FunZen Girls Jump Back In!

Grace and I at Pic at Nick!

Jill Matthews and her daughter Ellie and son Liam

Bringing our A Game of Appreciation, Authenticity, & Army of Angels Support 

Jill, Missy (little sister) and Stevie Wonder

Finally it's here, 1 year later a new blog (scroll below) by Grace in her voice of a mindful teen, born to lead from her heart with art in smart... I took a year long spiritual sabbatical to write a couple of books with my daughter, Grace, about teaching kids of all ages FunZen and parents to be Mindful. The real magic was reconnecting with my birthday girl  7/13 Jill Matthews who is also my awesome student, friend and my first Dreams of a Child Jewelry customer when she was a child star in the industry 25 years ago. Her mother Karen is an earth angel who has kept all of us in touch. I actually met Jill and Missy when Jill was about 7 years old, she had just done a Japanese commercial with Stevie Wonder promoting his song; "I just called to say I love you." Jill has helped me to re-ignite my true purpose and passion to share the practical magic of mindfulness with ARTitude. Consider the word Art implies discipline (practice) and Science indicates the study of something.

Without further ado Grace is going to kick off her first entry with her short, sweet and savory words about how FunZen has helped her shift from a worrier to a warrior to handle being in the industry, get through 8 years of homeschooling. Now, Grace goes to CHAMPS Highschool of Performing & Media Arts. 

This is only the beginning of sharing what works for us and hopefully will inspire more of you to join us and jump in to the spirited perspective of my latest quotelicious sweet tweet❥
"The world is mud-licious and puddle-wonderful." e.e.cummings 

May these whimsical yet wise words zencourage you to empower and help yourself through the good, bad, beautiful, and ugly moments that threaten to ruin our days. However, in the words of angel warrior, best-selling author, Sue Patton Thoele of "The Mindful Woman", " A few mindful moments can make a world of difference." 

Here's a ShoutOUT to some of the awesome people that have helped or inspired us to stay on pointe. Remember Ohana means family in Hawaiian, where no one is forgotten or left behind, in pure love we are One human family. I've also included some valuable resources (websites) to share a few of the illuminating people that have helped shape our lives. 

ShoutOUTS to our Army of Angels:

We are honored to know the Beautiful, Brilliant and Blessed Family Lyric, Zephyr, Robby and Karla DeVito Benson  http://lyricslovelightrevolution.com/?page_id=142 ;

Angel of Wisdom Warriors:

LeeAnne Taylor My angelic spiritual mentor;  http://leeanntaylorstory.com/ 
Destiny Diva, Michelle Casto  http://brightlightcoach.com/brightmichelle 

Celebrity Trainer & BFF's Dion & Melinda Jackson http://www.dionthetrainer.com/  

Nature's Angel Mariel Hemingway http://marielhemingway.com/

Jenuine Ward http://www.jenuinehealing.com/

Crissy Bayless http://baylessphotography.com/the-scoop

Enlightened Leaders straight from the heart: 

Wendy Winks (our rock star angel) http://rockschoolfund.org/

Valencia Ray M.D. http://www.valenciaray.com  

Mallika Chopra  http://intentblog.com/
Julie Shanti http://www.julieshanti.com/ ; 

RobbieKaye http://www.robbiekaye.com/works.html  ; 
Rita Ross http://www.pocketpeople.net/
Lori Lite http://www.stressfreekids.com/resources/about-lori-lite 
Zen Audrey Li, LaLicenciada http://www.blogger.com/profile/15155116476790680637

Anne Merrem BFF brilliant lifelong friend ;) http://www.anne-merrem.com/index.php?L=1

Be on your A Game with the Best of the Best:

Julie Stevens, Grace's fave studio teacher, Vocal and Acting coaching: http://www.juliestevens.com/  

Lynnanne Zager awesome VoiceOver Coaching http://www.voclass.com/
Miss Linda DeFilipo, Grace's amazing manager, http://dctalentmanagement.com/home2.html

Grace discovered Andy Puddicombe, our favorite meditation guru who makes becoming mindful and getting some Headspace a curiously delightful experience; http://www.getsomeheadspace.com/

Cesar Millan (Dog Whisperer) Thanks for asking me in person what I teach? and I said FunZen, that was a game changer moment that has stayed with me. http://www.cesarsway.com/

  

Click Here to order my Clear Your Mind Manual "Mental Fitness" Foreword by Leonard Cohen, endorsed by Louise Hay, Dan Millman, Iyanla Vanzant, Penny Peirce, 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

Fun never ends, FunZen is for everyone.

I teach kids FunZen and parents to be Mindful.

Free Your Inner Swan

The Sanskrit word for swan is hamsa or hansa, and it is the vehicle of many deities like the goddess Saraswati. In Hinduism, Saraswati (Sanskrit: सरस्वती sarasvatī) is the goddess of knowledge, music and the arts. The swan is not just found in beloved fairy tales and ballet. For thousands of years, the swan has been a symbol of enlightenment and an elegant example of serenity, spiritual strength, and transformation.

The Serenity Prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr

"God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things that should be changed, and the wisdom to know the difference."


I had an idea a few days ago to mention Reinhold Niebuhr's Serenity Prayer and after spontaneously seeing the psychological thriller Black Swan, I was inspired to share the zen-like connection between the two.

Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake ballet has both the innocent White Swan and the sensual Black Swan. In the film, one dancer, Nina (Oscar winner, Natalie Portman), is a perfect fit for the White Swan. While Lily (Mila Kunis) has a soulful personality that matches the Black Swan. When both ladies compete for the parts, Nina not only finds a dark side to herself, she was succumbed by it.

There are many issues that surfaced after watching this film with it's beautiful backdrop and scenery of the ballet world, especially my longing to wear pointe slippers again yet I don't miss the aching toes. One issue to insight though, that I'd like to address here, is the delicate balance of beauty, self image, and confidence. It is beyond the scope of this blog to go into depth regarding these issues. But I will glance at how a zen perspective gives us the confidence to see clearly and establish a beginner's mindset that changes how we look at things.

My book, Mental Fitness, provides the tools to train your instrument into the beautiful swan of transformation. Freeing your Inner Swan is accepting the people we cannot change and the self compassion and courage to change the one we can and the wisdom to know it's ourselves.

My Zen approach honors the brilliant simplicity of being part of the solution, not the problem. The solution is awakening our Inner Swan by making peace with our shadow or dark side. Acknowledging that we have a shadow or an inner monster is the beginning of taming it. Groundbreaking, bestselling author of "The Shadow Effect..." Debbie Ford, provides awesome tools that teach us to Be Authentic by embracing and eventually loving and healing the parts of us (self-punishing patterns) that we've wished to hide.

Seeing Black Swan made me appreciate my work with Tyra Bank's T-Zone, which helps to build a sisterhood movement and raises awareness about issues girls are faced with today, for example, self esteem, body image and social pressures. The FunZen perspective tool that I shared with the girls, parents, and professional counselors, and look forward to presenting to you, worked like a magic wand; restoring order from emotional chaos to inner calm.

Inspirational Recipe: Black & White Swan Cupcake:

1st Step: Zen Perspective: Close your eyes (center-up between your eyebrows) to Open your heart, by choosing to step back for a mindful moment...You will see the world in a whole new light as a non judgmental observer... I promise this will empower you to be a positive change agent. I will be adding 3 more heart steps to this blog "Free you Inner Swan."

Make the Connection: Press your zen button by Exhaling, whooosh, to mentally start over anytime, anyplace you need to free your mind from the past and future and get back on Pointe in the present moment.

Bake= Concentration Power: Sitting or Standing upright instead of uptight, Let's Inhale clear blue zenergy. Feel your tummy rising. Exhale, riding the breath wave. Tummy falling, flattening and firming up towards your spine:
Catch 3 Breath Cycles to relax from top to toe, releasing anxiety to experience serenity and spiritual strength.

Now, Breathe, at your pace of grace, with each centering long breath out. (see page 26 in Mental Fitness)

Decorate Your Way: Congratulations. Without baking your cupcake, by staying focused with the previous ❤ steps, you cannot put the sprinkles on and zenjoy your treat. Likewise, by using your magic mood tool, Zen Perspective, you are building quiet strength to weather any dark storm.

Stay Tuned In for the next Inner Swan Lake heart step ❤: How to Detach yourself from negativity.

I must say, after seeing Black Swan, I felt immense Gratitude for my book Mental Fitness. Being a dancer in ballerina pointe slippers myself, I struggled with some beauty & self image issues. Today, I treasure cultivating a clear mind, peaceful heart & the soul of a warrriorette. What is sweeter, is sharing these Resilience Skills for life with my daughter and other kids, to help them find their center in the cyclone.

Grace says "Kid Friendly FunZen is Awesome to Celebrate Daily." Please Join us in the Soiree (celebration) of spreading these ideas that I hope are worth sharing on your part.

Mental Fitness (Foreword by Leonard Cohen) is available: Amazon, Bodhi Tree Books , or contact me for Complimentary autographed copy and free gift (up to 22 minutes) telecoaching session by mentioning you read this blog "Free your Inner Swan"

In Gratitude w/Love ❤

FunZen Girls OX
Michiko (lil mama) and Grace

r: @Zenmommi

I teach Kids FunZen and train Parents to be Mindful.

What's Luck Got to Do with It?

My intent is to share my kismet experience of meeting and sharing a pith meaningful conversation with Jerry Seinfeld at Starbucks in Burbank California. Beforehand, let's look at L.U.C.K. as an acronym: (L)abor (U)nder (C)onstructive (K)nowledge meaning with a solid work ethic or discipline, knowledge applied (wisdom) and preparation (foundation) will allow good things to happen for anyone. From a zen perspective consider that resistance or fear pushes away what we want and non resistance and love magnetizes and draws our best and highest good to us. Basically, it's the right attitude, not a random fluke that leads to making your own luck and living a charmed life.

The words that danced through my mind when I spotted Jerry Seinfeld sitting at a table near the front door talking to his colleague who looked more unapproachable than Jerry was "he looks too busy, play it by ear". I only had a couple of minutes and was actually almost late picking up my daughter, so thinking fearlessly on my feet meant I had milliseconds to respond (from my soul) or react (from my ego) and pretend I didn't notice him.

When I quieted down my monkey chatter with a few mindful breaths, I trusted my intuition and just took some heart steps over to his table. Blossoming where I landed, I uttered "this is a Shy to Hi" moment. He smiled and I whooshed feeling comfort and joy that he appeared receptive to my inquiry. I asked him how Zen influenced his "show about nothing" comedy ... He said he was flattered that I asked and shared that Zen had inspired him. He added that he'd read many books on Zen... I mentioned how Grace & I started the FunZen Bakery and shared it's message of light, to help kids shine brilliantly by going within for life lessons or going without their blessed Aha's.

He smiled with a simpatico (friendly) sense of resonating with the point to offer kids and parents Perspective Life Skills. I felt this yin yang creative tension of appreciation that Jerry was open to discussing a bit of zen, yet a strong urgency that I had to go get Grace. It is beyond the scope of this blog to share more details about my Lady Luck experience. Perhaps in a future blog I'll share more awesome details on this idea of Zen and The Art of Jerry Seinfeld which is an actual chapter in a Biography, Jerry Seinfeld, Much Ado About Nothing by Josh Levine that I researched after I met him.

"Zen is just looking at something from a different perspective, and that's what
a lot of comedy is". Jerry Seinfeld

For now, what is key is that you carry the vibe that you can Be your best and make your own luck. With this one thing: Trust your Intuitive Heart which knows how to blossom where you land, with your unique "Shy to Hi" zen moment of; asking a challenging question, meeting someone new, listening to your inner wisdom and shifting away from: what if (future worry) what was (past) to the sweet acceptance of reality or what is (present).

Back to the opening? What's luck got to do with it? It appears that luck has to do with Oprah Winfrey's common sense wisdom; "I feel that luck is preparation meeting opportunity."

Inspirational Recipe: Lady Luck Cupcakes

Following your heart begins within with setting aside a little Quiet Time for Getting Centered.

3's a Charm Stay In Your Heart Interactive Steps:❤❤❤

1) ❤ Blossom where you land by feeling your feet pressing down (root lower body) and gently reach up (rise) through your heavenly crown, eyes closed (center up between your eyebrows; or lower your eye lids) keeping your head to the sky, shoulders ( heart wings) spreading soft and wide.

2) ❤ Mindfully (non judgmentally, be kind to your mind) Observe your breath flowing out and in...up to a minute or so. Gradually deepen your breath by feeling the rise and fall of your tummy ~Ride the waves ~(Discover Centered Breath in Mental Fitness pg 22)

3) ❤ Ignore and dismiss any (monkey chatter) self defeating thoughts like doubt and regrets sweep your mind clear with your long breath out. Welcome the compassionate heart thoughts that inspire you to aspire and take action for your highest good.

Here's your Lady Luck Centering Charm to make or bake your own luck. This is one that Grace (daughter) and I use often to zencourage positive thinking, raise our energy and deepen our fearless faith.

Exhale, relax and refocus, Breathe in ~I am (pixie pause) Long Breath Out~

Being my best and allowing God (Divine Love or Spirit) to handle the rest...repeat 3 or more times. Note starting to sense zen-like calm to carry on... comes naturally.

As mentioned in the previous blogs Got Zen? Becoming A Resourcerer, we are exploring ways to activate brilliant author, Neil Pasricha's 3A's of Awesome, Attitude (way of being) Awareness (mindfulness) Authenticity (return to your original nature) using Mental Fitness to get your head in the A game.

Any suggestions or questions: tweet me, call me, email me, facebook awaits; How can I help you empower yourself to shine? Looking forward... Let's start the conversation.

Mental Fitness (Foreword by Leonard Cohen) still available: Amazon, Bodhi Tree Books , or, contact me for an autographed copy and free gift telecoaching session. Share with your friends and Zenjoy!

In Gratitude w/Love ❤

FunZen Girls OX
Michiko and Grace

Life Coaching Services now available: 805 490-2391
Contact: MJRolek@aol.com
Twitter: @Zenmommie

I teach Kids FunZen and train Parents to be Mindful.

Yoko (ocean child) Ono's commitment to spread Imagine Peace clarifies the meaning of a zen mommie; let a little peace begin with the me in mommie.