Joy

I don't talk about my "why"often.

Why?
Why am I passionate about this work?
Why am I a student of holistic nutrition?
Why do I want to be a practitioner?
How do I want to use my education?
Why am I doing this work?

It's been brought up lightly from time to time and most people who know me are aware of my struggles and what ultimately brought me to nutritional therapy.

However my heart is yearning to connect deeper here, on this space and with my community of women. In order for a deeper connection from you, I will start with a deeper connection from me.

Although this topic is deep and twisty for me and something I continue to work out myself, I can start somewhere and begin to slowly peel back the layers for you to see.

I struggled, I struggle.

I choose daily to conquer my struggles and my demons.

My eating disorder, depression and anxiety.
My shame and my panic.

I knew if I survived this, I would talk about it. I had to talk about it.
I am here, a survivor (surviving) and just beginning to talk about it.

My prayer (my why) is to help someone. Help teens, help women, help mothers, help friends. HELP WOMEN, like me who possibly think they are struggling alone and struggling in silence.

You're not alone and I want to help.

To help.

Why, my why?

Because..our bodies are a gift. From the moment we take our first breath until that last beat of our heart, our body is a gift to hold our soul - our dreams and passions, our experiences and thoughts. 

It doesn't matter if we love or hate our body, it's ours. The one and only we have or will ever have, our life long ally. The relationship we have with our body will directly determine how we show up in this world and feel joy.


  “God didn’t design us to be sad. He created us to have joy!” —President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

I am continually combining health and wellness to my testimony in Christ and my Heavenly Father. Thinking and pondering how I am meant to show up in the world and what is important to me. Where my energy is best served and who I can bless.

My energy is not best served obsessing over my thighs or stretch marks. Over a perfect or not so perfect diet.

And neither is yours.

My energy is in my family, my faith, my community, my friends. My energy is best served lifting others and spreading joy to those I can reach.

Ponder where your energy is and what it's serving.

My why, Joy.

Share and spread joy.

Joy is in our spirit. Our thoughts and feelings, housed by our body.

Joy


XOXO
Ashley

Meditation

Meditation.

Don't not do it because you feel your not doing it perfectly.

That was me for a long time. I would begin and let my thoughts flood my mind. I would tell myself I had way to many important things to think about and to accomplish. I told myself I was trying too hard. I was trying to do something that wasn't me.  I would fidget and itch my nose, I would focus on my legs starting to tingle, I would get frustrated... I would open my eyes and look around, then I would think.. "yup not for me, I just can't do it right."

Guess what?!

Nobody will be walking around giving out gold stars for a perfect meditation approach. You can try and try again. With grace and patience it will naturally evolve. 


Brand new to meditation, try this.

• Close your door, set a timer for 1-3  minutes, and find a comfortable place to sit.
• Close your eyes and focus on your breathing.
• As you inhale, think about your lungs inflating, your ribs expanding, and the breath moving through your nasal passages.
• As you exhale, think about your lungs deflating and the breath rushing out of your nasal passages.
• If your mind starts to wander, calmly say to yourself "thinking" and then turn your attention back to your breath.

Meditation.
it can simply take your thoughts to a calmer place. You don't need to be sitting on a fluffy pillow for hours. You don't even have to do it everyday, although I'm guessing once you start you will create consistency in your practice on your own. Even if you don't, even if you just come back to it in your times of need, it will be there for you. 1-3 minutes of your time will always be there for you. Soon it could be as important and natural as brushing your teeth before you walk out the door. 

Prayer and meditation puts us in direct connection with our Father in Heaven or the Universe (where ever you seek guidance) It impacts our mind and body to handle stressful situations and to naturally respond thoughtfully to our environment rather than react defensively.

Listen with love

I previously wrote about the body being our lifelong ally. I like to think that my body has my back, that it wants to perform properly, that it wants to feel good and nourished, it wants love and health. Yes, I like to picture my body having my back and being my friend.... my lifelong friend and ally.

The fact is, the body and spirit are actually two separate and distinct entities. We will be together for this time on Earth but just like that we will part ways.

 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. - Ecclesiastes 12:7

Our body is a gift, an instrument to preform and function through this life. The mere physical form our spirit resides.

Body and spirit. - two separate entities.

Our spirit and our body are combined in such a way that our body becomes an instrument of our mind and the foundation of our character. Boyd K. Packer

The body is a magnificent machine yet its also awake and alive, speaking directly to us.

Do we take the time to listen? Are we spiritually in tune with our body's needs and desires?

When things are off, the body generally doesn’t just shut down without warning. It communicates with us, starting by giving us a gentle biological tap on the shoulder.

We have been taught to look at symptoms as the problem. Stomachache, headache, rash, low energy, any "symptom" as bad.

What if our spirit, our consciousness, our inner wisdom looked at these symptoms as a message from the body. Hearing it say "there is a problem" and we in turn responded with love and gentleness.

It can sound overwhelming or a little, whats the term "wooh wooh" but we can take basic and simple steps to work toward building a relationship between our body and spirit.

You can re-orient yourself slowly. Finding ways to open up your personal intuition, getting out of your head and into an awareness. Respecting both your intellect and body's messages. There is no need to "push through or power it out." Slowly and with grace learn to listen and respect your body sending you those gentle nudges.

Don't push away your initial thoughts. If your sleepy, rest! If your hungry, eat! Stressed out, take deep breaths! Respecting in your body's needs. Respect it with the same or even much greater care and concern you would any other irreplaceable object you posses.

Respect brings a deep partnership.

You will be building the trust between the body and spirit, the intuition.

No two spirits are the same, no two bodies are the same.

I truly believe if we pause and listen, if we build a relationship with our body and find our intuition we can learn to sense smaller symptoms before they become large issues for our physical body to bear.

Listening to your body is self care and respect. By honoring your body's wisdom, it will tell you what it needs in return. It will softly nudge you before it knocks you over.

If you feel confused on deciphering your body's messages or maybe feel disconnected from your intuition... but somehow know you're "off"

Start by placing your hand on your heart

close your eyes

ask "what do I need"

Ask yourself, quiet your mind and listen. It will respond and you will learn to hear it more clearly with patience and practice. 

Listen with love. 

Your body holds deep wisdom. Trust in it. Learn from it. Nourish it. Watch your life transform and be healthy.” ~Bella Bleue 

XOXO

Ashley

Strong women

I often wonder if it's weird to share my thoughts on here.

 "maybe this is a bit too much personal information, or do I sound repetitive and overbearing???"

However I am beyond grateful for the conversations it has brought up with not only friends and family but like-minded strangers who reach out to me.

I find the more I talk with women reading my tiny space of the web, the more I feel connected and find a deep immediate bond we share.

That we all share. As women, we are all connected. 

The vast majority of these beautiful woman I speak with struggle with very poor body image and quite simply, feel crazy around food.

Sound familiar?

This was me too.

Although I am not licensed (yet) to give actual council to women on how to overcome such negative thoughts, it's what my heart is truly calling to do.

I want to hold your hand and tell you you're not alone.

That you're beautiful and strong and capable of so much more than you can imagine. 

That you can feel confident in your skin and natural beauty.

That you can embrace your beautiful and imperfect life.

That you are enough and you can have joy right now and forever.

I'm a believer.

I believe as women we have the power to lift each other up with out feeling down about ourselves. We have the power to help each other overcome the world and stand in our power as strong women.

Yes, physically strong but mentally strong.

Strong in our faith, in our passion, in our families and in our worth. We can lift each other up and be more than what the world or our our current state of mind is telling us.

We can be strong together.

My classes officially start in one week and I will soon be a Certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner.  I am incredibly excited for this new adventure. I want so badly to begin helping women and soak in the knowledge on how to properly do so.

I can't wait to share with you along the way.

As for now, this is me, wishing you a healthy and happy day, sending you a smile and some love.

Wishing you to stop the fad diets and punishing workouts, to slow down your to-do list and embrace the beautiful imperfectly perfect life you are so very blessed with!

XOXO
Ashley

A new season

A new season has begun.

Yes, fall is in the air and kids have returned to school. They are participating in sports and music extracurricular activities, their homework is starting to pile up and I'm running everywhere on top of all my regular chores. So many new and exciting adventures that bring bright smiles as they run in from the bus or after practice. They are just bursting to tell me the rundown of their day, the math they learned or who they sat by at lunch...

Yes, its all wonderful and good but it's also a little intense.
Back to school is no joke a big transition.

How are you handling it? Are you equally excited as stressed? Or perhaps just stressed and maybe feeling some anxiety creeping in unexpectedly. Either way, a lot of new changes are exciting as well as emotionally demanding, especially in the first month or so as we adjust to the new pace.

I have personally felt some anxiety creeping in. The to-do list and responsibilities for managing my schedule as well as my husband and three children and their individual activities and schedules can bring a bit of pressure.

I begin to feel my heart start to race and the blood rushing through my veins. My mind begins to run quickly and my chest tightens up. All the self-help books and time management lessons start rushing in my mind. "OK, I can handle this" "I have room to feel anxiety but I also have room to work thought it" "I wont push it away, I will recognize it and focus on what I can do in this moment"

blah blah.

Don't get me wrong, these thoughts have changed my life and are empowering me to make huge changes to how I handle stressful situations and create a calm mind and a happy home.

However there are things I continue to work on and put into place to aid in stressful moments. Making them smaller and more manageable for me so I don't break or snap at something seemingly small on the outside but piled up to an extreme on the inside.

What do I do, and what can you do in these few months of transition?

Ask yourself, "what do I need?"
Be selfish and connect with your needs. Put your hand on your heart and ask "what do I need"

What do I need?

• I need sleep.

Sleep is my #1 priority when I have a lot on my plate. Actually my top priority always. I notice when my sleep is off I get hungrier, crankier and forgetful through the day.

• I need silly movement and laughter.

I take a break in my day to go outside and play. I take my shoes off and stretch in the grass or do a few cartwheels. I jump on the trampoline with the kids after school or play catch with the football.

• I need nutrients and herbs. 

Hypoglycemic episodes make anxiety much much worse. I make sure to get lots of dark leafy greens and stay well hydrated. I also cut out almost all caffeine (caffeine makes anxiety much worse).

I supplement with a few herbs, such as ashwaganda, kava extract and valerian root. You also won't find me without my oils. I keep a blend like chamomile and lavender in my purse or pocket. A few rolls to my neck and wrist does the trick! 

• I need to breathe.

Sounds simple enough but I actually catch myself holding a breath for a long period of time when stressed. My nostrils are flaring and my head is pounding by the time I realize it. When I catch myself I automatically just pause and take five very deep breaths as slowly as I can. Focusing on the sensations of each inhale and exhale. By the end of the fifth breath my perception of the task ahead or the stress I am trying to manage is much different and manageable.

A lot of small changes over time is what helps my anxiety. I will forever be a work in progress and constantly trying to better myself by asking "what do I need?"

Ask yourself "what do I need?" through your day. 

Before your kids come home and everyone/everything is demanding your attention take 5 minutes to yourself, quiet your mind and breathe. Find what works for you. Maybe its a walk around your block soaking in some fresh air or sitting in your car before you walk in the door and listening to your favorite song...

Small changes over time, building habits and creating a lifestyle. 

XOXO
Ashley

Mindful observation

Recap on mindfulness.

Mindfulness: consciously bringing awareness to your here and now experience, with openness, receptiveness, and interest.

Mindfulness is:

letting go of the thinking self and tuning into the observing self.

The thinking self vs. the observing self. 

The thinking self is responsible for just that, thinking. It produces our thoughts, judgments, images, fantasies and memories. You may just refer to it as "the mind" 

The observing self may be a new concept. It is responsible for awareness, attention, and focus. It can observe thoughts, memories and images but it cannot produce them. 

Ordinary moments - extraordinary memories

Life can certainly be extraordinarily unextraordinary. Just another day or the same old stuff, different day mentality. Alarm clock, shower, breakfast, errands, diapers, drop off, pick up, dinner, homework, chores.... over and over, again and again. Turning us into autopilot beings.. feeling meh in most moments and unfulfilled as we lay our heads to our pillow at night. 

What is life but a sum of small moments? Seemingly mundane moments - moments that make up an ordinary day and an ordinary life.

It's these ordinary moments that change the course of our day and our life.

I can set an intention to stop in my day. 

To pause, breath and observe beauty around me.

To see the good. 

I can see beauty.  

Insert Mindful Observation

Simple but incredibly powerful exercise to help you notice and appreciate seemingly simple elements of your environment in a more profound way.

Connecting us with the beauty of the natural environment, something I know I easily miss when rushing around in the school drop off, errands, grocery store line or making dinner. 

1. Choose a natural object from within your immediate environment and focus on watching it for a minute or two. This could be a flower or an insect, or even the clouds or the moon.
2. Don’t do anything except notice the thing you are looking at. Simply relax into watching for as long as your concentration allows.
3. Look at this object as if you are seeing it for the first time.
4. Visually explore every aspect of its formation, and allow yourself to be consumed by its presence.
5. Allow yourself to connect with its energy and its purpose within the natural world.

Soon after making an effort to practice this exercise I began to walk with purpose. To feel alive in my world and apart of the beauty God created. I began to feel aware of the world around me and a deep sense of connection to the things that can easily go unnoticed.

My ordinary moments, with time became my extraordinary life.

XOXO
Ashley

Oil me up!

Oils, oils, oils. Yes PLEASE, oil me up!

I know I sound a bit excited and maybe dramatic, (don't I always) but I do love them that much. Oils have blessed my life in so many ways. I want to share them with everyone, I could BURST. 

They have truly become an essential grab and go for keeping myself and my home happy and healthy. They can be found in my purse, my cabinets and always in my studio as a necessary piece to my yoga and meditation practice. I believe they fall in line with all aspects of my physical body, my spirituality and my emotional well-being.

You could find me diffusing wild orange in my home, or rosemary in the studio. I massage frankincense and lavender into my wrists and shoulders when tense or drifting into savasana. Or my kids favorite, you can find us creating magical potions of our own. Not to mention, my skin care routine, medical aid and metal clarity I use them for.

There is so many ways to incorporate them into your routine and benefit from these beautiful oils in your life.

What are oils doing to your body?

Plant medicine. They are Plant medicine. Period. 

Yeah, I'm not an expert on the matter. Who is? What makes an expert... A lot of research? I have done some and will share what I found in my journey but how much scientific information I have vs. personal experimentation/application is involved, you are mostly hearing my testimony of the power I personally feel in the product. 

Science

Essential oils can help alter the physical, mental and emotional well-being by altering and strengthening the bodies own natural processes. They are extracted from the stems, flowers, seeds, and even the bark of various plants. Most oils have a distinct aroma that makes them smell heavenly and deliver healing properties to the systems that control our physiological state.

The deep limbic system is the part of your brain that directly process your sense of smell. Smell is linked to controlling mood, memory, behavior and emotion. The right smells will likely cool the deep limbic system and act as an anti-inflammatory.

Oils can be the game changer in your practice you might be looking for. Different oils can pair perfectly for either a deep relaxing restorative session or an intense workout giving you an extra edge.

A few of my personal applications:

Calming the mind- rosemary

Focus- ylang ylang

Ease Anxiety- sweet orange

Aid depression- jasmine 

Emotional balance- rose

Uplifting and energizing- clary sage, lemon or lime

Boost in oxygen- peppermint 

Endurance- cedarwood 

Sore muscles- basil, frankincense, peppermint

Do you use essential oil in your home? Let me know what combinations you enjoy! 

XOXO

Ashley