October 2024 Newsletter
Dear friends,
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:
A wise, beautiful friend shared this quote by Ram Dass on her Instagram story this month. (Thank you Shelby) It really resonates with me and helps put words to something I have been learning over and over again this month. “When you go out into the woods and you look at trees, you see all these different trees. And some of them are bent, and some of them are straight, and some of them are evergreens, and some of them are whatever. And you look at the tree and you allow it. You see why it is the way it is. You sort of understand that it didn’t get enough light, and so it turned that way. And you don’t get all emotional about it. You just allow it. You appreciate the tree. The minute you get near humans, you lose all that. And you are constantly saying “You’re too this, or I’m too this.” That judging mind comes in. And so, I practice turning people into trees. Which means appreciating them just the way they are.”
I attended Yin on Fire this month, as a vendor with my sister, Sara. As I managed our booth so Sara could take photos, I had the opportunity to observe and meet so many different people. I caught myself at times making an unconscious judgment of those walking by. As they would stop in to see our booth and engage in conversation with me, I found myself seeing their heart, seeing how much we are all really so alike, and I was ashamed at my initial judgment. I met some of the most talented, inspiring, simply amazing, humans. As the days went on, I found myself observing more and more and wondering with curiosity what talents this person had, or what heartache this person was carrying, noticing the light in their eyes and seeing souls more than I saw their physical form. And I recognized how much happier and lighter and freer I felt when I lost the judgment and the emotion and began to appreciate people exactly for who they were.
What helps you appreciate others just the way they are?
(A little aside-if you are looking for someone who embodies this way of being, who makes others feel so loved and accepted or you just want to feel inspired and uplifted, give Shelby @returnjourneyyoga a follow on Instagram. She is pure goodness.)
What I am offering:
PSYCHOSOMATIC THERAPY:
I have noticed that I am incorporating what I have learned from my training into my everyday life more and more. I am understanding at a deeper level what it really means when we say “our body is speaking” to us. I love that the psychosomatic offerings bring increased awareness, love, and compassion to each individual as they begin to truly see themselves. This work is so transformative! I am so excited to share an introduction to this work at my retreat this month. Please reach out with any questions or respond to this email and set up a free consultation to see how this process could benefit you.
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.
No class on October 22nd as I will be traveling.
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 am looking forward to my upcoming retreat this week. Our theme will be “Discovering Your Truth” and I will be incorporating some Psychosomatics, yoga, meditation, journaling, breathwork, and of course delicious food fresh from the garden. I just completed a beautiful labyrinth on our property and am thrilled that I can incorporate this transformative symbolism into the journey of those attending. I am so excited to partner with Chanel Thorley, CEO of The Opulence Mindset who will be offering us a healing sound bath. If you are looking 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, to capture images of the event. If you are in need of any photo services, email her at raindropvisions@gmail.com.
HIKING:
This month we will be hiking the South Fork of Taylor Creek up Kolob Canyon on October 12th at 8:30 am. This is a 2.7-mile hike and is rated hard due to 1000 feet elevation gain, but oh are the views worth the climb! We will begin a little earlier this month to allow those who are attending the New Harmony Apple Festival a chance to join us. 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 continued reading “Braiding Sweetgrass” by Robin Wall Kimmerer. At Yin on Fire, one of the other vendors came over during a lull in the crowd to say hello. I asked her about her products and she shared that her proceeds were being used as a fundraiser to help bring running water to her family who live on a Navajo reservation. She, like the author of this book, is a scientist who incorporates Indigenous wisdom and tradition into her work. I had a fascinating conversation with her and during our discussion, I shared with her that I have been reading “Braiding Sweetgrass”. Tears came to her eyes and she thanked me for my efforts to learn more about and to honor our beautiful earth.
A passage in the book that really struck me, after this conversation, is something I will leave for you to ponder on. “The cause and the chemistry very from my homeland to yours, but each of us can name these wounded places. We hold them in our minds and our hearts. The question is, what do we do in response? We could take the path of fear and despair…But it is not enough to weep for our lost landscapes; we have to put our hands in the earth to make ourselves whole again. Even a wounded world is feeding us. Even a wounded world holds us, giving us moments of wonder and joy. I choose joy over despair. Not because I have my head in the sand, but because joy is what the earth gives me daily and I must return the gift…. Gifts of mind, hands, heart, voice, and vision all offered up on behalf of the earth. Whatever our gift, we are called to give it and to dance for the renewal of the world. In return for the privilege of breath.”
What gift are you offering?
What I am loving:
I am loving the synchronicities that I have experienced this last month. Ending up at a vendor booth right next to some friends from yoga teacher training, running into other friends from retreats and classes I have taken, and having something that I was in need of but unsure where or how to find it come to me through another dear friend, have all been reminders of how intricately intertwined our lives are. I loved the reminder that our needs are known and that people come into our lives for a reason and that there is much to learn from every interaction we have.
With love,
♥️Jessica