“Re-Grounding Yourself: 4 Tips for Daily Emotional Wellness

One month into life back in the real world, because its been one month since I have finished walking the Camino de Santiago. A journey many people embark on to think, to transition, to escape, and especially to reground.

Regrounding something I achieved… I walked outdoors for sometimes 8 hours a day, breathed fresh air and was very much unplugged from technology. I’m not sure how one could not feel regrounded when combining these three components.

Here’s the thing.

Grounding yourself is a constant journey, something that must happen on a daily basis. When might you find yourself needing a bit of grounding??

1. Before starting ones day
2. In the midst of reacting to circumstances
3. Post-reacting to circumstances
4. Ending your day

… (Just to name a few)

But practically.

What are some practices you can adopt to reground yourself?

First. Take Your Shoes Off. Walk barefoot in the dirt, on the concrete, in the grass, on the sand. Reconnect with the earth. Use this to remember where your feet are, not in the past or in the future, but underneath you. Standing on something immensely powerful and energetic.

Second. Focus on Your Breathe 

Funny thing. Breathing is completely innate, something we very rarely think about. But when you’re in desperate need to reground yourself, notice the tightness in your chest and the effect that has on your breathe. You might even be holding your breathe. Your body needs air!! Slooooowwww your breathing down, deepen it, become more intentional with providing your body with one of its most necessary functions. And allow your brain to utilize the oxygen.

Third. Listen to your Inner Dialogue

Are you supporting yourself like you would support a loved one? Because if you aren’t, you should. Lift yourself up like you would expect your bff, significant other etc. to lift you up in difficult circumstances. You are your biggest fan, and if you aren’t. Fake it until you make it. What you tell yourself internally (we all look in the mirror and have those days), you will believe eventually. SO, affirm yourself! Switch out the inner dialogue that is doing you no good and tell yourself the truth which is:

“You are a rockstar”

“You are beautiful”

“You are a joyous human being”

Fourth. Choose an Essential Oil to Give you the Extra Boost You Need

They actually HAVE a blend called Grounding… and it was designed to do exactly as it says. You also can choose: Joy, White Angelica, Inner Child, Awaken, Dream Catcher, Sacred Mountain, Forgiveness, Stress Away etc. etc. etc.… What do you need in your day? What can you add to the cells of your body in order to help you achieve clarity, focus, empowerment… etc. Sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself is recognize what you’re lacking in order to fulfill that need.

How to use them.

1. Put a drop in your hands, close your eyes, breathe it in. (Killing two birds with one stone here.. breathing & using an EO)
2. Put a drop on the crown of your head, on your heart or on the bottoms of your feet.
3. Just use your intuition. There’s no wrong way to do this as long as you’re using Young Living.
   

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Endnote: If you don’t know about the significance of Essential Oils…. Maybe you’ve never tried them before or maybe you don’t use Young Living check out https://lifewellliving.com/essential-oils. I’m a part of an amazing, adventurous, inspired group of people who educate the world on the health benefits of Essential Oils and I have this knowledge because of the gift that they are. Many Blessings!

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Walking 400k… The oils I have and wish I had

I am 17 days into walking the Camino de Santiago and here is a summary of how the oils have been helping me so far…. and how some extras could have been helping me even more. Body and Mind.

LEMONGRASS

If there was only one single oil that I could bring with me, this one would definitely be in the cards. I brought a single 5ml bottle trying to keep my bag as light as possible and if I could go back I would have ACTUALLY brought 3 15ml bottles because this oil has been priceless. Think 13-20 miles a day and what that’ll do to your ankles, arches, knees, calves etc.. Lemongrass has been the oil for that.

COPAIBA

Honestly, I think this oil is very underrated. If it was in your kit and is unopened, go open it and try it!! This has been a huge value for me, thanks to a friend who told me to add it to my stash along with empty capsules I have plenty of this oil with me. I take a capsule of this every day for the longevity of my legs.

BUT if I could change one thing I would have also added Frankincense and Idaho Balsam Fir because these three oils combined in a capsule is at times what I’ve needed during some of the extra hard days.

DREAM CATCHER

This oil I shoved in my pocket last minute when my sister was dropping me off the day I left for Europe. I’ve never really used it much but Sky is known in our family as the oil guru because she always intuitively knows which oils you need when. So when she said “here take this with you” there was no refusing.

Here’s the thing about the Camino, the hardest part I don’t think is the physicality. Yes, it’s a huge part. Yes, you must take care of your body and listen to it’s challenges (and I’ve had more than I anticipated). But the journey is just as much about your mindset. A very large conversation starter on the way is “What brings you to the Camino?” Often I’m not sure how to answer. I know why I bought my plane ticket, why I got onto the plane, why I started walking the first day. But each day I get up and walk… My why is constantly changing and evolving. On the hard days I’m not sure why I’m doing it… and that’s when Dream Catcher comes into play. You can’t lose sight of your dreams when things get difficult. In fact these are the times that are the best for truly diving into making your dreams reality.

EXTRA OILS I USE ALMOST DAILY:

• Lavender (skin)
• Geranium (deodorant)
• Purification (hostel beds)
• Peppermint (back of the neck, muscles)

 

*Endnote: Do not use an essential oil as I listed above if it is not 100% pure therapeutic grade. There are many companies on the market that are labeled this yet do not uphold the same quality of Young Living’s oils. Visit seedtoseal.com for more information on quality!

The Pilgrim’s Heart (aka mine)

The Pilgrimage is so much about the Journey but we often forget about the Process that leads up to it. I have chosen to walk the Camino de Santiago. And today I realize I became a pilgrim the day I started to prepare for it in my heart (aka the day I committed and bought a flight). I have come to Lourdes, France, the last stop before I embark on my walk and my soul has been filled in ways I somehow expected yet couldn’t and still cannot fathom. The Love of God becoming nearer and the love for myself becoming clearer. I sit in front of Our Mother Mary and ask her to teach me the purity and simplicity of her heart, to bring me to her Son. And the answers you receive when you sit vulnerable and broken are more like movements in your life… so much more than words which are easily lost. My soul is being filled not because of where I want to go, what I want to do, but because I sit where I am in the present and ask God to touch the deepest desires of my heart. A depth that is often too deep, in that it becomes cluttered by the world. But nonetheless, the light perseveres throughout. So my idea of what a pilgrim is has changed. It is not about the path. It is about where your feet are leading you. And if they are worthy of being followed.

El Camino de Santiago: How my Bag Looks Different because of Young Living.

Backstory: I booked a flight to Paris with a good friend on August 31st, 2017 to hike the Camino de Santiago. No specific reason other than a spiritual push and a serious need for an enlightening adventure. 7 months later, as I look at the calendar, I’m set to leave in 5 days. I researched everything I could to make sure I know what I’m getting myself into (at least as much as research can help me in that way). So with that, I took note of equipment, location, weather, packing tips… the list goes on. But here’s the thing. There really was not much on the internet to help me decide what kind of essential oils are crucial for an excursion like this one. And for someone who uses half a dozen oils a day (about) I had to be very strategic about what would go into my bag. Especially when every ounce matters.

The biggest key when making these choices came down to: does this item have more than one use?  

So here is what I have decided will be most beneficial to my journey and why, while also keeping in mind that I really only want to have about 15lbs of stuff on my back!

My Toiletry Bag:

• Copaiba & Gel Capsules: (15ml, Enough for 2 months), I plan to take this every morning to help support my body for the occasional soreness.
• Rose Ointment: For the feet, lips, other affected skin areas Etc.
• Young Living Mineral Sun Screen Lotion
• Thieves Aromabright Toothpaste: For toothpaste…. AND Deodorant (this is honestly an amazing alternative)
• Boswellia Wrinkle Cream: Heavy duty face moisturizer & lotion when needed
• Shampoo: 1 Lush bar (because it’ll last a lot longer than toting around a tube of shampoo). No Conditioner.

My Oil Bag:

• Peppermint: Muscle & Digestive System support, cooling on hot days
• Geranium: Also will use this as Deodorant on days I don’t use the toothpaste (Apply a few drops directly under arms)
• Lavender: Skin & Sleep support
• Thieves: Immune Support (Bottoms of my feet every night)
• Purification: To keep the hostel beds “Fresh” (Just a few drops directly on mattress each night)
• Lemongrass: Muscle support. (Apply all over feet, knees, ankles)
• Sacred Mountain: My one guilty pleasure. This oil is my favorite and really grounds me when I’m in need of some extra support.
• Sample bottle of Digize: Just in case I become desperate for some digestive support
• Sample bottle of Frankincense: Also just in case I become desperate for some skin support (other than what lavender can provide) or extra emotional grounding.

My First Aid Kit:

• Helichrysum: Good for any “uh ohs” while on the trail..
• Moleskin
• Bandaids 
• Athletic Tape

Supplements: 

• Enzymes: Essentialzyme & Essentialzyme-4 for Digestive and overall support. I take these along with many other supplements daily. So I settled with just bringing a few of these to keep my body normalized as much as possible.
• Inner Defense: Immune Support (Just about a handful just in case there comes a time where I need more support than Thieves can provide)

 

End Note: If you don’t know about the significance of Essential Oils… maybe you’ve never tried them before or maybe you don’t use Young Living check out my website and/or last blog post. I’m a part of an amazing, adventurous, inspired group of people who educate the world on the health benefits of Essential Oils and I have this knowledge because of the gift that they are. Many Blessings!

Some People are Calling Me a Hippie. But its Just Honest Self-Care. 3 Steps To Be Exact.

Almost 4 years ago I started really using essential oils. On my own, out of my own desire to use them. Growing up they were always a part of my life. My Mom is very holistic minded so we (her kids) mindlessly used them for many things. And I actually didn’t care about any of that, what difference was it to me? I really just wanted to use what worked. So I did, very unbiasedly. Fast forward to when I was 17 years young and I moved across the country to Ohio to go to school. (I say young because I. was. so. young.) This was a major. I mean. Major life transition. It took me just about the entire year to adjust, because I went through this crisis. I’ve always been pretty independent but I greatly took my loved ones for granted. And I realized this when I moved away and was suddenly faced to explore the world with other 17 & 18 year olds which I had just met. I suddenly realized that my life journey was something I had to do completely alone. I mean, obviously there will always be people around me but no one can do life for you. You know? It seems like a simple concept, but it was a concept that gave me something we call “insomnia” for a few months. This is a small part of my own journey that sparked the realization in me that self-care is pretty majorly important. So long story short, I struggled a lot and learned a lot and came to understand a few very key concepts in life.

FIRST, I had to rediscover my relationship with God.

I mean, the entire reason why I ended up in Ohio in the first place was my desire for that relationship and call to His plan. But I realized very quickly how much was lacking in my trust of him. I had to face the loneliness of the world in order to truly understand the magnitude of our individual relationship with God and its significance through suffering.

SECOND, I had to SIMPLIFY MY LIFE.

The best way to do this is to purge out your life materialistically. I cleaned out the messiness of my life. The clutter that eventually you stop seeing. And the stuff that definitely was not aiding my health. The stuff I have always thought I needed. For example, this all went into my trash can.

Body spray, toxic makeup, store bought toothpaste, antiperspirant deodorant, teeth whiteners, glass cleaner, wood polish, air fresheners, fabric softener, dryer sheets… the list goes on.

The best part is that I threw all of this stuff away. But believe it or not I don’t compromise the fresh smell of my laundry, or my hygiene for that matter. I found a simpler, healthier, and honestly cheaper way to do it all.

THIRD, Essential Oils can Help you in literally every facet of your life.

This is obviously where the “Hippie” is coming from. I started to use essential oils for small things at first. Thieves on the bottoms of my feet to support the immune system, stress-away while studying for an exam, Lavender to help me sleep. Tea Tree when lice broke out in the dorms. But the deeper you dive into Essential Oils, the more there is to learn.

Like this. The reason I use Young Living is because there are next to zero federal regulations on what goes into making an “essential oil”. This is why you can find $10 Frankincense at Lassens or even TJ Maxx as opposed to what it should be worth. Because good Frankincense is really hard to get to and has to be grown from the dirt. In fact, when an essential oil is labeled “100% pure” that wording is being used as a marketing gimmick. So with that information. My family has found a company with integrity and absolute infallible passion about the therapeutic benefits of distilling a plant and creating it into a PURE essential oil.

So I learned this fact, and here goes my even further passion for Healthy Living. I’ve decided, just as integrity is so important to me in the people I surround myself with. I choose also to surround myself with things and products that stand with integrity. Young Living, I have found to have an immense amount of integrity and I will stand very strong to that.

These steps are a constant journey. My relationship with God, finding ways to simplify my life even more, and educating myself on health. They’re something I unintentionally started at 17 and have in very big ways grown into what they are today. That is why we have built our community and put so much love into it. To help everyone learn the magic of these three steps. And most importantly to be inspired to dive deeper.

     

An Honest Goal

Its 2018 and I think its the first time I have ever honestly set a goal for myself.

In this statement honestly is the key word.

Here’s a look back…

A “small” goal I made on December 31st 2013 while frantically trying to come up with a new years resolution was to learn how to play the guitar. I know I never actually picked up the guitar a single time in 2014.

And to the biggest goal I’ve ever made… go to college and graduate.

This is something a really big part of the world revolves around. From doing well at everything while growing up with college being the incentive to actually going to college and spending years and years focusing on finishing.

This was me. And I finished.

I went to college to go to college and the day I graduated was a terrifying day, following so many afterwards.

So what was my mistake? I didn’t dream big enough.

I made college my goal. Something that is so obviously and intentionally created to be a means to an end, “go to college so that you can have _____” “go to college for a better _____”.

Education should always have been a means to an end but at some point, somehow and somewhere I believed that it was my biggest life goal. 

So, here I am 8 months later and I’m coming to realize I have to figure out how to set a true goal, but not only that. I have to BELIEVE I can complete that goal no matter how big it might be. Because college is big, yes. But its doable. So many people accomplish this. BUT do I BELIEVE, in my heart, truly and genuinely that I can set a goal to be successful and joyful in my life and that its attainable?

I am beginning to. and so should you.

Here’s what I’m learning… It’s a process. We all experience revelations at some point. But what do we do with those revelations? We go back to them and we go over them and rethink them and twist them around. The challenge is, un-adulterating what you already know.

So here is what I am doing to work towards this goal of success and joy.

To feed my mind -> Less Netflix, more books  Specifically 2 books a month.

To feed my body -> I am focusing on how to share what I am learning about Essential Oils and how they are benefiting me and the people around me so much. I am also cleaning out my life of toxicity. My first (but honestly not so small) action was ditching toxic shampoo & conditioner. Career-wise, I have set the goal to rank Silver in Young Living by the end of this year. To become a leader in health and wellness and have the financial freedom to choose how to spend my days is a large goal but something I am finding more and more to be absolutely attainable. 

To feed my soul -> Give it to God. The good, the bad, all of it. I am and have nothing without this concept.

To feed my feet -> I am going to quite literally push my feet to do something extraordinary. I am going to hike the Camino de Santiago in April. A 500 mile pilgrimage across Spain.

So with that… What’s your goal? The big picture, not buts, no fears. What do you dream? And this year, what can you do to feed that crazy beautiful huge and entirely possible dream of yours.