A few weeks ago, I walked you through a growth cycle experience that I recently had. I heard back from so many of you! Thank you for your responses… I’m glad it resonated with you. It means a lot to hear back, that you are reading and that you are enjoying. <3 Your responses have ignited a desire to share another feeling that comes up each time a growth opportunity comes. Incompetence. That’s a fun word, isn’t it?! Who wants to feel Incompetent??? (Did you notice no hands flew up with that question?) Here’s the rub… With ANY new endeavor, any new learning, any new opportunity...

  Is your “to-do” list off the hook? Do you feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day sometimes? Do you ever feel resentful that you have to work so hard? Is it an obligation or is it a choice? What do I mean by that… "is it an obligation or is it a choice?" Obligations are the things you truly have to do…there is no workaround for it. Choices, on the other hand, are what you get to choose to do or not do. Here’s the thing- most of life is choice. And man, do I see (and personally experience) suffering when the two get confused. The feeling of tight chest, anxiety at the...

There was a lot of dreaming, planning and care that went into this event, and it was a really beautiful experience. More than I could have asked for, really. The women in my 9-month Love Your Body, Love Your Life program are real, they are deep, and they are so freaking courageous. I was brought to tears in quite a few moments over our 2 shared days by the radical acts of kindness, acceptance and honesty. It’s not easy sometimes to really look at some of the things that don’t work that come with hanging onto body weight, emotional weight and spiritual weight. The places that don't...

It might be sex and chocolate! Aren't you curious?!?! In my 9-month program, Love Your Body, Love Your Life, we are exploring the themes of how to change your life deeply, and I wanted to share them with you in case it's useful for you as well. Good Sex and Good Chocolate can change your life, and certainly bring joy to your days. In addition to those, here is one more thing guaranteed to cause a major shift. 1. ACCEPTANCE. So simple, and yet so profound. When you can arrive at the place of complete and whole acceptance that you, your choices and your way of showing up in the world has...

From the last tip in this series, you may recall that the first thing to get really good at is ACCEPTANCE. The radical act of accepting that your choices shape your life experience. #2 is NEW CHOICES. From that acceptance, you begin to make space to make some different choices for yourself. It can radically change the trajectory of your life from this moment forward. To take our examples from last week: If you feel you live in a negative world, accept that you may be part of that negativity. To add to that, you could decide to become a positive person. BE the positivity in your life and...

It comes up often in 1:1 sessions… the question: When is it Self-Care and when is it Self-Indulgence? For many of my beloved clients, there is confusion. Often when the topic of self-care comes up, and especially around nourishment and food, it can be challenging at first to determine when it is indulgence and when it is taking care to nourish the undernourished places. So here's the deal (as I see it anyways)- Self-indulgence has a quality to it where I feel like I have to justify the behavior. I find myself justifying what I know in my heart of hearts is not a good move for *most* of...

1. Have structure This is counter-intuitive! You need structure to have flow. Too much flow will leave you ungrounded and the information you receive will be ungrounded and scattered as well. Structure might look like a daily log or journal, or it might look like a present moment practice like yoga, dance, barre or meditation. It might be a combination of all of the above or your own version of what works for you. When you are in your body, connected and grounded with your cells and open to the vast quantity of information out there, you will get good information.   2. Be open to the...

Independence. What does it mean to you? I saw a bumper sticker last week that said “Home of the Free BECAUSE of the Brave." This message ignited something in me, and I keep thinking about it. It is one of the things I value most about being an American It was really brave for our ancestors to leave everything, to brave the unknown journey to come here to participate in starting something new. It was brave to set up a new and independent government in 1776. For those who are still fighting for equal rights for all- it is Brave to be doing that. While our government is not perfect, and...

What is it about transition times that makes the process so unnerving? Is it the disorientation that comes from having a plan or an expectation, and then reality not matching that expectation?  Is there a feeling of being “less than” or even “rejected” by what you want?  The frustration of seeing everyone around you getting what YOU want and wondering why you aren’t getting it too?  Or maybe it comes back to the down to the bones feeling of "there must be something wrong with me that this isn't happening the way that it “should’."If you haven't noticed by now, life throws curve balls. I'm...

It's surprisingly easy to fully enjoy your Thanksgiving meal while still eating healthily. It's even easier when someone creates your healthy Thanksgiving menu for you. This post will give you everything you need for a healthy, happy Thanksgiving. And instead of giving you a long intro, let's just get right into it. Grocery List (amounts all depend on how many people are going to be fed): 1 turkey Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes (homemade recipe here, Green Giant version here) Dates (around 15) Apples Sweet potatoes Muesli Plain yogurt Pumpkin pie spices (homemade mix here) Pecans Arrowroot...

Years ago, in my early 20’s, I had a yoga instructor (my first!), Cintra, who would say in class “An attitude of gratitude is prayer in action”.  I’ve thought on this for decades now, and come back again and again to the question: What is gratitude? How do I feel about praying?  The very reality of “prayer in action” brings me to a way of praying that I can embrace–being an action-oriented person, to move a prayer into reality though an action I take moves me.  These days, rather than praying for peace, I’m reaching out to people I love, telling them why I’m grateful to have them in my...

I am grateful for so many things in my life, but ultimately I’m grateful for all of the support I’ve had along the way. Not many people live a life with a support system as strong as I’ve always had, and despite the trials and errors life has thrown at me, particularly in the last few years, that support system has always been the reason I’ve succeeded. Maybe one day I’ll write about my full story, but for now I’ll simply say thank you. Thank you to my parents who have believed in and supported me since the day I was born. Thank you to my brother who has challenged me, made me laugh, and...

One of the most difficult things about staying healthy this time of year is all of the amazing, sugar-filled treats that come along with it! That is why I absolutely love this grain free (paleo friendly!!), chocolate and cherry scone recipe. It truly satisfies your sweet tooth without leaving you full of guilt. Let's get right into it. Serves: 6  INGREDIENTS 1 1/2 cups almond flour 3 tablespoons coconut flour 1/8 cup honey 2 packets Stevia or Truvia 1 egg ¼ cup almond milk - or substitute another milk 3 tablespoons coconut oil or butter ½ teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon sea salt ½ cup...

It’s that time of year again. The leaves are changing, the air is crisp, and the dread of  holiday weight gain that comes with short days, long nights, big sweaters and many holidays one after the other is lingering in the back of your head. Weight gain seems inevitable, doesn’t it? I get it. The sun is down by the time you leave for work/home every morning and evening, and it’s just chilly enough outside that it’s hard not to succumb to the temptation of bundling up on the couch and snacking while watching TV. Sometimes it feels better to be home, but that doesn’t mean that movement...

One great perk of what I do for a living is I get to meet some pretty amazing people who are shaping the world with their creative vision. Meet Courtney Young, a fresh entrepreneur who left her job to pursue a dream with her husband. I've asked her to share with us her livelihood as co-owner of Sour Fish Events. Here is her story. Running for fitness, health and social purposes has many benefits to it that I have witnessed first-hand throughout my life. In 2012, I decided that I wanted to create a career out of something I loved and help bring joy to others through that path. I partnered...

In the health and fitness industry, it’s inevitable that one will come across some rather far-out ideas that supposedly help to improve the quality of life. I know- I’ll try just about anything! Which has its ins and outs. However, there is one key ingredient that you may see popping up all over the place these days, and for good reason. Can you guess what this ingredient is? It’s Activated Charcoal. You may be asking yourself: “how in the world can consuming charcoal help me?” In fact, it can help quite a bit. Surprising as it may seem, activated charcoal is an antidote that has been...

Sometimes it's difficult to find the time to make a healthy dinner when you're always on the go. Trust me, I totally get it. Especially when working a 9-to-5, it seems as though there is no time left when you get home to relax, make dinner, and relax before bed. That's why this kale medley recipe is one of my favorites - it's easy, it's delicious, and it's done in no time. Kale is such an amazing food to eat because it is incredibly versatile. Whether you have it as a salad green, as healthy baked chips, in a smoothie, or as part of your main entree (i.e., this recipe), it is...

At the risk of sounding petty, I'm going to share this with you on the encouragement of a friend who keeps prodding me to do so. My thought is who would want to read this, but here we go anyways.   Please comment below and let me know what you think. Do you get caught in moments like this? Patterns are funny. This is one that used to play out over and over.  Many times, often many times in the same day, I’ll find myself in a restroom where the busy person before me has used the last piece of toilet paper and has not replaced the roll. Or, will open the new roll and just set it on top. My...

It’s summertime and you might find yourself in the car headed somewhere fun with your family. Road trips can be fun- the opportunity for conversations, time together, shared adventure, seeing new places and taking the dog too!  Downsides of road trips can include sitting for long hours and really bad food options along the way. It can be tricky when you want to focus on being true to your healthy, happy self, but you also want your family to enjoy the trip without feeling as though they are being “held back” by your healthy lifestyle choices. After years of trial and error, however, I...

You hear a lot about exercise this time of year and getting in shape. I'll tell you the secret... one of the biggest keys to being able to exercise and to enjoy it and to stay with it is to find something you like. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? If you find yourself copping out on workouts or avoiding it all together, then you haven't found the right thing for you. When you find just the right thing you can't keep yourself from going every day. It becomes a place for sanity, salvation and you will completely understand “exercise addiction”. So if you think the only way to exercise is to...

A Post About Life I've been thinking a lot about death and dying lately. It is a season of dying~ many souls around me are in varying stages of passing through the end stages of life. For me it brings the question “How do I live”? The saying "As you live, so shall you die” comes into my consciousness over and over. Dying is a natural part of living, like being born. As I think about it, birth and death are THE 2 guarantees in life, everything in between is a complete crapshoot. For many of us, birth is a highly medically managed event, and death often times is too. What is it about these...

The "best of" is an interesting concept, and of course this is all subject to MY personal preference, but I will say, there are a few things that stand out from 2015 that I’d like to mention. These are the products and services that have brought me great joy as I go about my days and weeks . Some more superficial in nature, and some with great depth. I come back to these to over and over again and appreciate and feel grateful that they are in my life. Could I live without them? Absolutely. But the value that they bring to my day to day existence makes me feel loyal and connected to these...

When most of us think about a dietary detox, we think hunger or “that weird green stuff in my smoothie”. It can be difficult to sift through all the myths to find the real facts. Like a kitten going outside for the first time, I’m going to show you that detox isn’t what you thought and it’s not all about weird green stuff. MYTH 1: Detoxing is about losing weight. No. Detox is about abiding to the old proverb, “You are what you eat”. Harmful toxins from foods and drinks are stored in your body, so that guilty pleasure fast-food order wasn’t a one-time thing. It’s still there and we need to...

Award winning, singer/songwriter Colbie Caillat taught the modern music world a lesson in her latest music video, Try, by removing her extensions and wiping off her makeup mid-video. Against a white background, she sings about taking your makeup off, letting your hair down, and liking yourself for who you are; all while she does that exact thing on camera. It’s definitely a brave move and a bold statement, and I couldn't be more proud of her and what she stands for in this video. Colbie has openly admitted to feeling pressure by the press to always keep up the top appearances, but in this...

I was born and raised in Denver, CO- the oldest of 5 children. My mom (love you mom!) was a born, tried and true health food nut. I had the good fortune to be exposed to many varying food and dietary theories as a child (of course, I rejected them all at that point in my life). My first 2 college years were spent accumulating the “college 15” and having a great time doing so.  After my 2nd year, I began to be a bit more curious about my health. I had perfected the party girl lifestyle and frankly was a bit bored with that scene.   I began to volunteer at the health food co-op in trade for...

What do you think when you read this?  The first time I heard this, I was on The Hero’s Journey as a participant during a week for women in the high and wild mountains of west Virginia. Sasquatch may be real. Or may be a deer. Or maybe it really doesn’t matter- but screaming with your friends in the middle of the night and sleeping in the same tent is fun Food loving prepared by the hands of another taken outside after a day of adventure, connection, soul searching, sun on your shoulders tastes really, really good. People are good. And kind.  And mean well. Flip flops are nice in the...

How do you know? What would let you know that there is a blockage? And why would you care? Energetic blocks that show up physically or emotionally in the body are my most favorite to work with.   Find me a sore shoulder or other body part, anxiety that manifests in your stomach or chest or a case of constipation, among many other things, and I get pretty excited. Energy likes to be in motion. It’s the nature of energy to move…a block in your system can come from a trauma, an injury, hurt feelings, a decision…. Many factors can slow or impede energy.   You might feel this as an ache,...

# of years post college education: 7 and counting- really, I just can’t get enough. It keeps me connected, thinking and alive. What I’m studying now besides nutrition: Psychoenegetics- I’m 2 years though a 5 year training program Group facilitation through the Hero’s Journey Foundation Favorite junk food: Cheesy orange powder- chips and mac and cheese. I know this is a bad thing for me, and yet it just tastes good. If I’m going to splurge on something junky: Nachos with the works Favorite way to spend a day alone: Yoga, Pure Barre, walk with Lulu the dog, reading, napping and a nice long...