Crystal energy is powerful but it’s not something the Western world yet truly knows how to define or describe. And yet they have been uses for centuries in many traditions and rituals. We’ve gotten so disconnected from nature and its healing abilities —from crystals to essential oils and herbs.
The beginning of my journey into crystals is a bit of a blur since at the time I was in the middle of what I call my great “wake up” and I was actively seeking a variety of holistic modalities. The first time I ventured into a crystal shop I was with a group of girlfriends following an amazing hike in the mountains. I was curious and unsure when I entered the store, but I remember very clearly feeling this draw to the rich dark orange of carnelian. I purchased a round carnelian stone ring and it remains one of my favorite pieces even after all these years. Carnelian is a beautiful stone perfect for creativity, boosts courage and self confidence, inspires actions and is an excellent stone for circulation, back problems, rheumatism, arthritis, neuralgia and depression. It accelerates healing in bones and ligaments and improves vitamin and mineral absorption and ensures good blood supply to organs and tissues.
Over the years I have collected many many crystals. I’ve also given away a lot of the crystals I’ve collected – to family members, friends and and students. I’ve also lost a few crystals along the way. They are funny like that – when their energy is no longer needed they will carry themselves back to the earth or find their way to someone who needs them. I’ve learned to not be disappointed but instead know that I got what I needed and now someone else will.
Today I keep crystals on my window sill, on the ledge of my bathtub, under my bed, in my pockets, in my wallet and the rest in a beautiful dishes around my home. It is not uncommon to see me grab one or two while I am chatting, journaling, or reading. I have my favorites and from time to time they change. My current favorite though is the large fluorite I hold in my hand while I am doing my early morning reading. It is so balancing.
When I look at my collection I am often able to link a certain crystal to a focus in my life – the pinks when I was needing to find unconditional love and acceptance, reds and browns when I was working on learning to stay grounded and steady, quartz, amethyst and selenite when I developed a deeper understanding of Oneness. I was drawn to green stones when I was learning joy and the connection to unconditional love. Yellows and oranges when I was working with ideas to manifest and remember all the abundance. Blues when I was strengthening my inner wisdom and learning to speak my truth.
For years I didn’t really talk about crystals or how I have come to use them. I just know they worked and I felt their power but I couldn’t describe their power or prove their abilities – and in the West, that unfortunately makes me naive and what I believe in and experience ‘not real’. Thankfully my heart persisted and crystals have become a prominent part of my life and now I love sharing with others.
It’s almost soup weather and there’s nothing I love more than cooking soup on a cold rainy day. This could possibly be my new favorite soup… I think you’ll love it too.
INGREDIENTS:
-2.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
-28 oz can green enchilada sauce
-24 oz chicken broth
-1 cup half and half or heavy cream
-2 cup Monterey jack cheese
-4 oz cream cheese, cubed at room temperature (or softened)
-4 oz green salsa (salsa verde)
-hot sauce, optional
-salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
Slow cooker:
In a 6-quart slow cooker add chicken breast or thighs, green enchilada sauce, and chicken broth. Cook on Low 6 to 8 hours.
Remove chicken and shred. Add shredded chicken, jack cheese, cream cheese, half and half, and green salsa to slow cooker. Turn slow cooker to warm and stir until cheeses are melted. Add hot sauce or additional salsa to taste.
Serve and enjoy! Delicious topped with avocado, cilantro, green onion, and sour cream.
Instant Pot Instructions:
Cook your chicken on high pressure with 1 cup of broth for 8 minutes. Do a quick release after 10 minutes. Remove chicken and shred. Set pot to saute medium, and add remaining broth, shredded chicken, green enchilada sauce, salsa, and heat until warm. Add cheese and remaining ingredients. Stir until cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper if needed.
Stovetop Instructions:
In a large stockpot, add chicken and broth. Simmer until chicken is done and can easily be pulled apart. Remove chicken and shred. Add shredded chicken, enchilada sauce, half and half, jack cheese, cream cheese, and green salsa to the pot. Stir and heat soup until it is warm and the cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper if needed. Serve with additional green salsa, hot sauce, and sour cream on the side. Enjoy!
This recipe makes a mild to medium spice soup. To add spice use additional green salsa or a green chili hot sauce.
Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature before adding to soup.
One of my favorite aspects to yoga and mindfulness is taking a deep look inside to find the parts of ourselves that aren’t serving our greatest good and decide to let it go. The volume of space we create is enormous and it allows something better to fall into that space.
In my personal life I have many decisions ahead of me. It’s honestly been a grueling time for me and some major changes for my daughter. I also have ankle surgery scheduled, but with so many unknowns I am debating whether now is the right time.
When life shows up like it has recently, I have to remember to go inside and let go of the fear, the anger and the worries. Much like a leaf that falls from a tree, I know when I let go of it, there is space. Space means clarity. In the space of clarity, I know I will find my way.
This months schedule for classes is also very unknown. Certainly that causes this very disciplined and schedule savvy girl to feel unsettled. It is likely that I am going to be watching the weather and offer warm sunny fall pop classes. I will still be adding videos to my online session collection AND I am super excited to offer a chakras series! This is a popular series and I can’t wait to share more about the details.
Let this month be a time where you truly let go of something that is weighing you down, or that you no longer need—just like that leaf that did it’s job, it also can now let go. Even fear and feelings of uncertainty can be useful, but eventually it’s time to let it go.
Did you know you can whip up a “latte” that is milk free?
This version gets its creaminess from almond butter instead of milk, which gives it a much richer, more concentrated coffee flavor, more similar to a version made with espresso. Using quality essential oils gives the best most spicy and earthy flavor with all the immune boosting benefits. Remember though to never ingest essential oils unless they have a supplement fact label on the bottle. I only trust one brand to take internally.
Made with natural ingredients, pumpkin butter is a fall-flavored treat that is sure to please. This recipe combines the rich flavors of Ginger, Cinnamon, and Clove oils. All three oils have different benefits when taken internally: Cinnamon maintains the immune system, while Clove supports cardiovascular health, and Ginger assists the digestive system. Amazing, right? Ingredients
1 29-ounce can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 cup coconut sugar (or substitute organic brown sugar)
In the Yoga world, Pantanjali wrote ancient texts thousands and thousands of year ago and have become the “rules” in which a Yogi attempts to live by. Part of the texts include the Yamas and Niyamas. The Yamas focus on the ethical standards of how we should conduct ourselves in daily life and the behavior to develop during interactions with the self and others. The five Yamas include truthfulness, non violence, non stealing, non greed, right energy. The five Niyamas are constructive tools for cultivating happiness and self-confidence and they are purification, contentment, self-discipline, self study, and self surrender.
As I have been going back to studying the Sutras, reviewing these principles is always a rich self exploration, especially during this month as I have been teaching my classes around the concept of understanding the foundation of our spirit.
Over the years I have found that knowing (and living within) my values or principles is paramount for my success and overall well-being. When I step aside from them and life becomes challenging, as it often does, I am less likely to respond well.
In contemplative questions, it is useful to ask yourself what are some of the core principles in which you live by.
I like to think of the foundation of a home being what sustains the rest of the structure when storms come by, or the roots of tree that holds it upright during turmoil.
As I have been looking inward and reviewing the Yamas/Niyamas, I spent a few weeks discovering the ten principles in which I live by.
I have come to learn that when we know who we are, we can begin to show up in life through our thoughts, words, and actions in alignment with that inner truth. Knowing who we are is very different than what we are. To learn more about labels, check out this post.
I know when I am showing up outside of these parameters or guidelines because I get easily rattled, I am quick with sharp words, I am impatient and easily overwhelmed. When I am in my truth and aligned with these principles, I feel the wholeness of who I am and know that I am showing up in my most authentic self.
Have you ever thought about what guides you? What your foundation is?
After several weeks of pondering, here are my ten principles.
Conventional dryer sheets contain mysterious ingredients, and can sometimes be expensive. Play it safe and save some money with this reusable DIY containing Lavender oil. Benefit from Lavender’s soothing properties to skin and sweet aroma as you soften clothes and fight off static at the same time.
Ingredients
1 cup hot water ½ cup white vinegar ½ cup baking soda 5–10 drops Lavender oil 5–10 simple sponges
Instructions
Combine baking soda and hot water in a glass container with a lid and stir.
Add vinegar and mix, then add Lavender oil and stir again until all ingredients are combined.
Fill container with sponges, trimming sponges to fit if needed, and place lid on container.
To use, shake up container, remove one sponge, wring out slightly, and place in dryer with wet clothes.
After dryer cycle place sponge back in container and reseal with lid for future use.
For more information on essential oils, check out this gorgeous ebook!
I get asked a lot about my personal practice. The assumption might be that I am always on my mat in my gorgeous studio.I do practice Yoga everyday. But, the Truth is I unroll my mat mostly when I feel a disconnection.
I come to my mat to feel…to nurture my body…to connect with my sensations. I don’t practice asana (postures) everyday. Having a Yoga practice doesn’t have to be physical.
So yes…I practice everyday, but I come to my mat when I need to plug into my soul, and connect my physical body to that beautiful place inside.
You don’t “do yoga”. You are Yoga….Become Yoga…leave the “doing” for something else.
If you are wanted to learn the deeper aspects the practice of Yoga, I would love to chat with you. Send me a message and we will connect.
There are seven major energy centers in the body known as ‘Chakras’. Chakra is a Sanskrit word that means “wheel”. Our seven main chakras are connected to our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual levels. Blocked energy in our seven chakras can often lead to illness, so it’s important to understand what each chakra represents and what we can do to keep this energy flowing freely.Chakras are invisible to the naked eye and yet interconnect our physical and spiritual selves. Each of the seven chakras is tied directly to a specific region and nerve center of the body.
It is believed that each of the chakras absorbs and filters the energy that we emit through our thoughts and actions as well as through the thoughts and actions of all those that we come into contact with. When one of the chakras is out of balance as a result of negative energy flowing through it, it begins to spin too slowly or too fast. When a chakra is not balanced, it can effect that physical region of the body and also effect very specific aspects of our spiritual and emotional selves.
There are many ways to go about balancing the chakras but two of the most accessible, effective and relaxing practices are aromatherapy and crystal therapy. When paired correctly, crystals and essential oils can create potent combinations that help to release blocked energy and restore the body to full charge.
Chakra Blends:
Root: black tourmaline; cypress, sandalwood, balance, vetiver and cedarwood. I AM. Apply to feet, legs.
Sacral: carnelian; clary sage, patchouli, bergamot, ylang and wild orange I FEEL. Apply to low belly.
Solar plexus: citrine; cinnamon, coriander, ginger, clove, and peppermint. I DO. Apply to center of belly.
Heart: rose quartz; lavender, cypress, lemon, orange, whisper and sandalwood I LOVE. Apply to heart.
Throat: sodalite; bergamot, peppermint, spearmint, eucalyptus and lavender. I SPEAK. Apply to throat.
3rd eye: amethyst; cedarwood, lemongrass, frankincense, marjoram, blue tansy, sandalwood. I SEE. Apply to behind ears, forehead.
Crown: quartz crystal; frankincense, myrrh, Roman chamomile, lavender and rosemary. I UNDERSTAND. Apply to heart, spine.
If you would like to order essential oils to make your own blends, just pop over here. Also, for a deeper look at each blend, check out this free chakra ebook. You can also purchase a full chakra set here!
I believe we all have a story and being at peace with our story usually inspires others to do the same.
Becoming a storyteller has been part of my practice for years and I am coming into an amazing place that lends itself to revealing myself on a deeper level.
It is my hope that in the coming months as you learn more about my story it will awaken something in you that seeks to be found.
If you’re hoping to learn to touch your toes, I may not be the best yoga teacher for you. If you want to crawl into your spirit and bring out the best of yourself, then I am.
Let’s tell each other our stories. Let’s listen and shine the light on each other.
Nothing can take your yoga as deep as practicing at home. There are many reasons why you think you can’t, but those are often mental obstacles that are preventing you from a rich and intimate yoga practice.
To help hurdle some of the obstacles, it’s important to set yourself up for a great home practice by creating an inviting home yoga space.
Here are a few tips:
Your space can be small. An intimate corner tucked away is a perfect place to create zen. Once before I had a studio I arranged my furniture in my family room so I had a place behind the sofa big enough for a make shift alter, and my yoga mat. Add in a device to view my videos and you’re there. A spare bedroom, unfinished basement, a tidy walk in closet, your entry way, a back patio or deck, or even a corner of your office all make great spaces.
Make your space beautiful. Add a pretty plant, some nice art, a photograph, crystals, and a candle. I used an old breakfast tray for my alter and would light a candle, and have my pretty treasures near the top of my mat.
Aroma is everything. Our sense of smell is directly linked to our mood and our excitability. My favorites to diffuse are sandalwood, any citrus and mint combo, or simple lavender.
Be grateful. It is an honor to unroll your mat and spend time with yourself. You don’t need a fancy studio to bring you back home to yourSelf. A thankful heart doesn’t care where you practice.
If you would love a free thirty minute chat to help motivate you to get started and answer questions, I would LOVE to chat with you! Send me a message and we can set something up!
Stacie believes that it is her life purpose to share the gift of Yoga with anyone who is willing to say yes. In addition to raising a family and being an advocate for those with disabilities, Stacie is founder of Embracing Spirit Yoga which specializes in bringing adaptive Yoga into community centers and rehabilitation clinics. Bringing her depth of compassion to the mat–or the chair–she offers students the opportunity to grow as an individual in all aspects of their life.
