a lil omm everyday + #yogaineverydamnway

#yogaeverydamnday is a very popular movement challenge, when you look at the hashtag collection it is more than half pictures of people in very difficult postures that most of us don’t practice regularly. For some people, these photos are very inspiring. For others, they are very discouraging and turning people away from yoga because they believe they won’t ever be able to achieve or accomplish these “advanced” arm balances and inversions.

This morning I woke up thinking… What if it was #yogaineverydamnway, and instead of people doing headstands, handstands, and arm balances they were meditating, sitting in stillness.  Not striving, not perfecting, not competing as we get to be more “advanced” practitioners.  Pssst… I’m going to let you in on a little secret Gentle Is The New Advanced

and J is coming to The Underground Yogi, in VA in October!!

Yoga’s Ethical Guide to Living:the Yamas and Niyamas are here to keep us on track … to stay focused on how I only really want to do this whole “life thing” as a student of yoga, not because it gives me “yoga booty” but because it helps me realize my strength, my flexibility, and my potential (not to mention the shift of perspective, mindset, and clearing of the internal cobwebs so that I am able to live these days awake, alive, and in tune with my life).  That to me is the gift of a lifetime. Thank you, Yoga.

I’m going to share with you our outline for the Mom’s Up themed workshops (plus poses) featured in our upcoming retreat… these are not just for our mamas, but for ALL humans to explore. How do these themes show up in your life and in your relationships every day?  What happens when you invite yourself into a pose with a theme and reflect up on the theme?  How does it feel when you breathe into the pose, come out, and Pause.

This type of practice is extremely efficient… you don’t need 90 minutes, fancy yoga pants, or even to leave your home. It’s just a lil omm every day, plus #yogaineverydamnway.

Try it and let me know what you think.

Mom’s Up Workshop Themes & Supporting Poses

Energetic strength (plank)

Energy and time feel like scarce resources for moms. Be reminded of your inner strength and tap into your vital energies.Find the power to manage your energy sustainably, and to be yourSELF with authentic conviction. 

Balance (tree pose)

A balanced lifestyle is simply a state of being in which one has time and energy for obligations and pleasures that are in ALIGNMENT with one’s values. Balance is  dynamic and that you “achieve” when all of the most precious aspects of your life and self are in harmony.  Only you can determine what balance means to you, what alignment looks and feels like to YOU, in this season. How do you embrace equilibrium in your heart and mind?

Self love (mudra)

What does your love affair with you look like? Realize the value of caring for yourself.  Learn to recognize and celebrate what is wonderful about you. With hands on your heart, breathe into the center of your own being. The real, beautiful, loving kind soul that I believe exists in all of us. Tap into her as often as possible. Befriend her. Embrace and Empower her to help you make decisions for your life. 

Trust (half moon)

Self doubt, guilt, not-enoughitis are all too common symptoms of motherhood, ( adulthood?). Reconcile with the voices and habits that support the re-occurence of these symptoms and learn to connect with your intuition so you can feel confident in your choices as a mother, as a woman. Begin living a life based on trusting yourSELF and the Universe that supports you. 

Creativity (side twists)

Busy-ness, overwhelm, stress and lack of self-confidence can all be barriers to a mothers’ powerful creative flow.  Learn how to overcome these barriers and connect with and nourish you creative spirit. It is time to settle into your authentic self and let your imagination roam free.

Want to learn more about Mom’s Up?  We were just featured on Mindful Healthy Life! 

If you’re a mama who lovingly does EVERYTHING for your family and somewhere along the way have lost track of your own needs, priorities, and self-care then you’re invited to a complimentary group coaching call with me and my retreat co-host, Alex Hughes this Thursday, October 6th @ 11am.

Want in?  Sign up here.  Recordings will be available to everyone registered.

Registration for our weekend retreat in Middleburg, Virginia ends on October 10th!  Only a handful of spots are available.

6 Healthy Habits to Help Ease Your Way into Fall

Fall is coming– are you doing what you can to ease one of the most challenging seasonal transitions for your body?

In addition to the cooler temperatures in the forecast this week, you may notice you’re feeling more tired than usual as the days shorten and our internal clocks shift.  Perhaps your allergies are starting to flare up causing all sorts of disruptions.  So many of us get sick when the seasons change, and this is partially because we haven’t adequately planned ahead to sync our lifestyle to meet the new season.  This includes changing our movement practices, the foods we eat, and even our daily habits and rituals.

To help with your transition, I share with you…

6 Ways to Help Ease Your Way Into Fall:

1. Rest when you are tired. If you push through, over schedule, or over caffeinate you will really mess with your immune system. To function optimally, your immune system needs lots of rest and digest time.  Refer back to my Plan to Thrive DIY Retreat where I teach you how to create your model calendar.

2. Hydrate. Keep drinking your water!  In fact, make it warm and add a little lemon or lime (fresh or essential oil) to keep digestion moving.

3. Oils! Revolutionize your approach to health and wellness with therapeutic-grade essential oils.  DoTerra oils and supplements are a big part of my family’s wellness plan.

To learn more about ordering oils to address wellness goals for you and your family- email me or you can also buy here. 

Remember you can diffuse oils, apply them to the soles of feet  largest pores in the body), behind ears, on wrists or heart center.  You can also ingest 1 drop in water (this is where I highly encourage you to use a trusted brand like DoTerra).

Some ideas for Oils:

– take your ON GUARD beadlets drop daily AND you can also break one open in your hand to use as sanitizer on the go.

– Use eucalyptusin your diffuser or bath.

– Apply 1 drop of oreganoon the soles of your feet or in your waterif you feel a cold coming on (this oil is considered a hotoil so it will burn your lips if you use too much!  You can dilute hot oils with a carrier oil like coconut oil)

– Drop some Melaleuca  (tee tree oil) in your bath water or rub on your feet for daily immune support.

– Diffuse lavender, lemon, and peppermint in the kitchen and bedrooms for allergies.  You can also put 1 drop of each in your water.

– Use Balance, Serenity or Vetiver for Rest by diffusing or putting on soles of feet or even directly on your pillow.

Want to learn more about oils?  The focus of my next Yoga & Aromatherapy workshop at Washington Yoga Center is Surrender and Receive, which I find to be so seasonally appropriate!  I also host a monthly Healthy Happy Hour where we explore oils and connect over our love for healthy living in my kitchen!

4. Practice. Vata (season is coming)!  It’s windy, which can be super unsettling especially for people who feel anxious or “live in their heads”. During this season it’s particularly important to start and end each day with grounded practices to help support your connection to nature and the changing of the season.

Here’s a breathing practice I love!  Make it extra special by adding some oils I mention above!

Binded Breathing Practice

5. Warm foods for comfort, support, nutrition and digestion.  For breakfast, try some oatmeal with any combination of flax, cinnamon, chia, almond milk, maple syrup.  And for lunch or dinner, soups and stews make a great choice.  Again, your immune system will need your help to have a smooth transition to fall, so take care in what you eat, especially during seasonal transitions.

6. Disclaimer: okay, this might be a little “woo-woo” for some of you but for others- I think you will LOVE this morning affirmation practice.  Wake up in the morning (if possible before anyone else)and lay in your bed or on the floor.  Bring one hand to the heart and one hand to the belly. Breathe.

After a few rounds ask yourself, “What do I need today? What is my body calling for? What is my heart seeking?” and always remind yourself, “You are loved. You are supported. You have all you need.”

You might even add the affirmation, “I trust my body, my mind, and my heart to guide me today. I am whole.  I will move into the day with spacious generosity of spirit and love.”

Try it! Let me know what you think/feel.

Additionally, if you want a copy of the Welcome Fall worksheet I use (it’s super short & simple) just e-mail me and I’ll send it over to you.

Stay tuned for next week’s Wake Up Wednesday edition where I share mind-body practices based on energetic strength, balance, trust, creativity, and self-love.

P.S. Want to truly nourish your body, mind, and spirit?  Surrender to Fall at our Mom’s Up Retreat in the beautiful Virginia countryside.  Registration ends 10/10. The retreat was just featured on MindfulHealthyLife!

Vision Board 101

In this video segment I give you an online introduction to vision boards with examples of my most personal boards dating back to 2007.

I absolutely love vision boarding and find it to be a creative way to go deeper every time I’m faced with a new phase or chapter in my life.  Vision boarding is an intentional practice– a way to help clarify and focus on a specific goal.  It unleashes your creativity and gets the juices flowing in new ways.

You don’t need much for a vision board… the back of a cardboard box, some quiet time to sit and listen to your heart, magazines, scissors, and glue!  There are so many types of vision boards and you can get very specific with the type of board you create.  The possibilities are endless and the more you practice vision boarding, the more you work inwards, and the more you are able to listen to your soul.

Vision boarding is a type self-care and a helpful tool for intentionality planning.  Give it a try and let me know what comes up for you.  I’d love to see your board and/or hear how vision boarding has served you.

Watch Video

It’s almost here…

I am 3 days away from leaving my home, my bed, and my life for over 6 weeks.

On Friday, we pack up and head north for a summer of family and adventures. I will mostly be single parenting as my hubby will be staying in DC.

Since May, I have been planning and making a list of the things I NEED TO DO in order to keep my cool, stay mentally and physically healthy (please note, not making lists of things I need to pack for the kids!)  while care taking and trying to enJOY myself as well. You see, it’s not ALL about them!

So let me give you some of my  insider tips on how to take good care of yourself this summer while traveling, for when schedules are crazy and for when mama needs a break!!

1. Plan, plan, plan- look AHEAD to what YOU need for the summer. Have a crazy week with family coming and kids home? Great, try to take out everything else from your schedule.  And plan to clean and move your body and drink lots of water the week BEFORE they come so that you are READY and feeling in flow when they arrive. Partner going to be away for the week? NO PROBLEM- line up childcare NOW for the time they are gone so that YOU still get the time YOU need to feel good in your body.  EXTRA CREDIT!! Start thinking about Fall now to0- here is the question I use when thinking to the season ahead.. how do I want to feel? What are my values and priorities for my family and life this fall; what needs to go and what can stay? I often put reminders in my calendar for the year ahead so that I can remember what last year felt like and if I need to make any changes.
2. What makes mama happy?  What do YOU need in your daily life to help you feel good? Hint- my list includes essential oils, candles,  WATER, and a journal. As long as I have these things around me I know I can drop into my body and breathe deeply and support myself when tough things come up or when I want to experience a bit more joy and awareness in my daily life.  So since I’m leaving for a while I have a bag of my goodies all packed up and ready to take with me. This year I am bringing my twinkle lights so that I can set up a little meditation space at my grandmother’s house to sit this summer.  This will allow me to feel cozy and like home.
3. HYDRATE. I know, I know- this is so simple. BUT if you REALLY, TRULY got enough water so many things would flow better in your body and in your life. Most of us are de-hydrated which leaves us feeling BLAH (low energy, bad skin, slow digestion, and feeling stagnant in our lives, etc).  In fact, we also know (research says!) that we tend to make poor decisions in other areas of our health when we don’t drink enough water (multiple cups of coffee, anyone?).  So for the summer I am committing to making sure I drink enough water while I am away.  I find it SO MUCH easier at home where I just refill all day!   I bought a new great water bottle at a discount store that will do well in the summer sun during my travels.  I don’t like to use plastic water bottles and just realized we have so many from Spring events! I don’t want to use plastic when the car gets hot, etc).

 

PS. Here is a call link for this topic— taking care of yourself this summer! I share all my best tips and practices. Listen and enjoy! Oh and come back to it when you need a reminder this summer.

PPS. REGISTER TODAY for THRIVE- the online wellness course that will SUPPORT YOU ALL SUMMER so you can truly be awake and engaged in your life. Registration ends FRIDAY!

38 is.

A sense of home. of comfort. of life. of connection.

As the summer draws near and our big adventure awaits- I’m aware of the repeating patterns and mind chatter that arises. What will be? What will happen? Is this good enough?  I read a meditation about WORRY last night and realized how much of my current thought patterns are around my work, teaching, writing and biz.

More questions than answers, as usual. More wondering and curious-ness as I spend the days prepping and planning to be away from home for 7 weeks. ( I’m mindful that this means being away from my art-love filled office, most of my clients, my home yoga studio, my teaching, my leading, my morning and evening routines and rituals in the spots I love to do them, away from my dog, my bed and my bed.) And the question is- what CAN I do to help/ take care of myself with all the changes. I’m ready to step up and practice what I preach. Take the CALM with me, b/c it DOES NOT exist in this material home or this well planned out schedule. The peace, the strength, the awareness lives withIN me and I have access to that at all times. In fact, it’s the ONLY thing I have control of 24/7. How I respond, how I engage, how I relate. In fact, I feel so passionate about this process and awakening that I’m leading a free call about it this week.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m still making lists of what I will need to take with me in order for me to feel healthy, nourished, aligned. All while planning work projects for the FALL and the WINTER which feel like millions of miles away.

So instead I sit here.  On the chair and I wonder how much it all means or matters.

As I create and craft a new biz model that supports me in all areas of my life ( financial, service, community, health, well being, sustainable) I play with the ideas and dreams that meander in and out of my day. The world is noisy- and I want to be quiet.. so how does that work? I don’t want to retire or take time off or let it all go.. but can I do/ be/ create as I want to- without all the noise.

I keep thinking and saying, “is my best work behind me?” ” I’m only 38!” And then I take a deep breath into my belly, close my eyes and feel the ALIVENESS of my energy. Of the season.. I drop into knowing and feeling and BEING with TODAY. I drop into the body and repeat.. I TRUST that I am on the right path for me. I trust my heart and my intuition. I live in abundance and I want to feel my way through this. Navigate. Pivot. Explore. No clue as to what will unfold. It’s all possible. ALL OF IT. The dreams I have, the WOW this is my life.. with intention, with meaning, with purpose.

AND YET, This way of being, the process of exploring the thoughts while feeling my way with no pre-determined outcome, of course brings up DOUBT and FEAR.

It lives in us all. Even those of us who jump, take risks, fall, get back up, fall back down, plan something, love someone, live, breathe, start over and over and over, it’s part of being human. But I can’t let her stop me from trying. I can hear her say “why you?” ” go GET A JOB” ” NOT ENOUGH” and I see her and acknowledge her and hug her and thank her. And she moves on, for now. I know the next time she returns.. it will be less painful, less intense. I don’t believe her.

You see, I can feel in my bones that I meant to do EXACTLY what I am doing right now. It’s ease-full-joy-full- challenging- beautiful- stimulating- and  not to mention, I hear from the woman who have been or  who are students about how potent the teachings are. As I learn and absorb and then surrender, facilitate and share, I can feel the shift. They say, ” I feel lighter. I feel more alive, more awake. I notice more. I feel my body. ”

It’s also part of the reason I am scared. Stepping into your strength, power, calling and greatness can be well- rather overwhelming for someone as sensitive as I am.

But it’s also why I know I’m on the right path. I can feel the energy in my belly, in my days, in my heart.

WHY? b/c it’s the “road less traveled” the road I have always been on.

So, for now I write and I dream. I journal, I vlog and I try with my whole heart to live with the utmost integrity to what I believe and who I am. I want to stretch my body and mind and feel ALIVE. And see where this leads me…

For now.. it’s in events like this.

Retreat like this.

And courses like this.

Stay Tuned..

I have been creating a wellness framework to piggy back on Delight and Thrive books & programs and I can see it all coming together. It’s so fun to dream of how to bring this work forward- and HOW I CAN HELP OTHERS DO THE SAME MAGIC MAKING IN THEIR LIVES. I want to roll up my sleeves, hear what people want- get them to start dreaming and see it come into action… it’s incredible.

girl, you got this.

Just to be clear, I don’t have it all together.

I am in constant state of learning mode and expansion practices these days. Basically, living with lots of unknowns. Trusting the process and journey rather than having a set PLAN. By the way, I love plans. 

Living with daily fears & discomforts for all the new things in my life and for the tough decisions about the old.

Let me explain.

I am asking tough questions every day.

How does this feel? How will this work.

I have a huge learning curve with taking my studio/class based biz online and making the live classes session based.

I have no clue what I am doing, I just know I AM doing. Moving beyond and into the fear. 

I am figuring it out along the way, being curious as to what might be possible.

I am pretty terrified TODAY because it seems like more things are in flow than I thought before.

#1. I just turned in a copy of my ebook, Delight. I am “nercited”  as Saylor says. Total butterflies & imposter syndrome sneaking up on me.

I am telling that non supportive, negative self talk to LEAVE ME ALONE.

I am doing the best I can.

#2. I have no ideas if our kids & family classes at City Dance will be able to continue past the Spring. There are so many things to consider and I feel like as much as I WANT it to work, I don’t know how to sustain it.  So, then that puts me at…. another round of letting go of something that I feel responsible for and that has been such a big part of my life.

#3. I love, love, love the incredible shifts that have happened for my students over the past 2 months and as I step into full time teaching and guiding and writing, I can feel the power of the inspirationsand teachings  moving through me. And to be honest, sometimes that is scary too.

I am learning how much I hid behind the studio- never fully tapping into my own intuitive and healer nature bc I did not have the time or energy with studio life.

And now that is gone. 

So now it is my turn. and as seth godin says, “its always your turn.” 

I am not totally sure how this will play out. I spend my days working and listening and reading and living… with some BIG questions about the next few months, the next few years. What do I want for my life?  

Today I made a vision for the kind of life and biz I want to live. 

And then I stepped back and realized, I already am. 

I am a seeker, always searching for the best life. And on this path, there will always be questions and maybe no answers. 

Part of what is really important to me is to be open about the behind the scenes of the biz changes as they evolve. It is really essential in my work to have transparency and be open because I think in a year from now it will be fascinating to see what unfolded. 

this documentation about the process i am in feels like an important part of whatever becomes or doesn’t. 

And since one of my missions in life is to share, mentor and support creative work & passion, I want this to help someone who might be changing their biz model or who might think my path with lil omm was easy or linnear. 

I am all over the place, but I know as I move towards simple living with financial stability and all my incredible life, leadership & creation skills that I am on to something. It is not sustainable to have my hand in so many things. And as a multi passionate person, I have been through this my whole life. 

Big Questions- How can I do good work in the world and live a simple life? How can I fill the needs of my own life, purpose and mission while building and nurturing my home, children and relationships? How can I learn to “overcome under earning?” How do I balance my ambition and my passion for service? What questions do you have? 

So, I will continue to share here whats going on behind the scences as lil omm and pleasance evolve. ♥️🙏🏽❤️

ThriveSpring

AGH! I am so excited that this is happening.

A WHOLE 8 weeks to study and learn and be together, to gather in the name of wellness, lil omm style.

I can’t wait to share with you all over 8 weeks, habits, tips, health, recipes and simple strategies to help you ease into Spring.

8 weeks to try on new habits, talk about old ones and move through barriers..TOGETHER.

I started dreaming of this as I was writing my book, Delight. And now I can feel the time has come to be able to go deeper with our community, help support women to find true nourishment for their lives, in sustainable ways.

I am so grateful for this work, for this opportunity to serve and share. Come join me.

DO THIS FOR YOU. YOU DESERVE TO FEEL GREAT.

You can find more information here.

Please note, there are only 4 spaces in the live option as I want to make sure to give these ladies lots and lots of love and attention.

PS love this testimonial from my mom who has been working with my for the past 2 months!

“I asked Pleasance to please help me to start eating healthy, and to stop eating sugar, in any form or product. And she did. And life is different today. I feel good not guilty. Energetic and excited about what goes in my body. I see food as fuel for the exercise I have always enjoyed. Walking and yoga. It was life changing. ?

 And here’s the difference; In my mind, before I started this plan of eating, I didn’t have a “no” button in my brain. I justified all the sugar I was eating as, “well life is short, and I should enjoy everything I can”. And I did. And the more I ate sugar, the more I craved sugar. And then I would eat it and feel shameful for eating it. A really difficult cycle.

 So now, my “no” button has returned. When I see sugary treats at work, or at the store, my first reaction is “no”. Automatic. And that gives me the few seconds it takes to remember what my body needs and wants, not what my brain is saying. That few very brief seconds is all I need to remember what Pleasance has shared with me, about motivation, inspiration, and daily tips on what, when, and how to eat. The weight around my stomach is starting to get smaller, which is the biggest problem with sugar addiction. And also the major cause of heart attacks. i am not a victim of the scale, I simply go by the way my body feels, and how clothes (don’t) fit anymore. Also my coworkers have started to notice. That is excellent. ” Cathy Muir

Week of Wellness

Lately I have been using a number of tools to keep my movement and well being practices consistent.

I am not a big gym fan these days b/c of scheduling and options and time commitment… although I have learned to LOVE to workout- so I found this Crunch Live Site, which has a variety of workouts and times. I can always find something that meets my needs! It’s cheap too at only $10 a month.  Also, because I love dance music- I put my own dance mixes on while I play the videos, makes it way more fun.

When I want to do more of a yoga thing…. I turn to Erich Schiffmann’s website where I listen to teachings and meditate and practice Freedom Style Yoga with him.

Because my schedule changes daily I just try to pick something from my well being list daily to include and make my day to day a bit more interesting and meaningful. I also highly prioritize these items- which means I pick something off this list rather than checking email, watching news or shows.

I also like to create these big charts on Sundays or Mondays to remind myself throughout the week what I love to do that is truly in line with my deepest values and joys. When I get stressed or tired, I tend to say things like ” I never get time alone or I never get time to exercise” and these charts help remind me that I DO have time, I DO take care of myself and to not be so hard on myself! My chart options can change based on what my current goals/ aspirations are for my actual day to day life. This all depends on what projects I am working on, what my

My favorite local thing to do is go to Spinning classes at Zengo Cycle at 6am 2-3x a week. I DON’T like to go more than that b/c it makes my hips sore. As I get older I realize how much I need to diversify my movement in order for it to be sustainable. And I know I hear from many students who have various aches and pains but keep doing the same movement program…. I have to move my body in ALL KINDS OF WAYS throughout the week- and not get stuck on 1 thing, in order to feel awesome. I love the music they play at Zengo and I love to support a local studio, rather than a large chain.

Since it was so cold over the past week, I have been doing my self massage with high quality almond oil at night before bed ( instead of in the morning). It’s been SUCH a perfect way to end the day before I put my legs up the side of my bed and relax before I actually go to sleep around 9-10pm.

I also try to remind myself that I can do and get a lot from 15-20 minutes of something RATHER than the 60-90 minutes that I WISH I had..

Hope this helps inspire you to find creative, fun, unique ways to move into wellness!

Our energy, baby.

I have been prepping for a class called “Energetic Strength” with my friend Alex Hughes. 

We teach a series called MOMS UP.

We do some yoga practices, journal, contemplate tough questions and try to have fun along the way!

I thought this information would be great for you all to share and have in your tool box.

Read this. 

AND THIS. 

And listen to this. 

Love to you.

P.