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Journaling to Come Back to Yourself

Writing is a medicine. It is the antidote to injury. It is an appropriate companion for any difficult change.

—Julia Cameron

I remember as a child wanting a diary with its very own lock and key. I was so excited for my very first one. I always started each entry with” Dear Diary…” because I thought that was what I was supposed to do. I always thought that I needed to write specific things or it had to be a certain way. My journaling never took off because I was always trying to be perfect or follow the rules and so this went on for years.

As the years went by, I kept going back to my journaling practice. When I embraced my love for journaling and let go of any expectations of how I thought journaling “should” be, my words flew onto the paper. I found it to be a peaceful practice, and after I wrote, I felt lighter—as if the thoughts weighing on my mind weren’t so heavy anymore.

Morning Pages

I’ve tried so many different ways of writing. Trying one way after another until I found what worked for me. It turns out, Morning Pages was the best practice for me.

Morning Pages is a practice Julia Cameron speaks about in her book The Artist’s Way. Essentially, you write three pages of stream consciousness writing first thing in the morning.

I’ve been able to discover patterns and thoughts I didn’t realize I had due to this.

Most recently, I realized that I needed to get back to my Morning Pages practice. I started to notice my anxiety rising, my thoughts clouded, and I was just stressed over all. For me the practice of journaling has always helped me sort out my thoughts and work through my feelings. At times I would notice a pattern or get an answer to a question I had a few days ago through my writing. There are days that my entries will only have to-do lists and others will consist of thoughts and feelings I have been holding back.

Journal writing, when it becomes a ritual for transformation, is not only life-changing but life-expanding.

—Jennifer Williamson

Journaling in many ways is a meditative practice. It can look different for everyone and can be customized to your preferences and lifestyle. Even if you’re finding it not to be easy, I encourage you to keep going—try different methods of approaching your writing. I tried prompt filled journaling and the classic form; just free writing. My favorite approach has remained Morning Pages.

On Record

One of my favorite things about keeping journals is you can always look back at past entries and books.. You get to see how much you’ve grown over the years. And in my case, because I’ve kept up with the practice, I get to see how I went from being a naive teenager to an adult. I’ve been able to document gratitude periods of growth, and essentially coming back to myself. Journaling helps me get out of my head, and although it was hard to start the habit, I am glad I’m fitting it back in my life.

People who keep journals live twice.

—Jessamyn West

In the grand scheme of things journaling is great for the soul. It can bring to light so much good and so much healing. The great thing about journaling is that it can be done anywhere and any way. From art journaling to using a prompt journal, or any of the other ways listed above. It’s good for the soul. The best part: you have all the stories of your life to remember and pass on.

Documenting the little details of your everyday life becomes a celebration of who you are.

—Carolyn V Hamilton
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3 Things to Consider for a Healthy Renovation

Our homes have the ability to nurture our health or harm it. A healthy environment is just as important as drinking clean water, eating healthy, clean food, moving our bodies, getting sunshine, laughing, and taking care of our mental and emotional health. Here’s 5 main things to consider on an upcoming renovation to make sure your home is supporting your wellbeing.

Non-toxic Materials

Many building materials contain chemicals that can wreak havoc on our systems. You may have heard of the term VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) which are the chemical compounds that “off gas” at room temperature. When this offgassing takes place, it contributes to poor indoor air quality and we are now inhaling all of the toxins that are releasing from products like paint, flooring, drywall, cabinetry, adhesives, doors, windows, hardware, plumbing fixtures and furniture. Selecting materials that are as close to nature as possible is a great way to start when selecting materials. Look for materials that are Red List Free, Greenguard Gold Certified, and CARB II compliant.

Appliances

Believe it or not, our appliance selections can make a huge impact on the health of our home. One of the biggest things to look out for are Smart Appliances. Although a smart appliance may seem more attractive up front, they’re actually emitting a constant radiofrequency signal. Research shows that long term exposure to these frequencies can impact our health negatively. Gas appliances can impact indoor air quality and release many different chemicals into our homes. If you’re opting for a gas range, it’s extremely important to consider how wide and low the rangehood is to allow for proper ventilation. Alternatively, many people are opting for induction ranges these days, however the magnets in these create extremely high Electromagnetic Fields when in operation. These fields could be 15 milligauss or more when all of the burners are in use.

Moisture Management

This may be arguably the most important consideration in a healthy renovation. Managing moisture is how we are going to prevent mold. Mold toxicity has created a health epidemic with the surge of energy efficient buildings. Don’t get me wrong, we want our buildings to be energy efficient, but what has happened is that now all of the toxins that are in our home, including mycotoxins from mold, have no way of flushing out the home. A good place to start managing moisture is by monitoring the relative humidity within the home and keeping the levels below 45%. If the levels are higher than that, it would be wise to invest in a dehumidifier to help you control the levels. Additionally, we want to keep an eye on all of the wet locations in the home for leaks. Slow leaks happen all of the time and it doesn’t take long (24-48 hours) before the water damages a surface and mold begins to grow. Investing in a good leak protection device is a great way to stop the water in the event of a leak.

We understand that renovating and building a home is complicated and there’s a lot of moving pieces, especially when you want to do it the healthy way. That’s why we specialize in helping people make healthy decisions early on. Awakening Spaces works directly with your team of designers and builders to help guide your project in a healthy way. We believe that what goes in your walls is just as important as what goes on your walls.

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My Connection with Feminine Empowerment & Birth Control

As women, we take the burden of protecting ourselves and our livelihoods by deeply micromanaging when and how we plan pregnancy and motherhood. For the past couple of decades, taking birth control has been seen as a form of bodily autonomy and feminine empowerment, but is it truly?

I questioned this idea quite a lot when I started seeing someone seriously and wanted to feel protected and safe. As someone who values natural and alternative medicine, I wanted an option that aligned. I had tried hormonal birth control in the past and it just wasn’t for me.

I started to go through my list of options: birth control pills, copper IUD, hormonal IUD, the shot, the patch, and the list goes on. However, all of these have one thing in common and that is that they change the way our bodies do their processes naturally. They all affect our hormones in some way, shape, or form. Even the copper IUD isn’t a ‘natural’ option.

I have been going to a holistic wellness practitioner and acupuncturist specializing in traditional Chinese medicine. She taught me that the copper IUD, while it’s the most natural of all the options, can cause significant inflammation in the uterus. Inflammation is the root cause of most medical issues and creating a hostile environment like that can lead to even further complications.

Realizing the Truth

I went my whole female adolescence hearing how birth control is a great option that’s completely safe and absolutely normal. I was in medical school and the specialists I interned for were all for it even though I’d watch them complain how their new birth control pills were making them break out. Still, they swore by it and raved about it too.

I vividly remember taking a class in my undergraduate studies called Hormones & Homeostasis, an endocrinology class. Our professor was going over the female reproductive system and fertility. The topic of birth control came up and for the first time, I heard an academic professional discuss the downfalls of birth control. He clearly said: “if you suppress something long enough, it’ll eventually stop working on its own.” Why was I hearing this from a white European man, rather than female physicians having to take the burden of birth control pills?

I started to think about how the whole idea of female empowerment and bodily autonomy associated with birth control was a facade. Birth control was created by men to control women’s bodies for pleasure, even though there are major consequences. We bought into a product and idea that was meant to suppress us in every way and it felt so wrong to partake in it all. Don’t get me wrong, birth control pills can be a suitable option for women with PCOS, or very irregular periods, but I wouldn’t recommend it for most people. Even though doctors say the hormones leave your system in a matter of days when you stop taking it, there’s a reason most women who have taken birth control for years have trouble with fertility.

I hated the thought of having to pick one poison over the other knowing they all mess with my body’s balance. I asked myself questions wondering why it was that only women take the burden and why it has to be our problem to deal with. The thing is that birth control for men has been in the works, but men drop out of the trials due to the horrid side effects, yet we stay. The worst of all is that the side effects are very similar to those that women experience with birth control. We deal with it because it’s our livelihood.

Even then, if men were to take the burden, the same issues we usually deal with would just be passed onto them and that’s not right either.

Fertility Awareness Method

I found a solution. My acupuncturist recommended something called the Fertility Awareness Method (FAM). I had never heard of it other than a few stories of people getting pregnant using a similar method. I was skeptical, but I was out of options, so I did some research and found a FAM educator and practitioner.

I learned that using this method correctly was actually just as effective as birth control pills. It can be up to 99% effective. It just takes patience and tenacity. It wasn’t easy, but I started to realize just how out of touch I was with my own body. I had no idea how the menstrual cycle truly worked, how my body reacted to every stage, when I ovulated, and all of it. I was clueless.

In order to practice FAM, women should usually have quite regular periods, although women with irregular periods can use it too. It’s just a bit more difficult. I was willing to put in the work though. People think that FAM is just like the pull out method, or guessing and wondering, but it’s so much more complex.

What baffled me the most while I was learning about the female body was that we really can only get pregnant 24 hours in a month, but since sperm can live in our reproductive systems for about 5 days, there’s a risky 5 day window. So, why are we taking birth control pills every single day, risking our wellbeing, to protect us from just those 5 days?!

Every day, you have to take your basal body temperature before waking up and you have to monitor your cervical mucus to check fertility levels. It’s this two step process that is involved and it’s way more than a guessing game. I would track all of this information in an app called Kindara.

When we ovulate, our basal body temperature spikes and then it stays like that for the second half of the cycle. There are rules, so only have unprotected sex after that peak in temperature has been up for 72 hours. Use condoms the days when you’re at risk and universally, we aren’t fertile the first 2 days of our menstrual cycle.

This process was interesting because I started to realize my body had a rhythm. Since I have regular periods, for the most part, I only did this process for about a year before I stopped. At this point, I know how my body works and I play it safe. I have managed to effectively avoid pregnancy and when I am ready, I know the best times to have sex and achieve pregnancy.

If you’ve been considering a natural option, I highly recommend FAM because not only is it great for preventing pregnancy, it’s also really helpful when you’re trying to conceive. You will always know when it’s best to have unprotected sex instead of relying on gadgets and tools. This method teaches you so much and not just about yourself, but also what autonomy and empowerment truly mean.

Delving so deep into this method has helped me understand my body like never before and that has been true empowerment for me. It has been so fulfilling to deeply understand the way my body works, naturally.

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How to Start Saying Thank You to Yourself

I’m always running to the dollar store to stock up on thank you notes! I just love to write notes of gratitude and either hand deliver or mail them to people—friends in Pennsylvania, family in New York. And much like you, I find myself thanking other people but take little time to thank myself.

Gratitude is a self love practice in that it nourishes you in the moment while attracting more to be grateful for. It has positive effects on our mind, body and soul.

We’re roughly half way through the calendar year, so it’s a good time to pause, reflect and thank yourself. So, grab your journal and write a letter of thanks to your “past self,” “present self” and/or “remainder of the year” self.

Dear _____ ,

 

Thank you for . . .

I love when you . . .

You honored yourself when . . .

appreciate that . . .

You really know how to . . .

Give yourself some credit for . . .

 

Love, _____

Your past, present and future deserve your thanks; you deserve your thanks. In looking to the rest of 2022, you can start to intentionally manifest your life and all the wonderfully expansive moments there will be to experience, all the quality moments to live out.

So, open up the voice messaging app on your phone, and speak a moment of gratitude from the you who just experienced one of these moments—how it was such a perfect moment. You’re feeling into it and speaking it as if it just happened. It’s real and raw, and you are filled with appreciation. That is full-on embodiment, and you put that vibe out into the universe. Plus, you now have the recording on hand to listen to as often as you want.

So, here we are at the halfway mark of 2022, and I invite you to start practicing self gratitude along with your other transformational acts of self care and self love. Say it with me loud and proud… thank you for being you, and thank me for being me.

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Developing a Spiritual Practice

Over the last 7 years, I’ve learned a lot about myself, my spirituality, and the wellness community. When I first felt a shift within myself, I didn’t understand it. The notion of ‘spirituality’ didn’t cross my mind, and while I was exploring spiritual practices, the wellness and spiritual communities felt foreign to me.

When you are starting to dip your toes into a new practice, community or modality, it often feels intimidating. It may feel as though everyone is more advanced than you. It’s like that first yoga class after a few months back—you think everyone’s looking at you, when really, everyone is thinking the same thing about their OWN practice.

It took many years, exploration, and endless scrolling to begin to understand that what I was developing was a spiritual practice. I was adopting spiritual beliefs, and as my twenties went on, I was shifting and changing. The shifts felt ‘wrong’ because most of my friends from childhood didn’t have the same interests, besides a yoga class here or there. Some similarities intertwined, but I began to feel like I was the only one changing as I got older, and wasn’t sure how to deepen the practices I felt connected to.

If you’re reading this, it feels safe to assume you’ve gone through some similar shifts in your life, no matter the age. As time went on and my purpose in life became clear, I let go of the fears of being misunderstood. I declared who I was with clear conviction.

There are a few things I learned over the years that helped me deepen and develop my spiritual practice. These tools helped me connect to myself and became rituals in my life.

Rituals for Developing a Spiritual Practice

  1. What feels good for YOU:

    The most important ritual. If someone suggests Breathwork and you hate it, you don’t have to do it! Explore what feels good to you. Try different things and incorporate them into your life. When things feel good, they will stick.

  2. Meditation and Visualization:

    Simple meditation and visualizations can drop you out of the mind and into your body. They can put you into a parasympathetic state and allow you to slow down, practice mindfulness, and connect you deeper to yourself.

  3. Practice Gratitude:

    We’ve all heard it before, but it’s true. While it’s important to acknowledge how we are feeling at any time, acknowledging the good in our life helps us recognize what we already have.

  4. Journal/Write:

    This seems simple, but writing is important for many reasons. Journaling to get things out of your mind alleviates stress and anxiety. Writing also sparks creativity. Free-write or write with prompts. There is never any wrong way to journal and write.

  5. Notice your Energy: 

    Start to pay attention to your energy. What makes you feel energized? What drains you? Begin to do more of what lights you up. When you feel connected, energized and immersed in the moment, keep doing it.

  6. Take Inventory of What Feels Aligned: 

    Similar to your energy, what in your life feels aligned? Start to take note of the things on this list, and in your life that feel good and the things that don’t. If it brings you joy. Keep doing it. If it doesn’t let it go. You can always come back to it later. This goes for people, places, things, and practices.

  7. Listen to Your Body: 

    The last thing I will tell you to do is how to eat or move your body. However, listen to your body. Intuitively move and nourish it in the way that makes it feel good. Rest when you need rest. This sounds simple, but it goes such a long way. I promise you.

  8. Connect with your Mind, Body, Soul & Spirit: 

    Connect with all parts of yourself. All four parts of you are deeply connected and make up your whole self. Honoring these parts of yourself allows you to listen to what you need and how to best serve YOU.

I could keep going and going, as there are so many ways we can deepen our connection to ourselves. I truly believe that is the way our spiritual practices begin, but these tools and rituals are what supported me in diving into my journey years ago.

My last piece of parting wisdom is this: trust yourself and lean in. You know yourself best, and if you feel drawn to something, trust that nudge. Try it. Interested in Kundalini? Do it! I waited to try it for years. Listen to the whispers. Let go of the fear, and follow your soul’s desires.

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The Hips Don’t Lie: How to Release Stored Emotions

Mind-body connection.

I’m sure you’ve heard of it. It’s the link between a person’s thoughts, feelings, and how the body physically reacts. Much like how you can get a stomach ache if you’re nervous about a presentation you have to give to the big wigs at work. Or your palms get sweaty when you run into your ex at the grocery store.

The mind-body connection is most commonly recognized with stress. Medical research estimates that as much as 90% of all doctors office visits are stress related. Patients reporting ailments such as headaches, stomachaches, sleep problems, chest pain, and fatigue clearly indicate how your emotions can make you sick.

We may agree that emotions can affect the body, but it’s also indicated that emotions can be stored in the body. Emotions are technically energy in motion. When we experience trauma, or even a negative emotion that is unprocessed, it gets stored energetically in the physical body. For this article, we will specifically cover how the hips store emotions. Because Shakira was right after all, the hips don’t lie.

The hips are a place where we store our deepest vulnerabilities. They are kind of like a filing system for all our unpleasant memories and suppressed shit.

I like to look at things from different ‘lenses’ because my inner skeptic sometimes needs science to substantiate things.

Tight Hips: Physical Lens

From a physical perspective, the hip joint is the largest weight-bearing joint in the body. It is surrounded by muscles, ligaments, and tendons. It literally supports us on a daily basis and helps us maintain our balance. Aside from holding our weight, the hips are prone to tightness from prolonged sitting. We must admit that in our society of long work hours at a computer, driving, watching TV, etc. the hips are often in a flexed position, which can make them tight. Structurally, if you have experienced pregnancy and/or childbirth, the physical changes that occur during this time (physically and emotionally) can take a toll on the hips and pelvis.

Tight Hips: Emotional Lens

Emotions, much like chocolate cake, go straight to your hips. Specifically emotions related to relationships. When we are stressed, overwhelmed, or scared, we often unconsciously tighten up. This can present as clenching your jaw, crossing your arms or legs to ‘close off’, or retreat to the fetal position (curl up) as a protective response. From an evolutionary standpoint, our hips activate to run from danger; hence the ‘fight or flight’ response. When these muscles tense up repeatedly, they shorten. And so, if the tension is never fully released (or processed) the tension along with the emotion, is trapped.

Tight Hips: Spiritual Lens

If you are into yoga or meditation, you may have heard of the chakra system. The word chakra is Sanskrit and translates to ‘wheel’ or disc’. There are seven chakras that start at the base of the spine and ascend to the top of your head. Each chakra corresponds to major organs, nerves, and areas of our energetic body that affect our emotional and physical wellbeing. The hips are located in the second chakra, referred to as the Sacral chakra. The sacral chakra is linked to sexuality, creativity, and inspiration. Home of the reproductive organs, it makes sense that there is a correlation to sensuality, relationships, and emotions. A sacral chakra imbalance may manifest as hip or back pain, feeling jealous or insecure or feeling closed off or emotionally unavailable.

Hip Opening and Releasing the Tension. Ready for a flood?

If you’ve ever participated in a yoga class, you are likely familiar with hip opening poses. Remember the hip joint is unique, not limited to just flexion and extension. The hips move in circular motions as well. Therefore ‘opening the hips’ refers to any stretch that lengthens any of the 22 muscles that cross the hip. Yes, there’s that many.

When I think about the hips storing emotions and attending a yoga class focused on hip opening, my imagination gets the best of me. I envision a flood gate of shadows and grief pouring out, flooding the entire class as I sit in a pigeon pose sobbing. Will I ever be welcomed back again? Luckily, this has never happened but many report feeling an emotional release and even shedding some tears. When you allow your body to relax into a pose and release stored tension, you can open up wounds from the past.

Whether or not you know where these emotions are coming from, releasing them is a good thing. Society teaches us at a young age to toughen up, not cry, and shove the feelings aside. But that’s not how we heal. Suppressing anything causes problems. Let this be your permission slip to open up and leave it all on your mat. Your teacher will surely understand.

How to Release Stored Tension

Deep-tissue hip opening yoga postures can release physical and emotional tension in the hips. If you are skilled at suppressing emotions and are not currently used to stretching, go slow and go easy on yourself. Welcome what comes up with curiosity. Practice acceptance. Breathe. Embrace the idea that leaning into discomfort and sitting with the pain a little bit, is the practice.

Below are some of my favorite hip openers:
  • Pigeon pose
  • Cow face pose
  • Deep low lunge
Aside from yoga stretches, here are some other ways to consider releasing stored emotions:
  • Cry, scream, yell into a pillow
  • Go for a walk, run, or swim
  • Do some cardio, dance, hit a punching bag
  • Practice yoga
  • Meditate on releasing the emotion
  • Try reiki or acupuncture
  • Journal and let your internal voice speak
  • Talk with a therapist
  • Do something creative, listen to music, be in nature

Trapped emotions could be holding you back from reaching your full potential. As you lean in and learn to release those emotions, remember that healing is not linear. It is indeed a process. But a process that is worth it. You are deserving of living a fulfilled, joyful life. Remember to be kind to yourself, and your hips.

Peace, love, and healing.

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Tarot 101: How to Start Your Practice

When you think of, see, or hear about tarot cards or tarot readings what comes to mind? I’m genuinely curious. When I used to hear about tarot readings or divination of any kind, I was immediately struck with an even amount of intense curiosity and nervousness. Mostly because I was raised Roman Catholic and part of my upbringing consisted of being told that any form of outside exploration or questioning was a path to the devil. So of course, I didn’t want to be “bad,” but then again, I didn’t want to be confused either.

So I explored in my own way, as best as I could. Taking books out from the library on mythology, astrology, dreamwork, and witches. Enjoying supernatural stories I’d hear about my mother’s upbringing and all the paranormal experiences she had. I explored while being cautious enough to not dive too deep just yet. It wasn’t until I was sixteen that I was given my first tarot deck. The Rider-Waite Tarot.

I was both overwhelmed and deeply intrigued by its very simple yet archetypal imagery. I read the book that came with the deck from front to back, over and over again, using it as a reference as I journaled on my card pulls, slept with certain cards and meditated with others. I didn’t know then that this would be the starting ground for my current way of reading tarot and teaching tarot, which I now call Practical Tarot. At that time, I was digging into any and all information I could grasp. Now, as I’ve grown as a reader for 13+ years, I see the tarot in a completely different way than I did at that time. And I’m super stoked to share this information with you!

The Basics of Tarot

A typical tarot deck consists of 78 cards. These 78 cards are broken up into two parts. The Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana.

The Major Arcana

The Major Arcana is made of up the first 22 cards of your deck and represents shifts in consciousness and major changes or transitions.

These first 22 cards represent very important archetypes of the psyche, heart and soul and can really be helpful in meditation and embodiment. Each major arcana card is also represented by a specific astrological sign which plays an important magickal, medicinal, psychological and spiritual role in how a reading spreads out. But ultimately, when a Major Arcana Card shows up, this is giving you a heads up that holy shifts are on the horizon or are already happening.

The Minor Arcana

The Minor Arcana make up the second half of the tarot deck and represent important details, elements of a reading, a story being told and further advice or guidance.

The Minor Arcana are broken into 4 parts, or suits—pentacles, swords, wands and cups. Each suit represents a different element of nature and a different element of the personality or energy of the reading being given.

Pentacles represent the earth element.
Swords represent the air element.
Wands represent the fire element.
Cups represent the water element.

Each of these suits also symbolize time periods, masculine or feminine energy, and so much more. Of course, it depends highly on what you intuit more than anything—and of course, the nature of the reading itself being given.

Connecting to the Tarot and Yourself

Tarot, is a magnificent tool for personal development, self help, healing, intuitive awakening, and growth! The tarot can, of course, be used to determine future outcomes, or conduct love readings. The cards can also be used for meditation and manifestation as well, because of the rich symbolism the cards possess. But if you are just starting out on this path or still trying to find your way, I suggest you do so with the intention of self help and personal development first.

Utilize this tool to understand yourself, understand your environment, and how you interact with the world around you. Discover the archetypes of the major arcana. Pulling one card from each and asking yourself, how does this make me feel? What does this bring up for me that I need to shift? Understand the elements of the minor arcana and where you may need more balance of one than the other (feeling ungrounded or stressed? You may need more earth element in your life—tarot will definitely bring that up for you and guide you on how to rebalance that!).

A big reason why I highly suggest working with your tarot cards from this space first is because most of the time we struggle with trusting our intuition and interpreting our thoughts and feelings clearly. We generally have a cluster of thoughts, a plethora of feelings and ton of insight—and we’re really good at sharing that insight with others when the spotlight is on their issues or concerns, but many of us have been programmed to ignore our own stuff we need to look at.

Developing Your Intuition

Working with the tarot from a personal development, self expansion, and self help space first will open your intuitive eye, help you put understanding to your inner world and help you heal blocks and barriers to your own intuition. When we do not trust ourselves, this leads us into unbalanced and misaligned territory, jobs, relationships and situations. When our intuition is developing, opening and fine tuning—we ultimately develop a rich and magickal relationship with ourselves and this leads us to aligned relationships, situations and circumstances. Tarot has definitely helped me strengthen my intuition, understand many things I was confused about and has reconnected me to my inner wisdom and highest self—which is just a fancy way of saying my happiest, healthiest, and most confident self. The self that was blocked, shushed, or shooed away came through in my many years of developing through and learning from this beloved tool I now get to teach others how to incorporate in their daily routines. And I hope this helps inspire you to dare to dive deep and unlock your magick too!

Getting Started

Grab a tarot deck that aligns with you. Note that it doesn’t have to be a beginner deck. If you resonate with a beginner deck then go for it, but you ultimately reach towards a deck that aligns with you.

Explore the deck without the book. I know, I said I did that, but as I’ve grown, I have found that the best book on tarot we can use in our practice is one we create ourselves through our own journey with our deck. Explore your deck without the book and record your insights, feelings, and impressions in a journal solely for your tarot readings.

Pull one card a day for yourself and give yourself readings. Slowly but surely fine tune your intuition, trust what comes up, receive the insight you have deep within you. See over time what you interpreted and how it made sense to you!

I truly hope this article found and fed your spirit in the way it was meant to and I cannot wait to share many magical and magickal ways of using tarot in your life!

If you’d like to immerse yourself in my Practical Tarot Self Study Course, click here!

If you’d like a personal tarot reading with spiritual counseling, click here!

For any questions or further discussion about today’s article or services and classes offered, feel free to e-mail me at jpthebosswitch@gmail.com Tuesday-Friday from 11am to 6pm EST!

Blessed Be!!

XOXO

Jenn

This article is part one of a series where Jenn breaks down more of the Tarot Deck. Stay tuned for future installments on Kind Publishing Co.

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How to Change a Bad Day to Just a Bad Moment

What are bad days, really?

Can we actually have bad days? Good days can be considered a series of good moments. So, a bad day could technically be considered a series of ‘bad’ moments. But where is the line drawn between a series of bad moments and assigning the entire day as bad?

Learning to decipher the two takes practice, but you can get there. I recently had an experience where I realized just how important this thought process is. Thought and emotions can actually aid in influencing our daily life.

My Bad Moment

I took my dog to get groomed. It didn’t turn out as planned and I was left completely distressed. I had a few choices: to either find a solution or stay in complete anger because things didn’t go as expected. I chose to find a solution.

As I was in line to pay I was chatting with another customer and I told her what happened. She instantly assumed I was having a bad day. When I told her I wasn’t, that it was only a bad moment she was so surprised. I guess she never thought to look at it another way.

You see, when assessing the situation as a whole, I was able to realize that no, I was not having a bad day. It was simply a bad moment. Acknowledging this allowed me to work through that stress and then continue on with my day—rather than letting it fester and ruin the rest of the day.

The woman looked at me and said, “Oh my god, you are right. I’m going to use that!” And I’m so glad that I told her that.

My mind-shift aided someone else in taking a different perspective on how to approach moments in our life. Which had me thinking, do we really walk around with the perception that once one badly-perceived moment makes the entire day inherently bad? What if we really sat down with awareness and looked at a situation as just one moment? This does take practice and time to learn. Our society has gotten in the habit of believing that one moment or event is going to make or break everything—it’s become an either-or situation, and not anything for any possibility in between. Life isn’t about that. We can have so much going on at once and one moment doesn’t define the next.

Why can’t you just have a bad moment and then move on? It’s not the end-all-be-all if something doesn’t go as planned. It’s how we handle what has happened that defines the situation. Essentially it’s all about perspective—that’s where we can discern we’re truly discerning if we’re having a bad day; i.e.death, diagnosis, missing dog, and even then there are levels to all of this because like I said it’s perspective.

I was not always like this. I too used to forever dwell on something I felt was ‘bad’ and let it completely ruin my own day with my negative thoughts. So much was lost because I was just mad or stressed. Once I saw this behavior for what it was, I was able to shift it for the better. Yes, I still had bad moments, but I was able to keep going.

Allowing Your Thoughts to Define a Bad Day Can Look Like:

  • Feeling sorry for yourself

  • Negative self-talk

  • Pessimism (only seeing the bad)

  • Thinking the world is against you

How to Shift Your Perspective

Perspective comes with the awareness of what is going on around you and looking at the situation from another light—perhaps one that is more neutral. Gaining perspective is a big key in helping you shift your mindset.

Notice Your Triggers

What triggers are you noticing? Can you pinpoint and decipher the bad moment that triggered a bad day? How can you be open to the unexpected event/situation you are experiencing?

Notice if you are acting from a wounded place when you’re experiencing these bad days. What issues are you avoiding that are triggering you? When you ignore what bothers you, it festers and well…the rest is history. Let the wound fester long enough and it can turn to dis-ease and more.

Perspective

How do you view your situation at hand? Ask yourself, is this worth all your time and energy? How does the situation look if you remove those trigger-set emotions? How can you view it with neutrality?

Awareness

Remain grounded and aware that when bad situations occur, it’s not happening to you—it could be happening for you..

Create Detachment

Detaching from the bad events or circumstances so you can notice when you’re in the next moment. If you stay in the negative moment, you risk missing a blessing, seeing the beauty, and ultimately you automatically lose a sense of ease.

Yes you can have both bad moments and bad days. This is where it can get a little tricky. The moment we sit in the negative thoughts, or repressed emotions, or even both we create an internal dialogue that can lead towards damaging our state of mind —or even well-being. Opposed to allowing yourself to feel what you’re feeling and working through it. You never start out with bad days—and I say this because each day is the chance for something new. For new adventures, miracles, for the chance to live your day to the fullest. And there will always be the times where something happens out of our control. But do you want to know what is within our control? It’s how we handle it. Whatever ‘it” may be. You see you have a choice, you have control, and not all bad things justify labeling it a ‘bad day.”

There are times that I allow myself to have bad days. We are all allowed to. But what’s different (and empowering) is when you try not to stay in the bad day too long.

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Why Going Vegan Was The Best Decision I’ve Ever Made

I switched to a fully vegan lifestyle in September of 2019 and I’ve never looked back. I can say with the utmost confidence that it has been the best decision I have ever made (other than moving to Europe, of course). People seem very apprehensive when it comes to veganism and I think that most of that caution comes from misinformation and preconceived notions. This type of lifestyle is a win-win for everyone involved and there are so many benefits.

Veganism is a way of life in which one abstains from engaging in activities that harm animals in any way. We don’t eat, or wear anything animal derived, or use animals for our entertainment. We refuse to use products tested on animals and we make sure to keep their wellbeing in mind when it comes to any purchase or action.

Much of our everyday lives are rooted in speciesism and we don’t even realize it. Speciesism is when we discriminate against others of different species and believe we are superior to any and all. The truth is that we cohabitate and co-exist with nature which includes all animals. We simply cannot think that because we are cognitively capable, that we are superior. That would make us superior to babies and disabled people, but we aren’t. When we use logic instead of emotions to understand the biases against veganism, we start realizing the truth.

People think that veganism is about being perfect, but really it’s about doing the least amount of harm possible. For example, it’s normal to slip up sometimes and accidentally purchase something that has beeswax in it, or eat something and realize there was milk powder in it all along. We make honest mistakes just like anyone, but we learn from them, and it becomes second nature.

For me personally, I did not get rid of leather bags or shoes because to me, it would be a waste. Some vegans may think that wearing these items perpetuates the idea that it’s okay to wear animals, but for me, it’s important to make better decisions moving forward. So, I never bought anymore leather, wool, silk, or other animal derived items. I also never accepted any gifts that were non-vegan. I always check to make sure that my cosmetics and skincare are cruelty free and vegan, down to the perfume and lip balm I use too.

For me, I was always fueled by my love for animals. It was never a health, or environmental decision. It really was solely an ethical decision which is why I would consider myself an ethical vegan. In my experience, people who transition to a plant based diet and revert back to their old ways tend to go plant based for the wrong reasons.

While switching to a plant-based diet is easy after-the-fact, the beginning can be challenging and that leads to impatience causing people to switch back. What I have learned is that people who switch to a plant based diet for the animals will never revert back.

I can speak for my fellow vegans in saying that no matter what happens, we will always choose a vegan lifestyle even if it is inconvenient, uncomfortable, or unaccepted. When people switch to a plant-based diet for health reasons, it’s not a decision that stands on solid ground. This is because there are new trends, supplements, and protocols that come out on the daily telling us that this new way is the only way to live a healthy life.

When it comes to the environment, things are always changing and it can be a difficult feat to take on when you feel like the rest of the world couldn’t care less. It’s unmotivating and it’s understandable why people choose to leave eco-conscious nutrition on the side.

That’s the thing though. No matter how difficult it is, how many people complain to us, or how inconvenient it may be, ethical vegans will always choose the vegan life. I like to compare veganism to any other socioethical movement. It’s about animal rights and leaving discrimination at the door.

What people seem to not understand is that veganism is a way of life. It’s not a diet. Plant based on the other hand, is a diet. It’s important to make these distinctions and understand them because when people constantly hear about people no longer being vegan, it sends the wrong message.

The Unparalleled Benefits

Health

I studied biomedicine in my undergraduate studies at the University of Amsterdam, a top 50 university in the world. Throughout my studies, I realized that diseases and illnesses stem from inflammation. While inflammation is necessary to keep us healthy, excessive inflammation is really the root cause of all disease.

Everytime we eat animal products, we create inflammation in our bodies and this occurs for several reasons. Firstly, when we digest animal products like red meat, fish, eggs, dairy, and more, our bodies produce a compound known as trimethylamine N-oxide, or TMAO for short. Excessive TMAO levels create severe risk for stroke, cardiovascular problems, and heart attack.

Other animal products contain heme iron and while it is highly bioavailable, the major bioavailability causes this type of iron to bypass our fine tuned iron regulatory system which leads to inflammation in the arteries and further strain.

The saturated fat found in animal products creates an endotoxemic surge in inflammation within our bodies which leads to the stiffening of arteries and other blood vessels. The TMAO also negatively impacts our gut microbiome which can throw off the way our immune system releases inflammatory cytokines leading to excess inflammation.

If we think about the standard American diet, people consume animal products all day every day. Eggs, milk, butter, and cheese in the morning, processed meats for lunch (which are a class 1 cancer causing carcinogen), more meat for dinner which is directly linked to a much higher risk for stroke, various types of cancers, and more inflammation. There is not enough fiber in the standard American diet which doesn’t support a healthy microbiome and creates more fatty deposits in our arteries. There is no time for the body to rest.

Dairy is very intense for the human body. Cow milk is meant to help baby calves grow into huge cows which is why their milk is filled with growth factors. In order for them to drink enough, cow milk also contains casomorphin, an opioid peptide which enables the cow to want to drink more and more. For humans, this explains why cheese can be so very addicting!

If you really research the bodily impact of eating animal products, you’ll notice the risk for all diseases and conditions are heavily multiplied in comparison to people who consume a whole foods plant based diet.

I could take days to explain all of the health implications around animal products. I did do it in a 60 page thesis, but for now, this should suffice.

Ethical

I always like to give numbers when it comes to the ethical implications of eating animals and other byproducts as it really puts things into perspective. More than 72 billion animals are slaughtered each year globally just for consumption and that doesn’t even account for sea animals, or animals used for testing, or entertainment. To put things into better perspective, one pig slaughterhouse kills about 1,100 pigs per hour. If we were to kill the earth’s human population at the rate we kill animals for consumption, the human race would be wiped out in just 17 days.

Aside from the animals, animal agriculture perpetuates social inequities as it contributes to world hunger and malnutrition. Slaughterhouse workers are in constant dangerous situations and horrible working conditions that are linked to several illnesses and workplace injuries. Not to mention the fact that it is totally traumatizing. All of the grain used for animal feed could be used to help stop malnutrition and global starvation. Here is a small excerpt from my thesis that sums up the wondrous impact of eating a plant based diet:

A vegan individual saves 33 animals, 33,000 gallons of water, 900 square feet of forest, 600 pounds of CO2 gas, and 1,200 pounds of grain in just one month in comparison to non-vegan individuals (Kahn, 2017).

- Emily Volovitz, 2020

Some people will say that there are ethical ways to kill animals, but there’s no ethical way to kill a sentient being who doesn’t want to die. If you really dig into the research, you’ll realize that family farms are just as heinous and gas chambers are still a thing for animals.

The reason why it is so easy for me to eat a plant based diet is because I don’t see animal products as products. I see the ‘food’ as someone who has every right to live just like humans do. The 5 minutes of gustatory pleasure really means nothing if you’re taking an innocent life.

People always wonder why dairy is so cruel if they’re not killing an animal. They do actually. Dairy is the cruelest product out there and if you want to make a choice, choose to leave out dairy even if it means you won’t give up meat. Dairy cows are forcibly inseminated to produce milk and they are impregnated so many times that they’ll often die of exhaustion. Every time they birth a calf, the males are shot in the head or taken to veal farms. The girls are raised to do the same as their moms and produce milk until their bodies give out on them.

In order to impregnate the females, bulls are electrocuted to produce sperm to be used in the females. As soon as the mom has her babies, the babies are taken away immediately so as to not use up any of the milk that ‘belongs’ to humans. Did you know that we are the only species on Earth to drink another species’ milk?

Mothers chase after their young and pine after them for days. The babies are taken to small cages where instead of being fed proper milk, they’re given a sugary solution to replace the necessary milk. Imagine yourself as a pregnant woman having to go through huge bodily changes only to have your baby taken away from you and for you to be stuck to a machine that drains you as you lactate and having to do this over and over again until you literally cannot anymore. I know it’s graphic, disturbing, and unsettling, but these are the facts.

This is just a small fraction of the atrocities in the industry.

Environmental

Greenhouse gas emissions produced from animal agriculture emit more emissions than all transportation sectors combined including air travel. One pound of cow meat requires 1800 gallons of water to produce. A plant based diet can reduce water consumption by half! A study from the University of Oxford concluded that switching to a plant based diet is the single best way to reduce your environmental footprint.

Spiritual

When we eat animal products, we eat fear, despair, anguish, sadness, helplessness, and everything painful in the sentient experience. We are all energy and when we consume an animal derived product, we don’t just eat the matter, we eat the energy too. If you’re trying to raise your vibration, support yourself by eating high vibrational foods that come from the earth and don’t feel pain.

As an empath and someone who has gone through various spiritual awakenings, I could never imagine diluting my alignment by constantly consuming fear and anguish. It’s something I will personally never understand within the spiritual community. How can you spread love and light when you consume fear and darkness? To each their own, but reflect and reassess.

The Best Decision

I’ve never slept better now that my conscience is clean. I don’t feel guilty anymore about the food I eat and I personally always felt a gut wrenching sense of remorse knowing I was responsible for creating more fear in the world and lowering the collective energy. It feels so good to be on the other side and feel awake. I can see clearly and once you do, it’s hard to go back and see the things the way most do. If I could give the best piece of advice for anyone, it would be to do this. Change your habits and take back your power. Eating is passive, but you can take aligned action and really truly make a difference. If this motivated you to make a change, reach out to me. I am always happy to help others live a more ethical and heart-led life.

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