Hi angels! I’m writing to you from my sun soaked backyard in San Diego, surrounded by bamboo and looking off into the distance at the violet, palm tree-lined mountains.
Every time I get to enjoy a weekday like this, I think back to my twenty-five years in New York, chasing sunshine in the summer during short lunch breaks at my grueling laboratory job, and wishing I could get paid to write. I always think back to the frustrated feeling of watching life pass me by as I worked tirelessly, many day for reasons I wasn’t even clear on.
It’s such a contrast.
Today, I have stopped worrying about if things are finished or perfect. I have stopped caring if things happen on my timeline. If life pulls me in a different direction, I go there. When a voice inside me says paint, I listen. When my body tells me what it craves, I nourish it. When I feel stagnant, I move. When I feel lazy, I hustle. When I miss making music, I make it. This is the great flow of the cosmos living and moving eloquently inside of and outside of me. There is no longer a voice that says no. Creation is a must for me, in all its forms.
My top tip for creating the life of your dreams is to commit to something bigger than yourself. The fastest path to success starts with enriching your spiritual practice – your ability to look within.
In my experience, you really truly cannot create something meaningful without first having an authentic, loving connection and relationship with yourself. I feel so incredibly grateful for the fact that I get to set my own goals and my own schedule nowadays. And while YES – I end up working WAY MORE now than I did when I was clocking in for someone else – at least I am working on projects that *I* want to work on and am accomplishing and checking goals off my lists that I want to do. It’s so liberating — that feeling of freedom never gets old to me.
I’m so grateful to the wonderful humans who created the projects (and products!) that have shaped my health – without any guarantee that they’d pay off. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for those people – specifically, the people who wrote the books that put me in this mindset to get healthy. The people who made the products that inspired me to get out of bed when I was at my sickest. The people who, through their passion and their stories, inspired me to switch mindsets from I CANNOT to OF COURSE I CAN.
I wanted to feature the incredible brands that do better – so that people like us can feel TRULY well and do what we love and were put on this earth to do.
This might even end up being a Part I, because the list for me is totally endless. Without further ado, here are my health and wellness faves right now:
The Psychic Power of Plants is one of my favorite books of all time. Not only is this gem the original copy published by Signet in 1974 (which makes me giddy!), it confirms, answers and COMPLETELY blows your mind about plant life. Careful scientific testing has shown that plants respond not only to physical care but to mental stimulus as well. Thoughts of violence can be just as damaging to a plant psychically as overwatering is to its roots. Feelings of love can stimulate a plant as much as the most expensive plant foods. This book is fascinating and has really inspired me in my own work recently, as I’m working on book #2 right now 🙂
I started putting He Sho Wu in everything again and have kicked about 5 different colds that threatened to sneak up on me. I LOVE this stuff! I use this in my teas, on my salads and as seasoning for meats, bread and soups. He Shou Wu is a traditional herb and tonic that has a history of use as a longevity, anti-aging, blood-building, beauty, & rejuvenation food. Regular consumption of this herb may tonify and nourish the blood, hair, skin, nervous system, sexual center, shen (Spirit), and Jing (primary essence/life force). It is a tonic for the endocrine glands and may help improve stamina. It’s especially good for resistance to cold by promoting red blood cells. This enhances immune function and increases antioxidant activity.
You guys may have noticed that a few months ago we invested in a kombucha tap for The Organic Life HQ. It’s been AWESOME. We save a ton of money and have kombucha ON TAP! Did I mention it’s on tap?!
Right now we’re rocking GT’s Gingerade and Hibiscus Ginger. SO delicious and amazing! Because it’s naturally fermented with a living colony of bacteria and yeast, Kombucha is a probiotic beverage. This has a myriad of benefits such as improved digestion, fighting candida (harmful yeast) overgrowth, mental clarity, and mood stability. We sip these all day long for energy, gut balance and because they’re really yummy!
Seriously obsessed with this organic soothing body scrub! I use it every night and it’s made SUCH a difference in my skin. Especially in the summer, to fight off dirt, grime and sweat, it’s a MUST! My legs have never been so smooth!
Have a painful or difficult period? This oil has totally balanced me and truly helps during moon time. Seriously, such a lifesaver! Check it out.
I never ever ever ever leave the house without my Swell bottle! I go on hikes every single day and it’s a MUST for hydration!
Did you guys see how to protect yourself from negative energy? A huge part of my practice is protection jewels. My current (and long-time) favorite has been Selenite, a powerful cleansing tool to have in your home, office and sacred space, as it will constantly cleanse, clear and protect the energy of your environment. I also love this Selenite necklace, which provides on-the-go protection from negative vibes. It’s pretty much The Year of the Hater, so I know we could all use it – haha!
Need some bliss in your life? Try this Bliss Booster by MoonDeli, one of my new favorite companies ever! Built along the likes of Sun Potion and Moon Juice, MoonDeli provides high-quality blends of adaptogens, anti-inflammatory herbs and flowers in powder form, for easy-to-add access to your body’s favorite tonics. This cayenne-spiked raw cacao and maca root blend with notes of cinnamon may help relieve stress, enhance vitality, and bring the mind into the present.
This is going to be your fitness best friend! One inexpensive product, that helps develop core strength and improve coordination, balance, and endurance. I LOVE mine!
Thanks for reading my loves! I love sharing these posts with you! Do you have any health and wellness favorites? I’d love to hear about them!