Love Yourself

The Invitation

/ embracingspirit / 1 Comment

In these uncertain times I find myself longing for what I know and for what brings me a sense of feeling grounded. For many years I come back time and time again to this poem. I share it with those who I know are willing to meet me in the space of vulnerability and see me from the heart of compassion. For me this poem invites me into myself and reveals the truths of who I am, or who I strive to be.

The Invitation

By Oriah Mountain Dreamer

It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.

It doesn’t interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon…
I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow
if you have been opened by life’s betrayals
or have become shriveled and closed
from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us
to be careful
to be realistic
to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
“Yes.”

It doesn’t interest me
to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.

It doesn’t interest me who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the centre of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.

It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like the company you keep
in the empty moments.

Labels…and Lupus

/ embracingspirit / 4 Comments

Labels. We all have them.

Most people know me as a yoga teacher. A Pilates teacher. An essential oil guru. A mom and grandmom. A friend (although I strive this year to be a better friend from now on). A fierce entrepreneur with a strong spirit. An advocate. A rock star. A light.

What many don’t know is I am also a woman who has chronic pain and a diagnosis of lupus.

It’s not something I choose to talk a lot about—not because I feel shame— but because I don’t have time to dwell on it, or worry about it, or even hate it.

Instead, I choose to learn from it. I learn from the subtle whispers it speaks to me through aches and pains and unbelievable fatigue. I learn what fear looks like and how I can see those thoughts as just that—thoughts.

I can learn what compassion is on a deeper level, mostly for myself and for those who care about me.

Truth is Lupus sucks. Pain sucks. And being the observer of it and as it relates to my day-to-day, and how it impacts my family, well, it sucks.

I believe I am an amazing woman. I know that I am an excellent yoga teacher and strong advocate of goodness. But, I am also vulnerable and really struggling.

Now you know.

I’ve made radical changes to my schedule and my life, and my comfort now surpasses my need to achieve or exhaust myself working. Instead, I want to feel joy and feel the spirit of being alive. I want to welcome in days where I feel less pain than those days that I do. I want to be present with myself and others.

Lupus or not, I am choosing to live beyond the labels. I just am.

Follow me for more goodness!

Self Care Routine

/ embracingspirit / Leave a comment

Do you have a self care routine?

I used to never practice self care and my overall health was poor. I was angry, toxic, heavy (in all areas) and just an overall hot mess.

I began a consistent self care routine about 12 years ago and now it is a crucial part of my life. My mind, body and spirit thank me.

My self care routine is vital to me being able to show and serve the people in front of me day after day. Teaching anywhere from 25-30 yoga classes each week to adults with disabilities can be exhausting physically and emotionally.

The way that I recharge and make sure that I have enough to give includes:

• at least two walks per day, even if it’s just for 20 minutes. I begin my day with walk, and end with a walk. If I am lucky, I grab a lunch walk too. I often pack a lunch that is easy to eat while walking and I always keep an extra pair of walking shoes in my car for impromptu walks.

• I wake up very early every day so I am able to get in my planning time/calendar time—which keeps me grounded and centered—as well what I call spirit time; I might journal or pull cards, or sometimes just sit and be, like meditation or breathing.

• I take at least one bubble bath per day, though most days it’s two. I either catch up on emails or leave my phone aside and relax into the bubbles. If I’m feeling behind, getting work or marketing or graphics made during bath time is actually more relaxing that putting off these tasks for another time. I tend to not relax until the tasks are all completed.

• I use essential oils daily—part of self care and slowing down is learning to listen and intuitively know what my body is needing. I use them for a variety of uses and have spent years educating myself on their benefits and properties. I feel empowered that I have choices and can use them effectively to treat pain, sleep, energy and much more.

• I get 3-4 massages per month as part of my self care practice. I used to think it was an indulgence. Now I realize it is a necessity.

• I practice mindful eating habits and choose small meals 3x a day and drink plenty of water.

What does your self care look like? If you’d like to learn more, I have some events later in the month! You can peek at my yoga image for listings.

And here is a listing of all my services—maybe some self care sounds good to you!

If you love my content and want more tools for mindfulness & movement, check out my digital products on Buy Me a Coffee! Your support helps me continue creating. 

Looking for the tools and products I swear by? Visit my Amazon storefront for a handpicked collection of my favorite finds—from kitchen gadgets to wellness essentials. Click here to explore and shop my must-haves.

If you would love to be part of my essential oil community and are ready to start using pure essential oils, shop here or email me for a free 1:1 consultation.

Santosha: The Path to Contentment

/ embracingspirit / Leave a comment

Contentment is defined as a state of happiness and satisfaction.

Emotionally it is in the middle of the emotional scale and vibrates at a fairly neutral resonance. It is that space within us where all is okay. It is a feeling that offers neutrality and a sense of ease because there is not the push for more.

When I first began to understand what it meant to live yoga, I wondered if I could I ever really achieve contentment?  The Sanksrit word for contentment is santosha which means to cultivate a sense of being all right with who I am and what I have. And yet, we are humans who have been conditioned to constantly crave and strive for more. Yogi or not, I have dreams and goals so contentment, or santosha, often eludes me. Both on the mat and off the mat.

My work is to balance my dreams with the presence of knowing that all is okay.  I mean REALLY knowing that all is okay.  I can still have my dreams, but right now, in this breath, all is okay.

When we look at this on an emotional level, we see just underneath contentment on the emotional scale is complacency.  And just above it is hope.  So this middle ground of contentment could take you either way, depending on your awareness and your willingness to be, or not to be.

In my life, when faced with a challenge (on the mat or off),  I have three choices.

  1. Stay in contentment. I could recognize that my true self is pure and perfect. I can know that I am whole and good enough, right now.
  2. Slip into complacency. I could get lazy in my efforts and desires.  I could choose to weaken my desires and make excuses as to why it is not worth the effort due to my smugness and perhaps falsely known self-satisfaction.
  3. Rise into hope. I could take a breath and aim for a feeling of expectation and desire for goodness to happen.  I could take in the knowing that dreams and desires are right there waiting to arrive.

I  definitely do not spend much time in complacency. Although I am often vibrating higher in hope, optimism, positive expectation, enthusiasm, passion and ultimately deep appreciation, I am striving to also exist in the space of contentment.

Screen Shot 2019-04-29 at 9.37.26 AM.png

If you love my content and want more tools for mindfulness & movement, check out my digital products on Buy Me a Coffee! Your support helps me continue creating. 

Looking for the tools and products I swear by? Visit my Amazon storefront for a handpicked collection of my favorite finds—from kitchen gadgets to wellness essentials. Click here to explore and shop my must-haves.

If you would love to be part of my essential oil community and are ready to start using pure essential oils, shop here or email me for a free 1:1 consultation.

Preparing the Soil

/ embracingspirit / 3 Comments

I think of early March as a time to prepare for growth. To toil the ground and prepare ourselves for deep growth.  I also love spring and the symbolism it represents.  It is during the spring time that we often think of beginnings, newness, and growth.  For some, this is a great time to begin to cultivate your “soil” to soon plant seeds of intention. One way to do this is to write down anything in your life you wish to increase–friendships, health, abundance or joy, are just a few ideas.  Be clear with your visions as this brings life to your “seeds”.

Next, it is so important to prepare your inner “soil” by eliminating and removing the old and now transpired blossoms of last year.  The memories of past that have come and go and no longer as vibrant as they were just a few short months ago. When we invest time in preparing ourselves for a season of growth (no matter what time of year, really) we must start with cleaning up the areas so that we are open to allow space for growth. When we spend time doing this we are investing time into right now.  We are dirtying our hands with the fertile soil that awaits.

As you do this, become aware of the subtle changes in Nature during this time of the year.  You might see the peeking of crocus bulbs emerging from the hardened winter ground.  Watch as the trees begin to grow tiny nubs that will soon break into full leaves.  Listen as the birds start to make song in the early mornings and the air has a scent of newness.  Use all of your senses to experience what is happening around you.

As we connect with Nature we also connect with ourselves. We realize that we too, are ever-changing and growing beings.  We can set the seeds of intention and begin to nurture and cultivate what we wish to have grown in our lives.

This month in my classes we will be exploring cleansing postures to eliminate the old and make space for new.  We will also be looking at ways our bodies can twist and unwind to come fully into the now.

Here is to growing, less pain, more joy and flourishing!  Happy Spring and while you are preparing your soul for growth it is never a bad idea to get your hands dirty in Mother Earth, either.

Learn more about this powerful process in this short video! 

If you love my content and want more tools for mindfulness & movement, check out my digital products on Buy Me a Coffee! Your support helps me continue creating. 

Looking for the tools and products I swear by? Visit my Amazon storefront for a handpicked collection of my favorite finds—from kitchen gadgets to wellness essentials. Click here to explore and shop my must-haves.

If you would love to be part of my essential oil community and are ready to start using pure essential oils, shop here or email me for a free 1:1 consultation.

Essential Oil Chakra Blends 

/ embracingspirit / Leave a comment

Balancing Your Energy: Essential Oil Blends for the Chakras

Our bodies are deeply connected to energy centers known as chakras, and when these energy points are balanced, we often feel more grounded, inspired, and at ease in our daily lives. One beautiful way to support these energy centers is through the use of essential oils. With their natural aromas and therapeutic properties, essential oils can help open, align, and nurture each chakra—bringing harmony to body, mind, and spirit.

In this post, we’ll explore simple, intentional essential oil blends you can use to support each chakra. Whether you’re new to energy work or looking to deepen your practice, these blends invite you to pause, breathe, and connect to your inner wisdom.

Keeping our chakras open and balanced is critical for the overall health of our mind, body and spirit.  Using gemstone and plant vibrations that resonate with our energy centers, along with affirmations,  is a beautiful way to begin to find harmony.

The blends: 

  • Root: black tourmaline; cypress, sandalwood, balance, vetiver and cedarwood. I AM.
  • Sacral: carnelian; clary sage, patchouli, bergamot,  ylang ylang and wild orange I FEEL.
  • Solar plexus: citrine; cinnamon, coriander, ginger, clove, and peppermint. I DO.  
  • Heart: rose quartz; lavender, cypress, lemon, orange, whisper and sandalwood I LOVE.
  • Throat: sodalite; bergamot, peppermint, spearmint, eucalyptus and lavender. I SPEAK.
  • 3rd eye: amethyst; cedarwood, lemongrass, frankincense, marjoram, sandalwood. I SEE. 
  •  Crown: quartz crystal; frankincense, myrrh, Roman chamomile, lavender and rosemary. I UNDERSTAND. 

*Also each blend has a clear quartz crystal inside to amplify the crystals chosen in each blend. 

You can purchase these here.

If you love my content and want more tools for mindfulness & movement, check out my digital products on Buy Me a Coffee! Your support helps me continue creating. 

Looking for the tools and products I swear by? Visit my Amazon storefront for a handpicked collection of my favorite finds—from kitchen gadgets to wellness essentials. Click here to explore and shop my must-haves.

If you would love to be part of my essential oil community and are ready to start using pure essential oils, shop here or email me for a free 1:1 consultation.