Since summer solstice and the quiet explosion into July, I’m definitely feeling the buzzy energy of summer, big time!

I don’t know about you, but transitioning to summer after a year in quarantine has been a tricky bit of brain scramble.

Though, as I reflect back upon summers past, I’m realizing my transitions into summer haven’t ever really been typically smooth!

Meditation not relaxing?

Hang on, what?!  Then, what’s the point of meditation you ask,  if not to relax and calm the “F” down?!

YES, we want to relax and calm our nervous systems regularly (for a whole host of healthy reasons) and meditation is definitely the place to start….

BUT, here’s the secret. (not-so-secret): meditation is not always a relaxing experience!

This blog post is a little different.

In it, I share my 7 journal entries with my greater community over the course of 4 months. While this is my unedited, authentic experience, I have a winding emotional road still ahead as I navigate what it means to now be a person, still a healthy person, who’s had cancer. Gulp.

And while my particular cancer journey has been full of silver linings, deep gratitude and excellent medical care, I acknowledge this is not the experience of so many with this diagnosis.

Energy boosting, anti-inflammatory, heart healthy, detoxifying Beets! Try this cooling, no-fuss summer salad. It’s perfect for an earthy, grounding meal or snack to calm the fiery energy of summer.

The Home Retreat Studio is my dream manifest- a private yoga studio, healing oasis and welcome retreat in the city- completed Nov 2020 and ready to welcome you in!

Home Retreat is an inviting gathering place to foster self-study & spiritual growth through yoga classes, workshops, private & group coaching, courses and homemade nourishment.

This enchanting space offers all the warmth and comforts of home and the deeply nourishing feel of being on retreat. (all in my backyard!).

I’m in deep appreciation for the beautiful weather and riot of tulips & cherry blossoms dominating neighborhood gardens and meridians all over Seattle at the moment. And oh my, we need this right now. Beauty, hope, color & joy in nature’s certainty. That Mother Nature keeps delivering the seasons, gratefully, without fail, even in light of the damage we’ve done to her, can act as reminder & beacon of hope at our human capacity for resilience in incredibly trying times.

What are you reading, practicing, making or listening to that feeds your soul these days? I’ve been finding newfound appreciation in the simplest of things and loving the magic in these moments.

Rising up out of the confusion and fear around this pandemic can definitely be a struggle, but ultimately, it’s a choice.

We can choose to feed fear, or feed peace.

Our perspective is everything and like the lotus flower growing from the muck and mud, so does this pandemic-time possess nutrients worth cultivating. We just need to be looking for them.

Thieves Oil, sometimes called, 4 Thieves Oil,  is a blend of 5 pure essential oils: Clove, Cinnamon, Lemon, Rosemary & Eucalyptus, and that’s it!

What’s so special about it?

Let’s start with the potential known benefits of Thieves which include: immune boosting properties, promotes respiratory health, relieves nasal and sinus congestion, promotes wound-healing, contains proven anti-microbial, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties, which all help prevent illness (and may even provide pain relief) Pretty amazing!

Goal Activation & Obstacles to Success

It’s February, friends. How are your goals for this year taking shape?

Are you taking moments to celebrate your accomplishments? All the little wins are worth your attention. However small, when we accomplish tasks on our to do list, or achieve an even bigger goal, the feelings are the same. We’re relieved, proud, empowered and feel we’re in the drivers seat of our life, rather than the passenger side, watching life pass us by, right? It’s powerful!

So, why do we constantly self-sabotage and de-rail our successes?

Jennifer McGregor is a pre-med student, who loves providing reliable health and medical resources for Public Health Library users. She knows how difficult it can be to sift through the mountains of health-related information on the web and wants to make it easier for people to find high quality health info. I hope you enjoy her article:

4 Head-to-Toe Health Tips for Busy Adults

It’s January 2020 and I want to tell you about how I recently let go of control in a way both familiar and entirely new to me.  It has to do with my compassionate, independent, loving & sometimes cocky, 18 year old son.

After 2 days of college orientation and a day to help him get what he needed to move into his dorm, I said goodbye (for now) to my sweet boy. Nothing new or entirely interesting about this for most folks, as it is the natural course of life’s unfolding, a new milestone to celebrate and be proud of but wow, did my reaction take me by surprise. Saying goodbye last Fall when he set off on his South American gap year adventures, felt really different than this.

Flowing into the fullness of December with a few recipes from this Winter’s Deep Dive practice with lunch.

Enjoy!

Accepting and believing there is something greater than ourselves at work in the divine order of all things is the ultimate surrender. Ishvara Pranidhana is a big ‘ol Sanskrit word that means just that. No small feat, to completely surrender because we still must live within the world around us which is full of unpredictability, unknowns, injustices, suffering and obstacles of all kinds. There’s so much that prevents us in any given moment from surrendering to what is. That’s why savasana (or Corpse pose-the one we do at the end of yoga class), can be so challenging, because it’s asking us to surrender fully and completely to the moment, without changing or doing anything. Ishvara Pranidhana asks us to trust that all things are unfolding just as they should be, whether we like what’s unfolding or not.

I’ve tried many mats over the years and for me personally,  the company culture, grip, thickness/weight  & toxicity of my mats matter. I love this amazingly well researched article that landed in my inbox last week and I just had to share it with you. A consumer advocates group has compiled an in-depth review of the best eco-friendly yoga mats on the market today. I highly recommend taking the time to read it. I learned so much! https://www.consumersadvocate.org/yoga-mats

You matter and your morning matters too.

The first hour of your day determines how the remaining 23 hours unfold. I cherish my morning ritual because it keeps me more emotionally flexible, clear headed, present and more positive & kind throughout the day.

What are your mornings like? Could they use a little more calm and less chaos?

Let’s stay open to receive the gifts life is offering us everyday!

How we perceive our daily interactions has a lot to do with our ability to open and receive the good that awaits us. What gets you feeling contracted? SOO many things can and do, right?!  Overcast skies, worry, self-doubt, illness, when things don’t work out the way we planned, judgement, injury, staying crazy-busy, powerlessness; ….contraction happens!

We attuned to Autumn last weekend, sharing space in movement, breath, sound, scent and taste-what a delight!  Thank you to everyone who gathered together in community! Big hit this season was the luscious Butternut Spread. Here’s the recipe, inspired by one of my favorite chef authors, Yotam Ottolenghi

The mistake I’ve made this Fall.

So against my better judgement, having learned many lessons about how I don’t want to feel in Sept (ie: overwhelmed, over-scheduled, agitated, erratic), and having crafted deep intentionality around each and every transition to Autumn for the past 8 years,  I decided to try boot camp for the first time. What?!  Oh. Dear. Where did this insane compulsion originate, you ask? Well, I’m 50 now and while I’m fit and healthy, I’ve been feeling the need for a new exercise routine that will one: hold me accountable and two: help me combat the inevitable ‘thickening’ path my hormones want to lead me toward. But guess what? Day 3 and it’s not working for me. The energy of a fast-paced workout in a strange rubber smelly, loud place is the opposite of the morning routine I’ve cultivated and fed my soul on for the past 8 years. What was I thinking?! Starting my day this way is simply not serving me. So, listening to the call of the season and knowing myself and how best to serve my self-care wellness needs, I will be finding a new path. Lesson learned. (heard loud and clear!)