Self-Care to support self-healing as the smoke lingers in our sky.

Because of the massive fires in Oregon, California, and beyond, many of us have been exposed to high levels of toxins from the smoke. Some of the symptoms of smoke inhalation are headaches, dry, scratchy throat, irritated sinuses, runny nose, postnasal drip, or increased mucous in the throat. The most common is coughing, which is the body's natural defense mechanism. Some of us with pulmonary issues have had more severe manifestations like asthma & bronchitis. Other side effects to be aware of include: feeling more tired than usual, shortness of breath and chest pain. Your body is letting you know you need more rest time to recover from activities.

As we look out into the cloudy haze, powerless, all of us feel a certain amount of stress, fear, and anxiety. We cannot control the smoke. Our brave and amazing firefighters continue to do the best they can to stop the fires. The recovery and healing are going...

The Power of Inner Peace to Navigate the Storms of Life

The past few months have brought numerous challenges for us all. In tumultuous times, stress levels run high. When fear, frustration, and anger take over, your mind can take you places you never would choose to go.  From there, inner peace seems far out of reach and may feel impossible, even with the best intentions. Yet with practice, you can learn to redirect your mind, moment by moment, to create harmony in your body even during a rough patch in your life.  It sounds simple enough. Why is it so hard to maintain a positive state of mind and to prioritize our inner well-being? 

 "The brain is like Velcro for bad experiences but Teflon for good ones - which wears down health, fuels conflicts with others, and piles up feelings of frustration, hurt, and disappointment." Dr. Rick Henson PhD

The brain automatically wants to focus on the negative. It's part of our survival instinct.

I can't just bury my...

August is filled with energetic shake-ups and down-turns and brings us an abundance of insightful revelations of what you need to let go and what you need to nurture to move towards your intentions. Belief systems that do not support how you want to live and feel are ready to be left behind as we get ready to move towards Fall, which is just around the corner. It's essential that you take good care of yourself. By being proactive with a daily self-care practice to de-stress and cultivate a positive attitude, you can significantly diminish the strain of unexpected changes coming your way this month. As we start the month of August, the doors for transformative opportunities are opening. But even with the door wide open, if you are not taking steps towards it, you could miss it and get stuck in a familiar survival and victim mode.

In survivor mode, change can cause a lot of push-back and resistance. Fear takes over and drives you further and further away from feeling good and happy....

Here we are, JUNE already, can you believe it? 

We have some intense emotional issues coming up this week with the Full Moon and a lunar eclipse upon us. How do you feel as you continue to find your way into our new world?

It's easy to let fear take over. I find myself at times, falling into a defensive mode rather than a protective one. The defensive mode is fear-based and stressful; the other is motivated by love and is much more empowering. But fear dominates the media. It's all around us and fear is incredibly magnetic. It takes diligence and courage to pull yourself out of the drama. You do need to take in the information from the media so you can be informed and do what you need to take care of yourself and your loved ones, but it's important not to let fear be the driver of your actions.  In the heat of the moment, it's not always easy to do, especially if you're stressed out and are neglecting your self-care.

You can begin by taking the time to check in with...

The Power of Inner Peace During Times of Crisis

Our world is full of uncertainty. There are many headlines in the news that can pull us into a state of worry and anxiety. In times of crisis, stress levels run high; fear, frustration, and anger take over, and peace seems impossible, even inappropriate. “How can you think of peace at a time like this?” By learning how to create peace in your body during a rough patch of life, you can allow healing and solutions to come in. In a state of surrender to “what is” lies your opportunity to grow and embrace your inner superpowers. Surrendering beyond the concept of acceptance of “God’s will “or  “it was meant to be.” You are empowering yourself to be part of the solution when you stop feeding the emotions of the problem.

“Tragedy stays alive by feeling what's been done to us, while peace comes alive by living with the results.” Mark Nepo

 It is during those periods...

Nature teaches us about the most important part of Life itself: Awakening! Spring is a time of rebirth and transformation as we step out of the darkness of winter into the light and colors of spring. 

Spring is about growth, and it does require a certain amount of effort and letting go. Transformation usually nudges you outside your comfort zone. Our survival instincts can make us want to cling to the old, but seeds need to persevere and push out towards the light of the sun to blossom.

For me, it feels like the more needed the growth opportunity is,  the more resistance I experience.  I use to judge myself as a failure and get discouraged when resistance would show up. “Not this again. I thought I took care of ( fill in the blank)  already?”  I have learned to be compassionate with myself and welcome it as a sign that I am on the verge of another self-discovery that will bring me into a more significant experience of my life. It’s a little...

Balance for Health and Happiness

Seeing all the hearts around this month can be a great reminder to check in with your emotional heart and evaluate how you feel about your life. As I am writing this article, I just heard on the news that studies show that a happy heart is more likely to be a healthy heart. It’s amazing the number of people, physically fit and healthy in their 40’s, 50’s and 60’s, who are having heart problems. Of course, there is the genetic factor, but only working out at the gym is not a guaranteed cure. We all need to create more balance in our life to feel good inside and out.

 People who are usually happy and enthusiastic are less likely to develop heart disease than those who tend to be glum, scientists say... and boosting positive emotions could help cut heart health risks, reported EMEA Health and Science Correspondent Kate Kelland.

Karina Davidson, Ph.D. of Columbia University Medical Center led this research. Her findings...

March 5, 2019- starts a retrograde cycle for the planet Mercury that will last until March 28, 2019^. Retrograde is when a planet slows down, stops and appears to move backward. This is an illusion caused by the Earth passing the slower moving outer planets. This period can affect us in different ways depending on the planet.

The planet Mercury has a visible impact on our lives that even the most skeptical people have come to believe. This is because Mercury rules our thinking, communication (verbal, written, social media), as well as electrical devices, computers, telephones, transportation, and air travel. You can begin to feel this influence as much as two weeks before and after the actual retrograde period where computer systems get cranky; printers stop working, mail is delayed, messages are missed or misunderstood, etc. This phenomenon happens three or four times a year, so it is helpful to know how to navigate this energy. Otherwise, it can be a period of...

To be (happy) or not to be…

Whether we are happier in the pursuit than in the act of being...that truly is the question.

           Why do so many people spend their life chasing after happiness and never quite find it? The Declaration of Independence expresses every citizen’s right to: “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," implying that happiness is something that must be chased.   I believe our birthright is to be happy.

           We have all been conditioned by the media to look outside ourselves for happiness as if our happiness was dependent on “things” and events. And the endless chase begins with the conditions we establish for achieving happiness:

• When I have that healthy and fit body, then I will be happy.
• When I have that perfect relationship or ideal career, then I will be happy.
• When I have more money, more time,...

Yogic Ease for Allergies – by Louise Lavergne