Inspiration

What is Your Intention?

/ embracingspirit / Leave a comment

As I have opened myself up in my quest for vulnerability this year and to take something I am passionate about and share it more openly in my adaptive yoga teacher mentoring program, I am asked to look at what I do through a different lens and be open to understanding and learning, while also being confident in myself and what I know to be effective.

Since yoga truly is a practice for daily life and not the ability to touch our toes, I find myself curious how other yoga teachers and/or practitioners view intention. Is having an intention and a plan for the class the same?

For everyone else, is an intention for your day the same as your plan for the day? I don’t think so. I believe we set an intention in our day, or our teaching (example to be present) and our plan may need to adjust according to what shows up in the day or in the yoga session.

I am fairly clear on my intention within a general sense when I am teaching yoga, however we all know that “reading the room” is key. This ability to switch gears in a yoga class is also helpful in life because let’s face it, how many times do we have a plan and we need to change it suddenly. Having this emotional resiliency and ability to be flexible in our minds is a useful tool for everyone.

Here is where my vulnerability was poked yesterday. I had someone observe me yesterday in one of my houses and she asked me afterwards something along the lines of is that all they ever “do” in class and could they “do” more? I knew when she said that she was referring to “doing” more of the physical stuff of yoga.

Hmmm….we chatted about it and as I reflected on it throughout the day I realized that not only have I overcome insecurities about myself, I have also found that the foundation in myself and my work is incredibly strong. This was not always the way I felt and it has taken me polishing myself over the years to remove the doubts and fears and step into being vulnerable enough to share what I do with others in a very real sense. This also allows an opening for me to learn and continue to polish.

This is my truth–When I enter a group home or assisted living setting to share yoga, I have an intention which is to always value them and see them.

As we entering the house, my plan for class had to shift once I was there a few minutes and we finished the check in.  I ALWAYS do a check in and this is so important to what I believe is a great method that I have developed over time.  In the check-in they get to answer how is their mind, body and spirit. This is something I believe we ALL need to do on a daily basis because it helps us to pause, assess ourselves so we know what we need.  By answering these questions in a simply one or two word answer, it also opens the door for vulnerability, connection, empathy and much more.

The group on this day had just three students. The most able bodied student was out and the three that gathered in the living room included one who is partially paralyzed with no movement in left arm and minimal in left leg, one who suffers from severe PTSD and pain, and one who has very little motor control and incredible low self esteem as a result. This is a group who are working very hard on acceptance, grief and how to integrate themselves into their current lives following their injuries.

During the check in I learned that one student was tired but good, and another answered like this:  mind-broken, body-broken, spirit-more broken. The tired student had a hard time sitting up straight and suffers from neck and back pain, so using the soft couch for support was where he was at.  The student who felt he was broken has very little control of his body and the moment he feels a sense of failure, he quits. His tremors and lack of coordination is embarrassing to him and if he struggles, he 99% of the time will stop movement and just listen. The one who is partially paralyzed needs hand over hand support for lifting his arm and leg.

Did I need to switch gears? Heck yes.

Why? Because my intention is to value them and to see them.

I saw that they were struggling physically and my sense was that they needed the connection and opportunity to be seen more than they they needed to be challenged physically or “do” more.  In my mind they were “doing” a lot by engaging, talking, sharing openly, and being present. For these guys, trust is HUGE and they chose to sit around the living and participate.

If I kept my class plan and/or asked them to do something new/hard/unfamiliar it is likely on this particular day, it would have caused them to bail. Since my intention is in valuing them, by adjusting my plan and giving them space to share and move easily in their bodies, they were able to feel successful in a world where they have little success. This touches on their past trauma, their present challenges and how connection and being seen can fuel confidence in them. 

Yes, we did some movement and we did some breathing. We learned a simple sequence that is heart based and tapped into a softer side. Yes, we learned about energy and reciprocity of giving and receiving.  We learned about faith in ourselves and something greater than ourselves.  We shared our gratitudes. 

While all of this magic was going on, dishes were being banged, conversations being loudly had, people in and out, distraction after distraction.  Hard?  Very.

For the yoga teachers out there, what is YOUR intention when teaching? Does your intention change based on your students in class and is your intention different than your class plan?

For everyone, what is your intention? How do you want to interact with the world today? Begin your day by setting an intention and then make choices to align with that.

xo, Stacie

Follow me for more goodness!

True Freedom

/ embracingspirit / 3 Comments

What does freedom mean to you?

I often say that I am putting all of the amazing nuggets of wisdom that come from my students with brain injuries into my future book and to share on my future Ted Talk. Wouldn’t that be amazing?

Year after year and class after class, I am humbled at the insights that come from people living with brain injuries and feel so strongly that they can teach the world so many things about truly living. Over the years I have kept a little notebook with some of the teachings that they bring to my life and will often pull inspiration from that notebook in my everyday classes or in my personal life.

This one is a keeper.

I have been teaching from the theme of freedom this month. According to Webster’s dictionary, freedom is defined as having the ability to think, speak and act without hindrance or restraint. Teaching adaptive yoga in an assisted living home for adults with traumatic brain injuries often brings the most insights into the true essence of living Yoga. As we broke down each what it means to think, speak and act without hinderance we shared the challenges in our lives it was easy to see that everyone has certain hinderances or restraints that keep them from living fully free. For some, it is living without the ability to move their legs, or for others it is not being able to drive or work. For me although I can drive and work, I have certain physical limitations and responsibilities that keep me from being fully free in my actions.

We then moved onto our ability to speak without hinderance or restraint and it was evident that while the idea of free speech exists, there is a limitation to what we can all say and not get into a little hot water, whether that it within our own home or in the community.

We finished our discussion with the realization that the only true place we have freedom is in our thoughts. We are all free to think what we think and no matter what our challenges or our struggles are, it is ultimately what we do with it through our mindset.

Here is the moment of ah-ha that has stayed in my heart for weeks. As we were closing up our discussion on living freedom, this was spoken:

“The confinement that I feel is only what I ALLOW myself to feel.”

Read that again.

The woman who said this is a student who lives in assisted living and occasionally comes down for yoga. Her body is riddled with pain so her practice is breathing and sharing. She is brave and wise.

She also lost her independence, her family, her ability to work and drive, and basically do the things that feed her soul. And yet she has the insight to see that despite all of her lack of freedoms, she can escape the cage with her thoughts.  She is one of the most insightful and grateful people I have ever met.

And to think that I am called the teacher.

Truth is, I am a conduit for their wisdom. I get to be the messenger.

Follow me for more goodness!

Calling Your Energy Back

/ embracingspirit / Leave a comment

“How can you live without knowing what your spirit is doing and what your spirit is saying to you?”

Caroline Myss

Learning to be in touch with who you are at the deepest level is the GREATEST gift you can give yourself in this lifetime. If you don’t know who you are, there is no chance you will live your best life, and that is a tragedy. One of the very first ah-ha moments when I had my great wake up was realizing that I was not my anger or my sadness or my physical form. I was learning that I was something much more powerful than that.

Part of being human is the tendency to want to control things. The trouble with this is that there is a whole Universe that exists outside of the realms of your control, and if you spend your whole life clinging to your PLANS you miss out on receiving what may often be a far better option than what you could have ever mustered up alone. When this clicked for me, my life truly changed. When I released the control, I began to flow with life and was open to the lessons and whatever was showing up in my life rather than holding so tight to the control of how I thought life should be.

I learned early on that in order for me to be my very best I had to create time each day to prepare my spirit for what was to lie ahead and at the end of the day to call my spirit back. This practice helps you to discern what you’re engaging in that either feeds your spirit, or takes away your spirit. When we connect to ourselves on this deeper level, we realize that we are not all the labels that have been stuck to us and we are not the outward expression of our body. We come to realize that our spirit is fed with being aligned with love and that some things steal that love, and steal our spirit.

Remember that each day is a new beginning. Your task each day is to learn the practice of consciously entering your body and your day. Begin by focusing attention on your entire day from morning to evening. Take a few moments to review where you need to go, and who you need to see. Ask yourself if you have expectations about the day and notice if you feel stressed or comfortable. Are you prepared? Then sit with yourself for a few moments and open yourself up to whatever comes during the day.

We go about our day so often asleep and unconscious. W go through the motions, allowing ourselves to get caught up in the whirlwind of expectations, judgments, and ultimately disappointments. We invest our energy into other people’s dysfunction and often hop on the familiar “what if” train. Sometimes we also give so much of ourselves that we feel unbalanced and drained.

This can all be exhausting.

Just as the morning practice of welcoming in and opening yourself is so important, the evening ritual is equally important. As you prepare to enter sleep, review how you used your energy during the day, how you invested your spirit, what you learned about the investments you should or shouldn’t have made. I like to imagine that I left tiny little sparks of light with each step, with each moment of eye contact, with each smile or touch. I think about my reactions to things that were not mine to react to. Did I waste energy in gossip, complaining, comparison or judgment? Those are all energy drainers. I watch my day in my mind and see where there was light left and where I contributed to a lesser energy that takes away the goodness of my spirit.

And finally, as you close out your review of the day, ask yourself, “How do I open myself to receive guidance as I sleep?”

Then listen.

Follow me for more goodness!

May Inspiration

/ embracingspirit / Leave a comment

May, more than any other month of the year, wants us to feel most alive.

– Fennel Hudson

It is hard to believe just how fast this year has already flew by and here we are embarking on a new season. Spring is in full season and yet Mother Nature has been quite active this spring giving us many days of wind and learning to lean into patience. The seeds are planted in my garden and now I watch and wait. There is something so exciting knowing that there are little seeds in the soil coming to life and will soon produce some amazing things to eat.

In Colorado the weather can change often this time of year. I recently read a passage in a book about how we interpret, and perhaps even how we have been trained or conditioned to view something that really is neutral. She uses the example of rain (or in Colorado’s case, snow) and how we might habitually complain about the gloom and doom of rain, when instead we could feel happiness that the flowers are being watered and rejoice in the sound and fresh fragrance. Rain is neutral, it is how we choose to view it. Another example is how we have been accustomed to dreading Mondays, when really it is a neutral and naturally occurring event. Rather than say, “ugh, its Monday”, try shifting your thinking to seeing a Monday as a whole new experience that you get to create a week of productivity, learning, joy, and love.

I love when I am called back to the simplicity of choice. I encourage you to look at your thoughts and when a neutral event occurs (rain, Mondays, traffic), shift your immediate thought that is usually negative into an opportunity to create a beautiful new experience. Ultimately we get to choose how we react, or respond to the events and experiences around us.

This month I will be offering yoga classes that focus on the energy in the body, specifically the divine feminine energy. I also have some fun offerings in-person and online to deeper your understanding of yourself and how to live the healthiest life you can (mind, body, sprit). I am passionate about how we can learn to go back to nature for our health, how we choose to clean our spaces and a general sense of natural living. I would love to share with you! You can learn more about these things here.

And finally, remember to honor the Mom’s and other lucky ones who have nurtured you. It is so important to acknowledge those who give so much love to others, and have one of the hardest (and most rewarding) job in the world. And don’t forget about the grandmothers out there–we are extra special people!

Photo by Polina Kovaleva on Pexels.com

Follow me for more goodness!

Choosing to Be Different

/ embracingspirit / Leave a comment

Let’s face it, the world needs help. Many of us might even find that it has become our life purpose to bring a positive light into the lives of others. I would even guess it’s how many of us infuse our lives with meaning: trying to somehow leave the world a better place than we found it. At least I hope it’s how most people think.

Today I am grappling with this. I am questioning humanity and the intent of others. I realize it is not my place to do that and I am edging on being incredibly judgmental, but I’m also striving for honesty.

On days like today when I feel isolated and out doing my humble version of God’s work all alone my head gets jumbled as I look around me.

The huge homes and fancy cars that surround me as people whiz by going to their next luncheon or appointment. The shopping centers that line nearly ever corner are packed with shoppers consuming more and more. The extravagant lifestyles may seem as though they are living their best life, yet I know that nobody escapes the pains of being human. We all have our own version of loss, disappointment and pain. The fancy houses and new cars are simply a shell that contains the human conditions we all face.

I suppose the question that begs to be answered as I ruminate with bitterness and probably envy—how are you making the world better? What are you doing to contribute to humanity?

As I wander around the big city doing my work I want to stop and ask people that question. I want to knock on doors and ask. I want to know, because today, I feel like there aren’t many people out there contributing. I see a society that is mostly focused only on themselves and consuming as much as they can.

I like to think that I am a very even keeled gal who rarely gets rattled. I go about by day doing what I believe I here to do and I usually pay zero attention to how others live their life. The old triggers rarely get pushed anymore and I have less care about what people do or don’t do with this one very precious life.

But today, nope. I am wallowing in judgment and perhaps even some disgust.

There are so many ways to contribute to the greater good and sadly so many people miss the chances on a daily basis because they are wrapped up in their own self absorbed life.

Look, you don’t have to be a hero or do remarkably hard things to create a better world. It’s starts by thinking of others before yourself.

Simple.

We can simultaneously make major contributions to society—both to help other people and feel good about our choices—while making a difference in our everyday lives. We can do things both large and small, for others and ourselves, every day if we choose to.

  • Smile
  • Be a neighbor
  • Pick up trash outside
  • Buy someone coffee
  • Listen without solving
  • Use your skills for good
  • Volunteer your time
  • Say thank you
  • Donate unused items to those in need
  • Give grace
  • Compliment others
  • Think of others before yourself
  • Stop complaining
  • Write notes of gratitude
  • Stop making excuses why you can’t
  • Get off your butt and do something

Maybe the realization that you do truly have to be different if you desire to make a difference in the world is hitting me hard today.

The mundane lives people live all around me are begging me to look inside and see that I am wrestling with bitterness and envy.

Here is the realization and lesson I dug into. Days like today bring up the old wounds of feeling like I don’t belong in a world where fancy things are the focus—back then it was because I was broke and trying so hard to make a life for my kids in a neighborhood I could barely afford—today it’s because I choose the life I have. I choose to do the work that I do. I choose to be as busy as I am and don’t have the time to longer over fancy lunches. I choose this.

I choose to be different. And, once I landed on the fact that I CHOOSE this, the bitterness faded and I remember the gift that I have and the choice I make to use it.

Follow me for more goodness!

Community

/ embracingspirit / Leave a comment

Community; a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.

Life sometimes becomes so busy and hard that I have learned to take a step back and let the dust settle when I feel like I am one step too close to the edge. At least that is what has been going on in my world. While most things in my life are extraordinarily amazing, some of it has been equally stressful and emotional. I know that the best thing for me to do is get outside, get my hands dirty, and be productive. Some people freeze under stress and I am the exact opposite. The more I can accomplish in a day when I feel like I am going to explode, the better I feel. Not sure what that coping strategy might fall in the fight/flight/freeze realm, but getting stuff done is where I cope.

Literally a month ago I softly uttered the words —maybe I should open up one of my Fridays to see more students since my schedule is so packed and the demand is so great. Within a week of saying that a huge agency asked if I could add TEN memory care assisted living homes to my already swamped schedule. Sometimes when we speak something vague the universe hears it and runs with it! There is no way I could do ten homes in one day, so I chose to go from zero teaching on Fridays to every Friday teaching in four homes. And, another local agency serving adults with traumatic brain injuries doubled their services with me.

Wow.

Last week was my first week of doubled time locally and full days on Friday. I am going to be honest….by Friday at 3pm I decided that if I had to say “take a breath in and blow out a candle” one more time I was either going to lose my mind or cry.

Complicate my exhaustion of driving over 850 miles in four days, teaching 18 hard classes, and dealing with constant pain, I also needed to step up in the mom arena these last couple weeks. For the record, when a young mom complains of the demands of a toddler I kindly tell them to fasten their seatbelt because being a parent to an adult child is one of the hardest things you’ll ever go through. You have to trust that your wisdom will be heard and accepted–much different than putting them in PJ’s and sending them to bed at 7pm.

I realized today as I was having my productivity ass kicking session of washing both my cars, planting lettuces, spinach and arugula, trimming trees, fixing fountains, coloring my girls hair, finalizing contracted social media work, and cleaning the house, that I am so grateful for the community that I have.

In hard times it’s great to know that I am surrounded by people who care and are interested in becoming their best selves. If you are a reader of this blog you are either here for amazing recipes, or essential oil uses, or maybe you are here for inspiration and hope. Whatever brings you back, I realize that in a huge way this outlet gives me the support I think I need to carry on.

I also realized today that I have done hard things before. Many times. Whether it is raise three kiddos alone, navigating the unknown territory of developmental disabilities, or building a business from nothing, or leaving a loveless and controlling relationship that gave me financial safety and security to venture out with just a truck full of belongings and start all over at age 43.

I have done hard. And I have not only survived, but I have thrived. I know that this too shall pass with my kid and I will find my rhythm in adding a huge amount of demanding work to my schedule.

After all, I am not alone, right? I know that I have thousands of people all over the world whose energy comes to me through platforms like these and that in my hardest days, I can still feel that energy. Community and feeling connected is where we survive hard times. I know that I cannot do this life alone and continue to make a difference in the lives of others. Isn’t that essence of community anyway?

So, thank you. Thank you for carrying me on the tough days and allowing me an outlet to write, cry, laugh, cook, inspire, create and mostly, to love.

Follow me for more goodness!

Beginnings

/ embracingspirit / Leave a comment

“What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?”

– Vincent Van Gogh

We have all had that initial beginning of something.

That first time taking a fitness class, embarking on a new way of eating, beginning a mediation practice, or as simple as increasing water consumption. Sometimes the first class, or the first recipe, or the first time you sat with awareness is often the hardest.

If you are embarking on a new something consider these 5 tips:

1. Remember it is about the journey. While enthusiasm is fabulous, it can be so easy to jump from your starting point with only the end result in mind.  Whether you are looking to lose weight or increase your overall well-being it is imperative to enjoy the steps along the way.  If your only focus in losing those 20 pounds, I guarantee you will miss the joy in planning, shopping, cooking and eating that amazing meal. The tastes you experience are the end result, but the joy that can come from loving what you are creating is the journey.  Enjoy each step.

2.  Stop and breathe. Every single day find 10 minutes to simply breathe.  Inhale. Exhale with intention and awareness.  This practice will keep you grounded as your life changes.  As you embark on a new way of being, people around you will challenge you.  It is imperative that you have this tool in your tool box.  Breathe.

3. Be tender with yourself. Yes, you will stumble.  And you will miss the Yoga class because of work.  Yes, you will eat that cookie the kids leftover.  Yes you will choose soda over water.  It happens.  Start again without a litany of negative self-talk.  Instead remember that the sun does come up tomorrow and you can begin again.

4. Ask yourself those hard questions. As you begin anything new it is key to get into your heart and know what it is that you are seeking. Are you doing this for you or for someone else?  Are you doing it with the hope that you will be happier? Do you have a goal in mind or are you wanting to just explore the experience?  Are you willing to make choices and changes?  What are you willing to do to make those changes?

5. Be open to a mind shift. Do you notice that you have a series of limiting beliefs about yourself or your life? You know, things like “I don’t have enough time or money”, “I am not flexible”, “I can’t sit still long enough to meditate”, “I don’t like the taste of plain water”.  Consider what might happen if you turned those limiting beliefs into statements of hope—“I have the ability to choose where I spend my money”, “I choose to make the time, because I am worth it”, “I honor my body in a Yoga class and not compete”, “I am capable of sitting for 5 minutes today”, “I am grateful to have fresh, clean water to drink”.  Consider shifting to a belief of positivity and hope.

Why? Because YOU are worth it.

Follow me for more goodness!

Morning Routine

/ embracingspirit / Leave a comment

What are your morning rituals? What does the first hour of your day look like?

Many years ago I would get out of bed and just start “doing”…. I was asleep living my life and just going through the motions of existing.

Then I started a ritual of being quiet and still. I made a commitment to getting up a little earlier before the house woke up and began making time for myself. I say this a lot, but when I WOKE UP to living, I became a better person. Part of the waking up process was cultivating a morning ritual. 

The results were amazing; I yelled less, I reacted less, I was angry less, and I was peeling off all the garbage I had accumulated through my life. It was clear to me that anger had eroded every cell of my being and I was a perfect example of what that looked like.

I was toxic mess in every aspect of my life. Physically, emotionally, spiritually, and mentally. A toxic, heavy mess.

And then I began this simple morning ritual. I started the great wake up of my life where I went from unconscious living to conscious and deliberate living.

The rest is history ?

Here is how I start my day: I usually take 30 minutes to do some of these things before the day gets busy.

  • I am a big intention-for-the-day person and I almost always pull a positive card that gives me something to think about throughout the day.
  • I note all the goodness in my life and welcome in the day with an open heart by breathing mindfully for 5-10 minutes and sitting with all that IS.
  • I enjoy my coffee with mindfulness. I practice the art of tasting it, smelling it, and enjoying the warmth.

After this part of my morning is complete and my spirit is cared for, I go and take care of my physical body with movement. Right now I am enjoying short walks and time on my yoga mat or pilates reformer.

Once I have had a little time for myself I can be ready to give to others. You know the old saying you cannot pour from an empty cup.

What’s your morning routine like?

Follow me for more goodness!

April Inspiration

/ embracingspirit / Leave a comment

AWAKEN; verb (used with or without object) to awake; waken.

As I walk each day, I am happy to be reminded that nature calls us to be awake and aware. The first signs of green are starting to pop up and I believe it teaches us about resiliency and the rhythms of nature. It is such a great season to notice Life. My knee surgery has been much harder than I anticipated and it has been a true test of my patience and resiliency so seeing the little shoots of green make their way through the hard winter soil is a good lesson for me.

As we enter into April, despite what is going on around us, we are reminded of the cycles of life that exist in all forms. This is a beautiful time to look to nature for the lessons and to welcome your own season of growth. Springtime is a great time to scatter seeds within yourself to create the beautiful blossoms in your life that you desire. Simply noticing and then cultivating growth within yourself will do wonders as you blossom this season.

Some great ideas for personal growth include increasing tolerance, having patience, loving yourself more, laughing daily, or slowing down to enjoy life.

Once you set your intention and scatter your seeds, it is time to nurture these powerful thoughts and water them with love and tenderness. Keeping weeds away through positive thoughts and affirmations are a sure way to have a great harvest in the coming months.

What seeds will you scatter this season? I am planning to plant some seeds of acceptance and really working at seeing what IS.

I have been teaching yoga for over fifteen years in the community and back in April of 2011, I decided to create the vision that has become known as Embracing Spirit Yoga. I am so blessed to share Yoga with people of ALL abilities in the community and in my studio. I am beyond grateful for those who have supported and loved me all these years.

Blessings to you as you scatter seeds in your life and AWAKEN from the season of slumber.

Also, check out this amazing AWAKEN blend to inspire you to live your best life!

Follow me for more goodness!

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.

With over fourteen years experience, Stacie Wyatt is an E-500 hour Registered Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance, Life Wellness Coach, Senior YogaFit Instructor, Mind/Body Personal Trainer, Stress Reduction and Meditation Instructor, Pilates Instructor, and Barre Instructor. Stacie is also certified in Integrative Movement Therapy™and is also a believer in the power and application of essential oils for health and wellness and proudly shares doTERRA essential oils.

Stacie brings her personal life experience of raising a daughter with a disability and over 12 years working in special education to her everyday Yoga classes.

Welcome to Holland

/ embracingspirit / Leave a comment

“I am different, not less.” 

 Temple Grandin

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it and to imagine how it would feel. This poem was given to me when my girl was just eight years old and it changed my entire view of what I was given. In time this poem made more and more sense to me as I learned to not only accept the challenges that we had but also see that she was literally the little spark of goodness that opened so many doors for me to heal, and as a result it led me to do the magical work that I do with people with brain injuries and other disabilities in my community.

Today, I am proud to say my girl has grown into a sweet, kindhearted and somewhat independent young woman. She enjoys her volunteer job at the local animal shelter and loves caring for her dog, Emma. I was able to renovate my house a few years ago so that she has her own make shift apartment in my home where she lives with her dog as independently as possible. It has been my goal and focus that she become as self-sufficient as possible, not just for her own well-being but also because the reality is I will not live forever and I want her to either have success in supported living in the community, or be the least big of a burden to one of her brothers should they choose to have her live with them.

She has surpassed so much more than what anyone ever thought she’d be able to do. Of course, this came with decades of advocating, teaching and patience on my part and her willingness to do hard things.

This poem was the game changer for me and our life together navigating one of the hardest forms of parenting. Please feel free to pass this along to another parenting navigating this strange, yet beautiful experience.

Welcome to Holland

When you’re going to have a baby, it’s like planning a fabulous vacation trip – to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It’s all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, “Welcome to Holland.”

“Holland?!?” you say. “What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I’m supposed to be in Italy. All my life I’ve dreamed of going to Italy.”

But there’s been a change in the flight plan. They’ve landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven’t taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It’s just a different place.

So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It’s just a different place. It’s slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you’ve been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around…. and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills….and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy… and they’re all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say “Yes, that’s where I was supposed to go. That’s what I had planned.”

And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away… because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.

But… if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn’t get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things … about Holland.

Photo by Michal Knotek on Pexels.com

Follow me for more goodness!

Scattering Seeds

/ embracingspirit / Leave a comment

The first signs of green are starting to pop up and I believe it teaches us about resiliency and the rhythms of nature. It is such a great season to notice Life.

As I walk each day, I am happy to be reminded that nature calls us to be awake and aware.

Spring time is a great time to be reminded of the cycles of life that exist in all forms. This is a beautiful time to look to nature for the lessons and to welcome your own time of growth.

Springtime is a great time to scatter seeds within yourself to create the beautiful blossoms in your life that you desire.

Take time to notice the changes around you as you see the trees begin to bud. Perhaps you see the crocus flowers pop open and the bright yellow daffodils smile at you. Simply noticing and then cultivating growth within yourself will do wonders for your spirit as you blossom this season.

If we look at seeds as a symbol for our growth we can see that some great ideas for personal growth. What about increasing tolerance, having patience, loving yourself more, laughing daily, or slowing down to enjoy life? How about planting some of those seeds in your heart?

Once you set your intention and scatter your seeds, it is time to nurture these powerful thoughts and water them with love and tenderness. Keeping weeds away through positive thoughts and affirmations are a sure way to have a great harvest in the coming months.

What seeds will you scatter this season?

I am planning to plant more seeds of kindness to all beings this year. Spreading kindness is something I feel the world needs more of. One of my favorite acts of kindness is to give packets of wildflower seeds to random people. The smile that comes on their face when give you something so simple as a packet of potential beauty brings me so much happiness.

One of my biggest seeds I ever grew was the vision I had for my business.

I knew my seed had to have the intention of service at its heart. Way back in April of 2011, I decided to create the vision that has become known as Embracing Spirit Yoga. I am so blessed to share Yoga with people of ALL abilities in the community and in my studio for nearly two decades.

Like all strong plants, the seeds naturally sow themselves year after year and my business is thriving.

It truly does all start with a vision. A seed. Then with mindful attention to the seed, or vision, in time it will indeed grow into something amazing. Sure, there have been seasons where things needed to be replanted and readjusted, but in time it all grew into something that I am so proud of.

Now is the time to gather up your seeds and be ready to scatter them.

Follow me for more goodness!

Twigs and Trash

/ embracingspirit / Leave a comment

In order to grow we must first remove what it is in the way.

For many years I have been teaching the concept that much like a garden we have outside, before we can plant anything and expect it to grow, we first have to remove all the old stuff, the trash and the things that are cluttering the soil. Today, as I was doing that exact literal thing in my backyard raking leaves and removing last years dead plants that were once so vibrant, I was reminded of the conversation I had this week with a group of men who have traumatic brain injures.

I teach this topic every March, regardless of who is in my classes because I think no matter who you are and what your life experience is, we all have something that is cluttering up our heart and therefore limiting the potential we have to grow. This might be something like fear, disappointment, regret, guilt, shame, resentment, anger or any other feeling and emotion that we have carried around for days or decades.

As I was guiding a meditation about visualizing a garden and seeing the old growth, the twigs and the trash, I asked them each to see a garden in their heart that may also have some things that could be getting in the way of growth.

I shared with my ‘frat house’ that they have fondly referred to themselves as, that I have some disappointment that is taking up space in my own heart. I carry it day after day, year after year and despite all my attempts to pull it out, it seems to have a root system that is deep and new shoots pop up and take over my heart at times.

As we had a discussion about this, they called me out on it and the wise man who developed a life changing brain tumor at age 23 gave me the best insight on how to manage all the little twigs and trash that take up space. He is turning 60 in a a few weeks and following his diagnosis while in his final year of college his life has been a series of assisted living settings and long term support. He lost his independence and so much more, and yet is so wise.

Are you ready for this? In my humbleness, I asked how does one remove all the “twigs and trash” from our hearts. I asked how do I remove the disappointment?

He shared that you can never fully rid of every twig or piece of trash that has landed in the garden, instead you have to learn to manage and grow around them.

Huh, I said.

Tell me more, I said.

He went on to say that the remnants of the the “twigs” and “trash” will likely always be there and sometimes they may stick out of the soil and poke you but our job is to plants things around them so the beauty takes over.

Again, I asked how.

The wise teacher said:

  • forgiveness
  • acceptance
  • gratitude

When we forgive ourselves and others we remove so much of the garbage that fills our heart. This removes resentment, bitterness, and what-if thinking. When we accept was IS we no longer grieve for what might have been which brings presence to growing today. And finally, when we focus on being grateful we see all that we have, not all that we do not have.

How’s that for insightful?

It’s not so much about removing the parts of our heart that impede growth, but rather moving them aside through forgiveness, acceptance and gratitude so that we make space for something far more amazing to grow.

Follow me for more goodness!