Learn to Listen

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

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

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

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.

The Power of Choice: Creating Your Path with Intention

The Power of Choice: Creating Your Path with Intention

Every moment offers us a choice. Sometimes they’re small—what to eat, how to move through the day. Other times they feel monumental—deciding which direction to take when life asks us to grow.

Choice is where our power lives. It’s in the pause between stimulus and response, the sacred space where we can listen deeply to what we need and act from a place of alignment. Even in seasons where life feels heavy or uncertain, we can choose to breathe, to soften, to take one mindful step forward.

In this post, we’ll explore how embracing conscious choices—both big and small—can bring more peace, clarity, and meaning to your everyday life.

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.

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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.

External Versus Internal: Your Happiness and Success Factor

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

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.

Soothing Salve

Soothing Salve: A Gentle Balm for Body and Mind

There’s something deeply comforting about a salve—a simple blend of nourishing oils, beeswax, and essential oils that melts into the skin like a hug. A soothing salve can be a beautiful ally for tired muscles, dry skin, and even moments of emotional overwhelm.

Infused with calming and restorative botanicals, this balm supports your body’s natural healing while offering a moment of pause in your day. Whether you’re massaging it into achy joints, using it as a hand treatment, or simply inhaling its grounding aroma, a soothing salve is a little jar of self-care you’ll want to keep close.

In this post, we’ll explore how to make your own soothing salve, the best essential oils to include, and simple ways to use it in your daily rituals.

This is the easiest and most effective salve for the aches and pains, especially when it occurs in the legs at night. No more chemical filled stuff for your body! This is calming, soothing and smells amazing. Plus it’s super easy to make!!

My clients love it when I bring a batch with me and pass little tins around for all their little aches and pains.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup grapeseed oil

1/2 cup almond oil

2 tablespoons beeswax

10 drops Lavender

10 drops Cypress

10 drops Lemongrass

10 drops Marjoram

5 drops Frankincense

Here is a link to all the oils you need to make this and have many uses for your home! Sleep, cleaning, cooking, skin care, mood support and much more! When you get started you’ll get a free wellness consult with me, all the goodies to get you started and you’ll have access to mentoring and education!

Curious how versatile oils are for your family? Check out this free downloadable ebook!

Instructions

  1. Melt beeswax with almond and grapeseed oil in a mason jar placed in a pot of simmering water.
  2. Once combined, set aside for two to three minutes.
  3. Add essential oils and stir.
  4. Pour in container and allow to set for two hours.
  5. To use, apply to legs and feet or on area of discomfort. Rub up the legs for great circulation.

Follow me for more goodness!

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.

The Invitation

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.

The Uplifting Power of Oranges: How This Simple Scent Reduces Stress and Anxiety

The Uplifting Power of Oranges: How This Simple Scent Reduces Stress and Anxiety

There’s something instantly calming about the fresh, sweet aroma of oranges. It’s not just in your head—science shows that citrus scents like orange can help lower stress levels, ease anxious thoughts, and even lift your mood.

The essential oil from oranges is packed with natural compounds that soothe the nervous system and encourage relaxation. Simply taking a moment to inhale this bright, cheerful scent can create a sense of calm and clarity, even on the busiest or most overwhelming days.

In this post, we’ll explore why smelling oranges has such a powerful effect on stress and anxiety, and share simple, everyday ways to use this sunny aroma to bring more peace and positivity into your life.

And this is why I go through so many bottles of orange ??

Seriously though, I use this oil more than any other in my personal use and sharing in my yoga classes. It is super affordable and just amazing. I love to add wild orange to my drinking water or plain yogurt. Diffusing this one gives your whole house a smell of fresh, uplifting goodness.

Also, Wild Orange is the “Oil of Abundance” and encourages the individual to let go of scarcity mindsets and reminds the soul of the limitless supply found in nature. What you focus on, expands! When you give, you receive so much more.

Check out this gorgeous ebook to learn more about the basics of essential oils!

Follow me for more goodness!

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.

Labels…and Lupus

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.

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Top Essential Oils for Sleep

If sleep is an issue in your house, here are some of the top essential oils that can support you or your children and hopefully provide restful sleep throughout the night. The chemical constituents within each essential oil or doTERRA blend are highly supportive of bringing a sense of calm and peace during nap time or at night time.

Favorite Sleep Essential Oils

LAVENDER – is one of the most popular essential oils for restful night sleep. It’s floral, fresh, clean, and the calming scent is perfect when using in a nap time or night time routine, and is excellent for a beginner. Diffuse 4-5 drops of Lavender in the diffuser in your child’s room during sleep time, or apply on the bottoms of the feet about 20 minutes before bed.

JUNIPER BERRY – has been used for years, and is a favorite essential oil for emotions, irrational thoughts, reoccurring nightmares, and disruptive sleep. It has a deep earthy scent and is perfect for diffusing at night or nap time. Add 2-4 drops to a diffuser, or apply on the bottoms of the feet or across the forehead.

CEDARWOOD – has an earthy, warm, woodsy smell that is both comforting, relaxing and offers a feeling of being supported. Diffusing 4-5 drops in a diffuser can create a calming atmosphere, and applying on the bottoms of the feet promote rest.

PEACE -is a blend of Ylang Ylang, Vetiver, Lavender, Frankincense, and other essential oils. This fragrant oil is a beautiful addition to the baby’s night time or nap time routine. It has light citrus, yet calming aroma. Diffuse 3-4 drops of this oil in a diffuser, or apply on the bottoms of the feet.

CALMER – from d?TERRA’s kid’s collection, a blend of Lavender, Cananga, Roman Chamomile and Buddha Wood essential oils. It also contains fractionated coconut oil, which is a nourishing carrier. This oil blend is perfect for bedtime, bringing a calmer aromatic environment with a comforting scent. It is a d?TERRA blend specifically designed for kids and babies. It is pre-diluted ideally so you can apply on the feet, down the spine, wrists, or chest.

SERENITY – is a blend of Lavender, Cedarwood, Ylang Ylang, Ho Wood, Marjoram, Vetiver, Sandalwood Vanilla, and Roman Chamomile. It has a tranquil yet woodsy scent, making it pleasing to inhale when applied to the skin. Apply to the bottoms of the feet or diffuse 4-5 drops 20-30 minutes before bedtime.

Check out this handy guide on the basics of essential oils!

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.