Juice Cleansing

This past Monday I started a 3 day juice cleanse with a local company. I'm currently on my last day and can honestly say the past three days have been some of the slowest of my entire life. Maybe that seems dramatic, but the cleanse has made time move very slowly. This is the first fast I have ever done before and it has not been nearly as glam as people make it out to be. The first day was hard. I went to work and starred at my coworkers food as I missed the sensation of food between my teeth. Day two was not so wonderful either. The real detoxing began and my stomach was upset all day as my liver detoxed. Now here I am, day 3. I'm currently hungry but will leave soon to go receive my super cleanser, afternoon juice, and night juice. 

Cleansing has forced me to be present. I've been somewhat of a hermit this week because I do not want to be around food, it would be too hard. It's amazing how many social situations, especially in my life, relate to food. I love to cook, and with other people. But, the cleanse has been a time to step back and "clean house". I've been doing a lot of work from home and spending time resting, allowing my body to heal itself.

It's incredible the amount of crap that invades the food we eat. Tomorrow I will begin eating food again. I can't wait to chew! Although all I can think about is bread and cheese, the first few days off the cleanse I will be eating raw foods. Fruits, veggies, and good fats.

Many people have asked me why. My answer: to clean my body and give it a chance to repair. I am not a nutritionist (hence, the reason I'm not doing the cleanse alone), but I believe the energy and intention we put behind such actions to heal our bodies is powerful. I found myself eating poorly and craving sugars, a sign that something was wrong. I also found myself feeling yucky and knew it was time to do something dramatic. Another wonderful part of this cleanse has been doing it with other people! The power of community continually amazes me. The owner of the company is SO knowledgable and the other ladies cleansing are so supportive. It's be so nice to relate to these ladies over the past three days.

Have you ever done a cleanse? Planning on one for this fall? There are so many different types of cleanses! To learn more about the cleanse I'm doing look HERE.

hey, September!

My life lately: the last august hike, the latest read, yummy kitchen meals (yahoo for peach season! & carrot bread made from garden carrots!), harvesting lavender and other herbs right now in hopes of making winter teas, macro lens play, editing this gorgeous wedding.

Hello September, I kind of love you. You bring about change and remind me to be thankful for the sunshine. You are the month that 4 of my soul sisters were born (yup, my mom and three girlfriends were all born in september!). You turn the aspens that gorgeous yellow.

This first week of September has been a little crazy. I'm experiencing time management issues with my freelance profession (ie. editing photographs and hustling to finish a book illustration deadline). BUT, I have made the intention to spend more of my time outside and with friends. Next month I go to Indonesia! So crazy. Therefore, I'm soaking in as much Steamboat loving as I possibly can. And holding onto those last tiny bits of summer. It is so short here. Another mighty lesson from the mountains: Appreciate the summer season, it is short, but sweet for certain.

Thanks for sticking around while things have been quiet on the blog, I'm getting back into the groove!

Seek Adventure // King Solomon Falls

Eddie's face in this last photo perfectly describes how he felt about this hike.

We left without a map or trustworthy directions. Our destination: King Solomon Falls, a hidden gem outside of Steamboat. About 30 minutes into our drive I realized I was wearing my birkenstocks, with no hiking boots in sight.

But when we finished this adventurous hike, which involved passing Eddie off after climbing numerous rock faces, we were greeted with a beautiful waterfall. The only other people in sight were a couple celebrating their 6th anniversary. A typical Steamboat couple, they began friendly conversation easily.

While this hike was not for the faint of heart, it was indeed an adventure and I would recommend it to  anyone willing to venture outside of their comfort zone!

Monday Mantra 03

Happy new moon!

This is a great time to make space within your life. Think about something in your life you want to let go of. It's good to make this a journaling exercise... you can make a list... or just start writing to discover what in your life you might need to let go of. A bad habit, an unhealthy relationship, a negative thought pattern.

When we truly release there is room left over for something new and beautiful. SPACE. Trust me, this is so freeing.

This week I'm letting go of my negative thought patterns surrounding my outward appearance. Specifically, my hormonal acne. I'm going to manifest positivity and healthy skin in it's place!

The Hat.

The hat that can turn a shitty week upside down.

The hat that you put a little sage into while road tripping.

The hat that makes you feel somewhat OK about taking self portraits with a pug. (thank goodness for fenced in backyards!)

It seems that every summer I end up with a new hat. This one is pretty perfect for living in a mountain town, where the weather is currently 54 degrees (yup, buh bye summer!) I am also the laziest person in the world when it comes to my hair... so this hat is perfect when the frizzies just won't settle down.

I won't lie, this hat has not made everything better this week. Does anyone know whats going on with astrology? I feel like we're in retrograde. So many crazy events. It is funny how the universe always give us what we need, not what we want. I was faced with several situations this week that challenged me to practice what I preach. There were lots of healing tears and realigning moments with my higher self.

Have a beautiful weekend! I'm shooting my first wedding tomorrow and couldn't be more excited! Eeeep!

Tuesday Tunes

No good excuse this time, Tuesday Tunes on a Wednesday again. Whoops! I really love making playlists for my yoga classes. While you do not need music to practice I truly love it. Music has so much emotion and enhances my ability to feel into the asanas (poses). Expect many more yoga playlists, as it is one of my favorite ways to prepare for my classes.

So here you have a playlist for an hour long class. I try to make my yoga playlists feel like a bell curve (yes, you can feel a bell curve?): smooth beginnings, energetic middles, and slow endings. Enjoy! xo

Monday Mantra 02

I just started reading Pema Chodron's book Living Beautifully with Uncertainty and Change. This book is based off Buddhist philosophy and is deeply rooted in mindfulness. So far, the first chapter has really challenged my thought process. August has been a funky month. Adventurous and exciting, yet there has been a tiny dark cloud constantly looming over me. Change! Lately I have caught myself manifesting negativity and being quiet pessimistic, ways of coping with upcoming transitions and unsteady ground. Therefore, this week's mantra is to drop the storyline.

Chodron's book talks about the "physiological mechanism behind emotion: an emotion, like anger, that's an automatic response lasts just ninety seconds from the moment it's triggered until it runs its course. One and a half minutes, that's all. When it lasts any longer, which it usually does, it's because we've chosen to rekindle it."

Say what? We choose our emotions? (to a certain extent) Ah ha! So, to keep it simple, I'm trying to drop the story line I create around my emotions. If even for a few seconds. 

Happy Monday!

P.S. The above photo is from this day last year! Tobias & I had just begun our European Eurail adventure. This photo is from a walk on the German island Rugen where we camped.