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How to make 2015 the best year of your life!

“If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy and inspires your hopes.” — Andrew Carnegie

It’s January, the beginning of a new year and a new you! Welcome to 2015 – now is the perfect time to set goals, get quiet and reflect deeply.

So where do you begin? Right where you are. Everything worthwhile in life is slightly outside your comfort zone. Safe, secure and comfortable is not where your bigger, better life lives. Goals that inspire and stretch your imagination are an invitation to your Higher Self to show up, saddle up, and live it up!

We believe that everyone has the power to change. You have the ability to transform your life at any point and at any time. The catch is that you have to want to change and be willing to do the work to change. Here’s an oldie but a goodie: it’s not enough to just wish for a skinnier waistline. You have to change your diet and activities to lose weight. For you to be the best YOU possible, YOU have to set goals and take inspired action. Give yourself deadlines. Be proactive. Go the extra mile. Smile. Enjoy the process. Celebrate your day-by-day wins.

Here are three tiny tips for achieving BIG results by getting quiet, reflecting on past accomplishments and challenges (aka learning opportunities) and setting goals worthy of Who You Are.

Sit and be silent. Sit, breathe and count your breaths. No matter how much you have on your plate or how many kids you have at your table, you absolutely can make the time to consciously count your breaths for 30 seconds. Breathe in, breathe out. You’ll relax immediately. When you access Silence, you access Spirit. So sit, be still and savor the silence.

Meditate and be mindful. Practice Chris’ free Qigong “Renewal of Spirit” meditation to balance mind, body and spirit… in less than 10 minutes! Click here for details

New Year, New You journal practice. With old-fashioned pen and paper, make a list of your accomplishments and what you learned in 2014. Once you’re in a joyful place on the page, make a new list of three to 10 goals for 2015. Close your journal session with one or two super huge crazy goals or wishes you have ZERO idea about how to achieve. For example, one of our goals (the Chris and Parisa show) in 2015 is to finish our second book on holistic health and well-being. Another one of our goals is to decrease our consumption while living balanced, healthy and happy lives. The super huge crazy goal we have a lifetime to fulfill? Chris winning the Nobel Peace Prize!

We hope for you today, this month, this year and forever that you achieve your wildest dreams and your biggest potentials. We’re all on this wild, wonderful ride together.

Let’s help each other and make 2015 the best year of our lives!

Love and Gratitude,
Chris & Parisa Shelton

Have you ever met someone you didn’t like?

This month we’re talking to all you hard-working people who have to interact with others on a daily basis. The more the merrier, right?! Not always. Have you ever met someone you didn’t like – almost immediately or right off the bat – but couldn’t explain the source of your dislike or discomfort?

So much of what we feel on the inside, conscious or unconscious, is expressed through how we look on the outside and what kind of feelings we inspire in other people. All of us are social animals and “fight or flight” is encoded in our genes. People’s nonverbal cues such as posture, voice, facial expression and body language tell us whether we’re safe and welcome (“I like this person”) or unsafe and unwelcome (“I’m outta here!”).

If you’re happy and feeling great, others feel your general vibe and are inspired to stay close to you. Remember, trust is a feeling. People trust people they enjoy being around because positive people uplift individuals and entire groups; sometimes just by being in the same room! Ever had a positive, joyful person walk into a boring party or a tense situation? Everyone perks up and shines in that person’s bright light.

On the other hand, if you’re feeling negative and grumpy, positive people will avoid you like the plague. They can actually feel your energy bring them down. You don’t even have to open your mouth. Of course, your negativity will attract fellow dark lights like Negative Nancy, Debbie Downer and Complainer Carl. But is that REALLY the kind of company you want to keep?

In the leadership book Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t author Jim Collins lays out some impressive research about negativity. For example, negative interactions have a five-fold stronger effect on mood than positive interactions. It takes multiple encounters with positive people to offset the energy and happiness sapped by a single episode with just one nasty person!

So turn those frowns upside down. We all want to love and be loved. Let’s express a lot more loving-kindness to ourselves and the people in our lives. Here are five easy-to-follow tips for shaking off negativity. Shine your bright, positive light and people will enjoy and adore you even more than they do today.

  •  Honor your physical health as one of your most precious gifts (stress, anger and negativity are poisons)
  •  Ensure you have a daily routine that maintains a well-balanced mind, body and spirit (meditate, nourish, forgive)
  • Practice mirror talk and positive affirmations to connect and co-create with your Higher Self. Click here for more details about mirror talk.
  • Engage in regular physical activity you enjoy (make Nature part of your workout as much as possible)
  •  If someone or something bothers you consider doing the ancient Qigong practice “Shaking the Tree.” You can click here to learn how Chris recommends you “shake it off”.

We hope this month brings you happiness and clear communication with all who cross your path and guide you on your journey.

Love and Gratitude,
Chris & Parisa Shelton and the Morning Crane Team

 

Tips to improve your Energy

As summertime comes to an end morning traffic thickens. Schedules are shifting and days are shortening. Seasonal transitions are a powerful time to check in and uncover the parts of your life desiring change and growth. You can access your inner Earth element by asking, How can I live a more purposeful, happier and healthier life? What small changes can I start making right now?” We believe the first step in answering these kinds of life-enriching questions lies in harnessing and cultivating your Qi.

Qi or chi (pronounced chee like in “cheese”) is life-force energy that emanates from all things. When we say “all things” we mean everything in the Universe; everything tangible and intangible. Humans are definitely a manifestation of Qi. We are energetic beings with physical bodies that are impacted by our thoughts, feelings, senses (all six of them!) and environment. Our bodies are a microcosm of the macrocosm, which is the Universe. It’s not by accident that what we think about we bring about. Everything is interconnected so always be mindful of what you’re broadcasting to the Universe through your thoughts, actions and deeds.

Here are five ways that strengthen your Qi and attract balance and harmony into your life.

“White Pearl” meditation
Sit or stand comfortably. Imagine a white pearl sitting in the center of your lower abdomen just below your navel. As you inhale through your nose, the pearl gets brighter and lighter. Exhale through your nose and imagine the pearl energy filling your kidney area and lower back. Click here for more details.

Get a good night’s sleep
Sleep is your body’s time to restore and replenish your Qi. We’re firm believers that sleep is imperative to attracting health and joy into our lives. Adults need a minimum of seven hours of deep sleep a night. Get your rest and relaxation by getting your nightly zzzzz.

Exercise regularly
Moving your body means moving your blood, fluids and Qi. Perspiration is the most effective way our body eliminates toxins from our bodies and toxic thoughts from our minds. Make an effort to generate a light sweat every day through gentle movements such as Pilates, Yoga or TRX.

Laugh and smile
Have you ever noticed that smiles are contagious? It’s difficult to frown and scowl when in the presence of a happy, smiling person. No wonder. New research shows that one smile activates the same amount of pleasurable brain simulation as 2000 chocolate bars! So keep on the sunny side of life and keep on smiling.

Pay attention to your emotional health
Toxic thoughts and negative emotions are the leading causes of disease. “Your issues live in your tissues.” (-Nikki Myers) Learn to balance emotional awareness (how you’re feeling) with spiritual acceptance (you are not your thoughts). Qigong meditation practices are powerful, ancient ways of transforming negative emotional states into peaceful mindfulness. Qigong uses our body’s movements to quiet our mind’s inner chatter.

We hope this month brings you healthy and vibrant Qi. May the Qi be with you.

Love and Gratitude,
Chris & Parisa Shelton and the Morning Crane Team

White Pearl Meditation

Click here to down load White Pearl Meditation.

This is an excerpt from Chris Shelton’s book, “Qigong For Self-Refinement, Total Health with the 5 Elements”. Chp. 1 Pg. 6

1.   From the Wu Ji posture, begin relaxing down the body, front, back, and center.  
 
2.   Keeping your breathing long, smooth, even, and deep, begin pulling the breath into the lower abdomen, the lower Tan Tien located about one inch below the navel. Inhaling and exhaling through the nose.
 
3.   Feel as the breath expands the abdomen front, back, left, and right simultaneously.
 
4.   This expansion and contraction, fills the lower Tan Tien.
 
5.   Imagine all the energy from the heavens and your tissues filling up the lower Tan Tien like a white mystical pearl, expanding and contracting with each inhalation and exhalation until this pearl becomes brighter and thicker with energy.
 
6.   As you inhale the pearl expands with white light energy. As you exhale the energy from the pearl fills and restores the left and right kidneys.
 
7.   Continue to do this breathing pattern over and over. This meditation will help ground your energy as well as restore your vitality.

 

Click here to down load White Pearl Meditation.

Shape Up for Summer- Specials

It is time to Shape Up For Summer

There is no better place to do so than at Morning Crane!

Get these deals NOW, limited availability.

Group classes (include TRX suspension, Fit & Firm, Yoga, Pilates, Kickboxing)
1 month unlimited- $75 (reg. $150)
3 month unlimited- $159 (reg. $450)
6 month unlimited- $249 (reg. $900)

Tai Chi & Qigong classes

First time intro class- $15
4 week session- $85
12 week session- $225

Assessment with Face Reading with Chris Shelton

Sat, 10/26, 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
Your face tells it all! Assessment with Face Reading will give you insight on a person the moment you meet. Not only is it fun to learn; it is valuable knowledge that will help you assess and understand your clients and give you insight into yourself.

Learn how to tell if someone is honest, kind, cruel, or mischievous. See where specific conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes are written on the face.

This is a great workshop for anyone who has to work with others.

This is a FREE class.  Space is limited so sign up today!

Nutrition according to your constitution- FREE class with Chris Shelton

Sat, 10/12, 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm

You want to “eat well.” However, there is lot of conflicting information about what makes up a healthy diet. This workshop will give you a glimpse of nutrition according to Chinese Medicine. Understand that China has the healthiest life expectancy in the world. In other words in China people’s health span equals their life span. Realize that diet plays a huge role in this. Come learn why!

“….the superior doctor should first adjust a patient’s diet and lifestyle. Only if that does not eliminate the patient’s disease should the doctor go on to administer acupuncture or herbs.” -Book of Jook by Bob Flaws. Everyone is as different as a snowflake, so what works for one person may not work for another. Learn how to adjust your diet to eliminate and prevent disease.

This is a free class.  Space is limited so sign up today!

Finding Your Fulfiling Tribe with Amber DeAnn and Nanci Tudish

Sun, 9/22, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Are you connected with your tribe?
Do you feel emotionally secure?
Are you doing what makes you feel
happy?
GET READY FOR A HARMONIOUS, HAPPY RELATIONSHIP WITH YOURSELF!
Amber DeAnn, Relationship Coach/Art therapist and
Nanci Tudish, Yoga instructor, will help you shift
your connection with your tribe and find your creativity.
Cost: $39 in advance, $45 at the door

Tai Chi for Posture and Alignment- FREE class with Chris Shelton

Sat, 9/21, 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm

Proper posture and alignment is important for any movement practice. In this workshop you will experience how small adjustments in your posture and alignment account for huge changes in your power. Wu Ji posture aligns the body in the most efficient and strong position possible. In Chinese Wu Ji stands for emptiness.
The use of proper body alignment is absolutely necessary for providing structural foundation. Learn how to stay grounded in your activity of choice. This posture will help you in various activates including running, walking, sports and leisure.
This is a FREE class.  Space is limited so sign up today.

School’s in session: time to get back to YOU! Sept. Newsletter

It’s September already!  The kids are back in school, days are noticeably shorter, and gardeners are reaping summer crops–from tomatoes and peppers to apples and figs.  It’s a good time to consider the power of daily practices to change our lives over the long run.
A great example of how a daily practice can change your life come from our CEO, Chris Shelton.  Chris began doing  Qigong more than 20 years ago.  He began to get surprising benefits from Qigong within the first six months-and you can too.  “In the beginning,” he says, “I thought this Qi business was just hocus-pocus.  But then I noticed the benefits.”  Qigong practice involves meditation and simple movements, and an exercise routine can be custom-tailored  to any lifestyle.

To read more about Chris’  life experience and his approach to Qigong, get his book, “Qigong for Self-Refinement”, available online or from the Morning Crane Center.  To start your own Qigong practice, join Chris’ free class on Saturday, September 14, details below.  Come check us out!

Or if you’re in for something more vigorous, see our list of ongoing aerobic exercise classes from TRX to Pilates to Kickboxing.  Don’t wait, start to transform your life today!

FREE SERIES with Chris Shelton (click on title to register)

Upcoming Events!

  • Sunday, 9/22, 1-4pm-Finding your Fulfilling Tribe Are you doing what makes you feel happy? This workshop will prepare you for harmonious, happy relationship with yourself! (Instructor: Amber DeAnn & Nanci Tudish)

More Classes Added to the Schedule