Lessons from a Sunflower

If I were a flower… I would be a sunflower. To always follow the sun. Turn my back to darkness, stand proud, tall and straight even with my head full of seeds.

Sunflowers are by far my favorite flower. I anxiously await this time of year when they open into all their glory. I find their patience to grow tall and magnificent to be a great lesson for me. Nature amazes me over and over.

Lessons from a sunflower-

1) DREAMS START SMALL. I held a sunflower seed in my hand and felt the beauty inside wanting to come out. I want to believe this is true of most people — that there is a beauty inside that wants to come out.

2) FACE THE SUN. I know that the best way to grow is with light and love. I reminded myself that facing the sun, or the light, is a good way to ensure I’m taking actions that are aligned with my higher purpose.

3) GROW BIG. The way a sunflower grows is this: She grows from the stalk — her neck. The only way a sunflower gets big is by literally sticking her neck out again and again and again.

4) LET MYSELF BE BEAUTIFUL. I’ve never heard a sunflower complain about a bent stem, petals too long, or a center too fat. I asked myself to let myself shine, shine, shine!

5) CENTER MYSELF EVERY DAY. A sunflower grows on one side of her stalk and then on the other side of her stalk. Often at the end of a day, one side of her stem is longer than the other. This is why a sunflower can be bent to one side. For me, I take this to mean making time to breathe, sleep, eat good food and be still.

My favorite for sure.

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Stress Less

Hormone imbalances can be caused by heavy loads of stress. Even though we feel like we can carry it all, it’s good to “let that sh!t go”.

It’s hard not to stress over things that are out of our control, to combat this we need to be proactive and not let the cortisol go into overdrive.

I love using these oils to support me when I have temporary feelings of overwhelm creeping up:

Frankincense – grounding
Copaiba – chill in a bottle
Serenity – sweet moments of calm
Balance – need I say more?
Wild Orange – sweet, citrus, tranquility
Northern Escape – forest in a bottle
Magnolia- peaceful florals

What oils do you gravitate towards when you are feeling overwhelmed? You can grab all of these in a bundle for great savings and access to my ongoing education and mentoring plus a personalized wellness plan. Check out this beautiful ebook also to see how versatile essential oils can be for your family. Just these listed can help support sleep, skin, aches and pains, mood and much more. The uses are endless!

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With over fourteen years experience, Stacie Wyatt is a E-500 hour Registered Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance, Certified Brain Injury Specialist, 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.

Adrenal Fatigue Support

Oh boy! This was a huge one for me! I suffered from major adrenal fatigue for many years and still am on supplements to support this! With my busy schedule, chronic pain and a ton of responsibilities it’s no wonder my adrenals get weak.

I’ve learned a lot since I got healthy and literally woke up and decided to live my best life. Between eating well, exercise, mindfulness, activities that bring me joy, the right supplements and oils and getting enough sleep I have found what works best for me.

If your adrenals may be in need of support if you have general fatigue, body aches, head tension, low blood pressure, and just generally feeling run down and overtaxed. Feeling tired even after a good nights sleep!

The Adrenal Glands produce hormones that support our metabolism, regulate blood pressure, and respond to stress. Our adrenal medulla produces a hormone called adrenaline and cortisol (our fight or flight response). This is a much-needed hormone for extremely stressful situations.

This can lead to:

Feeling tired all-day
Staying awake all night
Craving junk food
Poor sleep quality

What can we do to support our overtaxed Adrenal Glands?

Eat fatty fish high in magnesium
Eat avocados, dark leafy greens, and legumes (all of which are high in magnesium)
(This may be painful for some) Lower your caffeine intake
Take an Epsom Salt bath (with Essential Oils)
Meditate and relax (use your oils to support this!)

What oils do you use to support your body when you are stressed? My faves are trees like Douglas fir, Siberian fir, Frankincense and all the florals. Rose is one of my most used oils for stress and keeping me calm.

By the way, adrenal fatigue doesn’t just go away with a few good nights sleep… it often takes quite a bit of time and healing for your adrenals to bounce back. Be patient and stay consistent!

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With over fourteen years experience, Stacie Wyatt is a E-500 hour Registered Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance, Certified Brain Injury Specialist, 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.

Gone in a Hot Flash

Hot flashes got you down? No matter where you are in the hormone journey, we have all heard of someone struggling with hot flashes. Since I had a complete hysterectomy at age 30, I was in instant menopause. For years I struggled with all of the symptoms, including weight gain and hot flashes.

I found that cleaning up my diet, exercising consistently, the correct hormone replacement (for my body), and using natural remedies like essential oils to be my magic combo. It took many years to find the right combination of healthy living strategies to help me not struggle with the annoying menopause symptoms.

Try this quick cooling spray! I keep this blend on my bedside table and give the back of my neck a little mist before I hit the pillow. I have also made this in a roller blend with fractionated coconut oil and apply down my spine.

In a 4 oz spray bottle combine:


20 drops of Peppermint
10 drops Clary Sage
1 TBL Witch Hazel
Top with distilled water. Shake and spray when you feel them coming on for a refreshing and cooling sensation.

The extra cool thing about these two oils is they have so many extra benefits like relieving head tension, belly aches, and even support int hair growth! This gorgeous little ebook will show you how versatile essential oils are in your home for you and your family.

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With over fourteen years experience, Stacie Wyatt is a E-500 hour Registered Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance, Certified Brain Injury Specialist, 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

Rosemary Lemon Hummus

I am not a great sit-down-and-eat-a-meal kind of girl, especially during the day. I love a good solid protein rich dinner but my daytime eating is much more like grazing.

I love grabbing a few things I can eat in the car as I travel around to all my assisted living centers to teach yoga. I usually have nuts, grapes and a container of this hummus because it is so easy and so tasty. I usually eat it with veggies or crunchy crackers.

So easy!

Ingredients

1 can organic chickpeas (½ liquid drained)

2 garlic cloves, peeled

2 tablespoons organic cold pressed olive oil

Juice of ½ lemon

2 drops lemon essential oil

1 drop rosemary essential oil

1 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

  1. Blend all ingredients in food processor until smooth.
  2. Chill in refrigerator 30 minutes and serve with sliced cucumbers, carrots, cherry tomatoes, and crackers.

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Choosing Life

Every morning each of us is faced with a choice—focus on the things that are challenging or focus on life.

I choose LIFE. I choose to notice the colors I see. I choose to listen to the birds that fly in and out of the yard. I choose to feel the aliveness in my body—even if that aliveness is pain. I choose to get up and live LIFE.

I choose to embrace all aspects of my experience each day and not to dwell on the parts of being human that are tough.

Pain sucks.

But I am alive, determined, magnificent, and so amazingly grateful for this life.

What do you choose?

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DIY Face Toning Pads

I have been making these little treasures for awhile and cannot believe how SIMPLE they are. My skin feels amazing and I know that I am saving tons of money on store bought (and often filled with junk) face toning products.

I use these in the morning right when I get up. I like to say that it is washing the sleep off. Doing this gives me a super fresh complexion, a nice wake-up aroma, and skin that feels super clean.

Sometimes I switch out the essential oils for other ones but I have found my skin loves turmeric (anti-inflammatory), lavender (soothing and calming) and tea tree (cleansing and purifying). I add water, castille soap, and witch hazel. I am not a big measuring type person, I usually just eyeball it.

Here is how you do it:

  • pack a pint size mason jar with cotton round pads
  • to a 2 cups measuring cup add a squirt of soap, a bigger squirt or two of Witch hazel, 20 drops (ish) of each essential oil, fill with water, optional stir
  • pour liquid over the cotton pads
  • seal the jar and use daily

You can find all of my favorite DIY ingredients and tools in my amazon shop. You can grab the essential oils by clicking on the button below. The best part is these three oils are SO versatile that you will have tools on hand for sleep, inflammation, skin support, cleaning your surfaces and MUCH more. Once you get the oils, I will personally connect with you for a free consult to show you how easy it is to swap out everyday items for natural ingredients. Also, check out this free ebook to see just how easy it is to use essential oils in your home!

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Growing Your Food

Do you garden? When I first started growing veggies I didn’t have any confidence in my abilities so I started super small. I mostly grew things in pots and it was easy and fun. Each year since then I have expanded into more and more and now have a full size garden that grows many, many things.

There is truly something magical about growing your own food! Today I am going to freeze some beans, make pesto, pickle cucumbers and make salsa! How fun is that?

It is also in gardening that I feel so so connected and relaxed. After a long day of work there is just something so good about getting my hands in my plants, even if it’s just to check the progress. I also have found that still have a tendency to think in terms of scarcity and “not enough” mentality, so I over plant and thinking things won’t grow and end up with a crowded overly abundant garden. In some ways the garden reminds me that that I can continue to work on my thinking and personal development. Also, this year the raccoons have been enjoying digging things up which has been a little frustrating but the bounty is still coming in.

If you have not ever gardened, I say give it a try! A simple google search for you area or a handy book from your local library can get you started!

I have found that not only does spending time with my plants help my stress it also has an array of other benefits.

Planting flowers and vegetables can reap bountiful bouquets and delicious harvests for your dining table. But did you know gardening also can do wonders for your well-being? Here are eight surprising health benefits of gardening. Check this out:

1. Gardening can build self-esteem. 

Maybe you don’t think you were born with a green thumb, but after tilling, planting, nurturing and harvesting plants, you might see a slightly different person in the mirror: a person who can grow things and is a little more in tune with the earth. 

It always feels good to accomplish new tasks, and if you can grow a garden, what can’t you do?

2. Gardening is good for your heart. 

All that digging, planting and weeding burns calories and strengthens your heart. 

“There are physical benefits from doing the manual labor of gardening,” says UNC Health internal medicine physician Robert Hutchins, MD, MPH. “It’s hard work to garden, and it provides some cardiovascular benefit.”

3. Gardening reduces stress.

Gardening can help reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. 

“Gardening gives you a chance to focus on something and put your mind to work with a goal and a task in mind,” Dr. Hutchins says, “which is helpful especially now with so much illness and death and talk of death, just to see things growing and things thriving.” 

4. Gardening can make you happy. 

Getting dirt under your nails while digging in the ground can make you pretty happy. In fact, inhaling M. vaccae, a healthy bacteria that lives in soil, can increase levels of serotonin and reduce anxiety. 

5. Gardening can improve your hand strength.  

All that digging, planting and pulling does more than produce plants. Gardening also will increase your hand strength. What a great way to keep your hands and fingers as strong as possible for as long as possible.

6. Gardening is good for the whole family.

Gardening can be a solo activity or an opportunity for bonding with your family and friends. The happiness and stress relief that gardening provides is a great thing to share with loved ones. Also, gardening has special benefits for kids. Early exposure to dirt has been linked to numerous health benefits, from reducing allergies to autoimmune diseases. Plus, when they pull a carrot from the ground for the first time you will see pure happiness and awe.

7. Gardening can give you a boost of vitamin D. 

A healthy dose of vitamin D increases your calcium levels, which benefits your bones and immune system. Exposure to sunlight helped older adults achieve adequate amounts of vitamin D. Just don’t forget your sunscreen.

8. Growing your own food can help you eat healthier. 

If you have a vegetable or herb or fruit garden, you’re getting fresh produce that you know hasn’t been treated with pesticides.

“It’s essentially as farm-to-table as it gets,” Dr. Hutchins says, “if you’re eating what you’re growing.”

Are you ready to start planning next seasons garden?

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Rose Essential Oil

You may not realize this, I know I didn’t at first…but now I know that Rose essential oil is a POWERHOUSE and a must for my daily regimen.

This powerful oil is the total package: Skin support, mood support, and hormone support.

?

 Rose has been known to promote a calm and relaxed state of mind. Roll this incredible oil on your abdomen for menstrual discomfort, hormone support, and libido support.

I did a little digging and found that according to Health Line Rose oil has had quite a few studies done and the results are promising.

Check out all that Rose oil supports:

Anxious Feelings and Stress

Rose oil has a relaxing effect on many people. 

In one studyTrusted Source, researchers applied rose oil to the skin of each participant, and then measured its effects on the most common symptoms of anxiety. Blood pressure, heart rates, breathing rates, cortisol levels, and blood oxygen levels all decreased. The subjects also reported feeling much more relaxed after the oil treatment. 

Another studyTrusted Source involving over 100 women who were giving birth found that rose oil lowered their anxiety levels during delivery. 

Antibacterial, antifungal properties

Researchers have found that essential oil distilled from roses can be effective against a wide range of microbes that cause infections. This includes E. coli, as well as some strains of the bacteria that can cause staph infections (Staphylococcus) and strep throat (Streptococcus). 

Additionally, the study found that rose oil was effective against Candida albicans, which can cause fungal infections in the mouth, gut, and vagina.

Stimulates sex drive

Two studies have found that inhaling rose oil increased sexual desire and sexual satisfaction among men and, to a lesser extent, women. One studyTrusted Source involved male participants with a major depressive disorder who were taking antidepressants, and the other studyTrusted Source involved female participants with the same disorder and also on antidepressants. 

Researchers believe that the release of dopamine in the brain, a known motivator, may be what spurs the increase in sexual desire, while simultaneously alleviating symptoms of depression.

Eases depressive symptoms

A number of clinical studies have found that rose oil helps to improve the symptoms of depression. In a 2012 studyTrusted Source, a small group of postpartum women underwent treatment for depression.

One group received aromatherapy in addition to conventional medical treatments. The women who used aromatherapy improved significantly more than women who used conventional medicine alone. 

Studies have also found that rose oil stimulates the release of the chemical dopamine. Researchers believe this chemical plays a pivotal role in helping to relieve the symptoms of depression. 

I love the emotional side of Rose oil as well. I love to apply it to my heart when I am feeling a need for some extra compassion either for myself or for others.

Where will you be keeping Rose now? ?

Me? 
? my desk
?my nightstand
?my purse/on the go

Ready to get your hands on some Rose? It is pricey but SO worth it! You won’t be disappointed.

Why Supplement?

Ok, be honest. How is your nutrition? ?

I know if you are anything like me, nutrition can be put on the back burner especially when we are always so busy.

Today, the standard diet is not what it used to be. There are many factors in play when it comes to food’s depletion of nutrients in the soil to the increase in consumption of highly processed foods.

Proper nutrition supports your body’s natural hormones and keeps them balanced. We are in luck because d?TERRA has us covered with their supplements, the Lifelong Vitality Pack.

LLV, the foundation to your health and wellness, consists of Alpha CRS®+, Microplex VMz®, and xEO Mega®. The ingredients in these 3 products are designed to ensure you are supporting your cells, getting the vitamins and minerals your body needs as well as supplying the fatty acids and other nutrients that are necessary to look and feel your best.

? Sleep better
???? Have more energy
?? Feel more balanced

It is no wonder this is one of d?TERRA’s most popular products! Hormone and total body support at its finest.

By the way, a good friend who lost a good amount of weight, grew back her healthy hair and is feeling better than ever after a divorce last year, said one of her biggest changes was splitting her LLV and taking her morning and afternoon doses separately! I’m starting that tip RIGHT AWAY!

?Do you take LLV every day? Ready to? Did I mention it has a 30 day moneyback guarantee? It’s on day 29 or 30 you don’t feel amazingly better, you can simply return them and get your money back. I’m pretty sure you’re going to love how you feel though. Also, I would like to gift you with a free wellness consultation just for getting started.

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August is Abundance

According to the Cambridge dictionary, abundance is defined as an amount that is more than enough.

Have any of you noticed how much nature reminds us of that same bounty that is available? The constantly changing and growing plants tell me that the same extraordinary potential exists within me. I see how the animals gather and forage what they need and this reminds me that everything I need is right here. I am grateful for the rain and the amazing colors that surround me. My garden is a perfect example to me of “more than enough”– the green beans and cucumbers this year may just feed the neighborhood! Oh, and I made my first ever batch of chokecherry jelly and it is amazing.

For years I have focused on creating a more abundant life and the ways in which that has all happened marvels me on a daily basis. Some may think of abundance as simply financial bounty, but I have come to see it as so much more.

For me abundance shows up in the random acts of kindness I receive, the support I consistently have for my classes, my friendships, the magnitude of joy in my life, colors everywhere, laughter that fills a room, a belly full of food, and enough money for me to live happily and generously.

As we come into the long, and usually hot month of August, I encourage you to look for the bounty in your own life that exist all around you….Simple things like lemonade, lazy afternoons in the hammock, delicious ice cream, sunflowers, sweet watermelon, a basket of veggies, the feel of a breeze against our cheek, the laughter of children chasing the ice cream truck and much more.

When we recognize all that truly IS, we can shed the notion that there is not enough.

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Five Ways to Balance Hormones

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I believe that big changes start with small steps practiced consistently!

If you are ready to jumpstart your hormone balancing journey, here are 5 Simple Ways to Balance your Hormones Naturally.

Eat enough protein-protein provides essential amino acids that your body needs for cell turnover and repair

Get physical–-movement that is. Exercise has been known to increase levels of hormones that decrease with age

Take care of your gut health–your gut biome regulates ghrelin (the hunger hormone) and has been known to moderate insulin resistance

Reduce your stress levels–lower to fight or flight response and give those adrenals a much-needed break

Get quality sleep each night–lowers your cortisol levels and increases your HGH

Along with reducing sugar intake, adding fiber, and eating a good amount of healthy fats you are on your way to a better, healthier, balanced body.

What are you tackling first?

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