Episode #1

I had the opportunity to zoom chat with my dear friend Robin Correa of the Big Island of Hawaii this past weekend. Whatta joy + pleasure to Talk Story with her!

Instead of writing about what Talk Story means, I wanted to hear about it from someone who has marinated in the Hawaii vibes and directly understands the cultural meaning of this term.  

Robin grew up on the Big Island (with the exception of a 12-year gap in Colorado, where we met). She has lived in the state of Aloha most of her life and currently runs and operates her Dad's business, Jay's Custom Cabinets . . Robin and I met in a BNI group that we were both a part of in Denver, CO. While at an Arbonne party that was thrown by a fellow member, I did a card reading for Robin from an Ascended Masters deck. This deck has representations from cultures and spiritual sects throughout the world. The card I pulled was 'Hina', which is the Hawaiian Goddess of the Moon! Ever since, we pretty much knew...

Greetings! Experimental chef here!

Because I don't always plaaaaaaan for what my pallet might desire at any given moment, I was super delighted to find a recipe online that I happened to have ALL of the ingredients for! Well, almost... For those who insist that baking is an EXACT science, well, I'm not a baking expert, but I modified this recipe a smidge and it was a total hit with my husband and his landscaping crew! That's enough 'science' for me!

I found this recipe from Spoon With Me and it.is.d.LISH!!! My version turned out cornbread-esque, which I looooooved. I only had 3 bananas vs. 4 and only added about 1/4 of the sugar. As well, I've been vibing on cream of buckwheat cereal as of late and decided to Vitamix the cereal into flour. I didn't blend it into a fine powder (which you can). This is why/how it had a cornbread-ish texture. It was so yum I had to share!!!

This makes a great breakfast bread + afternoon snack!

Enjoy friends!

Recently at a dinner party, I engaged in some exploratory conversation with friends-of-friends who I had just met. One of them had asked about my entrepreneurial pursuits in my bodywork practice. As I shared, I divulged a theory that I've curiously thought about for years about our fascial system and how it functions in similar ways to other systems we see in nature.

In a world of comparisons, my 'intellectual side' paled in comparison to this gentlemen's clear, laser sharp mind and acumen. Even so, I genuinely shared my perspective that was devoid of any 'scientific proof' and exclusively born through intuition.

It's interesting to note that as I was sharing, I found it difficult to access my 'inner knowing' in a clear manner. It's as if there was an interruption to my thought process that made it difficult to articulate my thoughts. This accentuated a feeling of insecurity around my sharing as it was clear that this person highly valued science and appeared to...

A handful of years ago, 5 1/2 to be exact, I was invited to accompany a new friend of mine on a 4-day Shamanic retreat in New Mexico. My friend confided that the feeling to extend the invitation for me to join him was rather unusual. He had been going to these retreats and studying with his teacher for years and he rarely mixed his friendship and spiritual worlds together. Apparently, the sense was so strong for him that he even offered to pay a portion on loan for me. I said yes to it all and off we went.

Several months prior, this same friend had given me the book Awaken the Inner Shaman: A Guide to the Power Path of the Heart by Jose Stevens. Jose was my friend's teacher. I was so inspired by this book that I had incorporated parts of what I was learning into a workshop that I held earlier that year. Really, really good stuff.

The retreat was held at Eagle Bear, which is a remote piece of land about an hour or so outside of Santa Fe. At the time of my visit, there...

In 2013, my mind was blown in discovering Daniel Vitalis's telling of the origins of Santa Clause. Although brief, he breaks down the symbology of modern day Christmas as we know it.

I have since felt a kinship with the Holy Day known as the Winter Solstice. Various wisdom traditions throughout time also herald the Soulstice as one of the great, spiritual thresholds each year. 

The stories that emerge from any spiritual based path, especially stories of holy days, are enigmatic to say the least. But that's partly what peaks our curiosity + inquiry, isn't it? I find it interesting + exciting, at the very least, to consider the merit behind these uncovered tales...

LISTEN/WATCH:: 

 Santa was a Shaman?!

+  A DEEPER DIVE...

 The Shamanic Origins of Christmas

Let's Talk Story...

Is this the first time you've heard this story? Do you feel receptive to this...

I originally posted this on Jan 9, 2016 in my blog, Talk Story. As those of you who know me already know, I am a sucker for puns and I love to officiate the marriage of two perfect words, coming together as one. Because I still drink cacao and believe in its' magical + heart opening medicinal properties, I salvaged + revamped the original post as it's still relevant as ever and a great support for upcoming holidays and seasonal transitions! Learn more about the incredibly powerful properties of Chaga Mushrooms HERE.

I source my Cacao from 3rd Eye Elixirs™ here in Austin, TX and highly vouch for their quality, taste + creations! Additionally, I've sourced my chaga mushrooms from Herbs + Arts in Denver, CO and highly recommend The Herb Bar + Earth Commons here in ATX. Check your local herbal supplier if you live elsewhere.

This is one of my Faves and is layered with some of the most nurturing and healing elements on...

I am a mad scientist/amatuer culinary artist in the kitchen. I measure in pinches (taste-testing predominantly) + rarely read recipes. If I do, I barely read them in full. Perhaps it's a patience issue, but I prefer to allow my imagination + creativity take the lead. As I was checking out at the grocery store the other day, an image on the cover of a food magazine caught my eye. It had roasted baby tomatoes, macaroni pasta + veggies, all coated in a thickened tomato paste-like sauce. All I needed was one glance to spark my imagination of how to create my own version at home. I gotta say, it turned out scrumptious! And while my husband usually loves what I cook, he doesn't love leftovers. BUT.. he ended up liking this meal so much that he took it for lunch the next day. Win! 

So here it is folks! This dish can be made sans (without) the gluten or dairy. See recipe below.

Stuffed Mushrooms::

Preheat oven to 375' F

• Small block of melted Earth Balance
• 1...

RESISTENCE..

"I'm not a tech person, I'm a healer!" said a defiant voice in my head.

It was that voice that had me seeing through the lense of 'laboring' in my work space and feeling drained by the end of the day. 

Thankfully, my magical mind stepped in to take the wheel. I realized that I needed a perspective shift to support my acclimation process in logging more hours on a computer.

RECREATE..

I started with changing the aesthetics on and around my desk. A new lamp helped to create the perfect ambiance + lighting. I upgraded to a new, blue velvet BOSS CHAIR that I found at World Market for 1/2 off (thank you Universe!)! I rearranged the wall space that faces me to support my focus + feels. A couple of plants moved in a few other things that I mention in the video....

MENTAL SHIFT..

I would say that what has helped me (equally if not more) in switching my mindset of how I think of this space. It's not my work space, it's my CREATION STATION!!!

Below are links to a...

Here I share a little perspective on what it means to Live in Synchronicity. Have a listen!

This morning I followed the vision I received to walk to Merit coffee in downtown Austin and received an unexpected gift and powerful reminder of the healing process.  Have a listen!