The next few days I am going to take you through a series designed to give you the formula for changing your life for the better, from woe to WOW!, from being a victim of your environment to becoming a deliberate creator. This formula is science-based and may be the most powerful thing I’ve ever written.
So don’t scroll past.
You can not create a positive life with a negative mind.
Let me put this another way:
You can not create the life of your dreams if you are living in survival mode.
If you are experiencing anxiety, fear, frustration, anger or depression on a regular basis, you are in survival mode.
In this lower frequency (14-40 Hz) Beta brain wave state, your brain is producing cortisol and adrenaline on the regular. Your heart-brain coherence will be deregulated and your energetic resonance lower, which means you have less access to your energy reserves for brain and body use. You also produce less energy in your magnetic field, what some call the aura.
This is measurable and documented in thousands of studies.
It’s not just a matter of damaging neuropeptides and chemicals, either.
Your thoughts produce an electrical charge. Your feelings produce a magnetic charge.
The combination of these two charges create a resonance that you broadcast into the world at large – measurable in brain and heart monitors and “picked up” by those around us – as well as into the quantum field; that place where we best communicate with Source/God.
So when we are in chronic stress, we are broadcasting messages of fear. Of lack. Of pain – instead of messages of love, faith, joy, and creation.
And then we wonder why we stay in those same patterns and create the same circumstances over and over and over again; or we wonder why our prayers for a better life aren’t being heard.
Our prayers are being answered. We just don’t realize that our resonance isn’t asking the same thing that our mouth is.
What’s interesting about this is that the Bible specifically says to “pray with thanksgiving”. Gratitude is mentioned 71 times in the New Testament alone. The Qur’an mentions gratitude numerous times and is considered a fundamental teaching of Islam. Buddhist teachings are to cultivate gratitude as an attitude or habit.
If we want better for ourselves, we need to be in a higher resonance or vibrational state before we start asking, and we need to stay in that state as we ask. Gratitude is the perfect place to access that higher resonance.
If we can do this, miracles can begin to take place.
Stay tuned tomorrow for a breakdown of how we alter our current trajectory to move from woe is me to WOW is me?
Listen, babe. This world is absolutely glorious and worthy of our love and devotion even though it is a little broken.
For that matter, we are all a little broken, but still absolutely glorious and worthy of love.
We’ve all got our past traumas and shiznit that we have to deal with – and we really do need to acknowledge those parts of ourselves that are broken so we can come up with a plan to heal.
Sometimes the way we work through that brokenness; that shiznit is like Grace. Like beauty. Like kindness to ourselves and others. On those days, our broken shards come together with seams of gold. We use our history to create a greater, more compassionate future and a world that is poignantly beautiful.
I love the Japanese concept of Kintsugi – repairing broken pottery with lacquer mixed with precious metals such as gold, silver and platinum – to create something even more beautiful. We can relate this to the process of working through our brokenness to create greater beauty and meaning in our lives.
Other times dealing with our past looks like a train wreck. We just can’t seem to get those pieces together. We deal, and we deal, and we deal some more, and it doesn’t feel like we’ve made any forward progress at all.
On the days that we feel the most broken, it is important to create an environment of love and grace for yourself. To acknowledge that there is still beauty to be found – in ourselves and in the world.
Here are a few steps to keep us moving in the direction of healing and wholeness:
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Acknowledge your hurt – get to the root of your trauma. Talk to yourself. Ask where you need extra love, grace and healing. Allow any emotion that comes up to flow naturally through you. Be with those feelings for a bit. Then move on.
Learn to love yourself. Take time for self-care. What makes you feel good? Hot baths? Exercise? Good, nourishing food? Time with loved ones or pets? Art? Whatever makes you feel happy, follow that bliss.
Stop judging yourself and others. What we judge in another is something we dislike in ourselves.
Set healthy boundaries. Remove toxic situations and people – with love, of course.
Reprogram. Give yourself daily affirmations. Repeat until you feel the truth of your worth and beauty, then repeat some more. Listen to guided meditations. I start each day with a session of positive affirmations embedded with Solfeggio Frequencies; specific auditory frequencies that help our minds and bodies to resonate at a similar vibration. I really enjoy Jason Stephenson’s YouTube videos. Here’s a link to one to try: https://youtu.be/GnWlERK0UJci I recommend listening with good headphones. I keep a pair next to my bed and slip them on first thing upon waking to listen.
Count your blessings. Start a gratitude practice, listing at least 5 things you are grateful for each morning and evening. See the beauty in everything. Stop giving negative bullsh#t your attention, whether in the media, in your family/friend group or in your mind. Elevate your consciousness.
Move your body. Even just 15 minutes of exercise each day will increase your vitality and well being significantly.
Nourish yourself. Feed your body food and drink that make you look and feel your best. You deserve to feel fabulous in your own skin.
Find meaning and purpose. What makes you excited? What brings you joy? How can you serve others in a way that feels amazing?
This list translates individually, collectively, and of the world itself. We can’t ignore the damage we have done to our planet and the other species that share this beautiful earth. We must acknowledge the harm we have created, then shift our focus to solutions for a better, more whole future. The world, like us, is a little broken but still glorious. Also like us, it is broken because of what we humans have done. But we can not only repair the damage but make this world a paradise – if we choose to. I don’t know about you, but living in heaven on earth – in our own bodies and minds and in our environment – sounds pretty amazing to me. 🥰
I hope today, beloved, you see the world in all its tainted glory and love it in spite of it’s damage. That you also see yourself, whole or broken, as a beautiful creation and love every aspect yourself. Every cell, every fiber. You are worthy of your own love. And if you aren’t quite there yet, know this – I see you. I value you. And I love you💖
Big breath on today’s post, babe. I’m going to get deep on one of the key barriers to self-acceptance, authenticity, freedom and happiness. I’m talking about those things that hold us and keep us trapped in stagnation, unable to move forward – our attachments.
This might hurt a little as we rip off some band-aids, but it will be so worth the healing if you read to the end. Of course, implementation is a necessary step in growth, but you’ve got this and I’m right here with you every step of the way.
We form connections and attachments to our homes, schools, pets, professions and jobs, sports teams, sense of style and a hundred other things that we identify with on the daily.
But that is where it can get tricky.
We need connections, but our self-worth can get so very wrapped up in those things that we identify with.
We become attached first to a thing or person, but at some point, that thing or person becomes part of who we believe ourselves to be. It is only too easy from there to lose sight of ourselves as we wrap our sense of identity up in a person, place or thing.
Connection is spirit-based. Identification is ego-based. Here’s an example many can relate to: I really love my morning cuppa joe. I would even go so far as to say I have an attachment to it. The ritual of preparation, the aroma of the freshly ground beans, the rich, cinnamon-laced chocolatey goodness as it pours into my special mug each morning is one of the things that starts my day out right. I do drink organic coffee because unfortunately, coffee is one of the least regulated food products on the planet and tends to be contaminated with mold, pesticides and a variety of other yuck that we really should never put into our bodies. Just sayin’.
But enjoying my early morning deliciousness because it makes me feel amazing vs. considering myself a “coffee snob” who only drinks XYZ coffee at XYZ time of the day with XYZ people, who of course are the best kind of people moves me from healthy connection and mentality to ego-based identification.
I use coffee because it’s an easy example for me, but we can insert whatever attachment rings true to you – sports teams (are you obsessed with the Seahawks/Redskins/Greenbay/etc., or do you watch for the enjoyment of the sport?) to relationships (I couldn’t possibly live a happy, healthy life without my Spouse/Partner/BFF/Hookup/etc.)
Are you still with me? Here’s where we get to the real meat of the subject.
If we come to a place where that something or someone becomes so intrinsically attached to our value that we lose who we truly are, what happens when we no longer have that thing or person? What happens when the relationship or attachment becomes toxic or no longer truly serves who we are or who we wish to be?
When this happens, it is time to step back in order to come to an awareness of how those attachments might be holding us back from freedom, from being who we are – and who we were meant to be.
Here’s where we rip off the band-aid and let go of those things that are familiar to us when they no longer serve or have become toxic. Let’s be frank – it is so hard. We humans like routine. We like the familiar.
Or maybe better to say that we are most comfortable with the familiar.
Stepping out of a long-held comfort zone feels – uncomfortable. Hard. If you are in a place where you are being forced to let go of something – or someone – deeply familiar and are overwhelmed by negative emotion, don’t beat yourself up for struggling to “let that shit go” because babe, you are not alone and there is a reason it’s hard.
The pain of this emotional withdrawal is a combination of our biology and our ego. Our ego likes to create identity. It makes us feel like we belong somewhere, that whatever we are makes us valuable – “My name is Terah. I’m an empath. I’m also a mother, writer, artist, martial arts and yoga teacher and intuitive healer.” And there you have it, right? All that I am summed up in one sentence and wrapped up in a tidy little package. We do the same thing to nearly everything in our lives – including God, whatever God might be.
But fuck, babe. I am so damned much more than those titles and labels. So is God. And so are you. You are an amazing, limitless spirit that just so happens to be wrapped up in a meat suit – but even that label is inaccurate because that meat is frickin’ energy, dancing, whirling and spiraling – and just waiting for us to direct our intentional creation to it. Cool, right?
As long as our physical form doesn’t become just another aspect of our ego identification, that is. Body identification can be one of the greatest inhibitors to emotional freedom there is, especially in our current society. The trick is to want to feel your best because you love yourself, and want your external self to be a reflection of the amazing creation you are inside. Versus having a need to look your best because it’s what society expects or where your self-worth comes from.
But I digress, a little. The second reason it is so difficult to let go of our attachments is biology. The longer we hold something as a part of who we are, the more those attachments become neurological patterns – starting as connections in the brain, moving to pathways and eventually, if we stay in those identities too long, those neural pathways become trenches that require Herculean effort to alter. It’s not impossible but it is damned hard and requires nearly-constant awareness and re-programming work for a while to overcome.
Let me give you another example – A while back, I met with my friend Michelle who is currently going through a separation from her husband. The relationship was founded in some mutually unhealthy patterns but she was eventually able to see that those patterns weren’t serving who she was becoming and she didn’t want to remain in that stuck place any more. They tried to work things out but just had too many of their patterns wrapped up in cycles of victimhood and dysfunction.
Suddenly on her own, Michelle found herself grieving far more than she felt she should have been, especially as she had known where the relationship was headed for several years. Some days she felt so heavy that she could hardly function – but she noticed it was worse when she would be in the places they had been together. As we spoke, I pointed out that it made perfect sense – her sense of identity and value had been wrapped up in who she was in the relationship for a long time.
She was a wife. A partner. A playmate. A best friend, chef, housekeeper and a million other titles that seemed exclusive to that relationship. How many of us can relate? So Michelle wasn’t just grieving the end of the marriage but also who she had been in that marriage.
Divorce isn’t just the end of a relationship. It is too often the death of an identity. After 15 years her neurological pathways relating to her relationship were trenches that she had to dig herself out of – an emotionally and physically painful process.
But here’s what was awesome – having the “aha” moment of why she was having such a hard time – that she had her identity wrapped up in who she was as a wife rather than an individual and spiritual being – helped her to climb out of the depression she was experiencing. She will still have work to do and daily affirmations to reprogram those patterns but she’s on her way to freedom, joy, and self-creation.
Can you relate to your identity being wrapped up in something so deeply that to be without it feels devastating? If so, loved one, now is the time to give yourself lots of grace. Lots of love. And get to work!
– Write down daily affirmations on your own worth – just as you are.
– Take time to meditate.
– Give yourself plenty of self-care.
– Visualize the future you wish to see – and the you
that you want to be, ideally before bed or upon waking when your brain is in an alpha or theta state – the best time to reprogram old patterns.
Happy healing, beloved. I can’t wait to see how joyous freedom feels on you!
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. 💖
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?
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)
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?
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! ✨✨✨
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?
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!
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, Islow 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.
This Blessed Sacred Life 