lifelearning

Inner Wisdom✔️

/ Self-Diagnosed Yogi / Leave a comment

Hè, friend!

I think it’s safe to say we are all going through shit. We all have over commitments and piles of people with needs from us. We also have our needs, but where do they go? Oh yeah, on the back burner or straight into the dark realms of “someday”.  I find myself disengaged and overwhelmed in these distractions of daily life. I can’t help the world if my world is heavy. So, now what? Well, after I identify the problem, a solution will slowly work its way into my life. No one is responsible for me and how I feel. I  believe that my desires change due to what shows up in my life. I accept what I have and what I can change. If I cannot have it or change myself to get it, then I do not need it. You feel me?

I recharge outside so I can radiate positivity💖

Know What You Are Digesting

I don’t feed into the hype that doesn’t define who I truly am. I am not an angry person naturally; I cannot listen to the news without the biased news feed pissing me off. So, guess what, I don’t listen. I listen to music and podcasts that shine life into me. I dance instead of fight. I invest in my higher self by feeding myself good nourishment. We digest everything that comes into contact with us. Sights, events, negative self-talk, pollution, SPF, bug spray, toenail polish: you get the point. So, if you are constantly not feeding yourself things that are lighter (comedies, friends that you enjoy, meditation) or brighter (sunshine, standing up for yourself, self-care) you will fall victim to all the heaviness. More is more so that can spill into your relationships with others, work, food, all corners of life. I am just sharing my experience so far. Life is super crazy! One day at a time though…

Thanking God for these 24🕰

Processing Memories

I remember as a kid, I spent a lot of time by myself. I loved to explore nature and found myself at the local nature park every morning. Early! I would wake up and get on my bike and explore. Back then, I was not required to update my parents before I left. I actually had more freedom at that age than when I was a teenager. Another story, though. I remember the smells of Spring, Winter, Fall, Summer. They sing to me in my memory as I stroll through the same area in my 40’s. Memories don’t fade in time. They sit and wait for a chance to shine. I love my memories, even the bad. I spent thousands of dollars to work through the bad ones and changed my perspective. I am no longer a victim. I am a survivor and damn good at my life. CEO **pop that collar**

If you really want to party with me…meet me at the lake:)

Forgive

I will not pretend that forgiveness is easy. I lived with pain, and the pain would make me sad, and I wore a heavy mask of anger. Anger is my secondary emotion. I lost a lot of self-respect due to my anger. It put me in a constant but familiar cycle, and I didn’t know how to pull the brakes and get control of my life. My only life. I learned to be ok with how I turned out. I found beauty in my pain and slowly rebirthed my thoughts. My thoughts had new meaning because they had a goal, an end. I sit with my thoughts a lot. A thought is just a thought until you act, right? I acted my whole life, so why not try something new. Just because someone/something took my trust and shattered boundaries doesn’t mean they/it has to take my power, too. I forgive and move forward. With my newfound knowledge, I steer clear of reoccurance and thrive. Knowledge is power.

Nourishment😍

Yogi Outro

I am so at peace with my weekend plans. No market due to the rain. No swimming due to the rain. No food truck with my bestie due to the rain. I refuse to let things outside of myself set my mood. I can do fun things in the rain. I learned to like new experiences. I find I really like to be rained on and run through puddles unexpectedly! This is fucking life! Nothing is going to ever go the way I want it to go. I learn to live in the chaos and enjoy myself. I will be fine dancing in the rain and cuddling my sweet girl, Alex, when the thunder is a bit too loud. I bring comfort to myself so I can share my love with my loves. I am powerful and in control.

Wanishi!

All pictures by Lenape Spiritual Yogi Awakened.

Spring Detox

/ Self-Diagnosed Yogi / Leave a comment

He, friend!

I am enjoying the last few weeks of Spring and I wanted to share my detox plan that works for me to get my body boosted with fresh spring nutrients and slowly challenge my digestive system to digest fresh nettles and dandelion greens. I love all the spring herbs green onion, cilantro, parsley, garlic mustard. The best morning juice is green and spicy and gets my digestion fired up and ready to digest lunch. I also get to re-evaluate what I’ve been doing the past season and analyze what needs to go and what can stay or be tweaked. I include things I’m reading, listening to, and watching on TV. I absolutely adore my much-needed Spring detox.

Alëmatae- flower beginning to bloom🤩

Morning Routine

I find the morning time to be the best time for me to get my heart rate up and my body moved. I also get my daily steps completed before 8am. For my morning nutrition, I get the kettle going and make a big 32 oz hot tea with lemon and ginger. I will sip on this throughout the morning. I typically make 2 big batches of juice, one is a green juice with cucumber, celery, green apple, spinach, kale, ginger, lemon. The 2nd juice is beets, oranges, turmeric, ginger. I will choose either juice for my breakfast while I work and get through my morning. I make sure I get moving during my morning break if I’m working. Or get outside and water my garden.

Fresh green juice beams me up with nutritional power and gets my tummy grumbling💝

Lunch

I love a green lunch! My body craves the bitter greens and I even allow a small, sweet dessert when my digestion is at its peak. I have been loving a good buddha bowl. The Sunday before my work week, I will cook lentils or beans that have been soaked for 24 hours. I roast a mix of veggies I am craving that week. I love a good lemony tahini sauce and/or a pesto (garlic mustard, mustard greens, or beet greens). I will see what herbs I have ready in my garden and place them in my fridge in a plastic bag covered jar. This is the quickest throw together lunch that keeps me in check and temptation to eat processed foods at bay. I even make big batches of Spring soup with nettles and freeze leftovers in individual bags I can defrost in a pinch.

I make sure when it’s time to eat that I am centered and focused on me eating and tasting every bite and fully chew, chew, chew. Mindful eating is amazing. I mean, when is the last time you ate in silence and ate intentionally? Try it on and see what changes for you.

This is not my typical meal, but I sat under this oak tree and ate in silence, enjoying the view🥹 mindful eating wins every time!

Dinner

I like to make sure I am eating while it’s still daylight. I also make sure I am eating small. I know, I know. It’s so different how Americans are taught to eat. We have a huge dinner meal and make sure everyone is seated to eat at the table. Iced drinks, wine, beer, too much water. We get stuffed and watch TV or find something to run to instead of allowing our body time to digest. I get it, I have so much I love to do but I have to honor myself. What isn’t completed by dinner time can wait, if not, see what you can do before the sun goes down and eat dinner outside while watching the sun disappear. I enjoy a salad or soup or both! I just limit the portion and eat until I’m content. I like to eat around 5pm. I used to run straight to yoga but since my yoga is done in the morning recently, I have time to slow down.

I like to connect with my plants I water at night. I love to enjoy my backyard and read in my hammock swing. I find nature to cure me from my typical boredom of not doing anything. I allow myself this time to do nothing. I schedule it and find comfort in my backyard.

Yogi Outro

I feel the heat of the summer getting closer. I will be busy moving my body and keeping my mind in check. Digesting thoughts and experiences of the day are crucial to keeping me open and flowing in a flourishing state. I have fell off my daily journalling and I plan on getting my habit back in motion. I find as the seasons change, so does my digestion and what I need to eat. It’s always best to eat in season and that is exactly what my body craves. I feel my digestion kick start and I can feel when the food leaves my stomach! It’s amazing to be so intune with my body and learn what happens when I slow down and digest. Happy Spring cleaning!

Namastè!

All pictures by Lenape Spiritual Yogi Awakened.

I Am Limitless

/ Self-Diagnosed Yogi / Leave a comment

Hè, friend!

I finally completed my firepit area in my backyard and I love it! I find myself sitting out here facing the different directions in my effort to find my creativity. Where is my G-spot in this vast area full of life? LOL! I am slowly being called to work with the Sacred Hoop or Medicine Wheel. Exploring the unknown is so fucking fulfilling. I am in control of this ship, and I want to go where I have never been before. I am without fear and only curiosity, it’s overwhelming. I used to be limited in my quests by limited beliefs. Now, I am waist-high in so let the adventures begin! I am limitless.

My weekends have been full of moving and hauling rocks with my family. Ahhhh! Project 1 ✔️

My mornings have been consistent with my new routine of yoga and a good hour of fast walking in nature, all before work! Or before 7! My consensus is this new morning practice is phenomenal! I am so clear headed and focused to begin my tasks for the day. I am centered and full of energy. I am still getting up at 4am and I am noticing that, not only am I opening my eyes, but I am also up and at ’em! I get my bathroom habits completed and roll out my mat. I have a few yoga teachers I can trust to give me a heated flow. I get my heart beating good, my body stretched, pranayama (breath practice), mind/body/soul check in, organs moved, eyeballs moved, and a meditation all in 1 hour! Yoga is amazing stuff, I tell ya!

This Robin comes back every year to lay her 1st round of eggs. They hatched this year!

I understand when I leave my house, I am a mere lonely soul in a huge existence of many, many other people. I have to be in a good mindset to take on others’ emotions. You know how emotional some people get when they are passed on the highway, or how people can be unkind to you for no other reason than to be mean, or my neighbor who quickly pulled out of their driveway in front of me while I was driving on the street. I do my best to not react negatively, as two negatives are exactly that. I have learned to slow down and take my time being intentional in all my life’s moments. I analyze it all! Smells, sights, temperature, emotions. I do not want everyone’s trash or shitty attitudes so if I leave my home with the mindset that I will serve without any prejudices, I win! I choose peace and love, love and peace.

Mr. Baby is the cutest cat I ever met. ❤️ He loves companionship and together we love the new firepit area!

I have been listening to my body and since I’m typically eating two meals a day, I have been skimping on good fats, like avacados, chia seeds, nuts, ghee. I had a thought cross my mind (or intuition) last weekend that I need more fat and I should start making my decaf lattes with 2% milk (eeeek!) and 1 teaspoon of ghee. Well, one week into my little experiment and I find it pretty good with my digestion and I am noticing my skin! I am not so dry anymore, but we shall see because it has been raining and humid the last few days. I feel I have more power over my cravings for sugar too! I’m not sure if its linked but it’s highly suspicious because I made a pact with myself this week, I would not eat sugar or sugar free foods after 7pm. Well, I haven’t and also, I really haven’t had a lot of sugar, except the cake and ice-cream last night to celebrate a birthday.

My new front door mat that sums up my summer plans in a creative way😂

How limited is life really? I find my boundaries are lifting. I am safe in my beliefs, and they serve me well. I am so intuned to my higher self and where I’m headed. It’s crazy to break through old thought processes and truly believe in myself, right where I am. I am limitless in my love. I am limitless in my body. I am limitless in my life. What possibilities await? I honestly from the deep core of my bones cannot wait to live my life in this new existence. I see myself dancing and growing so deep into my spirit. Don’t be scared to explore your space and find how you too can live limitless!

Namaste!

All pictures by Lenape Spiritual Yogi Awakened.

Building Community

/ Self-Diagnosed Yogi / Leave a comment

Hè, friend!

I missed a Wednesday post, so welcome to a Friday blog catch-up! There is a lot of life happening over here, and I feel like I’m watching a movie of someone else’s life. I am not accustomed to doors opening, but here I am. Me. Proving to myself, that as I grow into my safe container that whatever part of me that spills out, is still safe. It’s OK for me to walk into the unknown and find out. I’m a curious soul, and I really find people so interesting when we are together. I love my yoga community, and when we get together, magic happens, and we learn so much from each other! It’s a weekly meet up and building community is so fucking healthy!!❤️‍🔥

He was about a foot away from his other snail friend. Community.

Shed who you think you are for who you want to be

We all have an idea of what we think people will be like based on looks alone. Our opinions are so vast apart or cloned copycats that are only created from experiences, right? Or hearsay? Whatever the reason, it’s not true until you find out. When I made myself vulnerable and took my ego out of the equation, I became flawed but yearned to share my experiences. I built my confidence with my group. There is beauty in pain when we can see why we had to experience it in the first place. I am perfectly imperfect, and I’ll rarely be on time to most, but these things make me, me. The more I try not to be me, life gets messy.

My husband helps me cook, which really helps me. Community.

Know your boundaries

I love being with my people. I also love being by myself. There is a balance, though, and very fine lines that can make or break me. I pick up on others’ emotions easily. I really do not enjoy being dragged down, so my choices of people have drastically changed. We all have problems, trust. I keep my real ride or die circle small, but it’s solid, and I feel grounded enough to keep building my confidence with others with boundaries.

Yoga with my buddy. Community.

Get a new hobby, gain a new friend

I know that as I get older, I find I have a lot of hobbies! One thing leads me down a rabbit hole to more things. My hobbies keep me balanced in all the seasons. Through these hobbies, I’ve met so many like-minded people with dreams and aspirations similar to me. I admire all the people I meet, and when I’ve had my fill of interacting, I leave. I honor myself, and I try not to overdo anything. Balance is Bliss 🩷

I enjoy foraging with my friends! Community.

Yogi wrap up

I heard Nate Ortiz on the Highest Self Podcast: 442 Why You Have Digestive/ Hormonal Issues – The Spiritual Causes. He is amazing, and he inspired me by introducing me to be ok wanting to emulate another human. If I want success, I need to pretend I have it, dress like it, present my best self in this image. In a healthy way, of course. No stalking or breaking the law. Just an idea to help manifest my life of my dreams! I learn so much about me from my community! Small steps will get me to my highest self🤩

Namastè!

All pictures by Lenape Spiritual Yogi Awakened.

Making Space

/ Self-Diagnosed Yogi / 2 Comments

My friend!

I have been busy making space in my life. I actually organized my stuff in my drawers in my bedroom and got rid of a lot of jewelry and other accessories I’ve been holding onto for so long! It feels good to share items that, at one time in my life, gave me joy. Now, it can bring joy to someone else. It feels good to make this much needed space in my life. I am getting rid of lots of things I couldn’t bear to part with last month. I have unleashed a beast and it’s a beautiful manifestation of my dreams. I wanted something done so I did it. Easier said than done…right?

So much space.

When I list my Dreams they change form

If I can write it down in a list, I find it easier to prioritize my direction. Its Springtime and that means it’s planting season. Not only plants, but my ideas and dreams. What are goals to work on right now? Where is my focus? How can I make my dream a reality? I am pretty pleased with my list of goals and off to a pretty good start thus far. I need to stay focused but balanced. What is work without breaks? I know to be kind to myself and check in with myself during my meditations and mindful walks. Shoot, even mindful eating! LOL!

No matter what I’m eating, I eat in silence, paying attention to the food I’m ingesting. This is an amazing mindful practice.

My spaces have magic

Me and my family have been working hard on weekends getting rocks from my daughter’s house to mine. Rocks are heavy. My body thrives on the work though. I find community with my family, and we are building together. I love spending my time investing in my future. I know the firepit area we are building up is going to be enjoyed for years to come. All the laughs and energy will create the best memories and I smile now in anticipation. I want every space I own to be a sanctuary. A place to be enjoyed and feel safe. That is so important to me!

Our old firepit area is getting a makeover!

Plant babies need space too

I don’t know about you, but I have been needing to split a bunch of my plants and repot them, and put my cacti outside, etc. I got it done! I just doted on myself to myself for the past week! I have been wanting this done forever! I split just one plant into 8! I probably got 22 new plant babies potted and some in water to root. I was going to spend an obscene amount of money on plants (cause it brings me joy) and now I don’t have to! I am waiting to see how they do. I enjoyed spending time one-on-one with each of my plants. I feel we are all connected, and felt a great reminder that humans are not superior to everything. We are intertwined and since I am going to practice more mindfulness with my plants, I hope they will benefit me with their magic of cleaning stale house air. Please bless me, wanìshi (thank you – Lenape).

People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar.

-Thich Nhat Hanh

Clear my weekend calendar

Burnout is a thing of the past. I do not aspire to be at every event and own a busy, crazy, insane calendar agenda. I plan on the “no plan” plan. Sounds fun to me! I love not having something pressing that I have to be at on weekends. I can do whatever I want. It usually is the same thing as a weekday, but I can spend a longer time walking in nature. Or I can stop by my daughter’s house and walk with her too. I am counting down to the warmer days so I can paddleboard every weekend and not have a care in the world. Just me and nature, besties forever.

Even nothing is something.

Analyze where space is needed

Have you ever had the biggest brain malfunction of your life and thought that organizing your house would solve it? Well, I can attest that my brain is well and functioning and my house is getting organized. I know what I am facing on Memorial Day weekend going forward until Labor Day weekend. I have to spend time making it flawless. That entails a lot of planning ahead or enjoying the consequences of laziness. I have to create a new space and plan to make sure I stay on top of my game. Failing is learning! I will take the bad but learn. I have to find out failures for myself to fully learn and plan. I can do hard things! Analyze my issues and plan, plan, plan!

Fail to plan, plan to fail.

Yogi Outro

Life is a trip. I never knew easy, everything was hard and unreachable, I felt. I just was existing, blowing in the wind. I had no recollection of a dream. All those dreams I had young. I spent so much time surviving that I forgot the dreams. I forgot a lot. I remember now and I get to walk free sharing love with anyone who needs someone to listen. I refuse to let life make me bitter. I have too much anger surrounding me in everyday life, I want to be a breath of fresh air for myself and others. I want to forget how to blow in the wind and grow my roots in my space. I want to help others build their roots and learn their truths. There’s so much to learn and I cannot wait to share!

Namastè! Wanìshi!

All pictures by Lenape Spiritual Yogi Awakened.

5 Ways To Have A Beautiful Morning

/ Self-Diagnosed Yogi / Leave a comment

Hè, friend!

I have been busy perfecting my beautiful morning routine. It has become a part of me and a necessity to ensure I am elevated to my best self before my day and all the chaos evade. I start every day focused on me by scraping my tongue, neti pot my sinuses followed by oil, wash, tone, & oil my face while I gua sha my lymph nodes on my face and down my neck. Then I will go on a refreshing early morning walk with my dogs. I enjoy a 20-to-30-minute power yoga session followed by a cold shower and abhyanga massage. I will meditate by 6am and journal afterwards to get my thoughts or new thoughts in order. Bam! I have taken control of my morning routine and I’m set for what life has to throw at me.

Water is beautiful and able to enjoy the elements within its boundaries freely. I have the same fluidity expression and cleansing energies💖

Morning Self-Care

My morning self-care is crucial to me feeling ungunked and refreshed. First things first, I will empty my bladder and number 2 or eliminate. This took a good year to be able to eliminate without eating. I truly am empty until I eat which will be around 11am – 1pm typically. I find being empty helps me focus and feel light without burden. I enjoy feeling this lightness and I control how I absorb heavy foods or ideas. I prefer to take things slow and enjoy most of my morning, empty.

I then brush my teeth and scrape my tongue. I will look at my tongue to view how my digestion is going or how my body is absorbing nutrients. There are many different examples on the internet. I utilize my book, “Body Thrive” by Cate Stillman. Scraping off the ama (poison) from my tongue is ensuring my body is not ingesting the accumulation of trash from my body’s waste. I enjoy being cleansed and degunked. Scrape, scrape!

Next, is my neti pot I have filled with distilled water and sea salt, I follow that with my Banyan nasya oil. This is especially crucial during the sneezy, allergy season of spring. I feel flushed and moisturized inside and out. There are so many benefits from clearing out my sinuses and I feel clear and able to breathe fully.

Lastly, my face will get a good Trader Joe’s microdermabrasion scrub twice a week or I use my homemade eucalyptus lemon facial soap to get my morning clean. I follow that up with my homemade chamomile toner and my homemade lavender, rose, calendula, and linden flower facial oil. I will follow up with my knuckles to gently apply pressure on my facial points to drain my lymph. Ta-da! Time to move my body.

My mouth and sinuses cleaning kit.

Morning Movement

Yes, I want to stay in bed too. I choose to better my health and my mindset every day.  I find out how strong I am when I encounter my hesitancy. My compromise to myself is to walk. I even get to bring my best friends, Aiko and Alex. We have the best time walking in the dark and I will have about 5,000 steps before I get home.

I get on my mat as soon as I get my dogs out of their harness. I love to move intuitively with some beautiful Lauryn Hill in the morning and get my heart rate up and my body stretched and warmed up. I enjoy having freedom in my expressions, I chose how my heart pumps and I do what I enjoy. It’s my self-care routine and I include my circulatory system. I enjoy my body and all it has to offer me, it is time to pay it forward.

A beautiful morning walk🤩

Body Care

My body is my temple. I get into my body routine with my soul. I have taken the time to skillfully shed the layers of my armor. I learned to be vulnerable and not feel victim to the world around me. I know how to set my mind to protect me, and I listen to my intuition. I find that me taking the care and attention to my body gives me power to trust myself. I know that I look forward to each day and I look forward to the lesson’s I will learn.

I gently dry brush my skin and I am mindful on where I am in my head and pay attention to my precious limbs. I usually wash my dry brush on Sunday’s with hot water on the bristles soaked in tea tree oil for 5-10 minutes. I then use my oil to rub into my body. Yes, this is still before I shower. LOL! I put on my robe and get ready for my meditation part.

Simple  but powerful body care routine👌🏽

Meditation

Oh, the brain power meditation gives me. I can focus and organize my thoughts into priority. I can also figure out issues I am going through. It’s a beautiful practice. I have been using a guided meditation, Hemi-Sync. I absolutely love it and it’s under $10 per month. I will meditate 30 – 60 minutes a day in the morning. I love a good prana nature meditation by the lake as well, but I usually save that for the weekends.

I can still smell this view, the air was crisp welcoming in winters breath. The crows were loud and powerful.

Cold Shower

I do not think I have to reiterate the amazing benefits of a cold shower. I feel so invigorated and awake during my shocking shower time. I started with my leg and arm only going into the water. I do my best to gain control of my breathing. This is total control. It is hard to not go into convulsions and turn blue. I am still investigating all the benefits to me, I love this part of my life when I get to understand what something does for me, personally.

Life is insane and there are so many options and information at our fingertips at every moment of every day. We have all our information for ourselves within ourselves and we have power to keep ourselves healthy or not. No one can define our “why”. We must figure out what we want in life and act on what we want. If you want something bad enough to change, you change, right? I evolved so much and I am so grateful for my life as it is. I hope you manifest a beautiful morning too!

Namaste!

Relearning to Reset

/ Self-Diagnosed Yogi / Leave a comment

Hè, friend!

I have been enjoying the new energy I have past 4pm. I used to crash so hard after work that I thought it was just my 40’s. That’s what everyone else says, right? Well, I found a holistic Dr that treats the whole body, mind included. After an hour meeting with my Dr, he ordered labs and I found out I was super-duper low in B12 and Folate. I got a B12 shot, I’ve been taking 2 methyl B Complex vitamins every day for 10 days now and I feel really good! Now that I’m in a better place to function (past 4pm), I’m relearning to reset my body and mind and find what works and what doesn’t. The only way to do that is to stop everything and see what happens.

What I do today impacts my tomorrow.

Meditation:

My focus and mindset begin with my meditation. I stopped meditating for about a week, and I felt so ungrounded. I am a very grounded person naturally. I started meditating and BOOM! Order in the mind got me putting this bad boy on the daily 6am calendar, fo’ life! I have been meditating for 12 days now (so far, I only missed one day) and my brain fog is lifting. I just enjoy a clear brain! I know there are lots of benefits to meditating and I find myself doing this more than once a day. It’s a great reset, especially if I just released a lot of emotions.

Me and my bud.

Mindful Movement:

Yoga, yoga, yoga. Ok. So, I never went to a yoga class and went “I wish I didn’t go”. Ever! I love yoga and how it makes me feel! I am centered and empowered. Yoga is when I spend an hour loving my beautiful body in beautiful poses moving and lubricating my joints and organs, breathing mindfully, moving my eyeballs all around in different Drishti (eye focus points), and come to a Savasana quiet meditation. This is the magic. I went a week without, and my joints were stiff, my muscles were sore, I felt unmotivated and stuck. What a shitty feeling to be stuck. After my week, I ran to yoga. Yoga is where I go to digest my life experiences. I get to check in on my body and each part. My mind connects and I am whole. That give me all the happy tears because yoga gives me all I need inside and out.

Yoga with Aiko💝

Nature Calls:

Being outside in nature is my daily dessert. I find when I connect with life outside of myself and other humans, things begin to make sense. Follow the sun, when it wakes, I am too. The sun is highest at noon so is my digestion. When the sun sets, I will have already eaten and spend my evening winding down and getting my body ready for bed. I cannot quit this for a whole week. I have days where I did spend my time in artificial environments and not exposed to life outside. I lose connection with outside of me which is me. I don’t know if I’m making sense, but I am just as connected to earth and nature as I am my family. It’s the same thing to me. Without either, I would be sad and lifeless. Geez, just writing this makes me want to put my feet in the dirt.

We enjoy a morning sunrise!

Exercise:

Walking doesn’t require a whole lot of equipment or work. I can walk anywhere at any time without any direction. My only purpose is to walk, so why don’t I? I began my quest to find my walking shoes and get to pounding the pavement. I kind of love the way my thoughts process and get organized in my mind. I also get my focus on my tasks depending on the day so I don’t feel flustered and out of control. I stopped walking a week and found myself wanting sweets more. Oh fun, I’m not walking so why not eat empty calories? My favorite are peanut M&Ms. My thoughts began to be negative. I was moodier for sure! I’m sure my husband was happy I started walking again but not happy he was a part of my weekend walks too. LOL!

Walking to begin the day!

Massage:

Massage is so nourishing to my mind body connection. I have to hit every inch of my body though with my Banyan sesame oil blend (I make my own scented body oil) and use my hands to work out knots and tend to the sore spots. I get a monthly massage from a professional, as well. This massage gives me time to understand how each part feels now and become familiar with normal and not normal. I am so familiar with myself and each mole, that I trust me when something is not right. I don’t need anything or anyone outside of me to tell me something is wrong. I’ll know and go get trusted help. I went half a week without my self massage and I was out of sorts. I felt lost, like my brain was wondering where all its friends were, leg, arm, neck…no connection. Just like Covid, shut out of homes and left to yourself. I know I need to always be there to tend to myself and never lose myself again. Home 🙂

Sunset reminds me to begin to slow and tend to my body needs, like massage.

Hobbies:

Man, back when I was a kid, I played the piano, violin, loved exploring my area, bike riding, swimming, reading books, cooking, pretending and using my imagination! When did I stop to learn how to fly? When I grew up who told me I had to give up my loves? I really don’t remember this build up but I forgot when I had kids. They became my life and that was it. I watched them make their dreams and I took a back seat. The manifestor became the back seat driver. I found out I like a lot of things and they became important again. In fact, I get to enjoy my joys with my kids and that swells my heart with all the magic of being a mom, full circle. I really enjoy this crazy life learnings and this is what life is! Learn and learn, who says to stop? I find that my hobbies are a great balance in my life. I get my fix of my hobbies for me, and I can do what I need to as a wife and mom.

I am a proud mom, wife, daughter, sister, Auntie, niece, friend😍

I hope there are some nuggets you can manifest into your life from my blog. I have spent the last 2 years stripping old layers of decay off my plate. I don’t know why we don’t ask why more often. I never received any responses to my questions so I took that old way of thinking out of my way. It didn’t serve me. What doesn’t serve you? Can you go without it and find your truth? I hope you do and I hope you keep learning too!

Namaste & wanìshi!

Everything Has To Flow

/ Self-Diagnosed Yogi / Leave a comment

Hè, friend!

Did you feel insane last month? My March had me holding on for dear life! In retrospect, the ups and downs in my life seemed to mirror the weather outside. Cold, hot, warm, cool, windy, foggy, rainy, snowy, sunny. One thing I was able to manifest after a stagnant winter was walking every day. When I move my body, my thoughts digest, and I’m able to get in a stable headspace so I can focus. This is a great habit before work for me. If I stay too stagnant, my thoughts get stagnant, my body gets stagnant, and I find myself in a self-made prison. Everything has to flow. That’s my rhythm.

Catch me outside. That’s where you’ll find me.

I insist you learn all about you. I found out I knew nothing about myself outside of my family and busy worklife. It’s like one day I woke up and decided to get to know me. I spent hours by myself. Reading, paddle boarding, yoga, meditation, cooking, Ayurveyda. I found hobbies and met so many people, now friends! These things opened my comfort zone to new abundance. I was learning so much, and my heart opened. My anger subsided. I found this new phenomenon called inner peace.

Mr. Baby loves to go outside daily😻

One amazing morning ritual I can not skip is hot lemon water. The hot water helps release gunk clogging up our organs. How? Well, when I clean my floors, I love to use my steam mop. To me, the hot water steam gets deeper into the floor and scours stains and sticky spills. So I want that for me too! It’s deeply hydrating, and the lemon makes it delicious and other great benefits. Just try it for a week and see how you feel. I tell ya, you won’t be the same.

Hot lemon water or herbal teas are my #1

Getting outside in nature is one of my therapies. I listen. It’s beautiful. I watch the sun make its way up. The frogs. The moon fades into the brighter, bluer sky. Spring’s cool breeze flutters its warmer promises over my body. The breeze carries off yesterday’s burden. I feel lighter and purposeful. I love to journal in nature. My mind thrives in nature. I can not explain it. It’s magic.

We enjoy our afternoons outside💖

I hope this plants a positive seed in your thinking. Manifest your flow. After all, you know you better than anyone else does. Make mistakes on your journey so you learn. If everything has to flow, what does it take to put you back on track after chaos?

Namastè & wanishi!

All pictures by Lenape Spiritual Yogi Awakened.

Self-Care on Vacation

/ Self-Diagnosed Yogi / 2 Comments

Hello, Yogi Friend!

I have been amongst many strangers in the last few days on vacation in Phoenix. I am so very humbled by my experience and found my peace in a bustling city full of unknowns. My intention was to experience all I can muster each day and make sure I am taking time to tend to my needs as well.

I’m just following the sun’s rhythms.

I have been experimenting with my self-care routine for over a year now. I know what works best for my morning and night routine to keep me going and going and going. I just have a few requirements (even while on vacation), they are 7 hours of sleep and meditation, Abhyanga (self-massage), movement, hydration, and eating with intention. I was on vacation and stayed up late on a few nights and had to get used to a different time zone. I still made sure I got in my 7 hours of rest. I had my maps on my phone and I walked everywhere! I even did 22,000 steps in one day which plows my 5,500 step average! I made sure I tended to my sore legs and the rest of my body with a self-massage every night after my shower. I enjoyed journaling by the pool every morning with my cup of hot herbal tea to help keep me hydrated amongst lots of water daily. I didn’t eat the healthiest foods at every meal, but I did take my time and enjoyed every bite.

Rest and relaxation💖

Sleep and Rest

I used to put my body through the wringer when I was on vacation. I would drink alcohol late into the night most nights and not have a great night’s sleep. I wouldn’t listen to my body for cues of dehydration and being overworked. Have you ever come back from vacation exhausted? I don’t like feeling drained if I can help it. I love to love me. I have the recipe to keep my body in check because I learned to listen to my body.

I found myself lounging by the pool after our morning hikes. It was a great place to journal and watch nature. I was able to meditate as well.

Self-Massage

I must tend to my sore body or my body won’t want to carry me around the next day. At least it won’t feel happy about it. I made sure to spend time massaging my sore legs and feet. I’m telling you that 5 minutes made a huge difference! I would pay attention to my toes and gently pull on each one front, back, left and right sides. I would knead my thumbs or knuckles into the bottom of my foot and up to my calves. I am someone who will pay for a good massage but knowing I can do the same for myself is priceless.

Watching the city life 💜

Movement

I experienced my first guided hike, and it was phenomenal! First, we met at the trailhead at 6 AM and we were led towards the peak. During our ascent I learned all about the flora and fauna of the land. I found myself challenged by the steep inclines and navigating in the early morning darkness. We finally got to our destination, and it was spectacular! I had a moment with the sunrise, and we began our descent. I loved moving my body in this way. I challenged my mind and body and didn’t get hurt.

I found multiple opportunities to walk in nature. I also walked downtown to most of my destinations. I would stay within a few miles our home rental. I really enjoyed walking and taking in the sights and smells. I loved walking by the orange trees and smelling the orange blossoms. I enjoyed some stretchy yoga poses by the pool as well to get me feeling juicy and restored.

Hydration

I used to not love water and it had to be seasoned to not taste like water for me to drink it. I am not her anymore. I love, love water! I know it is a necessity for my well-being. My body loves hydrating with warm lemon water. I didn’t think it would matter too much but I was drinking many bottles of water and my lips were dry requiring moisture. I was in the desert, but it didn’t feel 100% dry but I’m thinking next time I will carry hot water with me.

Eating with Intention

I love vacationing because I let myself splurge on either lunch or dinner. My husband loves to eat at places that don’t have a lot of veggie options, so this is my compromise. I can keep a healthy relationship with eating even if it’s not the best for my body. We ate burgers every day. I took my time to enjoy my experience enjoying my food. I had the best company, and it really satisfied my soul. I never had room for dessert, but I did my best to balance my choices.

The best sweet, salty, bitter, sour, pungent non-alcoholic drink!

I am currently writing and listening to the birds enjoy the spring morning. It’s beautiful being in my natural inner peace right in the heart of downtown Phoenix. I am in love with this place, and I witnessed a bird’s mating dance right above my head! I felt like “National Geographic” happening right before my eyes! My soul is overflowing with contentment, and I don’t want to leave it, but I must. I will just make sure I visit my favorite places that manifest heart searching soul work often!

I will put the AirBNB we stayed at and to meet Paul, our hiking guide, in the comments!

Namaste!

Spring Awakening

/ Self-Diagnosed Yogi / Leave a comment

Hello, yogi friend!

Spring is in the air! Yes, there are lower temperatures in the coming days, but on my morning walk today I saw life. The plants are coming to life as their spring awakening comes right on time. As far as I go, I’m ready to wake up and clean out my old, partially digested leftovers living in my body. Not just food but bad thoughts I may have picked up, or bad habits. I also cannot forget to clean out my closets and clean out all the corners of my house of clutter. It’s spring cleaning so I mind as well add in green juices too. I am craving bitter greens and thoroughly enjoyed orange grapefruit ginger juice to help boost my immunity. We made this in my Ayurvedic class, along with veggie buddha bowls and dandelion greens. Oh, my favorite!

Sleepy heads

1st Things 1st — Movement

I have been enjoying my morning nature walks. Just waking up with a purpose to move my body is life changing. I find my thoughts move in my head faster versus my body in rest. I can lay down with my phone and have a great time researching every idea that crosses my mind. That puts too much information and no focus in my mind, I then have this overwhelming thought that I wasted my morning. There is my old pattern, negativity. I choose to get up and walk. I have power and I show up for myself every day because I know this works best for me. When I walk my thoughts become ideas and I can decide how I want to explore those possibilities. All that in a walk. Good morning to me!

Greeting the sun!

If it’s raining outside and just not enjoyable at all, I will get my body and my thoughts on my mat. I have been enjoying moving intuitively lately to music but there are mornings where I don’t want to think about my next move so I will utilize my yoga studio’s recorded sessions. As long as I am moving, my thoughts are grooving in sync what you think? I think, I am enjoying the best balance I can ever manifest for my morning routine. Not everyone is up early enough to walk before work, I understand, the movement is the only purpose of this paragraph. Move.

Keep Them Thoughts Moving

I am admiring the swirling warm air (Vata) outside. I find these days help me figure out what I need to figure out. My thoughts are active and ready for solving, I find. What does this mean in Layman’s terms? So, we are all connected to nature whether we like bugs or not or enjoy a rainstorm or not. It isn’t all about likes and dislikes. We can’t tell the rain to not be so wet and when you begin to notice when you are gassy on a Tuesday (before tacos) and you also begin to notice it’s really windy outside. Hmmmm. Maybe we are intertwined. I find my thoughts surface on windy days, and I find time to get things in order! Kaphic people are earthy and watery, these are heavy, heavy grounding elements. I enjoy the elements of ether and air as I begin to focus on my seasonal awakening.

Rosemary tea is antimicrobial and is great in the morning when I need to focus 😃

Clean the Clutter, Save Your Mind

I cleaned out my closet about a month ago. Lifechanging! I can find my stuff! I let go of a lot of clothes. It also encourages me to design a better functioning closet for me. I am in the design process currently, so I moved my energy to the entry way closet, and it felt so good to let go of the things that no longer excite me. I started my donations box and I plan on getting my basement organized. We have a few things to get rid of and I plan on going through my holiday decorations. I am ready to let go of a lot of things. I feel my heart lighten and my mind doesn’t have to work as hard to find things. I have space! I have accomplished so much by doing so little. Try it, just a small study of one. My study has really helped me in my daily life.

I have decades of stuff in my house. I am not going to fret and feel like I need to do it all now. I am taking my time and not forcing myself to “let go” on days I need to “receive”. In Ayurveda, kaison is “small steps” and that’s how I will attack my clutter. A bit at a time to not overwhelm myself and these small steps ensure I’m always moving forward.

My flower agate to help me manifest my ideas❤️

Journal Your Truths

Writing down my thoughts and how I process my day is the best thing for me. I am able to see my thoughts on paper, but I get to experience it again by writing. Things come up in my meditations that I need to process outside of my head. The more I create a relationship with my thoughts the better outcome I get. I have been curious with how I perceive myself. Am I being my most authentic self to myself and others? If a thought of someone gives me a bad feeling, why? What is truth and what is made up in my head? I have played a whole scenario in my head of what I think is happening and be so off on a tangent that I fail to see that I’m headed into a wall. If I react, I would be in emotions only. Or only reacting with no true purpose. Until we know our truth then we are speaking someone else’s truth, right?

I have to be honest with myself how people or places affect me. I sometimes brush over small thoughts and concentrate on the bigger issues at the time. Well, over time small can get big and my journal is great to go back and see if it was mentioned before. My journal is my truths only. I cannot hide my true feelings all the time. They show up in my journal, the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Greens, Greens, Greens!

My body is craving the scratchy fibrous greens and I am so glad we live in a day of unseasonal vegetables available all year round. I saw dandelion greens at my local co-op. I, of course, bought them and I have been eating them in my buddha bowls for lunch. I just prep and cook my food on Sunday and I have a whole week of meals. Dandelion greens are bitter and help to awaken my digestion. Nothing like digesting fibrous juicy greens for my organs. I also plan on buying a few fresh juices from my local juicery. I know a lot of juiceries combine veggies and fruit and I typically eat my fruit by itself. I will look for veggies only or just stick with good ‘ol celery juice.

Lunch is my biggest meal!

I know it’s not quite Spring equinox yet, but my body is wanting to slowly begin my spring awakening. I find listening to my body gives me the best use out of my days. I have a phenomenal morning and evening routine that works so well to soothe my soul. I crave my routines and I give myself all the attention. I only need an hour in the morning, after my meditation, to get my mind right for the day. I hope you find inspiration to begin thinking about what you want in your Spring awakening.

Wanishi (Thank you — Lenape)

All pictures by Lenape Spiritual Yogi Awakened.