Being of Greater Service

Believe it or not, I recently returned from my second trip to Japan this year. WOW. Epic travels. I told someone that trips like that are a universe all to themselves. Quite different in almost every way than the last one, though equally as beautiful, challenging, surprising and fascinating. I always learn so much through my travels about my own health and also how I can be of greater service to others.

ONE of the ways I find I can be of greater service to myself and my community has to do with managing sleep routine. I've certainly noticed the things that don't feel great when I am out of sync with getting good sleep. It's no wonder, even just one sleep-deprived night can impact your stress hormones (like cortisol) levels for days.

This sometimes means I feel hungrier, gain weight, feel more anxious and am left with increased inflammation. I can sometimes fall into emotional eating to boost my energy and mood. These are not great cycles to get caught in for any of us. 
 
To help with my sleep routine I put together breath work exercises to unwind at the end of the day. As a bonus, it ALSO has an impact on my skin! Last month I shared with you all about a group I was a part of to help others learn ways to "feel good in the skin you're living in" and breath work is a piece of that. All this to say that breath work is one tool that has many benefits. (I love things like that!)

I wanted to share these benefits with others, SO I made a video of some simple yet impactful breathing exercises that I highly recommend trying out for yourself.  These exercises can also be really helpful in managing any pain you might be experiencing (both emotionally and/or physically-- I have used them a lot for both and especially now as I am nursing an injury that is really putting me to the test.) I hope the video is a helpful for you. Let me know! And cheers to better sleep and all else!

My Trip To Japan

As you may know, I traveled to Japan recently, and it was a diverse and fascinating experience. I am happy to share even a few chunks with you! 

One reason I love traveling abroad is because it obviously allows me to experience other cultures firsthand and step out of my comfort zone.

Japanese culture is beautiful, while being both wild and controlled all at the same time. It is steeped in ancient artful traditions, yet also embracing new fads, fashions, and technologies. 

I really appreciate how Japanese culture is expressed artistically and aesthetically through various mediums. Food of course is one of those mediums, and it's just gorgeous what they create - brilliant actually. The same goes for the way they use paper folding (more than just origami!), and also the art of the environment - like feng shui, but called 'fusui' in Japan. Or there is the art of pottery that looks different depending on the region. Then, of course, there is the spiritual and medicinal parts of Japanese culture which of course I love, and the therapeutic art of the 'onsen' - an old ritual of the bath house and hot springs - divine!! (Each one of these could have its own newsletter, this is only a mention because I believe all of these connect with the various aspects of holistic health and wellness, so certainly worth mentioning). 

Japanese culture takes real honor and pleasure in the art of things, and they have been studying these practices for thousands of years. It leaves me asking - how can we take pleasure in these in our lives more, and as an act of self care and presence. I'm curious what that means to you!

Making mundane tasks an art form can be extremely beautiful and peaceful. It requires a calm focus.... actions that are intentional rather than random, and there is so much to be learned through that present intentionality!

Are You Wanting to Feel Simply Fabulous?

I hope you are in some way or another finding ways to love yourself more compassionately, fully, and graciously.

I know this is not always so easy to do especially in moments when we feel we have failed or don't like some part of what the mirror tells us. What a twisted game that can be, right? Oh don't I know it.

In 2018, I took a long trek to Japan.

I was fortunate to take this richly fulfilling trip though it also actually took a much harder toll on my health than I had anticipated. I have traveled my whole life and it's something that I have always made a priority and which I gain so much from each time. This time what I gained in terms of my physical health was navigating some real deal food allergies which I am now recovering from. I usually can manage these pretty well with when I travel. This time was very different. Some of you might be able to relate! I am allergic to wheat and have a difficult time with soy and let me tell you those are the two MAIN ingredients in EVERYTHING in Japanese cooking. I didn't realize just how prevalent it was even though I read and did research before leaving it still was really tough for me and I was exposed WAY more than ever.

I talk with my clients frequently about navigating nutrition, minimizing or avoiding gluten, dairy and sometimes corn and soy too. It can be tricky to do here in the US at times but in Japan it was a whole other ball park and at many times there was nothing I could do about it. I am really so grateful for this diverse and extraordinary adventure while at the same time--not feeling good physically-- still getting over the jet lag and also very swollen and inflamed from the over exposure to things I am allergic to. Not so pretty let me tell you. And I am learning, once again, to be patient with myself and with the set backs in life that we all have sometimes. Se la vie! 

Comfort zone pushing goals

One of my "comfort zone pushing goals" in 2018, aside from foreign travel, was to create (one minute) videos, because it's something I'd been petrified of. I had hoped that by doing it I could be of greater service in the world and also shift some things in myself in the process. It is a process indeed-- most things in life that matter seem to be, and patience, acceptance and letting go are certainly some helpful pieces, just like that with our health struggles as I just mentioned above-- PATIENCE and care, true self care.

I started an experiment/challenge with my good friend Mary. She kept encouraging me to make these videos about the things we talk about and more! It was time to stop letting my fear rule me so much. So the "Simply Fabulous VideoChallenge" began on January 1st, and went from the original 14 days to the whole month. I would choose something in-the-present-moment to focus on which somehow related to simple ways to feel good. Holistic health tips, speaking your truth, and making your life a little more "Simply Fabulous" we all can use more of I'm sure. These videos are all a minute or less and are a source for things like setting intentions, quick mood-boosting recipes, and expanding your comfort zone.  

The videos can be found on my YouTube channel here.

I'm so grateful for the opportunities that stepping out of my comfort zone has given me - traveling, learning how other cultures view holistic health, and getting to engage more with my clients! 

Here's to loving ourselves more fully, and doing things that scare us!