! 

As much as this can be an uncomfortable subject because it forces us to face our deepest fears, I would like to talk about the profound pain we are all carrying. Very few of us even acknowledge that suffering exists in our hearts, but it's there, holding us down in many different ways. Releasing our pain is the key to finding our freedom.

Why don't we realize we are suffering? Mainly because we've never experienced what it feels like not to suffer. Do fish realize they are surrounded by water? It seems obvious to us, but not to them, because they've never been out of water (the lucky ones, at least!). So day after day, we swim in our ocean of psychological and emotional pain thinking this is normal. Our psyches have become hyper-sensitive in this modern world. We are filled with insecurity, anxiety, self-doubt, self-consciousness. It doesn't have to be this way.

The mind is a powerful  tool that wants to help us. It tries to fix us inside -to reduce our fears- by suggesting we do this or that, say this or that, often in a neurotic kind of way!The problem with the mind is that it thinks it can find the solution to our problems by changing our external circumstances. A better job, a different girlfriend, a better body perhaps? However, our root problem is internal: our fears make us feel incomplete, inadequate. The truth is, there is nothing we can change on the outside to fix this permanently. So what can we do, then?

The first thing to do is to fire our minds! Ignore the neurotic chatter box! Don't fight it, just refuse to participate in it. Be quiet inside and watch what your mind is telling you. Be the silent witness and stop deriving a sense of identity from your mind. You are not your thoughts. You are the awareness behind them.

Great, so you quieted the mind, but what about the pain? It's still there. You have been storing pockets of pain in your heart chakra since childhood (Samskara). Whatever you have resisted in the past, you still carry today. Whenever you close your heart to protect yourself from more pain, you actually trap that pain inside:

"Remember, if you close around something, you will be psychologically sensitive about that subject for the rest of your life. Because you stored it inside of you, you will be afraid that it will happen again." -Michael A. Singer, The Untethered Soul

The key to spiritual freedom is learning to become comfortable with pain passing through us. If we are able to see the pain as nothing more than transient energy that just needs to make its way through us to be released, our hearts can stay open and we won't accumulate more pain. When old, painful memories resurface, we get a second chance to open our hearts and release them once and for all. Some people experience a feeling of heat in the heart area when this happens.

So, the next time a form of pain comes your way, (and it will!) instead of fearing it, instead of trapping it inside by closing your heart, be brave enough to keep your heart open and just experience it passing through you. It will probably be uncomfortable, but in the long run, you will waste less time and energy avoiding or reacting to circumstances that trigger those sensitive pockets of pain you have been carrying for so long. You will be tearing down the bars of your internal prison one by one. The question is, how badly do you want this freedom?

Warmly,

Lise

www.lisevilleneuve.com

Join me on Facebook: Conscious Living Solutions

Uncomfortable Silence...

I just got back from breathtaking Tofino, British-Columbia (Canada). My husband and I spent three nights there, but we saw and experienced so much it seems like we've been gone a least a week. This was our very first trip without the kids (since they were born, that is), and as much as we love them, it was fantastic to have this time to reconnect and enjoy each other's company without getting interrupted every few seconds! I feel recharged and energized! The highlights of our trip were:

-Hiking in the majestic rainforest filled with gigantic trees,
-Breathing in the freshness of the ocean, watching large crashing waves and fearless surfers,
-Observing a group of whales (Orcas) chasing dolphins just off the beach,
-Calling two curious seals that swam up to us,
-Enjoying delicious seafood,
-Relaxing at the spa in a mineral pool, getting facials and munching on tapas in our robes,
-Having a picnic on the driftwood in February!
-Finding seashells, a beautiful sand dollar, mussels, and crab carapaces on the beach,
-Climbing the rocks along the shore and exploring the pools of water left by the tide

I was really surprised to see how everything was so green there! Green grass, green leaves and ferns everywhere, and such mild weather compared to Edmonton! Was this really Canada in the middle of winter? I found myself surrounded by stillness and beauty everywhere. 

This trip made me realize that I have become more comfortable with silence. Silence between my husband and I, silence in my own head. I am experiencing a decrease in "mental noise" and my compulsive need to label everything I see and mentally narrate my experiences is diminishing. Before, if my husband and I were driving for many hours and long moments of silence happened, I felt unease, an unconscious discomfort, without really being able to identify what was the root of this low-grade tension (I would actually feel guilty at times for not filling in the blanks). Now, I'm more aware that it's ok to just allow the space, the silence to be. When Rob and I walked in the rainforest together, I didn't feel a need to say anything, to label this as a red cedar, that as dogwood. I just let the experience happen through me, through my senses, and let it go. I'm finally learning to keep that compulsive thinking mind in check and it's truly liberating! 

Like waves, thoughts arise continually in our minds. It's up to us to decide if we want to surf on this wave, or that wave. Maybe we just prefer to sit back and watch for awhile, it's much less exhausting than trying to catch every single wave that comes our way. Thank you Tofino for reminding me that I am the awareness behind the waves.

Warmly,

Lise
www.lisevilleneuve.com
Conscious Living Solutions (Facebook)

This Gal Has No Business Plan...

Conscious Living Solutions was officially "launched" on January 5, 2014. Launched is too glamorous a word. What I really mean is the idea popped into my head (after a few days of chaos in my brain) and I decided to write a post about it on this blog.Then, I rearranged my personal website (www.lisevilleneuve.com) and thought about creating a new facebook page (with quite a bit of resistance, because I already have a personal facebook account and it takes up way to much time already!)

These very sudden, spontaneous steps were quite unusual for "think-things-over-till-every-detail-is-sorted-out" me, but then again, I've changed a lot since my music career days. I used to excel at over-planning. I got business grants and won prizes for over-planning. Even at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition where I'm studying now, it's very "write down the next five steps you're going to take." I guess there's nothing wrong with that and it guarantees moving forward, although sometimes you may end up moving in the wrong direction or wasting time when you act just for the sake of doing something, anything. I find that when I operate that way, I am usually leading with my head, not my heart.

Conscious Living Solutions is truly a project that emerged from my heart, thus I have no business plan and I plan to keep it that way! Unlike my previous ways of developing various projects, I don't push or force things. I'm truly sitting back and enjoying the ride. Already it's been an amazing journey! I'm trusting the process of letting consciousness work through me and the steps I have to take are being revealed to me little by little. This is truly incredible. I've met wonderful, supportive, inspiring people and I know this is the work of synchronicity. I started doing "flash meditation minutes" with people from all over the world who set their intentions to help out, well... complete strangers! How awesome is that? Our level of interconnectedness is more obvious than ever to me (yes, partially thanks to Facebook!) 

I can't believe that in just one month, over 500 people have joined the Conscious Living Solutions facebook page! I'm very grateful for that. Stay tuned for the evolution of this initiative. A straight-from-the-heart initiative with a mind of it's own!

Warmly,

Lise
www.lisevilleneuve.com

The Test Results Are In...

Well, I just took exam # 1 out of 4 that I'll have to take this year as a student at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Because the test was an online, open book exam, I felt pretty confident that I didn't need to study or review the material we covered since October 2013. The things we learn at this holistic nutrition school resonate with me so much that they just seem to "sink in" effortlessly. Or do they really? After all, it's been quite a few years since I wrote exams for my degree in Psychology. Is my brain still as reliable as it used to be?

I must admit I was a little stressed about taking the first test, not knowing what to expect, and fearing that I may be a little too "overconfident" about my new knowledge learned at the IIN. I never took any notes, I just listened to the lectures and read the assigned material. The passing grade is 70%. I'm proud to say I got 100%. Yay! It was a piece of cake (low-fat, gluten-free cake, of course!) It feels great to be done and to not have to stress about "should I study?, am I really ready to take the test now?" Till the next test...

But anyway, I shouldn't be too proud of myself about this. Are exams really a valid measure of intelligence? Albert Einstein would probably disagree!

Still, I'm going to celebrate my mistake-free performance tonight. How? You'll have to use your imagination for that one...

Warmly,

Lise 
www.lisevilleneuve.com

I Don't Care What You Think...

I know that title sounds a little harsh, let me explain. I'm usually pretty shy about my songs and very reluctant to make them public like the one here, especially considering the very amateur nature of this video I made last night. But whatever, I decided to take a chance today and just put it "out there" even though it's far from perfect. Why? Because true creativity expresses itself without caring about what others think.This is a good lesson for me. The more people "thumbs down" this video on Youtube, the more I will get to practice detachment! (I'm not encouraging you to hate it, though!:) I also wanted to give you something really personal because I feel very grateful to now have over 300 members on the Conscious Living Solutions facebook page.

The song you will hear is called "Vers Toi" and it's about how truly interconnected we all are. Even if you don't understand French, you can still see what arises in you when you experience this song. Maybe it will be a sort of meditation for you. Special thanks to Hubble telescope for the amazing pictures of our universe!


Warmly,


Lise Villeneuve

www.lisevilleneuve.com