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Vision Statement

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When I took a course with Brene Brown in 2016 I learned the power of a personal manifesto and have fallen back on the beautiful creation that I wrote during the class many times since then.

Manifesto

I recently returned to the manifesto through the lens of my business and how I want to show up in the world, and who I want to surround myself with.

Being self employed is hard and it requires diligence that cannot be explained unless you know first hand the ups and downs. By linking arms with people who share an equal vision for humanity, for compassion, for striving to be the best human possible, I know that I am living in alignment with my deepest truths.

I would love to share visions with you—whether that is through yoga, wellness, business mentoring, or just giving goodness. If you’re looking for a passionate way to make a difference, let’s talk.

Be light. Be of service. Be kind.

Choosing a Crystal

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I remember about 18 years ago I stumbled into a gemstone store and was drawn to have my first of many little goodies. I chose a carnelian—a gemstone that I still love and now have many of them.

People tell me when they come into my house, it feels so peaceful. I believe having crystals and gemstones around have so much to do with that. They have become powerful tools in my life. I have them lining my windows, on my body, in my car, used during meditation and I add them to essential oil blends. When I choose one to work with, I set the intention of what I am needing or wanting to achieve (a state or peace, cleansing, energy etc). And I let it do the work.

Buying Crystals

When choosing a crystal either go to a local metaphysical shop or browse a crystal website online. Scan the shop (or the page) and see what catches your eye. What crystal stands out to you? Which one are you drawn to? Then, read the meaning and properties of that crystal. Nine times out of 10 you will find that the meaning of that crystal correlates to your life in some way, shape, or form. And at this time, that is the crystal for you!

The reason that crystals are so effective in energy work, is the same reason that cleansing them is essential—crystals pick up energy. Cleansing your crystals resets their energy, so that every time you work with them, you are starting from an energetically clean slate. If you never clean your crystals, they will continue to store energy they’ve picked up from their environment or people they’ve come into contact with. Think of it like this: A towel can wipe a mess clean, but if you never wash the towel, it will begin to add to the mess. Crystals are similar.

There are a few different ways that you can set about purifying the energy of your crystals:

Moonlight: Let your crystals bathe outside in light of full moon (or sun) for at least 4 hours.

Pair Your Crystal With Selenite or Quartz: Act as a crystal matchmaker and pair your crystal with either a selenite or quartz crystal! Both of these crystals have the ability to charge and purify other crystals, without ever losing any of their own energy. Lay your crystal on a piece of quartz or selenite for six hours

Smoke: Not only will burning sage and palo santo clear the energy of your space, they’ll also have your crystals feeling great. Immerse your crystal with the sacred smoke until you feel its energy and vibrancy return.

Return to Nature: We could all use the energetic reset that comes with a return to nature. To give your crystal that revitalizing pleasure, place it on the Earth or in the branches/soil of a healthy houseplant for 24 hours.

Which one are you most drawn to?

DIY Dry Shampoo

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I love how my hair looks and feels about two days after a washing but by day three it is starting to show some signs of needing some help and this natural DIY is my favorite. No nasty chemicals and smells like traditional dry shampoo in this one! Super easy and affordable!

For light hair:

For dark hair:

For red hair:

Combine ingredients in a glass jar.

To use, apply powder with old make-up brush to roots and oily parts of hair.

Are you curious to learn more ways to swap natural items and essential oils into your life? Check out this gorgeous ebook!

Magnolia

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High in linalool, magnolia essential oil is known for its calming, soothing, and relaxing properties. It uplifts the spirit and instills a sense of natural wonder in the world around us.

It is also pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antimicrobial, sedative, and antiseptic.

Magnolia flower essential oil is also known to:

• Alleviate rashes, hives, eczema, and psoriasis
• Calm worry, tension, and feelings of stress
• Ease anxiety
• Ease inflammation
• Ease menstrual discomfort
• Encourage better communication
• Heal dry skin
• Help heal minor wounds
• Improve memory and focus
• Increase appetite
• Increase circulation
• Increase confidence
• Inspire romance
• Instill a sense of well-being
• Reduce scars
• Relieve respiratory congestion
• Relieve symptoms of PMS
• Relieve feelings of depression
• Soothe cough
• Stimulate the lymphatic system

And, it smells amazing.

Learn more here! And if you are curious about how to use essential oils in your home, check out this gorgeous ebook!

Empower Yourself

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Each month I am loving crafting gorgeous blends of essential oils and gems to inspire and bring a deeper sense of mind, body and spirit healing to the user.

I created this blend to fuel those who wear it to be empowered to live within their deepest wishes and desires. Also to be driven to live each day with a sense of purpose and a drive to be their very best.

The oils in this blend are synergistically powerful in doing just that.

Each oil has its own unique physical and emotional properties, while also working together to bring about a great sense of personal power. The added lapis lazuli, or commonly known as the ‘wisdom keeper’ helps guide each of us on our path. Check out all the emotional benefits of this blend. You can grab yours here.

Empower Blend

  • Clove: empowered, clear boundaries, protected
  • Ginger: empowered, capable, responsible
  • Cardamom: objective, respectful, self-control
  • Ylang ylang: freedom, playful, intuitive
  • Basil: energized, renewed, rested
  • Bergamot: self-acceptance, optimistic, confident
  • Peppermint: buoyant, optimistic, relieved
  • Arborvitae: grace-filled, trusting, peaceful
  • Frankincense: wisdom, discerning, connected
  • Lapis Lazuli—”THE WISDOM KEEPER” Assists individuals in taking the lead n your own life and is a natural immune system booster.

Yoga, Essential Oils and Gratitude

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I have been spending a lot of time in recent weeks looking at my business and figuring out what matters the most to me.

Yoga is my heart and soul.

The practice goes far beyond touching your toes. In fact, I won’t focus as much on the physical aspect of the practice as I will on how we actually show up in the world. We use the physical stuff to help us see areas that might offer growth and healing.

Essential oils are a beautiful compliment to the deeper states of awareness that yoga offers.

Plus they are a natural, safe and effective way to treat our mind and body. You can also clean your homes in a non-toxic way. And, they bring people together in a beautiful way. I have met some of my dearest friends through sharing essential oils and helping others see their is a choice to their families well-being.

Gratitude is at the heart of who I am and something I teach other people to practice.

Developing a formal gratitude practice can be an amazing way to transform your life from a place of not enough, to more than enough.

This is my year of refining my business (and myself) and focusing on the areas that bring me the greatest joy. I realize I need to let some things go, and adjust slightly what is proving to work well. You know, take all that is good and sand off the rough edges to make it all great.

Want to be part of something I might offer? I’d love to connect.

Healthy Start

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Have you been seeing essential oils popping up everywhere? Even the dollar store! Ack! When it comes to putting anything in, on or around my body, I want to make sure it is pure and safe.

For years I grabbed oils wherever and had no idea they could be unsafe for me or my kids (including the furry ones)!!

I did my research and chose a company with high ethics and a deep desire to change lives.

What I love the most is the co-impacting sourcing. This means the farmers and their families and communities all over the world are paid and treated with honor and integrity. Every drop I use is helping someone else benefit too. Whether it is building a school or hospital, getting fresh water available, teaching communities how to better themselves, the growers lives are improved.

I also wanted to make sure what I was investing in was pure and unadulterated essential oils.

I didn’t want additives or false claims of purity. I wanted the stuff hospitals use.

I know you can get oils anywhere, but I hope that you’d consider linking up with me and my tribe. This means you have support using the oils, you’re part of a community of like minded health seeking people with a heart of service. Helping others find solutions and light in their lives is what I am all about.

If that resonates with you then let’s get going!

I love this starter kit because it has everything a household needs! Plus the diffuser is a perfect one for bedrooms, kitchens, etc. I love that it runs for 11 hours!

This bundle comes with:

  • On Guard—Energizing, Daily Immune Support
  • Oregano—purifying, Mega Immune Support
  • Lavender— Calming, Skin, Sleep, Babies
  • Frankincense—Renewing, Relaxing, Brain & Immune Support
  • Lemon— Revitalizing, Cleansing, Uplifting, Detoxing
  • Tea Tree—Cleansing, Ear and Skin Support, Lice
  • Peppermint—Stimulating, Cooling, Focus, Bug Repellent
  • DigestZen—Relieving, Digestive Support, Bloating, Gas
  • Breathe—Invigorating, Respiratory Support, Clear Breathing
  • Deep Blue—Soothing, Aches and Pains, Muscle Support
  • Stone Diffuser—Diffuse 5 hours Continuously or 10 hours Intermittently

Plus, you’ll get access to my VIP group, ongoing mentoring, free wellness consultation, and an amazing welcome package.

You can also gift this to someone! The gift of health and wellness–how awesome!

Grab this bundle – Healthy Start Kit

Release

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I love mindfully crafting essential oil blends together for an emotional purpose. Last month I wanted to offer one that could help facilitate a release of the years emotions. It smells heavenly and as apply it to my hands and take in three full complete breaths, I can feel the tension escape my body.

This RELEASE blend that was offered last month isn’t just for the year end. This is a blend to use anytime life shows up and becomes stuck in your body and heart.

Check out what is included in this RELEASE blend.

  • Thyme empties the soul of negativity, leaves the heart open wide. This oil helps with emotional release.
  • Lemongrass is the oil of cleansing. It helps us let go of toxic energy and negativity. It helps release limiting beliefs. It allows us to move past old trauma and to gain clarity to move forward.
  • Cypress is the oil of motion. Ever feel stuck? Cypress will help you let go of worry and the need for control, and help you have trust in the flow of life. It will help with getting unstuck and moving forward.
  • Peppermint is the oil of a buoyant heart. It is a very invigorating oil to both mind and body. It is an encouraging oil that helps us rediscover the joy of life and being alive!
  • Basil essential oil is helpful in dealing with feelings of anxiety, panic, or apprehension, and has been said to be the oil of “renewal”, both emotionally and spiritually. It provides strength and tranquility to the heart and mind, making it perfect for overwhelm, stress, fatigue, and may even assist a person in their efforts to overcome addiction–which makes it a great choice for overcoming ruminating thoughts and self-sabotaging behaviors that often result from toxic relationships
  • Cedarwood oil is a great oil for times of crisis or sudden change, such as when there is an adjustment in households, jobs, and/or relationships. These events often lead to feeling isolated or knocked off balance. Cedarwood provides feelings of stability and grounding when external circumstances threaten your feelings of stability. It also helps lessen fears that deter your ability to realize your potential.
  • Bergamot helps us transfer love back to ourselves. We can be so fixated on wanting other people to make us happy that we forget we can do that for ourselves. Bergamot is uplifting, has natural anti-depressant properties, and helps us to relax and regain self-confidence again. Bergamot oil helps us in the areas of self-love, self-worth, self-acceptance, self-judgment, and self-loathing. It instills validation within, allowing us to accept our own authenticity, and not spend so much time worrying about the opinions of others.
  • Frankincense. In addition to alleviating and eliminating depression, Frankincense is known as the “Oil of Truth”, revealing deceptiveness and false truths. It invites the individual to let go of lower vibrations, insults, and negativity. This oil helps create new perspectives based on integrity and enlightenment. Frankincense is a powerful cleanser of the spirit. It assists in removing malevolent energies attached to a person, allowing them to open to enlightenment. Addresses the emotions of abandonment and spiritual disconnectedness.
  • Lemon. In addition to its bright aroma, lemon is also a great cleanser and purifier. This is a perfect choice to bring clarity, focus and brightness to the end of the year.
  • Smokey Quartz–The Smoky Quartz crystal is a grounding stone known for its ability to help you move on from difficult or painful experiences. It guides you to a higher state of being, a place where you can let go of the past and welcome in the future.

How To Use Crystals

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Crystal energy is powerful but it’s not something the Western world yet truly knows how to define or describe. And yet they have been uses for centuries in many traditions and rituals. We’ve gotten so disconnected from nature and its healing abilities —from crystals to essential oils and herbs.

The beginning of my journey into crystals is a bit of a blur since at the time I was in the middle of what I call my great “wake up” and I was actively seeking a variety of holistic modalities. The first time I ventured into a crystal shop I was with a group of girlfriends following an amazing hike in the mountains. I was curious and unsure when I entered the store, but I remember very clearly feeling this draw to the rich dark orange of carnelian. I purchased a round carnelian stone ring and it remains one of my favorite pieces even after all these years. Carnelian is a beautiful stone perfect for creativity, boosts courage and self confidence, inspires actions and is an excellent stone for circulation, back problems, rheumatism, arthritis, neuralgia and depression. It accelerates healing in bones and ligaments and improves vitamin and mineral absorption and ensures good blood supply to organs and tissues.

Over the years I have collected many many crystals. I’ve also given away a lot of the crystals I’ve collected – to family members, friends and and students. I’ve also lost a few crystals along the way. They are funny like that – when their energy is no longer needed they will carry themselves back to the earth or find their way to someone who needs them. I’ve learned to not be disappointed but instead know that I got what I needed and now someone else will.

Today I keep crystals on my window sill, on the ledge of my bathtub, under my bed, in my pockets, in my wallet and the rest in a beautiful dishes around my home. It is not uncommon to see me grab one or two while I am chatting, journaling, or reading. I have my favorites and from time to time they change. My current favorite though is the large fluorite I hold in my hand while I am doing my early morning reading. It is so balancing.

When I look at my collection I am often able to link a certain crystal to a focus in my life – the pinks when I was needing to find unconditional love and acceptance, reds and browns when I was working on learning to stay grounded and steady, quartz, amethyst and selenite when I developed a deeper understanding of Oneness. I was drawn to green stones when I was learning joy and the connection to unconditional love. Yellows and oranges when I was working with ideas to manifest and remember all the abundance. Blues when I was strengthening my inner wisdom and learning to speak my truth.

For years I didn’t really talk about crystals or how I have come to use them. I just know they worked and I felt their power but I couldn’t describe their power or prove their abilities – and in the West, that unfortunately makes me naive and what I believe in and experience ‘not real’. Thankfully my heart persisted and crystals have become a prominent part of my life and now I love sharing with others.

Green Chile Enchilada Soup

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It’s almost soup weather and there’s nothing I love more than cooking soup on a cold rainy day. This could possibly be my new favorite soup… I think you’ll love it too.


INGREDIENTS:

  • -2.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
  • -28 oz can green enchilada sauce
  • -24 oz chicken broth
  • -1 cup half and half or heavy cream
  • -2 cup Monterey jack cheese
  • -4 oz cream cheese, cubed at room temperature (or softened)
  • -4 oz green salsa (salsa verde)
  • -hot sauce, optional
  • -salt and pepper to taste


DIRECTIONS:

Slow cooker:

  1. In a 6-quart slow cooker add chicken breast or thighs, green enchilada sauce, and chicken broth. Cook on Low 6 to 8 hours.
  2. Remove chicken and shred. Add shredded chicken, jack cheese, cream cheese, half and half, and green salsa to slow cooker. Turn slow cooker to warm and stir until cheeses are melted. Add hot sauce or additional salsa to taste.
  3. Serve and enjoy! Delicious topped with avocado, cilantro, green onion, and sour cream.

Instant Pot Instructions:

Cook your chicken on high pressure with 1 cup of broth for 8 minutes. Do a quick release after 10 minutes. Remove chicken and shred.
Set pot to saute medium, and add remaining broth, shredded chicken, green enchilada sauce, salsa, and heat until warm. Add cheese and remaining ingredients. Stir until cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper if needed.

Stovetop Instructions:

In a large stockpot, add chicken and broth. Simmer until chicken is done and can easily be pulled apart. Remove chicken and shred.
Add shredded chicken, enchilada sauce, half and half, jack cheese, cream cheese, and green salsa to the pot. Stir and heat soup until it is warm and the cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper if needed. Serve with additional green salsa, hot sauce, and sour cream on the side. Enjoy!

This recipe makes a mild to medium spice soup. To add spice use additional green salsa or a green chili hot sauce.


Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature before adding to soup.

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.

Pumpkin Butter

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Made with natural ingredients, pumpkin butter is a fall-flavored treat that is sure to please. This recipe combines the rich flavors of Ginger, Cinnamon, and Clove oils. All three oils have different benefits when taken internally: Cinnamon maintains the immune system, while Clove supports cardiovascular health, and Ginger assists the digestive system. Amazing, right?

Ingredients

  • 1 29-ounce can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 1 cup coconut sugar (or substitute organic brown sugar)
  • ¼ cup grade-A maple syrup
  • ½ cup unsweetened apple juice
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1 toothpick Ginger oil
  • 1 toothpick Cinnamon Bark oil
  • 1 toothpick Clove oil

Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients to a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir to combine.
  2. Once mixture begins to bubble, reduce heat to a simmer. Cook uncovered 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Taste and adjust spices as desired.
  4. Cool completely and use immediately, or store in a glass container in the fridge for up to two weeks.
  5. Add this delicious butter to scones, muffins, toast, waffles, pancakes, oatmeal, and more.

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