March 2011 Archives

Join Natalie at Tecate, Baja California, Mexico, May 14-21 and October 29 - November 5, 2011 - RANCHO LA PUERTA RESORT AND SPA, the world-renowned fitness resort and spa in Baja California, where she will be returning to teach for a week LIFE IN TRANSITION, WHAT'S NEXT?
 
Contact for further information,
U.S. Reservations Office:
RANCHO LA PUERTA FITNESS RESORT & SPA
11696 Sorrento Valley Road, Suite 203
San Diego, CA 92121
T: 800.443.7565, 858.764.5500 
F: 858.764.5560
E: reservations@rancholapuerta.com
www.rancholapuerta.com

A Partial list of Awards for Rancho La Puerta:

Travel + Leisure
-  2010 "World's Best Destination Spa"
-  2009 "Top 10 Destination Spas"
Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Polls 2010     

-  "World Savers Awards" honorable mention Spa Magazine's Silver Sage Readers' Choice Awards
-  2010 Favorite Destination Spa - International
-  Favorite Eco/Green Spa

Natalie knows transitions pull you into a gift and a curse. What gets birthed is worth the grieving and the confusion.

5 Thoughts for Transition

1. What thoughts and feelings are you having today in this unknown place? 
2. Do you need a tweak, an overhaul, or a goodbye?
3. What support and resources do you think you need?
4. How do you develop a healthy view of what's next for you?
5. What do you long for that creates something new and authentic at this cycle of life?

Each of us uniquely journey's through happy and sad transitions: empty nest, divorce, illness, marriage, college, new career, re-locating, blending families, care-taking, grand parenting, death, and new interests.

What do you know about the way you make changes?  Whether by choice or circumstances, all of us have stood in the unknown of not being where we were and not yet, where we will be.

Our culture does not teach you how to view, approach, and execute an authentic thread to follow. Natalie has been featured in TIME MAGAZINE, NY TIMES, LIFETIME RADIO FOR WOMEN, LA TIMES, USA TODAY, WASHINGTON POST, & BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS.   She will guide you with her humor, compassion, and enthusiastic style.  She offers concrete tips and exercises as she listens and implements with you.

A LITTLE ABOUT NATALIE

Her passion grew from a life of transitions she has lived: leaving her dream college year as a Freshman, because her parents needed her to move West from East, Master's degree in Speech Therapy, marriage, bed rest for five months while pregnant, mother to beautiful, healthy daughter, Natalie's sudden life threatening illness when her baby was just eighteen months old, forced her to leave her child for surgeries and stays in and out of intensive care for weeks and years of illness back and forth from home to hospital, divorce, healing to wellness, re-locating, re-marrying, re-inventing her 30 year career to launch Empty Nest Support Services, care-taking her parents with kidney and cancer illness, , empty nest, as her only child moved East from West for college, suicide of her best friend, death of her parents, travel solo for work and pleasure.

Born with the middle name, HOPE, she relied on it. When that wasn't enough to pull herself up after the suicide of her best friend, who left three boys and a husband, who are her brother and nephews, she dug deeper , looked back at her life and forward, realizing compassion and curiosity were her best daily tools, not guarantees.

She can't help but carry humor and hope in her heart. When her house emptied of her daughter's life and friends, and she sat in the new quiet and unknown, she birthed her writer, where she writes for her website and parenting and boomer monthly column websites.  She travels the country teaching and is grateful for the new friendships and learning.  More free time from being an empty nester opened another unknown interest, photography. She uses her photos for all her blogs, for creativity, and has sold photos in her city of Los Angeles.  

Who would have thought the grief of shifting her role as a parent, would have birthed so many new interests and friendships?  Travel kicked in, her organic garden expanded, and she has the joy of welcoming home her daughter, as well as, visiting her in San Francisco where they hike, eat out, hear music, and visit with other friends.

"And then the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." Anais Nin

Call Natalie for more information and visit her website that includes, an active message board for ongoing support, blogs, stories, live audio conversations, FAQ video, tips, testimonials, schedule, and more.

Wishing you the support to go past your fears, confusions, and dive into newness

Natalie Caine M.A.
Empty Nest Support Services
(800) 446-3310 or (818) 763-0188
On the web www.emptynestsupport.com

Featured in TIME MAGAZINE, NY TIMES, LIFETIME RADIO FOR WOMEN, LA TIMES, USA TODAY, WASHINGTON POST, BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
Change is inevitable. Get Ready. Get Support. Life transitions need a hand to hold.

-  Private Telephone Consultations
-  Speaking engagements
-  Online classes
-  Support groups
-  Workshops
-  Free active message board - connect with others
-  Story of the Month
-  Facebook, Linked In, Twitter
-  Los Angeles, CA

Parents, Boomers, Empty Nesters, and Young adults have asked me about Red Mountain Spa, Utah. 

Destination and resort spa in Southern Utah, hiking, wellness, Spa, red rocks, outdoors http://www.RedMountainSpa.com where I will be teaching LIFE IN TRANSITION, WHAT'S NEXT, April 9th-16th. I am also offering private sessions for the week so you can go deeper with your needs. Below is an overview of the workshop:

From the Inside Out
It's time for you to gather input from inside yourself. Natalie will guide you to make a place of well-being no matter what is happening in your outer world. You will discover more about who you are and who you aren't, and from there, learn what resources you need to pull yourself up towards a step.

Possibilities
Natalie will help you discover what will foster an opening of possibilities and creativity.  The evening is experiential, which will include, making a prayer stick for you to take home.

Your Gift
Natalie will gift each of you and teach you how you can use the gift at home. What will you vow to never do again and what will you put your toe in the water towards your new beginning? Life has become more complex. You need to make time to re-focus on self and to practice staying open to possibilities.

About Natalie
Natalie shares wisdom, tips and comfort during her workshops to help people deal with happy and challenging life transitions. Her style is unique with humor, focus and openness, and her knowledge comes from many life transitions including a life-threatening illness, divorce, relocation, empty nester and re-inventing her career. Natalie knows how to grieve and begin again with realism, integrating the gifts and curses of change and loss. She discovered the key is to know who you are and who you aren't.

Natalie is the founder of Empty Nest Support Services, which helps people through the joys and challenges of a new life chapter, whether by choice or circumstances of divorce, retirement, re-location, blended families, illness, healing, new career, entering the work world, leadership or mentoring.  She regularly writes for baby boomer and parenting websites and has been featured in Time Magazine, New York Times, Lifetime Radio for Women, Los Angeles Times, USA Today and Better Homes & Gardens.

A single mother called, "Do you think I can meet a guy there because I won't just bring my sweats?"  Bring your inner and outer beauty. I know of two people who met at a retreat and then married, I shared with her that good news. 
  
Happy story - A friend of mine is attending a wedding at Zion Park which is 45 minutes from the resort.  I had no idea until she called me last week that both of us will be there at the same time.  I will be hiking in Zion as part of the week get away.  We are so excited.  She travels from New York and I from Los Angeles.  Don't you just love those surprises?  Who knows what surprise is blooming for you this Spring. 

When I present at my workshop, I leave with continued friendships where we plan to meet there again.  I am so grateful for the opportunity to teach what I love in such beauty and health.

I hope you make time to refresh, learn, and meet others. Visit their website to see what they offer besides for my week workshop http://www.RedMountainSpa.com

Happy Spring,

Natalie

natalie@emptynestsupport.com www.emptynestsupport.com 
800-446-3310 Pacific Time
  Invite her to speak in your community
 Call for a private consultation on or off the telephone
 Retreats
 Support Groups

What baby boomer, parent or young adult, doesn't need a moment of hope?

Life is complex.  You are overwhelmed with the news of the day and the list of your to do's.
I would be a fool to not stop and see the beauty out my office window.  I did nothing to make it happen.

The blooming jasmine arrive every year.
Unpredictable in its timing. HOPE.
I open the window to be closer and smell.

What gives you hope?  What can you email to a friend that inspires their day?

Take good care,
Natalie
natalie@emptynestsupport.com

Are you vacationing on your own or with your family? Who will be home?

Parents have called sharing their excitement and concerns about their children coming back home.

They know the good stuff but feel anxious about the new role they need to live.
Number one issue that causes resentment and disappointment is UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS.

You have had the territory to yourself. You know how to be the parent you were but not the adult to adult one.

They haven't had authority around called PARENTS.

I know how excited I get to see my daughter's face and give her a big hug.  She tells me she looks forward to homemade soups, candles lit, full refrigerator, laundry, cozy bed and home where she can let go.   TiVo is an added bonus. Veggies in the garden to pick are a constant. I love hearing stories about her life and when her friends pop over, who I have known since they were little ones.

1. Matt shared with me he likes spending time with his family but wants to be spontaneous.
2. Karen, the mom, likes a plan.
3. Key is to negotiate and check things out before you market and cook.
4. Keep quick meal ideas in the freezer and pantry for those kids that pop in or those that decide not to come home and you have plates of untouched food.  Cook when you have a solid YES.
5. Let them cook.
6. Keep to your routine.
7. You worked hard to focus back on yourself after your nest emptied. Keep touching in with your feelings and needs.  Be aware of the part of you that wants to drop everything because your children are back home .  They have their own plans and you have, what?  Hurt feelings
8. Be flexible.
9. Although this sounds trite and simple, SMILE.  Don't get caught in power struggles. Build happy memories.
10. Biggest complaint children tell me, "My parents ask too many questions and talk too much."

Biggest complaint parents express, "They only think about themselves."
Say what you need. Tell your top need. "I want to go hiking with you and I want to have dinner together. " Give them two times for a choice that work for you and ASK when that work does for you?

• Let them know you don't want to plan and then they drop your need for another plan.
• Don't over give. It just grows resentment that they didn't ask you to do.
• Stand tall if they are disrespectful.  Try saying, "STOP IT."
• Expect less and cheer if you get more.  Challenging. Takes practice
• Children want to sleep.  Allow them to self-care.
• Your role has changed more to mentor than manager. 
• You forget, they love you and need you.  They just aren't the same as you. They want to sail their own ship even when there is no wind.
• Enjoy this time. Let it be. Add beauty and peace at home.

Parents are motivated to continue being a great role model which includes nurturing your own needs.

Practice being in the moment and not the past or future.

Wishing you a happy Spring Break,
Natalie

Featured in TIME, NY TIMES, WASHINGTON POST, BETTER HOMES and GARDENS, ASSOCIATED PRESS, RADIO, and more...

Invite her to speak in your community.
Call for a private consultation on the phone.
800-446-3310
818-763-0188 local Los Angeles
www.emptynestsupport.com
natalie@emptynestsupport.com