The rhythm by which you inhabit your days becomes the shape of your life.  Personally, as I navigate life, I can find myself in a state of grind and hustle– the responsibilities I feel and the environments I encounter often can disassociate me from my body and heart. My actions in this state are driven by an undertone of stress, rush and worry. I have learned through mindfulness practice that anxiety is a “symptom” and sign that I must prioritize tending to the needs of my mind, body, and spirit. There are many tools being recommended to us at an overwhelming rate, what I am presenting here is not intended to be qualified under the guise of “self-improvement”, neither to increase efficiency, success, or accomplishment. Building a sanctuary for your heart involves only what feels right to you. It transcends the modern concept that if you stick to your “self-love” regimen, checklist and adhere to advice coming from outside of yourself that life will get better. I have learned through experience that the concepts and tasks I layered upon my already busy life only further diluted the messages from my heart. Today is Nyepi or “day of silence” in Bali. Collectively, the Balinese honor the first day of the year with meditation, rest, and reflection. The airports are closed, the hospitals open only for emergency cases, and no one is allowed on the street– the entire region is completely quiet. To experience the respect of such a value at such a scale is truly moving. As I sit here, I am reflecting upon what is truly sacred in my life and creating a foundation of non-negotiables so I may live in alignment with my heart.   Building A Sanctuary For Your Heart Reflective questions:  What are the overarching values and themes that encompass each of my days? What is driving my next action? Fear or love? What is the quality behind how I am feeling as I perform the action? Are my mind and body relaxed and at ease? A contemplation:  Reflect upon the foundational aspects that make up your life. Then contemplate how can you build a safe structure and foundation of non-negotiables that nourish your mind, body, and spirit. These are not accomplishments, they are not a check list of self-improvement tasks– they are an exploration and a communication with your heart. These are rituals that fill you with joy and allow your mind and body to relax.  Currently I cultivate a heart driven life by: Instilling a regular mindfulness and meditation practice  Taking in food and plant medicine made with love  Attending support groups and cultivating community Passing time in nature Giving and receiving love  Upholding boundaries that allow for healthy + respectful relationships "No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it." Albert Einstein    

“And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, or managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, in fact, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what the storm is all about.” Haruki Murakami It is through my own journey, and as well through many of yours we chose to set forth in creating our newest collection and the supportive dialog for TRANSCEND.  Simultaneously this time period held some of the most profound healing and embodiment I have been offered so far in this life. I had many 'energetic + spiritual teachers' tell me I needed to ‘choose myself’, that ‘I held all I needed’-- though I couldn't understand why these messages were so paramount at the time, I thought I had already gotten it, I thought loved myself. Then...the pain, fear, grief, hopelessness, loneliness – they arrived and cut deeply, sharply, and quickly often without a moment to respond before the strength of emotion set in. As I weaved my way through these recent experiences my heart has been cleansed, it has learned to let go of what it cannot control so I can focus on gratitude, the sweet simplicity of each moment. My heart, it has softened, become more tender and compassionate. I’ve begun to notice the brightness in the purple flowers bursting upward toward the sun, the crisp blue hue of the sky, the steam from my morning tea, the aliveness of my daughter as she creates, and the way strangers smile at one another on the street. For me, this is when I realized what true love is, not the kind I was conditioned to seek but the kind that cannot be taken from me because it is cultivated in my own heart.  Much of the pain I experienced was entrenched in societal conditioning which was quite literally blocking me from joy and the magic of life. This quote by Sharon Salzberg captures the concept well,  “There is an idea of the ‘magical other’, the one person who will make things work, a soulmate who will repair the ravages of our life, one who will be there for us, read our minds and know our deepest wants, a good parent who will protect us and spare us of the perilous journey of individuation. This is hard-wired into our neurological network. We may be terribly disappointed to realize our fantasy is a ‘phantom’ but this awareness can actually usher in relief, recognizing that each of us is in charge of our own happiness which will lead to actual satisfying and reciprocal relationships.” In my own process of evolution, thus far, I have come to learn that real love whether it in romance, family, friendship or community is not conditional. Real love is choosing connection not perfection, in all of its authenticity and can only be felt by letting go of control rooted in fear.  “It is not the perfect but the imperfect who have need of love, and that means every last one of us.” Oscar Wilde   As ND, Dr. Emily Wiggins and I began developing TRANSCEND we hoped to offer plant allies to all humans in order to soften the barriers to the heart and the open to the realm of spirit. The hero ingredients in TRANSCEND consist of: ROSE Across cultures, religions and history our human connection with the rose is one of the most revered. The rose emits one of the highest vibrational frequencies amongst flowers and is known to release barriers of the heart and usher the ability to give and receive love. It can help to heal emotional wounding while enhancing the capacity to nurture and embrace compassion.  HAWTHORN Known archetypically as an ‘herb for the heart’ and a protector of the sacredness of life. Medicinally hawthorn helps to regulate the vagus nerve, as well it aids in purification and cleansing. Gently guiding one into deeper embodiment, openness, and clarity. ANGELICAAwareness of benevolent spiritual forces, protection and guidance from higher realmsLOTUSEnhancing spiritual awareness; deepening meditative experience.QUEEN ANN'S LACEBalanced opening of third eye; integration of psychic life with emotional life.STAR TULIPSoftening any resistance to the spiritual realm; ability to feel soul communion with higher spiritual forces. This is my path and I humbly share it with the hope that you are inspired to dive into the journeys, the plants, and the connections that call to your own story, in your own body, in your own healing.

Multicellular insects and animals consumer the life-force converted by the plants from the sun for energy. This ancient process takes place in the mitochondria of a cell. A cubic centimeter of mitochondria can produce ten times more electromagnetic frequencies than a cubic centimeter of the sun which means the field of our own bodies and those of plants and animals radiate outward far beyond that of our own physicality.  When you hug another person you are quite literally sharing the sunshine radiating out from one another.