"Shedding off one more layer of skin. Keeping one step ahead of the persecutor within."
-Bob Dylan
Leaping past my fearful moment, (in Oklahoma!)
Ahh here we are, March-ing onwards reaching towards spring's inevitable arrival. What a relief it always is, right?
During January and February I was in a sense "hibernating." And just because winter is a time when the frozen ground and barren trees appear to be void of growth doesn't mean that a lot isn't happening beneath the surface. In fact, quite the opposite.
The past two months have been filled with so much, even a re-cap can't do it justice. I started many newsletters over the past several weeks only to stop part way---dissatisfied with what I was attempting to share (and I am working on changing that!). It just wasn't coming out the right way. So, I sat with that discomfort and uncertainty. Then, just as I would tell a client, I had to take my own advice, to "just be with it." So, I explored, met new people and moved through a lot of beautiful and challenging experiences, stepping out of my comfort zone, traveling to new places and, at the book ends of all that has been the reality of what it's like in the waiting zone of both birth and death. You can't get much more human than that! Yep, how we all begin and how we all end...
On January 21st my darling niece Isadora was born (I call her Petunia). A birth is one of those things that is filled with so much anticipation and mystery. In contrast, on March 9th my 97-year-old Grandpa Irving passed away, also such an impactful life event stirring up a multitude of things for everyone surrounding it. Both birth and death require so much inner and outer preparation yet we are never really ready enough for either one.
Gifts do come with all of it despite the loss and the pain and so much change. We have mini births and deaths all the time, we are constantly regenerating and cycling. For me, being in the world of healing and wellness makes me especially aware of this. In preparation for a workshop I'm creating I was even writing about that in relation to digestion--out with the old in with the new eh? We are constantly in that process! What deaths, births and re-births are you mourning and celebrating?? I want to know. What are you hanging onto from the last bits of winter and shedding to make room for lighter times in the coming weeks?
Let's shed together.
With love, Jessica
A Birthday Gift, From Me
That's right, another life transition of sorts--this week I celebrate another year on this planet! I always enjoy celebrating with my entire community by offering a special gift.
Ever wanted to connect with me for a health consult or would you like to do a check-in to get on track for spring and prepare for summer? I'm offering my Holistic Health Consults at a discounted price of $100 for the next two weeks only. Email me today to get yours scheduled!
Happy healthy fabulous Birthday to me! And cheers to YOU and all your life cycles too!
Power Up!
I was inspired to share this based on the talk I gave last month at a college in Pennsylvania on the topic of Food and Mood. I often get asked about recipes for "Healthy snacks that are easy to grab and go." So, here's a great one!
We call them "Power Bombs"-- name is compliments of my buddy Mary, and the recipe was tweaked by both of us over time, which was so much fun. I'd love to hear how you enjoy them. Clients and friends request recipes all the time--if you have something you're interested in, let me know and I'll incorporate it!
Ingredients:
-1 1/2 cups of raw mixed nuts and seeds
-5 soaked medjool dates
-1/2 cup unsweetened nut butter of your choice
-1 tsp maple extract (vanilla is fine too.)
-1/4 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut
-1 TBS cinnamon
-2-3 TBS raw cacao powder (depending on taste)
-1/4 cup coconut oil
-6 drops of organic liquid Stevia.
-3 scoops of protein powder (optional) (I love Nutrimeal Free)
Preparation:
1. Pulverize or finely chop the the nuts and dates (I use a Vitamix but you can use any type of blender/mixer or by hand!)
2. Melt the coconut oil add liquid Stevia to the oil.
3. Mix nuts and dates mixture, nut butter, cinnamon and coconut oil with Stevia then fold in your protein powder. Mix everything together.
4. Flatten mixture onto an 8×8 inch pan lined with parchment paper. Cut into small squares (or roll into balls), cover with parchment and refrigerate for two hours.
5. Store in the fridge to keep hard.
This is a perfect snack for after a workout or if you need a treat in between meals. Kids will love them too!
