Perhaps my wanting to go to this special event was two-fold: On a personal note, I had been going through my own spiritual journey since a health scare in 2013. Professionally, I wanted to learn more about his important messages on how to live happier and healthier. I've always loved yoga too so that was a no-brainer. But for some reason, as soon as I opened the invitation, I knew this wouldn't be your average media event where editors and writers mingle and talk shop or gossip about the latest cutbacks and how print is a lost art. This was going to be a life-changing experience for me so I took it as a sign I had to attend now matter what.

For those of you who don't know, Deepak Chopra is a world-renowned physician and expert in mind-body healing, and has written over 65 books including New York Times bestsellers. He has a huge following in every country, along with many celebrity clients, and is highly respected around the globe for his thought-provoking teachings about alternative medicine. I was excited.

We had to remove our shoes at the door when we got there. A tad unusual for a press event, but after all, it was the opening of the new Chopra Yoga Center in Toronto so it made perfect sense. And actually put everyone at ease. 

Deepak entered from the back of the room and the applause erupted. Not surprisingly though, with hence his incredible allure. It was almost as if he had walked out on to Oprah's stage. He was wearing a nicely tailored suit and he stood in front of the table that was set out for him to sit at so he could be up close and personal with our small privileged group. He opened by asking us what we wanted to talk about, which spawned a few giggles from the crowd. 

We wanted to hear his thoughts on life, love and happiness of course!

He spoke clearly and calmly and looked straight in people’s eyes as if to invoke some sort of trance. As we listened to his theories on the best lifestyle practices for brain health, and how important they are for busy parents, he said: “Every now and then, stop, and ask: ‘Am I aware? What am I aware of?” And the world will open up.” The audience was silent.

His words filled me with emotion and pride. I’ve made some changes in my life over the past 10 months that have made me a stronger, more self-aware person, too. And hearing him speak about this topic right there in front of me was the affirmation I needed that I’m on the right path.

We were also able to ask him some questions. I was up.

“What was the inspiration behind your book Super Brain?” I asked him excitedly.

What came next was not what I had expected. Deepak laughed. Laughed! (Well, maybe more of a chuckle but it was directed at my question particularly. He said simple and sweet, it was a great question because of the answer he was about to tell.

“It was inspired in the bathroom,” he chuckled.

Turns out he met his co-author Rudolph Tanzi, PhD. in the bathroom at a conference and they casually started talking about the brain and how it was the key to health, happiness and well-being. After a few hours of brainstorming (literally) they had decided to write a book together. Wow! Now, I knew people did a lot of thinking in the toilet, but this was crazy.

What else did I learn?

He said regular exercise, yoga, proper breathing techniques, sleep, meditating at least twice a day, and avoiding alcohol are all imperative to self-awareness. In other words, getting to know yourself inside and out is critical to being happy and healthy. This all made perfect sense to me.

But he also said that multi-tasking is the one skill you can’t make better with practice.

“If you’re doing everything at once you’re not doing anything at all.” This was my biggest takeaway.

I thought about this for a moment. It's so true. As women we try to do it all. We want to be superwoman 24-7. And we pride ourselves on our multi-tasking skills. In fact, it’s often our survival technique. But to my surprise, Deepak didn’t agree with this theory. He told us that women. and moms specifically, need to realize there’s more to the precious time we spend trying to get everything done.

“You need to meditate every day, and if you don’t have time, then you need to do it more,” he explained.

In other words, those of us who claim we don’t have enough time to do things for ourselves, are really the ones who need it the most. So true.

Reflection Work:
Take a few minutes from your hectic day to slow down. Find a quiet spot in your house or close your office door at lunch and do a 15-minute meditation. How does this make you feel? Are you ready to take on the rest of your day? Try to meditate once a day (preferably in the morning) as it will help clear your mind and relieve stress.
​Namaste.

Kerrie-Lee

Every time I look at my children, I am truly humbled. I still can’t believe that they’re mine. Even underneath all the dirt, cheekiness, messiness, and often craziness, they are real little people trying to figure out the world around them.

For those of you who don’t know me outside of cyberspace – I am a wife, daughter, sister, friend, colleague, and most importantly, a motivated (sometimes control-freakish) mom of two awesome boys. Connor is 9 and Brock is 4. 

I am constantly learning and they are constantly surprising me. So as I tucked them into their beds tonight, I couldn’t help but think of the things they’ve taught me in their little lives so far. They’ve taught me that I don’t have to prove anything to them, because even on my worst days, they are still there to greet me at the door with a big smile. They’ve taught me that there really is nothing like a mother’s love for her children and the special bond that is formed from day one. They’ve also taught me more about myself than I could ever have done on my own – and that being a parent can be really tough.

Now I’m not sure if my blog will be around when they’re old enough to read and understand this (or whether they’d even want to), but my hope is that they grow into loving, street-smart, grounded people who respect life and those around them.

I'd like to thank my kids for accepting my flaws, and helping me realize that they are a reflection of me. My kids make me happy. They make me mad. They make me proud, and sometimes, they make me sad. But most of all, they make me who I am today.

So in the spirit of Mother’s Day coming up in a few months (hey, I like to prepare early), I’d like to salute all moms out there who are humbled by their children. No matter how they came into your life, they are a part of you forever. And I want you to know that you are doing an amazing job.

Reflection Work:
What do you cherish the most about your family? Take a moment to hug someone you love so much today for more than 15 seconds. It feels so good.

Kerrie Lee
xo