Thursday, April 24, 2014

Smell Good Feel Good with Essential Oils: 8 BodyMindSoul Boosters

I've been dabbling. Ok, so I dabble all the time. In body work (massage, acupuncture, network care, directional non-force technique chiropractic, sound healing...), in ways of eating (raw, paleo, vegan, slow food, seasonal, pastured meats, green smoothies...), in meditation (yoga, conscious dance, guided visualizations, zen, breath work...), I like to explore!

Why do I try all these wild things? I'm curious. I want to feel amazing. I love and respect my body. I want to live fully expressed. It's good for me to stretch out of my comfort zone and try new things. But mostly, I just want to know what works and feels best for me.

Dabbling is like dating. You make a date, show up, feel it out, see if the sparks fly, and then decide if you want to make another date. Over the past year of dating around, I've fallen in completely in love. I've been building up a relationship with them for over a year now.... Essential oils! Aromatherapy.

I've been using my sensitivity as a superpower to enjoy smelling more of life! Not to mention the amazing biochemical effects of using oils...

I was given my first tiny sample bottle over a year ago - and I was instantly hooked. It was a spicy blend of cinnamon, clove, orange... I can't remember every oil that was blended into the little bottle the size of my thumbnail, but I was smitten. I've been collecting oils ever since. Just a few months ago I received a Raindrop Technique massage, a powerful essential oil-based balancing and detoxing treatment. I was blown away.

And then it happened. Or, rather: I chose it. I said yes:

Last week I joined the Young Living essential oils family. I am now an aromatherapy consultant and am bringing oils to my coaching clients and friends! Essential oils are plant-derived and all-natural, though potent and powerful medicine in many cases. They can be used for refreshing and healing the skin, helping with digestion, boosting the immune system, relaxation, sleep, mental clarity and enhancing spiritual connection. Amazing, right?

Yes, skeptics might say there's some placebo effect in action. But at the end of the day, that's fine with me, because the placebo EFFECT is still real. And I've been feeling the effects firsthand. Not only has my body been loving them but I notice them effecting my mood, mental state and sense of intention, focus, ritual and self-care.



My 8 Favorite Essential Oils & Blends:
  1. Lavender: Versatile, gentle, cleansing and soothing for the skin. Relaxing, balancing, calming. Love to drift off to sleep with it and add it to my face moisturizer.
  2. Frankincense: Rejuvenating to the skin! It smells earthy, spicy, piney. Calming, it can increase spirituality and inner strength. Love it on my face and to enhance my sense of grounding and connection to center.
  3. Lemon: Boosts the body's natural defenses (you can eat it & cook with it)! A fresh, instant pick-me-up, promoting energy and mental clarity. Love 1-2 drops in my water bottle and salad dressing!
  4. Peppermint: Oh clear freshness! Supports digestion and eases tension. Uplifting and energizing aroma. Love it for when I get headaches from staring at screens too long.
  5. Ylang Ylang: (say ee-lang ee-lang) Relaxes the mind, balances masculine and feminine energies (your inner hustle and flow). Emotionally uplifting, helps control negative feelings such as frustration and anger. Love it daily to keep me balanced and flowing.
  6. Peace & Calming: My favorite blend, just look at the name! Deeply relaxing, promotes peaceful sleep. Keeps me calm and sane. Love to wear it... always. (Contains Tangerine, Ylang Ylang, Blue Tansy, Orange & Patchouli.)
  7. Thieves: Powerhouse blend that defends, protects and supports the immune system. Anti-bacterial, -viral, -septic, and -fungal! Cleans my kitchen and bathroom. Love it for traveling. (Contains Clove, Cinnamon, Rosemary, Lemon & Eucalyptus.)
  8. Joy: Creates magnetic energy, uplifts the heart and soul, raises your frequency. Love to diffuse it to set the tone of my day or the mood of a social gathering. (Contains Bergamot, Lemon, Palmarosa, Ylang Ylang, Rose, Geranium, Jasmine, Roman Chamomile, Coriander & Tangerine.)
If you're curious and would like to know how you can smell good AND feel good, contact me for an aromatherapy consultation (you'll get some coaching too!) and to order oils.

Other uses for Essential Oils (so your mind can run wild with ideas):

  • to alleviate menstrual cramps and support a regular cycle
  • to release stuck emotions and trauma
  • to open your chakras
  • to treat eczema, acne and reactive skin
  • to ease depression and anxiety
  • to increase sensuality
  • to decrease cravings and blood sugar imbalances
  • so that everyone will tell you that you smell amazing!!!

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

The BEST motivation to be good to yourself, EVER.


Is anyone else feeling some old frustrations coming up this month? I want to tell you a story...

I had a healthy and thought-provoking conversation recently with a woman, whom I'll call Emily. When we first sat down, she told me that her intention and ongoing project for this year is to step into the full expression of herself. (Whoa, awesome!) She told me about her desire to embody more of the divine feminine.

When I asked what that meant to her, she described to me a powerful woman, sitting up straighter in her chair and suddenly looking quite divine herself. "She just has this aura, this powerful presence. She knows who she is," she said, motioning in the air around her relaxed shoulders as if she was glowing. (Was she?)

I was intrigued and impressed. That sense and aura of power, of confidence and ease, of knowing what you want and need... yes, wanting that is very familiar to me. It's very familiar to all of my clients. To know and declare that is what you want is DEEP.

The core reason we were talking was because Emily was stuck around her diet. She is a health-conscious young woman, she loves food, but actually stocking her kitchen and making healthy, simple, easy meals happen... it wasn't. She knew she was cheating herself on this. Her sugar cravings are going wild, her skin is breaking out, and - maybe most significantly - she feels bad about it. It undermines her confidence and power. She told me with a sigh, "I know what to do, I have all the kitchen equipment, I'm just not doing it."

I asked her, "So how does this divine feminine, fully expressed woman you are stepping into this year, how does SHE want to feed herself? What does she do in her kitchen?"  Emily's eyes got wide. She hadn't connected those two pieces.

When I first committed to get truly healthy and take radical loving care of myself I didn't really know why it was so important to me either. I knew I needed to feel better and heal my gut. I wanted to have more energy. It only hit me recently that being healthy was the foundation for me to step out and follow my heart, to take risks in my business, and to get the most out of life. To find and know and express myself. That was the real reason I moved to San Francisco 4 1/2 years ago. And knowing what being healthy means to me is the BEST motivation EVER to be so good to myself in all my choices every day.

When we allow ourselves to know WHAT we want and WHY we want it, we can then see what we require to become that. And we give ourselves a powerful and meaningful anchor for the daily choices we make.

So who was this woman I have been imagining I want to become? I challenged myself one morning and this is what I wrote...

She walks tall and proud - not because she thinks she's all that - but because she knows herself and knows she's doing the best she can and that's good enough.
She knows that beauty comes from living in your truth, in choosing to allow yourself to be turned on by life, by sensations, by feelings, by being vulnerable and unafraid of mess.
She knows what she wants and she knows she has the power to make it real.
She's purposeful, intentional, thoughtful, awake and aware.
Her body is toned and strong, supple and flexible.
She knows what she brings to the table and how much it means to other people.
She knows what she's worth.
She's financially free, abundant and organized.
She's an unabashedly sensual and sexual being.
She's deep and watchful, expressive and artsy.
She's open and learning and constantly readjusting and she doesn't take anything too seriously.
She laughs easily, cries easily and feels opened and relieved after both.
She savors her food, eats mindfully and slowly, and only when she's hungry... or wants a taste.
She takes care of herself and doesn't worry about making other people feel uncomfortable.
She takes her time.
he listens to her body and her intuition.
She knows and loves her friends and makes quality time with them regularly.
She celebrates life.
She feels at peace in the world, in the universe, with her place in the cosmic unfolding.
She loves and supports her family roots and they love and support her back.
She is grounded and centered, she dances.
She loves fresh flowers and vegetables, nature and trees and lakes.
Her art is a celebration of life.
Her movements are a reflection of what she wants to create in the world.
She believes all things are one, all things are whole, all things are connected.
She calls herself a fascinating creature.
She calls herself Alex.
She calls herself beauty.
She calls herself deep.
She calls herself love.

We all MUST start with getting clear about what we want. Is there something that's been dragging on you in your lifestyle or health? Something you feel like you should have figured out by now, that you can do, you just haven't put in the effort yet? When you're feeling like "I should be able to do this myself!" that's a tell-tale sign to get someone on your side so you WILL make it happen, my friend.

It's easy to miss the parts that are holding us back and keeping us looping back into old patterns until someone else holds up the mirror. Change can happen just by seeing something new.
I'm offering a few different Spring coaching specials (ridiculously awesome deals) right now. If you're feeling frustrated or stuck in a rut (or on a roller coaster), I invite you to PLEASE put yourself into my calendar for A Healthy Conversation. It's a free coaching session, it's a consultation, it will put you back in the driver's seat. Let's get you to clarity together.