DIY

Letting Go

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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.

Lavender Dryer Sponges

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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

  1. Combine baking soda and hot water in a glass container with a lid and stir.
  2. Add vinegar and mix, then add Lavender oil and stir again until all ingredients are combined.
  3. Fill container with sponges, trimming sponges to fit if needed, and place lid on container.
  4. To use, shake up container, remove one sponge, wring out slightly, and place in dryer with wet clothes.
  5. 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!

Becoming a Storyteller

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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.

The Yoga Sutras

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In its highest form, yoga is a practice for your body and your mind. I have come to cherish my morning reading of one Sutra-the Sutras in simple terms are the attitudes and principles of how to live in harmony with yourself and others.

This book, Living the Sutras brings the wisdom of classical yoga philosophy into your life in an accessible and relevant way. The Yoga Sutras, a foundational text of yoga philosophy and practice, written by the guru Patanjali over two thousand years ago, are made up of 196 aphorisms that offer potent teachings on how to deal with loss and pain, and guidance on how to lead a healthy and fulfilling life.

This book is a training for the mind and spirit by introducing a sutra or group of sutras on a related theme, providing a brief commentary, and writing prompts to allow you to reflect on and apply the meaning of the sutras to your life. This active self-study helps you to engage with yoga wisdom in a deeply personal way.

It sure isn’t about touching your toes.

A Home Yoga Practice Space

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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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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!

About Stacie

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.

Learn to Listen

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Are feeling the pressure of the world? I sure am.

The last few weeks I have experienced a multitude of emotions that are very unusual for me. Rather than resist them, I have learned to sit with them and then ask.

I’m the moments that follow the simple question—what do I need to know—I am given very clear messages. It is in this sweet sacred space I listen with intent ears and an open heart

So while it may seem to some I am distant and far away, the truth is I am taking radical self care to nurture my spirit from the division and the culture that seems to have a need to be right…as Caroline Myss says there is no right, there is only kindness.

I am looking to surround myself with people who are kind. Who show up in the world with compassion as their guide. Who strive not for personal gain but instead to be light to others.

If you’re too busy looking to be “right”, I beg you to be silent enough to listen.

DIY Bug Spray

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Between the heat of summer and the humidity of rain, bug season is here. This simple and affordable option is safe for the whole family and doesn’t contain that nasty you know what (starts with a D and sounds like feet) that is harmful.

You can grab these oils here and shop in my amazon shop for my favorite glass bottles. I also love cedarwood for extra bug control!

When you buy these I will also send you a great package with resources and lots of extras. Plus, you’ll get a free wellness consult and access to mentoring and education. These oils also are great for aches and pains, tension, skin and mood support and much more. The investment is totally worth it!

Check out this gorgeous ebook to learn more.

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Full Moon

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The energy of a Full Moon is heightened and emotions, feelings, mental processes, dreams etc are all amplified.  When the Sun & Moon oppose each other during a Full Moon, this can cause tension & uncomfortable friction, but at the same time a greater amplification of vision & potential possibility. 

The  is a powerful time of gratitude, gracefully acknowledging the beauty of life itself and all you have brought into beingness.  You may feel a burning desire to express your creativity, bliss out in sensual activities and through fierce yet profoundly tender vibrations let go of any aspects of your life that no longer serve the grandest vision of your Soul.

And as you enter another cycle, reflection with these two questions: “Who do you want to be this time around? What will you do differently?”

Full Moon Energy

  • It’s a time when you reap what you’ve sown.
  • It’s when you’re grateful for whatever lessons you’ve learned in last moon’s cycle, or for whatever intentions and seeds that you planted that actually came to fruition.
  • It’s about completion.?
  • Yang energy

Celestite is an incredibly soothing stone. It encourages positivity, while quelling the anxious or excitable energy that is overly abundant within. It cleans up the aura and promotes light and easy self-expression, making it extra effective if you are seeking therapy for these ailments. It’s an amazing choice in soothing and calming too much nervous energy. 

The high vibrations of Celestite crystal healing properties stimulate and support the throat, third eye, and crownchakras, making it an excellent stone for an overall spiritual detox.

The Celestite crystal stone meaning is a symbol of peace, because when you connect to a higher state of being, it opens you up to mental clarity, the key to resolving conflicts in relationships. Celestite gives us a sense of greater openness to new experiences, even if it seems out of our comfort zone.

The gentle and soothing Celestite crystal meaning reminds us that each day brings new opportunities to shoot for the stars.

Lemongrass: Known as the oil of “cleansing” lemongrass is a powerful and effective cleanser of any energies that no longer aids in our expansion.

Cypress: As the oil of “flow”, cypress is the perfect oil to release any stagnant energy or relationships

Frankincense: Widely known as the oil of “spiritual truth” Frankincense assists us in removing any low vibe or false components in our lives.

Thyme: Revered as the oil of “releasing and forgiving,” Thyme is a significant cleanser of the emotional body making it ideal for the full moon.

Ginger – Oil of Empowerment. Assists individuals to be fully present and participate in life.

Bergamot – Oil of Self-Acceptance. Assists in relieving feelings of self-judgement and low self-esteem. Powerful cleanser of limiting beliefs (feelings of being “not good enough”, “bad”, “unlovable”).

Learn more about the basics of using essential oils here!

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Captivated By Purpose

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I didn’t follow the traditional path when it comes to becoming a yoga teacher. I knew early on that my path would lead me to sharing yoga with those who are unable to easily access a traditional setting. I got many small certifications and began teaching before I even thought about getting a 200 hour accreditation. And to be really honest, I still cringe when someone asks me “where did you do your 200 hour?” I cringe because so many times our culture puts a focus on a title or a perceived standard. As my favorite poem the Invitation says—“it doesn’t interest me where or what or with who you studied, I want to know what sustains you on the inside when all else falls away”.

My path to becoming a yoga teacher was the same old monkey on my back that I carried because I didn’t take the common path and go to college. Instead, I got married and became a mom. I didn’t take a college class until I was 43 years old! Until I was able to see my own success I always felt less than others because I chose a different way.

What I have come to learn is that the path we take is OURS. There is no space for comparison when you are fully engaged with your purpose. I knew I was supposed to be a young mom and I also knew that I was supposed to teach yoga a certain way. I knew then and I know now that the paper certificate or who I studied with is irrelevant—it is how I show up on the world that matters. And that is with divine PURPOSE.

Let go of the distraction to compare and compete and instead step into who you really are. You’ll find a treasure within yourself that will change the world.

When I made the decision to go online due to covid, I knew I didn’t want to take another traditional path of online offerings. I wanted to stay true to me—raw, real, authentic, and definitely not staged or overly “perfect”. I hold true to that, tho I will say I have found each week to be more and more my true voice as I get comfortable teaching to a screen.

If you’re ready to follow a path that’s true to you, I’d love to link arms with you.

Essential Oils and the Mind

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HOW DO ESSENTIAL OILS AFFECT THE MIND?

Your sense of smell is much more accurate than any of your other senses. Your ability to smell comes from sensory cells called Olfactory Sensory Neurons, found in a small patch of tissue very high in your nose. Those cells connect to your brain.

Each of those sensory neurons has one odor receptor – and molecules released by substances around us stimulate these receptors. Once your neurons detect your molecules, they send messages to your limbic lobe of your brain.

Our sense of smell is 10,000 more sensitive than our other senses. Scent travels faster to the brain with smell than it does with sight, or even sound.

The limbic lobe is a group of brain structures that is below the cortex of the brain – it includes the amygdala and the hippocampus. Your limbic lobe (system of brain structures) is directly connected to the parts of your brain that control many aspects of your body – hormone levels, stress, memory, breathing, heart rate, and more.

The only way to stimulate the emotional brain is through your sense of smell – which is one of the reasons why Essential Oils can work so incredibly well. Feelings of depression, fear, anger, happiness, joy and even anxiety all originate from the limbic lobe of the brain.

Essential Oils can help alleviate symptoms at a cellular level through their therapeutic properties–because that stimulation of hormones and chemicals can drastically affect physiology and behavior.

Essential Oils can be stimulating (Peppermint), calming (Lavender), sedative (Cedarwood), balancing (Frankincense, and so much more.

My Top Five Essential Oils for Emotions:

  • Roman Chamomile: Helps support feelings of peace, love and acceptance.
  • Cedarwood: Helps support healthy focus and encouragement while also grounding.
  • Lavender: Helps support relaxation and calming. This one also helps with communicating feelings.
  • Bergamot: Uplifting and will help support healthy confidence levels. This one also helping foster self love and self worth.
  • Frankincense: Powerful cleanser of the spirit – grounding and can help during times of negativity.

Want to learn more? Check out this gorgeous, free ebook.

REFERENCES:
How do Essential Oils Affect our Mind and Our Emotions. Retrieved from http://www.biospiritual-energy-healing.com/essential-oils-affect-our-minds.html

External Versus Internal: Your Happiness and Success Factor

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Close your eyes for a minute and think about what would make you happy or successful? Got it?

Now, think about how many times you might blame an external factor on your lack of happiness or success. You know the list of external things; the economy, the small town, the cost of things, lack of time or money, your job, your lousy boyfriend.

The truth is that success and happiness is determined NOT by trends in economy or other external variables, but instead by the consciousness of each individual.  

It is up to YOU and your thinking.

When you can dig deep into your values and beliefs and you are able to maintain your thoughts, words and action at a higher level AND you source your life on some pretty rock solid principles, you will achieve your happiness and wild success in whatever endeavour you take on. When you let the world know what you stand for and what you wish to experience, all the right people, encounters, events and the results will recognize your intentions and they will literally show up in your life.

YOU have to get past the idea that the economy, or your boss, or your amount in your bank, or your miserable spouse is the cause of your lack of success and joy.

YOU simply have to start living in your mind and heart in the economy or life experience as if it is already so.

You see the experiences that you create for yourself are independent on the experience that others choose for themselves. You in all your magnificence can live the life of your dreams.

Truth is your happiness and success depend on your thoughts and intentions.

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Welcome to Embracing Wisdom & Wellness

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Welcome to Embracing Wisdom & Wellness

I’m so glad you’re here. This is a space created to inspire, nourish, and support you on your journey to a more mindful and balanced life.

Here you’ll find reflections on gentle living, soulful practices for body and spirit, and simple ways to bring more peace and intention into your everyday. From yoga and breathwork to essential oils, seasonal rituals, and nourishing recipes, my hope is that these words and ideas feel like a warm cup of tea—comforting and encouraging as you create your own rhythms of wellness.

Whether you’re here to explore mindful movement, discover natural remedies, or simply pause for a moment of inspiration, welcome. You belong here.

It’s been awhile since I popped in and since I have some new followers/tribe members so I thought I’d say hello to some of my new people and introduce myself a bit. It’s incredible how I have come to know so many of you through emails or other connection, and I am so grateful for the community of goodness that has been created.

Some fun things about me:

  • I have a love affair with smashed-nosed dogs (pugs, Boston’s, bulldogs, boxers). I can’t help myself.
  • I hurts my heart to see others not valued for who they are, especially those with disabilities.
  • My favorite color is any shade of orange, I’ve even had an orange car! (I had a VW beetle with three little kids—what was I thinking?)
  • I collect crystals and if you came to my house, you’d find them everywhere (even in most of the window sills).
  • I can’t stand unloading the dishwasher but I love cleaning the kitchen floor ?.
  • I have never in my adult life taken an overnight getaway alone (that is on my list of fun things this year).
  • I technically have four paid jobs that I juggle each day (I teach yoga and adaptive yoga, I teach wellness and essential oil education, I am a CNA for my daughter with special needs, I take care of my mom’s billing business), and I am always a mom to my girl. And, this year I became a grandmother!?
  • Being outside is imperative to my health. I walk outside 99.9% of the days. I can’t do frigid wind chill, but I am up for bundling up any time to walk. It’s where I connect.
  • About 14 years ago I decided that I was so done being overweight so I changed my habits, starting walking and eating better, healed my inner world and lost all the weight. At one point I weighed 100 pounds more than I do now.
  • I believe with all my heart that we are here to be of service to others. Whatever your passion is, I say use it to better the world.

Welcome my new friends to fun opportunities, learning together and maybe even a new outlook!

I would love to know a little about you, too! Now more than ever building a community is so important. I welcome you into mine.

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.