Self-Care and a Shout Out, 7.25.20

One good thing about the pandemic and time in quarantine is that I've developed some new, healthy habits. The one I'm sharing here, today, seems the most indulgent, but is so easy and SO worth the few extra minutes it takes each day. 

I think I've taken my feet for granted for most of my life. It wasn't until part of my right foot became numb that I started to pay attention to my feet, started buying better shoes, and began getting regular pedicures and foot massages. But, I couldn't get pedicures and foot massages every day, so the time in between, my poor feet received no extra attention. That is, until I saw this video, created by Sara Maune, massage therapist and Healthy Skin Advocate with Jordan Essentials. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=r0mZXgwLubA&feature=emb_logo

Seriously, a game changer! Now, almost every day, my feet get salt scrub in the shower and then a quick massage with the lotion and stick before I put on my shoes. It only takes a couple extra minutes and feels so good. But, not only do my feet feel better, I also recently realized that I was no longer getting foot and leg cramps, muscle twitches and the occasional restless leg syndrome. Out of curiosity, I started googling and landed on this article (originally from mindbodygreen.com) 

https://healthandlovepage.com/7-signs-youre-not-getting-enough-magnesium/

Yep, foot and leg cramps and restless leg syndrome can be caused by a lack of magnesium.  Now, notice the name of two of the products shown above: Magnesium lotion (with peppermint essential oil- smells SO good!) and Magnesum stick (also infused with essential oils!). I'm going to be honest, I was more interested in the essential oils than the magnesium when I bought these products. But, now, I am a firm believer in getting enough of this essential mineral on a regular basis.

So, if you're looking for an easy way to add in some self-care each day, reach out to Sara and I'm sure she would be glad to help you. I use many of the other Jordan Essentials products, other than the ones I mentioned here, and have been impressed with all of them. Have you used these products before? If so, let me know in the comments!

Until next time!

Be Still. 

Be Strong. 

Be Happy. And take care of yourself! ~ Juli

More Mindfulness at Home, 7.21.20

Another house post. I promise this is not turning into a decorating blog, because I am NOT a decorator and will never be. BUT, I am passionate about creating spaces that feel good to me and my family. When I'm in the process of re-thinking a space and bringing it all together- it's probably one of the most mindful states that I could ever be in. And that is not an exaggeration. It started when I was a little girl, getting lost in turning my side of the closet that I shared with my sister into my "own" room. Or using the boxes that my dad would bring home from his job at the grocery store, turning them into baby beds and appliances and setting up a little "home" for me and my dolls. 

What I think makes it even more fun is doing everything on a budget. I have never had the money to just go buy whatever I wanted or hire a decorator. Every house I have ever had was decorated on the cheap. At this point, I don't even consider going to the store to buy new furniture. (I think the last new piece of furniture I bought was in 2014!) 

Anyway, when we bought this house, we knew that whatever needed to be done was going to be paid for with the cash we had on hand. This posed a challenge, but we figured it out. We had a GREAT contractor who completed all of the major stuff, but we ran into a few unexpected issues, which ended up costing us the cash set aside for the kitchen and the bathroom. When we bought the house, the sellers told us right away that the bathroom needed to be gutted. Oh, my. Well, that wasn't happening, so I had to get creative. The tile still needs to be replaced, but we aren't going to tackle that until we have a second bathroom to use (yes, we only have one bathroom 😉). But today, 9 months after moving in,  after some decorative painting to camouflage the drywall that needs to be replaced, minor plumbing work, new light, mirror, shelves and flooring (which was included in the bigger expenses with the rest of the house) and some cute, cheap stuff from Home Goods, I realized I'm finally happy with it. Total for everything is probably around $750 and one snow day of my time with some leftover paint from the rest of the house. 😀

Before

After

Before

After

So, if you have a bathroom in your home that you aren't really loving, but a demo is inconvenient- just a little time, money and creativity will get you through another couple of years, maybe. That's what we're hoping, anyway! 

Thanks for checking in. Wishing you happy, mindful decorating! If you have a before and after of your own, please share in the comments 😊

Stay tuned- tomorrow I will be posting about a giveaway that is coming up! 

Until next time, 

Be Still. 

Be Strong. 

Be Happy. ~ Juli

Centers, 7.18.20

My husband and I bought and moved into our home about 9 months ago. It measures just over 1,000 square feet, which feels perfect for us. It's so perfect, in fact,  that I very often have deja-vu moments here, which leads me to believe that we are supposed to be here. I love that. It's the first time I've ever felt truly settled and not pondering the possibility of moving again. Everything feels easy. It's very close to both of our jobs. It's very easy to clean. And, somehow, everything just "fits". We both grew up in houses very similar to this one, which, again, makes it seem like we are meant to be here. Cool!

One concern I had with a space this small, though, is how it would accommodate all of my hobbies- sewing, painting, crochet, fiber art, mixed-media art, yoga, meditation-  and my job, which is teaching all of these things- in person and online, sometimes in a studio, sometimes in a classroom and sometimes at home. Wow. No wonder my brain is sometimes on overload!  At times, I have so many things going on at one time (in my brain and in my life) that I find myself reciting the days of the week, months of the year, the abc's, etc. to myself (in my head, not out loud- just to clarify, so it sounds less weird!) which makes me realize that I need to stop and take time to create some order in my life. So, when we finally settled in here, I found a solution and I think it's a pretty good one. If you're curious, check out this link to my YouTube channel  to see a little tour of a couple of the spaces in my home that keep me calm and organized amongst the chaos!

I hope it helps lead you to your own solution for organizing a small home in a way that leads to living your best, most mindful life.

Until next time, 

Be Still. 

Be Strong. 

Be Happy. ~ Juli

A Beautiful Life, 7.9.20

A few years ago, my daughter gave me a birthday card with this quote by Elsie de Wolfe: 

 

 

 

It was, by far, one of my all-time favorite cards and it's a sentiment that keeps coming back to me. Cathy Heller, at the beginning of each episode of her podcast, 'Don't Keep Your Day Job', says that she believes the opposite of depression is not happiness, it’s purpose.  In yoga, your purpose in life, along with living by a moral code, is called your "dharma" and refers to an individual's true calling in life and their spiritual discipline. So, I think the words of  Elsie de Wolfe spoke to me because they were, in a way, leading me to, or reminding me of, my purpose, or my dharma. 

I think this time in quarantine has given me a renewed knowing of my purpose, my dharma.  I think it has been there all along (at least since I was a teenager and maybe even before that), but this extra time we have all had to reflect, or as Shelly, of Humble Seed Yoga says, "to self-remember", has brought everything back to me and has given me a sense of resolve as to what I am doing here and what I am supposed to be doing here, in this life. 

My purpose, my dharma: working with my hands; being creative; knowing how to take care of my body, mind and spirit; and helping others by sharing what I know. Why? How do I know? Because those are the things that I truly get lost in, that I am truly passionate about, that I am always thinking about, and that I know, after many years of reflecting and lately, self-remembering, I have been put here on this earth, in this life, to do. 

 

I'm lucky that I have been able to live most of my life fulfilling this purpose- being a mother, being a grandmother, being a teacher and having time to devote to the things that fill me up- body, mind and spirit. Now, as I head toward retirement, my focus is on doing those things, with more intention and focus and with a more flexible schedule, so I am more available to my family.

But... I need your help! 

It would make me so happy if you would consider any or all of the following:

1) Visit this space to read my posts about all things yoga, health (of body, mind, and spirit) and sometimes just life in general. 

2) Practice yoga with me- online via YouTube or in person, in a group setting or private session. 

3) Create with me via YouTube (and/or, in the near future, creating with me in person via private or group lessons). 

At this point, I am still in the learning stages on the technology end, so everything is available on YouTube, for FREE! If you have ever wanted to try yoga or creating things with your hands, now is the time! (And, if you like it, please "Like" 👍, Share, and subscribe 😊 if you feel so inclined!) Look for longer, more in-depth, fee-based art and/or yoga sessions and workshops in the near future.

So, I hope you will join me, even if it's just "once in a while", to come together, to move our bodies, to strengthen our minds, and to make our world, even if it's just our own little piece of the "world", more beautiful. Maybe, in the process, if you are still looking for your dharma, you will find it. It has been known to happen that way!

Until then, do you know your dharma, your purpose? If so, leave a comment and let me know how I can help you!!

I will leave you with links to  my most recent art video (Layered Journal Pages) and yoga video (Yin Yoga: Focus on the Chakras- with improved sound- yay!!). 

Until next time, 

Be Still. 

Be Strong. 

Be Happy. 

And Be Graceful and Good. ~ Juli

Swimming, 7.7.20

These photos really have nothing to do with this post, but they do show how I've been spending my time, lately- nesting in this simple, little house of ours; our safe space. It's timing in our lives couldn't have been better, so I've just been here, enjoying the simplicity of it, trying to clear my mind.

I told my husband the only way I know how to describe what I've been feeling and doing, lately, is "swimming around" in some deep feelings around all of the controversy, divisiveness, sensitive issues and topics that are pretty much everywhere these days. Sometimes, it seems like the only safe place is home- in this space and/or surrounded only by people who truly know me and what I’m about; where I don't have to worry that something that I say or do may be misunderstood; or worry about misunderstanding what someone else says or does. I know the uneasiness and heightened awareness is what is needed to bring about change- I totally get that. But, at the same time, I know how it feels to be overwhelmed by too much information and prone to excessive worry and anxiety. And, that kind of worry affects every area of my life. And when that happens, I have to withdraw. Because even though I'm aware of the big picture, I also know that how I show up for and nurture myself, my personal relationships and the climate of my own home has to come first. Because I know that if I'm not giving my attention to what is up-close and personal to me and caring for my own state of mind, there is no way I can show up as my best, most informed, most authentic self- knowing exactly how I can and should show up for anything or anyone else. 

Thankfully, through yoga, I have tools for self-inquiry, because a huge part of the "swimming around" is, in fact, self-inquiry- turning things around and asking myself some hard questions. What is my place in the bigger picture? How can I educate myself to better understand all of these issues that are still so relevant in the world today? Am I being authentic? Or am I suddenly showing up just to prove to myself, or to the world, that I am "awake" to the issues? Am I "awake" to the issues? If not, why? Am I being overly critical of others, without really knowing exactly where they are coming from, exactly what their story is? Am I assuming too quickly and judging when I shouldn’t be? Am I being sensitive to the needs, thoughts and feelings of other people and their experiences and opinions? Am I being overly sensitive? When should I speak up? When should I stay quiet? How am I choosing my battles? How much energy do I have to give? SO many important questions. 

So, if you're feeling overwhelmed, retreating back to yourself for a while is nothing to feel guilty about. I know that being able to take time for yourself is a huge privilege, but I also know that "swimming around" for a while- feeling it all and thinking things through on your own- will likely lead you to a place of better understanding- of yourself, the world and your place in it. 

Be Still. 

Be Strong. 

Be Happy. 

And, Be Graceful. ~  Juli