We’re all spellcasters, and this isn’t some witchy woo woo business. It’s human nature. What you think you create. What you speak allows creation to come into being. We are powerful manifestors. There are spiritual scriptures that talk about this, and I know some of you can share some Bible quotes below on how powerful our minds and thoughts and words are. It pains me that we as a society keep propagating ways to play small and to disempower ourselves, often unknowingly.

Are you a worry wort, are you negative or angered easily? Is there something else you’d rather not share or wish would go away? Do you do things just like your mom or dad? We all take on parts and characters in our lives, and these stories have been passed down in our families we grow up with. We even sometimes say, he or she is “such a character”. This expression helps us see we each take on a role, and it doesn’t have to be permanent.

Let’s unzip this backpack that is full of things that are keeping us safe. Let’s see how many stuffed coats or layers are here to protect, and what compass or map is here for us to survey and discover, to make sense of, and finally what thoughts we attach to that help us bring justice to, innerstand more deeply, or feel important about. And it’s all fun and beautiful to carry around a backpack full of these things, as we are all going through life trying on different things, stepping into character, repurposing, sharing, gifting and finding our way. Life and improv are not so different. We can choose at any moment that we can DO and BE something different.

Welcome to the Yin Water Rabbit Chinese New Year! The solar new year began on February 4th, and this year we will feel a gentle life promoting and creating energy from the main elements of water feeding wood ( the rabbit is the yin wood). This year is very yin, which is the feminine energies of allowing, receptivity, receiving, quiet, slow, restful, calm and nourishing.

Winter is a time to go within, to recharge and to prepare for the coming time of growth in the spring. It is a time of introspection and yin building, where the focus is on going within, being receptive, restful, going deep, listening, reflecting and gathering wisdom. This is a time to nourish one’s self first, and then we can nourish others.

In Chinese Medicine and in Holistic Nutrition we look at how emotions impact our bodies, how lifestyle choices affect us, how small habits can lead to greater health results, and how the energetics of food impacts how our body heals or becomes imbalanced. Keep reading to find your 7 tips for the holidays to stay weight-free and stress-free!