I've been working hard and playing hard recently. It's been a mix of taking matters into my own hands and making them happen and chilling the eff out. I actually feel pretty balanced for the first time in a minute as a result of that. It's motivating to have the holidays and the new year right around the corner. How about for you?
And also...
1. Waterfalls.
I've always been a saltwater over everything girl, but lately waterfalls have started creeping their way up in my heart. Something about them feels really mystical and cleansing. In fact, during my first Hawaiian healing training, we learned about "wai clearings" (wai means fresh water) which is a ritual used to clear the chakras and anything that's ready to release. Simply set the intention, and allow fresh water to clear you from head to toe.
2. Headstands.
Blood flow, focus, hair health and a flipped perspective. That's what headstands offer. And they're weirdly not that hard. They were one of the first advanced yoga poses I grasped. It's all about distribution of weight and overcoming the whole upside-down thing. Trust me. You could probably do it. It's also calming - which seems strange too. But if you're a proper yogi, you'll notice this asana is usually woven in at the end of the practice to help the body cool down. Figures. I've been loving doing these at the beach where the fall is padded and the views are beautiful.
3. Red light therapy.
I was gifted this incredible red light face mask from Higher Dose for improved skin, but ended up loving it for the mental and emotional benefits. Lying back for the 10-20 minutes the light mask is on is the most soothing thing. It's actually proven to boost mood and combat all that blue light we're exposed to all day long, which is probably why it feels so dang good. As for the skin, it reduces fine lines, boosts collagen and elastin, reduces redness and ignites this really special kind of glow.
4. Enya.
As I write my book on my upbringing on sacred burial ground on Maui, I have been searching for the right background music. I've tried Tycho, Hawaiian instrumentals, soft ambient sounds, but the winner-winner chicken-dinner of all book writing soundtracks has been Enya. Maybe this is just true for everyone since Enya freakin' slaps, but what makes it extra true and powerful for me is that Enya was the background music of my childhood in that house. It transports me straight to the time I'm needing to access the most.
5. Sourdough bread.
This is always on the list, its just been invisible to the naked eye. I've been making INSANE avocado toasts, mac-nut butter apple banana open-faces, homemade vegan grilled cheeses, and so much more (check out all these recipes in the Mu Membership). Sourdough is better for you than normal bread. According to WebMD, "sourdough bread acts as a prebiotic, which means that the fiber in the bread helps feed the “good” bacteria in your intestines. These bacteria are important for maintaining a stable, healthy digestive system. Sourdough is also lower in gluten than other forms of bread." It's gotta be a boule (fresh uncut loaf) though. Please do yourself a favor and go to your local bakery to get one.
6. Getting things out of my system.
I've been really trying to practice good habits lately. Not just thinking good thoughts, but doing good things. I surely don't recommend this to everyone all of the time, but occasionally you gotta just throw a fit, eat a whole cinnamon roll, get in a (conscious) fight, touch the stove because I'm curious, cry, and/or binge something.
WOAH. Did I really just say all that? Did I really just do all that? Yeah, I did - and you know what, I feel so much better. As long as it doesn't hurt anyone else (or in the end, you), then sometimes it's just gotta be done.
7. Letting abundance fuel more abundance.
Some examples:
1. I looked in the mirror and asked my inner child what she wanted to wear today. She found a matching reddish set that seemed fit for a fancy dinner and walked us out into the living room to do some work. I felt silly wearing it at home in Hawai'i for no reason, but when I sat down at the table, my partner looked at me and said, "you look arguably better without makeup on." I laughed because although I wasn't wearing makeup, it had nothing to do with this random lavish outfit. My inner sense of abundance radiated through my very own face.
2. I got a massage. It was indulgent. 75 minutes in the middle of my workday when I'd normally get the minimum after work at best. I floated away. I was revived. It shifted my energy so much you'd think I had a reiki session (that works too). I realized that doing this abundant thing for myself allowed my energy and mindset to quintuple.
3. I've been flipping myself out trying to figure out if I rent out my place in Hawai'i or not while I'm away, but I want my house for myself as much as possible. During my next California stint, I decided I want to leave it open for my return. But sure enough, a family friend offered to rent it from me for the exact amount of time I'd want to rent it out for. No hassle. No concerns. Just abundance through choosing to have it all.
8. Inner child work.
If you were wondering what "asking my inner child what she wanted to wear" meant, this is where I explain. I've done a lot of healing, but this is one area I've been really half-ass about. I don't know if I resisted it because I've needed it the most or what, but this is feeling like the deepest soul massage I could ever ask for. Among all tons of other things, it looks like visualizing myself as a child and asking her what she needs. I'll meditate on it, journal on it and just generally interact with this version of me in my head and heart. I bring her with me now and it's already helping me feel so secure, calm and taken care of.
9. Meditating upright.
Y'all know I'm a big fan of meditating in my bed on my back, right? Well admittedly, sometimes I fall back asleep. Sometimes I barely stay focused because I'm so dreamy. Sometimes it just doesn't do it. Lately, I've been meditating upright about 40% of the time and it's really feeling good. I feel the shifts happening much faster and those meditations feel a lot more powerful. If there's a lull in your practice or the stuff isn't really hitting, try this.
10. Nag Champa incense.
I walked into a surf shop in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico a few years ago and was intoxicated by the smell of something earthy, sweet, sensual and spicy burning in the space. I needed to have it. When the sweet sales girl found out it was my birthday, she gave me a bundle for free (and topped it with a plumeria hair clip - which just so happens to be my favorite flower!)! I have savored that bundle like it's gold (even though it's probably like $6 for the pack), but lit some in my bedroom to do yoga the other day and mm! It carries me to a deep, spiritual centered place.
11. Letting out a good cry.
Listen, I'm a crier. I could literally cry every single day. Tears of joy, tears of adoration, tears of gratitude, tears of laughter, tears of fear, tears of anger, tears of sadness, tears of anxiety - I can do it all. And seriously, I hold myself back. I have so much empathy and feel so deeply that it sometimes knocks me completely off my rocker. For real. Two things were feeling like pumped pressure in my head last week that I just let myself express vulnerably and cry my eyes out over. It felt so good, so clearing, so cathartic. And like a pressure valve in my heart, belly and brain was released. It's not just me, crying for extended periods of time releases oxytocin and endorphins in the body that actually feel good.
