Silly Is Good For You

This blog was inspired by the true definition of the word silly (selig) which Grace and I share on the youtube video which is about 60 seconds long or a FunZen Minute. The word silly has its roots in the word selig, meaning "blessed, prosperous, healthy, & happy."

"Silly is Good! It's Worth Pursuing." Jim Henson & Jim Lewis, Doodle Dreams (picture, Muppet Movie)

In the previous blog I mention the importance of laughter and our lovely reminder from G.K. Chesterton's quote "Angels fly because they take themselves lightly." Here also, we're presenting a Simple Zen Soulution and keeping it short, sweet and to the point on how inspired silliness strengthens your emotional resilience, our ability to access comfort & joy even in adversity.

As I was snooping around the internet I found these illuminating words from Rev. Richard Stone (Selig Leadership) regarding The Science of Wellbeing, The Art of Silliness and how it relates to leadership from the heart.

❤

"I am a professional laugher." His Holiness The Dalai Lama, spiritual leader of Tibet.

"If today's leaders can embody the spontaneity and silliness of children, they will discover they will set the tone for the creation of very different kinds of organizations—ones where creativity flourishes, personal initiative is embraced, the thrill of pursuing a big idea far outweighs the safety of sticking with the status quo, and team members feel blessed, prosperous, healthy, and happy to play a role in creating something that really matters."

Being lighthearted and silly in leadership involves trusting yourself and not taking yourself too seriously. According to Ralph Waldo Emerson "Self trust is the first secret of success...the essence of heroism." Humor empowers us to grasp Zen Master Shunryu Suzuki's wisdom; "When you can laugh at yourself, there is enlightenment." When the eastern wisdom of humor and enlightenment meets the western business model of success we build Enlightened Leadership.

Here's a couple of notable spontaneous silly moments that I've experienced. Grace and I were laughing our heads off one day about how I would make-up stories to explain what I teach. When a director or other voice over actors would ask about "getting centered" jokingly I would call it taking scuba diving breaths or doing zoo-ology research; "Finding zen in the zoo of life. A favorite silly drill that gets all the pent-up tension out of the body is "The Fish Fry." Standing up or lying down, you just wiggle, shake and shimmy all over. Afterwards, you feel more blessed with the healthy release of stress leaving your body.

Driving home after Grace worked on a commercial, out of the blue, Grace (6yrs.) called our whole silly, yet disciplined approach, "FunZen." Hearing the words "FunZen" left me spellbound. The world suddenly looked different. Everything shimmered with magical pixie dust. I truly felt empowered with the playful practicality of Mary Poppins yet inspired like a com-passionate leader of the pack. 

"Women are the pack leaders of the world." Cesar Millan

"The greatest gifts you can give your children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence." Denis Waitley

Almost everyone I've worked with loves the silliness and relates to the effectiveness of these words;"Long Breath Out Ahhhh, To Center our Spinning Tea Cup Mind. "This brings a sigh of "good grief" and sweet relief when we feel anxious and easily angered or bothered. Consider this. Words are tools for transformation. Grace made up this centering charm for when she feels overwhelmed; "Fear out, Fun in, with FunZen." With these simple words, we activate her Roots to know where home is and spread her ❤ Wings of lightheartedness to fly. Getting a FunZen Tune-up consists of taking a few Centered Breaths along with posture adjustments to help her ground her spirit. This allows her to not only focus better but remain fluid and flexible under pressure.

As some of you know, Grace is a voice-over star. She is Louise on Disney Jr's. "Lou & Lou's Safety Patrol" and currently the voice of Lucy in "Happiness is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown and click here for more.

My point is that I trust serving you what I share with Grace, my "back to brilliant basics,"mindful tools, & inspirational recipes, that bring out our best. Before she was born I shared these secrets mostly with celebrities, performers and executives as mentioned in my Bio. A few years ago, I planted the blessed lotus seed of intent that I would share these awesome tools beyond the limited audience I had already reached. Thanks to you my twitter family & new readers, things are looking ahead, and I continue to grow, glow and give back generously. I'm truly in it to win it from within for the kids and the heroic kid in all of us. After all, I assure you, shining from within is possible for everyone.

Grace enjoyed Yoga with Marsha Wenig, Founder of Yoga Kids when she was 3-6 yrs of age.

Marsha says; "The ultimate gift and what parents want, is to help children find their inner light."I wholeheartedly agree, and add you have to know where to look and how to switch on the light from within. Let's start with clarifying what enlightenment means from a zen perspective. The zen premise is that the light which is love (pure positive energy) is already inside of us. We all have the ability to see things as they really are, with a clear mind, peaceful heart. I'm drawn to the wise words of John Friend, Founder of Anusara (flowing with grace); "The way I define enlightenment, as the experience of "being in my heart."

Great leaders lead by example, connecting the dots between intent, commitment, and action steps. "The American Lama" Lama Surya Das was recently in Pasadena sharing an inspired "interactive talk" straight from his heart on bringing the ancient wisdom of "making peace with time" into our busy modern lives. I asked him from my "Beginner's Mind" how we can bring his message of light to our kids? Their lives appear to be crazed with multiple distractions, not to mention the "texting" frenzy of social media overload. He simply said "By Being It Yourself".

I humbly thought of the fact, that yes, parents are leaders. In most cases, we hope to draw the best out of our children. I loved The American Lama's answer that the key is leading by example. The mindful living skills offered here are for encouraging ourselves to be an example of enlightened leadership one little step at a time. When we forget, and get caught up, we can be mindful and remember the fact that we're authentically human.

"The attitude you have as a parent is what your kids will learn more from than what you tell them.  They don't remember  what you try to teach them. 

They remember what you are."

Jim Henson

We can choose to demonstrate that it's okay to goof-up, and slip and fall. Reminding ourselves to

be forgiving, affirming; "Slip but don't Quit." Consider, little children are also teachers, they demonstrate being silly and spontaneous, effortlessly moment to moment. Watch and Learn.

"Zen is to have the heart and soul of a little child."Takuan 

Before hearing Grace's words "FunZen" I recalled often feeling apologetic and even sad when others would comment on my kindness, comfort & joy level being too high. Simply being in the moment and getting any job done at home, school, or professionally was actually fun for me. Well, most of the time. So part of cultivating silliness is celebrating what we see around us. By appreciating beauty around us we generate pure positive energy. I was delighted to receive as a gift, a Cat in the Hat t-shirt that said "Trust me, I'm a Doctor." In the spirit of Dr. Seuss, I am reminded of his whimsical yet wise words "Fun is good".

Our purpose is to not only share that "silly is good for you." You get an awesome bonus gift from being a bit more mindful. By simply smiling and following your heart home on your long breath out ahhhh you activate your greatness muscle, now your body can drink in Gratitude on your inbreath. Being grateful organically boosts your happiness where you need it most, in the moment. The magical result: you are less stressed and more blessed, and that empowered feeling of selig:happiness, health and wealth...is always there within you. It's simply a sip of air, and a breath away

Tweeted 6/18~ Here's my #Hello Kitty Miracle of #Mindfulness Moment...According to the@DalaiLama Bestselling Author of "Buddha Standard Time" @LamaSuryaDas is our beloved "American Lama" ❤

Now you know: I heard from a friend and Hello Kitty fan that HK doesn't have a mouth because she speaks the language of love from her heart. She was designed with this eastern element of zen like calmness and compassion to be relatable universally. ❤

Sweet retweets @mushyola When a #heart is true, there's no need for words; because even in silence, love can be heard...Sending much love & hugs ♡X to my Berlin Girl who put The Triple L (love, luck, laughter) Event together @AnneMerrem My Angels in Disguise ☞☞☞

@JenuineHealing @JulieShanti from @intentdotcom have helped me activate more self loving and self healing.

Thx Jen for your awesome reminder to be self-encouraging, "Bambi Get-Up" ❤ There are many more angels who hear in silence my heart whispering Thank you and Ti Amo.

"Meditation is intentional concentration on one thing..." Dr. Joan Borysenko

In a Single Breath we can access the magic of meditation. I'm not concerned with the quanity or how long you meditate. It's the quality of being fully present in the moment, for an up to 15 second breath cycle, 1 to 5 minutes or an hour and beyond.

                                               Inspirational Recipe:

                    Know It By Heart Cookies (one bite at a time)

❤ Exhale, 

Pressing your zen button to reboot (whooosh)

❤, Inhale (deeply) 

eyes closed or keep them half closed, soften your face, neck & shoulders, Feel your kokoro (heart) smiling.

❤ Long Breath Out; 

Center-up between your eyebrows to Lighten-Up, revisit a situation that makes you want to LOL (laugh at loud) Be Silly, allow your insides to giggle (belly laugh) as you tickle your funny bone. (watching my precious pet Chado, an eternal puppy, doing down dog yoga (shimmy, shake & stretch) makes me smile and LOL.

That was your taste of "Let's get Zen, with the FunZen Girls ."

Remember when we meditate we activate & brighten our inner light. If there is any negative thought or emotion, watch it evaporate in the clear blue sky of your breath awareness.

Take this golden child of wisdom nugget with you:  Smiling ;) from the inside out is the beginning of Laughter

which heals and reminds you that Being Silly Rocks!

Click here or Here to order my Clear Your Mind Manual "Mental Fitness" Foreword by Leonard Cohen, endorsed by Louise Hay, Dan Millman, Iyanla Vanzant, Michael Beckwith, O.C. Smith, Richard Carlson and many more...

In Gratitude w/Love and Hugs ❤

FunZen Girls OX

Michiko (lil mama) and Grace

Contact: (805) 490-2391 Twitter: @Zenmommie Email: @mjrolek@aol.com

(love to hear about your mindful moments please share w/us, comments, @zenmommie, or email mjrolek@aol.com)

I teach Kids FunZen and train Parents to be Mindful.

Tasting The Magic Of Mindfulness

Inspirational Recipe Quote: "I am learning to be a good parent to myself (inner child). Shakti Gawain

Through the years, I’ve helped children alleviate the everyday stress, frustration and anxieties they face in order to help nurture their confidence and self-esteem. I do this with spiritual exercises that quiet their young minds, calm and center their bodies and help them navigate skillfully through emotional storms. I developed these inspirational and healing recipes with my 12- year-old daughter Grace.

We call it FunZen.

(Original Sprinkles Cupcakes right)

FunZen draws from the Buddhist concept of mindfulness,which is the ability to tune into the present moment to achieve nonjudgmental observation through coming home to the body's senses. My intention is to help kids of all ages,healers,parents,performers, teachers, and therapists, face the challenges of the 21st Century by cultivating their inner resilience and quiet strength. From my Zen Calendar; Lily Tomlin reminds us that "We are all in this together, by ourselves."

Many of my FunZen centering techniques were refined and tested when I was introduced to young Jani Schofield in early 2007. At that time, Jani was 5 years old, and newly diagnosed with childhood schizophrenia.

You may have heard of Jani. Her story went national after a series of articles in the Los Angeles Times in the summer of 2009 led to an appearance by Jani and her parents, Michael and Susan, on the Oprah Winfrey Show in October of last year. Jani’s problems are well-documented. She would have bouts of wild and vivid hallucinations that were often coupled with violent temper tantrums that her doctors attempted to control with a potent mix of anti-psychotic medications.

The other part of their treatment was to keep Jani constantly engaged with different activities in the hopes that would mediate her sometimes destructive impulses. Michael and Susan Schofield believed daughter Jani slipped into hallucinations and became delusional if she wasn’t constantly stimulated.

When I first met Jani, her parents were interested in seeing if meditation could be used as a tool for helping their daughter rather than the constant use of medication. It became my mission to help Jani find a bit of zenergized happy-calm in the zoo of life. Please understand, I have respect for the Western use of medication and the bio chemical aspect of Jani's treatment. I saw firsthand how drugs helped stabilize Jani’s frenetic energy and curb her psychosis. With her medication, Jani appeared able to follow the activities of daily living.

But, I also noted that Jani’s joyful spirit would vanish in a drug-induced haze when she needed more meds to handle her "out of control" behavior. That’s when I came to appreciate that medication is only one part of an approach to treating childhood mental illness.

Enter FunZen.

My goal in introducing Jani to FunZen meditation was to use it as a complement to her medical treatment in the hopes that gradually, over time she would require less drugs. At the heart of my FunZen exercises are mindful breathing techniques that when practiced correctly, help to alleviate stress and enable a child to find zenergized calm and peace in whatever storm they may be navigating. One FunZen exercise we used is something I call “The Miracle Diamond for Breath Alignment.” To employ this technique, I had Jani stand upright, focus inwardly, and slowly exhale with a long whoosh. Then, I asked her to slowly inhale, thinking of something sweet and calming, like the smell of lavender; ahhhhh (long breath out). After repeating this process slowly, and imagining the stress melting like heat applied to snow, Jani would begin to feel tall, light, firm in her diamond core…and zenergized!

Naturally, FunZen can used by any child that is feeling stressed. These spiritual exercises and mindfulness techniques will become second nature as you practice them and gain momentum by zenergizing the mind-body connection.

Jani proved to be very receptive to FunZen and showed great potential as a student. Her parents and I noticed the benefits of the spiritual exercises right away. Jani’s attention span increased, improving her ability to focus and we could see an overall sense of comfort and joy in her when she was in a peaceful surrounding. It was only when Jani was constantly busy; that is, following the Western approach as a human "doing" rather than the Eastern approach as a human "being in balance," that she appeared to lose touch with her heart's compass of inner wisdom. This Eastern Zen approach of using meditation to bring about dramatic change in behavior has been chronicled by many scholars. In Dr. Dharma Singh Khalsa’s book "Meditation as Medicine" he states that by meditating we are "activating the healing force within us."

After working with Jani Schofield for more than two years, I’ve come to believe that Jani's spirit of pure being is not touched by her mental illness. This became very clear to my daughter Grace and I one day as we watched Jani listen to music by the Beatles and Michael Jackson. The tunes Jani enjoyed so much clearly had a meditative effect on her, and she was at peace as she

sung along.

Meditation techniques are ageless. They have been written about since the beginning of time. However, most of the focus has been on its use by adults. The success I’ve had using FunZen meditation techniques like Mindfulness to bring a clear mind, peaceful heart in stressful situations to Jani Schofield (and, for that matter, to my own daughter Grace) shows that children can embrace and use meditation too.

Most importantly, meditation and tools like Lori Lite's StressFreeKids breathing can be an effective complement to standard Western medical treatment employed by those suffering from mental disorders like childhood schizophrenia, autism or anxiety ADD, ADHD. It is a holistic alternative to heavy medication and constant engagement. I saw it help Jani Schofield, and I believe that other special needs children or any child can benefit from FunZen as well.

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Michiko Rolek is a life coach and the author of Mental Fitness, a unique book that offers workouts for the mind, body and soul for peak performance available at Amazon She is now dedicated to helping children and serving the spirit of humanity with "ubuntu" (kindness) to exercise mindfulness, relieve stress, and shine from within through the use of her FunZen inspirational recipes. For more information stay tuned in at The FunZen Bakery where "Talk does not bake the cupcakes, Walking the talk does."