Hoping that you are all doing well.

Having a space where you can do the things that you enjoy is important. If you have a table, or a closet that can be converted, and used just for you, great. Even if you have a designated chair, that works too. Just get creative and find your space.

I am lucky. I have created 2 spaces in our house where I can create. 1., is my studio where I paint and do art endeavors. And, 2., is a room (Ann’s old bedroom) where I study, do yoga, & write my blogs. I could combine the 2 if she ever wanted to move back home. 🙂

You see, as an artist, I need a space that I can dive in to on at any given moment or any given day. After having a studio at Hot Shops years ago, we moved my studio home. We thought that it was more economical and our basement was a bare bones space where we just kept stuff. So I cleared it out and brought home all of the tools, easels, paint, furniture, etc. I had 2 work tables. I kept one, but gave away the other. I chose what I needed and gave away those things that didn’t serve me any longer.

This is what my workspace in the basement looks like now. The rug is new, so I have things on the corners, trying to flatten it out. Most of the art on the walls were done by me. I am currently working on a quirky piece.

And, this is the bedroom that I converted into the Study, yoga and blog room. It has more things in it than I usually do, but I am working on a lot classes currently. So, it just works for me right now.

We are also going to make a platform up on our hill so I can practice yoga outdoors. I am lucky to have the space in our house and eventually one outdoors.

I realize that many aren’t as lucky. But you can always get creative. I have worked out of a box where I kept all of my things, and pulled it out when I needed. I have seen so many great options on Pinterest too. Once again, get your juices flowing. Find your creative space.

Anyway, Hope you are all dong well.

Stay safe.

Peace & love, Dawn

Another great method or tool that helps find oneself is reflection. I didn’t realize all of those great journals out there that can help one find topics to reflect upon. Some are called Life planners, performance planners, creative planners, etc…

However, just regular paper and pen will do. Or, if you want to save trees, there are apps out there too.

I took an online workshop this weekend that really helped me to reflect on who I am, deep inside. We all have titles: student, parent, mom, dad, sister, brother, daughter, son, artist, co worker, a specific title for work or type of sport you play. But when I am talking about YOU, those titles don’t really matter. I am really talking about YOU with all of those titles stripped away. Your biological sex stripped away, your wealth or lack of (doesn’t matter), your possessions, your appearance, all stripped away. This is about YOU! Your spirit, how you feel from deep inside.

I took some things that I found interesting from the weekend, and some things that I just reflect on from time to time to share with you.

Get something to write or draw with, some paper of some sort, and find a comfy spot to ponder. Turn on some tunes if that helps. This is about YOU! Hope you enjoy this. There is no wrong or right way to do this. You can write or draw whatever. I’m just giving prompts to help get your mind pondering.

• First thing to do is to write down who you are on the inside…loving, humble, friendly, forgiving, empathetic, etc. Write down as many adjectives that you can think of that reflects you.
  
• Write down words in which you value. Here’s a few: truthfulness, originality, happiness, loyalty, respect, bravery, fearless, health, vitality, family, friends, joy, spirituality, resilience, imagination, ambition, contentment, gratitude, forgiveness, balance, peace, boundaries, pets,etc… Come up with 3-5 values that you live by and rank them. These are your values and you can change them. However, believing in them and living by them is important for you. Establishing values in your life helps in making solid decisions. It helps to establish boundaries for yourself. You matter!!! What you decide for yourself, Matters!!! Coming up with your core values will help with this next part tremendously. So don’t go forward until you come up with those. Life happens and things change. So your values will change at different stages of your life. No doubt.
  
• Come up with a life statement about yourself. Who you’ve always thought yourself to be or wanted to be. Weave in those values. Write it in present tense, say it daily to yourself. Believe yourself to be living that way now.
  (I.e. I live my life in a truthful, caring, nurturing way. ) This is also called a Sankalpa in Sanskrit. It may change as you grow, or at different mile stones in your life. You have the power to change it whenever you wish. But it is important to try and live your life by this statement. It will help and inspire many aspects of your day to day life. Then, when you come across situations or people in your life, you can ask yourself if it or they fit with your values and your life statement. This great mantra we learned over the weekend; is when a anything comes your way that doesn’t fit, say, ” Return to Sender”. haha. I had to laugh. Many times in my life I allowed things that weren’t necessarily wanted and I didn’t “return them to sender”.

• This one is kind of fun. Grab some old magazines, colored pencils, pens, photos, or whatever, and paste, draw, write, all of those wonderful things that you want in your life. Some may already be there. But a new car, a new house, money, more time in nature, anything. These are your dream pages. Oprah once did an episode years ago about dream boards. Creating your life by picturing it. You can do this on a board, but creating your collage in your journal, and looking at it everyday, might add inspiration on a day to day basis. After you create the pages, you can reflect on them from time to time, but better yet, just throw it our to the universe and see what happens.

Many journals have prompts, meditations, mantras, quotes, and exercises that allow you to ponder and open your mind. The key is to open it! Peel of your layers and find YOU!

I attached a photo of one of my dream pages that I made years ago. Some of the things became reality, and some desires changed and I just don’t need them anymore.

Whatever makes you feel the sun from the inside out, chase that. – Gemma Troy

Visualize your truest self. Start showing up as that person.- author unknown

Live less out of habit and more out of intent. – author unknown

I wish you soulful thought, an open mind and the will to find YOU.

Stay safe.

Peace and Love, Dawn

Ah, the 5 senses: Taste, sight, hearing, smell and TOUCH! I’m focusing on the Touch today. Specifically, your hands. (However, all senses will be affected by this practice!!)

Your hands are such important tools for your day to day. I so think sometimes HANDS get taken for granted. We use them in nearly everything that we do.

So, why don’t we focus on taking better care of them! Find gratitude for our hands! Did you know that there are 17,000 touch receptors just in the palm of your hand? These receptors send signals to your brain. And, your brain sends signals to your hands.

So when you get a chance, get yourself some oil, coconut oil smells the best, but olive oil will work too. Put a little bit in the palm of your hand(feel free to add a drop of essential oil in there too) and using the opposite thumb, rub the oil around in your palm clockwise, then counter clockwise. Next, using the opposite hand, start at the wrist, under the thumb, the fatty part, and rub that area clockwise, then counter clockwise. Now, do the same to all of the joints at the base of each finger. Feel free to add more oil whenever, you need, to get the fingers to glide over your touch points.

After you’ve completed that, starting at the joint at the base of the pinky, gently rub the pinky in an upward way, pulling slightly as you go, do it again, but along the sides of the pinky all the way up. At the tip of the pinky, hold firmly and massage in a circular motion. Do this to each finger and thumb.

The anterior or backside of the hand is important too. So get a little more oil, and start in get back of the hand, rubbing clockwise, then counter clockwise. flex your wrist up, about 2″ down, you will rub from side to side until you reach the base of the back of the hand. Now take your hand and rub between every knuckle. and gently on the knuckle themselves. Now go up the fingers, don’t forget the sides of the fingers, like you did on the palm side. Rubbing the cuticle and fingernail as well.

Lastly, this is an important part, turn your hand towards you. so the thumb is closest to you. You may need more oil. Start from 4-5″ below your wrist. Gently rub upward, along the side of your palm and up the side of your thumb, and stop at the knuckle just below your fingernail. You may want to do that a couple times. It’s not the easiest one to do, and often forgotten but there are receptors there that affect your spine.

Now, Don’t forget to do this to the other hand. I know that the coordination in the less dominant hand can be clumsy at first. But with practice, you not only will be able to do it perfectly over time, but, you are also strengthening the opposite – less dominant, part of your brain. Woo Hoo!!

I have posted pictures in hopes to help you. My hands are old and knobby. I just have a very bony body structure. And, well, I am kind of old. haha

The reason why I had you pay so much attention to all of those areas on your wrist and hands, is because each point in your hand represents a body organ or system. The diagrams show the palm side, and the back side of the left hand. However, the systems that are represented are mirrored on the right hand.

Ideally, you would do this 2-3 times a week. However, I tend to do it when I remember. So, do it as often as you can. Your hands and body will thank you for it!!!

I hope you are more grateful for your hands today.

Please, stay safe.

Love and Peace, Dawn

Well! It’s Earth Day and because of the pandemic, the Earth is healing! Have to look at the silver lining.

When I need to rejuvenate my body, mind and soul – I go to nature. There is no better time to connect with the World than to find gratitude in your heart for pure nature, the outdoors!!

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All of the pure energy that we get walking barefoot in the grass, or dirt is a true gift from Earth! The act of connecting our skin to the Earth is called Earthing or Grounding. Connecting our bare feet to the Earth’s surface allows us to pick up free electrons. We are mainly made up of water and minerals, so our bodies are natural conductors for these electrons. Research has proven that the free electrons on the Earth’s surface are very beneficial to our bodies and our state of mind. It is like a true, natural psychology session and it is free for the taking. How wonderful is that! The benefits that research have proven are; anti aging, powerful anti inflammatory, harmonizing our bodies rhythms, lifts our spirits, allows us better sleep and enhances our feeling of belonging.

I actually heard in a lecture that if you are feeling stressed, drained, or any negative feeling, you can take off your shoes and go hug a tree. Yup! You heard that right! HUG A TREE!!! The energy of the Earth/Tree will allow an exchange of electrical charge and you will immediately feel relief.

We are all made of star dust. We just need to allow ourselves to shine.

So, Happy Earth Day everyone! Breathe it all in. All will be well!

Please stay home and stay safe!

Peace and Love, Dawn

Around 8 years ago, a friend introduced me to some of the best essential oils on the market. I even partook in the hype of getting others on board through the MLM business. Although I am no longer a part of that MLM, I still use oils daily. I learned a lot about their benefits & uses. I have seen that they work! And work well!!!

PLEASE NOTE!!There is no regulation on Essential Oils. I read a lot about how a company produces their oils, read reviews and claims on companies that sell them. Not all are made equal and I would never ingest an EO if I didn’t do my research. So be cautious on the brands you decide to use.

Now, there is a lot of info about the benefits of essential oils and their properties. For now, I’m going to share my top 5, their uses, what you can do with them and some tips. They aren’t in any special order. I really use these 5 the most tho.

#1 is Lavender. Not only is lavender great for sleep and reducing stress. But, it also can help with sunburn, fevers, dry skin, headaches, scrapes and cuts. I often apply a drop of lavender in with my face creams and body lotions. Especially before bedtime. I really enjoy the scent too. It has a calming aroma. I keep a bottle on my nightstand.

#2. Peppermint. Peppermint is Great! and I mean GREAT for upset stomachs and migraines. It also is great for fever, sunburn, indigestion, odors, flatulence, and muscle pain. It is considered a hot oil and should be used with a carrier oil when applying it directly on to the skin, unless you know that your skin isn’t sensitive to it. (I will discuss carrier oils at the end). If you are having a hot flash, or just hot, adding a drop to a touch of carrier oil and placing it on the back of your neck. This will definitely give you some temporary relief. I often will add a drop into black or green tea. Also, if you like chocolate mint, adding about 5-7 drops in brownie mix tastes marvelous. I keep a bottle of peppermint in my purse.

#3. Lemongrass. As we age, our joints can ache. Our feet sometimes swell. So Lemongrass to the rescue. I will rub it directly on my hands for instant relief. I also make a moisturizing bar with it. My parents love it and keep it next to the kitchen sink. Lemongrass is also great for bacterial infections, fungus, digestion, and circulation. It has a light citrusy aroma which is uplifting and promotes mental clarity.

#4. Lemon. Yup! Lemon isn’t only for tea or pie. The aroma of lemon alone, lifts your mood. It enhances mental clarity and is great as a household cleaner. Kind of funny typing that. But, the use of lemon is quite wonderful and diverse. It helps with anxiety, coughs brittle hair, nails and can also be applied to insect bites for instant relief. Lemon is also one of the least expensive EOs out there. I will add it to my teas, apply a couple drops to a cotton ball and tuck it in one of my cars vents.

#5. Although I have a few other favorites, and I will cover them another time. I am going with Cedarwood. Although it has a warm woodsy aroma. Some people don’t particularly care for it, honestly. It has great uses. It is great for acne, oily skin, other skin issues and sleep issues. AND, in my experience helps with hair growth. My mom had lost her hair a few years ago and had tried different products to get it to grow, to no avail. I had read that cedarwood was good for thinning hair. Some had success growing their hair and others didn’t. I had a bottle, so we thought what the heck. Mom gave it a try. And, sure enough, her hair came in quicker and thicker. She rubbed a couple drops into her scalp once or twice a day. She swears by it. It is important to note that everyones bodies are different.

Now the carrier oils that I had brought up earlier are oils that can be used to dilute the essential oils. This does a couple things. It makes your oils last longer, adds moisture to your skin, and also adds other benefits.

Now Olive Oil (I only use extra virgin cold pressed) and Coconut oil (Same here, cold pressed and unrefined) are great for hands and feet, arms and legs (unless you are prone to breakouts). Jojoba and Sesame oils are lighter oils that are better for the sensitive parts of the body. Jojoba is ok for the face, good for eczema, and has natural vitamins E & B. Sesame oil is great as an antioxidant and anti inflammatory oil. So depending on what you are using the EO for, some of these oils will give you an added benefit.

I shared this information because we must take care of ourselves in order to continue on our path of feeling our true self. I personally don’t use the pharmaceuticals of Western Medicine. Now, I do go to my annual physical exams, and visit the Medical Dr. when I’m sick. But, I take zero prescriptions. And, I rarely have any aches and pains. In saying that, I DO use Essential Oils on a daily basis.

I wish you all Love and Peace, Dawn

I often wondered about the balance of my life. Honestly, my balance has always been a little off. There have been times where I lacked or over concentrated on one or more of these 5 pillars. I remember learning about them a long time ago in an article that I read back in the early 90’s. Probably in a Cosmo. Lol I reflect on them from time to time, but really wish I would’ve cut them out and put them on my fridge as a daily reminder until they became a automatic part of my day. Feel free to print out the attachment btw. 😊 put it on your fridge if you wish.

Seriously, had I followed the strength in the knowledge of the 5 pillars, things probably been a little less complicated in my life. Other stories for another time.

All 5 pillars work together. In order to have full benefit of one pillar, the others must be fulfilled too. If we neglect any one of the 5 pillars for too long, it can affect our well being in a negative way.

1. Rest/Sleep: This doesn’t just mean closing your eyes and getting a good 8 hours. It’s the ability to turn your brain off. Go into a state where your brain goes into a good Alpha state, undisturbed. Then, going deeper into the Theta state where we dream, allowing our creativity to explore. And, then deeper still into the Delta state where we don’t dream, and our body can go into repair mode. I think of the brain waves as cycles of a dishwasher. Going through each cycle. All the while cleaning our mind and keeping things fresh each day.
2. Fuel/Food: you know the old saying, “ you are what you eat”. Well, I believe we are. If you think of food, think of the making of the food utilizing all 5 senses: sound – crank on the tunes, sight – look at those great colors of veg, fruit, breads, eggs…, touch- feel that food, make sure it’s fresh, give those oranges the squeeze test, smell- oh those fresh smells of blueberries, cheeses, eggs, and of course, taste! Flavors galore!!!
3. Movement/Exercise: we need to move our bodies!!! Find that thing that moves you and do it a couple times a week, minimum. Dance, yoga, tai chi, ride a bike, find a hula hoop, or a pogo stick. Whatever, it is, find your jam!!!
4. Soul Care/ Emotional Well-being: This one is a broad one. Whatever your belief, find time in each day to practice. Meditation, allows you to clear the clutter. I recommend clearing the clutter 15-30 minutes a day. If your stressed out, it actually helps to calm your heart rate, elevates anxiety, helps with focus…Yoga Nidra for 20 minutes is a great way to go deeper in the brainwaves and feels like a 2 hour nap. Also, don’t forget the self physical care, read a book, take a bath, get a manicure…
5. Relationships: We are instinctively wired to others. So it’s important that we have at least 1 friend that we can reach out to if need be. You don’t have to have 50 people in your circle. And it’s important to think about our relationships with our pets, the earth, community…

Well, I hope you enjoyed learning about the pillars if you’ve never heard of them before. There are different versions out there. But, I do believe this kind of wraps them up.

Hope you’re all doing well. Stay safe!

Love and Peace, Dawn

(First of all today, I haven’t been able to record my Yoga Nidra yet. I know that I keep saying it will be up tomorrow and I’m sorry for that. My hubby is working from home and has been on numerous calls. When he’s not on a call, the dogs are barking. I will get that recording to you soon, I promise. I just need complete silence so you can hear my words.)

And, remember during the first couple blogs, when I said that I would be adding to my list of processes and instruments that you might be able to use in order to find your inner self? Well, today is another. Learn something new or at least try something new!

Most of us concentrate on taking care of our physical and spiritual selves. But, feeding our brain is just as important. It helps us with memory and areas of our brain that help with all aspects of our being. It keeps us engaged with life. It literally stimulates neurons in your brain and creates faster impulses and therefore could keep dementia away. It makes you more interesting, and more adaptable to change.

You might be asking what else have I been doing while we are confined to being home? I have been reading books, playing with my dog, painting, cleaning, researching things on the internet and taking on line classes. I am currently working on my 200 hour Yoga Teaching certificate. I am over 2/3 done. Woo Hoo!

With Evolve to Harmony actual studio temporarily closed, I have been taking some online courses with my yoga teacher, Carole Westerman. She has incredible workshops, daily classes and teachers trainings! (This isn’t a paid endorsement, I, along with a LOT of other folks out there, think she is amazing!) https://evolvetoharmony.com

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I also found a learning platform a little over a year ago called Udemy. Since then I have been (I hate to admit it) addicted. I have purchased 27 classes and completed 9 so far. I am at least 1/2 way done with 7 others. However there is no rush, you have lifetime access to the courses once you’ve purchased them.

Once a course is completed, and usually a passed quiz or test to prove your competency, Udemy allows you to print off a certificate. In some cases, professors or intellects with impressive titles and associations offer other documentation that shows that you are competent with a new skill, or CPD Continuing Professional Development) hours.

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Now the Udemy platform is an interesting one. You can learn just about everything. From how to set up a podcast to how to make an herbal serum. The length varies per class and the content varies too. If you look on their website https://www.udemy.com, you can type in any genre and go from there. You can see that the prices of most classes can be a little expensive (I have paid full price for a few that I wanted to start right away). But, I try to load up when there is a sale. And, I mean… SALE! You can sometimes get the courses for 80-90% off. Huge super deal to expand the brain, learn a new subject, hone in on a previous skill or just broaden your horizons. While waiting for a “sale”, you can also type in “free” and there are some intros to classes or topics that you might want to pursue.

Now, if you have a skill that you would like to share and create on Udemy, there is more exciting news that might put some money in your pocket. There are tutorials, and help if you would like to set up a class and teach it there as well. This isn’t a paid endorsement here. It is just a great opportunity for those of you that have the gift of teaching.

So, I hope that I have inspired some of you. Get out there and learn something! Engage your brain and find a new skill.

I hope you all are staying well. I am keeping myself busy.

Talk to you soon.

Love and Peace, Dawn

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The definition of Yoga Nidra means sleep with some awareness.

Some say that Yoga Nidra’s roots began in India dating back to1000 bc. However, the versions that we hear today were formulated after the direction of Swami Satyananda in the late 1960-to early 70’s. He believed that yoga could be beneficial to anyone regardless of religion, caste, race or nationality. He has literally helped millions of people throughout his practices, his life and of course here after.

Life has changed socially over the years. It doesn’t matter where you live, what color of skin you have, what religion or beliefs you have, life as we know it, is crazy. Stress has become a norm. Pressures that others put on us and pressures that we put on ourselves have created a chaotic state of mind. Most of us at some point wonder where our true selves have gone. It’s no wonder. And now, we are all going through a world pandemic! It is easy for us to be anxious, cautious, worrisome, stressed, and anxiety ridden. And, with all of that stress can create other issues in the mind and in the body. Yoga Nidra is here for you!

I first experienced Yoga Nidra in a workshop that I was taking last year. It changed my life all together. I did come out of the session crying and couldn’t explain why. But the release felt so flipping good and it helped me let go of things that I had been holding on to. Things that were all mumbled up inside of me that I had been carrying around and was oblivious to. Now I feel that I have a tool that helps me destress, sleep, detach from thoughts that don’t serve my greater good, I am more accepting of myself and my abilities, and can feel joy even in the hard times. It has opened doors for me that I didn’t even know needed opening.

There have been scientific studies that Yoga Nidra is effective for better sleep, regulate heart rate, glucose levels, help to reduce pain, change behaviors, enhance memory, enhances focus, anti aging, creates a solid connection with self, and a feeling of empowerment. The government now uses Yoga Nidra as a therapy for soldiers with PTSD.

Now this isn’t your typical Yoga class. You see it is for everyone! Literally! All one has to do is to get comfortable, close your eyes, and listen to the words being spoken. Simple as that. Honestly. Scripts are written by educated people whom are trained in Yoga Nidra. They take anywhere from 20-60 minutes, and can go longer. So if you are time sensitive, make sure that you check the length before you start.

There are a few things that I recommend when practicing for the optimal experience. First, find a good place to lay down and get comfortable. I do this in bed if I’m struggling to sleep and before bedtime. But, if you decide to practice during the day, laying on a blanket/yoga mat, on the floor, in the grass, or wherever you feel comfortable (anywhere but the bed), or anywhere where you will be able to stay aware and listen to the words being spoken. Second, You may want to lay in Savasana pose – on your back, place a pillow or rolled blanket under your knees, feet slightly wider that your hips, and arms out from your sides, and palms up. You might want to add an eye pillow, if you have one. And third, if I am doing this during the day, I also do a few asanas prior to as well. Nothing too strenuous; A few cat, cows, maybe a downward dog, ankle rolls and wrist rolls. However, Yoga Nidra is great to practice after a long workout, a run, or any workout.

I usually put my headphones in to listen or use my bluetooth speaker. The practice is then guided for you once you hit start.

I do Yoga Nidra at home a regular basis. Especially now that we are all quarantined. But in the studio setting, for me, it is more stimulating and I’m not sure why. Maybe it is the collaborative energy presence of other people in the room. Both places are beneficial, but definitely different.

You can find many practices on line, if you want to start tonight. I will be sharing one tomorrow. I just thought that today would be a good day to take the time to talk about Yoga Nidra.

I hope you are all staying well.

Love & Peace, Dawn