Weekly Words: "Become a Source of Light for All"

"The most important thing in life is your inner energy. If you’re always tired and never enthused, then life is no fun. But if you’re always inspired and filled with energy, then every minute of every day is an exciting experience. Learn to work with these things. Through meditation, through awareness and willful efforts, you can learn to keep your centers open. You do this by just relaxing and releasing. You do this by not buying into the concept that there is anything worth closing over. Remember, if you love life, nothing is worth closing over...

...The more you stay open, the more the energy flow can build. At some point, so much energy comes into you that it starts flowing out of you. You feel it as waves pouring off of you. You can actually feel it flowing off your hands, out your heart, and through other energy centers. All these energy centers open, and a tremendous amount of energy starts flowing out of you. What is more, the energy affects other people. People can pick up on your energy, and you’re feeding them with this flow. If you are willing to open even more, it never stops. You become a source of light for all those around you."

- Michael A. Singer

Allergy Soothing Essential Oil Blend

If you're a seasonal allergy sufferer in the Northeast, there's a good chance that this spring has been a bit rough thus far. Both weather and medical specialists point fingers to seasonal weather patterns and climate change's impact on pollen, and forecast that this spring might be shorter than seasons past. Regardless, woes of stuffed noses, scratchy throats and throbbing headaches have been widespread amongst my family and friends, and my own sinuses have been suffering worse than they have in recent years.

In times like these, over-the-counter prescriptions tend to not be enough, and I have been doubling my typical water intake just to combat their drying side effect. I've started using my neti pot to soothe my nasal passages with a warm saline rinse, but was beyond thrilled this weekend when I remembered something my soon-to-be father-in-law taught me: peppermint oil is a fantastic nasal decongestant when inhaled externally. So when I found myself unable to inhale through my nose while on a hike in Upstate New York, I tried this little trick out and was able to clearly breathe in ten minutes flat.

I've brought my trick back home and built an essential oil blend to diffuse in our home. A combination of peppermint oil, and essential oils of lemon, lavender and marjoram (sweet oregano) can supplement your typical allergy remedies by soothing and encouraging clear airways.  Lavender essential oil is naturally antibacterial and anti-fungal, while the lemon essential oil is a great antioxidant and has rejuvenating properties. Marjoram essential oil has been historically used to treat sinus and respiratory ailments as it has expectorant qualities. Our diffuser now sits by my work station, and I've been breathing easier ever since.

Allergy Soothing Essential Oil Blend

4 drops peppermint essential oil

3 drops marjoram essential oil

2 drops lavender essential oil

2 drops lemon essential oil

For each blend, mix together in a dark glass bottle, keeping these proportions constant even if increased. When ready to use, fill your diffuser to the fill line with water, and add in 3-7 drops of the essential oil blend.

Happy weekend...

Happy Friday! It might be a day full of April showers, but this week was gorgeous otherwise. My sentiments on spring can be summed up by an elderly woman also waiting to cross at a corner, who proclaimed, to anyone with ears: "Here we are! And none of us ever thought we'd get to be out here again." You are so right, sister.

Wishing you a weekend of sunshine, noticeable newness, and Friluftsliv. Before we get to it, here are a few links that moved my week:

• Vibing the new Jamie xx jam "Loud Places" hard. In the gym, on the streets, in my head.
• Dabbling in watercolor painting, as I dream up some pretty things for our wedding and reduce a little stress by creating with my hands.
• Loving David Brook's Op-Ed "The Moral Bucket List," particularly the bit where he talks about how those who radiate inner light "do not find their vocations by asking, what do I want from life? They ask, what is life asking of me? How can I match my intrinsic talent with one of the world’s deep needs?" Beautiful.
• And finally, a quote from Parker Palmer's essay on the poem "Thanks, Robert Frost":

“The past isn’t fixed and frozen in place. Instead, its meaning changes as life unfolds. I once lost a job. At the time, it felt as if I had come to the end of the road. But after a while, I was able to see how that loss helped guide me toward my true life-work. Losing that job was a blessing, not a curse.

I’ve made many mistakes and often failed to live up to my aspirations, but I don’t need to look back with regret. Instead, I can see all of my mess-ups as humus or compost for the growing I needed to do.

I love the fact that the word “humus” is related to “humility.” The good I do today may well have its roots in something not-so-good I did in the past. Knowing that takes me beyond both the sinkhole of regret and the hot-air balloon of pride.

Regret shuts life down. Humility opens it up.”

— Parker Palmer

Spring Soaking

On Sunday, we signed the lease on a new home. It's a sunny, top-floor apartment with bay windows, in a quiet neighborhood with much more space than we have now. But the real deal-sealer for me? A freshly re-enameled clawfoot tub - the sort of thing of dreams, my friends. In anticipation of our move in May, and many many luxurious soaks ahead, I've compiled a list of bath items to bring along.

(Left to right, starting in the top row)

A luxurious natural sea wool sponge, to massage soaps into the skin.

A detoxifying soak, to revive the body and warm the soul.

A new book, "The Untethered Soul: A Journey Beyond Yourself" by Michael A. Singer, to explore inner peace and serenity.

A bathtub caddy to hold my book, a candle and on the most relaxing evenings, a glass of red wine.

A delicious spring soap, with hints of lemon and rosemary.

A sumptuous bath towel, like the one we've placed on our registry, to lock in the warmth.

A gorgeous candle, made in Virginia and for a great cause, to fill the air with earthy scents.

A wooden bath mat, for stepping back into the world after blissfully floating away.

A natural tub brush to scrub down and prepare for the next night of relaxation.

Weekly Words: "April"

"I wanted to speak at length about
the happiness of my body and the
delight of my mind for it was
April, night, a
full moon and –

but something in myself or maybe
from somewhere other said: not too
many words, please, in the
muddy shallows the

frogs are singing."

- Mary Oliver

Refreshing Green Smoothie

I like to start most of my days with a smoothie, and am always looking for new ways to switch up my go-to recipes. So when fevers hit our home a few weeks ago, and the only requested meals consisted of liquids, I figured it was a great way to come up with a new nutrient-dense drink that would not only deliver a punch to the flu but also wake the body upon any old Monday.

This smoothie is extremely refreshing, thanks to a few citrus squeezes, a cooling mint kick, and a touch of sweetness from apple. It balances the flavors nicely, and received rave reviews and repeat requests in my household. It also delivers some great adaptogenic boosts through the addition of raw garlic, whose antibacterial and antiviral properties are present, though the taste is perfectly hidden amidst banana and greens. It's then rounded off with raw protein power and bee pollen, which provide good energy and immunity support. I can't think of a better way to jump start the day. 

Refreshing Green Smoothie

1 small banana, sliced

1/2 lime, peeled

1/2 orange, peeled

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tsp lemon rind, finely grated

1 small bunch of kale, de-ribbed

2 sprigs of mint leaves

1/2 apple, sliced

1 clove of garlic, sliced (let sit for 5 minutes before adding in)

1 packet of raw protein powder (I prefer this kind)

1 tsp bee pollen

Combine first ten ingredients in blender, and top with water or preferred nut milk and 3-4 ice cubes. Blend until combined. Top with bee pollen and enjoy.

Happy weekend...

It has been a long and busy week here amidst the cold April showers! I'll be back next week with some delicious recipes for both breakfast AND your skin. In the meantime, wishing you a peaceful weekend, and sharing a few things that caught my eyes, ears and heart this week:

• Feeling an instant wash of good vibes come over me whenever I revisit the music of Ghanian musician E.T. Mensah, particularly on "Day by Day."
• Being moved by Toni Morrison as she reads from her new novel.
• Purchasing a re-fill of this gorgeous local facial oil that gives a little extra oomph to my face after a few weeks of harsh airplane air and cold spring breezes.
• And finally, gorgeous words on finding solace in nature through the poem "The Peace of Wild Things" by Wendell Berry:

"When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free."

- Wendell Berry

Sitting with Gratitude

When I was younger, I often found myself frustrated when things didn't go my way. I felt duped by what I couldn't actually control, and let down by how reality didn't seem to align with the high expectations that I set for myself. When I shared these feelings with my mother, she always reminded me to do the same thing: allow yourself to feel let down for a bit, but then work on moving on.

Sitting with emotions.

This activity always seemed like an interesting proposition. On one hand, it gives yourself permission to feel and allows yourself to explore the depths of angst or disappointment. On the other hand, it's a chance to practice letting go and learn how to shift your perspective towards newness and possibility. It allows us to actively manage how our thoughts affect our feelings, and therefore more consciously own those emotions. But something I hadn't considered until recently was sitting with the good feelings too.

We live in an age of not enough, where many people experience FOMO ("fear of missing out"), or are always in search of the bigger and better thing. So often, we spend time focusing on what's next that we forget to acknowledge what is now.

I found myself in a similar situation when I began to plan some activities to get involved and explore the communities in my still "new" city. I built a set of goals that would help propel me forward, expand my network, and help me continue to grow towards this awesome life that I've always imagined. The only issue? My free time was limited, and I was amidst some life changes. 

By probing deeper to understand what I really meant by "this awesome life that I've always imagined," I realized that to some extent, I was already living it. Sure, these goals were still something to actively explore, but it revealed that there was something else I needed to incorporate into my life: more gratitude.

Gratitude involves expressing appreciation for what you have. Exploring it can help boost your energy, encourage optimism, and even make you more successful in the long run.  Robert Emmons, a gratitude researcher at the University of California at Davis, also notes that simple exercises of gratitude add up over time, and incorporating it into daily habits can help encourage your overall sense of happiness and well-being. He notes that "once you get started, you find more and more things to be grateful for."

In the past, I've tried to practice gratitude on a daily basis. I've done gratitude journals, gratitude jars, and explored other methods of thanking myself, but then I closed the book or put the top back on the jar, never to explore those feelings again. So I brainstormed a bit, and came up with an idea on how to incorporate it into something I already do on a daily basis,

My challenge to myself? Three times a week, I will incorporate gratitude into my daily meditation. This is something that will allow me to continue making my twice-daily meditations a habit, and build a practice of gratitude towards the life that I am already living. My desired outcomes? Feeling more grounded, present, and proud of myself on a daily basis.

Interested in learning more? Here's how it works:

1.  The night before your meditation, spend some time thinking about what you are grateful for...right now. It could be something as simple as having a great phone call or eating a good meal. It could be as complex as finding a new place to live or accomplishing a big goal at work.
2. Write it down somewhere that will be easily accessible in the morning. For me this involves updating the subject line of a daily alarm I've set as a reminder to do my meditation. You could use a notebook or sticky note as well.
3. On the following day, or when you do your meditation, re-read your note of gratitude, and fully embody it while meditating. This could be by imagining the words in your mind's eye or chanting it as a mantra. It could be by using the feeling of gratitude to send warmth towards anything painful that you notice while scanning yourself in the moment.
4. Focus on how this feeling of gratitude resonates through your body.
5. Practice this type of gratitude a few times a week or whenever you need to reminder of what you're doing well in life. And take note of how this type of noticing and awareness feels, and if you find yourself being more present on a daily basis.