Before rising to new levels of consciousness, you must first drop the low vibrational energies holding you down. Judgement, shame, fear, guilt, gossip, hatred, jealousy, conformity, dogma, division, blame, blind obedience and self denial exist within deep wounds. To know which of these are plaguing you, get honest with yourself. What ruffles your feathers? What do you do when you are triggered? What emotions do you project onto other people? This is how you begin to heal the pain. Tell yourself the truth about yourself with no judgement toward yourself. Explore the hard questions in silence and stillness until the answers appear.

Healing your wounds requires the ability to let go of belief systems you cling to for dear life. It begs you to open the mind to possibility. It asks you to admit you don’t have it quite as figured out as you’d like others to believe you do. It insists you trade in self-righteousness for holy curiosity. The ego must die in order to attain enlightenment.

This is an inside job and commands your undivided attention. Nobody can do the work for you. You must go alone into the depths and darkness of your private world where truth resides. Underneath each wound, you will discover a treasure chest of ancient wisdom. The deeper you dig, the more you will find.

Each scar contains powerful messages from ancestors to help you get where you are going. You will need to feel the pain in its entirety before you can heal and move forward. The deeper the cut, the higher the calling. You are retrieving compelling information you have forgotten. You are remembering who you were before they told you what to be, before you lost your innocence. The remembering will lead you home to yourself. You have strayed far away from the soul of who you are, but you are slowly finding your way back.

Let go of anything hindering you from aligning with your highest self. While some relationships will unconditionally support your metamorphosis, you may have to walk away from those stunting your growth. This severance is in no way personal and does not have to be dramatic. Often times, the other person will naturally pull away from you when your frequency shifts. In other cases, you may need to cut ties. You may even renounce destructive habits, behavioral patterns, a job, a place or a commitment you’ve made. You are answering a call from another world and will need to leave behind what no longer serves your purpose. Each step of your journey must be made with intention and bravery.

Once you have healed your pain in the underworld, you will emerge from the depths of destruction as a protector of light with infinite love, a warrior mind and nothing left to prove. You have reclaimed your power and restored connection with your heart. You are free to be who you came here to be without apology and walk this earth with a conviction you’ve never known. Awakening to the truth of who you are is undoubtedly the most bone chilling and grief stricken task you will undertake in this lifetime, but you will be rewarded with spiritual gifts beyond your wildest dreams and breathe easy knowing everything is happening exactly as fate would have it.

do you remember who you were before they told you what to be? this is the key to freedom in this lifetime. when you stop placing significance on other people’s opinions of you, you begin to contemplate what is really important to you. this shift in consciousness grants you courage to walk your journey with conviction, without the fear of disappointing another or looking foolish to the outside world.

safeguarding your reputation is destructive because it allows judgement from others to influence your choices and keeps you locked in a self-imposed prison designed by those you want to impress. you can only rise above 3D reality and honor your soul’s extraordinary gifts when you release the weight of expectations placed on you by society.

awakening to your real, unfiltered self is your purpose here on earth. nobody can tell you who you are or what to believe. you must discover your sovereignty independently, through self exploration and extensive research. study yourself like a book, memorizing every word on every page until you recognize your own face in the mirror. the answer to your every question resides within you. YOU are the guru, the teacher, the parent, the preacher, the lover, the partner you’ve been hoping would come save you. you are the person you’ve been searching for, you just forgot. but i’m here to remind you of your majesty and the raw brilliance hidden inside of you. rise to the occasion and show us what you got. the world is waiting to embrace you with open arms.

the only place she’d ever call home.

If you want to elevate your frequency and align with your highest self, you must first destroy everything standing between you and your divinity. Honoring your soul’s unparalleled purpose requires you to walk your path with fierce devotion and a level of honesty you’ve never known before.

1. Be willing to annihilate your reputation. Societal pressures strip you of your supernatural powers and assign you a fictitious role to play during your time on earth. Those who deviate from the script are labeled defiant and incompetent. Your character was designed for show, to program you into believing your value is based on someone else’s opinion of your performance. Disappointing others will undoubtedly ensue the moment you remove the costume you’ve been told to wear and bask in the nakedness of your true essence. Take off the mask and reclaim your natural-born gifts.
2. Listen to your intuition. When you drown out the nonsense and noise from external sources, you tap into a reservoir of ancient wisdom residing deep within you. This otherworldly intelligence contains answers to your questions and provides you with significant information unique to your journey. Relinquish outdated belief systems and learn to trust yourself unconditionally. Your inexhaustible instinct will guide you home should you ever you lose your way.
3. Protect your solitude. Regardless of the nourishment you receive from soul connection with others, a healthy relationship with yourself is key to transcending worldly prestige and dogmatic influence. You are a bona fide warrior equipped with tools to blaze your own trail. Pour every ounce of energy into your destiny and safeguard your autonomy as if your life depends on it, because it does.
4. Heal your wounds. If you want to experience ascension of consciousness, free yourself from past trauma and cultural conditioning. Your pain shows up in life to deliver profound messages sent from beyond. Sit with your discomfort and listen to the secrets it contains. Until you understand the anguish and sorrow you’ve been avoiding, you will remain disconnected from Source and unintentionally project your fear onto others. Heal yourself from deep-seated injury so you can lead with love and prevail in a state of serenity.
5. Release what no longer serves you. Anything and everything keeping you small must be abandoned. Shame, self-doubt, fear, guilt, dogma, ego, delusion, expectations, conformity, obedience, toxic relationships, self-destructive behavioral patterns and worn-out habits are an illusion created to keep you in a self-imposed prison. Shed the skin of your former identity and die to misleading ideologies. What may feel like a loss is actually an eradication of debris standing in your way. The purge of unnecessary baggage always precedes spiritual transformation. Burn it to the ground and rise up from the ashes.
6. Replace good deeds with authentic action. Stop trying to impress your family, friends, community, lovers, partners, teachers, preachers and gurus by living up to their expectations of you. You are not here to earn praise and popularity from the material world. You came here to learn and grow and become the purest form of Self. The people meant to be in your life will embolden you to step into your power and live life on your own terms.
7. Love yourself. Sublime self-love has been deemed vain by those who have not yet realized their exquisite brilliance. You will skyrocket to supreme levels of awareness when you begin to celebrate your genius without apology every moment of every day. Remember who you were before they told you what to be and love yourself as if it’s your one and only mission in this lifetime. Your brazen enchantment with Spirit will create a ripple effect, naturally inspiring others to recognize their own worth.
8. Never let them tame you. You are a phenomenon, flawlessly created by the hands of God. Your independence and unstoppable nature will frighten those who worship compliance and oppression. You are feral and free, a mystery in motion designed to attain everlasting freedom through full expression of your soul.
9. Question everything. Dissect every rule, theory and tradition presented to you before reckoning it as truth. You are the master of your own mind. Think for yourself and be prepared to dismantle every conviction stirring a war inside of you. When you cultivate peace, you gain clarity and insight available to those who see beyond the tangible world. Your strength and courage are determined by your ability to scrutinize every instruction handed to you by secular law. Become the sovereign of your own empire.

ride your wild horse

deep into the forest

where love knows no bounds and

money has no value.

unpack your bag of

burdens.

take off the atrocious armor 

you’ve been wearing far too long

and lay down your sharp sword.

YOU ARE DIVINELY PROTECTED.

•

give up judgement

and get drunk on the

tenderness of your

own heart.

befriend the darkness.

dance naked under a black sky.

make love to the Great Mystery, remembering

who you were

before you exhausted your reservoir 

trying to be something else.

ignite your inner fire

and

burn down the walls

standing between you and your divinity.

your light will

show you the path to your most authentic self.

•

you are safe here.

rest your heavy head on the earth 

as the river sings a poignant lullaby 

meant only for your ears.

listen to the trees

whisper words of ancient wisdom 

as you drift off to dream.

•

you are free now.

free to take up space

with your presence.

free to release your overgrown secrets.

free to exist in your truth.

free to stand in your

power

without apology.

free to emerge with a knowingness 

only you can comprehend.

fall down.
get back up.
fall down.
get back up.
fall down.
attempt to stand.
collapse to the ground.
scrape your knee.
cry because it hurts.
nurse your wounds.
stand up.
trip over a box you don’t fit in.
refuse to conform.
take a risk.
break a few rules because most of them are redundant at best.
slay some dragons.
play with fire.
stumble on your own two feet.
scream into the abyss.
breathe.
eat some chocolate.
laugh.
cry because you’re exhausted.
rest your sweet bones.
clean up the mess you’ve made.
stand.
muster enough strength to take a single step forward.
meet a stranger.
fall in love.
get your heart broken.
pretend you are not in pain.
run fast and far.
crash into a wall.
fall so hard you don’t want to get up.
consider giving up.
stare into the night sky and ask for guidance.
befriend your solitude.
fall in love with yourself while hopelessly crawling on hands and knees through the darkness.
question everything you’ve been told.
trust your instincts.
break the chains wrapped around your ankles.
set yourself free.
turn on your light.
stand in your power.
offer love to anyone who needs it.
celebrate your growth.
forgive yourself.
dance in the flame.
burn with passion.
let love elevate you to new levels of understanding.
fly.
touch the sky.
tumble to the ground.
kiss the earth.
stand tall with your heart wide open.
love as if it’s the only reason you are here on earth.

Yoga has been the one constant in my life for the past 18 years. What may look like twisty, squirmy, squishy, slinky, writhing, wiggly tricks on my mat, is actually a sacred practice that has saved me a million times over and continues to heal lifetimes of deep seated wounds. It is my medicine, prayer in motion, and the most requested remedy by my body+heart+soul+mind.

It provides slow+deep breaths to calm my mind. It removes the armor around my heart so I can love passionately. It invites me to exist in my truth. It cuts through illusion. It strengthens my intuition. It grants me confidence to dance to my own rhythm. It enlivens divine feminine energy. It celebrates the most enchanting parts of myself I’ve hidden out of fear or shame. It heightens my senses. It gives me access to ancient wisdom buried in the depths of my soul. It guides me on an endless journey through my inner universe. It broadens my perspective. It nourishes my cells with oxygen. It honors my emotions. It gifts me the ability to fall deeper and deeper in love with my essence every day. It equips me with tools to navigate this unpredictable journey. It grants me patience. It leads me to multiple dimensions within myself. It encourages me to let go of what no longer serves me. It inspires me to learn+grow+evolve. It emboldens me to explore the unknown. It awakens my primal instincts. It begs me to ask the hard questions. It asks me to look at the answers, even when the answers are less than favorable. It deepens my relationships with all living creatures. It protects my wild. It indulges my never-ending curiosity. It holds my hand through my spiritual walkabout of highs+lows+everything in between. It connects me with source. It urges me to stay open to possibilities beyond my wildest imagination, and by goddess do I have a wild imagination.

The ancient healing art of yoga is a mystical+magical expedition through galaxies far and wide. I’m grateful she asked me to dance all those years ago. And even more grateful I said yes.

It’s ok to be different. It’s ok to not fit in. It’s ok to feel you belong to a world you’ve not yet discovered. It’s ok to yearn for something you’ve not yet experienced. It’s ok to need something other than what is being offered to you. It’s ok to cry, even when you don’t understand the reason for your tears. It’s ok to feel emotions that cannot be put into words. It’s ok to say no. It’s ok to do what nobody else is doing. It’s ok to love yourself unconditionally, just as you are right now. It’s ok to reinvent yourself without warning. It’s ok if you are too much for some people (those aren’t your people). It’s ok if you are not enough for some people (those aren’t your people either). It’s ok to honor your needs. It’s ok to fully express yourself with all the creative energy you can muster. It’s ok to throw away your to-do list on a Tuesday afternoon, turn up the music and dance with wild abandon until you feel joy bursting at the seams of your soul.
•
It’s ok to fall in love with the parts of yourself others consider weird. It’s ok to break down. It’s ok if the passion dripping from your fingertips shows up on everything you touch. It’s ok to respect yourself enough to hold out for what you want. It’s ok to be complicated and misunderstood. It’s ok to walk away. It’s ok to live life on your own terms without apology. It’s ok to exist in your truth even when it makes sense to nobody but you. It’s ok to follow your own way without explanation. It’s ok to take off the mask and show your naked beauty to the world. It’s ok to put down your shield and let someone in. It’s ok to love deeply. It’s ok to stop pretending you’ve got it all figured out. It’s ok to say “I love you” each and every time you truly mean it. It’s ok to require intimacy and honesty in your relationships. It’s ok to lay down in the green grass and rest your bones when there’s still work to do. It’s ok to disappoint another to be true to yourself. It’s ok to make your own rules and break them when you want. It’s ok to question everything you’ve ever been told.

i’ve been traveling through northern california and pacific northwest over the past four weeks and haven’t spent much time alone. solitude has always been the place i feel a true sense of tranquility, so i decided to retreat in silence for a few days last week. slowing down and taking time to exist with no agenda/phone/computer/car helps me to deepen awareness, restore my energy and reconnect with what truly matters.

if you’ve ever wondered what five days of peace and quiet look like, here’s a brief narrative of my experience:

1. meditate.

2. meditate some more.

3. let the sunshine kiss my skin like a long, lost lover.

4. practice yoga until i lose track of time and my body gently whispers, “enough handstands for today, it’s time to rest.” i don’t want to rest but i listen to my body and honor her wisdom.

5. rest.

6. nap in the hammock.

7. feel the breeze on my face.

8. take long walks where deer reside.

9. listen to my heart and allow her to expand as the great quiet slowly peels away layers of protection.

10. promise spirit i will let her guide me on this journey from this moment on (especially when i think i know best).

11. make the most delicious soup of all time.

12. eat the most delicious soup of all time.

13. soak in the hot tub.

14. thank the universe for unanswered prayers.

15. trust the timing and perfection of each moment.

16. write in my journal.

17. process the ten thousand feelings arising in the stillness.

18. let go. of everything. until i’m holding onto nothing. not even a thought.

19. attune to my natural rhythm.

20. breathe. just breathe.

you are free the moment you have nothing left to prove.

i’ve been thinking about these words quite a bit over the past few months, after writing them in my journal. they creep up on me while i am out for a walk and when i am driving down the road or lying under the stars.

i’ve never really considered myself a goal-oriented person. i’ve always imagined living a simple life in nature, surrounded by trees while i grow my own food and dance barefoot in the soft green grass. i never dreamed of anything other than the freedom to be me in every moment. these days, i crave creative self-expression, honest conversations, homemade meals, heartfelt connections, long yoga practices, the great outdoors, fresh air to breathe and a warm bed to lay my head. the “proving one’s worth” game must be played by another. i have chocolate to eat, love to make and new depths to explore.

never give up those precious parts of yourself that are “too much” for someone else to handle. it’s not your responsibility to tame your wild so others feel comfortable in your presence. your kind of weird is your most bewitching attribute. remain uninhibited and protect your whimsical, unconventional, offbeat ways because you are a rarity in this world.

“Do not believe anything because it is said by an authority, or if it is said to come from angels, or from gods, or from an inspired source. Believe it only if you have explored it in your own heart and mind and body and found it to be true. Work out your own path, through diligence.” ~ Gautama Buddha