This month, I’m diving into a topic that affects us all, and one I’m particularly acquainted with!
Hormones!! ??????? I had a complete hysterectomy at age 30 and learned in an instant just how important hormones are. Not having ovaries has been a huge challenge. I finally found some things that work!
The journey hasn’t always been easy… and that’s why I’m excited to share a whole months worth of education, tips, practices and products that will help you in your own journey with YOUR hormones!!
Did you know that humans possess 50 hormones? 50!
From adrenal health and blood sugar to fertility and thyroid function, hormones are the root of, well, everything!
•Hormones control or regulate many biological processes and are often produced in very low amounts within the body. •Hormones regulate our blood sugar. Thanks, Insulin! •Growth and energy production (Growth Hormone and Thyroid Hormone) Differentiation, growth, and reproduction hormones (Testosterone and Estrogen)
The Endocrine System is made up of all the hormones in the body. This system supports brain and nervous system development, reproduction, metabolism, and blood sugar.
I plan to break down what hormones do for our bodies (male and female) through our life cycle, how to keep them balanced and supported, and living a non-toxic lifestyle to keep the hormone disruptors at bay.
Stay tuned and follow me for a deeper understanding of how hormones influence so much of our life!
On those hot summer days, when hunger gives way to thirst, there’s nothing that tastes better than a refreshing drink. Smoothies and lemonades are a great way to quench your thirst, plus they help to incorporate more fruits into your diet! Adding a few drops of essential oil will bring an extra twist to the flavour. Here are some simple and tasty ideas to juice up your family’s summer!
Lemon Berry Smoothie
A great start to the day and the perfect breakfast on the go. Berries have countless anti-oxidant properties — plus nutrients and fibre — which help protect your body against seasonal threats.
A great start to the day and the perfect breakfast on the go. Berries have countless anti-oxidant properties — plus nutrients and fibre — which help protect your body against seasonal threats.
Add all the ingredients into a blender and blend on high speed until all ingredients are well combined and smooth.
Serve immediately.
Honey Ginger Lemonade
A twist on classic lemonade, Honey Ginger lemonade is the perfect refreshing drink to help lift your mood. The juiced ginger helps add a little spicy kick, while both lemon juice and Lemon oil keep the recipe light and cool.
Combine all ingredients, except the ice, into a jug. Mix well.
Chill in the fridge until ready to serve.
Serve with some ice cubes.
Raspberry “Lime-onade”
If you are having friends over, then surprise them with a very bright pink “lime-onade”. With only three ingredients, this combination of raspberries and lime is definitely a crowd pleaser.
Add the raspberries to a blender, and blend until smooth.
Press through a fine strainer into a jug, and discard the seeds and pulp. (TIP: You can also put the seeds and pulp in a small jar, cover with vinegar—like white wine or rice wine vinegar—and store mixture in the fridge. Strain later for salad dressings or for marinades).
Add the lime juice, essential oil and water. Stir to combine.
Stir in the honey until combined.
Pour into glasses, and top with ice cubes. Serve and enjoy!
Tropical Smoothie with Tangerine Essential Oil
This tropical smoothie is just like a dessert (a healthy one!) that will make you forget your sweet cravings. Omega-3, fibre and potassium are just a few of the benefits you will pour in your glass.
Ingredients
1 cup (230ml) of organic coconut milk
4 tbsp Greek yogurt
1 banana
1 tbsp of ground flaxseed, sunflower and pumpkin seed
According to researchers, multiple environmental factors determine how you feel. These include physical factors around you as well as the community spirit. Your housing environment, for instance, can have an effect. People tend to have higher levels of well-being when they live in attractive, warm, and cozy properties. Their homes recharge their batteries, so to speak, enabling them to take on the challenges of the world with more confidence. Well-being tends to decline when properties are dilapidated, dirty, or affected by dampness.
In the Yoga world, we call the practice of purity and cleanliness Suacha. It is the practice of cleaning up our thoughts and our space and eliminating clutter in both areas of our lives.
The level of tidiness can also make a substantial difference in how you feel. When your rooms are tidy, it has an influence on your unconscious. The less cluttered your environment — the less you have to think about — and the more you can ease into life.
The lighting, smells, and color of an environment can also profoundly affect your mood. Shutter companies know this very well. They understand that the level of light that gets into a room determines how the occupants feel. When light levels are high — as they should be in the daytime — it helps to calibrate the your natural sleep-wake cycle.
The people you spend time with also have a profound impact on how you feel. If you are around elevating people who support you, you’ll feel like you can do just about anything you want with your life. Likewise, if you are around negative individuals who bring you down — life will feel like a constant series of battles.
Surrounding ourselves with people, calm colors and a clean and serene space can play a big part in our overall wellbeing.
How do you control your environment to better your mind, body and spirit?
Known for their bright, summery scents, citrus oils are among the most common essential oils that cause photosensitivity. That’s because compounds found in citrus oils – known as furanocoumarins – greatly increase UV sensitivity. While most photosensitive oils are citrus that have the same harmful effects with sun exposure.
SAFETY FIRST
When we use certain oils topically where the sun is exposed to our skin, our skin can get a bit red and tender. However, for some people the effect are much worse.
Almost all citrus oils are photosensitive. Meaning they should be avoided topically before direct sunlight or artificial UV rays (think tanning beds or booths).
If you will be heading out in the sun, be sure any rollers or sprays you apply that contain citrus oils are applied “where the sun don’t shine” (AKA the bottoms of your feet, under your clothes, etc).
The following oils and blends have been labeled as photosensitive by doTERRA:
AromaTouch®
Bergamot
doTERRA Breathe®
doTERRA Cheer®
Citrus Bliss®
Clementine
Cumin
doTERRA Forgive®
Grapefruit
InTune®
Kumquat
Lemon
Lime
doTERRA Motivate®
doTERRA On Guard®
Purify
Slim & Sassy®
Sunny Citrus
Tangerine
Wild Orangw
Zendocrine.
To learn the basics of using pure essential oils, grab this free ebook!
Nothing say nurture more than a loving Mother’s energy. Plus, the renewal of spring reminds us that Mother Earth is soaking in the rain and nurturing her beautiful land and animals.
This perfectly crafted blend is earthy, reassuring, soft, and feels like a giant hug. Applying this to your wrist and your heart so that you can smell the aromas all day long.
Did you know that Myrrrh essential oil is often referred to as the oil of the Divine Mother because it offers feelings of safety, healthy attachment, trust, feelings of being nurtured, loved and secure? Pretty amazing, right?
Adding myrrh first gives the bottom note of aroma a grounded element. Magnolia is often said to bring out feelings of compassion so gives you another layer of goodness at the end of this blend. Layered between these two essential oils are earthy, warm, love inducing essential oils with lavender petals and amethyst. Amethyst is a powerful and protective stone. It alleviates sadness and grief, and dissolves negativity. Amethysts are said to promote serenity and calm and is the perfect addition to this blend.
Need some nurture in your life? Pop over here to grab one.
One of my most treasured aspects of Yoga is how we go about with showing up for ourselves and others. True Yoga is often overlooked in our very physical posture based lens of Yoga. In the Western world it seems that Yoga is mostly asana and very little true Yoga.
What is true yoga?
True Yoga consists of the principles and attitudes known as the Sutras. The Sutras are a collection of text that guides us to live. Ahimsa (non-violence), the first and foremost of the five yamas(restraints) described in the Yoga Sutra, entreats us to live in such a way that we cause no harm in thought, speech, or action to any living being, including ourselves.
This is the essence of Pantajali’s non-harming Sutra known as Ahimsa.
Pausing to consider kindness (ahimsa) influences the choices you make and how you truly show up for yourself and for others. Ahimsa (pronounced “ah-heem-sah”) literally means “non-harming” or “non-violence” in Sanskrit. In it most basic level, it’s refraining from causing harm.
As we practice ahimsa in today’s modern life, there is more to this idea of non-harming than simply refraining from acts of physical violence.
We understand now that pain can be more than just physical – it can also be emotional and mental. The deepest pain we feel is often very emotional. It most often sprouts from our relationships with other human beings. It can be grief that we experience when we lose someone. Grief can also from a part of our life that meant so much to our identity. The loss of a relationship or a painful life change can bring about deep and soul-shattering pain.
When we practice ahimsa, we are thinking about how our actions could hurt others. Doing so invites us to take into consideration the potential physical, emotional, and relational consequences of our actions.
We pause to consider kindness.
Are you frustrated with the non-kind world that exists where division and opinions flood our everyday lives? The world feels sad at the lack of humanity and desperate need to be heard in what seems to be a constant “what about ME” mentality. There is exhaustion with the lack of kindness for fellow human beings.
Realizing that all we can do is change our own thoughts and actions, I am opting for kindness despite my own struggling emotions. Ahimsa is offered for the exhausted world. Together we must learn to pause, listen, see, feel and to give.
Kindness truly matters and it is the truest form of Yoga.
Eleven years ago I created my business known as Embracing Spirit Yoga. At that time I had been sharing yoga for awhile but hadn’t stepped into full time teaching. I decided to take the gigantic leap into the unknown, quit my j.o.b. and trust that my purpose would sustain me.
It never occurred to me to be a yoga teacher. I realized through my own awakening that there are many people who could not easily access a yoga class. Sharing mindfulness, body awareness and connection to the Self became my passion.
I also never wanted to be an entrepreneur. I dabbled with the idea of being a social worker. The funny thing is many of my social work friends now tell me my work is a beautiful version of social work. I spent years working in special education and raising my own unique kid sure paved some ways of understanding differences. Being an advocate for people with different abilities was also so important to me. Having all those pieces come together was a mystery.
Then it happened
People assume that teaching yoga full-time must be so “fun”. I would not describe it as fun. However it IS what I believe I am here to do. I believe 100% that I was given my special daughter to lead me down a path of teaching yoga to people with disabilities. The road with her hasn’t been easy. It is easier to see now that it certainly has gifted me with amazing compassion.
The beginning
Since I began my business in 2011, I have shared yoga in countless group homes and assisted living settings. Being a regular at nursing homes and beside in hospice has been so enlightening. I teach to all types of abilities in a variety of settings, including a small private studio. To some who witness a group of us huddled around a coffee table on leather furniture in a living room they may question if that is really a yoga class. Most of my settings are not perfectly curated yoga spaces with flickering candles, dimly lit room and soft comfortable pillows along the wall.
The classes I teach are designed to be accessible anywhere.
It has been a wonderful eleven years and I have grown so much as a person and as a teacher. I could not have succeeded and been able to touch so many lives without the support of others; my students, my family, my friends and those who have taken a chance on my offerings and who have seen first hand the dedication I give to my students. To some it may seem like I am frazzled and running like crazy. Those who love and respect me see that the hard work is a reflection of my passion for serving those with disabilities.
Every person who has generously said yes to my teachings has made the last eleven years magical and I am so thankful.
Grateful doesn’t even begin to capture what my heart feels.
If you are curious and want to learn more about what I do, check out this informative webpage and read about what I believe to be the foundation of any quality yoga class.
Inclusion Yogais a dynamic form of living and sharing the true essence of Yoga that embraces as its main focus the principles of inclusion.
The dim lights of the Yoga space were easy on the eyes. The wood floors were cool to the feet that padded along in eager anticipation for the arrival of Yogis. Voices of fellow Yoga teachers whispered around the room. Candles flickered with shared excitement.
The energy itself was touchable.
As I knelt on my mat prior to the first arrival I witnessed in myself an acknowledgement of what brought me to this day. With sweet tears, I first saw my beautiful daughter. Images of her sweet life from birth to this day. Without her being in my life–exactly as she is–I would not be sitting on that mat preparing to meet my vision.
Next, I remembered my first Yoga class where I was the student. I remembered my first teacher gently planting seeds that I would soon discover about myself and about Yoga. I remembered my first Yoga conference when I was eager with excitement and driven to be doing it “right”.
Being told to just be yourself and teach from your heart were wise words given to me.
This moment was indeed divinely guided.
The room filled and people settled in. Mats were placed in a circle; a circle of inclusion, of equality and of acceptance.
I dropped to my knees and felt the tears sting my eyes as I saw my friend in her wheelchair arrive. She was the exact reason my heart knew that this calling was not to be ignored.
At that moment, I knew that I was exactly where I was supposed to be.
I spoke my truth and I taught from my heart. There was inclusion and pure acceptance. I got to see huge willingness and courage.
Witnessing pure love.
I closed the class in complete wonder for what just occurred and with a reading of how it began. There was deep gratitude for the faith people had in me. Also for the support from others and for the opportunity.
Years that the foundation of inclusion is the essence.
I am blessed to bring adaptive yoga into long term care centers, assisted living setting and group homes. To learn more about my services, check out this gorgeous webpage that explains it all.
There are some awesome heart centered Yoga teachers out there that are tired of the high focus on the physical form that our western culture emphasizes. They also have the heart to touch the lives of unique individuals.
I am seeking those Yoga teachers.
When I began my own personal practice of yoga I was doing it for all the reasons many of us do–increase flexibility, get leaner and stronger, and stretch the tight muscles. What I discovered in the process of learning and doing all of that is the true essence of Yoga–which is union; with myself and with others.
It was also at this time that I was embarking on a self-discovery quest that lead me down many paths, and ultimately opened some amazing doors for my own personal growth.
I had dove deep into my soul and realized that I am here to do great things and in order to do that, I had A LOT of healing in my heart to do. (A recent podcast explains it all). When I found the space in my heart that anger no longer was consuming, I filled it with life changing love.
Hustling
I have been hustling in and out of assisted living, rehab centers and group homes for over thirteen years, specializing in people with brain injuries. It is the most rewarding work I can ever imagine. It is SO needed in every community.
Let’s team up
I want to share this very special population with YOU so that you can go into your communities and feel confident teaching Yoga to individuals with disabilities.
I am currently taking applications for adaptive yoga teacher mentorship. Learn more!
The capacity to link information and emotions is why essential oils are such a powerful partner in creating and maintaining emotional health. I love the brain and when I became a Certified Brain Injury Specialist, I learned so much science that validated what I was seeing with my yoga students who have brain injuries. These individuals cannot always easily express themselves. I saw quickly how their affect and attitude would change dramatically after smelling oils.
Curious as to why? Let’s get a little nerdy because you may be wondering how the Limbic System actually works. Well, let’s dive in!
As a person inhales an essential oil, the molecules of the oil go into the back of each nostril to the epithelium patch where the molecules attach to receptors on the cilia hairs. These convert to nerves that send the odor information to the olfactory bulb in the brain. This bulb communicates directly with the amygdala, hippocampus, and other brain structures.
Still with me? Good! Getting to the good stuff – promise!
The amygdala is the center for emotions in the limbic system and it links our sense of smell to our ability to learn emotionally.
This is EXACTLY why smells will trigger memories more than seeing an image, tasting food, or even listening to music!
Some of the most popular oils to start to anchor your emotional brain are citrus oils, as they provoke happy, uplifting, and supportive emotions in most people.
What is your favorite citrus oil to grab and inhale?
Want to learn the basics of essential oils? Download this free eBook! You’re welcome!
One of the most important parts of a skin care regimen for oily skin is keeping it clean. Keeping oily skin clean helps to prevent the oil from building up and causing breakouts. I recently decided to try my hand at making my own cleansing pads and could not be more thrilled. Little things, right?
This recipe is so simple, so clean and so affordable. I love adding pure essential oils to my skin care because of the many benefits! Tea tree is known for its cleansing and antibacterial properties and lavender is soothing for the skin. If you’d like to learn more about the basics of essential oils and how versatile they can be, AND why choosing the most pure essential oils are important just download this free ebook.
Container with a tight-fitting lid (I used a wide mouth pint mason jar)
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Pack the cotton rounds into the mason jar and pour some of the cleansing solution over the rounds. Keep adding rounds and pressing down while adding more solution.
I use these before bed and first thing in the morning. So good!
