Bev’s Picks
Bev’s Picks
Recommended tools and resources to become your best Self and live authentically!
Self-Awareness Resources
Values questionnaire from Barrett Values Centre, which only takes a couple of minutes to complete. You receive a report that identifies where you are at in terms of your life and what you value- interesting- measures your consciousness and relates it to Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs. Interesting to do this and then compare it with your significant others. It explains a lot about you and the people in your life.
Self-Compassion Quiz developed by Dr. Kristin Neff determines how self-compassionate you are. It is a very enlightening quiz that will increase your awareness of what it means to be self-compassionate. The very act of completing the quiz will help you be kinder to yourself or at least be more aware of the little voice inside your head and how it impacts your body. There are also several guided meditations. My favourite is the 5- minute Self-Compassion Break.
Mindfulness Quiz has you respond to 20 questions to determine your level of mindfulness in daily life. Completing this quiz will help you understand what it means to be mindful, and when we’re aware, we can cultivate more of it in our lives. In the end, it gives you tips on how you can promote mindfulness in your life.
VIA Survey will help you determine your character strengths giving you a unique character profile. Living your life with greater awareness of your character strengths helps your overall health/well-being, relationships and skill in overcoming problems. It’s free and only takes a few minutes.
Morning Pages Julie Cameron, the author of the Artist’s Way, shares a powerful practice called Morning Pages which are described as: “three pages of longhand, stream of consciousness writing, done first thing in the morning. *There is no wrong way to do Morning Pages*–they are not high art. They are not even “writing.” They are about anything and everything that crosses your mind– and they are for your eyes only. Morning Pages provoke, clarify, comfort, cajole, prioritize and synchronize the day at hand. Do not over-think Morning Pages: just put three pages of anything on the page…and then do three more pages tomorrow.”
Meditations
Are you curious about meditation but don’t know how to begin a simple and easy practice? Here are some resources to get you started.
I created A Beginner’s Guide to Meditation because many people would like to try it but don’t know where to begin. You can access the guide here.
Looking for a helpful meditation app? Insight Timer has thousands of meditations at your fingertips. Download it here.
The Meditation for Women podcast with Katie Krimistsos includes beautiful guided meditations created with the unique needs of women in mind.
Tara Brach, a psychologist, author and teacher of meditation, emotional healing and spiritual awakening, has countless guided meditations and resources on her website that she freely shares. One of my favourites is an 11-minute meditation—The RAIN of Self-Compassion.
Videos
Are you in need of some inspiration? Watch one of the videos below:
The Power of Vulnerability
Brené Brown studies human connection — our ability to empathize, belong, love. In a poignant, funny talk at TEDxHouston, she shares a deep insight from her research, one that sent her on a personal quest to know herself as well as to understand humanity. This is one of the most viewed Ted Talks.
My Stroke of Insight
Jill Bolte Taylor got a research opportunity few brain scientists would wish for: One morning she realized she was having a massive stroke. As it happened—she felt her brain functions slip away one by one, speech, movement, understanding—she studied and remembered every moment. This is a powerful story about how our brains define us and connect us to the world and to one another.
Enlightenment
The documentary called, Enlightenment, is an interesting reflection about what consciousness is and how practices like meditation help us to “wake” up and see our lives from a different perspective. It also happens to include my meditation teacher, Sarah MacLean, the founder of the McLean Meditation Institute.
Movies
The following movies/documentaries may just plant some seeds or ideas that grow in the unexpected ways:
I Am
I AM is an utterly engaging and entertaining non-fiction film that poses two practical and provocative questions: what’s wrong with our world, and what can we do to make it better?
Heal Documentary
Director Kelly Noonan Gores’ documentary takes us on a scientific and spiritual journey where we discover that our thoughts, beliefs, and emotions have a huge impact on our health and ability to heal.
The Secret
In this ground-breaking documentary film, leading scientists, authors, doctors, and philosophers reveal the great Secret that has transformed the lives of all those willing to live it.
Finding Joe
A truly inspirational film, Finding Joe explores the studies of famed mythologist Joseph Campbell. Take a journey through the human psyche and discover the pattern hidden in every story.
The Shift
Join Wayne Dyer and a star-studded cast for a story that will capture your imagination and send you on your own quest for a life of meaning and purpose. In The Shift, we share the stories of three modern lives in crisis. Every life has a turning point, a shift, a choice to make about what really matters.
Uplift TV
Looking for conscious media? Watch films for free and get new releases on a regular basis. Subscribe to watch premium conscious films. No subscription fee / no credit card required.
Websites / Community
Institute of Noetic Sciences is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting individual and collective transformation. Their goal is to increase awareness that we are all connected. Many local communities host gatherings for individuals to come together who are interested in personal and collective shifts in consciousness.
Greater Good Magazine blends science and practice. They share articles, quizzes, videos, tips, and tools for a happier life and a more compassionate society.
Self-Compassion Learn more about self-compassion through workshops and events or dive into the research, practices and recommended reading.
Popular Blog Posts to Inspire You
It took scaling the heights of Mount Kilimanjaro for Bev to realize that her happiness would only be found by going deeper and not higher.
Awakening a Woman’s Soul: The Power of Meditation and Mindfulness to Transform Your Life explores the modern-day battle with soul hunger. Soul hunger is a deep inner longing for things to change. Our souls are calling for a shift from living a life based on how we should be and what we should do, to how we are meant to be and who we are meant to become. Meditation and mindfulness are key practices to aid in uncovering who we’re meant to become, as we cultivate vibrant health, loving relationships and a sense of meaning in our lives.
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