Stories

In the summer of 2021, in an attempt to avoid crowded waiting rooms, I decided to investigate online a bit before visiting the doctor about a urinary tract infection (UTI). From the bottom of my heart I thank the Dublin ladies behind liveutifree.com for helping me survive this ordeal.

If you’ve ever stared at Facebook’s Ads Manager and thought, “There’s got to be another way,” good news, there is.

You don’t need to burn money to grow your audience. What you need is a system.

Facebook is still the biggest free audience platform on the planet, and with a few smart tweaks, you can turn it into a lead-generating machine for your email list. No ads. No algorithm nightmares.

Let’s dive in.

Many of you have probably heard the phrase “Death Doula” in articles and on social media and said to yourself, “What does that even mean? Sounds a bit ominous.” I am here to explain.

Imagine self-care taking less effort and giving more back to you. Showing up to your practice with energy to spare becomes your new normal.

If you want better self-care — or simply more of it — set that intention before reading further. As practitioners, coaches, and healers, we pour ourselves into supporting others. Yet sustaining ourselves rarely adds up. We patch together routines, search for ways to recover, and still end up burned out, isolated, or running on empty.

Most people think burnout is about being tired. It shows up in long hours at the office, in the loss of drive on personal projects, and in waking up exhausted no matter how much rest has been taken. In businesses, burnout takes the shape of stalled creativity and tense teams. At home it might look like irritability, emotional distance, and health that slowly slips away.
 

The World Health Organization gives burnout a narrow definition; workplace exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced professional efficacy. The reality most people live with reaches further. People suffer from fatigue that sleep does not fix, dissociation and depression that creep into daily life, brain fog that erodes concentration, and loss of drive in both professional and personal spaces.

Have you ever lost your car keys? Or arrived at the grocery store and realized you’ve left your wallet at home? I have and I’ll bet many of you have, too. You know how much stress and anxiety these situations create, and all because we were not present when we put our keys down (somewhere!) or were preparing to go to the store.

Cultivating a practice of deliberate presence can help us be more relaxed, productive and confident in our daily activities.  This practice is not about erasing our thoughts. It’s about becoming aware of the process of thinking so that we are not in a trance, lost inside our thoughts (which is when we lose our keys!). That’s the big difference. 

Camping always resets the mind. Last weekend, I escaped the buzz of screens for the crackle of a campfire. It was basic: a fire ring, cool dirt, the sound of a creek, trees breathing in the wind, no notifications, no distractions.

But there was one unexpected neighbor: a red ant colony.

This ant colony showed me what focus and determination mean. This was a great business lesson!

In an age where many are seeking more natural and preventative approaches to health and wellness, essential oils offer a simple yet powerful addition to your self-care routine. Used for centuries in herbal traditions, these plant-based remedies can gently support the body in navigating common, everyday discomforts—from digestive upset to sleep challenges. Best of all, they offer ease of use and can be integrated into your wellness lifestyle with just a few basic tools.

Here’s a beginner-friendly guide to using essential oils for everyday ailments, with a focus on safe, effective, and holistic care.

These days, simply existing can feel like running a marathon while juggling flaming swords. Between endless phone notifications, unpredictable world events, and, well, life in general, our nervous systems are pushed to the max. We spend more time in a stressed response, versus being relaxed and at rest.

The good news? You don’t need to escape to a silent retreat or go on an eat, pray, love journey to get a sense of calm and clarity. The body is wise. And it comes equipped with built-in tools to help you reset your nervous system—tools that are free, gentle, and surprisingly effective when practiced consistently.

Here are five of my favorite ways to soothe your nervous system, returning it to a parasympathetic state—no yoga mat, voyage to the Himalayas, or fancy device required. Just simple, practical actions.

Are you having trouble staying in a positive state of mind when challenging circumstances present themselves? The Universal Laws state: so without, so within. Everything is a mirror. We cannot change the reflection, but we can change the origin (ourselves), and then automatically, the reflection changes. 

Here are five steps that can help you cultivate not only a positive mindset, but also the feeling state necessary for the positive Law of Attraction. The more you focus on bringing awareness to accepting and loving yourself, the more your inner beauty and harmony is reflected in your outer circumstances. 

The special knack of meditation is to develop the one who pays attention, the watcher. When we do a simple sitting meditation, we sit comfortably with our eyes closed and just begin to watch the energies that move within us all the time: thoughts, sensations, emotions. We develop the knack of simply watching these distractions go by with a feeling of friendly acceptance. 

How do we acquire this knack? We begin by being a witness to the mind, by becoming separate from the mind.

As a holistic practitioner, your work is centered around healing, well-being, and balance—whether it’s through nutrition, acupuncture, massage therapy, herbal medicine, or energy work. You help others find harmony in their bodies and minds, but have you considered how financial wellness fits into that equation?

Many holistic practitioners focus deeply on their craft but overlook the importance of financial security. The truth is, financial wellness is just as essential as physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Without a strong financial foundation, stress and uncertainty can undermine your ability to serve clients effectively.

Energy is a hot topic these days. Not like it was in the 70’s when we had to line up for gasoline, but much closer to home, so to speak.

Today, we are more focused on our own internal energy, the subtle energies around us, and also how much physical energy we have to get us through our day! Unfortunately, western medicine is ill-equipped to help us with any of these. And yet, our energy matters. It is of vital importance in our lives. 

So what steps can we take to properly assess and then enhance our energy?

The skin itself is a multi-functioning, living, breathing organ. It has its own immune system, its own hormones, its own microbiome. It's intelligent and it's vast. The skin is the largest organ on the outside of the body, literally protecting all of our internal organs, systems and bones. It is truly our first line of defense, and  works so hard for us, every single day. There are many factors that can drastically affect how the skin is functioning. As a holistic esthetician and someone who has overcome chronic psoriasis naturally, understanding my own daily habits was a major factor in my own healing journey. 

To grasp the depth of the statement "Love is life and life is love," we must first explore our individual truth about love. Love is a concept that has been defined in various ways — ranging from biblical interpretations to modern-day perspectives. For instance, Wikipedia describes love as "a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure." The dictionary also defines love as both a noun — an intense feeling of deep affection or a great interest or pleasure,  and a verb— to feel deep affection for someone or to greatly enjoy something.

For me, love is more than just an emotion or feeling; it is the energy, force, or frequency that created all that is. I call it Intelligent Love, a concept I learned from Dr. Joe Dispenza, a researcher, lecturer, and New York Times best-selling author known for his work on the mind-body connection and the impact of meditation on health and well-being. In my eyes, love is the Creator or what many call God.

We are living in a fast-paced environment. Our lives are going fast, our internet is high-speed and even our cars are faster. We are programmed to want fast results or instant gratification and so many individuals find themselves juggling multiple responsibilities, often at the cost of their mental wellness. They put everyone and everything before themselves. 

Empowerment coaching can be a transformative resource to help people build confidence, resilience, and a sense of control. With a customized approach, empowerment coaching provides a supportive framework for creating healthy habits, healthy behaviors and developing skills that enhance your overall emotional well-being. 

The holiday season is often depicted as a time of togetherness, joy, and family closeness. For many, however, this narrative intensifies feelings of loss and grief, especially for those who are estranged from family members. 

Estrangement from family can be complex, painful, and multifaceted, especially when the disconnect is permanent or indefinitely unresolved. When a person feels disconnected from their family, they might wrestle with deep feelings of sadness, anger, or betrayal — emotions that often surge during the holiday season. 

Examining this topic from a therapeutic lens can provide insight into understanding, validating, and ultimately supporting individuals as they navigate these challenges.

If you’re thinking of taking up a personal yoga practice, it can seem intimidating at first. Any research into yoga studios in your area probably brought up classes for Vinyasa, Hatha, Ashtanga, Bikram, Iyengar, Gentle, Restorative, Yin, Kundalini, Power, etc. 

You then ask yourself, which one should I choose? Will any even work for me? What if I’m a beginner? What if I’m not thin or “flexible”? What if I had rotator cuff surgery? 

In this article, I’ll give you three key factors to think about so that you can make an educated decision as to where to start and not put yourself in a position that could lead to injury.

One unique and increasingly popular approach to mental health is taking time on the path of a labyrinth.

Labyrinths have been around for more than 4,000 years and are a wonderful way to reduce stress through a mind-body exercise. By combining walking and contemplation, your mind and body sync differently and you release some stress.

Have you considered all the ways that the world has changed since March of 2020 and some of the good that has resulted from those early, crazy days?

Now, on the other side, it is easier to see the benefits of change. More is available from the comfort of home -- No parking hassles! No traffic! The ability to meet with people from all over the world!

Even better, one of the changes to come out of these past few years is that MORE people are looking for holistic approaches to health and wellness, MORE people are open and looking for members like you, who offer products and services for overall wellness and with no negative side effects.