Annemarie Stolting is passionate about living an intentional life full of meaning and purpose.  She hosts the podcast “Let’s Slow Down,” a space for meaningful discussions on the benefits and daily habits of slow living.  Many people are on board with slowing down, but the question is how do we do it?  In this episode we explore this question and the many gifts that slow living can bring into our lives. Some of the key ideas are:

• Slowing down means you have the space to breathe, be in the present moment, witness to our lives, and make choices that serve ourselves and our family.

• When we’re on the hamster wheel we can find ourselves unconsciously committing to things that really don’t matter to us very much.

• Slowing down has enabled Annemarie to volunteer at her church in a special needs ministry and food pantry ministry, which has brought her true joy and purpose.

• Some of the benefits of slowing down include more connection, feeling less rushed, making memories as a family, and getting more sleep.  When you have down time you can actually relax, and be more present for what really matters.  Be not only physically present for your kids, but emotionally present.

• Getting more sleep is a game changer

• Even if you’re not getting as many hours of sleep as you’d like, going to sleep and waking on a consistent schedule helps to regulate our circadian rhythm.

• Decluttering our space brings a greater sense of ease and calm.

• In order to declutter your space, go through your wardrobe at the change of the season.  Donate whatever you can.  Another great time is at holidays or birthdays when a lot of new things are coming in, it’s a great time to let some things go.  Don’t put so much value in items. As a society we attach too much importance to stuff.

• Be more conscious of forward thinking rather than holding onto stuff that we don’t even realize we’re holding onto.

• Slowing down helps us to attain work life balance because when we slow down we have the ability to create the mental space to think about what’s important and gain perspective on things that you previously thought were extremely important, but you realize that they weren’t as big of a deal as you thought.

• One suggested read on this topic: Essentialism: the Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown.

• Redefine what success means to you.

• Slowing down enables us to consider what is really important to us 

• Decluttering our lives actually help us to live richer, happier lives of wellbeing

• 4-7-8-breath with Dr. Andrew Weil is one useful breathing technique that can help to regulate our nervous system.

• Taking 5 minutes to check-in with yourself and see what comes up with give you an indication of how you’re doing

• Annemarie shares how she lives the 4 Pillars of Coffee, Surf, Yoga, and Wine.

It’s a conversation you don’t want to miss!

- Would you like to learn more about living a Coffee Surf Yoga Wine lifestyle? Get your FREE guide:  4 Tips For Living A Coffee Surf Yoga Wine Lifestyle + Bonus Planner

- Follow Carey on instagram @coffeesurfyogawine.  Send her a DM. She’d love to hear from you!

- Join the Coffee Surf Yoga Wine Facebook group at www.facebook.com/groups/coffeesurfyogawine.  Be a part of this growing wellness community!

- Listen to AnneMarie’s podcast Let’s Slow Down on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.  You can also connect with her on instagram @letsslowdown2023.

How can we use yoga, breath, and mindfulness to shift our energy? In this episode, we explore this and more with Kara Miller, accomplished yoga teacher and marine biologist.  It’s a conversation you don’t want to miss! Some of the key points of the conversation include:

• Yoga changes people’s lives.  It is a universal language that everyone around the world can benefit from.
• One profound way to incorporate yoga into our busy lives is through mindfulness.  This means stopping, connecting with your breath, and observing your environment exactly as it is without judgment.  
• A great place to start for busy people with a career and kids, is carving out natural “pukas” or spaces to pause and slip in a bit of mindfulness or movement.
• Our breath can shift the nervous system and the mind.
• Pranayama can be loosely translated to control of the life force energy
• Learning to be aware of the level of our prana, or life force energy, enables us to take action to shift it.
• Diaphragmatic breathing can be used to shift our prana or reground us during the day.
• Practicing the 4-7-8 breathing technique is another effective practice.  
• BRFWA (Breathe, Relax, Feel, Watch, and Allow) is a tool that we can use when we are having a stress-driven, un-ideal emotional response.  We can also add another A or Action which reminds us that we have a choice to choose how we respond to any given situation.
• Incorporating yoga into the workplace can have positive effects.  It can build bridges and community between people who might not normally have an opportunity to interact. It can also help us to be more disciplined about honoring our bodies and minds by taking breaks throughout the busy work day.
• Yoga is about self-inquiry and through yoga we can get to know ourselves better.  
• Kara shares her morning routine and how she practices the pillars of Coffee Surf Yoga, and Wine.

- Learn more about living a Coffee Surf Yoga Wine lifestyle! Get your FREE guide:  4 Tips For Living A Coffee Surf Yoga Wine Lifestyle + Bonus Planner

- Follow Carey on instagram @coffeesurfyogawine.  Send a DM to let her know how she can help you to live your Coffee Surf Yoga Wine lifestyle.

- Join the Coffee Surf Yoga Wine Facebook group at www.facebook.com/groups/coffeesurfyogawine.  Be a part of this growing wellness community!

- Connect with Kara Miller on instagram @karaocean, via email at liveahimsa@gmail.com, or join her for a yoga class at the North Shore Yoga Co-op

How can we find greater well-being through flowers, surfing, and self-talk? In this episode, Carey explores this and more with Laura Cho-Stutler, owner of Lulu's Lei and Bouquets, a thriving flower shop in Haleiwa, on the north shore of Oahu.  Laura didn’t always know that her path would lead her into the flower business.  Yet, when she followed her interests and creativity, she went from practicing as a clinical psychologist, specializing in trauma treatment, into the world of flowers. We talk about how making this shift impacted Laura’s wellbeing, how a surf trip gave Laura the space and clarity to see what she really wanted in her life, how we can connect with nature through flowers and surfing, and the impact that self-talk can have on our emotional regulation.  In addition, Laura shares how she practices the pillars of Coffee Surf Yoga, and Wine.  It’s a conversation you don’t want to miss!

- Would you like to learn more about living a Coffee Surf Yoga Wine Lifestyle? Get your FREE guide:  4 Tips to Live a Coffee Surf Yoga Wine Lifestyle + Bonus Planner

- Follow Carey on instagram @coffeesurfyogawine.  Send her a DM to let her know how she can help you to live your Coffee Surf Yoga Wine lifestyle.

- Join the Coffee Surf Yoga Wine Facebook group at www.facebook.com/groups/coffeesurfyogawine.  Be a part of this growing wellness community!

- Connect with Laura Cho-Stutler on instagram @lulusleiandbouquets, via email at aloha@lulusleiandbouquets.com or at lulusleiandbouquets.com.