Joyful Balanced Health November 2024 Newsletter

Dear friends,

I cannot believe it is already November! This year has flown by! As we enter this month of gratitude, I want to open my newsletter by expressing my appreciation for each and every one of you! Thank you for being part of this community! Maybe you join me weekly for yoga, hike with me on our monthly women’s hikes, use my herbal salves, have attended my retreats or coaching courses, or maybe you are still in the background, watching and observing what it is I offer. For whatever reason you are here, I want to sincerely offer my gratitude to you. I hope there is something in this newsletter that may speak to your heart. I always love hearing from you and understanding your challenges, your happiness, and hearing about the ways you are learning and growing.

What I am learning:

This month I have been learning more about regret and want to share some thoughts I wrote on it with you.

Regret, a word that often carries with it deep emotion. This sorrowful feeling can weigh heavily on our hearts, manifesting as a lingering ache for choices we made-or for our indecision. For words we spoke-or those we withheld. For opportunities missed or dreams set aside due to fear or doubt. Last year, after the death of someone deeply loved by my family, I began to reflect on moments of regret in my life. I felt sorrow for not reaching out to this person and sharing with her how much she meant to me and how much the love she had shown to me in a difficult time had changed my life. I pondered on the rifts in some of my relationships and longed to learn better ways of communicating and relating. I used this moment to look at myself and my actions more clearly and felt a growing desire to no longer live with the pain of regret.

When an opportunity presented itself to travel to England with my sister, I knew this journey was more than a chance to see new sites. I felt deeply that it was an invitation for healing.  As we meandered through the peaceful Styal Woods, walked along the Irish Sea in Blackpool, wandered through the cobbled streets of London, gazed on the amazing scenery at Stonehenge, took a step back in time at the Roman Baths, drove through the winding narrow roads to see the incredible villages of the Cotswold’s, and visited ancient libraries in Manchester, I felt an unexpected sense of clarity. Visiting the historic sites and soaking in the rich culture offered fresh perspectives and insights. Deep and meaningful conversations with loved ones we visited offered further opportunities to reflect. Regret doesn’t have to be a burden; it can be a teacher. I thought about the way I am living my life, the things I have said or done that caused hurt to others, and the opportunities I let slip away because of self-doubt. I began to understand that each regret, painful as it might be, has shaped me into who I am today. The trip became a catalyst for healing, allowing me to see that I had done the best that I could at the time and that with this new understanding and insight, I can now choose to do things differently.

As I returned home, I carried with me not just the memories of beautiful landscapes but a renewed sense of purpose. In the end, I am learning that while I can’t change the past, I can let it inform my future.  While I know this will be an ongoing learning process, I am resolving to speak my truth more fully, to seize opportunities as they arise, and to embrace the imperfections of my journey. An invitation to you to have the difficult conversation, make the phone call, take the trip, take a step toward living your dream, or whatever it is you feel called to resolve for you. Here’s to embracing regret and learning from it.

What lessons have you learned from regret?

(I shared these musings as my first substack post. You can follow me here: Substack)

What I am offering:

PSYCHOSOMATIC THERAPY:

During my retreat in October, I offered the ladies a small glimpse of how psychosomatic therapy can be integrated into day-to-day life. I offered an invitation to pause as they walked through the labyrinth and observe their posture. From the placement of their feet to the shifting of their pelvis, the curves in the spine to the top of the head. Noticing how it felt to move and breathe in their current alignment and then after making adjustments and finding internal alignment, to observe once again how it felt to breathe and move. We then practiced moving in this aligned way throughout our yoga practice. Through an introduction to face reading, the ladies had an opportunity to see themselves and their partner more clearly. Seeing their strengths and habitual ways of being showing up in their face was shocking and enlightening to all. If you are interested in learning more about the ways you are showing up in your life, want to see yourself more clearly, or understand yourself with more love and compassion, please reach out and schedule a free consultation with me.

YOGA and RETREATS:

Join us every Tuesday at 8pm MST on zoom for 60 min of yoga, breathwork, and meditation.  Join our Facebook group here to stay up to date on any changes to the schedule:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/1997436973946383/?ref=share_group_link. First class is always free and $10 per class after.

I am offering private, in-home (or online) yoga lessons for those looking for more personalized attention. I love to do private retreats tailored to you and your group’s needs. These offerings are not on my website currently so please reach out via email if a personalized yoga session or retreat is of interest to you.

YOGA RETREAT: I feel so much gratitude for the opportunity I had to host a retreat last month and for the incredible women who joined me. It was an absolutely beautiful evening and profound lessons were learned by each one of us. The theme was “Discovering Your Truth” and each activity was an invitation for each woman to find her center. This quote from one of Sarah Blondins’ meditations brilliantly sums up the reminders offered: “You already know how to stand in your life. No one needs to teach you. You are wise. Let yourself remember this. So, we let go of our doubt. We let go of the fight. We let go of the noise. And we gradually remember what we have known all along. That we are mighty. That we are beloved. That we are still and we are calm. That we are wise and we are whole. That we are capable and we are brave. That we are resilient. And we tend to these truths as the wild garden living within us growing and changing. We honor what is sacred. What quietly lives at the very center of us.” Chanel Thorley, CEO of The Opulence Mindset offered us the most beautiful and harmonious healing sound bath. If you are looking for a talented sound healer or for intentional clothing, made with so much love, I strongly suggest you check out her website here: https://www.theopulencemindset.shop I always love collaborating with my amazingly talented sister, Sara, CEO of Raindrop Visions, and am grateful for the beautiful images she captured of our evening together.  If you are in need of any photo services, email her at raindropvisions@gmail.com.

HIKING:

This month we will be hiking the Vortex on November 16th at 9:30 am. This is a 2.3 mile hike and is rated moderate on All Trails. I look forward to seeing you all on the trail! If you are interested in joining us for a hike, please join our Facebook group here to access meeting times, coordinating rides, updates or changes. https://www.facebook.com/groups/384391280768422/?ref=share_group_link

SALVES:

My salves are made from homegrown, handpicked or foraged organic herbs. Users of these products have found them helpful for the following conditions:

·       Calendula-wound healing, eczema, swollen lymph nodes, diaper rash, reduce scars and stretch marks, burns, bug bites, chapped lips, bruising

·       Pine-achy muscles, joint pain, chest congestion, headaches, fever, insect bites, rashes, cuts

·       Rosemary- (similar properties to Pine) achy muscles, chest congestion, headaches, dry scalp, cuts and bruises

·       Calendula & Rosemary-benefits of calendula and rosemary combined

·       Yarrow-nosebleeds, varicose veins, sprains, bruises, hemorrhoids, and stopping bleeding. This is a great salve to have in any 1st Aid kit.

·       Calendula lip balm-soothes and comforts dry chapped lips

If any of these offerings are of interest to you, please reach out to me at joyfulbalancedhealth@gmail.com

What I am reading:

This month I listened to two outstanding audiobooks. “How to Talk with Anyone about Anything: The Practice of Safe Conversations” by Harville Hendrix and Helen LaKelly Hunt and “How To Love” by Thich Nhat Hanh. Communication has never been a strong characteristic of mine and something I have worked hard to improve over the years. I loved that this book had a template to help guide conversations, especially the more challenging ones. I wish I would have read this book much sooner! “How To Love” offered some beautiful words of wisdom about the emotion of love. I was reminded of ways I can practice being more loving, like being more fully present and listening to understand. Also, the reminder that we can only love others as deeply as we have learned to love ourselves was a timely reminder. I loved the meditations included, which offered an opportunity to practice loving. I highly recommend both of these books! What words spoke most to your heart if you have read either book?

What I am loving:

I am loving the opportunities for learning that have come my way this year. I am in the midst of some challenging lessons and yet I can see how the situations in front of me are an invitation for further growth and learning. I am loving the supportive community I have built over the past several years and am so grateful for the wise, loving souls who offer support and encouragement when I need it most. Thank you and I love you!

With love,

♥️Jessica