​Have you ever asked your friends to praise you? An outright, blatant, shameless request to tell you what your best, strongest qualities are? Last Spring, an online course I was taking asked me to reach out to people close to me and ask them what they think my superpowers are. It felt SO. WRONG. Asking others to do this is humbling, terrifying, and rewarding. 

​I sent out an email in a surge of positivity. I just said “You all are my friends. What do you think my superpowers are?” I didn’t apologize, didn’t hedge. As I waited for my friends to answer my email, my positivity positively fled. I felt embarrassed. I felt flustered. I felt unworthy, and even a little ashamed for asking in the first place. And my friends proved me wrong. 

​I’m here to tell you, this is a GREAT exercise. Think about it- wouldn’t you be happy to tell your friends about the wonderful things you see in them? Wouldn’t it be fun to heap them with praise knowing they’d have to listen, because they ASKED for it?! Wouldn’t it be great to point out those things that makes your friends unique and special? They enjoyed doing this, many of them even thanked me for asking, and asked me to let them know the outcome of the exercise!

​And in the vein of doing things that make me uncomfortable, I’ll toot my own horn here and share what my friends told me. It means the world to me that this is what they see, because these are important qualities that I’m not sure I always manage to bring. Doubting ourselves is human! Supporting each other is human, too. And learning what others see you bringing to the world is divine.

"Dear Friends. What do you think my superpowers are?”

• enthusiasm, expertise, connection

• You are (1) resilient, (2) have a forward moving spirit and energy, and (3) are industrious, creative and tenacious.

• 1. Theatrical and fun approach to teaching and life without any drama 
• 2. Always one of the most positive and vibrant people to be around
• 3. Penetratingly insightful when clarity of vision is needed

• 1. Your curiosity. This is the easiest one! I feel like you're inquisitive af; you constantly seek to learn. 
• 2. Your intuition. I've been trying to figure out how to describe your super power as an explainer-of-things. You're really excellent at that. And I think what it boils down to is that you're really skilled at figuring out how someone needs something explained, which is where your intuition really comes into play.
• 3. Your intelligence. This is maybe cheating because it's something I highly value in others so when others have it, I tend to think that that's one of their greatest strengths. But you're so super smart, and it's a hugely important trait.

• Also, you're a witch. So

• Compassion:  You are so dedicated to helping people improve their lives, not out of your own ego, but because you really care about others.

• Wisdom: You continue to learn, grow, evolve.  You seek out new information, explore new modalities, not simply to have the knowledge for yourself or to improve your own life, but to share with others (see “compassion” above!).  And you integrate your learning – you are not solely about Ayurveda or keto, for example.  Rather, you are curious about how those sciences relate to information that you already have, what do they have in common, where are they different, what new learning can you pull out.
•  Joy:  You always have a smile on your face and a gentle way about you.  You are approachable and trustworthy.  You don’t judge.  I know that I can be vulnerable with you, share the not-so-nice parts of my life, and you always make me feel better about myself (see “compassion” above!). You paint a picture of a brighter, more hopeful tomorrow that keeps me going.

• Conscientious 
• Empathetic 
• Curious
• Joyful
• Informed
• Knowledgeable
• .....and when you communicate instructions or information, you do it in such a way that your client feels you are advocating for them, on the same team, and not condescending or patronizing.  I couldn’t find that in the thesaurus ;-). Is that a teacher?

•  You manage to balance a practical, no-nonsense approach to life, teaching, and learning with a whimsical nature. You see the beauty and magic in everyday life and the knowledge you seek and dispense, even if at first blush it appears mundane to others.
• Related to the above, your attitude is infectious. You help others see the beauty and magic when you are talking about what you are passionate about –whether it be a book, herbal medicine, self-care.
• You are steadfast and loyal. And you do not suffer fools.

• compassionate, good listener, determined, resourceful

Aw shucks, guys.

And yes, there are some herbs that can help you through this!

Tulsi springs immediately to mind- she can help calm the stress of doing this asking in the first place, and you may find she helps you transition into a person who believes what your friends are saying.

Rose is also a powerful friend in terms of opening your heart to receive the love your friends offer. 

Chamomile can help you turn off the inner-child who is afraid and uncertain, and Calamus might help you digest everything you are told. 

What other herbs would you work with? And I was serious- go ahead and ask your friends about your superpowers. You can thank me later ;)

There's lots of pressure each December to spendspendspend your way into others hearts or good graces or respect. I don't want to add to that. Besides, I don't really make or sell anything that's packageable in a gift-giving fashion anyway, so why add to the noise?

But I do want to showcase some of my favorite people who are making a difference in the world, so if you do decide you need a perfect gift for someone, maybe you'll find it here. Or just give them a hug. That always works for me. 

In not much order, I present to you my favorites. 

• Wholisitics An appointment-only, women-focused wellness center. I teach reformer pilates here, and there's lots of other services like group and personal training, chiropractic, nutrition and therapy. And they sell gift certificates
• Glenside Acupuncture Margaret is a dear, the space is quiet and not intimidating, and you'll love it
• Painting with a Twist 2 pilates friends own franchises, so I can say with full support that you'll love your time at Jenkintown, NE Philly, and Warrington PWAT locations, and with full expectation that you'd love any other site too
• Tooth of the Lion amazing PA based herb farmers and remedy makers
• Arete more amazing PA based remedy makers, my partner in the DIY Herbalism program
• Barefoot Botanicals more amazing PA farmers, remedy makers, and educators
• Saltability Retreat local-to-me salt spa with salt cave, float tank, and more
• Backyard Beans Lansdale coffee shop with good light, good space, and good tea
• Round Guys, and The Underground Lansdale brewery and live shows, including the Ladies of Lansdale!
• Domani Star off the charts amazing regional Italian food in Doylestown
• Dishes and Knishes my go-to deli with great soup, in Lafayette Hill
• Fuller Chiropractic wonderful and excruciating Active Release Technique, has saved my ability to speak for a living
• Ace Hardware seriously, this store has it all and they're super helpful
• Kimberton Whole Foods a small local chain since 1986, with local food and great options
• MOYO Skippack PA yoga, including aerial yoga. Come see me teach about immunity and make some Garlic Honey in January
• Yoga Brain East Falls yoga, come see me teach about Herbal Digestion and Detox in January
• Yoga Barn Unionville yoga, home of the DIY Herbalism program
• The Studio St Michaels MD yoga, including the best aerial yoga every, with Paulette
• Lucia LaFerme CA botanical dyer of silks and linen, and a gorgeous IG feed
• Nicole La Pera on Facebook and Instagram soul-healing free content, and a Self Healer's Circle
• Claire Mockridge creator of Your Pelvic Matters teacher training program and a helpful weekly newsletter on functional movement and business things
• Stop Chasing Pain body education in a no-nonsense style I enjoy immensely 
• Katy Bowman my favorite expert on all things movement and feet. Books, videos, blog, social media, trainings, she's got it all
• Holly Hill my local independent health food store/magnesium supplier/well-curated shop of wonders
• The Square a renovated factory in Dublin PA full of small shops and businesses

I've probably forgotten some people and places. And I'll probably update this list as I remember them. I'd love to hear about your favorites too, in the comments!

Just make, and keep, one promise to yourself everyday. One little promise, one little moment of showing up for yourself. 

This was the post I saw from @the.holistic.psychologist, just when I was feeling overwhelmed and undeserving and defeated. She’d said it before, but that day I needed it. OK, I thought, I will. 

Now I encourage (Urge! Demand!) you do the same. We ALL need to remind ourselves that we’re there for ourselves; it builds such resilience and resolve!

In keeping with my spirit, I made 2 promises. In keeping with Dr. LaPera’s advice, I made them tiny. 

1. Journal every day, even if only for a minute
2. Plan tomorrow’s To Do list each evening

I’ve also been having trouble falling asleep, so the last few nights I’ve taken an herbal sleep tablet by Garden of Life (a sample from Expo East!) with a powdered Magnesium and Sleep drink (love this stuff), and doing a Deepak Chopra meditation after lights-out.

It’s amazing what a few nights of good sleep, and a few days of clear and ordered tasks, can accomplish. 

This morning’s journaling- from last night’s meditation prompts- showed me that lately I’ve been most in my “flow” when I’m writing about my passions, like developing the DIY program, or writing blog posts. Yet I don’t write creatively that often, putting it off in favor of other “more important” tasks. 

Since I don’t have any morning appointments today, I decided to have a sauna (we have a Relax FIR sauna tent in the bedroom, you can try one at Holly Hill, my local health food store), a quick stretch and shower, and sit down to write a bit. No guilt, no judgement, I just opened a few docs I had been working on recently but had put aside. I'm really looking forward to this!

Before I turn back to them, I really want to know: What’s ONE promise you can make to yourself every day? Comment below!

​Some of the above links are affiliate sources

Do you choose a Word of the Year? Do you actually work towards it?

I've had variable success doing this. Last year was mostly a "not so much" year, but in 2017 I was pretty good at remembering and reviewing and adjusting towards my WotY. 

In that spirit, my 2019 WotY is: CONSISTENCY.

There's lots of ideas and half-formed plans and unexecuted proposals banging around in my head. Recently I was listening to an audiobook when a passage struck me: 

Beauvoir was reminded of his grandmother... When Jean Guy had visited they'd collect little new peas together and shell them, sitting on the porch. He now knew his grandmother must have been very busy, but she never gave that impression, just as these monks now gave the impression of working steadily. Working hard even, but working at their own pace. (The Beautiful Mystery, Louise Penny)

Working hard even, but working at their own pace. That captures my goal for the year. Instead of throwing myself headlong into a project and getting distracted by every other thing life needs before I'm finished and never completing anything, Slow and Steady and Consistent are to be my mantra this year. 

​A WotY is a pretty good way to motivate myself towards a common theme or a long-term vision. I have to make it visible, writing it on a notecard for my bulletin board, on my journal cover, in my daily vision imaging. 

How do you keep yourself on track? 

This week I was invited to give a presentation at the Tamanend Herb Club in Southampton PA. We made Echinacea Tinctures and Immune Boosting Pastilles (aka cookie dough balls). It was SO MUCH FUN! The club was super engaged, asked lots of great questions, really had fun getting their hands dirty (so to speak) making the tincture and sampling the pastilles. A great time was had by all. If you live up that way you should check them out!

This week handed my butt to me on a platter. Just served it right up. It was a great week, busy and exciting, but I ended up not writing any posts like I promised I would.

I started to get all in a twist about it, then I stepped back. Some days I just don't have words in me to write, only to speak. And I speak to LOTS of people in a week! Some days I do have writing words, like today, and I'll get them out.

I apologize for the dead air this week. But I also encourage you to practice self-forgiveness when you encounter your own dead air. It's OK to take a shower or get 30 extra minutes of sleep or make a hot meal or even get a hair cut, instead of doing something else you ought to. It'll be there when you get back. 

Also today, a spring time picture! I spy with my little eye...

 Hello! Yeah, it's been a while. Not much, how 'bout you?

:)

Well, it HAS been a while. Just before Christmas I was Planning the New Year, and now the halfway point of winter has passed. It was a time of quiet for me. Sometimes I wondered why I wasn't writing anything here, and sometimes I wondered why I ever had, but mostly I just quietly worked and let time pass.

Winter is the season of Water, and I felt it- like I was at the bottom of a deep pool, and eventually I'd bubble up to the top and get moving like a Spring thaw. As expected I did resurface, and it's wonderfully peaceful to know I can count on change to happen at its own pace!

Many of my clients express their frustration to me about being "lazy", about finding it hard to exercise or even get excited about anything during this time of year. How I wish everyone would look around and see how "lazy" Nature is being, and how judgmental we are holding ourselves to different standards.

A week ago we had an honest-to-goodness blizzard here in Philly. It was an entire day of strong winds and huge drifts and pity for people with dogs that needed walking. When I finally got back to my pilates classes, it was so much fun to listen to the stories about families getting snowed in, watching movies and doing puzzles together. None of these women, who are usually SO HARD on themselves, felt any guilt or self-recrimination for just laying low.

Winter is all about laying low. Some days the sun is out and it's almost balmy, some days we have energy and motivation and can accomplish "things'. But on balance, Winter should be as quiet and restful a time as Summer is outgoing and social.

I let myself just be over the last several weeks, and now I feel the wheel has turned and it's time for me to rejoin you. Maybe I'll take another break or three before we see flowers here again. Point is, accepting my downtime felt good. Don't beat yourself up over yours!

In the meantime I did do my New Year's Planning, on my annual New Year's vacation at the Outer Banks. I also began some outside work to learn more, and some inside work to teach more. I met a pilates teacher who can substitute for me when I have to go away, and introduced myself to people who might further my dreams. And I knitted a poncho. It wasn't an empty time, just a quiet time. And I thoroughly enjoyed it!

May the remainder of your Winter be as peaceful.

Planning Day is something I’ve been doing for the past several New Year’s, although I just formally found it named by Jamie Ridler Studios. It’s a day to contemplate and review and dream, looking forward to the next year and, well, planning!
 
I don’t have a formal process for my Planning Day. It’s just a compilation of thought prompts, journal questions, and daydreaming. Here, I’ll share my resources so you can develop your own guidebook for next year.

• First, Jamie Ridler Studios, best described in her own words: “…inspirational workshops, coaching, vlogs, blogs and the Creative Living with Jamie podcast – everything you need to bring your creativity (and yourself) to life!”

 
This year, I’ll start with her “Celebrate the Season that Was” and “Imagine the Season Ahead” worksheets to get into a good headspace by reviewing the year I’ve had and projecting forward as things put into action this year continue to influence my future. I’m also going to use her “My Focus Journal” worksheets to be more specific about what’s important to me, and how I want to focus on those areas.

• Next I’ll pull out the beautiful New Year’s Day workbook my teacher Maia Toll put together a few years ago. She is a very cerebral teacher who also consciously incorporates less cerebral heart work, so there’s interesting creation to be done in her “Intending the New Year” lessons.  

I’m not sure that it’s still available for download anywhere online, so let me share the steps with you. You’ll miss out on the beautiful illustrations and instruction details, but you’ll also get the point!

1. List 26 things you are grateful for from the year that has passed.
2. Choose one thing from your list. How does your body feel when you relive this moment?
3. What do you want to build this year that will last into your own (or perhaps a greater) future?
4. Think about what type of year will bring you joy, or contentment, or solace, or adventure. Choose a word to describe the year you most want to have.
5. Apply this word to finish the following thoughts: What will bring [your chosen word]…
   1. To my family life
   2. To my social life
   3. To my home
   4. To my work
   5. To my body
   6. To my heart
   7. To my mind
   8. To my soul
6. What are 3 do-able action steps that you can take this week to stat the year off right?

• Also from my teacher Maia, I’ll redo an “assignment” she gave me during a mentoring session: Write a story about your life, one year from the writing. What will life look like, in as much detail as possible?

 
I’ve done this twice already, and when I re-read them it does amaze me how many things in it have come to pass. I’m not great at setting goals, breaking them into action steps, and revisiting them blah blah blah. But writing a narrative that includes all the details I dream about, from where I live to what kind of soap is in my shower, really sticks in my memory and I find myself referring to it as a guide. Will this opportunity/choice/decision put me in that story?

• Deepak Chopra's 7 Laws of Spiritual Success are part of a guided Abundance meditation by him that I try to use regularly. Ideas like "My actions achieve maximal benefit with minimal effort" or "I nourish the universe, and the universe nourishes me" feed into how I want to make choices, so I'll be sure to meditate as I begin my planning day.

These are the main tools I'll use as I daydream my way through looking ahead into next year. May the new year be merry and bright for all of you, too!