KRISTINA'S WEEKLY EMAIL OF THOUGHT-PROVOKING ESSAYS & VIDEOS TO KEEP YOU CONNECTED TO YOURSELF ON THIS JOURNEY CALLED LIFE
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Greetings!
Have you had a good cry recently? It would certainly be understandable (I would argue even necessary) at some point over the past two months, so if you haven't, it might be that you're not allowing yourself to "go there." Well, my friend, here's your chance!
When thinking about which essay to send this week, I wanted to talk about being in our bodies and feeling good, which is why I chose this PGG. In the past, every time I read it I would get a little choked up because I'd remember viscerally the moment in Bryan Park I mention, and I still feel it deeply to this day. Now, in the era of social distancing, lock-down and the virus of fear, without any sign of a return to a new normal anytime soon,
this essay has taken on a whole other meaning, and I wept fully when I read it again last night.
I don't think we realize the more profound, long-term effects this situation is having, and will continue to have, on us on many levels going forward.
I have continued to focus on the positive, and embrace the transformation, but we are human,
and the reality - no matter what our unique circumstance - is challenging
in varying degrees to our minds, spirits and yes, bodies.
I have unfortunately observed way too much fear-mongering and peer-policing going on both off and online and it is very upsetting to me how this might play out even more in the future. We need to
be practical and safe but also must
balance that with the other health benefits - mental and emotional, as well as physical - of relating and connecting to each other as
humans
, and have a healthy relationship to life itself. This is just as essential, if not moreso, to our immune systems and well-being. So do the best you can; please make sure you are taking extra good care of yourself and incorporate TOUCH as much as you can, even if it is
self massage or giving yourself regular
hugs
, as you know I have been doing!
This week's
IGTV
celebrates
being on Mother Earth and how we can use her to heal
(or watch on YouTube
here
) and this
Instagram post
offers you
the beauty of surrendering to the moment.
For the
PGG Video of the week
I talk about
how to be grateful in tough times.
And as a reminder, I've been posting messages regularly on my
Instagram/IGTV
and
YouTube channel,
so if you need a little digital human interaction, please be sure to follow or subscribe so you know when they're posted (fyi
this is the dedicated YouTube playlist
). Let me know what you think, and/or what you'd like to see me talk about - I'm here to help!
As always, please feel free to
contact me
with any comments about anything I'm doing.
Big hug <3 Kristina
P.S.
Need a little guidance and one-on-one support at this time?
Take advantage of my
March Madness Coaching Offer (extended to April 30th)
-
scroll down for details.
For info about working with me
check out the website for my coaching services
.
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Follow me on social media for article links, motivational videos & inspirational posts!
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"
I love your PGG newsletters - one of the only ones I actually read in its entirety. They are excellently written, and spot on. Thanks for being so inspirational and reflective!" ~ Tom D
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The Magic Touch
Originally published December 3, 2013
Hello
I love myself
We are so happy to be alive
I love my life
Our lives are great
We love ourselves
We love being alive
“I Love My Life” ~ Song & lyrics by Zachary Miles Lefkowitz, age 4 1/2
When at a wake recently with my 14-year-old nephew, I recalled to him the time he was about to turn four and I asked if he was excited about his upcoming birthday. He began to cry hysterically saying he didn’t want to have any birthdays. This was because he spent a lot of time around my ailing grandmother who had just passed away in her 80’s and he made the very astute observation that getting older means you are one step closer to dying.
I asked now what it was about death that bothered him most. He did not hesitate for even a second and simply, and very seriously, said
“Because you won’t have the exhilarating feeling of being alive.”
I thought this was a profound answer as folks around us were suffering with the loss of our loved one; Jake homed right in on the crux of the matter:
We are alive, and we should experience and treasure every moment that aliveness brings us.
Over the weekend I had my first massage in over two years, and it really brought home to me these conversations in the most basic and visceral of ways.
Being alive means we are here, in a very physical body in a very physical world
. Our body is our vehicle to experience all that life has to offer, so we need to love, appreciate, and take care of it – and, we are also here with other human beings we are meant to love, appreciate, and take care of in a physical way.
Most of us tend to live in our heads and are quite disconnected from our bodies and/or emotions. Getting a massage – whether by a therapist or having a friend or family member give you a little hands-on tender loving care –
affirms our beingness, our aliveness, and our connection to and need for one another.
Numerous studies have documented the necessity of touch, especially for newborns and the elderly; it is literally what keeps them alive and determines their health and longevity.
And sometimes the most special touch can come from a stranger
, like from the tourist in Bryant Park over the summer who, while having her photo taken nearby sensed/saw me distraught and crying (even though I thought I was incognito with my sunglasses, hair covering my face and downward glance!), and in
one of the most generous, kind moments I have ever experienced
, gently put her reassuring, healing hand on my shoulder for a few seconds as she walked by, saying with that one gesture,
“I see you, I feel your pain; I don’t know you, speak your language or know why you are upset, but I am here to offer you what comfort I can as a fellow human being.”
So as we go further down this technological highway with its isolating side effects and embark upon the holiday season with the increasing commercial madness it brings, remember the basics:
you are here, we are here, let’s love our lives and love one another, and demonstrate that love and compassion in the most tangible and meaningful ways possible.
Looking for some quality content while social distancing?
* * * * * * * * *
If you like what I write, you'll love what I have to say in person!
***Scroll down for special offer extended to April 30th***
Remember, you can always see PGGs from any month or year going back to 2010 on my website at
www.kristinaleonardi.com
and visit my social media pages for more inspiration throughout the week! Want to share my PGG? Use my
Medium
page for friendliest posting version.
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If you're looking for some compassionate candor and a dose of tough love, Kristina is the coach for you.... I came into this really lacking clarity and walked away with a sense of relief. Can't recommend her enough. ~ Kevin R.
*** MARCH MADNESS SALE ***
NOW EXTENDED TO APRIL 30th
The world is going a little cuckoo, but you don't have to!
It's your lucky month because I'm offering everyone on my mailing list a discounted opportunity to check in, get centered with yourself and
find the clarity, balance and direction you need right now.
One Hour Stay Sane Phone Session just $175
(reg. $225)
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(reg. $725)
* * * Must be booked and scheduled by 3/31 * * *
NOW EXTENDED TO APRIL 30th
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PGG VIDEO PICK OF THE WEEK
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Click on the image for this week's video where I show you
Looking for more PGG inspiration and tips?
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kristina leonardi - Medium
Looking for more good reads? Check out and follow me on Medium, where you can easily like and share the PGG's that really click. Share the love <3
Read more
medium.com
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