I am relieved with the arrival of summer. All of this gorgeousness is refreshing and life-giving. I recently cashed in on some long saved flight miles to meet up with my parents in France. Not so shabby I know--! It was a lot of time with planes/trains and time in transit for a very short, whirlwind of a visit, catching the end of rainy, chilly spring and savoring what I call "the moments in between".
In a world filled with promises of quick fixes and instant gratification, it's important to remember the genuine journey of healing that lies beneath the surface. True healing, whether it's physical, emotional, or spiritual, doesn't happen overnight. Discover the true essence of healing as we explore the stages of transformation, from acknowledgment to empowerment.
Just like the delightful pop of color from my favorite pink sweater, sometimes it's the small, playful choices that weave the most vibrant threads into the fabric of our lives. Think about it – in the grand tapestry of health and well-being, there's a charm in the little efforts that bring about big impacts.
“August is the Sunday of summer”. I feel that also. It’s somewhat how I have been feeling the past few weeks as I have enjoyed a slower pace of things. It’s a kind of “quieter time”, the calm before the back to school frenzy of fall blowing in, people are away with summer travels still and relaxing excursions into the woods or the beach help me with all things.
In case you didn’t know this already: I travel quite a lot. I always have. A lifetime of moving many, many times and also loads of worldwide travel for all sorts of reasons. And in between these things—I HIGHLY value my home life. A LOT. Through these experiences, by trial and error, I have created lists of “what to pack/not to pack” and learned some fun tips and tricks along the way.
In keeping with the “longevity theme” from recent discussions and things I have shared, I am reminded of a workshop I led several years ago on this topic. The workshop corresponded with two long trips to Japan I was fortunate to be on where I was quite determined to experience time on an island that is part of Okinawa.
Hello all!
After a (far too long) radio/podcast hiatus I am gratefully back in the groove and able to share a recent one with you. Some pieces we had to edit out for time-keeping which will be discussed in another episode so stay tuned! You can hear me with Yuli on The Heallist Podcast shared here. Heallist is on a mission to empower holistic healers, one story at a time. Join me with my dear friend, founder and serial entrepreneur Yuli Ziv as she connects with inspiring voices in alternative healing who’ve achieved true abundance, while also providing practical insights into building a conscious business. Whether you're deep into business expansion or looking to take your healing practice online, tune in every other week for new episodes and insights and visit Heallist.com to explore their tools.
Yuli and I met because of a meditation group we are both involved with. The first time we met in person was for a combination hike and walking meditation--several of my favorite things combined!
Cheers to the "official doorway" into summers warm wild and wandering ways-- I'm so relieved she is finally here.
With love
Jessica
Click below to listen, wherever you get your podcasts!
This is a beautiful and easy recipe anytime as we enjoy the warmer days ahead. I love adding in fresh mint from the garden! Sprinkle your favorite seeds to finish. Use any remaining watermelon to garnish your drinks.
Recommended: Fine & Raw
Fine and Raw is run by a really dear friend of mine. He has cracked the code on high quality chocolate making. This is artisanal, raw chocolate produced without dairy. It uses unrefined coconut sugar to extract caramel notes, adding deeper, more vital flavors. The nice thing about chocolate: we can truly enjoy it alllll year round : )
All new customers get 10% off! Use the code JessChoko
Do April showers bring May flowers? YES! My backyard is delightfully BURSTING with lilacs and wisteria (can you smell it!?) For those of you who are experiencing spring allergies along with the bloom and feel like you are one of Snow White's 7 Dwarfs; Sneezy, Sleepy, Itchy, Puffy, Sniffly, Dopey or Grumpy-- I feel you all!
Spring is upon us! The season of so much possibility is ready to be born! Oh wait, I was born in the spring-- that’s what I meant to say. I recently returned from a solo working retreat away, something that I needed more than I consciously realized. While away, I was thinking about how I haven't written about food specifically in a very long time.
When I was a kid I LOVED Valentine’s Day because it was so simple and all about creativity, kindness and love. That’s it. My parents would get us really cute treats of some sort, like ginormous paper clips with hearts on them.
It used to be easy: write nice notes on funny little hand-made construction paper doily-adorned cards to everyone in your classroom, put them into each person's hand-made decorated bag or box and give/eat lots of (mediocre disguised as fancy) chocolate, and fabulous candy hearts with silly words or sayings on them. SO great. Things have changed…
In case you hadn’t been informed: The new year has begun (and a new decade as well). And I hear a variety of things from people all across the board on their perspectives of what “the new year” means. For some, the new year is actually the winter solstice because it follows the natural rhythm of nature's seasons and the earth cycles. For some, the new year is the Jewish New Year or Chinese New Year or any other culture for that matter. And some people I talk with truly believe that there is no such thing-- that Dec 31 or Jan 1 are literally “just another day”, end of story. For me it is a mix of these things and because I am a very sensitive creature-- I feel the power and truth of them all, for different reasons and vantage points. And no matter what you believe-- it is true we all know that 2020 is about more than just perfect vision. And next year, hindsight will be 2020 either way : ). Ok but really-- I think it’s imperative to take stock, assess and check in with goals and dreams and visionary energy at various touch points all year long. Maybe the new year is your birthday and that’s when you do such things!
Whatever it is I’m sure on some level you are aware of your own goals, responsibilities, dreams and desires, some of which can become quickly overshadowed with the reality of stress or anxiety and the demands of daily life.
Stress is needed in small and healthy doses on a regular basis— some of which is actually how we grow, discomfort and all. However too much ongoing stress with improper release valves wreaks havoc on your digestive health, your sleep, moods, and your hormones.
When your hormones are in balance, your metabolism is supported and you feel great—you’re energized, stable moods, your cravings aren’t driving the ship, and you’re in the flow! On the flip side, when they’re out of whack, you feel wiped, out of control, and your metabolism is not operating smoothly. Any number of these things can make it harder to reach OR actually ENJOY the fruits of your labor. I mean, who cares if you just landed that job you’ve been working your ass off for if you’re not sleeping, stomach is “a mess” and are making stops at Dunkin Doughnuts daily (and do NOT try telling me they have amazing coffee, thank you.)
I thought it might be a nice time to mention 2 essential hormones, because no matter what time of year (and especially for those of you who I KNOW were thrown off by the stress of holidays-- travel, family stuff, schedules, different foods, late nights and more…) it’s important to remember what is going on behind the scenes in your body!
1) Cortisol, yay! Also known as your "stress hormone" is one of the most important hormones in your body because without it, you couldn’t handle stress at all.
It regulates your "fight, flight or freeze" response, and exists as a survival mechanism. It is released when you are in any kind of danger and is meant to be released in small doses and for short lengths of time.
It serves its purpose when you need to kick into high gear by increasing your blood sugar and blood pressure.
But when you’re super-stressed - by holiday shopping, expectations, family - THEN this causes insulin—your fat storing hormone—to come out to do its job of transporting sugar from your bloodstream to your cells to be stored as fat.
Weight gain: Under heavy stress...independent of your nutrition...you may gain weight, without even eating any more, less, or differently!
Lower sex drive: Cortisol prevents your body from working on your other hormones.
Keeping cortisol in check: Stress management can be done! Small daily habits make a large impact. Deep breathing while using pure therapeutic grade well sourced essential oils like lavender and many others (I have other favs if you want suggestions let me know), the use of high quality cbd, proper supplementation also from high quality sources, mediation practice (more on this on coming soon), breathing exercises, a support network, movement that suits you, singing, dancing, journaling, and shutting OFF technology. Take time out to talk with a practitioner you trust, laugh with friends or something that helps you laugh, go for a walk, journal for a few minutes daily, listen to music (or music that allows you to sing along loudly and release)! Whatever you need to do to keep your stress in check in a supportive way.
2) Insulin: Insulin can be thought of as your master hormone because when insulin is at work, the activities of other major hormones are suppressed.
Insulin’s main job is to store fat, which is why it’s important to keep insulin’s workload as light as possible.
When insulin isn’t working hard, you’re not packing on more pounds (inflammation) or experiencing other health challenges.
Keeping insulin balanced: Keep your blood sugar levels stable to keep insulin levels low...or else they will spike and keep you in a damaging vicious cycle of spikes and crashes and throwing off hormonal balance which in turn disrupts ALL of your bodies beautiful and vital natural cycles! Every time you eat should include a combination of protein, healthy fats AND complex carbs (like fiber!) to stay off the blood sugar roller coaster that drives insulin. I talk with my clients about this one ALL the time and it helps!
Unfortunately our culture has a broken system around “dieting” and body image. I will address this more in the coming months, but it’s important that I mention how this pain and stress is connected to the messaging of perfection and weight loss prevalent in society. Buying into this message can cause damage and drive up unnecessary cortisol and insulin levels as well.
This is the opposite of what is needed to lower inflammation.
Instead of beating yourself up, FLIP IT!!:
1. Focus on what truly and deeply brings you pleasure, this could be any number of things and likely is something you’re not getting enough of is my guess.
2. Find something that you’ve never done before but always wanted to, this could be ANYTHING and make a commitment to do it. Often telling a friend that you are going to do this and WHEN you are going to do it will help. For me this would be something physical (like taking a trapeze class!) that both scares me just a little but excites me more and is “a stretch” out of my comfort zone. Or it would be making myself take a class to practice public speaking. The list goes on.
3. Gratitude. This helps every time I’m in “beat myself up mode” to stop the spinning. Make a list of what you’re grateful for. So simple!
4. Volunteer! When was the last time, or any time, you went to help out somewhere that you were really needed? Seriously.
Let’s chat about all of this and more! Schedule your FREE 15-minute consultation with me and we can talk about a plan for health that fits YOUR life and YOUR goals. CLICK HERE to schedule!
I woke up with this on my mind for you all. With so much going on for everyone, I felt keeping it simple was best and as always, from the heart. Take from this what you want and may it support you in the mix of things going on in your world.
I wish for you ease and grace and true peace within.
I wish for you to be gentle and kind with yourself and others.
I wish for you to remember you are human and perfection is an illusion.
I wish for you to put yourself first in drawing the line knowing when enough is enough, whatever that means to you.
I wish for you to know that you are worthy of the same love and care you would give a child-- for you are also trying to heal the wounds you still carry from long ago.
I wish for you to honor the grief, loss, pain you feel and at the same time not allow it to rule.
I wish for you more laughter and play.
I wish for you bravery in speaking your truth lovingly.
I wish for you to move the way your body calls you to move — not the way anyone else says or thinks or does for themselves but for your one unique life to move along.
I wish for you to feel truly nourished in all ways more of the time than not.
I wish for you to understand the wisdom of the messages spoken from your body more effectively.
I wish for you deep quality rest and bountiful energy.
I wish for you the presence of listening with curiosity and openness.
I wish for you to know that most things you experience are opportunities for growth and expansion in some way.
I wish for you to embrace the mystery of the unknown; the future will come regardless and with answers.
I wish for you to know that although things don’t always turn out how you think they will, sometimes they turn out better.
I wish for you connection and meaningful community where you feel seen and heard and understood.
I wish for you both the safety and necessity of baby steps leading to great leaps along with the moments of quiet and stillness of more being, less doing.
I wish for you to shine with vibrancy and passion knowing that anything is possible - it’s never to late to feel your best and keep going.
I wish for you to take more healthy risks, ask for and receive support and use your time wisely.
I wish for you to know you are more than enough already as you are right now.
And in the words of my girl Dolly Parton (from one of her many greats, and always a fav of mine):
I wish you joy
And I wish you happiness
But above all this
I wish you love
Already several years ago now, a dear friend of mine wrote me a list of “40 Things I Love and Appreciate About You” for my 40th birthday. It was such a thoughtful and generous gift, and it inspired me to create my own list.
The list I came up with has 40 lessons that I’ve learned about life, healing and wellness. I have had the opportunity to learn so much throughout the experiences of my life and work. I want to share a few of them with you. (Also, I realized that I have way more than 40 to pass along to you, so keep an eye out for a bonus list coming in the next few weeks!).
Take a look at my list of 40 things that I know to be true by clicking the image below, and please let me know which stand out for you — what top 5 resonate most?
ENERGY: we have it, don't have it, or need more of it. We want to know how to best use it, how to unwind it and how to recharge it. Wow! The good news is that your body naturally knows how to create energy on it's own, but the imbalance of many things interrupts our "energy flow" in some way or another. I'm including a list of ways you can increase your energy.
I am relieved with the arrival of summer. All of this gorgeousness is refreshing and life-giving. I recently cashed in on some long saved flight miles to meet up with my parents in France. Not so shabby I know--! It was a lot of time with planes/trains and time in transit for a very short, whirlwind of a visit, catching the end of rainy, chilly spring and savoring what I call "the moments in between".
“A session with Jessica always leaves me feeling awesome, renewed, and on a healing path, with more energy and lightness. I have not been able to find anyone like her anywhere else on the planet!”
- Caroline White, Award-Winning International Photographer
