Why New Years Resolutions Don't Work

Do you make new years resolutions? If so, have they been successful?

Research and experience tells us that most resolutions fail. This, I believe, is because they are made from a place of fixing something, or misguided desires, or that who we are isn’t good enough.

Here are a few common examples…..

I will start a diet and lose 10 lbs (fixing a perceived weight problem)

I will stop procrastinating (indicating there is something wrong with your behavior)

I will start saving my money (indicating a sense of lack)

We summon our will power, set goals, and imagine how happy we will be when we achieve them. But then fall short after a week or a month, and give up!

This, my friends, is where the problem lies. It’s not that setting goals is a bad thing, but it usually comes from our ego (our sense of self and self importance) not from a deeper heart felt place.

Heart Mudra

We know that to make any lasting change it needs to come from a deep intrinsic place within you.

So what I might suggest is to consider what the yoga tradition teaches…creating a Sankulpa, a refreshing alternative to new years resolutions.

A Sankulpa (resolve or vow) starts from the premise that you already are who you need to be to fulfill your life’s dharma (life purpose). All you need is to focus your mind, connect to your most heartfelt desires, and channel the divine energy within.

According to Rod Stryker, yogi and author of The Four Desires “By definition, a Sankalpa should honor the deeper meaning of our life. A sankalpa speaks to the larger arc of our lives, our dharma—our overriding purpose for being here.” 

A Sankalpa can take two forms. The first is what Richard Miller, clinical psychologist and yoga practitioner, calls “the heartfelt desire,” a statement that reflects your true nature. This doesn’t come from the intellectual mind. The resolve comes from deep within us, directly out of the mystery of who we ultimately are. It then informs our mind of a particular direction that we need to take, or are taking in our life.

The second form is that of a specific intention. Setting specific intentions can help you align your moment-to-moment daily choices with your heartfelt desire. Look forward into the next year and ask yourself what specific things need to happen to move you forward on your path. Your specific Sankalpa will describe what you need to do, and where you need to direct your energy, to make progress on your larger life goals.

This second Sankulpa can look like a new years resolution, with one big difference. New years resolutions again mostly come from the ego, from a place where we feel lack or don’t feel good enough. Sankulpa by its definition, comes from a deep place within you, your heart. You know it to be true, you don’t have to create it in your mind.

In order to connect to your Sankulpa, your true nature and desire, you need stillness, to get quiet and listen. Ask the question – what is my life purpose? This answer is as individual as you are. It is already there, you just need to discover it.

A Sankulpa is a statement of deeply held fact, and a vow that is true in the present moment.

For this reason, your Sankalpa—both the heartfelt desire and the specific intention—should be stated in the present tense.

Rather than saying I will lose 10 lbs – you could say I feel my best and have the most energy 10 lbs lighter.

When your Sankulpa is complete, you can recall it throughout each day, helping you remember your true calling and desire.

Once you have identified and planted the seed of your Sankulpa, you can begin the process of strengthening sankulpa shakti, the energy to take the action required by your resolve. This is not will power but a desire to move toward your dharma.

So if your deepest desire is to feel healthier and more vital at 10 lbs lighter - each decision you make takes you closer to that resolve. Another way to say this is every conscious choice you make is an opportunity to strengthen sankulpa shakti.

The Sankulpa really describes who we are and how we move in the world when we’re in harmony with ourselves. This is a beautiful way to live our lives – with intention and resolve.

Let 2026 be the year of deep discovery, deep desire and intention, and to live your life’s purpose!

How Meditation helps me (and you) be a Better Human

Walking in nature meditation

Do you meditate?

Many women I talk with about this say no because they can’t stay with it. They want to meditate, they may even start a practice, but then it goes awry.

I find this interesting. Like most things that are valuable to incorporate into our life, it may take some effort and trail and error until we find our way.

This is how it was for me with meditation.

I have wanted to have a consistent practice for years. Basically ever since I became a yoga teacher in 2001. But I just couldn’t find the practice I wanted to stay with and I couldn’t be consistent. It seemed the minute something happened in my daily routine that would throw me off, I’d let it go.

I knew that if I stayed with meditation long enough it would become a habit (just like anything else we do) and I would begin to reap the benefits like more focus and concentration, less reactivity (respond rather than react), better listening skills, less tension and anxiety, and so much more.

This was the reason Chris and I made the December 2024 healthy habit meditation! It’s the best practice you can do for your overall health & wellbeing.

Singing bowl or sound meditation

So how did I become more consistent?

I joined a group. After trying apps and other options I knew, I realized I needed a little more accountability. I meet with them each morning on zoom for a 20 minute practice. At first I just liked having somewhere to be, rather than practicing alone. But over time, I found that the energy of the group held me and helped me look forward to my practice. Even when I can’t meet with them, I have a recording, or I do it on my own.

And now I can say that I have a daily (OK almost daily) 20 minute practice that really helps me be a better human!

Mindfulness Meditation

How am I a better human?

I have more patience / I am a better listener / I am not as reactive / My digestion is better / My stress levels are down / and the best part is I can see and catch my own crazy tendencies and redirect myself quickly.

You know what I mean? The parts of us that are judgy or angry or afraid. Living in this chaotic world can be challenging, and it kicks off our protective tendencies that we all have.

But here’s the thing - that doesn’t make us a better human. It only makes us reactive and blaming the world for our feelings.

So if you would like to be less reactive and more responsive in the world, try meditating for even 3-5 minutes each day. You will be surprised at how easy it is once you say YES.

Meditate anywhere you feel stable and grounded

What meditation to do?

Before we answer that, lets start with a couple simple pointers.

First sit in a comfortable position, like your favorite chair. No you don’t have to sit like a yogi, just sit so your back is supported and you feel grounded.

Next, be in a quiet space. This helps especially when you are first starting. Somewhere you won’t be disturbed is ideal.

Then, set your timer, close your eyes and breath. That’s it.

Jon Kabat-Zinn says don’t try to stop your mind from it’s thoughts - you can’t achieve this. And if you try, all you’ll get is a big headache! All we can do is watch the thoughts come and go. At first it’s like a crazy monkey mind, but over time, you’ll notice the thoughts are less and not as jumpy.

This is where we create the calm stable mind that everyone wants!

I personally like an anchor to come back to when I get distracted with my thoughts. The easiest way is to watch the breath come and go through the nostrils or feel it in the body. I like a mantra that I say in my mind. Anyway you can find to keep coming back to the present moment works.

If you’re saying to yourself - I can’t meditate, I never could. I’m going to challenge you’re giving up too soon. Nobody is good at anything when they first try. Learning to play an instrument, learning a new language, learning how to use chopsticks! You get the point.

And if you really feel challenged and can’t be consistent, join a group like I did.

Give yourself the gift of daily meditation. Try different approaches until you find what works for you - then do more of that. You will become a better human - I promise!

The link between gut health and mental health - it's REAL!

My journey with gut and mental health started years ago.

I work brings me purpose and joy

At the time, I didn’t realize what was happening. I developed IBS back in the early 90’s and was immediately treated with medication, which helped but…..

I then developed depression. Basing it on the fact I had a difficult relationship and moved away from friends and work I loved, I agreed to antidepressants which helped, but….

I would later again develop gut related stress symptoms, that made me look at what types of food I was eating. I chose to eliminate the common foods that can cause gut issues like gluten, dairy, corn, eggs, and legumes. It helped but…..

Santa Fe River

My gut and my brain were experiencing stress related symptoms, as I was living a very stressful life. The gut and brain are related. When our gut isn’t functioning optimally, our brain experiences symptoms like depression and anxiety (which are on the rise). Treating our gut or mental health without looking at the other doesn’t make sense.

It wasn’t until I learned that my daily choices and lifestyle were at the root cause of my diseases.

Dr Casey Means, author of Good Energy states: Hoards of scientific studies have suggested that diet and gut health have a profound impact on our mental health outcomes through the “gut-brain axis” as well as by the way in which our gut lining can protect our bodies from system-wide inflammation that can then trigger symptoms in the brain.

Some of the symptoms that are related to gut/brain imbalances are

• Depression & Anxiety

• Chronic Fatigue & Brain Fog

• All Digestive Symptoms

• Chronic pain anywhere in the body

• Sleep disturbances

These symptoms are rapidly becoming “normal” in our society, but they are far from normal! They are common which is different and most people do what I did - they take medication to fix their symptoms without looking under the hood as to why they have them in the first place.

For me it was not realizing how I pushed myself daily, didn’t deal with my stressful situations, and kept moving at 100 miles an hour each day, falling into bed exhausted, and doing it all again the next day.

The body can’t handle it and over time it will start showing symptoms. Especially when we move toward perimenopause time.

So what to do?

First, look at your daily choices and the way you live your life. Are you taking quiet time each day for meditation or contemplation or prayer? Are you eating clean whole nutritious foods regularly? Do you rest when you are tired?

Then spend more time doing what you love. Women have been taught to do for others and put themselves last, but for true vibrant health, especially during perimenopause and beyond, the opposite is true. Like when you fly and the airline steward tells you to put your oxygen mask on first before helping others.

At the heart of all dis-ease and imbalances is our daily choices. What time we go to bed, what we watch on TV, who we spend time with, and what and how we eat all have an impact on our health.

Sometimes it’s hard to see our own crazy. Sometimes we need support. If you have someone, go talk with them. If not, you can talk with me. I have experience personally with this issue AND I have education to help others.

I work through the lens of Ayurveda and Yoga, but I also have a background in health and wellness. There are things you can do right away to subside or even eliminate your symptoms.

You CAN have a happy, healthy, vibrant life!

Ocean is my happy place

Ayurveda and Sleep

This image shows us the elements of fire, earth, water, air, and ether

The study and ancient sister science to yoga, Ayurveda, has a unique perspective on how we get our best sleep. And just like all other things in life, no one person is the same, therefore no one prescription is either.

You see we are all made up of the 5 elements of nature, just like plants, trees, rocks, and sky. These elements; earth, fire, water, air, and ether are within us all in various levels, making us unique human beings.

This is why we all look differently, act differently, and respond differently to our surroundings and daily living. I’m sure you have heard that every person is unique and identified by their fingerprints? This is also true for our eyes and our tongue.

We begin to identify our unique constitution in 2 ways

First by what is called our birth constitution or Prakriti. This is our own natural balanced state at birth. Second we identify where we are now, called our Vrikriti, our constitution based on our habits, our living environment, our experiences, etc. These two states are usually not the same, and this, my friends, is where the imbalances or dis-ease originates from.

We identify our imbalances or disturbances by what is called our Dosha. Ayurveda identifies 3 different Doshas, Vata, Pitta, Kapha, which help us know our own unique state of being. I will identify these in another post. When we know our Dosha, or our current dis-regulation, we can begin to bring ourselves back into balance.

How? By using the Ayurvedic principle of “opposites balance”. A simple way to understand this layered and complex science is to consider what we instinctively do when we get hot or overheated. We drink cold water, or move under shade, or go indoors where it’s cooler. This is the principle of opposites balance in Ayurveda.

Once we know our Dosha, or our imbalance, we can start to implement opposite qualities to help our body find harmony again. It’s simple really, but can be challenging.

I love this practice as it hands the power back to us, rather than listening to all the noise around us. Are you confused as to how and what to eat, or how much exercise you need, or even what kind of work you should do? Yep you and everyone else! We can live in the world feeling empowered to make the best choices for us!

So back to sleep…..how does all this help us sleep better?

Sleep can be a lovely state of balance and harmony or not!

When we know and understand our Dosha, we begin to understand how the choices we make on a daily basis may not be the best for our unique constitution.

Here’s another simple example: let’s say your typical dinner time is 7:30pm. And your typical bed time is 10pm. You may do this for a variety of reasons, maybe you like to “dine” in the evening, or maybe you work late and can’t make dinner earlier? The reason doesn’t really matter. But let’s say your constitution needs you to have longer time to digest your food. This pattern of only 2.5 hours between your last meal and your bedtime doesn’t allow for complete digestion. When you go to bed not fully digesting your food, your body can’t rest, because it’s still at work digesting your last meal! This absolutely disrupts your sleep pattern.

Now, in this example, everyone is different. We all digest at different rates based on our Dosha. So listening to general guidelines may not work for you!

Knowing your Prakriti, Vrikriti, and Dosha can empower you to make YOUR best choices.

Does this interest you? Are you curious about your constitution and how you can make simple lifestyle choices to live in balance and harmony?

If so, book an Ayurvedic Health Session with me HERE. After this first session you will have a better understanding of who you are at a constitutional level, and walk away with specific guidelines that you can use forever to help keep you in health and harmony.

How I Manifested my very own Beach House!

I manifested my very own beach house and I’m still in awe to how it all transpired!

It all started last year when I began meditating with a group online. I meditate daily, which has been a blessing to help me stay consistent, as before I would stop and start. Yes, me the yogi, couldn’t stay consistent!

I also had a long time fantasy about someday having my own beach house, just a little place that myself and my friends could go to and enjoy.

But there was this thing that got in the way of this dream….my limiting belief that it was just that, a fantasy. I could never have such a big thing, I certainly don’t make enough money to afford my own home, plus now I live in New Mexico!

Then one day, I’m walking with a friend, who was telling me how she could have her money sit in a bank account, where she could look at the numbers on her computer, but she would much rather be in the happiness business and put her money into a beach property where she and others could enjoy it.

Then it hit me! I had money in the bank. It felt safe to have it there, but it sure wasn’t bringing me any joy! I wanted to be in the happiness business too! And that one chat with my friend, along with my daily meditation, helped me to see my limiting belief that I could never have what I wanted.

So I started to take action, finding a realtor, looking at properties, talking to people who supported my idea.

All along I was meditating, and envisioning this reality. I even drew a picture of the house, at my daughters suggestion, to help me manifest it into reality.

And it worked! Just like that I now I own a little piece of heaven near Bethany Beach, DE.

How did it work? Well I believe the combination of daily meditation and having people around me that supported my desire, helped me to FEEL the reality, not just dream it. There is a difference, and I could feel it. I like to call it being in a higher vibrational state of joy, possibility, and creativity. When you are in this higher vibration, the fear and doubt and limiting beliefs drop away.

Daily meditation is the key! Your brain actually changes when you meditate. Consistent practice decreases the area of the brain called the amygdala, responsible for our fear responses. This helps decrease anxiety, stress, and fear. It also increases the prefrontal cortex which deepens self awareness, increases our ability to concentrate and make decisions, and improve our mood. These changes allow for increased connection and possibility of what you really desire. What the yogi’s would call your Sankulpa.

So now I’m manifesting friends and family coming to enjoy this space I have created. I am renting it for the summer season, person to person, rather than use a rental company, and I’d love for you to check it out. It’s sweet, in a really quiet and safe neighborhood, that’s really close to the ocean by bike or car.

It warms my heart to think I’m now in the happiness business too! I smile just thinking about others enjoying what I’ve created, and my own time spent in my happy place.

And this is how I manifested my dream of having a piece of heaven at the beach.

My Newest Passion

Enjoying quiet time by the river

I’m writing today about my newest passion….well not really as I’ve been doing this work for more than 20 years, and combines years of experience in fitness, health, yoga, ayurveda with women.

Lately, I have felt inspired to create a circle of women, a Sangha, for deep connection, leadership, and tapping into our super powers (intuition and emotion).

A circle where it’s safe to tell our stories and be heard. Where we can enjoy a yoga practice just for us, dharma talks, meditation, and sharing time.

The energy of a women’s circle creates connection and community which is so needed for women. We thrive in this type of community. When we are or feel isolated from other like minded women, we can feel disconnected and stressed. When we are in community with women there is truth, heart, and purpose.

You may remember I hosted Women’s Gatherings in person for many years in Maryland. Now that I live in New Mexico, I am finding I want to have a community of like minded women to meet each month, to enjoy yoga, ayurveda, meditation, spiritual teachings, and most importantly sharing circle time with each other.

Women’s Moon Ceremony on the beach

Have you ever wanted to be a part of a women’s intentional group or circle? I know we all have book clubs and wine tastings and dinner parties. But what about something that can bring fulfillment and transformation? What about deep connection with like minded women to build a relationship of authenticity, purpose, and trust? A safe space where we can be who we are, without pretense, be supported and heard?

I don’t know about you, but this sounds fabulous to me!

Which is why I have created my brand new Online Monthly Women’s Gathering Circle. I am inviting the women I know to consider being part of this new group. To meet monthly, from anywhere in the world, share experiences, teachings, practices, and leave feeling nourished and fulfilled throughout the month.

Another benefit of this type of circle is once you feel nourished and heard, you move toward your more authentic self, no more pretending or over doing, or people pleasing. This is a big one for me. Only coming from a place of deep knowing throughout each month while you’re doing you. Then we come back together again to re-establish our new sense of self, what we really want, and how we really want to live.

You interested?

If you want to be part of this new Women’s Gathering Circle click the button below for all the details. We will meet each month, for a season (this first one is winter) where we build community, trust, and momentum towards our highest self and vibrant living.

Each time we come together we will have an opening circle share, a meditation, a yoga practice, a dharma talk, and final sharing. The sharing is key for us to be authentic and heard.

If you join me I will send you a FREE GIFT…..a special Women’s Gathering Circle Essential Oil Blend (only for us) and an aromatherapy bracelet that is made by a local woman who works with gems and crystals. I encourage everyone to wear it while we are together as a reminder of how we are all connected.

Our 1st circle begins on Sunday, November 12th. I would love to see you there. Questions? If after you have clicked the button with all the information you still aren’t sure, reach out to me. I’m happy to help you see if it’s aligned with where you are right now.

My message is changing

During my career, both as a fitness professional, and as a yogi and ayurvedic health counselor, my message has always been the same….the health and wellness of our body.

just hanging around on the fence

Now I’m not saying that’s not important, it certainly is, and many times its our gateway into deeper understanding, into our mind and thoughts, our emotions and feelings. These 2 factors drive our behavior, which is something I’m currently interested in.

Why do we do the things we do, over and over again, wondering why we don’t have the life we want? Why do we go to workshops and classes, learn new things, and then not incorporate them? Why do we stay stuck in our repetitive cycles year after year?

I know someone who always used to say “there just is not enough time in the day to do all the things I want to do”. This was true for her while she was a young working woman, but now she’s retired, she continues to say the same thing. It’s not that there isn’t enough time in the day, but that she BELIEVES there is never enough time to do the things she wants to do.

With access to so much information we can always find the next to do list for whatever we desire. Want more focus and attention - do more meditation. Want to feel less pain in your body - do more yoga. Want to lose weight - eat more fruits and vegetables.

Now I’m not saying these things aren’t important, as they certainly are. But the list is too simple, and lets be honest, we don’t follow them anyway. We continue on the never ending quest to find the best answer to our problems, like finding the best purse or pair of shoes…and never really finding them!

Recently I was part of a masterclass where the host talked about a magical life. What the heck is that I wondered. Well her simple answer is….we can all have one if we stay conscious, become aware of not only our desires, but what holds us back, and trust the process. And sometimes it doesn’t feel like magic, but it is all the same. And you just don’t know where these magical moments can take you.

Here’s my story about magical moments…..

8 years ago, in 2015, I ended my 40 year marriage. Yep you read that right, 40 years! It was coming for a long time, and it was a good thing. Of course it was really challenging and hard, and there was no way I would say it was magical. But then….my daughter, who had just had a baby, needed my help. She asked me to come to Santa Fe, maybe to stay for a while or maybe forever.

As I packed up my house and closed my business, I realized this could be a magical moment. I had no idea what was in front me but I went on an adventure driving across the country to Santa Fe. I wasn’t really sure what any of this new adventure would look like once I arrived, but I kept feeling this loving hand on my back, moving me forward, step by step. And, my ego (which is always trying to understand and make sense of what is happening) kept reminding me, I could always go home.

I was uncertain as to whether I would stay, but I was happy to be with my daughter and her family, and build a relationship with my granddaughter and grandson.

Then the most amazing experienced happened, something I could have not ever imagined! You see I fly often, back and forth from Annapolis to Florida (as my sister lives there) and to Santa Fe (as my kids live there). My habit is to read and be quiet while on the plane, not allowing myself to get pulled into conversation with people around me.

Well this one travel experience, I met a man on an airplane as I was coming back to Santa Fe from Annapolis. He sat in the middle seat right next to me, this big tall man, and I thought, oh brother, there are lots of seats around and you pick this one! Neither one of us were talking to or interested in each other. Then this magical thing happened. A woman sitting on the window side got up to use the bathroom. Little did we know she had a dog in a carrier under the seat. Well that little dog got out and began wondering around our feet looking for her human. So I did what any dog loving person would do. I threw the book I was reading on this mans lap, and reached down, picked up the dog, comforting it until her mama came back.

After everyone settled back down, I looked at this man for the first time since he sat down. And we began talking, and talking, and talking. And instead of asking me for my phone number, he gave me his email and said if I ever wanted to keep talking, let him know.

Really? I was kind of stunned, but in a good way! I had no intention of contacting him, but again that little voice, that knowing, kept showing up saying, why not? Are you going to live in fear your whole life or are you going to stay open and experience life (ie: notice and go after the magical moments)?

So I contacted him and we started dating, cautiously at first, as remember, I had just ended a 40 year marriage, and my new mantra was I’m happy to be single living the life I want to live!

But there was something about this man that kept drawing me toward him….not what you would expect, but a slow, kind, emerging relationship where I felt safe, seen, and heard for the first time in many years.

Fast forward to 2022, and we got married! Yep after 3 years of dating, and 3 years of living together (through the pandemic no less) we said yes to loving each other forever in the sweetness of close family and friends in our New Mexico backyard.

Wedding day May 1, 2022

When I contemplate these events, I can’t even explain the MAGIC in them….and I couldn’t have known any of it. All of it occurred from a deep knowing, and that invisible loving hand to end my marriage and move to Santa Fe.

I owe it all to taking a chance, to my awareness, perspective, and trusting that little voice that we all hear, but many times don’t listen to!

Well it’s time to listen and pay attention, because there is MAGIC everywhere around you!

And that, my friends is what I’m interested in now. To share a message of YES we can create the life we want, it does take some effort and awareness, maybe be part of a like minded community, and a little quiet time to listen, but YES we can make magic and the life our dreams.

Was it easy…heck no. But there was clarity, even when it was hard. I had to learn to listen and trust my own voice, and not get pulled sideways by what I like to call the “next shiny object” (the new place to live, or the friend who seems to have all the answers, or the newest diet or healthy habit). You see wherever you go there you are! It’s me, myself, and I all of the time.

So why not create YOUR magical life? What do you need? How can I support you in this new adventure?

Muscle matters

As a woman, have you ever thought about your muscles? Aside from how they look that is.

I’ve written about this before, but muscle matters…..a lot!

When we have good muscle tone, not only do we look better in our clothes (although muscle is heavier than fat, it takes up less space), we have more energy, we burn fuel (the food we eat) more efficiently, and we are healthier overall.

young or old we all need good muscle tone

Let me explain….

The research and studies previously done on muscle were always done on men, young healthy men. Now they are starting to study women, as we are different (we are not “little men”). Our hormone structure and how we metabolize fuel is vastly different, and research is now finding that women’s health is very dependent on whether we have good muscle tone.

From Tufts University

If, as you get along in years, you’re finding it increasingly harder to unscrew the lids of jars or to pick up your children or grandchildren, there’s a reason for that: sarcopenia. Sarcopenia, or age-related loss of muscle mass and strength, can lead to serious consequences, explains Roger Fielding, team lead for the Nutrition, Exercise Physiology, and Sarcopenia Laboratory at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts, and professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy.

“After the age of 35, both men and women start to lose muscle mass at a rate of about half a percent per year and muscle strength at a rate of about one percent per year,” Fielding says. “For women, sarcopenia is particularly significant because the peak muscle mass and muscle strength they achieve in their mid-thirties tends to be lower than it is for men. So, when they start to decline, they generally reach a critical level earlier in their lives.”

Along with being able to move about and do daily activities, muscle is now being researched as part of the endocrine system, releasing hormones and chemistry when active, that supports our total health (bone and brain health included) and wellbeing.

This is vitally important as we age. We are not destined to be weak, sick, and “elderly”….we have choices!

This is what good muscle tone can help you do! That’s me at 63 - hiking along the Oregon Coast

In doing my own research about current science with women and muscle it is clear that we need muscle to be healthy and vital as we age, not to mention fit and active. Women will not build big muscles, as many women fear, but we will activate muscle tone for this desired affect.

I’ve been strength training off and on since my early 30’s and I would not say I am bulky and over muscular. But I am fit and healthy, have good energy, and look and feel younger than my age.

Don’t we all want that?

Some of the major benefits of muscle tone for women

• Stable energy throughout the day

• Healthy strong bones

• Increased strength for daily activities

• Lowers risk of injuries

• Decreases risk of falls

• Enhanced mood and decreased stress

• Improves brain health: significant improvements in cognitive function

• Stronger and more mobile joints

• Improved cardiovascular health: decreased blood pressure, lower total and LDL cholesterol, and improve blood circulation 

• Improved metabolic health: helps manage blood sugar levels and reduce your risk of developing diabetes

• Promotes a better quality of life

Not sure about you, but all that sounds really great as we age!

As a woman do you strength train? For years all we ever thought was to do cardio and burn calories. Little did we know that was an incomplete story. To this day, if I go in the gym, I see women primarily spending and hour or more on cardio equipment and never hitting the weights! I’m here to share the “rest of the story” so women can be strong and vital as they age.

How to start building muscle? There are many ways…..

1. Join a gym and hire a qualified trainer to get you started. And please make sure they are qualified for your needs, not all trainers are created equal.

2. Look for workouts you like on youtube. This can be tricky, but if you have previous experience and know what to look for, there are a lot of free options out there.

3. Purchase a program or membership from experienced professionals online. Again this can be tricky, but if you read reviews or get recommendations from others you can find a good match.

Here are some guidelines to consider when you get started.

Whatever you do, make sure you start slow and build up as you’re ready. The biggest mistake I used to see with anyone really, but especially women, is they would do too much and get hurt, then quit. Like when you season food, you can always add more, but you can’t take it away. You can always make your next workout a bit harder if it’s too easy, but you can’t recover well if it’s too hard.

Build in recovery days. Did you know it’s during your recovery period that your muscles repair and grow, not during the workout! #Truth. So make sure you build in recovery days. The older and more unconditioned you are the longer recovery you need. You can do easy movements like walking or yoga, but strength training needs to wait until you no longer feel sore, you have good energy, and there is a desire to workout again.

Start with 2x a week, then see how you feel. If you feel great and want to add a third day, do it, but research shows you definitely will improved with twice a week.

Speaking of research, here’s a great one! You don’t need an hour or more to produce benefits. My workouts now are about 20-30 minutes. I break up my workouts with variety (because I know how and so I don’t get bored) and I get stronger!

Lastly, remember our muscles are really really good at adapting to the demands. So if you do the same workout over and over again, your muscles will adapt pretty quickly and then you’ll coast, you won’t stimulate the muscles for continued growth. So change it up periodically.

The final take away is that ALL women need to be strength training no matter what age they are to be healthy and vibrant. Find like minded women to support your efforts. Connect with people who will motivate you and cheer you on when you have an off day. Although I don’t work as a personal trainer anymore, my experience and background definitely helps with my work. Reach out if you are interested in learning more.

What is the perfect weight?

It’s a new year and many people are interested in their body and their health, and want to make different choices.

Question #1 – Do you worry about your body weight?

Is it too much, is it too little, what can I do to be at the “perfect” weight?

Who gets to say what weight is perfect?

When I worked as a personal trainer, we were given charts to categorize a person’s weight and body fat percentage…normal, underweight, overweight, obese, even morbidly obese. I stopped using it almost immediately as it certainly didn’t empower anyone, in fact I felt it was dis-empowering.

I believe everyone has their own unique body size. To categorize us into a shape and a number has nothing to do with health and wellbeing. I’ve known “skinny” people who were over fat and unhealthy, I’ve known over weight people who were really healthy and happy.

Our weight depends on many factors….genetics, our bones and structure, our metabolic health, whether we take medication, and so much more.

So what is one to do? And I’ll give you a hint, it’s not just calories in and calories out, especially for women.

I believe the factors you need to focus on are…..

• your health (how are your lab numbers or is there any dis-ease)

• your vitality - do you feel strong and enjoy daily activities

• your daily choices and habits (do they support your wellbeing)

• your response or reaction to stress

• your food and activity levels

If you are healthy, vital and strong, and have good lifestyle habits, what difference does it make what number the scale says you are?

We all fall into this trap. I know I do. But guess what? Unless you know your fat percentage and lean body mass (like muscle), the number on the scale is just that….a number. It has no reference to how “healthy and fit” you really are.

Question #2 – should you use a scale?

Maybe…..it is a tool to track how you’re doing. Sometimes we need to see numbers to pay attention to our choices and habits.

Here’s an example I can use…..

You may remember I used a consistent glucose monitor (CGM) a couple months back as I wanted to see how my food and stress levels affected my glucose numbers (for metabolic health). And if you didn’t see that blog, go back and read it, you can find it at the bottom of this post.

Well I kind of new I was eating more bread than usual, and that I wasn’t handling my stress well (why do we drop our meditation practice) but so what right?

Then I saw the glucose spikes and I realized I was kidding myself!

So I changed my habits….stopped eating bread, having the snack mid day that I knew wasn’t great anyway (Ayurveda teaches snacking is not optimal), and started meditating again. It all helped.

If you don’t have a way to check in with yourself about how your choices may be affecting you, well then you may also be in denial!

How does this relate to weight? Some people just know they feel pretty good, they have healthy habits over 80% of the time, they don’t have other symptoms of imbalance (like digestive issues) and their energy levels are balanced throughout the day. They may use their own understanding of their body to monitor how they’re doing. They don’t need a number on scale.

But some of us may need a tool to help us stay focused with our habits. (like my CGM) But that number on the scale should not be from a chart, it should be from your own knowing of who you are and how you’re feeling, and a realistic look at your daily choices and habits.

Most of us know our optimal weight intuitively. Not the number we were when we were teenagers, that’s unrealistic. But the number you know is best for you right now!

And in case you haven’t heard this phrase before…..we are not a culture of over fat, we are a culture of under muscled! You see, if we keep or build muscle as we age, then our body naturally finds its natural balanced state.

So here is another thing about numbers on the scale or body weight. If you weigh the same as you did say 20 years ago, do you have the same muscle/fat ratio? Most women do not. I just saw someone recently, her body was definitely different than it used to be, and she was bragging that she’s the same weight as she was in high school. She doesn’t exercise, and she doesn’t have the same muscle/fat ratio, so what good is the number?

Deceiving right?

Question #3 – are you in denial?

I know many women who won’t use a scale, they just don’t believe in it, but then they don’t hold themselves accountable for their daily actions in other ways. They ignore it. Well you know what happens when you do that? You start to get symptoms of dis-ease…..joint pain, inflammation, bloating & gas, lethargy, sleeplessness, and so on.

You see, weight imbalance (too much or too little) is a symptom of our daily choices and how we live our life, and our body not being in an optimal state. So if you know who you are and what you want, you’ll make choices toward that result. If you ignore what you do, you can end up with an imbalance.

Our bodies are really smart, and are communicating with us each and everyday. What is your body trying to tell you?

As women we have spent way too many hours, days, years thinking and worrying about the number on the scale, and it’s time to stop. Lets instead focus on our health, our energy levels, our daily choices and activities, and move away from guilt and shame toward acceptance and joy.

Chris and I help women focus on how they can live in balance and harmony toward their best life. What is that for you? Once you identify what that is, you can make daily choices toward your most amazing life. And if that means your body size isn’t optimal (or where you feel it needs to be) then we help you see different options…you can create a different story.

Let’s create a different story, one of freedom from worry about the number on the scale, and live a life of health and balance this year.

Getting to Know Yourself a Little Better

Reflection time

Do you think you know yourself?

This question has always been curious to me, how can I not know myself? Of course I know myself!

Well maybe not…..

Here’s a story about me that I can share to help us understand.

I HAD (happy to say) IBS for years during my 30’s and 40’s. It was irritating at best, debilitating at worst. Some days I just couldn’t work or function. As a fitness professional, this was an issue, being bloated and in pain most of the time.

So, off to the doctors I went and they put me on a drug that relaxed my colon so I wouldn’t have spasms. I didn’t really care what it was (the name escapes me at the moment) all I cared about was getting relief.

Can you relate?

And I went on like this for quite some time, not caring or understanding why I had IBS, just that the medication worked!

Then one day it stopped working. You see the imbalance that was at the root of the issue was never discovered or went away. But I didn’t know this at the time!

So I started investigating my choices and habits. I mostly focused on food as that is what I “thought” was the issue. Well I found that most of the foods I ate were problematic. The foods (at that time) that were supposed to be good for you, really didn’t work for me. I couldn’t find a doctor that could help me, so I just kept on doing the best I could.

This is where “getting to know yourself” is important.

You see what I didn’t know was how stressed out I was. I was working full time as a fitness professional (which I loved) raising 2 kids, and in a not so great marriage. Trying to “make my marriage work” along with all the other stressors, was just too much for my body to handle. So my “gut” was trying to tell me to shift, make a change, don’t keep doing the same things you always do.

Our gut is really smart, it has more neurons than our brain, and will many times be the first part of our body to communicate that something isn’t right.

So once I realized it was stress – now what????

This is where the harder part of knowing yourself comes in. You see, once you know something you can’t unknow it. Once you see something you can’t unsee it. So we have to make choices. We can either ignore our information, continue to do the same things we always do, and continue to move more and more out of balance. Or we can start to pivot, and see if a little shift helps bring us back toward balance.

And if you don’t already know….continued imbalance over time leads to dis-ease!

Getting to know yourself on a deep level, then doing something about it, takes courage. But the outcome can be very profound! We have the power to change and create the life we want, whether it is in our current situation, eating different foods, or completely changing our environment.

Isn’t that amazing? We don’t have to be victims of our situation.

So the end of my story is that once I started to understand myself on a deeper level, I started to make different choices, and over time, I healed my gut, changed my environment, got support, and today I’m so much healthier.

We can do this! All we have to do is stop, take a pause, breath, and check in. Getting support really does help. Other people can see things we can’t. I wouldn’t be where I am today if I didn’t have amazing strong women around me, supporting me, helping me see what I couldn’t.

This is why I think I love creating programs for women. Whether it be the annual Women’s Gathering that I hosted for almost 20 years, or my workshops and yoga retreats, or my private and group classes. My audience is and always has been women.

Are you interested in being connected with like minded women for support, guidance, fun?

If so, keep an eye out for my 2023 offerings…here are just a couple coming up

The Power of Muscle - coming in January, this course teaches women what muscle is and why it’s important to have as we age. Each session incorporates part lecture with part activity. Each week you’ll learn a different way to build muscle safely and by the end of the 4 weeks, you will not only have a new habit, you will be on your way to healthier living.

Yoga and the Santa Fe river

The Enchanted Yoga Retreat for Women - coming in April, this retreat experience in Santa Fe NM. otherwise known as the “land of enchantment” will give you the opportunity to get to know yourself, the culture, and the environment on a deeper level. This very special retreat will be like nothing you have experienced before. I’m finalizing details now, so watch for my announcement in the beginning of the year.

Lastly you can join the private FB group - Empowered Living: Self Care for Women through Yoga and Ayurveda. Hosted by myself and Chris Lean, we post weekly about simple things we can do for self care. Hope to see you there.

One Month on a CGM

Did you happen to read in my previous blog about my curiosity around what my blood sugar levels were doing and how my lifestyle choices were affecting it? It’s called My Metabolic Health Journey if you want to go read it (the link is at the bottom of the page).

A consistent glucose monitor or CGM is a great way to watch in real time how your food and activities affect your overall glucose levels and fuel source. 

Have you ever wondered why you get tired after a meal, or mid day, or find yourself starving? Have you ever wondered why you don't have the energy to workout? 

Our blood sugar is directly linked to our metabolic health or flexibility. This means our body can use the fuel we eat effectively. When this happens our energy level and focus and concentration are great. When our body has metabolic inflexibility, well it’s not.

I like this analogy of a Prius car. When it needs energy to go it can shift from electricity to gas, quickly and efficiently. This is how our body is suppose to work.

Here is what I learned from 1 month of using a consistent glucose monitor (CGM)

• The food we eat is the primary factor in managing our glucose levels

• Foods that affect blood sugar the most for me….bread of any kind, treats of any kind, and pasta. A tuna fish sandwich spiked my glucose levels more than a dessert with dinner

• When I was stressed it affected my body’s inability to stay in an optimal range

• When my sleep wasn’t great, my blood sugar crashed during the night. This can be caused from poor breathing or waking many times during the night

• Walking after a meal really did bring my numbers back down. One day it spike from a breakfast I had, so I went for a 20 minute walk, and it was back in the normal range

• Fasting kept my blood glucose in the normal range, no matter how long it was

So, I felt my month long journey on the CGM was highly beneficial. And what I learned now, I will apply to my daily food and lifestyle choices.

If I want to have a sweet or a treat, then I need to eat it with a protein and fat heavy meal and make time for a walk.

I don’t necessarily have to live without my favorite things, I just needed to rearrange how I have them to best work for me.

A little bit of movement goes a long way. Walking, biking, and dancing is a wonderful way to stay active and manage your glucose levels.

Building muscle or keeping the muscle you have is another great way to keep a healthy metabolic level. If you’re interested in this topic, I will be offering my Power of Muscle course again in early 2023. This program will be a bit different than the first one, offering various ways to build muscle as we age, and educating women on what our muscle actually does for us (and it’s more than just moving us around ladies).

We polled the women in our FB group, Empowered Living for Women, and the number one issue they were interested in was exercising and yoga for aging women.

Another option I have to offer is our new 20 minute practices. These short practices are great if you don’t have a lot of time but want to workout and move your body.

There are 2 active practices, done in my Shakti Flow style. One for upper body and core, the other one for lower body and core.

The other 2 practices are more calming and wonderful for the nervous system and immune health. We need the calming practices too, for building resilience and being in a healing state.

It’s a great package, and a great gift for you and for a loved one. If you’re interested, click the link below to get more information and to purchase yours. The 4 sessions will come to you via email to use anytime you feel inspired.

My Metabolic Health Journey

I began my metabolic health journey by being curious about my bodies reactions to things like food choices, timing of food, my weight fluctuations, and exercise. What worked for me in the past wasn’t working now. So what’s the deal?

peaceful moment in Santa Fe

What we now know, is our body isn’t as resilient as we age. Aging does affects us, along with our food and lifestyle choices.

In the early days, I used to have coffee and a plain bagel for breakfast (heaven forbid I put something on top of the bagel in the 80’s and the fat free crazy days)! Then of course within an hour or two I’m starving, so I grab another cup of coffee and a donut! As a fit pro back in the day, I could eat anything as long as it didn’t have fat in it.

Do you remember?

So what this did to my body was make it really good at using the sugar I ate for fuel, and not great at using the long sustaining fat for fuel. I then adopted the belief at the time that eating 4-6 mini meals a day to “keep your glucose and energy levels up” was best. Well now we know that was really bad advice, and set us all up for having metabolic inflexibility or dysfunction.

One of my happy places, Rehoboth Beach, DE

So what is metabolic health or metabolic flexibility?

Metabolic flexibility is our body’s ability to have real, sustainable energy. It means our body can efficiently and effectively switch between using carbs and fats for fuel based on availability and need.

Our body uses stored glucose known as glycogen for short quick bursts like running up the steps and fat stores known as ketones for longer activities like walking.

Normally, when we eat a balanced food plan, we burn a combination of fats and carbs to meet our body’s energy demands. Metabolic inflexible individuals are usually fueled mostly by glucose (sugar) and their bodies are not able to adequately tap into their fat stores and adapt to metabolic needs.

There are many factors that affect our metabolic health. Along with our lifestyle and our food, researchers believe our mitochondria number and function play a crucial role in determining metabolic flexibility.

Our mitochondria is in every cell in our body. Mitochondria, when functioning optimally, will produce ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate), our energy source needed for all functions. But mitochondria can become unhealthy, even die off, leaving us with limited fuel sources and a condition called ICE or Insufficient Cellular Energy.

This can lead to metabolic disorders like type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance, obesity, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and much more.

Every disease and almost all biological aging can be tied back to mitochondrial health. 

Sue loves the ocean – Oregon coastline

What does this mean to you? 

It can mean that you lack sufficient good energy, have brain fog, have cravings and hunger, have difficulty managing your weight, and most importantly struggle to manage blood sugar levels.  

What we know is that if you have unstable blood sugar, it may not show up on your lab work and can go on for decades before detected. This will lead to increased fat cells and accelerated aging!

What can you do to improve your mitochondria health and metabolic flexibility?

1. Build healthy muscle - you can at any age! You know who can help you with that - ME!

2. Food is medicine - food choices will either make you sick or make you well. The research shows you need ample protein, fat, and fiber for optimal blood sugar levels, carbs last.

3. Meal spacing (what Ayurveda calls intermittent fasting) - research has shown that fasting between meals can support healthy glucose levels. This type of eating is very supportive to our mitochondrial health and metabolic flexibility for a balanced healthy state of sustained energy. 

4. Detoxing - periodic cleanses and detoxes can reset your system, allowing not only your digestion to reset but your metabolism to optimize your food for fuel and energy.

5. Lastly, a simple act of taking a short walk (10 minutes) after dinner can greatly support your metabolic function. This walk is leisurely, not a power walk, which helps to keep you in a calm nervous system response, our “rest and digest” and help our body utilize the food we just ate properly.

Hydrate for optimal energy levels

Back to my story……

So I began researching ways to monitor my own glucose levels, as I became confused with what and how to eat. Morning protein smoothies weren’t working, exercise left me exhausted, good carbs made me crash…I needed a way to monitor my actions to determine what was happening in real time.

This is why I purchased a Continuous Glucose Monitor or CGM. This simple device attached to the back of my arm, hooked up the the app on my phone, allowed me to eat, exercise, walk after meals, to see what was happening.

I’ve been wearing it for 10 days, and I have learned so much already!

What I have learned to date –

First, everyone is an individual, so what works for me most likely may not work for you - which is why it’s so important to monitor your own behavior.

I learned I NEED protein at every meal, in the way of animal protein, not the protein in yogurt or cheese or beans. When I don’t have this, my glucose spikes way up, I get a warning from the app (what happened?), and I need to go for walk to move the needle down.

Walking after a meal really does move the number down to a more optimal range. Only 10-20 minutes is needed to make a huge impact.

I learned that heavy exercise on an empty stomach (something I used to do all the time) does not work. Post workout I am exhausted, have brain fog, and basically feel lousy. So now I eat, wait an hour or so, then exercise….and I keep my exercise at a moderate level.

I learned that I need to keep my muscle mass healthy, that I feel better when I strength train, not crazy hard workouts, but specific training as muscle is considered the organ of longevity. And it only takes 20-30 minutes, the long hour long workouts aren’t optimal for me (or for most people actually).

I learned I need supports for my body, like supplements that target metabolic health. It was a total coincidence that doTERRA (you know I love their products) released a new product line called MetaPWR. These products are designed to help you keep even glucose levels, decrease the acceleration of aging, improve sleep, brain fog, energy, and weight management.

Tranquility

I share my story with you because if you’re not feeling great, metabolic health may be a factor, and what you’re doing isn’t working. And if you don't figure it out now, it will be harder later on.

I share my story to connect….we know that we connect through our stories more than through information.

I’ll keep you posted on my journey. To date I feel so much better, have lost a few pounds, don’t have my huge mood swings, and have sustained energy and focus throughout the day!

Be well my friends ~ Namaste

FEAR

Lotus Flower rising up toward the light

Recently I was taking a walk in our beautiful Santa Fe green space, and I began to contemplate the idea of fear. During this current time of COVID-19, fear is everywhere. You see it on people’s faces, you hear it in the news, and you wonder what will happen to us as humans living in this new normal.

Have you ever thought of fear as an acronym?

FEAR - Forget Everything And Run

FEAR - Face Everything And Rise

When I began to consider this idea, I realized that we have a choice. Each and every moment that fear shows up, and it will, we can choose to run or we can choose to rise.

When we are in Forget Everything And Run mode, we are in fight or flight! We see the thing, we fill with cortisol and adrenaline and we run and hide. We don’t want to face it as it’s scary and brings up tremendous reaction in the body/mind.

When we are in Face Everything And Rise mode, we are calm and can RESPOND rather than REACT to any given situation. Our mind is clear and we can think logically. Our lives feel easier, and we can handle the situation, even though there is much challenge around us.

Of course we would all love to be in the Rise mode, but it can be extremely challenging. Most likely we have had years of creating this response in our bodies. This is a time of non-judgement, this is an unconscious pattern as a reaction to our past experiences. Now is the time to have self compassion and begin to shift our habits.

So what can we do to shift?

Mindfulness comes to mind, stopping and taking a few deep breaths before saying anything or reacting comes to mind, daily meditation to train the mind to be in a calm state regularly comes to mine, taking great care of our selves comes to mind. So there are things we can do, to help us shift from Run to Rise.

Do you have a practice you can rely on? It can be hard with all the distractions of today’s world. As a yoga teacher I might suggest you take a yoga class or do some yoga to move your body and release some of the long held tensions we carry. As someone who believes in the power of meditation, I might suggest you find a simple daily practice to help train your mind. As an ayurvedic counselor I might suggest you look at your daily habits and choose only profound self care instead of sabotage.

Of course if you need any help, you know I’m here for you right? And if you’re interested in being part of a healing community of like minded beings, you have found the right place. Some of the programs available are:

The Power of Meditation 6 week Course ~ June 11-July 16, 2020

Online Yoga Classes 6 days / week

Private Online Coaching Sessions

Weekly Online Essential Oil Education Classes

Soon to come ~

New Advanced Chakra Energy Course

New Podcast with Co-host Chris Lean

I do hope you choose this new idea of FEAR - Face Everything And Rise ~ and join me if you like somewhere online as it’s easier to shift with a group rather than alone. Namaste

Meet the Bonnie Lassies

One of the blessings I have experienced during this time of COVID is the opportunity for connection with people I may not otherwise have meet.  I am so grateful to first of all, be able to offer my teachings on zoom, and secondly to have people who want to join me.  This is how we stay connected in a time where "social distancing" is required by everyone.  

I wanted to share this picture I took of them last Saturday and their story below with you. Take a moment to read this uplifting testimonial from these 7 beautiful women from around the globe.  

If you want to stay connected with not only me, but other friends (many groups of friends are joining in) I am teaching a full schedule this month, with the intention of continuing into the future.

• Hatha Slow Flow is for beginner/intermediate students who want to move around

• Yin Yoga is for anyone who wants a quiet practice to nourish their nervous system

• Essential oil classes for anyone wanting to learn how essential oils can help support their health and wellbeing. 

I have sent out my schedule and zoom link in other emails, so reach out if you want more information.  Stay connected and safe.  See you on Zoom!

WHAT IS AYURVEDA AND WHY SHOULD I CARE?

Do you know anything about Ayurveda?

Ayurveda is the sister science to Yoga, yep, and it’s pretty important to understand. Simply put Yoga is considered the Science of the Mind, and Ayurveda is considered the Science of the Body. So they team up pretty well together.

Ayu = Life

Veda = knowledge

So you can say it’s the Study or Knowledge of Life!  As you can imagine this is a huge concept and complicated study. For today, lets keep it focused on the body and how you can get started understanding this amazing system.

Ayurveda is a medical science with it’s purpose to heal and enhance the quality and longevity of life.

Ayurveda has been practiced for thousands of years in India, and is only recently becoming more well known here in the west.  The teachings from long ago are proving true today, blending the ancient study of Ayurveda with current science.  

Life = meaning all life and everything to do with nature.  Ayurvedic teachings tell us that we are a combination of the natural elements which are earth, water, fire, air, either.  And when we fall ill or are in dis-ease we are actually out of balance with our own natural elements.  

How do we know what our natural elements are or what our natural balance is?  When we look at Ayurveda we are looking at the qualities or natures of our own individual selves. You can consider we are a microcosm of a huge macrocosm!

A simple way to sense the elements within us is to rub your hands together vigorously for about 1 minute to create friction and heat. Then put your hands up to your face and see what you notice. The heat is fire; the friction and tingling is air/either; the slight sweat on your palms is water; the solid palms themselves are the earth.

Prakriti - how we are born into the world.  We are all born with a certain balance of the natural elements.  

Vrikruti - how we are now and usually not the same as when we were born. Life circumstance, habits, location of where we live now, all kinds of things contribute to this shift from our natural state.

We can all look at our lifestyles and see how we may be different now than when we were younger.  We realize we are not just older, but systems aren’t as strong and vital, which by the way isn’t normal!

When working with Ayurveda we look at our daily habits and our constitution (balance or not) and make lifestyle choices to support our total wellbeing.

“According to Ayurveda, health is a continuous and participatory process that embraces all aspects of life; physical, mental, emotional, behavioral, spiritual, familial, social, and universal.  Achieving balance on all levels of being is the true measure of vibrant health”.

This means we are part of our own healing and also part of our own dis-ease.  We don’t just get sick.  Our body has an innate intelligence to come back to balance, as long as it’s given the proper support.  

As an example; let’s say you had the habit of going to bed really late, and having to get up really early for work, and this was your daily habit.  Over time your body starts to react - you feel sluggish and tired, so you drink coffee or an energy drink through out the day to keep going. Do this long enough and the body can’t keep up, so systems start to break down.  Like your immune system gets compromised and you get a viral infection, or you start to notice your balance is off and you end up falling and injuring yourself. These are simple examples of how what we do affects the function of our body, and how easy it is to ignore until the message is too loud!

I love Ayurveda because it doesn’t label us as bad or good, it just looks at our natural balance and offers lifestyle choices, food, and sometimes herbs to help bring us back to balance.  

How can we figure out our natural elements or our constitutions? 

Ayurveda calls our constitution the Dosha’s. There are many quizzes online you can take to help you identify your individual nature or dosha.

Here is a simple QUIZ you can take right away.

There are 3 Dosha’s; Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. We are a combination of all 3, but have primary natures which categorizes us into usually one Dosha. 

Vata - natural elements of air/either

Pitta - natural elements of fire/water

Kapha - natural elements of water/earth

When you take a quiz, you can get an idea as to what Dosha you are.  When I first learned about this, I was excited to learn my specific Dosha, and if I got out of balance, there were simple things to do that can bring me back into balance.  

And what happens if we ignore this balance?  We get sick, or injured, or get depressed or have anxiety.  We do not need to live in suffering especially when we can add simple lifestyle practices or a shift in food to help us get back to our natural balance.  

This is why I love Ayurveda so much.  It allows us to be humans and have experiences and then make adjustments if we go out of balance.  Keep It Simple Sweetie (KISS).

Curious? Want to learn more? You can go to my YouTube Channel - Wellness with Sue to watch my vdeo’s on Ayurveda and the 3 Doshas. You can also reach out to me via the contact page to request a consultation.

Focused Friday

I’ve re-created my Fridays to “Focused Friday” get stuff done day! Most people might consider Friday part of the weekend, therefore not being very productive, and looking more to the fun of the weekend.  

If you work, you may be part of this group, like me.  I have found that Monday’s and Friday’s can be amazing high focus days.  What do you need to get done?  If you don’t work, is there “wasted time” spent through out the day, when you have other more important things you want to do?  This focused day idea can work for anyone. 

Is it self care (like a commitment to exercise), or cleaning, or organizing (my hardest part)?  Do you need a focus day to get stuff done?  What day would that be for you?

I challenge you to create a focus day for yourself, then commit to it for a few weeks and see if it doesn’t start to help you feel lighter and have more free time.  I know when I do this, I have more time to do what I enjoy, rather than not having enough time or feeling overwhelmed.

Recently I heard a podcast from a functional medicine doctor, Chris Kesser M.S. L.Ac, where he challenged the listener to notice how much time is spent chasing notifications or other people’s requests.  How much we loose when we are not focused on our own needs and things we want or need to get done. This really spoke to me, as I can have this tendency.  When I react to others I don’t get any focused work done, it’s just busy work. Kind of like picking up clutter around the house, when you know you need to do a deep clean. 

I’ll be excited to hear if you created your own focus day and if it works for you! Stay tune…I’ll report how it’s going in a few weeks.

Yoga News

This past Saturday I offered a Yoga Therapeutics Workshop that focused on healthy function of the hips & hamstrings.  Weren't able to make it?  Here are some of the highlights.

The function of your hips and hamstrings need a balance of strength (stability) and flexibility (ease). Most of us have too much of one and not enough of another.  What happens if we are not balanced?  Pain or dysfunction in the hips, low back, and knees is the most problematic issue, along with limited range of motion and function in our daily lives.  

The 3 Basic Steps for creating balance.

1.  Roll away tension and tightness with a tennis ball (or other firm ball) along your hamstrings (back of thighs) and large area of the hips and buttocks. These "trigger areas" in our fascia or connective tissue can create tightness that no amount of stretching can release.

2. Gently stretch the area using a technique called PNF.  This technique asks you to gently contract the muscle at it's end range of motion, then release the contraction to encourage a little deeper movement or stretch, helping the muscle to move out of it's habitual pattern.  

3. When practicing yoga or stretching, use a combination of stretching and contracting to create the best results.  Stabilizing in a pose or stretch helps the joint feel stable, while stretching helps to create more fluidity.  

Have a comment or need more guidance, please reach out, I'd love to hear from you.

Self Care is the new Health Care

Journey of my Best Life

Hi from Santa Fe,

2018 has been interesting.  In the beginning of the year, I thought I had a plan for my future. Then something shifted, and my best life's path became clearer.

After moving to Santa Fe 3 years ago, I basically needed to re-create myself here in Santa Fe. While living in Annapolis MD I became successful working as an Integrative Health & Fitness Professional, founded a successful Yoga Studio, and ran retreats and workshops.  Then I moved to Santa Fe.  I didn't really want the same life I had in MD, it was busy and stressful much of the time. I knew I needed to do something different, but what?

I became a Certified Yoga Therapist and a Board Certified Ayurvedic Health Counselor.  This helped me develop a strong foundation at a professional level while meeting new people here in NM. Something I thought would help me build my community.

Don't get me wrong, I love living in Santa Fe. But have you ever moved to a completely new town, where no one knows you, so you have to slowly create your community, one friend and acquaintance at a time.  And it may not end of looking like what you imagined!

Which is what happenedPart of my re-creation became clear when I decided to seriously partner with doTERRA, what I believe to be a "high vibration" company that serves people worldwide.  It feels wonderful to work with other like minded people, to not be the only one on the train.  You've heard from me before about this company and it's products, now I'd like to share with you my desire to be not only physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy, but also financially healthy working with doTERRA. 

Physically Healthy

You know I haven't purchased a single over the counter drug or medicine in over 3 years?  You know why?  First, I have worked hard to build a stong immune system; eating well, exercising, getting enough rest, etc.  And I have been using doTERRA supplements and oils internally to build this strong system. Then when or if I do get a symptom of some kind, I just reach for an oil!  Digestive upset - DigestZen to the rescue.  A little stuffy - Breathe is my best remedy.  Having trouble falling asleep - Serenity quiets my mind and body.  Of course I use other modalities too, like yoga and being out in nature.  But having products that are all natural and pure helps make taking care of myself so much safer.

Mentally Healthy

The same is true for my mental stability.  Of course I practice various activity (yoga is my optimal choice currently) along with meditation and breath work. I also use the oils that can stabilize and quiet the mind.  Balance is wonderful for feeling grounded and steady. Lavender or Bergamot is calming and relaxing.  Anxiousness?  I reach for Vetiver or Lavender.

Emotionally Healthy

Our emotions flow through us all the time, it is constant energy.  Our job is to notice them, but not attach to them.  Easier said than done I know.  But when or if I need some emotional support, I reach for the Emotional Aromatherapy System.  Peace, Motivate, Cheer, Passion, Console, and Forgive are all at the ready for when I need them.

Financially Healthy

Not everyone knows or believes you can earn an income with doTERRA.  Want to get your oils paid for?  You can do that.  Want to keep your job and earn a passive supplemental income?  You can do that too!  Want to quit your job and earn a totally great income selling doTERRA and sharing the gifts of the earth?  Yep you have that opportunity also.  I decided to partner my skills and build a business with doTERRA, as I wanted to generate income while I'm not teaching.  I have found that if you want a life of bliss, you have to visualize it, then create it, one day at a time.  This is how I built my private and group work, my yoga studio, and now doTERRA.

I am sharing this information with you because I really wanted to share how valuable working for and with a company that aligns with my own values and heart as a human is to me.  I feel good doing the work I'm doing, sharing and caring for folks near and far, using my yoga and fitness background, my ayurvedic practices, and my continued learning on essential oils. 

Want 2019 to be the year you move toward living your best life?  Healthy, happy, and financially stable?  Lets go for it!  Join me in the discussion on what you can and want to do to make this next year YOUR best year.  

Green Clean Living

Beautiful luscious green living

This image for me brings up the feeling of super clean living.  This pic was taken in the hills of Pennsylvania during my last visit in the spring.  Can't you smell the fresh air, feel the breeze on your face, hear the quiet?

What does this mean, Green Clean Living?  I was recently involved in a green clean challenge where we were encouraged to look at each area of our living space and redo our products from store bought (even the natural ones have not so great things in them) to home made all natural pure ingredients.

Just like living in the country, you choose simple ingredients to protect the environment you're in.

How fun this was! I didn't realize how doing this challenge would encourage me to clean more!!  Ha! It is a wonderful feeling to know exactly what is in the products you clean with, and how your living space is less toxic because of a little effort.  

Most store bought cleaners contribute to unhealthy reactions in the body such as hystamine responses (runny or clogged nasal passages), low energy levels, headaches, skin irritations, and so much more.  Many times these reactions are so "normal" we don't even realize how daily exposure can contribute to our not feeling so great over time.  

So I thought it would be fun to share a couple simple ideas for you to try.  There are many recipes out there, just make sure all the products you use are all natural, without scents or added ingredients.

Mirror & Window Cleaner

Try this recipe above.  I used lemon essential oil (as it's so cleansing and uplifting) but you can use anyone you like. Combine all ingredients in a glass spray bottle, shake before using. 

Dish Soap (courtesy of Haley Hobson)

2 cups pure unscented castille soap

20 drops Lime

8 drops Lemon

6 drops Citrus Bliss 

Combine all ingredients together in glass bottle, shake before using

And if you're a bit like me, and are a little lazy with making your own,  there are all natural products at doTERRA.com you can purchase.  I've been using this laundry soap for years and it rocks!  On Guard Laundry Detergent is an ultraconcentrated 6X laundry detergent that utilizes the power of doTERRA On Guard Protective Blend and bio-originated enzymes to target and lift stains for amazingly clean clothes.

There you have it.  Simple easy ideas to start your own Green Clean Challenge.  Want more ideas. Go to doTERRA Essential Oil FB page https://www.facebook.com/doterra/ for lots of recipes and DIY projects.

Are you ready?

Aspens are done ~ winter on it's way

Can you believe it's November!  I know "they" say time flies, but this is crazy!  So who is ready for the fall, holidays, winter? And how to do we navigate through this upcoming season gracefully, or at least without loosing our minds?

Navigate through life

Well, as you know I'm all about yoga, ayurveda, and essential oils.  All of these tools can help you navigate through your life. But you know what is most important?  Your awareness.  If we aren't aware of our own habits, thoughts, and behaviors, how can we even know to make a shift?  We might think our life is suppose to be this way - always stressed out and tired and trying to do too many things at once, or so lethargic and energy depleted we can't get anything done.

But what if you had the ability to see a pattern, either before it got started or just as it was starting, and could create a shift?  Wouldn't that make your life easier?  More manageable?  More happy?

Easy tips

Here are a couple easy tips you can use right away.  Maybe one or more will resinate with you if you stop for a moment and connect to YOU.  Get ready they are SIMPLE! 

Ayurveda ~ create a morning and evening regular routine to anchor your day.  Maybe something as simple as having a cup of warm water with lemon when you wake up, and making a cup of soothing herbal tea before bed or a nighty night drink with warm milk and ayurvedic herbs.  This helps to create a boundary around our day, something we can depend on no matter what.

Yoga ~ simple stretching anytime during the day helps move our lymph (which if accumulated creates toxins in the body) and helps create space in the body to decrease stress and pain.  Try this simple pose, light heartedly called windshield wipers ~ supine (on your back) with arms resting on the floor slightly away from your body, knees bent and wide apart.  Gently let your knees move right and left, creating a twist throught out the hips and spine.  Ahhhh.  This is great to do in the morning and in evening.

Essential Oils ~ you can run a difuser wherever you are (work station, reading chair) with what will help you personally at the time.  During the fall, it's a good idea to difuse a grounding oil.  doTERRA offers many grounding oils, but one of my favorites is Balance.  A blended oil of Spruce, Ho Wood, Frankincense, Blue Tansy, and Blue Chamomile with Fractionated Coconut Oil to offer an enticing fragrance that promotes tranquility and relaxation.

OK folks, that's it for now.  Remember to breath, smile, and enjoy this beautiful time of year.  Quick before it's gone!