The Journey of Healing

How are You Taking Care of Yourself Today

2025-04-26T13:03:00.000-07:00

Many times we talk about self-care, but have different definitions of what that means. To some it means creating a secure financial plan, or bubble baths and mindfulness, to others, establishing boundaries, and to me most days yoga and meditation.

I want to encourage everyone to define it in a way that works best for them and realize that self-care is not selfish.

In Matthew 11, Jesus says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest."

This offers a promise of rest and refreshment for those who are overwhelmed - those who are seeking spiritual and emotional rest, and sometimes physical rest. Rest, refreshment, and reflection are important and can be found in Him and in His presence.

I've included a few thoughts on how some people take care of themselves. Feel free to share your own?

Two Feelings at Once

2024-10-15T10:48:00.000-07:00

There's a lot going on and sometimes two things can exist at the same time. I want to encourage you to give yourself grace. And know that it's ok not to be ok. You may feel untethered or that you want to curl up and hibernate - pulling away from reality for just a bit. Whatever you feel is best for you in this moment, I ask that you do you just that. And please reach out to someone if you need a little extra support. Holding space for you.

My Review for Sabbath Soup by Kathi Lipp

2024-09-22T08:46:00.000-07:00

This book comes along just as I'm seeking some time to step away from my every day and reset. It's a book of comfort, of encouragement and one that gives you permission to rest.

Kathi is personable and inviting, and just gets it. And sometimes we need a reminder to nourish our body, mind, soul, and spirit. This is the gentle nudge I needed.

The vibrant photos of the meals will inspire you want to whip up every one of them. I'm planning to make the wonton soup this coming week as the weather turns cooler. And what better way to welcome the first day of the Fall Season! What recipes do you think you'll try?

The book launches on October 8th, and you can pre-order now. Read a little more about the book and other reviews here: Sabbath Soup: Weekly Menus and Rhythms to Make Space for a Day of Rest by Kathi Lipp | Goodreads

Ready to Retreat - Time for Respite

2024-09-14T14:57:00.000-07:00

Every year I try to go on a sabbatical of sorts. A retreat that ushers in peace and calm and gives me margin to figure out my next steps. Last year, I went to a small cottage in the middle of a big city and the year before I was by the water. In years past, I have gone to the mountains or a yoga studio and even a church.

Earlier this year, I went to the mountains but feel a tug for a fall retreat. A place with no agenda, no planned excursions or workshops, just a lot of alone time. In one of my retreats, we had the option of observing silence – that was lovely. But there’s always one person who wants to socialize, and that’s okay, but I quickly realized I needed to be really intentional about protecting my peace and my silence. I wore my “I choose to be silent” sticker from sun up to sun down, and I came away with exactly what I needed.

I think I want to try another silent retreat – maybe a Christian retreat or yoga/meditation retreat – but something where I’m not overwhelmed by instructions or feeling the need to engage and pour out when I’m seeking to be filled. I usually feel the stirring in my spirit when it’s time for another check in with myself. Maybe it’s the change in seasons, or just me wanting to step away and embrace a time of respite. Either way, I’m ready. I’m already setting aside some good books and saving a few meditations so I can take full advantage of my time away. Sometimes 2 or 3 days is good, maybe even 4 would be enough. If you’ve been on a retreat like this, I’d love to hear all about it.

In the meantime, any suggestions?

With God All Things are Possible

2024-08-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

The Lord Establishes Your Steps

2024-08-18T13:30:00.000-07:00

His Mercies are New Every Morning

2024-01-28T13:46:00.000-08:00

Courtesy of the Bible App

A New Season

2023-07-01T10:52:00.008-07:00

I can't believe that's it's been almost a year since I posted. Ironically, I saw my last post and it was about rest and that's what I've been doing this past year. Physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually...I was called to rest in a lot of different ways. Each served me differently and changed me in the best way

What are some ways that you've embraced rest over the past year, or maybe even recently? Has it looked like taking a nap instead of fighting it when you're physically exhausted, seeking out a therapist when you're mentally overwhelmed, finding a faith community that feels like home, creating boundaries in your family or friend circle? Whatever avenue you've taken or plan to take depends on how you want to walk through life. I support you in whatever that looks like for you. I'm still walking through different phases of rest and I'm learning to embrace every moment of it along the way.

Encouraging You to Rest

2022-07-17T10:06:00.038-07:00

I had an amazing weekend with lovely ladies who were focused on their calling to serve God well. The weekend was full of information, meet and greets, scripture, and worship that spoke to my soul. It was amazing, oh yes, I already mentioned that. But through all this encouragement and making new friends, you still need time to decompress. Sometimes we feel the need to push and do, but not to pause.

Here are four habits you can practice through the week that might help usher in rest and embrace the pause:

Stay connected to God through prayer and scripture.

When you’re overwhelmed, it can be a good idea to sit with His Word. Listen to what He wants to share with you, and this can help organize your day and provide words you can recall when life becomes overwhelming.

Seek out community.

God calls us to fellowship. We are there for one another. So, it’s important to surround yourself with those who uplift you, encourage you, and create boundaries around yourself for those who do not. This creates a peace in knowing someone has your back, you can trust them to tell your frustrations to, and they can also hold you accountable when they know you need a break.

Notice what’s in nature.

Sometimes getting away from the stress of your everyday can be tough. You move from task to task, without a break, but then you feel it later when it’s time to wind down. Getting out in nature can be helpful – taking a walk, breathing in fresh air, riding a bike, playing a sport. Moving sometimes helps regulate and ground the body.

Plan your time of Sabbath.

Is there a particular time when you can take a day or a few hours to rest, recharge and reflect? Could it be visiting your favorite café and having a cup of tea? Taking a nap when it’s quiet in the house? Spending time in worship early in the morning as you watch the sunrise? Plant or work in your garden? It’s important to be intentional about this time.

God cares about your time of rest and pause. Even in the busiest season, God wants you to take a Sabbath. And what I know for sure, is that He knows what’s best for you and for me.

What are you doing this week to rest or decompress, reflect, and recharge?

Hope is Always Fulfilled by God

2022-02-26T12:39:00.003-08:00

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

This verse seems to be one many turn to in tough times. We want to cling to the words God says; cling to His gracious promises. This verse declares that the Lord wants to give us peace and prosper us, give us a future and a hope. This is good news no matter what it seems at the moment, God has not forgotten His people. He has ordered our steps and has our best interest at heart. He has plans. That means they are well thought out and for our good. The authority of His word goes forth for the fulfillment of its purpose, and this purpose was given to us the day we were born.

Our hope can stand on the fact that He sends His word out and it does not return void, it accomplishes what it set out to do. If He speaks healing, then we will be healed, if He speaks the gifts of wisdom and discernment over our lives, then it will be done. Likewise, if we ask that He enlarge our territory as Jabez did in His prayers to God, He will honor that. We can also confidently ask that our faith is strengthened and we are freed from the shackles of fear, which sometimes smothers that hope we greatly want and need.

This promise of a hope and a future rests in God restoring us back to Him; no more captivity. This restoration is that cleansing process that relies on us to seek God with our whole heart. We may not understand why things are happening or why we have to go through certain situations, and it can be really tough. The future may look unsettling and we become overwhelmed, but He promises that He will always hold us in His righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10 NIV)

Even when you can’t feel it, you have that hope that was instilled in you at the very beginning. Look closely, it’s that faint shimmer of light even if it’s a little dim, it’s there.

You might desire to see your loved ones saved, or desire to have a special someone to spend the holidays with, or finally have a family gathering where there is peace instead of conflict; place your petitions before God because blessed is the one whose hope is in the Lord.

Plan by its very definition shows a process - steps that need to be taken, molding and refining that needs to be done - a journey that needs to be walked through.

There may be disappointment, confusion and frustration during the journey, but in the end as the plan is revealed there will be joy in the morning. Joy following that emotional, physical or financial breakthrough, joy following that provision for a friend or joy after an answered prayer that a loved one is saved and we are confident that we will see them in heaven.

The hope and the future is set out in His timing which can sometimes make us impatient, but if we reflect on how God came through in other situations in our life, then we can be sure He will do the same in this current situation. Waiting is one of the hardest things we have to do, especially if we want to receive or witness the promise now. Did He show Himself mighty and strong in the Bible days? Isn’t He more than able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all that we can think or ask? We can hold Him to His word and remind Him of what He said; in Him there is faith, hope and expectation. Anchor your expectation in Jesus because Jesus is at the center of our hope.

This is from an article I wrote many years ago, but it seems timely in this season.

Take Things Slow

2022-01-19T15:39:00.001-08:00

Today, I encourage you to take it slow. Give yourself grace in the midst of your hurried pace. Grant yourself a bit of margin in your every day. In what areas is God calling you to embrace this unhurried pace? What would a season of slow look and feel like to you?

God Calls Us to Community

2021-07-17T12:35:00.002-07:00

Today I spent time with some lovely ladies who have a passion to write and share their words with the world. I'm grateful to have such a wonderful, supportive community, yet I realize many cannot say the same. I know that friendships can be hard and the older we get, the harder it seems we're able to find those authentic relationships. But God calls us to fellowship because He knows we need one another as we move through life with all its ups and downs.

I encourage you to seek out someone you can talk to, pray with, or maybe even grab a cup of coffee with and see how the relationship flourishes. Or if you can't find a friend, be a friend...because someone is praying for a mentor, a friend, a prayer partner just like you. A person they can be honest and vulnerable with and be comforted in knowing they are being seen and heard.

Pray for that new friend that has yet to come into your life
Study scripture that speaks about friendships
Pray about your heart's desire for an authentic relationship
Seek out a community you would like to be a part of and nurture each other well

5 Weeks of Encouragement - Week Five

2021-05-30T08:44:00.005-07:00

I can't believe it's been five weeks already. Time has flown by, but I'm grateful we've had this time to spend together and share and love on each other. Well, my last post in this series is about grace and during certain times, this word is so necessary in more ways than one.

Today is full of grace, so I want you to take hold of it and don’t let it go. It’s that kindness that exudes from someone and you wonder where they got it. Well, they got it from someone like you who gave it liberally. They were in a place to receive it and then give it right back out again. So, today, I ask you to receive the grace someone wants to give. You don’t have to earn it, it’s just given. It’s from the heart of someone that just wants to be compassionate and benevolent. You can also show grace to another, because I can tell you from experience, we all need it at times, I know I do.

It doesn’t have to be a big gesture – it can be paying it forward in the fast-food line, or letting a weary mom with only 3 items go ahead of you in the grocery store checkout, or driving by an open parking space so the person behind you can pull in, or even simply ministering to a neighbor in need of prayer or a short visit. I need grace and I’m sure some days you do to. Be liberal with it, yet wise. But I encourage you to give it out and open your hands to receive it too.

5 Weeks of Encouragement - Week Four

2021-05-23T07:49:00.001-07:00

Today, I encourage you to hope. Hope for a future you have imagined for years, or just recently began to discover. Hope for relationships or opportunities that need a sprinkle of momentum. Hope in the goodness of people and hope that in the end, it’s all going to be alright. I encourage you as you’re integrating the past few weeks of space, pause, and creativity, to add this to the list because it’s all working together as you imagine it would. The joyful hope and expectation may spill over onto others or even situations that may have seemed hopeless. It may create motivation that was not there before, it may shift your perspective, and provide a more positive outlook. It’s been quite a journey for so many, however even in the midst of it, some have never lost hope. There is nothing wrong if you haven’t experienced this hope or need a little more encouragement to get there. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other, and take things moment by moment, and give yourself permission to see the glimmer of hope that awaits you.

5 Weeks of Encouragement - Week Three

2021-05-16T10:43:00.012-07:00

Another day, another opportunity to create. I give you permission today to create something that provides a sense of nurturing to yourself. Creativity can take on many forms: writing, singing, knitting, painting, gardening… I invite you into a creative space. During the pandemic as many were staying home for one reason or another, I decided to start gardening. I ordered seeds and plants and gloves and a shovel and went to work. I didn’t have a plan other than getting outside, feeling the sun on my face and creating a different environment. It may not have looked like the landscapes you see in the magazines, but I think I did ok – it was what I needed to do for myself.

So, I encourage you today to create something that helps usher in what you need to sustain you - planting flowers, trying out a new recipe, putting together a scrapbook that brings back pleasant memories – embrace and receive all that nurtures you. Today is your day, where you don’t have to be perfect, but just be who you are and do what makes you happy if just for a little while.

What are you creating this week?

5 Weeks of Encouragement - Week Two

2021-05-09T11:09:00.004-07:00

Today is all about the pause. Something I have to be sure to do when the days get hectic. I tend to rush around sometimes and have too much on my plate and then wonder why I feel worn out at the end of the day. So, today I invite you to pause. Take that moment and sit or stand or walk or… you get the picture. Whatever creates that pause for you.

During the season of Lent, I made a promise to myself to edify my life in some small way every day. My choice is to read a short devotional every day – I try to read it before bed so I have something to sit in my spirit as I sleep. It takes me about 5 minutes, but it has become more than just a routine, it’s become a way of establishing the pause after a tough day. Today is your day to pause, and establish what that looks like for you. Whether it’s 5 minutes or an hour, in the morning or at night, you deserve that pause and my hope is that it’s exactly what you need when you need it.

5 Weeks of Encouragement - Week One

2021-04-25T10:44:00.019-07:00

I want to invite you to join me for 5 weeks of encouragement. I’ll be sharing over the next 5 weeks about how to nurture yourself and be intentional in your every day. I’ve walked through seasons of life just moving through them and not being very self-aware, but when I pay attention to myself and what’s around me, my perspective changes. So, join me on this journey and let’s talk about our experiences over the next few weeks.

Let’s take a moment just to give ourselves space. The space that we rarely get, but very much deserve.

It’s the space where we are being intentional about creating margin in our day where we can just do what feels good in our body, mind, soul and spirit. Give yourself space to move however you want, to think affirming thoughts, to nurture your soul, and connect with the spirit that gives you breath.

Today, I encourage you to create space for your day and maybe carry this into a daily practice through the week, but no pressure. Do what serves you during this time. You’re the only one that knows what’s best for you in this moment, so I give you permission to do just that. Or nothing at all. Today is your day, your week, your space, to fill it however you want to.

Self Care Sunday

2020-10-11T11:02:00.002-07:00

We hear so much about self-care these days as we navigate what’s turning out to be an incredibly unique season. While I encourage everyone I know to take care of themselves, sometimes I forget to listen to my own advice. Many times the needs of the care-giver go unnoticed or delayed in the interest of someone or something else. But here’s a reminder (to myself as well) that self-care is not selfish. It can be looked at as self-preservation. Filling your cup which enables you to pour out to others. Meeting those essential and basic needs in your own life allows you to have the strength to meet the needs of others.

We must guard our hearts and minds and create the necessary boundaries to survive and thrive. What space are you operating in today that either causes you to pause and reconsider, or rejoice and move forward?

Here are some things to consider when you think about self-care?

Connect with someone that supports you
Practice yoga
Hydrate – and for some that just don’t like the “taste of water” – add a lemon or lime or blueberries or oranges, or…. you get the picture
Take a nap
Read a book you’ve been wanting to get lost in for quite a while
Go for a walk
Write – thoughts, poetry, feelings
Get outside for a little sunshine
Nourish your body
Plant a garden

Everyone is different including how they view selfcare. So, what ideas do you have? I can’t wait to hear how you take care of yourself – the world needs you.

Intentional Paths

2020-09-06T12:08:00.007-07:00

What does it mean to be intentional? I hear this all the time especially in my yoga classes – set your intentions for your practice. But it suggests so much more outside of this sacred safe space. Intentional by definition means to be purposeful and deliberate. So, what does this mean in our everyday? I’m convinced it requires showing up as who you are, just being you…authentically you. But there’s a little more to it.

Does it mean being intentional with how you live your life? What you eat? What you say? How you act in front of others and alone? Or does it mean in your everyday how you interact with those who are hurting or less fortunate or living a different way than you are? It’s all those things and so much more. When I think about being intentional, I think of purpose – what is my purpose and how am I going to live that out? Through the hurts and disappointments, through the joys and successes – how do I show my purpose has meaning and show others how theirs does as well?

I invite you into a space where you take a look on the inside and gaze around on the outside. How you see and what you say about yourself echoes though generations. How have you been able to hold space for others in this season? And see others hold space for you?

I recently received a message from a sweet friend who I hadn’t connected with in quite some time. They shared that I had shown up for them in such a way that many years later, they see how it has shaped their life. I can’t remember all I said and did, I just walked alongside them. But they remember. I wonder if I can encourage everyone today to show up in an intentional, genuine way because you never know who needs someone like you in their life.

What I know for sure is that living life with purpose and being intentional in your everyday allows connection, mentorship, a shining light that lifts a spirit, and an opportunity to encourage yourself while you encourage others. That message from my friend reminded me that I’m not living this life just for myself, but for everyone that has come before and will come after me. Let’s pray and ask what our purpose should be and intentionally live that out.

Hydrate your Hope

2020-08-23T09:15:00.005-07:00

In keeping with the theme of gardening, I felt a nudge to talk a little more about cultivating. Remember last week when I talked about the Garden of Friendship and what it is and what is takes to cultivate it? Well, I want to share a few more words I hope will encourage you.

Just like a garden needs nourishment and sunlight and hydration to flourish, as does many aspects of our life - I want to share a little about how to hydrate your hope. During certain times, we may feel that we have lost sight of what we are called to do. We may lose sight of what lies ahead and how we thought things would turn out. A lot of uncertainty to say the least. It can make us anxious, depressed, helpless and hopeless. At one point or another, we’ve all been there and some of us are there right now.

So, what can we do to cultivate this area of our life? How can we hydrate our hope?

Hope is the expectation of a positive outcome in the midst of our circumstances. It’s the confident expectation of what God has promised. How has He showed up in the past? And isn’t He able to show up the same for us right now? Here are my little nudges to you:

Pray, listen, and respond. Pray from the very place you’re hurting. It can be a place of anger, grief, fear or even loneliness. He can handle all those feelings. Listen to your hearts promptings as the Lord speaks to you with comforting words and understanding, because He’s in your corner. He sees you and He hears you. Respond with gratitude, obedience or action. Does He want you to be that cultivator or encourager to someone else or just be still for the moment? He’s ready when you are to cheer you on or sit with you for a while…as long as it takes.

It may seem simple, and for some it might be. But it may also take some time to figure out where to even start. That’s ok. He knows the plans He has for us, to give us hope and a future. Even if the world around us is falling to pieces, there is someone there to walk alongside us every step of the way.

The Garden of Friendship

2020-08-09T12:10:00.003-07:00

I published a post a few years ago about friendship and as days and years have passed, I wanted to revisit it once again. Now, that I’m in a new time and space, I want to offer some of my thoughts on friendships - some can be easy and some not so easy, encouraging but also discouraging, challenging yet uplifting. One thing I know is that God calls us to fellowship and friendships that can hold space for us in our everyday.

When I think about friendships, I think about a garden with lots of different flowers and butterflies, and maybe a weed or two. This garden of friendship has a plethora of characteristics, attitudes, senses of humor, and diversity. Introverts, extroverts and maybe a little of both. When I look at my friendships, each and every one is different.

Who has a friend who tells it like it is? But also loves on them in the same breath? Who has a friend that just knows when you need to talk? And sits silently with just a nod or sweet touch to let you know they see you and hear you? Who has a friend who is their biggest cheerleader and is there for every adventure? So now ask, what kind of friend am I?

Proverbs 27:9 tells us that a sweet friendship refreshes the soul.

So, how are we watering this curious garden of friendship? With the tools God has given us. What He is pouring in, we pour out. And the good news is that God will send people into our lives that show His love to us every day. God does not want us to walk this journey alone. We need God, but He has also given us one another to grow together in Him.

I’ve started a garden on my property in the past few months for a little self-care and a lot of exercise. So, it seems timely that I want to talk about this garden of friendship in the middle of the lack of connection so many are experiencing now. What can we do today to help our garden grow? How are we pouring into others to nurture our relationships? Are we taking time to pray for them or invite them to do a bible study? All of these and more are things to ponder as we move through life differently these days. So, what does your garden look like today?

A New Week

2020-07-25T10:25:00.001-07:00

I recently entered a challenge with a group of ladies. Another challenge you ask? Yes, another one. I tend to sign up for more than I can tackle, but I have the best intentions when I start off. But then, you know...life. But this one is going to be shorter and more focused than others. We've each promised to do something each day that brings joy to our hearts. One of the ladies mentioned, reading one scripture a day, while another said cooking a simple meal instead of running out to get fast food. Another said she would be intentional about meditating for 10 minutes a day and so on. My challenge for the next 7 days... to be still. Doesn't seem like much to some, but to me it's a lot. My phone is always buzzing either with emails or texts and my mind can't calm long enough to finish a thought. So, as easy as it may seem to some, it's definitely going to be a challenge. But it's for my good. I can do it. Seven days, Seven minutes. I can do it. I'll keep you posted on how it goes. Until then...what's something that brings joy to your heart you may have set aside for a season or even forgotten about? Until then...

The Story Continues

2020-07-14T14:19:00.000-07:00

So, it's been about 2 years since we all connected. It seems like time has flown, yet stood still. I've had some time in the middle of all the things happening around me, to pause and stand still. There has been a pull on my heart to keep moving forward with new projects. I must say, visiting my blog again has felt pretty good. Let's see where this takes us. I hope you all are safe and well. I'm looking forward to connecting again soon.

Table Mentoring Amazon Review

2017-09-24T13:35:00.001-07:00

What an honor to be able to share my thoughts on this wonderful book by my friend Sue. She shows us how to come alongside others in their journey, while developing our own personal growth plan which helps us accomplish those necessary things in our own journey.

Sharing What I've Learned at the Feet of Jesus

I’m grateful for the opportunity to share with you a few thoughts on this author and my fruitful takeaways from her book. When I first met Sue she showed such hospitality, sharing some of her journey and intently engaged as I shared some of mine. I must say, she showed me during those few days together, what coming alongside was really all about.

I could have read these six chapters all in one sitting, but I wanted to take my time and digest all of the wonderful nuggets packed inside. I recall some of the most notable parts that caused me to stop and think, and consider how I come alongside others in my every day.

Sue challenges us to consider sharing what we’ve learned at the feet of Jesus, knowing someone really needs to hear it...our journey, our experiences. She also shares that “mentoring, at a table or not, needs to be a part of every believer’s life”. What a call to action! And she also tells us that not feeling adequate to mentor and share on those levels, makes us more ready than we think we are. So, I admit, I felt a little nudge right there. We mentor another from our own experience of being mentored by God. He comes alongside us when we experience hard times, enabling us to be there for others during their tough journey (I Corinthians 1: 3, 4). When we view it from this perspective, it’s hard to ignore our calling in this area.

I was also encouraged, as a theme throughout the book and a reminder at the end, to ask God for His priorities, and take (quiet) time to pray. Who should I reach out to? When and where should I connect with them? What should I say and which scriptures should I share? When should I pray, and study, and come alongside someone who needs to see and hear what you have shared with me God?

This book is one that encourages every one of us to step out and share our lives with someone else. Whether it is sharing a cup of coffee in a cafe, muffins hot out of the oven in our home, or the bread of life with someone we just met, we are all called to this. We are blessed to be a blessing.

Thank you Sue, for sharing your heart with us so we can feel a little bit more adequate to share ours with someone else.

To see the review on Amazon, please go to: https://tinyurl.com/y7od3o8w

To purchase the book: https://tinyurl.com/ybgxor7q

Namaste in May

2017-08-10T09:30:00.004-07:00

Keeping with my theme of taking care of myself and being mindful in my everyday, I took another road trip. This was for me, but also for others I wanted to love on. Remember that encounter I had in April? Well, fast forward a few weeks and on to a different town. I was given an incredible opportunity to teach a yoga workshop at a resort, yes... yoga at a resort... just seems like blissfulness! And did I mention, the resort was on the water? Okay, so now you see what I mean. What a great experience, to be able to practice stretching and strengthening your body, mind and spirit, as you view the waves from your room, and the sunrise every morning. Being able to walk along the water’s edge, breathe in the crisp air and feel the breeze as you settle in for meditation. Bliss. My theme for the workshop was self care, simply how do you take care of yourself in your every day? I showed my class how to embrace yoga as a weekly practice of empowerment, not as a chore. I encouraged them to practice mindfulness as they went about their day, demonstrated how to meditate in the middle of the chaos, and showed them how, even when sitting at their desk at work, they can benefit from the practice of yoga. I challenged them to develop a self care practice and to write down some of their plans to take good care of themselves. Self care isn’t selfish, and I think I said that phrase about 100 times throughout the day. Many were amazed at the fact they could actually “do yoga”, because as I walked around before the workshop, I heard whispers from a few saying, they weren’t flexible enough, and were afraid to try it. But everyone was willing to give it a try and we enjoyed supporting each other that day. My desire was to provide a safe space where they could let go and be themselves. A space where there was no judgement, just love. Love for each other and for themselves. One sweet lady said she felt like she had just had a massage. I loved that! The main takeaway I heard from almost everyone was that they were more relaxed than they had been in months, and they wanted to sign up to take classes and incorporate yoga into their daily living. To see those ladies and gentleman come away with tools they can use to reduce stress, create balance, and gain a little clarity makes me smile to this day. There’s nothing like it. Win! Ideas for self care:

1. Drink warm water (with or without lemon) every morning.
2. Practice yoga and meditation or gentle stretching daily.
3. Create balance in your daily schedule.
4. Practice boundaries. Saying no is the the gift you give yourself.
5. Talk with a friend.
6. Write in a journal.
7. Take time to rest.