30 Day Plank Challenge ~ Free Pretty Printable!

One of one hundred things I love about my sweet yoga practice, is coming to the mat and just accepting where ever I'm at today. Yesterday I may have been able to go further in a pose. Maybe today one side is looser than the other or I feel more stable- or less. Paying attention and taking in that information with love is helping me grow in so many ways.

With a lower energy these last few months, both my stamina and physical strength are low. That's okay. It makes sense and I am celebrating all that I've been investing in healing.

Now I'm ready to start building back up so I can increase my stamina and hang in there longer. Whether it's at Mommy and Me class, finishing up the dishes after dinner (instead of in the morning), being able to say yes to a friend date that happens after 11am when my energy is fading. Yes. I said 11am. I'm ready to start building back up what has had to be torn down in fighting this dis ease.

Not with crazy goals of hittin' the gym every day or crazy cardio I'm not ready for.
I'm showing up on my mat.
I'm taking long walks.
And giving myself this plank challenge to start building strength to create even more in my life.

If it speaks to you- please join me!
I have a blue, orange, and light orange for you to choose.
Just print it out.
Do it.
And tick the box- done!

To download 30 Day Plank Challenge in blue click here

To download in orange click here

and in a lighter orange click here 

I have a blue, orange, and light orange for you to choose.
Just print it out.
Do it.
And tick the box- done!

Yoga Journal pointers for a strong plank.
Ready to step it up? Mix in some side planks. 
Let me know how it goes for you with a comment below. I'd really love to hear!

xo,
Amy

10 Pick Me Ups for the 3pm Slump

My mind and my soul embrace the day between 7am and 10am. Some days I have more energy than others. Like most people, I hit a wall somewhere around 3pm. Can't go over it, can't go under it, we'll just have to go through it. Here are 10 little pick me ups I sometimes pull out to get me through with greater joy. Or least I'm far less b*tchy.

1. 10 jumping jacks. Or 2. It depends.

2. Plank! 10 seconds...sometimes 60. Yes, just one.

3. Go outside, feel the sun (or fog...) and breathe. Long and slow. 

4. Walk up our hill and back down again. Sometimes around the block. Sometimes for an hour. But for a quick pick me, up and down the block with pep do the trick.

5. Make Dandelion Root Tea and pretend it's coffee. It's pretty darn close!

6. Powder my nose. Brush my teeth, fluff my hair, put on some fresh balm and let the world know I'm ready to make my entrance! Again. Or least back to the kitchen with a more shine. I swear this actually works.

7. Drink a big glass of lemon water. Preferably with a few cucumber slices.

8. One slow, thoughtful Sun Salutation. It helps that I wear leggings with or without stretchy skirts pretty much every day.

9. Pop off a love note. Text my kids something I love about them (the big grown ones, that is), a card that just says hi to someone near and dear, or just text a friend I'm thinking of them.

10 Sit by the sea. This has been my draw since I can remember. The ocean. It helps that I have always lived minutes from the beach. Did you know the salt in the sea (and the Earth) contain negative ions that help zap out all the positive ions bombarding us from technology and even dis-ease? I thought I was just a beach girl. Turns out, my heart has known all along where I need to be. 

Bonus:

11. Dance! Sometimes I can go forever, sometimes I finish the song dancing on the floor down with Em but the rule is I have to finish the song. This is Emily's favorite little trick!

What gets you out of the 3 o'clock slump and ready for the rest of your day? Leave me a note below and maybe I can add a new trick to my bag, too.

xo,

Amy

Leaving Space for Miracles

You know the one about the guy who is waiting for a miracle on top of his house during a flood? It goes something like this...

As the flood waters begin to lap at his rooftop where he waits for a miracle, his neighbor comes by in a rowboat. "Hop in!" says the neighbor.
"No thanks, God will save me."

Shortly  after, a speedboat appears and he waves it on.

A helicopter hovers overhead. "Grab the rope!"
"No thanks, God will save me."

Not surprisingly, the man has his chance to meet God in the hereafter and asks, "God, I had faith. Why didn't you save me?"
God replied, "I sent a rowboat, a speedboat, and a helicopter. What more did you expect?"

I like that guy. I want to be his neighbor. To wave everyday to someone with such an open, trusting heart that the Universe/God will provide.
I feel I've been doing the opposite these last many months. I've been working hard at this healing thing. Taking my medicine, tinctures, teas...doin' my yoga thing. Forgiving. Both myself and others. Meditating, manifesting, and keepin' it positive.

But I forgot one thing the guy on the roof has been doing this whole time.

Leave space for a complete and profound miracle that can happen in a single breath.

Maybe my next one. Maybe yours.
Because they happen every day.

Maybe my miracle is this long, hard, beautiful road of healing dis ease. Of peeling back the layers. Taking a good look and cleaning house. In every way. That is a mighty fine gift. I'm grateful for it.
But I'm going to remember- complete healing through the body, mind, and soul can also happen in that breath.

Let's leave space for that.

xo,
Amy

You might enjoy:

Just Breathe. Willie Nelson's version of a beautiful song.

Gabrielle Bernstein. Author. Miracle maker. Likes to keep it real.

Comfy tee for miracles makers like you.

PS I had a chance to connect with an old acquaintance who quickly became a Soul Sister to me in about 5 minutes flat. When talking about different healing treatments it was she who first said to me "It may not lead to your complete remission and healing in one go...but let's leave space for that." Be smart. Do the work that needs doing. And always leave space for miracles!

PSS by the way...

You Got This.

You got this. Keep going. 

5 Good Vibin' Lyme Blogs I Love

It's not about Lyme Disease, but it is about Lyme Disease. There are as many ways to heal chronic illness, Lyme Disease and all of it's varied co-infections included, as there are people living with chronic dis ease.

When I first put a name to the face, so to speak, I was immersed in Lyme Disease. The science of the infections, the why's, the how's, the what the hell does this mean for me and my family. Whew. That's a whole different blog post (like...1,000 different posts). After getting an albeit ever changing and multi layered treatment protocol rollin', my mind was able to switch from all about understanding illness, the power of food, methylation and genetic precursers 24/7, to a greater focus on wellness and what that would look like for me.

You have to sit in it for a minute. You have to find your own words to explain to friends. To understand what treatments work for your particular body and dis ease. To find resources (yes, doctors and medicines usually play the star role, but that is just the start).

At least I did.

Maybe in your healing trek through your soul you get to skip all of that and straight to

true and profound healing.

I'm getting there. 

In the mean time, I've found some pretty lovely people. Just like you. There are a ton of blogs and scientific resources in many forms to understand Lyme Disease and you should understand do you can be your best advocate. Your very best care provider for yourself. But somewhere in the mix,  I recommend adding these to your blog roll: 

Melissa Rousseau of m.parkestudio. Gorgeous photographs simple and dramatic story telling in her writing. Love. She shares detox resources, immune support, and so much more. Her apothecary shop is expansive. I always learn something new when visiting her site.

Lyme Less Live More by Brent and Dana. A mega load of information on understanding detox protocols, a huge variety of healing paths, guest posts, videos, and information direct from the truly leading experts on Lyme Disease while keeping the light on wellness and healing. Not so much on dis ease.

Kayla of Joy Rises blog is bright and lovely. Detox tips, nourishing recipes, and her bright spirit are filling up this blog. 

Sabbatical Soapbox. Reading April's posts about healing, recipes and tutorials using herbs, her jewelry and more, she reminds me of that gal that lives down the street you never braved introducing yourself to. Warm and open, her blog is cozy- and informative.

Sweet Happy Pie. Yep, shameless plug for my own blog. It's kinda new. It's growing. It's filled with wishes for good. Please add it to your blogroll and let's keep in touch!

What good vibes blog are you enjoying lately? Let me know in the comments  below so I can take follow along!

xo,
Amy 

You are loved.

You are loved.

Valerian Root for Pain Relief and Better Sleep: How to Make Tea

Valerian Root totally smelled like dirty feet to me at first. Now that my body knows that scent means sweet relief, it smells like a whole 'lotta lovely and tastes like it, too!

Most often used for anxiety and insomnia, valerian root in tincture and tea form are frequently used for Lyme pain and insomnia. You heal while you sleep so the better your sleep- the better your healing. 

Valerian root has taken the edge off of joint and nerve pain that was really getting in the way of my evenings lately. Sleeping was becoming difficult as I was waking up with joints that were asking to be put at ease. For me, right now, this tea is powerful. I don't use it everyday but as a wonderful, soothing tool when I feel it will help.

If used regularly, it can begin to have the opposite effect causing jitteryness and difficulty falling asleep. Use it for a week or two then a week or two off. 

This is how I do it:

1 teaspoons dried Valerian Root, loose or in a tea ball

2 cups boiling water

Pour the water over your tea in a mug.

Cover.

Let sit 10-15 minutes (I recommend and steep for 15)

Strain of steeping loose leaf or remove ball.

Enjoy! 

What's working for you lately?

A few more bits about Valerian Root:

Well written over all info on using Valerian Root as a healing herb from Methow Valley Herbs

Dr. Horowitz, author of Why Can't I Get Better? Solving the Mystery of Lyme and Chronic Disease, recommends valerian root tea for insomnia specifically. 

Dr. Nicola McFadzean, ND, a naturopathic doctor, references the use of valerian root specifically for pain here.

xo,

Amy

PS I'm not a doctor or an herbalist. I'm sharing what's working for me in hopes that it will work for you. You are responsible for double checking cross reactions with what you might already be doing and your own homework. Thanks, friend! 

Letting Go of Needing Others to Understand- Navigating Chronic Illness

Please feel free to Pin, share, and post the image above on your blog! I created the image, the background photo is free from A Prettier Web.

Last week, I got side blasted. In your face personal challenge on my own health care choices, care of my family, and just general way of my being. From family. Not fun. Not awesome. And I'm grateful for it.

If you've been faced with tough choices regarding your health (or parenting, or care for a parent, or educational choice, or was ever self treating a common cold), there is someone, somewhere that knows how you could do it better.

You know what you need to do...

If you'd just stop...

My cousin Bob's wife has a friend who totally cured her ____ with just____. I gave her your phone number.

And I'm so freakin' excited about how I reacted! Let me re-word that- I didn't react. I calmly chose how to act in response. Totally high fivin' myself right now just thinking about it. After what seemed like 20 minutes of trying to calmly acknowledge concerns and criticisms, I finally said,

"I have let go of the need for you to understand. If you understood, that would mean you had this same dis-ease and I wouldn't wish that for you."

Bam. Totally. Changes. Everything.

If asked, I will gladly share what's working and what's not. Medical studies, gut health and food choices, books, bloggers, and woo-woo theorists with family and strangers. 

If asked, I will listen with an open heart to concerns, fears, stories of healing... and magazine clippings.

But I no longer feel any need to breathlessly explain or defend. And, friends, it's a pretty awesome feeling.

My next post will have a handy dandy list of kind and hopefully neutralizing replies to very common things people say...but really shouldn't. 

First comes letting go. Of attachment to what others do with the information you share, of their feelings or fears, of their choices.

Then you can respond with love for yourself and for them.

Have you ever felt under attack for your choices? How did you handle it? What works for you?

xo,

Amy

Permission: Just Watching the Waves

Today I am giving myself permission to simply look at the sea.

Growing up at the beach, and in particular at a famous tourist beach, I have wondered at people who simply set themselves up in the sand and...spend the day looking at the sea.

To me, the sea was for diving through, scooping under waves, attempting to ride it, being tumbled around in it's waves then coming up to gasp for air and doing it all over again. Even when my boys were little I was busy running in the waves with them. The sea was my foe and my friend. 

I'm finding a peace with walking on the shore. Just sitting in the sand, watching. Breathing in the salty, and sometimes stinky, sea air. I can hear sea gulls as I write this and not that long ago it would make my heart ache to not feel strong enough to brave the waters. Today I am well enough to tuck our little girl in the car and walk along the shore. 

And for today that is enough.

30 Days of Movement: a personal challenge

Today in the middle of doing other "more important" things I grabbed my mat and jumped on. For yoga on the porch with the pumpkins.

After finding RowdyKittens blog and then her Instagram images of lovely walks, I was inspired.

Walking and hiking are both adventures, large and small, I used to do and love. Yoga is my second love and, like many good love stories, slowly taking over my heart.

With all of the tools at hand for healing and feeling amazing, movement is often the most accessible. Yet, I find have been spending very little time giving myself this time and energy. 

Here are my usual excuses and what I try to remind myself:

1. I'm too tired. No. Seriously exhausted.

I know you are. But somehow when I find 30 minutes to move my body with care and love, I find an extra 60 minutes of energy in my day. Crazy. Just 5 minutes makes a difference. 

2. It hurts.

Honey, it won't hurt any more on the the yoga mat or walking down the beach. And it always, always hurts less once you get up and get there. 

Even if there is just to the porch to breathe deeply in the sun. I honor for right now it might be in the hospital bed or home on bedrest (been there). Breathwork can be a powerful tool in so many ways. Just one resource to look closer at using breathework from Dr. Weil (video with sound).

3. I should be doing ____ for the house/family/food prep/research then I'll make time for exercise.

When I take care of myself, I have so much more to give.

30 days of movement, starting today. No excuses. It all counts. 3 minutes or 30. Just show up and try.

A few resources:

• Grokker: Yoga, Fitness, Cooking. Well produces videos for every level- free!
• A gentle yoga practice focused on healing through pain on Grokker
• Amazon Prime membership offers a gazzillion free exercise & wellness videos
• Your library. DVD's and some are now offering downloads. Free.
• Creating Meaningful Morning Routine microcourse by Courtney Carver. $10 investment. 

 I'd love to do this with you! Would you like to join me? Leave a note below and tell me your favorite ways to get up and get moving. And what might be holding you back.

xo,

Amy

PS  There are no affiliate links in this or any post. Just sharing.

Organizing Multiple Medicine Times- Free Printable!

Keeping track of what medicines, supplements, binders like Bentonite Clay, and helpful pro-biotics to take and with what can get mighty tricky when you go beyond one multi-vitamin in the morning.

My own care professional kindly provides a spread sheet with all of the recommended supplements, medicines, etc that we plan together. It has saved me hours. Some you can't take with any acids (including lemon water), others need to be 4+ hours away from mineral supplements (nettle tea included). With food, without food...it get's complicated.

After making a few tweaks, I have a simple printable form for you to print and use.

Just click here to download the pdf. If you have any questions or problems, just email me. 

Here are the basics of how I use mine:

• Left column is the name of your supplement, medicine, prescription, etc. I also note milligram here.

• You could make each column or time of day is a different color to make it easy as your eye scans the list

• Along the top, the following general times are written in:
• Waking
• Breakfast
• Mid Morn
• Lunch
• Mid Afternoon
• Dinner
• Bedtime

*I do not put specific times as the titles are a reminder to me that I need to take them WITH a meal or after a meal.

• In the cross section, I write dosage ex. 15 drops or just 2 if it's a tablet

• Under Notes are little reminders like "in 4 oz of water" or "Monday thru Friday only"

And that's about it. Making this worksheet is a great reminder to double check that I'm taking everything with care so it can work to my biggest and best advantage. 

Do keep all original instructions and care advice from your doctor/care provider so you can easily cross reference and double check. 

And you should totally write your name on it, then promptly put a heart around it. 

Because you are the most important person to love. 

How do you keep track of your daily self care dos? Comment below and please share- I'd love to hear!

xo,

Amy

PS Medicines and supplements are just a part of healing chronic illness or, really, healing of any kind. And for some they do not play a role in a persons healing. Which is awesome. This is just one piece. One piece I hope to make a little easier for you!

One Tiny Change: Moving Towards Healing

It's such a tiny thing. A sweet little tea cup that now sits in my medicine hutch. And, yes. It's an entire hutch. Every day, many times a day, I would fumble as I poured pill after pill into my hand, then attempt to use that same quickly filling hand to open the next bottle. Sometimes dropping pills, every time using far more energy than it really should take. Why was I making it harder than it needed to be? That, my friend, is the million dollar question.

Why do we get in our own way?

I don't really know. But I'm staying open to finding out. And in the meantime, making things easier for myself along the way.

One tiny change, using a sweet little tea cup to corral all of these little pills with ease, is part of the bigger picture for me. 

Part of the change is accepting that, for right now, this is the new normal.

Part of the change is embracing it. Embracing this current normal. I've stopped complaining in my heart and resisting all of this medicine I have to take. Instead, I open the cupboard doors and take a moment to say "Thank you". To give thanks that I can have access to all of this medicine.

There's more. But this is one tiny change I've decided to make and I can feel the difference it's making. 

What changes/shifts are you making that are helping in your life? I'd love to hear!

xo,

Amy

Managing Pain in the Moment- Free Printable!

Pain sucks. Having tools on hand, and a list to remind me of them, helps. 

As I was sketching this post out I mentioned it to a friend. She mentioned how helpful it is to have a list of tools you know so you can just grab it and take action when you can't think straight. I have one! On my phone. Not very helpful. So, I made up the simple printable at the bottom, added some tools I know and taped it inside my kitchen counter. I invite you to do the same. 

Here are just a few tools I use in the moment. I'll share more on preventative tools later.

Using mantras

Essentially, saying the same word or phrase over and over in a rhythm. 

• I say to myself, "I am not in pain, I am not in pain" over and over.Teresa Spafford, an incredible body worker in many forms of massage and Gyrotonics taught me that one.

• Sometimes, I say to myself "This is not pain, it's information". I follow that with trying to listen to what my body is trying to tell me. What may have led to this, and what different choices I can make. Changes I might need to make in my treatment, paying attention to what isn't working for me right now, old tools/new tools I can add...This helps me feel in control when the pain can make me feel like I don't have any. 

Find your own word, statement, or sound and give it a try.

Visualization

This is what people mean when they say "Find your happy place.". Picture yourself where you want to be and how you want to be.

• I picture a strong, gentle ocean wave washing through my body. I visualize the micro swirls of water within each wave clearing out every tiny space in my joints or the area I'm feeling the strongest. Incredibly powerful for me.

• You may see yourself simply pain free, walking down the street. Standing on a mountain top you just climbed. Sitting peacefully on a cloud. Running that marathon...find your happy place.

Combined with controlled breathing, slow movement, or just getting up and going outside, with a little practice, this can be a powerful tool to get through the moment.

Distraction

• When possible, go outside. Breathe deeply. Focus on the shape of the trees, the buildings, listen to and separate all the sounds around you.

• Rest when you need to. Move when you can.

•  Do one thing in the slowest motion you can focusing on movement and breath. Try Yoga Journal's modified sun salutation video here just to get a peek.

• Stand up and walk backwards. Another trick from Teresa Spafford. You brain has to focus on this odd task, literally interrupting the brains pain messages.

Now, please print this simple printable and put it somewhere handy, like the inside of your kitchen cupboard. As tools come to mind, jot them down. Next time, you'll have a handy list to get you through.

A few links you might find useful:

• EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique or Tapping: An article by Dr. Mercola. An excellent pain management tool for many.

• Coffee Enemas. Yep, I just said that. I haven't found a groove with using this tool, but friends swear by it. Often used for detox, they are also used for pain relief. Here's a not too weird (I promise) video with the why and how from The Wellness Warrior, Jess Ainscough

There are as many ways to manage pain as there are people trying. I share a few that are currently working for me. 

I'd love to add more tools to my bucket. What is working for you lately?

Hello, Lyme Disease

Well, my friends, I have so much to tell you. Just weeks after my last post, now over 6 months ago, I finally got in to see yet another doctor. Not something I think I really ever mentioned here. But this time was different. He had answers. At least a few of them. And it's been a crazy ride since then.

Lyme Disease. A few co-infections, a smattering of other little blips, and another "chronic illness" showed in my extensive  blood work, other lab work, exam, and history.

Bam. Did. Not. Expect. That.

Treatment started and things got pretty gnarly. Then they got better. It's a mixed bag of good days and harder days. 6 months have seemed like a life time. I have wanted to disappear. I have wanted to say hi. What I want now is to come back and keep sharing with you.

I do have lot's of amazingness to share with you, with or without Lyme, and for right now, Lyme is a part of it. How about if I keep doing what I started out doing here? I'll keep sharing books I love, recipes I think you'd love to, and things I'm learning along the way. I can't just push through to get it done anymore. Learning to work smarter, not harder is helping me create a new normal that is abundantly full. I'd like to share what I'm learning with you, killer recipes included.  Deal?

Handstitched Projects for Real Deal Bedrest

No more half a*s bedrest.
I didn't realize how much I've begun popping up and "just getting a little something done". The dishes in the dishwasher are not important. A half done bun in the oven...very important. It's not that I've HAD to it's just so hard NOT to! We are just 6 months along and continuing to having a gazillion contractions. My Fisherman's dear Mom has come up for the week and will be both keeping me company and generally helping get things caught up. My own wonderful mother, caring friends, and The Fisherman himself have all been wonderful. It's really I who haven't asked for the help I've been needing.  *There are baking, canning, and general busy-ness posts already photographed and scheduled to be shared but I promise I'm taking it easy*

So...this week I'll be working on the following projects:

Embroidered cuckoo clock from Little Dear Tracks. I'm particularly excited about this one!

400 pom poms. These are darling book marks by Design Mom but I'll be making little red pom poms for an upcoming holiday garland project.

Some variation of these gorgeous handstitched Frida Kahlo embroideries. Fabric and Embroidery Hoop by nicolemonjeau , all felt Hoop by BirdFace, Frida pattern by laceandsparrow.

What's up for your week? I'd love to hear!
xo,
Amy

Bed Rest DIY Project Round Up

All is well but Chillaxin' is the order of the week by my midwife and by order of my Fisherman. Carrying both of my boys required three months of full bedrest. Practicing Spanish, stacks of audiobooks, learning new embroidery stitches...I kept busy.

I'm not worried about this wee one either, just taking it easy to keep things calm and rolling along in good time. A little walk here and there and getting up to cut out 24 tiny  pinwheels are all on my Can Do list. Then it's back down for resting. Not exactly resting. One can get a heck of a lot done while laying on your side. Trust me.

Later this week I'll be sharing more of what I've been working on but for now, here's a round up of projects to do while on bedrest, full or moderate. Oh, and here's a great over-view article with a list of things you might not of thought of if this is your first rodeo time on bedrest. One word to the wise: ask for help in prep and gathering materials. People want to support you, they just might not know dropping by a handful of glue sticks will make your day.

1. Stitching Handwriting on Cards 2. Sweater Wreath 3. Home Management Binder 
4. Handmade Envelopes from Magazines 5. Paper Pinwheels  6. Organize Recipes
7. Photobooks 8. Scrap Map 9. Learn to Embroider Videos

For more of my favorite crafty ideas, follow along with my Pinterest board, Handmade!
Enjoy!
 xo,
Amy