Was it an authentic decision?

Was it an authentic decision?

Many of my clients are reevaluating their alignment with their authenticity as they seek to redefine, redesign, or reinvent some aspect of their lives this year. What about you?

Every authentic decision begins at a quiet threshold where you make the choice to step inward before moving forward. If you’re feeling a similar pull, I invite you to pause before seeking validation from others and instead ask your Self what your heart wants—rather than your head.

You didn’t come here to fit in; you came here to self-express. Fitting in is easy. Standing out requires courage—the courage to follow your calling to change some aspect of the way you’re living, whatever that may be, minimally or radically.

Transformation can’t be cultivated without making a fresh choice and acting on it. And if you’ve stood at a threshold and taken an action to set the energy of change in motion, these are four signs that your decision was truly aligned with you.

You feel lonely. Your social circle may not relate to your need to expand. Some may find your desires lofty or feel unsettled by your conviction for something different. You may even lose people you thought would always be with you. Know that those who truly love you will allow you to evolve.

-Your mind challenges you. Doubt and fear may arise—this is part of our evolutionary negativity bias that has us wired to play it safe and comfortable. When this happens, return to stillness. Sit in meditation and reconnect with the inner knowing that caused you to acknowledge your soul’s desire for change.

-You sense or see a shift. You may feel lighter mentally, physically, or emotionally, begin seeing a situation through a new lens, or notice new opportunities emerging. Synchronicities and trust in your own decision-making often increase. Appreciate that your awareness is developing and stay open to signs and subtle changes that signal growth or expansion.

-You enjoy the process. You feel lit up. Contentment becomes a more sustainable state—you aren’t seeking, you are being. Your nervous system settles. When you feel less effort and more peace, it’s often an indication that you are honoring both your truth and your holistic well-being. Thank yourself for being authentic.

Being aligned with your authentic self doesn’t mean life is easy; it means trusting your intuition and finding peace in the choices you make.

Peace is an undervalued commodity. 😉

P.S. Many of you have asked how to stay anchored to your inner voice amid all the shiny distractions. That question is what inspired my book, Building a Life: A Journey into Authenticity and Holistic Transformation. I’m currently preparing for its release this spring. More to come soon!

Tame your monkey?

Tame your monkey?

It’s the time of year when many of you are feeling overwhelmed by your obligations, intentional/unintentional review of the past years’ lowlights/highlights, and thoughts about what you want to manifest in the new year.

This monkey mind chatter can stir up emotions that can cause you to lose clarity and focus. What if there could be a way to navigate through the chatter so you don’t feel stuck?

There is a very simple way: silence. People go to great lengths to avoid sitting alone in silence. We tend to seek anything that might fill that perceived empty space instead. However, silence is medicine.

I’m not suggesting that you go on a silent retreat, although this is the most powerful solution. But if you’re ready to manage your mind rather than let it manage you, then I suggest you try this easy exercise to begin: 

Take yourself to a favorite place, ideally in nature but anywhere you can be alone and undisturbed for 30-minutes. Leave EVERYTHING behind (this means no phone).

Bring something you can use as a timer—or surrender to your own sense of time.

Take a few deep and grounding breaths to release the day’s activities. Begin to watch your thoughts and notice what thoughts stream in and how they fluctuate over the course of your silence.
 
· What triggers your mind to become activated?
· How long does it take for your mind to become quiet?
· What thoughts, positive and negative, begin to bubble up and dominate?
· If you are working through a particular health or personal challenge, what thoughts arrive related to them?
· Are you judging yourself or others?
· Can you begin to feel emotionally neutral?

At the end of the 30-minutes, try to journal about your experience. What comes up may surprise you.

You take a shower every day. Why not cleanse your mind daily as well? 😉

Have you looked under your nose?

Have you looked under your nose?

Do you know how to breathe? By this I mean deep breathing through your nose, the kind that can pull down your diaphragm, anchor your pelvis, replenish your adrenals, and oxygenate your brain.

We are born knowing how to breathe properly. But modern life causes us to lose our grasp on this. As a result, we wind up breathing in a way that disconnects us from our bodies, our center, and thereby the mental clarity we need to move forward in the world in a way that satisfies us.

An unconscious, dysfunctional manner of breathing can affect your vagus nerve and is a hidden cause of anxiety, insomnia, fatigue, stress, and more. It is also the reason that breath-based practices such as meditation and yoga can have such a profound impact on your holistic health.

Most of you live with this imbalance. However, it makes healing, restful sleep, digestion, detoxification, and emotional regulation very difficult.

Those who work with me are often surprised when we wind up beginning with something fundamental. No, it’s not which vitamins to take or where to go for acupuncture. It’s more basic: We begin with breathwork and/or meditation.

I’m as guilty as anyone. Although I teach breathing, a highly demanding eighteen-month family crisis pushed me out of my rhythm. I was aware that my breath had become shallow, but was too busy to address it. UNTIL I began to experience physical symptoms that I never had before. Because I’ve been trained to respect my body when it speaks with warning signs, I knew that I needed to get in front of this.

Back to my meditation pillow I went, sitting for deep breathing and daily meditation (I must confess that I had become lax with my meditation as well). It didn’t take long before my symptoms subsided and I began to feel more balanced.

This month, I’m reminding you to view your breath as a doorway because it’s critical. With only a few minutes a day, the simple, ancient technique of deep breathing can awaken energy, sharpen focus, and bring your nervous system back into the balance it requires in order to self-heal. When you train your breath to behave as nature intended your body softens, your mind steadies, and your spirit begins to align with them. In this harried world of “do, do, do,” we all need to soften.

To refresh your memory on the many benefits of breathing and how to do it, read my previous article https://www.spiritualityhealth.com/benefits-of-nose-breathing

The life enhancing breath right under your nose could be the very thing you’ve been looking for (and likely missing) while looking at external solutions for your holistic health issues.

Learn to breathe properly. You will be amazed to see how powerful this is. 😉

You aware of your energy portals?

You aware of your energy portals?

Spiritual and yogic traditions propose that your body has seven main energy centers, referred to in Sanskrit as chakras. When looking to fine-tune your holistic health, you will want to consider the state of your chakra system. 

The word chakra translates to “wheel.” These vortices of energy are often depicted as spinning wheels running from the base to the crown of your spine. Each wheel is associated with specific expressions, indications, and biological associations.

Our work together occasionally calls on us to balance one or more of your chakras. The energetic state of each chakra is reflected by the velocity of its spin. Chakras can be open, resulting in a swift spin, or blocked, resulting in little to no spin. These wheels need to flow freely in order for you to experience the mental, physical, and emotional balance required for well-being. 

The events of 2025 continue to signal that our structures (i.e. financial, political, educational, social, etc.) are evolving. In order to be able to thrive through the chaotic energy that transitions can cause, you will want to ensure that your chakras are tuned-up.

This month, I invite you to review the state of your chakras. Your chakra system, with its corresponding expressions, indications, and biological associations, is summarized below.
 
CROWN #7 (Top of Head)
Expression: Spiritual Connection, Enlightenment, Wisdom
Open: Clear, Loving, Peaceful
Blocked: Fearful, Lack of Boundaries, Lack of Purpose
Biological Association: Brain, Nervous System

THIRD EYE #6 (Between Eyebrows)
Expression: Intuition, Imagination, Psychic Ability
Open: Intuitive, Creative, Perceptive
Blocked: Lack of Vision, Confusion, Overthinking
Biological Association: Pituitary Gland, Pineal Gland

THROAT #5 (Throat)
Expression: Communication, Self-expression, Creativity
Open: Communicative, Diplomatic, Imaginative
Blocked: Critical, Gossipy, Harsh
Biological Association: Thyroid Gland, Vocal Chords

HEART #4 (Chest)
Expression: Love, Compassion, Emotional Well-being
Open: Compassionate, Forgiving, Loving
Blocked: Jealous, Co-dependent, Grieving
Biological Association: Heart, Lungs

SOLAR PLEXUS #3 (Upper Abdomen)
Expression: Self-esteem, Confidence, Personal Power
Open: Empowered, Motivated, Confident
Blocked: Low Self-Esteem, Lack of Motivation, Indecisiveness
Biological Association: Stomach, Liver, Gallbladder, Pancreas, Spleen

SACRAL #2 (Lower Abdomen)
Expression: Creativity, Emotions, Sensuality
Open: Passionate, Joyful, Creative
Blocked: Low Vitality, Fear of Intimacy, Lack of Creativity
Biological Association: Sex Organs, Reproductive Organs

ROOT #1 (Base of Spine)
Expression: Stability, Grounding
Open: Grounded, Secure, Confident
Blocked: Fearful, Financial Worries, Untrusting
Biological Association: Spine, Kidneys, Bladder, Large Intestine

Do you get a sense that one or more of your chakras could benefit from a tune-up?

Root chakra blockages connected with fear and security are especially common, particularly during periods of transition. A blockage in any one chakra will affect energy flow to the others and eventually your holistic health. Don’t let this happen to you. 

If needed, I can help you to identify where your energy flow may be improved as well as support you in opening up any restriction.

Remember: Everything is about energy, including you.