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Flip Your Happy Switch! (The learned practice of being grateful)

by Terah Drake, posted in gratitude, self development, self-growth, confidence, self worth

Life is a beautiful gift, isn’t it?  While on a walk recently I stopped to appreciate the perfection of these thistles and the way the sunlight hit them jussst right.  Wow.🤩

We all have these moments of appreciation, but did you know that gratitude is a learned behavior? 

We tend to think of it as something that comes naturally, but in actuality it is something we have to practice, and the more we practice the more naturally it happens.  

The opposite is true, too.  It can be only too easy to dwell in a negative state and entirely forget how blessed we are.  

We might even say that we have to unlearn a lack of gratitude as well as developing a practice of appreciation to achieve lasting joy.

 We live in a world where we tend to focus on the negative rather than the positive, and so forget to be aware of the abundant reality that most of us live in.  Politics, the media, and the issues pertaining to this global pandemic – along with a host of other subjects – can cause anyone to head into a tailspin of negative emotion.

I’ve written before that I have a daily gratitude practice that improves my level of happiness dramatically,  but I still found myself in this downward cycle last night. 

After a very enjoyable evening with friends I stopped to pick up some groceries.  As often happens, I ended up spending wayyy more time than I had intended in the store and as a result was home putting away groceries at nearly 10pm, tired and more than a little grumpy as a result.  

“This sucks.  Why am I frickin’ putting away groceries at 10 pm when I should be getting ready for bed?”  I still have to do those dishes from earlier.  The dog is whining. (Because I was being stupid noisy in the kitchen and she was trying to sleep…😒) Well f#ck, I just broke the coffee pot.”… (because I wasn’t being aware)

And before you know it, I’m thinking about all the other negative events from the day, the fact that my back is a little tender right now as a result of days of moving furniture and projects around the house and a host of other negatives just because. 😑

But this morning, as I prepared a gf bagel with the lox, herbed goat cheese, capers and avocado I had picked up while shopping last night for breakfast, I reminded myself that my negative state of the night before was a CHOICE that I made.  

I could have been feeling excited and grateful for the gorgeous lox I found on sale, the herbed goat cheese spread that I hadn’t seen before, along with a variety of other items many would consider “luxury foods” but I am blessed to enjoy daily.  

I could have been grateful for the fact that I have money in the bank to buy those groceries in the first place.  

I could have been thinking about the lovely time I had with friends earlier, the myriad projects I have completed recently, the sun and blue skies that broke from days of clouds and rain here in the Pacific NW – or a thousand other wonderful things that I experience on the daily.

But instead I chose to slide from being unhappy about putting away groceries at 10pm to an all-out pity party negative state.  

How many out there can relate? How often do we start our day in a wonderful mood but after reading the news or discussing politics at the water cooler find ourselves wishing for a nightcap – at lunchtime – to dampen the killer tension headache we have suddenly developed? Or we have an evening run-in with an obnoxious driver and find ourselves in a state of rage hours later, unable to sleep well as a result of the cortisol and adrenaline still in our system?

(The mind talks to the body every second, sending chemical messengers into the bloodstream in response to our thoughts and emotions.  The way you feel physically is often a reflection of our subconscious thought patterns.)

Well, I don’t know about you, but I sure do like feeling happy, excited and ready to take on the world a whole lot more than being grumpy, anxious and fearful, wanting to crawl into my safe little hole instead of finding fun adventure and good friends.  

And I 💯 know that the best way – maybe the only way – to get back to my best self is to change my mind state and vibrational frequencies.  

I used to tell my kids to “flip their happy switch” when they were in a negative mood.  Taking my own advice, this morning I made the choice to flip my happy switch.  I had a fabulous walk with my pups, enjoyed my perfect cup of French press coffee (since I broke my other pot, LOL) and especially savored the preparation and consumption of that breakfast.  

As I sit writing this, I am gratefully aware of the gentle breeze stirring the curtains, the soothing, happy blues, purples and yellows of my home, the green plants on my window and my big comfy couch.  And my big cup of coffee, obvs.😉

It’s a good day to feel grateful. 

It’s a good day to be happy.  

It’s a good day to have a really, really good day.  Don’t you agree?🥰

What are some things that you are especially thankful for right now? How do you best “Flip your Happy Switch”?  

(This just might be the name of my next book, btw… another thing to be grateful for!🤩😁😁)

Precious Human Life

by Terah Drake, posted in Uncategorized

Has anyone else noticed that over the last year, we have been 💯 inundated with messages of fear? Politics.  Pandemics.  Mass shootings. (Oh my!) 

Hostility among social groups, friends, and even our loved ones is rampant as many hold differing views on nearly every subject that anyone is talking about right now.  Even some celebrities are jumping on the bandwagon of spreading hate and malcontent. 

 I recently came across Jim Carey’s awful “political art” letter to Melania Trump, calling her the “Worst First Lady”.  Seeing it made me feel sick to my stomach.  

I didn’t particularly like Melania Trump, and I really didn’t like her husband – but who knows why she made the decisions she did?  I can only imagine how hard it would be to be married to DT, Amiright?   But I guess the main question is, who are we to judge so harshly?  How would any of us feel if that kind of vitriol was directed at us?

But there are plenty of other subjects to keep us in a state of angst.

Presidents.  Vaccinations.  Border control. Masks.   

Stay at home.  Get outside.  

Open businesses fully.  Close businesses fully.  

Get rid of guns.  More guns, greater control. 

Black Lives Matter.  All lives matter. 

All Cops Are Bastards.  Law enforcement saves lives.  

De-fund police.  More funding for police to provide better training.  

Avoid social interaction.  We need greater social interaction for emotional and physical wellness.

Peaceful protests.  Out of control riots.

Democrat.  Republican.  Conservative.  Liberal.  Boomer.  Gen Z.   Millennial.  

Save the environment.  F#ck the environment.  

Save the trees.  Raze forests to buy more sh#t from Amazon.  

The list goes on, but you get the point.  Nearly everyone I speak to believes we are in crisis.  Most believe this is a tipping point and many think the world is heading to hell in a handbag.  

I’ve spoken to many Christians who believe we are in the “End Times” as foretold by Revelations.  Shoot, I’ve spoken to agnostics and atheists who think we are in the end times.  Well, maybe we are, maybe we aren’t.  Doesn’t the bible also say “But of that day and hour no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.”? (Matthew 24:36)  

So why assume or speculate?  Because some part of us loves the fear.  Loves the drama.  Loves the angst.  Or, if we don’t love it, at least we accept it as “the way it is”.   We become accustomed to this “new way of being” and those new neurological patterns become habits.  

But habits that include daily fear, anxiety, anger, or depression can not lead to an improvement in our circumstances.  In fact, living in the toxic environment of chronic stress impacts our physical and emotional well-being, compromises our immune system, depresses neurological function, and, from the level of frequency, our ability to create a good life.  

This isn’t just woo-woo or psychobabble.  Wondering about the science of that statement?  Let’s break it down.  

One of the major responses to various stressful conditions is the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis  

This is a cycle that begins with the Hypothalamus, (part of the brain responsible for stress control) where it sends signals to the Pituitary Gland (Conduit for chemical messengers that send information to cells throughout the body) that there is environmental stress.  The pituitary gland sends these messengers to the Adrenal Gland, which starts pumping out stress hormones such as Adrenaline and Cortisol.  

This relay of information is based on the bodies’ primitive flight or fight response.  Whether the threat/stress is a saber-toothed lion, a cruel comment on social media, the news’ constant fear-mongering, or an argument about whether Trump or Biden will go down in history as the best – or the worst – president in history, the physiologic response is the same.  

But let’s get back to how the HPA axis affects our body.  As Adrenaline and Cortisol are pumped into the bloodstream, blood flow is re-directed from our gut and vital organs to our external limbs (fight or flight, right?  Fists or feet)  

Now, we generally know that the fight or flight response is a vital and necessary aspect of the survival of the human species.  But thousands of years ago, it might be necessary to fight or run from a threat every once in a while.  But we are living in a time when stress is constant and chronic, which means we are activating the HPA Axis on the daily.  Not good. 

Over time, the nourishment of our vital organs, immune system, and brain become inhibited.  Really, really not good.  

Add to this the fact that many of us have been isolated from our friends and loved ones (seniors and children/teens being the hardest affected by this) which also activates the HPA Axis. 

(Studies have shown that in the absence of affection/love, vital statistics decrease by an average of 30%😳😳) 

Is it any wonder that so many become sick, depressed, or angry?

When we become habituated in an emotional response, that response is programmed into our subconscious as a behavior, and that behavior becomes our personality, for better or for worse.  So occasional frustration becomes habitual anger which becomes an angry, abusive person.  

Yuck, right?  

But when we habituate gratitude and joy, the same happens.  Moments of gratitude turn to contentment, which becomes a happy, healthy human. 

 And who doesn’t want to be a happy, healthy human?

If we become aware of our emotional state – and the huge impact it has on our physical health, the vast majority of us would choose joy over frustration and anger.  

Vibrant health over Dis-ease. 

Love over hate.  

Peace over war and bitterness.  

Creation over destruction.  

So here is an alternative to creating a happier reality:  The next time you find yourself reacting to the media, or social media, or someone’s differing political or other views, just stop for a moment.  Take a big breath and step back from that knee-jerk reaction. Remind yourself of the harm you are doing to yourself and others.

 Remind yourself that you ”have a precious human life and will not waste it.”

Then step back into the conversation with kindness. Agree to disagree.  Value others for their uniqueness and differences.   

Curate the news you expose yourself to or shut it off completely. 

Avoid toxic people or those that try to engage you in argument, even if those people are close to you.  You can love someone from a distance while choosing to create better for yourself.  

Seek social media presences and outlets that lift others rather than tear them down.   

Find healthy habits to substitute those that perpetuate toxic cycles.  Re-programming means overlaying old neurological programs.  

Feed yourself nourishing foods rather than junk.  Eat some good, dark chocolate.  

Cut back on the caffeine.  

Take Epsom salts baths.

Get outside and get some exercise, not only reaping the stress-busting perks of good physical fitness but also the myriad benefits of being in nature.  (See past blog on Shinrin-Yoku/Forest Bathing) 

But most of all, choose to celebrate this life rather than criticize and worry about things out of our control.  Look for the good rather than the ugly.  See the flowers over the weeds.  Or pull the weeds and plant some flowers! 

This is your garden, beloved. Do you want paradise or purgatory? Your choice. 💖

Much love;

– Terah

Hero or Villain/Victim? 🍆 or ✨💥?

by Terah Drake, posted in Uncategorized

We may not realize it, but every moment we are choosing who we are.  Hero, Villain or Victim.  Eggplant or shining star. 

But when we act like a 🍆, it is only too easy to make excuses for our bad behavior, isn’t it?  

“I’m in a bad mood because…

 – I’m tired.  

– I have a headache/stomachache/body ache/allergies, etc…

– My boss/employee/friend/acquaintance/partner/kid doesn’t value me. 

– I didn’t get the job/promotion/position I wanted…

I didn’t get my way…  

There is always a litany of reasons/excuses why it’s ok for us to be difficult, moody or angry.  

These “reasons” allow us to lash out at those closest to us. To be a d#ck to our friends, co-workers or the cashier at the supermarket.  To allow a dark cloud to follow us around and confirm all the reasons why we are a victim.  

Right about now you might be thinking that I’m kind of a 🍆 for being so harsh, right?  😬

But here’s the thing, babe.  The truth often hurts – and it’s not until we take an honest look at our behaviors that we can actually become the person that we want to be rather than the person our past experiences and behaviors dictate we be.  

Unfortunately for many of us, our past involved parental figures and peers that made us feel less than capable.  Less than valuable.  Less than worthy.  And so we play out the emotional repercussions these past patterns cause each day by allowing our subconscious to rule our emotions and actions rather than our awareness.  But when it comes down to it, most of us would probably choose happiness, light, ease, kindness, and compassion as our key traits rather than being known as an Eyore or an asshole, right?  

You choose your behaviors, consciously or unconsciously.  The difference between training good behavior in yourself – or not – is whether or not you choose to be conscious or allow your unconscious patterns to dick-tate who you are.

So ask yourself this question:  Who do I want to be – a hero, victim, or a villain?  

This is your story and you are writing the plot, characters and outcome, my love.  You are the hero – or villain (victim) of your own story.  

So what are you choosing today?  

Are you allowing all of life’s contrasts to shape you into forged steel – or melt you into slag?  

Are you allowing that headache/fatigue/negative experience to excuse bad behavior – or are you becoming the hero and shining your amazing light, in spite of your circumstance?

Every moment is a choice.  Your choice, beloved.💖

#bethehero #betheheroofyourownstory #shapeyourmind #highvibes #itsallenergy #frequency #vibration #choosehappy #chooselight #choosepeace

Traveling’ Solo

by Terah Drake, posted in Uncategorized
Finding fun trails to hike in the Pacific Northwest
Setting my own pace💖

It surprises me how many folks think I’m a little cray cray for my love of solo travel.  I’ve heard “Well you certainly are brave” (with the raised eyebrows, of course) or “Are you sure that’s a good idea as a female?”  And almost always “Isn’t that dangerous”?  

Well, being smart when you travel is necessary for anyone.  

Being aware of your surroundings and carrying a little somethin’ that can be used as a weapon if necessary is a good idea.  I also believe everyone should have some basic self-defense skills.  

I’ve never actually had to use either my skills as a martial artist or the low key travel weapons, but better safe than sorry, right? 

Spooky nighttime alleyway, Prague

But when someone actually asks why I travel alone so often, the answer is simple.  

Because I like to.  

I love finding the road – or path – less traveled.

 I like the backstreet noodle shops and underground dance clubs.  The out-of-the-way spots that to some might just be a little sketch.  

I have been lost – intentionally and unintentionally- in the backstreets of New York, Paris, London, Glasgow, Lisbon, Prague and many other places.  Being lost can be both stressful and an amazing adventure, but it is definitely not for everyone. 

Incredible views in the Algarve, Portugal

I love setting my own pace.  Sometimes that means I’m speed walking or trail running, sometimes I just want to mosey, stopping to smell the roses, sit beneath a tree or the wide open sky and just be. 

Do you feel that, too?🚶🏼‍♀️🏃‍♀️🌳

I love meeting new people; having conversations with random folks in a quaint café or on a trail.  This is harder to do when traveling in company.  

I once had an amazing conversation in some random SoCal deli with an older gentleman who was writing the history of African Americans.  

Like, the entire frickin’ history.  So cool, right?😎. 

But that conversation likely would not have happened had I been with company. 

I love the quiet of long open stretches of road, being alone with my thoughts – or listening to an audiobook or music, top down and sunlight streaming into the car, stopping as I please in small towns and out-of-the-way hamlets.  Or not.  

Hiking the Muskeg Juneau AK

I’m not saying that I always want to travel on my own.  Having the right company along for life’s journeys can add to the beauty and fun of many experiences, too. 🥰

But I think we get too caught up in the idea of constant company and stimulation.  I believe we should all seek solitude and silence – and our own good company and the companionship of Source – as often as possible.  

How else can we learn who we are?  What other experience besides being on our own and figuring things out when necessary can teach us independent thinking and the value of our own innate capability and intelligence?  

Not to mention the fun in finding the road less traveled…😁

Road trippin’ with my girls (Lola and Irma, my vintage Puck and Fiat)

What are your awesome solo stories?  

Happy Monday!🌞💖😎

#adventure #solotravel #freedom #independentwoman

Full Priced Biznitch

by Terah Drake, posted in self development, self-growth, confidence, self worth

In meditation this morning, I asked myself what I was supposed to be right now. Not Where, because I’m pretty much where I have to be atm. But What.

For the last twenty years or more, I have been a karate teacher, a yoga instructor, a Thai massage-based energy healing therapist, a writer, a coach of sorts, and have owned several small businesses.  I’ve been a wife and partner, and most importantly, a mother.  

But I have had huge shifts in my life over the last year, in the titles and labels I’ve had since I was a teen. 

 I stopped teaching altogether as a result of Covid, and have only given massage to close friends and family members.   My youngest has spread her wings and left the nest, living three states away.  I have continued to write, but honestly, I have put so many other things ahead of my work that I hardly consider myself a writer just now. 

So I was looking for the next step of my journey.  What do I need to be right now?

The answer came to me almost immediately:

Full Price.

Now that might seem a strange thing to answer myself. Full Price? What even does that mean? For me, though it was unexpected, it made perfect sense.

You see, though I write nearly every day on the power of our thoughts and beliefs in creating reality, I still have times when I struggle with my own value.  Times when I believe I am unworthy of good – or even more still, of greatness.  I have to remember to give myself love and grace, because some days, it just doesn’t come naturally. 

On those days, if I were an item of clothing, I’d be a cute thrift store find; Maybe a handmade, lace-trimmed A-line dress with a fur collar because ya know, even on the bad days, I am cute and pretty darned smart.

But I certainly wouldn’t be a full-priced, tailor-made Yves Saint Laurent women’s tux or fabulous sequined disco romper straight from the design floor.  Not a chance. 

This idea of value – or lack thereof – began in a toxic early childhood and continued well into adulthood – as it does for most of us. From about three years old, in the words, actions, and punishments of my parental figures, I was taught that I was deeply flawed and lacked value, as I was simultaneously asked to make myself small. 

 “Don’t shine too bright.” 

 “Don’t speak your truth.”

 “Who do you think you are?” 

“Getting a little ahead of yourself (big for your britches) aren’t you?”

“Don’t achieve or you will make others feel bad” (“Let’s not tell anyone about these high test scores/grades/awards”).  … 

These are literally things people closest to me have said over the years, but how many others can relate to any of these ideas and values?  

This isn’t just a dynamic within my family, this is a societal flaw. Our media, religions and politicians teach us to stay in our place. To be “meek”. “Lowly”. To “hope for the best but expect the worst”. We celebrate mediocrity and punish those that try to fly higher, often without realizing it. Alternatively, we see these images of people living perfect lives and it makes us feel even worse because we aren’t living that amazing life, ourselves. We must really suck, right?

Most of us would say that we would never hold someone we know back from achieving greatness – but here’s an experiment to try – how many times do we scroll through social media, “liking” uplifting or deeply personal posts by celebrities or those that we don’t know – but ignoring those that are posted by someone in our family or social circle? As much as I hate to admit it, I have caught myself doing this, too.

We all know the saying “Familiarity breeds contempt..” But this contempt is based on our own feeling of unworthiness.  Our own lack of value.  And celebrating the good in someone close to us feels too much like illustrating our own flaws.  

But each time we choose not to celebrate another, we are also reinforcing the idea for ourselves that we aren’t deserving; deserving of good, deserving of of achievement, deserving of love, deserving of abundance, deserving of grace.  

This idea that we are “less than” has to stop somewhere if we are to get anywhere.

For myself, I perpetuated this flawed belief system into my adulthood with the partners and friendships I chose, the people I surrounded myself with, the choices I made and in the way I treated myself.

These relationships and choices supported my belief in my own “less-ness”, but at some level I knew that energy builds upon that which is already there, and began to distance myself from toxic relationships and slowly built a belief system that incorporated self-love and supported my value; my muchiness.

It has taken years of therapy and cognitive reprogramming to override those by past entrenched, toxic systems and patterns, and as you can see, still have work to do. Evolution is a constantly evolving process. What makes me most sad today is how much I hated myself for much of my youth and young adulthood.

I know others also struggle with this – and how hard it is to believe that we are worthy, that we are good, that we are valued and valuable, and that we are deserving of every good this world holds.  

My meditation this morning reminded me to stop questioning my value and embrace my badassery. So from this moment forward, I am honoring my full-priced value and holding this as my mantra and personal code:

I am a full-priced biznitch. I am a f#cking Goddess, and deserving of every good this world holds.

Can I get an AMEN and HALLELUJAH?

Now let’s get real for a minute – how does that statement make you feel?

Did you feel empowered and excited, or did it make you feel sad because you have a hard time believing it for yourself? Did you feel a little angry or have a moment of “who does she actually think she is?”

Your response to my mantra is the key and clue as to where your own personal value lies.

If you felt sad or angry, my love, I know it may be so very hard to accept or even look at, but those negative responses are the indicator that you hold yourself in such low value that you can not be excited to celebrate another. But we can not hold another in darkness and still be in the light, ourselves.

So let me say this –  It is time that you recognize and celebrate your value.  That you own your own full-pricedness. 

It is time that you put yourself on a pedestal, and honey, you are wearing that fantastic sequined onesie – or whatever the most incredible, fabulous piece that feels absolutely you might be.   

You deserve joy.  You deserve abundance.  You deserve love.  You deserve every good that this word holds.   

Believe it. 💖

Much love and big hugs, my friend.

  • Terah

New Math

by Terah Drake, posted in Uncategorized

It is said that soon after his enlightenment, the Buddha passed a man on the road who was struck by the extraordinary radiance and peacefulness of his presence. 

The man stopped and asked, “My friend, what are you? Are you a celestial being or a God?”

“No,” said the Buddha.

“Well, then, are you some sort of magician or wizard?”

Again the Buddha answered, “No.”

“Are you a man?”

“No.”

“Well my friend, what are you then?”

“I am awake”. 

-– Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield, Seeking the Heart of Wisdom

Have you ever thought about the journey to Self as a mathmatical equation?

When we begin the journey of fulfillment, self-expression, and authenticity, we often add to our lives in search of those ideas, people, creative undertakings and things that speak to us personally and feel real to our truest selves.   Part of “becoming” is trying out new notions and endeavors, right?  We begin to expand as we learn new patterns and ways.

We might take up painting, or cooking, or poetry, or a hundred different creative endeavors that feed our soul.  We might make a career change or enter new relationships or even decide to have or adopt a child.  We might take up sailing, surfing, or mountaineering for the incredible connection to nature – and ourselves – that we find when we are outdoors.  

But as we continue to grow, we also begin to curate our reality.  We become more selective about what we bring into our sphere as we discover that the process of self-actualization is equally about subtracting and discarding those things in our lives that no longer serve our highest good. 

We discard old belief systems and unhealthy habits.

We discard relationships that don’t support our growth.  

We discard the excess accumulation of “stuff”, learning to live happily with those things that most resonatewith our truest selves. Those things that make our cells sing.  

In the same way a caterpillar transforms into its gorgeous butterfly self, (it literally digests itself; dissolving its corporal self into a gooey miasma to re-form into the winged symbol of beauty and joy we all love) we let go of those parts of ourself that no longer serve the fullest expression of who we are.    

Sometimes, just as I would imagine the transformation of a caterpillar into butterfly must be excruciating, the journey to our truest self can also be uncomfortable or even downright painful.  Have you ever tried to learn a new language or instrument with zero previous experience?  It can be fun, joyous, even, and exciting, but it is also challenging, frustrating, and hard. This is the reason why so many give up after just short time. 

 Building new neuralconnections and chemistry is just not an easy process – but if we stay committed to the path, it is very, very worth the end goal. Once we move through the discomfort, through the pruning and culling of that which we don’t really need, the end product – comfort, ease in our being, joy, a sense of purpose, manifestation and ultimately, the continual creation of our best reality.

Where is your journey of transformation taking you?  What habits are you letting go of – or creating – today?   

Much Love;

  • Terah

Nourishing the Self

by Terah Drake, posted in Uncategorized

(When things get frenetic)

Hello beautiful;

I’m currently in the midst of renovations to my home in preparation for putting it on the market in March, along with writing new content daily and continued work on editing my books. 

This means time is precious and in short supply.  

I want to get the hundred or so projects finished while also packing up some of the extra items that we aren’t using – and finding time to write – but I also want to eat well to supply my body with good nutrition.   Because a girl can’t live on coffee alone, as much as I might try…😛

My answer to this is to prepare at least two meals at the same time, and sometimes more if it is convenient.  

Today’s brunch was smoked salmon, spinach, avocado and shrimp omelettes topped with hollandaise for brunch, served with green smoothie a keto biscuit with low sugar jelly.  So good. 😋

Before I began the omelettes I prepared greens to make the green base for my next few days’ smoothies.  I like to use watercress, parsley, mint and cilantro, all great for liver/kidney function.  I also throw in several cups of fresh baby kale, a generous chunk of fresh ginger, wheatgrass juice (I juice mine first) a little fresh pressed lemon and orange juice for the vitamin C and some coconut cream for those MCFA’s.   

If you haven’t heard of the many, many studies done on the benefits of medium chain fatty acids found in coconut oil from energy to metabolic function, you need to jump on that bandwagon ASAP! ✨✨✨

Here’s one that will give you a bit of idea:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4283167/#__sec1title

The fats and vitamin C from the coconut cream and juices also help your body to assimilate all of the amazing nutrients and antioxidants from the greens.  

Sometimes I’ll just take a shot of this green mix, but more often I blend it with a few frozen cherries, berries or a little pineapple/mango depending on my mood and where my body is on a given day.  I love to toss some hemp hearts in mine too.  

As I was already processing greens for the smoothie base, I blended some extra parsley, fresh garlic, avocado, dill, good olive oil, lemon and lime juice to make a sauce for the baked cod I threw in the oven at the same time I was prepping brunch. 

I set the cod on a bed of fresh arugula and cauliflower rice, surrounded by baby zucchini and seasoned with garlic salt, lemon, and fresh dill.   Easy peasy.  

I love that dinner is prepped and ready to go so I can focus on the projects.   And I know it’s going to be 💯 amazing, especially topped  with the avocado sauce and more fresh shrimp.  

What are your mealtime tricks for those days (or weeks) when you are short on time?

Much love!💗

  • Terah

Low Carb, Full Flavor

by Terah Drake, posted in Uncategorized


You may have noticed from some of my posts – I really love food. Well, let me clarify that. I love good food. Food that is full of flavor, richness, and depth.


But I also know that my body feels best, functions best, and looks its best when I stay within a certain size range.  The only time I ever weigh myself is when I go to the doctor’s for a check-up, but I do pay attention to how I feel in my clothes.  And if I don’t feel amazing in my ripped skinny jeans, the world just doesn’t shine quite as brightly, know what I mean? 

As a result, if I want to fully enjoy the foods I love I am going to have to do one of three things:

1. Exercise wayyyyy more than I have time for, (I walk daily and practice yoga most days)

2. Eat really, really small portions (not really possible with an intermittent fasting lifestyle) or 

3. Find ways to make my food delicious, nourishing, and also lighter/low carb.  

I choose #3.  💯.  Which is as it turns out, is pretty fun.  It gives me an opportunity to experiment in the kitchen and be a bit of a mad chemist, something I’ve loved since I started mixing coffee grounds with cough syrup in my grandma’s kitchen around 8 years old.  My gran was awesome, btw, always encouraging my crazy ideas.  

Tonight’s dinner is a perfect example of this.  I had a mad craving for stir fry and rice, but as we all know, rice is a high glycemic food – so as a rule, I try to steer clear.  Also tends to be high in arsenic, btw.  Yuck, right?😳 But that same grandma who allowed me to play with random ingredients; eventually leading to my love of cooking, also loved to make fluffy white rice for me with lots of butter. Which means it’s a huge comfort food for me to this day.

But when the craving for my favorite comfort food hits me, I soak a few cups of organic brown rice overnight.  This helps the kernels to better release nutrients, breaks down saponins, and lessens starch and arsenic.  Win-win-win.

But I take it a couple of steps further.  Because I just can’t help being a little extra.🤷‍♀️

In the morning I rinse the rice thoroughly, then add fresh water to an inch or so above the level of the rice.  To this I add a ½ tsp. or so salt and two tablespoons coconut oil.  Thrive Market has a bomb butter flavored coconut oil, and I looooove me some butter so it’s my go-to.  And here’s the magic of this method, and where my mad chemist/scientist starts wringing her hands in glee:

“When you cook coconut oil and rice together, the oil binds to the digestible starch in the rice – that’s the starch that converts to glucose. 

Once bound with the oil, the digestible starch begins to crystallize, creating another form of starch: the resistant variety.  Researchers found that cooling the rice after cooking it promoted crystallization, leading to a shocking 10 to 15-fold increase in resistant starch compared to normally prepared rice.” – Dave Asprey

Cool, right???? Less digestible starch means less glucose, fewer carbs!  The first time I learned this my mind was blown. 🤯. 

I boil boil my rice mixture until the water is at the level of the rice, then turn to low and cover.  I learned this technique of cooking grains from a wonderful Persian family I lived with over on the east coast.  I still miss Mahin’s Fessenjan…🤤 but I digress.  This technique shortens the cooking time by a good ten minutes, which is awesome for those of us born without the patience gene.  After I have cooked my rice, I refrigerate, then reheat as needed.

Tonight I made fried rice to enjoy with my stir-fry, but because I may or may not – okay, I did – enjoy an impromptu “cheat day” treat – part of a sugary Frappuccino my friendly neighborhood Starbucks barista gave me, free of charge. While running errands, I had stopped for my usual stevia-sweetened iced green tea.  The barista had apparently made too many Frappuccino’s for the last customer, so offered the extra one to me. What’s a girl to do? I didn’t want to be rude…

It was delicious, but if I was going to come anywhere near my usual -56 or so grams of carbs per day, I needed to make dinner a little extra extra low glycemic. To do this, I added a package of Shirataki “rice” to my dish, cutting carbs to approximately 15% of a 1-cup serving -and the calories significantly, too.  

For my stir fry I just wok every veggie I can find in my fridge with fresh ginger, garlic, tamari, umami paste, sesame seeds, tofu or chicken, and my favorite low glycemic sweeter, monk fruit.  Oh, and a generous portion of hot chili paste.  The hotter, the better!

This meal was so, so good, but better still, so good for the body.  💪🏻

What do you do when you want to keep your diet light – without sacrificing flavor?  I’d love to know! 

Coach or Critic?

by Terah Drake, posted in Uncategorized

Are you a morning person or a night owl?  Personally, it’s hard for me to get to sleep before midnight, but I love waking up early.  For a few years now, I’ve tried to keep to a morning routine that begins my day right and keeps me somewhat structured.  I’ve found that not only does an early morning start help me to work better, I feel better and am happier throughout the day as a result.  

When I am up before seven, I  have ample time to really enjoy all of my little morning observances.  I love the quiet of the house, the slow ritual of preparing coffee and the rich, cinnamon-laced chocolate aroma as it brews.  I love settling down in my meditation chair with a big cup of hot lemon water, (cleanses the liver and kidneys and stimulates bile production, making digestion more effective) the scent of lemon tickling my consciousness as I begin my time with Source and meditation. 

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As I finish up my meditation, my sweet  little Pekingese will usually wander in to “practice” yoga with me, doing a few down dogs before insisting on a pet while I stretch.   After yoga, I sit and enjoy a cup of “power coffee” then get my dogs out for a walk.  By 9 am, I have taken care of myself, my animals, and the small morning chores and am ready to settle down to work at my computer.  

On these days, my inner coach cheers for me, often in the voice of my paternal grandmother. My grandmother was one of the few positive female role models I had as a child.  My coach congratulates me for keeping my goals on track and “gettin it done”, and reminds me of how proud she is of me.  I pat myself on the back and feel amazing for being productive, caring for myself, home, family, and pets, and getting content written that maybe, just maybe might touch people and help them to see their own magic.  

Sundays are my sleep-in days.  I get up when my body wants to get up, usually around 9am.  I relish having a slow day, making a big breakfast and just hanging out with my family.  I think we all need at least  one full day each week to re-create, to have fun and be lazy.  But Monday I’m back to routine, up at a decent time and ready for the week.  Or should be. 

But it doesn’t always work out that way.  There are days that I stay in bed too long, cozy under thick comforters, wrapped up in my partner’s arms and unable to motivate myself to get up.  I almost always regret it.  Instead of the positive, caring voice of my coach greeting me as I finally force myself to crawl out of bed, my inner critic kicks in as soon as my feet hit the floor – in a voice that alternates between two highly negative and critical women I had as mother figures growing up.  These women had suffered terrible abuse in their formative years and did the best they could as parental figures, but the harshness of my childhood still rings in my inner ear and sometimes my heart, and most loudly when I’m feeling badly about myself.  

On those less-than-ideal mornings, that voice berates me for “once again f#cking up”.  As I rush through or entirely forego those rituals that help me to stay on track and productive, and my scattered mind goes into overdrive, she tells me I will never reach my goals.  That I might as well just give up because I couldn’t possibly teach others to live a fulfilling and happy life.  She tells me that I am a fraud.  She reminds me that many of those close to me think my work as a writer, a teacher, a healer is just foolishness.  As I listen to my critic my sensitive inner child is an emotional mess.  It is often around this time that my coach tries to push through to tell me that I do live an amazing, magical, happy and fulfilled life 85% or more of the time.  She reminds me that I began writing to help others who might be living in pain or just less than happy to do the same. 

 I want to hear what my coach is saying, but those damned childhood patterns fight to be obeyed  and as my critic whispers negative into my mind I begin to question my purpose, my ability to teach others, reach my goals and nearly every other aspect of myself from my looks to my emotional intelligence.   We’ve all been there at one time or another and as you probably know, it sucks with a capital S and just feels awful – and who really wants to feel bad? 

When I start cycling downward, to be honest, there are times that I just can’t disconnect from that awful critic and it’s evening before I feel ok again.  But I’ve learned to recognize my patterns and listen intently when my critic starts whispering bullsh#t in my ear – and have learned a few tools to quiet her again and get myself back on-track and feeling my best. 

First and foremost, I slow the heck down.  It is only too easy to get caught up in the rush when we are running behind our usual schedule, but remember what Einstein said?  Time is relative.  When we slow ourselves, time generally slows with us.  

If you find yourself stressed and rushed, with your own inner critic starting to voice his or her unwelcome opinions into your subconscious, find a quiet spot, get comfortable and take some deep, slow breaths. As you silence your thoughts, see if you can actually sense time around you slowing.  I guarantee this practice alone can be life-changing. 

Make a list.  I am highly ADD, which can be a gift when I need to hyperfocus or get many tasks done in a short period but less so when I am stressed and scattered.  On those days that I am behind schedule and beleaguered, writing a list and being deliberate about checking off each item can help me to be more productive and get back to hearing the uplifting voice of my coach rather than the critic.  

Put away the tech.  Most of us really enjoy scrolling through Instagram or Tiktok, looking at beautiful images or fun microvideos.  But how often do we allow Social Media – or a hundred different options all at the touch of a fingertip – to pull us out of focus?  I deleted TikTok for several months because I found myself losing hours at a time, trying to justify those hours by telling myself the content was uplifting or made me feel happy to watch.  Which it was, and it did, but how many hours do we watch others living rather than doing the living ourselves?  I do believe that we can learn much and gain inspiration on how to live better or try new things from social media, youtube, or TikTok.  But limiting our exposure and curating what we take in is so important in how it impacts our brain.  

Get 10 minutes of exercise.  My go-to is yoga, but 10 minutes on a treadmill, taking a brisk walk, a HIT routine, or anything that gets your blood pumping will oxygenate the bloodstream and brain, helping you to get clear.  

Read or listen to a few minutes of inspirational or educational material.  Wayne Dyer, Louise Hay, Rachel Hollis, Gabby Bernstein, Bruce Lipton and Deepak Chopra are a few of my go-to’s, but I am currently reading and listening to “Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself” by Dr. Joe Dispenza.  The book is a brilliantly written but easily understood non-fiction that covers the way to override a lifetime of bad habits in everything from our thoughts to our ability to create an amazing life.  Dr. Dispenza teaches how our neurochemistry and quantum physics play important roles in this process, which resonates and backs up much of what I have learned and teach already.   I  highly recommend it.  There are also literally hundreds of short podcasts available by various authors and speakers that can help get you back into a state of higher resonance.  I would also recommend Binaural beats as a way to positively alter your brainwaves. 

Last but not least, Look at the bigger picture.  Remember that this is a lifetime journey, not just a day trip.  Sometimes we take a wrong turn and get lost for a while, but we always find our way back to the main road – sometimes in just a few minutes, sometimes longer.  But regardless of how long it takes us to get back on track, the difference between a frustrating experience and an adventure is 100% in our mindset.  What are your long-term goals?  Where do you see yourself in five years?  Ten? Twenty?  How do you want to feel tomorrow, next year, in five, ten, or twenty years?  This is what really matters, not the hours or a day of feeling off-kilter and out of sorts.  

It is important to remember that our thoughts are patterns – neural pathways – in the brain. To better understand this, I like to have students and clients imagine a vast field of golden grain, gently waving in the wind.   Our transient thoughts – what we might have for breakfast, how much you enjoyed a conversation with the lovely barista at your local coffee shop, the files you need to send to your boss – are all pathways that disappear quickly.  But those thoughts that we have on repeat; often thoughts linked to memories that began in childhood, are deep furrows or even trenches in the field.  

The more we listen to the critic and dwell on the negative, the stronger those patterns or pathways become.  Going back to the metaphor, the deeper those paths become until one day they are trenches so deep it can be difficult to even remember that there is a whole world above the level of where we walk.  But conversely, when we choose to see the world – and ourselves – through rose-colored glasses, we become the habit of our thoughts.  We become happy.  Positive. Uplifted and uplifting. 

 And you know what?  Our vibrational energy is contagious, which means when we feel good those around us feel good, too.  Win win situation, right?  So the next time you find yourself on that downward spiral, listening to your inner critic, take a moment to observe your thoughts.  Step back, take a breath, and tell her (or him) to shut the hell up, because you are a fucking unicorn, my love.  Let me say again:  You are magic. You are in control of your thoughts and your life, not your damned critic.  You are amazing, unique, and are exactly where you need to be so get up, lift your chin and glow.  Much love, beautiful one.   

Healthy Habits & Goals; Creating Strong Foundations

by Terah Drake, posted in Uncategorized

Each morning I spend time in meditation and reading wisdom.  For over ten years one of the teachers whose books have inspired me has been Rolf Gates.  I have a sense of reverence, resonance, and gratitude each time I pick up my dog-eared  copy of meditations from the mat, and his words often inspire my own writing.   

This morning the lesson was from his second book of reflections, Meditations on intention and being – finding your mountain; your sense of calm, steadiness and purpose.  

For me, I also relate this to establishing a firm foundation; something many of us have felt lacking this last year.  I certainly have.

This morning in meditation I was relating this idea to the volcanic activity that happens to create mountains.  The earth shakes violently, magma erupts from the ground and from this violence mountains begin to grow.  

This past year has felt like that, hasn’t it?  Many of us have had our lives completely shaken, altered from what it had been for years or even decades before.  

But what better time than the beginning of a new year to start rebuilding – or perhaps just repairing those parts of our foundations that have been crumbling?  

growing beautifully, rooted firmly

In yoga , we begin with our feet to establish strength and ease in an asana – yoga pose.  

Feeling energy beneath every part of our foundation, often the foot or the palms, we root ourselves into the mat to allow the asana to grow from that place.  

Life is just like this.  If we establish a firm foundation before we begin a new journey, venture, practice, or year, feeling into each aspect of where we would like to go, we will establish a firm foundation that will allow us to grow towards the heavens in strength and beauty .

Establishing healthy habits is essential in beginning to build a strong foundation.  How do you begin and end each day?  Do you take time for self-care? Learning? Meditation? Healthy eating?

Keeping those healthy habits that help you function better is a fabulous goal in itself, but If you have a specific goal or goals, it is so important to write them down.  A goal that stays in our head is simply a daydream.  For most of us, we need to have something that feels tangible to keep us on task or we tend to slide back into our old patterns. 

 If you want to achieve something specific, try breaking your goals down into steps.  For example, maybe your dream has been to be a surgeon but life got in the way before you could achieve those dreams.  You met someone, fell in love and had children.  But that dream has become a cry from your soul to be fulfilled.  So you decide it’s time to move forward with your dream.

 If you wanted to get into med school next fall, that goal might seem unattainable.  But writing down the specific steps you need to get there can make the process feel much easier.  It’s like the old adage – “How do you eat an elephant?  One bite at at time.”   

Bubble graph example. Fill in each with your own dreams and goals!

Creating a bubble graph is a great way to break things down into bite-sized pieces.  You might begin with deciding which school is both desirable and accessible to you.  Online schooling is becoming more and more easy to find.  Is there a school where you can take the majority of your classes online and do the practicals on-campus intermittently?  

Let’s say you find the school, study for and pass the MCAT.  You apply for admission and are accepted.  Next would be finding grants and scholarships to cover the cost of tuition and possibly some of your day-to-day expenses such as childcare when your partner is not available.  

After that, entering school is your biggest step!  You can break down each semester’s classes in much the same way that you created your bubble graph to keep you on-task. 

Keeping things structured on a calendar that you can reference each day is a great way to keep you focused on whatever your goals might be.  

Today, I am creating my own bubble graph and making the commitment to keep to those healthy habits that keep me on-track and moving in the right direction.  I recognize that achieving the reality that I wish to see may be a slow process, like the forming of mountain peaks, but staying connected to my foundation will help me to see my dreams realized infinitely faster than having no foundation at all.   Whatever your dreams, aspirations or goals for 2021, I hope you achieve them all, and more.  You deserve it!✨ 💖✨