Welcome! I am so excited to be working with you this year as part of the health and wellness program created to support, promote and sustain the well-being of the Marcus Thomas team.

As part of the 2021 Wellness program we’ll be meeting together for a guided weekly meditation class on Tuesday mornings at 8:30am ET. I’ll also be creating quarterly customized content to educate and empower you with easy to implement health and wellness tools you can leverage at work and at home.

If you are unable to attend the meditation sessions live, the recording will be available here. Bookmark this page for easy access!

2/8: Mindful Meditation: Welcome to Day 1 of our guided meditation! I’ve included the Zoom link for today’s session as well as the recording below. Look forward to seeing you next Monday!

2.15: Root Chakra meditation

“Everything you’ve always wanted is on the other side of fear.” - Jack Canfield

Today we focused on the Root Chakra. Chakra is Sanskrit for "wheel“; means our body’s energetic wheel.

• There are 7 chakras within our bodies and when the wheels turn they allow energy to flow freely and not become stagnant

• To keep the energy flowing we must remove blockages from the chakras to avoid disease and illness

• The chakras also record information about your physical life

• Bring fresh energy into the body and also remove and send out energy that is no longer serving us out of the body

• In addition to moving energy, the chakras also record and organize information (energy) about your physical body, your emotions and your life

This week’s challenge: Where have you been holding back because of fear? Decide to do or experience something that you’ve been wanting to do, even if you have to do it scared.

2.22.2021: Rest and Renewal

We often spend time doing, rather than just being. In today’s meditation, we checked in to how we are feeling, what we are thinking, and invited ourselves to go deeper within to a state of peace and stillness.

Quote: “Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death.” - Mark Batterson

3.1.2021: Focused, clear, and strong

We often find our thoughts wandering as we try to control future circumstances of our life that haven’t even happened yet in the physical world, but they have in our mind. In today’s meditation we returned back to the present moment while focusing on our breath, our body, and by creating other pleasant images.

Quote: “Mindfulness is simply being aware of what is happening right now without wishing it were different.” - James Baraz

This week’s challenge: If you find your mind wandering to the future that hasn’t happened yet, bring yourself back to the present by focusing on your breath, your body and allow yourself to find comfort and gratitude for the present moment.

3.9.2021: Future is bright

We have lived through a challenging 2020 and start to 2021, but the future is bright and full of hope, joy, and freedom. Listen to today’s meditation and be transported to the future for a few minutes.

Quote: “Never lose hope. Storms make people stronger and never last forever.” - Roy T. Bennett

This week’s challenge: Journal about what your bright future looks like.

• What does the optimally healthy you look and feel like?

• What do your relationships look like?

• How do you bring your authentic self to work?

• How will you celebrate our bright future?

3.16: Focusing on the present moment to create mindfulness

We often live in the past reliving conversations or situations, in the future anxiously predicting “what if” scenarios that rarely happen as imagined. Today’s meditation we focused on leveraging our senses to bring us into the present.

Quote: “True life is lived when tiny changes occur” - Leo Tolstoy

This week’s challenge: This week, if you find yourself focusing on a day or event in the future instead of the moment you’re in, or doing things you “should” do instead of what you want to do, ask yourself what you could be doing that would bring you joy, passion, and peace right now. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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❤️ After all, this moment is our life.

3.23.2021: Becoming grounded and strong, but also resilient and flexible

Trees are amazing. Having visited Muir Woods, I stood in awe of the majesty of the coastal redwood trees. They are the tallest living trees on the planet, and are as old as the dinosaurs. The coastal redwoods also capture more carbon dioxide (CO2) from our vehicles and power plants than any other tree on Earth. They live amongst a variety of endangered species, and are resistant to insects, fire and rot.

May we be as strong, enduring, and resilient as the redwoods.

Quote: “A tree with strong roots laughs at storms.” - Malay proverb

This week’s challenge: Journal about where you need to create deeper roots, and where you could be more flexible and let go.

03.30.2021: Mindfulness and Presence

By returning to our breath and body awareness, we can bring ourselves back to the present moment. Integrating our body, breath, and mind helps to create a greater sense of peace.

This week’s challenge: Leverage the sensory skills in this meditation to create mindful moments throughout the day.

04.06.2021: Energy and Gratitude

Our energy is so precious. It can easily be depleted if we do not fill ourselves back up with things that generate positive energy. In today’s meditation we cleared out our energy centers, filled ourselves up with positive energy, and end with a gratitude practice.

Quote: “Be the type of energy that no matter where you go, you always add value to the spaces & lives around you.” - Anonymous

This week’s challenge: Spend time every morning in gratitude. Write down in your journal as many things you can think of that you are grateful for. Acknowledge people, everyday blessings and comforts, and even things we often take for granted on your list. You’ll realize how quickly your mood is elevated.

4.13.2021: Going inward

We often are rushing from one meeting to another, or our minds are racing thinking of our “to do list”. Today, we focused on going inward, closing down the thoughts in our mind, and leveraging positive affirmations to speak intentions over our day.

This week’s challenge: Choose an intention or a word everyday that you need more of. Repeat it to yourself silently 3 times as you breathe deeply, and return to it as often as you need to.

4.20.2021: Abundance

Today’s quote: “If something isn’t work, don’t try harder or do more. Do something DIFFERENT.” - Ramit Sethi

This morning we focused on our energy, receiving abundance, and giving gratitude. We are all born with intuition and an inner knowing. Unfortunately, the loud chatter in our minds, and the sheer pace of our days often conceals that still, quiet voice. The practice of meditation helps us to create more peace, focus, and clarity in our lives.

Journal prompts:
- What area(s) of your life are you holding onto with a clenched hand?
-What would it mean to release your grip and to receive?
-What fears bubble up when you think about releasing control?

04.27.2021: Our Happy Place

Today, we were transported to our happy place, a place in nature where we are most at peace. We created some positive emotions and energy, and leveraged our mind’s ability to create thoughts, vivid images, and even create emotions.

Journal prompts:

- Can you take yourself daily for a few minutes to your happy place?

- When you find yourself in a stressful situation, close your eyes, place one hand on your abdomen and the other on your heart, close your eyes, and take yourself to this place.

- What do you notice about your breathing and your mind when you do this meditation?

05.04.2021: All Is Well

Today’s quote: “Maybe don’t tomorrow your life away.” - Cleo Wade

If you want to live a big life and to look back on your life with no regrets, it’s helpful to have a plan for how you want to live your life. Starting backwards by focusing on our lifetime, then identifying what that means for you this year, this month, and finally this week is a great way to keep on track and avoid procrastination.

This week’s challenge: Write down things that you’d like to accomplish ….

• in your lifetime

• this year

• this month

• this week

Once you have the vision of where you’re going, it will be easier to be present knowing you’re on the right track.

05.11.2021: Pure Spirit

Quote: “And remember - life is bigger than the boxes we check along the way.” - Cleo Wade

Today, we focused on creating more stillness while doing a 3-4-5 breath. To practice, inhale for a count of 3, retain the breath fro 4, and exhale slowly for 5. Our reading was from “Heart Talk” by Cleo Wade. We sometimes get stuck thinking of our value based on our job, our gender, our race, our stories. Instead, remember that we are multi-talented, multi-passionate, and that no box is big enough to contain our Spirit.

Journal prompt: Where does your sense of value come from?

05.18.2021: Favorite Place

Today, we transported ourselves to our favorite place - the place where we feel most peaceful, relaxed, and content. We sometimes forget that we can choose our thoughts. Imagining ourselves in a place we’ve been or want to go is the next best thing to physically traveling there.

Journal prompt: Where is your favorite place to go to? Why do you enjoy going there?

05.25.2021: Energy and Inspiration

Today, we focused on creating more energy and inspiration by doing a 3-4-5 breath, and also clearing out stale energy in our solar plexus and sacral chakras. We focused on the idea of inspiration by opening ourselves up to possibilities all around us.

Today’s challenge: Set a timer on your phone to remind you 3-4 times today to stop and be fully present in the moment, to notice your environment, to be open to creativity and inspiration from your surroundings.

06.01.2021: Focus and Clarity

Today, we focused on focus and clarity by clearing out our Third Eye Chakra. We brought in healing energy to awaken our intuition, to create more wisdom, and to trust our innate abilities to make good decisions. We released limiting beliefs and doubts that don’t serve us, replaced them with positive affirmations, and leveraged our senses to create mindfulness.

Today’s challenge: If you find yourself distracted, close your eyes, breathe deeply, and go through each of your senses to focus on what you notice in this moment.

06.07.2021: Slow Down

We often are rushing from one commitment to another, challenging ourselves to do more, and to be more. And, when we reach out goals, or the destination we’ve been working towards, we rarely take the time to pause and appreciate how far we’ve come.

This week’s challenge: Slow down, celebrate your wins along the way, and pause to extend some gratitude for how far you’ve come on your journey.

06.15.2021: Quiet the mind

“The mind is like water. When it’s turbulent, it’s difficult to see. When it’s calm, everything becomes clear.” - Prashad Mahes

The average person has 50,000 - 80,000 thoughts per day. Many of the thoughts are repeat and negative. Through the practice of meditation today, we observed our thoughts without judgement and invited them to float away.

We can choose to focus on thoughts that are helpful, beneficial, and uplifting, with some practice.

Today’s reflection:

• If you had thoughts come up in meditation, what were they?

• Are they helpful or harmful?

• What positive affirmations could you replace them with?

06.22.2021: There is enough

What if we approached our days and life believing that there is enough, and that we’re enough? How would we approach our relationships, our work, how we spent our time?

Too often we feel like there isn’t enough time, or that we don’t have what we need, but is that really true?

Today’s reflection:

• Spend some time reflecting on all of the areas of life where you have enough

• Do you approach life from a scarcity or abundance perspective?

• Who can you do something kind for today?

06.29.2021: Pure Energy

Today, we focused on creating more energy in our body. Many traditions celebrate our breath. We start by focusing in on our breath, which is energy, prana, chi, life force. Did you know that as adults our breath becomes 3-4 times more shallow than when we were children. Our shallow breath sends more stress hormones into our body. Taking deep breaths sends signals to our parasympathetic system to slow down.

Today’s challenge: Focus on taking deep breaths. Follow your breath from the moment it touches your nostrils on the inhalation, to the moment it leaves your body. Focus on bringing in more energy with each breath and eliminating that which no longer serves you with each exhalation.

07.06.2021: Calm

Sometimes we need to just sit and focus on our breath. Today we created a sense of peace and calm by slowing our breath down, and settling into our body.

Being at peace doesn’t mean our external circumstances are perfect, it means that we can go inward to find peace and strength in spite of challenges.

Today’s challenge: Close your eyes and focus on your breath. Intentionally choose affirmations to bring to life that which you need, while releasing that which no longer serves you on each exhale.

07.13.2021: Peace and Presence

When the world around us is chaotic, we can choose to focus on our breath, to get still, and to return back to the present moment.

Unlike most of our other possessions, we only have one body and one mind for the rest of our lives. Are you making healthy choices with your thoughts, the food and beverages you consume, the amount of water you’re drinking, and the rest and sleep you’re providing yourself with?

The great news is we can choose to reset in any given moment.

Today’s challenge: Drink at least 1 glass of water every working hour. At the end you’ll have consumed 64 ounces of water. Anything extra is a bonus! Small micro-changes daily can add up to significant improvements over time.

07.20.2021: Permission to slow down

Do you give yourself permission to rest when you’re tired, to say “no” to social engagements that you don’t want to attend, and to take mindful breaks throughout the day?

Today, we acknowledged how we may need to re-set, to adjust our priorities, and to sit in silence to create more peace and calm in our lives.

Today’s challenge: Listen to today’s meditation and then set reminders for yourself to take mindful breaks throughout the day.

07.27.2021: Loving Kindness

Today we focused on elevating our energy to the highest vibrations: love, kindness, gratitude, hope, joy, and peace. We did a loving kindness meditation which shows us the infinite capacity in our heart to love.

By sending positive energy out to others, we inevitably receive it back in return.

Today’s challenge: Do this meditation and place your hand on your heart throughout the day to remind you of what it feels like to have an open heart.

08.03.2021: Inspiration

Today we focused on creating inspiration and motivation from within. Sometimes we seek external stimulants to drive inspiration, but we can go within and focus on our breath, open up our sacral chakra and solar plexus, and create the inspiration from within ourselves.

Today’s challenge: Listen to this meditation, place your hand on your abdomen, or and in Superman/Superwoman pose and find your inspiration.

08.10.2021: All is well

Today we went to higher ground to shift our perspective, and look at the world and our own lives with a different lens. We focused on the beauty and blessings that exist all around us, if we are still enough to notice.

Today’s mantra is “All is well”. If you lose your peace today, close your eyes and repeat this mantra three times silently.

08.17.2021: Go deeper within

Today we did alternate nostril breathing to go inward, and then noticed our breath to create greater focus and clarity. Too often we seek guidance externally, when the answer is to go deeper within to find the answers we are seeking.

Today’s challenge: Close your eyes and go deeper within to find the clarity you are looking for.

08.24.2021: Focus on what we can control

This morning my power went out in the house and didn’t come on in time for meditation. I spent time figuring out a work around that would help me to minimize the risk of being disconnected from zoom. Luckily, plan B worked and we were able to meditate together, but I was unable to record the session. We did a mindfulness, quiet meditation focused on our breath and body awareness.

Today’s lesson was to focus on what we can control, which is often our reaction to the situation. Great reminder!

08.31.2021: Clearing out our energy

Today we focused on sending healing energy to our chakras to open up our centers. Sometimes we get stuck and focusing in on releasing that which no longer serves us opens us up to receive more of what we need.

09.07.2021: Surrendering to the moment

When we first begin meditating, it can be difficult to surrender to the moment. We’re are used to the chatter in our mind that it’s uncomfortable to be still. Over time, and with consistent practice, we learn to surrender, and to even relax into our meditation. The great news is that we can choose everyday, every moment, to start over again.

Today’s challenge: Try meditating daily. Listen to these meditations, or others and create a consistent practice.

09.14.2021: Healing and Peace

Today we focused on leveraging our breath to create healing and a greater sense of peace. Our bodies are innately intelligent, our breath is healing, and we can leverage the power of our subconscious mind to instill thoughts and feelings of optimal health and peace.

Today’s challenge: Find a quiet place, close your eyes, tune into your breath and repeat the affirmations:

• My body is innately intelligent

• I am optimally health

• My body’s natural state is health

09.21.2021: Going to the beach

Today, we transported ourselves to a warm, sunny, beautiful beach. We used our senses to imagine ourselves there. Visualization meditations are a great way to change our thoughts, evoke feelings that we want to feel, and leverage our imagination to take us to another place.

Today’s challenge: If you are missing the sunshine today. Listen to this meditation and allow yourself to go somewhere else.

09.28.2021: Energy Clearing

Today, we focused on bringing in cleansing energy with our breath to clear out our chakras. We focused on positive affirmations for each energy center and inviting in more of what we need, and releasing with each breath that which no longer serves us well.

Today’s challenge: Do this meditation and watch your energy increase!

10.05.2021: Choose your intention

Today, we focused on choosing our intention. We often become consumed by our thoughts, making it difficult to focus. We are not our thoughts, we are the observers of our thoughts. We can choose intentions that bring more of what we need in our lives, as release those that no longer serve us.

Today’s challenge: What are your biggest distractions? What are you willing to release? Where can you set health boundaries?

10.12.2021: Energy Rising

Today we focused on increasing our energy, self-confidence, and returning to a place of joy, freedom, and child-like curiosity.

Today’s affirmations:

• I am strong

• I am confident

• I am joyful

• I am curious

• I am free

10.19.2021: Among the trees

Autumn is a time of transformation. We, like nature, can choose to shed that which weighs us down or no longer serves us.

Today’s challenge: Release old stories, limiting beliefs, or thoughts that do not align to the person you are becoming.

10.26.2021: Intentions

Does your life ever feel like Groundhog’s Day? Do you find yourself focused on doing rather than being? Today, we focused on our core life values and how we’d live if we were to live today fully.

Today’s challenge: Using the list below, ask yourself what your core values are, and then examine where your time and energy are focused. What healthy boundaries can you set to live more intentionally?

11.09.2021: Go deeper within

Our thoughts are like inner bullies that sometimes scream, trying to get out attention. When we meditate, we connect our mind, our body, and our breath to the present moment. It is a gift to create more presence and stillness.

Enjoy today’s meditation where we surrendered to the present moment.

11.16.2021: Patience, peace, and presence

We all could use a little more patience in our lives. It starts with allowing ourselves to connect to where we are right now, and release any resistance to be somewhere else, to be someone else, or for our circumstances to be something else. When we can sit in the present moment, we can cultivate the patience, peace, and presence we need in this moment.

11.30.2021: Trust the journey

Sometimes we are so busy trying to get to somewhere else that we forget to enjoy where we are. You are exactly where you need to be right now.

“Don’t just take the trip. Let yourself enjoy the ride.” - Melody Beattie

12.7.2021: Look within

In today’s meditation we created a safe space to make our intentions known. We asked for what we need, believed that it would come to pass, and then opened our heart to receive it.

Instead of looking outside, look within. The answer are always there.

12.14.2021: Set your intention

Only we know what is on our heart, or what we’re going through today. This time of year is especially difficult for so many who have experienced loss.

Today, focus on what you need. Set your intention, use your breath to send energy where you need it, and just keep breathing.

12.21.2021: Holiday gratitude

As you prepare to wind down the year, enjoy this meditation focused on gratitude and sending good will to all.

12.28.2021: 2022 Visioning

This week is a perfect time to rest, reflect, and start to vision for the upcoming year. My 2022 be the best one yet! Happy New Year!

1.4.2022: Detours and Closed Doors

A well lived life doesn’t mean on without adversity or challenges. Sometimes we experience closed doors and detours on our journey. This is part of life and often we are re-directed to something better.

1.11.2022: Return back to your intention

Setting our intention is the first step towards bringing our dreams to reality. Today, we set our intention, visualized what it felt like for it to exists, and released anything that is holding us back.

1.18.2022: Go within

Today, we returned to our breath. We followed the inhalation and exhalation and reminded ourselves that life is like the breath. We will experience great peaks and some valleys, but will trust that there will always be another.

1.25.2022: Breathe in what you need

What do you need more of in your life? What you seek is already within you. Focus on what you need and release what is getting in the way.

2.1.2022: Stand in your strength

If you are seeking more joy, more freedom, more inspiration, more confidence, and more strength, remember that it already exists within you. Release the limiting beliefs that tell you otherwise, and be amazed at what you find.

2.8.2022: Dual energies

In life, there are opposing energies - grounding and inspiration, yin and yang, masculine and feminine. When we over-use one versus the other, we can find ourselves burnout or un-inspired. We are always able to choose. Today, choose what you need more of.

2.15.2022: Patience and Focus

Connecting our breath, thoughts, and body is the first step in building patience. When our minds race outside of the present moment, we create anxiety. Slow down, recognize that in this very moment, you are where you need to be, slow the breath down, relax the body, and say to yourself “All is well.”

2.22.2022: Energy

We can control the energy we feel and put out into the world. Dr. Wayne Dyer said “You don’t attract what you want. You attract who you are.”

3.1.2022: Be the Light

It’s easy to get overwhelmed when the world around us is unsettling. Today, focus on being the light in the world. Breathe in more of what you want/need, and release that which doesn’t serve you. From one candle, many can be lit.

3.8.2022: The promise of Spring

This past weekend we had a taste of Spring. The sun was out, the birds were chirping, the snow was melting, and everyone was outside. Today, we imagined ourselves enjoying a beautiful Spring day. Go outside, use all of your senses, and enjoy what today offers.

3.15.2022: Be a light in this world

Today we filled ourselves up with hope, love, compassion, and gratitude and then shared it out into the world. Giving thanks when we are overwhelmed, anxious, or stressed is a great way to re-set our perspective.

3.22.2022: Spring Equinox clearing

Now is a great time to clear your energy and also to pick a drawer, closet, or room of your home to de-clutter and clean. Remove the old, and make room for new energy!

3.29.2022: Perfect DayEn

Today we took a trip to our perfect day. Allow yourself to dream today with no limitations!

4.5.2022: Go within

Today we focused on opening our third eye for more focus and clarity, and on positive affirmations to reduce distractions and limitations.

4.11.2022: Float

Sometimes we have to slow down in order to notice the beauty around us. Allow yourself to surrender and take it all in.

4.19.2022: Alignment

Starting each day with a clear intention and then aligning our daily actions to those intentions helps to build new neural passages.

4.26.2022: Slow down and feel

Sometimes we need to slow down in order to feel more intensely. By slowing down we can create more awareness. In today’s meditation, by slowing down we focused on our breath and body to notice what we sometimes miss.

5.2.2022: Day at the beach

Today we were transported to the beach and used our senses to take in what we noticed. Enjoy this feeling all day long!

5.10.2022: Grateful

Today we celebrated life and filled our hearts with gratitude.

5.17.2022: Open doors

Today we focused on our visions and dreams for our future. Imagine open doors for you to walk through, and give thanks for closed doors that redirect you to something better.

5.24.2022: Resetting your intention

Today we checked in with our intention that we set for the year. If you need to re-set, do so today. Everyday we can re-align and re-set to the life we want to design.

5.31.2022: Stillness and presence

Today we focused on creating stillness and presence. Focusing on the NOW creates more peace, focus, and clarity.

To learn more about the Root Chakra, I’ve created a one pager for your reference. This also contains the affirmations in today’s meditation.