Mindset

Oh my gosh, YES! Mindset is everything!

I mean face it, the last couple of years have been hard. The word pandemic was not everyday lingo and I don’t know about you, but I never thought about the impact a virus could make on the day to day. Before this pandemic, I had a basic understanding of political differences but the depth at which the country has gone the last few years is startling. The division is palpable in our cities and even in our homes.

Along with the collective challenges that we have all endured we each have our own unique challenges layered upon the big challenges. How we face them determines the quality of our lives. This isn’t to say that putting on a smiling face everyday will be the answer, but our ability to shift our mindset and not hold onto the things we have no control over can certainly help our happiness factor.

Truth is for me personally, I am a self-employed yoga teacher who has had to navigate how to continue to earn an income during these hard times; going from full-time teaching in long term care facilities, my own studio and a large health club to virtual only was a huge hit financially and had a big impact on my ability to feel fulfilled teaching. It is doable, but hard to connect through a screen, especially with individuals with special needs. I am also a full time caregiver for my special needs daughter; so her programming went all virtual which meant not only was I her primary caregiver, I also became her primary friend/peer/teacher/support/transportation/provider, which was hard on both of us. My last major daily hurdle is I have three health conditions that cause me to experience tremendous pain and fatigue. Managing my pain and being able to show up for my students and my family takes grit some days.

Most of the time, my MINDSET allows me to handle it (somewhat) gracefully and I choose to make the best of this precious life. I have a few must-do practices to keep my mindset in the right place:

I am committed to my health and fitness. I begin and end my day with a walk. I also walk on my lunch hour and anytime during the day I have sat too much or the burdens of life feels heavy. Some days I get over 25,000 steps and that is okay. It works for me. I find walking manages my pain better than anything else. I also practice yoga and do strength training 3-4 times per week.

I am committed to constantly changing my business model for the changing times and am open to always working hard. I have learned to be flexible (haha, no yoga teacher joke intended). I navigate the demands of the audience and am constantly learning how to best utilize my skills in a virtual world. I also invite small groups into my studio and while the income may not be what a large group is, I feel connected and inspired and that fulfills me. I work nearly 7 days a week either teaching, marketing, following up, promoting, etc. I am committed to this gift.

I am committed to seeing the best in every situation. Some people have told me that my rosy lenses aren’t accurate for the world, but I love them. I choose to look at both sides of the situation and try to find the small nuggets of wisdom that may be there to learn. I avoid situations that are filled with hatred, division, anger and judgment which means my circle of friends is small, I spend a lot of time by myself and I avoid the news.

I am committed to saying YES! I have found that when we live in a state of pessimism (I spent decades there), we attract the very things we dislike. When we learn to say yes to the best possible outcomes, we attract that. If you don’t believe me, try it for a month. Say yes to new opportunities, to new experiences, to new friends, to abundance and then sit back and enjoy the ride.

I am committed to a daily Gratitude practice. It is so easy to get sucked into the unfortunately popular culture that much of the world sees as not enough (time, money, resources, love). When we shift our attention to what we actually have plenty of, we get more (time, money, resources, love). Look around and notice the abundance of color, texture, living things, and feelings. There really is plenty to be thankful for.

It is a choice and although some days it can be harder to stay in a positive mindset given the status of the world, it is possible with a little changes to our thoughts. My mindset has served me incredibly well.

That’s my mindset, what is yours?

Manifest Blend

Let’s face it, we are over two weeks into this year and for most people I talk to, it is proving to be a challenging repeat of the last couple years. The ideas and goals that most of us had for the New Year are already a fading memory as we dig deep in just getting through the long days. I may have a simple remedy that will get you back into the high vibes of focusing on attracting good things into your life. I mean we cannot change the crazy, but we can change where we focus our attention.

Did you know that essential oils and thinking in terms of attracting goodness go hand in hand? Essential oils are great for boosting moods and improving overall well-being. The oils are effective for so many different situations from relieving the pain of a minor burn to cleaning your home. Learning about essential oils, their properties and ways to use them can actually help you maintain a positive vibration and help you focus on taking action with your goals. When we learn and get our brains working, we actually can increase our mindset and that brings us closer to our goals and desires.

Whenever I start to feel “stuck” or that I keep experiencing not so great things, I pull out this blend and work with it to get out of my negative head space. My routine is actually pretty simple–I drink my coffee and write out a long list of gratitudes, and why these people and experiences inspire me, and then I apply this to my hands and cup my hands over my nose and take five intentional breaths. A gratitude practice by the way is one of the easiest ways to get out of bad funk. With consistency you can truly change your life just by being authentically grateful. After I spend time acknowledging all that is good, I focus on what I want in my life and sit with imagining how it is going to feel when I experience that which I desire.

This blend smells amazing and has some great benefits.

Manifest Blend

Litsea: Litsea is a powerful mobilizer of the will. As the Oil of Manifestation it is especially helpful in encouraging us to follow through on the inspiration and promptings that we feel. Litsea invites individuals to have the confidence to act and to trust. This oil also teaches us that we must learn to listen to our inner voice and rise above the fears we can get, especially around fear of rejection or being misunderstood.

Ginger: Ginger holds no reservations. This oil has a purpose and will fulfill it! Being the Oil of Empowerment ginger powerfully persuades us to be fully present and participate in our life. Ginger empowers us to complete personal responsibility for our own life and lose the victim mentality.

Wild Orange: Wild Orange addresses a wide variety of emotional issues. This Oil of Abundance supports a positive mood, fosters creativity and inspires feelings of abundance. At it’s core wild orange really helps us to remember the true essence of abundance.

Frankincense: Frankincense invites us to let go of some of the lower vibrations and negativity that we can feel. Frankincense helps us to recall memory of spiritual understanding, gifts, wisdom, and knowledge that the soul brought into the world. This one is known as the Oil of Truth and helps us to feel the love of the Divine.

Arborvitae: Arborvitae helps us to live with peace and joy by trusting the abundant flow of divine grace. Known as the oil of divine grace this one is a grounding oil that teaches the concept that divinity is all around us and that as we surrender into what is, our mind relaxes and the soul experiences harmony and peace.

Patchouli: This gorgeous essential oil helps us to become fully present in our body. When we consistently use patchouli we can feel more grounded and fluid. As the oil of physicality this one calms fear and nervous tension while stilling the mind to help prepare a deeper connection for spirit and body to become one.

Clary Sage: Clary Sage helps us with changing our perceptions. One of the finest oils for helping us to see our limiting beliefs and shift to the ability to visualize and imagine new possibilities. Known as the oil of clarity and vision this one is a magic oil that helps the spirit to use the divinely given gifts and bring clarity in the spiritual vision.

Citrine Crystal: Citrine is a beautiful type of quartz stone that welcomes abundance, prosperity, and positivity. Citrine is a yellow quartz stone that’s been around for thousands of years for many purposes. Citrine can strengthen self esteem and bring about a positive outlook on life while attracting a vibrant flow of energy in and around the body.

Not only will this blend help you to feel more positive but used deliberately it can assist in chasing your greatest dreams and aspirations. And, you will smell delightful and I wouldn’t be surprised if you get compliments on how wonderful the aroma is. Plus it is such a gorgeous blend to look at.

This great ebook is an awesome resource for learning more about the variety of uses for essential oils. I would also love to chat with you if you have questions. You can grab all of the oils for this blend (except the very rare and special Litsea). If you opt to grab the wholesale prices, I will reach out and send you a some Litsea and Citrine to add to your manifest blend and an amazing welcome gift. I will also share with you MANY ways you can use these oils in your home for cleaning, aches and pains, detox, mood, belly aches and so much more.

Disclaimer: The statements in this post about essential oils have not been evaluated by the FDA. Products and methods recommended are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information provided here is in no way intended to replace proper medical advice or treatment. These statements are based on my own personal experience.

The Walls

Today I celebrate that six years ago today I closed on my house. While it may not be a big deal to some, it is validation of the outward expression of who I am.

This little abode of mine is also the house that I grew up in…how awesome is that? While I believe in the concept of manifesting, it is truly not about things you want, but instead the deep understanding and awareness of WHAT you are.

My home and her walls are a reflection of me and the life that I have created despite obstacles and challenges. I did this by doing the hard work of chipping away at the barriers I attached to myself and allowing the revealing of who and what I am to be seen.

My home.

The walls hold my inner little girl tightly and affirm in her the goodness that she is.

The walls whisper secrets that only I know.

The walls speak softly to me and remind me that I chose to create this life I have.

The walls protect me from the outer angst and offer me a sanctuary of peace.

The walls provide me with a space to create, work and live in alignment.

The walls hold memories of nearly 51 years of living, growing, and evolving.

The walls are a reflection of who I am and today I celebrate both me and the walls.

Lucky?

Over the last few weeks, more and more people have mentioned to me that they think  I am lucky.  People have said thing like I am lucky because I have an amazing house, lucky I have my own studio, lucky I can still make a living during the COVID outbreak, lucky I have amazing sons, and lucky I am active, thin and healthy.

Lucky? How about instead I made choices.  I made really important, life-changing, courageous choices. These choices were made with the Divine guidance of Spirit consistently nudging me along. There were many times that I was not able to see the clear path, but somewhere deep inside of me, I had faith, even when I did not know it existed. When I chose to commit to becoming the best version of myself and to be of service to my family and the world, the things that might appear to others as luck, became my well-deserved life that continues to be in alignment with Spirit.

First of all, I never got a penny of alimony following my divorce and I received child support for about a year. The inheritance I got when my father died was simply $100. I paid the full listing price for the house I bought from my mom.  Nothing was handed to me. I have earned every single amazing lucky thing that I have. I chose to create this lucky life.

Here is how:

My first major choice came when I was facing a divorce with three young children, one of whom is disabled.  I chose to commit to being the best mom (and dad) I could be.  I chose to keep the stability of my home for my kids at the cost of eating way too much french toast and hamburger helper sans hamburger.  I chose to stand my ground when it came to raising them with integrity and values. No matter how strapped we were for food, I can see now that something much greater than me was operating and we were always provided for and somehow, we made it. My grown men are amazing people and luck has nothing to do with it.

The second major choice came on an early spring day.  I woke up one day knowing that I was tired of being heavy.  I was done with eating unconsciously and I was done self-loathing my size 16 body. So, I chose to get a weightloss book and take action.  I stopped the habits of mindless snacking and afternoons lazily laying on the sofa.  I even gave up ice cream and wine!  I chose to create new habits; daily walks twice a day, preparing healthy snacks, using smaller plates, putting the kid’s snacks in a high cabinet that required serious thought to scramble with a chair for a goldfish cracker, I taught them to wash their own dishes so that I no longer cleaned their plate while I loaded the dishwasher, I chewed gum while I cooked so I would not be tempted to taste-test each step.  I chose health.  I chose to love myself enough to stop unhealthy habits and instead make new habits.

The third major choice I made was on another spring day when someone recommended that I read the book Anatomy of the Spirit by Caroline Myss.  I remembered the day I was listening to her audio version while I was out for a second walk, and the moment I felt as if God was speaking directly to me, I got it.  I chose to wake up.  I chose to live in alignment with who I wanted to be.  I chose to live with the right thought, right actions, and right words. I chose to feel the indwelling Spirit as me become, and radiate, the Light I had always been, rather than hide behind the chronic complaining and blaming.  I chose to let go of anger and disappointment and welcome in forgiveness.  I chose love.

The fourth major choice I made was investing myself into radical personal development books and courses.  I immersed myself in therapy.  I gave myself the gift of learning boundaries and self-love practices.  I began taking yoga classes.  I got back on a bicycle.  I surrounded myself with people who uplifted me. I said yes to joy. I committed to a rigorous financial plan that set me on course to someday own a home, be financially self-sufficient and stable, and save each and every month. I chose to take ownership of my life.

The fifth major choice I made was to listen to the longing in my soul and share yoga and the process of waking up with anyone willing to say yes.  And, this included my heart and passion of reaching those with disabilities or other barriers to a traditional practice.  I said yes to my purpose.  I said yes to the gift Spirit chose for me to share. I chose to listen and take action.  I left a j.o.b. and I ended a relationship that gave me financially security, but left me empty and alone. I chose to be free.

You see none of what I have is luck.  None of what I have was given to me by another human.  Nobody saved me and nobody did this for me.  I did it.

I co-created through Divine Love the life I wanted and then with an open heart, I said yes!

That is a choice, not one bit of luck.

IMG_1810

Gratitude Practice

What’s your morning ritual? I choose to start every morning with good coffee, a gorgeous backyard oasis and my gratitude journal. Did you know that a consistent practice of gratitude can change the brain response to actually a more abundant and happy experience?

I have been keeping a gratitude journal for over 17 years and can see that my life is a beautiful picture of what I have chosen to focus on.

To really go far with gratitude, start with your five senses and take note of them. Then go deeper into the feelings evoked when you experience those five senses. Go beyond the obvious (friends, family, house), and start LOOKING for the things around you and write those down. Then watch how your life changes.

The Practice of Intentions

You have probably heard about intentions, right?  Especially at the beginning of a new year, it is quite the buzz.  I am all for people setting new year goals, visions, intentions, or whatever you want to call them, but I am talking more about a daily focus on something you want to create in your life.

Over the years I have worked with intentions and affirmation on a daily basis. I have seen first hand when they work, and when they do not work.  They work when you truly feel what you are saying, when you visualize it often to the details,  and the same holds true when they don’t work.  Feeling it is key. You can’t expect results just by just repeating it. The more you speak it, the more you feel it, the more you feel it, the more you speak it, and the cycle continues.

Positive affirmations require a consistent and regular practice if you want to make lasting, long-term changes.  The good news is that the practice and popularity of positive affirmations are based on widely accepted and well-established psychological theory, –yes, science backs up the new agey, hippie feel-good vibes. Pretty amazing, right?

Practicing positive affirmations can be extremely simple.  You pick a statement that is positive and you repeat to yourself.  Over and over.  You write it down. You sit with it.  You believe it.

You can choose intentions to motivate you, encourage positive things in your life, or even boost your self-esteem. The subconscious patterns of negative self-talk can be eliminated by a regular positive affirmation or intention practice.

Here are the steps I follow to living my intention with affirmations:

  1. Get clear. Sit quietly without distractions and think of one (or two) areas in your life that you would like to be different. Some ideas include generating more income, finding true love in a partner, having a healthier body, or increasing self-esteem. I also love to use lime and rosemary essential oil when getting clear.  These two essential oils are powerful when it comes to the brain and can bring a sense of focus and inner knowledge.
  2. Create a powerful statement. Whatever you choose, having a very clear and deliberate statement, preferably spoken in the terms of I AM_____ (healthy, abundant, happily in love with a loving partner, surrounded by supportive friends, confident and strong). The two most powerful words in any language is I AM, so start by speaking in those terms versus I want, or I need.  I AM is ownership.
  3. Incorporate your intention into your daily life. Write down your affirmation and put it in a place where you will see it often.  Or even better, invest in sticky notes and put throughout your home. Mirrors, refrigerators, planners, cabinets, your car, etc. are great places.  I also like to may a simple photo and make it my wallpaper on my phone.
  4. Affirmations as a practice. Recording your voice on your phone and listening to yourself speak the affirmation is a great way to reinforce your intention. There are also some awesome apps you can get on your phone that remind you throughout the day to pause and listen to your affirmations.  Setting aside five minutes each morning to get still, quiet, and then repeat them in your meditation practice is also wonderful. If you want to incorporate the mantra/affirmation into your japa meditation practice, this can be incredibly powerful as well.  Basically, find a way that works for you to repeat the affirmations as often as you can.
  5. Be deliberate with your actions. Setting an intention is an amazing way to create the life you want, and deserve, but sitting back and expecting the Universe to plop it into your lap is a set up for a big-time disappointment. Manifesting and creating also take effort on your part.  Let’s say you want a healthy body.  Speaking about it but continuing to be a couch potato and indulging on cheeto’s probably isn’t going to make that happen.  Expecting or desiring to have a steady source of income while absorbing yourself in leisure activities (TV, video games, reading novels, going fishing), isn’t going to make a lot of financial deposits. The truth is, whatever you desire in your life,  you first have to FEEL you deserve it so begin sort through those common feelings of not being enough now because it’s blocking your flow, FEEL it in every cell of your being when you speak it as if it has already happened, and FEEL so strongly about it that you begin to take mindful and deliberate actions steps towards making it happen.  That is what we know as co-creating.
  6. Gratitude. Without a solid a practice of gratitude all the affirmations in the world aren’t going to make a difference. And by solid, I mean a deliberate and consistent sitting down and acknowledging all the good in your life. Remember, what you focus on is what you’re inviting in. So, the more you focus on your abundance the more you will have. So simple.

Now, it is time to get busy. What do you want to create?

When a person really desires something all the universe conspires to help that person to realize his dream.

 

The Power of Intentions

Are you curious about how to use the power of intention to create the life that you want? Have you ever considered how getting really clear and focused about what you want is the first step to manifesting your desires?

Join me for this fun and informative class. You will learn:
*how to get clear
*steps to create an intention
*how to incorporate your intention into your daily life
*use of affirmations
*deliberate actions to create your desire

Each person who attends this class will receive TWO essential oil samples that we will use during the class. (new oil customers only will receive samples, but anyone can attend the class).

To get the samples, please complete this form–https://lnkd.in/edA5VZ7

Topic: The Power of Intention
Time: May 9, 2020 11:00 AM Mountain Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://lnkd.in/eHVsHEU

Meeting ID: 732 1976 4481

D80C63FA-AB83-4227-88D2-D58BAABFCAF9