Growing can be messy.

We all experience difficult situations and emotions. But these difficult experiences can be used for personal growth, learning, and evolution. Just like s#*t is used to grow robust, bright, and beautiful roses, human beings can use their metaphorical s#*t in order to grow as well.

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Plan for Awesome: Permission to celebrate, enjoy and love life.

My birthday is the one day of the year when I give my self full permission to do exactly what I want to do.

Every birthday is different, but the choice is the same. The choice is to celebrate life. Every year I plan on being in one of my most favorite places in the world, the Northwoods. As I drive up North, gratitude begins to wash over me. Gratitude for family and friends who love me, and gratitude for my life, and everything I have been through -- including the good, the bad and the ugly. I have been given so much good, and so many opportunities to learn and grow as a human being. 

Waking up in the Northwoods I enjoy the feeling of being warm in bed, slowly sipping coffee, taking in the beauty of the surrounding green trees, the sound of the lake water lapping against the rocky shore, and the wide-open blue sky. And Alfie! Alfie the Wonder Dog, who I love, is always with me.

I make my way to the pier to do yoga. If I’m lucky I am visited by a loon or two, a bald eagle, dragonflies, and even curious fishing folks on the lake. I come into the present moment fully and being present is a gift. The meaning of yoga is conscious union with what is minus the distraction of thoughts, opinions, and conditioning. Tall order? Being immersed in nature is an easy way to plug into the present moment and experience clarity and depth. Experiencing your inherent Awesomeness is a choice.

Plan something everyday to honor YOU! What makes you feel at peace, rejuvenated, and honored? Having the feeling of Awesome is very similar to being in savasana or deep relaxation. It helps to follow guidance, or steps to soften tension, and let go of what you don’t need. Releasing what you don’t need can feel a bit like the layers of an onion softening and falling away. When what you release what you don’t need you can experience what’s left! You are Awesome. Make the time to experience your Inherent Awesomeness every single day.

As I celebrate my birthday, I would like to break with tradition. As I make a wish and in anticipation of sending that wish out in the Universe, I would like to invite you to make a wish for your life. On this beautiful day, and everyday, I wish you peace, love, and joy.

Xo + Love,

Alie

Love, Fear, and Becoming Your Own Best Friend

What is better than feeling loved? Love brings you into full connection with the beauty of life.

I have great news! There is no need to wait -- you can have the experience of love right now!

What does love feel like to you on the inside? For me, feeling love comes with relaxation and an easy affinity for what is right now. When I feel love, there is an indescribable sense of warmth and wellbeing. You may feel love for a person, place, or thing, or you may summon the experience of love spontaneously within your Self. To love is to be intimately in tune with the inherent goodness of life, and it is encouraged by curiosity and an openness to receive.

On the other end of the spectrum is the feeling of fear. As we move through the challenges of life, it is easy to slip into a fearful place. My greatest fear is losing the ones I love, and this past year, I came face-to-face with the possibility of losing my closest loved ones. Such experiences inevitably, even biologically, cause a fear response, but once the immediacy of the fear bomb settles, how do you move forward? What do you do when fear reappears unexpectedly? I’d suggest: Be curious! See the possibility that this fear could be compost to fertilize new growth in your life.

Learning what you need to know from an unpleasant feeling or experience is not easy. In these situations, self-inquiry can be a transformative part of your life. You might notice that when your communication with your Self becomes more clear, your relationships with others become easier, more harmonious, and calmer.

Here are two practices to strengthen your relationship with You.

1. The Best Friend Visualization: Think of your fear like it's your best friend freaking out! When you listen to your friend, when you watch your friend's body language, when you give your friend the gift of your attention, your very presence is loving, kind, and compassionate. Your presence is a super-powered healing agent. Treat yourself, your feelings, and your fear like your best friend. Your attention and your curiosity are your two greatest allies in evolving your relationship with YOU.

2. Q & A Journaling: Another awesome Self-inquiry practice that I LOVE doing is Question & Answer. In your Yoga book, journal, or on a piece of paper, begin your Q & A. Ask, "What do I need to know about my fear of _______?" Pause mentally, and sense what the answer is. Write down what is coming to you even if you think you are making up the answer. Go one step further, and write the question with your dominant hand, and write the answer with your non-dominant hand. Practice not arguing with yourself, and instead follow your stream of consciousness. Allow each answer to then inform your next question. Your objective is to gain clarity about what your fear is communicating to you—what you need to know to feel clear, at peace, or at least more calm and stable.

Self-inquiry, is Self-empowerment. Befriending your Self is an expression of self-love, loving-kindness, and compassion. It feels really good to tune in to your needs as they arise. Be inspired by your life, feel loved, and be grounded, as you become clearer and in communication with YOU! The relationship with your Self is the best friendship you have been searching for your whole life.

You Time

It is SUPER easy to become overwhelmed, overworked, overexcited, and over-just-about-everything.  What is the answer to being overwhelmed by life?  Be bold and take time for your self. 

Ever wonder how to take time for YOU?  We all laughed when we heard the words of Dr. Leo Marvin in the movie What About Bob?, “Take a vacation from your problems.”  But what if you could actually take a mental break?

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10 Natural Cold Busters

At the onset of the cold season sense what your immunity is like.  Are you feeling tired?  Are you feeling stressed?  Are you having fun?  Are you surrounding yourself with people who support you?  There are many ways to build your immunity.  Here are some tips that you will for sure help you to build your immunity and sense of feeling-goodness within your body and your life!

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