Transcend the Bullshit: How to Meditate Like A Spiritual Badass
Illustration by the talented Gemma Correll

Illustration by the talented Gemma Correll

Stressed? Overwhelmed? Overworked? Confused? Depressed? Lost? Is life handing you a general shit-storm of challenges you need to figure out how to tackle lest you find yourself in the looney bin?

Samesies.

In all honesty, life the last few years has been challenging, on absolutely every level. Yet, throughout it all, I can feel myself transforming on every level as well. However, growing pains are aptly named, and there has been one constant that has kept me somewhat sane throughout the life roller-coaster that is your 20’s. #millenialwoes

Meditation.

I know, I know. We are all being bombarded by articles nowadays that are highlighting all of the benefits of meditation, like how it can calm your nervous system. Or how it can improve your connection with your self and your envirnment. Even if the science behind it checks out, maybe it is hard to wrap your head around becoming one of those “hippie-dippie meditating folks”. (I promise, eating kale isn’t a requirement.)

Perhaps many of you have tried to meditate, and “just couldn’t do it.” You sat down on that expensive meditation cushion the woman at the store promised would guarantee enlightenment in 20 minutes or less, and found yourself staring down an endless stream of thoughts, problems, and embarrassing childhood memories (I’m looking at you, teenage Lauren in driver’s ed who shared a Montana story none of the preppy Connecticut students understood, so you were mortified in the way only a teenager can be. So grateful to be carrying around that memory for the last decade instead of something useful #jk #thehumanbrainisweird #idigress).

I have good news. Meditating isn’t only sitting still for 40+ minutes on a cushion, staring at the wall with a blank mind while someone traditionally watches over you to make sure a tiger doesn’t eat you mid-meditation. (Although, if that sounds fantastic, perhaps check out Zen meditation/zazen). Meditation like this can seem extremely challenging to beginning meditators, and if this technique doesn’t float your boat, rest assured there are multiple other ways to meditate that will get you on the right track! Listing every possible meditation technique could fill a pretty hefty book, so in the interest of time I’ll limit it to the top three that have benefited me over the last few years when I have felt spiritually stuck!

Let’s begin with one of the great tools many of us have right at our fingers: technology. Apps such as HeadSpace and Insight timer are all helping people find a bit of peace and a mindful outlook. Guided meditations are a fantastic way to give your brain a direct path while meditating, creating a narrative to focus on instead of allowing your “monkey mind” to take control. Apps and recordings are available for a wide variety of “challenges”, like “Meditations for Stress”, “Guided Meditations for Sleep”, etc., which can be somewhat helpful for those who don’t know where to start. These meditations can be listened to anywhere you can sit and listen, like in the passenger seat of a car, sitting on the subway, on your lunch break, or in bed. There is a wide range of time commitments, so there is no excuse of “not having enough time”! (Take it to the next level: Listen to a yoga nidra recording during savasana or before bed, and prepare to be taken to a whole deeper level of meditation!)

As some of you who follow Blue Lotus may know, another great meditation technique I love to use is singing bowls! Singing bowls can be found in a variety of sizes and materials, including the traditional and centuries-old style of mixed metals, and most recently porcelain and crystal! Singing bowls are said to help clear blockages in the chakras, with each note corresponding to each energy center.

In some traditional buddhist practices, singing bowls are used to signify the beginning and end of a silent practice. I love to use bowls to add ritual to both my meditation and yoga practices. However, listening to and playing the bowls themselves can be highly meditative, and can be a great change of pace for those who get uncomfortable with silent meditation. To try out listening to singing bowls, see if anyone in your area offers any singing bowl meditations, as it is getting more and more popular! Experiencing the bowls in person can induce a sensational, transformative meditation... there is really nothing like it! No local meditation groups you can join? There are many fabulous recordings of singing bowls online, on CDs, and on Spotify. (My current favorite is “Tibet: Nada Himalaya 2” by Deuter)

If you would like to play the bowls in person, that can be wonderful too! Find a bowl that makes your heart sing, and get to playing! I recommend starting with a small Tibetan bowl and going from there! Check out my blog post on how to play Tibetan bowls.

Finally, mantra meditation is one of the simplest ways to incorporate a mindful practice into your life, and I’m confident many of you may already be chanting a mantra, perhaps without even recognizing it. Mantras can be repeated anywhere, anytime. Repeat your mantra aloud or silently whenever you feel you need it, whether that is during your “official meditation time” or even when you feel you need a little boost. I bring up my mantra during especially unpleasant circumstances (like dentist visits or bumper-to-bumper traffic) and I have found my stress levels stay waaaaayyyyy lower.

So what should your mantra be? The short answer: Anything positive! For when I want to feel like a badass meditating yogini, I look for sanskrit mantra to immerse myself in the beautiful language and hopefully have the centuries of ancient wisdom grant me some of that dank guru-level enlightenment....

Okay, perhaps striving for guru-status is a bit much. However, mantra meditation is a great way to set an intention, because as we all know, “where the attention goes, the energy flows.” Tradition dictates for a mantra meditation practice, we repeat our mantra in sequences of 108 times, as many times as needed. Believe me, after 108, 216, or even 324 times, you will definitely be feeling that mantra manifesting some cool-ass shiz!

A mala, which contains 108 beads and a guru bead, is a great way to keep count. Although I am still working on having a consistent meditation practice, wearing my mala around my neck or wrist is a great visual reminder that I am only a quick meditation away from inner peace and a renewed sense of self. Click through to learn more about meditating with a mala, or how to make your own!

Remember, there is no superior way to meditate. The “best” way to meditate is the one that works the best for you at this point in your life. It may shift and change over time, and that is completely normal! If a meditation technique that you have loved for years slowly starts to feel less beneficial, try a few other techniques and see if they “click” for the time being. And remember, it is called a meditation practice, not a meditation perfect!

Now get to meditating, ya hippies. You won’t regret it.

Yoga Teacher Training: Halfway Point / Growing Pains
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If anyone has been wondering, "Where the heck is Blue Lotus lately?", I'll tell you.

I've been busy getting my world rocked by yoga training.

My yogi tribe and I are about halfway through with our 9 month yoga teacher training program, and thus far it has been a wild ride. As much as I am incredibly grateful for the ongoing transformation I am experiencing with this journey, I would be lying if I wasn't feeling some growing pains.

The training program I am in with focuses on personal growth for the first half of the training, which back when I was signing up for the course, I was insanely pumped for.

Yes! Personal growth! Transformation of self on a physical, emotional, and spiritual level! And homework everyday to keep me on track! This is going to make me the best yoga teacher ever! I am so in!

So as training began, not surprisingly, my outlook on life began to change. I began to see relationships, opportunities, events, and even myself all in different lights. Transformation was happening! This is what I signed up for! And what did I do?

(Hint: The answer is not "I became the enlightened yogini goddess now gleaming before you. Here, let me effortlessly transition into Scorpion pose while I recite the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by heart.")

The truth is, I freaked the hell out.

As soon as I started to actually feel change, pushing me into a space and person I was not yet familiar with, I immediately pushed it all away. My personal asana practice went down to the bare minimum. I procrastinated on assignments. I ditched the readings of sutras for hardcore Netflix marathons. Meditation practice was practically non-existent. My day to day life felt increasingly hard, and I felt like I was spiraling. I began questioning everything, and not in a positive way. My physical health reverted to catching every illness sweeping its way through town, and I even missed the third month of training due to the flu. I somehow managed to get together things in time for the fourth module, but I walked in feeling confused, stressed, and a bit like a fraud.

That weekend, however, my spark was reignited. As soon as I settled onto my mat, surrounded by my peers, I started remembering why I was doing this in the first place. My passion for asana practice. My devotion to meditation. My unquenchable desire to absorb as much information as I can get my hands on. We explored new sequences, suggestions for asana support, tantric philosophy, arm balances. I emerged refreshed, and ready to get back to it!

So naturally, I went home, and immediately went back into my old, unhealthy routines. Brilliant, I know.

Until fate intervened a couple days later, in the form of a gigantic, week-long migraine-of-death. Now, this was no ordinary headache. This was a "hide in the bathroom where there are no windows to let light in, constantly wearing earplugs and an eye mask, no appetite, can't think straight, for days on end" type of ordeal. Super fun! In the days following, while I was learning that multi-day migraine hangovers are apparently a thing (who knew?), I came to the realization that this migraine was not a coincidence, and was trying to tell me something.

This migraine forced an immediate stop to what I was doing (i.e. settling back into my poor routine), along with triggering what can only be described as a cathartic release of sadness, anxiety, and stress. I walked away from the whole ordeal a bit shaken, but with eyes open. Life was going to keep happening, change was going to come whether I embraced it or not, and the biggest thing I have control over is my perspective.

I slowly found myself turning towards better habits. Rolling out my yoga mat more, and staying on it for longer. Actually using my meditation timer app. Cutting down on screen time. Limiting social media scrolling. Decreasing sugar and other non-nourishing food from my diet. Staying more up to date with assignments. Definitely slow, but steady, improvement.  Although I wouldn't go as far as saying I have finally "figured it all out", I have noticed some big differences by learning to let go of what does not serve me.

Our latest training weekend, where we dove into the chakras, was incredibly fun and inspiring! Plus, I felt incredibly reassured as I realized the rest of the group was experiencing their own versions of these growing pains as well! I felt anxiety rear its ugly head once or twice, but I chose to step back and take the role of the observer, acknowledging it, but not being controlled by it, until it eventually calmed down. This training is not only shaping me into a yoga teacher, but also reminding me of the tools I always have at my disposal to handle life's ups and downs.

We head into our next module in just a few days, and although I still have a little bit to catch up on (my procrastination habits may always be a work in progress), I feel a little bit more confident that I don't have to be the "always level-headed, go-with-the-flow yogi goddess" to be a successful yoga teacher, or person in general. I can still be my awkward self, experiencing struggles and triumphs, learning all along the way.

Yoga Teacher Training: Beginnings
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“The practice of Yoga brings us face to face with the extraordinary complexity of our own being.”
Sri Aurobindo

Becoming a yoga teacher is a path I never expected myself to find myself on, yet here I am. Musings turned into a dream, and that dream turned into a plan, and that plan finally turned into action. I have recently begun my yoga teacher training journey, and holy cow, what a journey it shall be!

Over these next 9 months, I will complete a rigorous daily home study everyday and attend 9 long weekend modules. This is not a "spend two weeks in Bali and come back an enlightened yoga teacher" type of program. This is intended to be a very comprehensive, transforming experience... after all, change, growth, and learning all take time! (For those curious, I am attending YogaMotion, a Bozeman, MT based program led by Nancy Ruby.) As I prepare for my second upcoming training weekend, I thought I would reflect upon my first weekend of training and my first month of home study!

Even though we began on a Friday afternoon, I had my bag and mat packed and ready to go by 8 am. To say I was nervous would be an understatement.... Flashbacks to the first days of school showed a similar image to the nervous yogini pacing around her living room... "What if I don't know anything? What if I don't make friends? Wait, do I even know where it is? What if its too hard?"

Not surprisingly, however, when we all gathered together that evening, most everyone was experiencing the same batch of nerves! What followed was an incredibly powerful, challenging, and information-packed weekend that left me both exhausted and empowered.

A few notes on the weekend:

*There are five generations of people attending my yoga teacher training. Five! How incredible is it that we all have such different experiences in both life and yoga, and we all found ourselves in the same place.

*Tadasana is such an active pose! I had spent some time working on this pose in the past, but there are so many important details to pay attention to.

*It was eye-opening the differences in experience during a relaxation breath exercise. What may calm and ground you may cause others discomfort or anxiety. We all have our own unique experience with yoga.

*What way is your pelvis tilting? My posture quickly improved once I started focusing on pelvic tilt, and since then I constantly check in with my alignment (I've corrected my posture twice so far in just righting this blog post!).

*Approaching yoga with a beginners mind is a great way to reset yourself, however frustrating it may be at the time...my ego definitely popped up during some of the more challenging practices: "Why am I having such a hard time with this? I've been practicing yoga for a long time!"  By recognizing this was merely ego, however, I was able to better recognize the difference between what your mind wants you do you in your yoga practice versus what your body will best benefit from that day.

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Thus far, home study has been difficult. I still have all my good study habits from college filed away, but actually executing them is a definite work in progress. I came down with a cold that knocked me on my butt for about a week, and then dealing with some serious and sad family matters has made for a somewhat turbulent home life, all of which put me back a handful of assignments. Then came the dread and doubt: "Oh no, I'm so far behind. I'll never catch up. How will I have enough time? Do I catch up first or do I work on today's assignments? How bad is it that my personal practice is lacking lately? What should I focus on? Can I actually handle this?"

As much as I'd like to say I woke up one morning, realized I was being silly, and got all of my work done, I can't. The shift didn't come overnight. I started slowly chipping away at assignments, sometimes in full swing and sometimes in little bits. Mostly importantly, I tried to stop being so hard on myself. Perfection isn't going to happen this quickly; frankly, it's never going to. New habits aren't going to form instantly just because I will them too. This is not just learning to be a yoga teacher. This a transformation of self. Change and transformation can bring about great things, but they can also be difficult and uncomfortable. I am learning to be comfortable with the uncomfortable. Trust the process. Trust myself.

Crystal Spotlight: Moldavite


Moldavite is out of this world!

Sorry, folks, I figured I would just get the cheesy joke out of the way from the get go! Moldaviteis a form of tektite, meaning it is a natural glass created from a meteor collision, estimated to of occurred between 12-14 million years ago. It can be found in Czech Republic, and is a deep green, wrinkly, rugged, and small in size.

Are you looking for a gentle, mild crystal that will slowly ease you into change? If so, I would suggest looking elsewhere, because Moldavite is not it!

Moldavite carries an intense frequency, and many people experience what is sometimes called a "Moldavite Flush", where they feel an intense shift in energy or heat when they first pick it up. I have personally experienced this when I was first exposed to this incredible stone: A few years ago, my grandmother placed one in my hand, and I experienced a unique energy swell, more of a swirl than I had ever felt in the past. Intrigued but a little unsettled, I was unsure what to do with that experience, so I chalked it up to "I am not ready for Moldavite yet", and waited... And waited... And waited.... Until recently, when I came across that same Moldavite white sorting through my late Grandmother's crystals with family, and intuitively knew now was the time.

Moldavite is known as a immensely powerful stone of transformation, designed for a purpose and will catapult you along your spiritual journey, evolved your personal relationships, elevate your meditation, and stimulate occurrences of coincidence, connectivity, and synchronicity.

It is firstly associated with the Heart Chakra, helping us understand our own needs and emotions, while helping us adjust to the ebb and flow of relationships and accepting of change and growth within them. It brings up what one most needs to recognize, honor, integrate or release, potentially something buried down deep or held on to from other lives. Moldavite is also connected to the Third Eye and Crown Chakras, opening you up to divine information from the universe, especially during meditation. Experiment holding Moldavite while meditating, and see what you can learn!

Due to Moldavite's intense vibration, some people experience a lack of grounding or light-headedness, so I recommended gradually acclimating yourself when wearing it, building up how long you have it on over time.

A large percentage of Moldavite out in the world is fake, so steer clear from iffy colors, insanely cheap prices, and large sizes. As tempting as a large piece may seem, remember when something seems good to be true, it usually is! Additionally, I keep a general rule of not buying any Moldavite from online vendors I am not familiar with, and prefer to purchase in person.

Another small note to remember: when cleansing your Moldavite, do not use the salt water technique as it is too abrasive. I personally like to use moonlight and selenite to cleanse and recharge mine.

So I would love to hear, have you had any experiences with Moldavite?

Alternative Approaches to Managing Fibromyalgia
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Growing up in a holistic household, I learned the importance of balancing both Western and Eastern approaches to self-care. In my book, one does not cancel out the other, but rather complement and enhance where the other lacks. So when a dear friend of mine reached out frustrated with the complications of her fibromyalgia and asked for some alternative suggestions, I was more than happy to help.

First, lets start with one of my favorite healing modalities: crystals! Phillip Permutt, author of The Crystal Healer, suggests this combo: abalone shell, amethyst, selenite & rutilated quartz. Hibiscus Moon of the Crystal Academy also suggests honey calcite as well. Find stones to place in the rooms you spend the most time in, but also crystals you can carry with you or wear in jewelry form. Try meditation with your crystals, placing them on pain hot-spots, and visualizing them pulling out the current pain and preventing new. Make sure to cleanse your crystals regularly as well, as needed or with the full moon.

Now lets bring in essential oils to the mix! According to MassageToday, some of the best essential oils are:

For pain relief: spike lavender, sweet marjoram, lavender, petitgrain, Roman and German chamomile, clary sage, lemongrass, helichrysum, peppermint, ginger and black pepper. Spike lavender with peppermint and helichrysum creates an anti-inflammatory synergy.
For stress/anxiety relief: rose otto, frankincense, clary sage, sweet orange, bergamot, grapefruit, ylang ylang, sandalwood, neroli, sweet marjoram, petitgrain, mandarin, lavender, rose geranium, tangerine, jasmine.
For peaceful sleep: lavender, neroli, jasmine, marjoram, Roman chamomile.
For a feeling of harmony and safety: frankincense, lavender, rose, mandarin, neroli, helichrysum.
For headaches: lavender, peppermint, marjoram, Roman chamomile.
For increased circulation: rosemary, ginger, black pepper, peppermint, lemongrass, rose geranium.

I would also look into a few blends by YoungLiving, including PanAway, StressAway, RutaVaLa, Deep Relief, and their Ortho Ease massage oil. Start with one oil, like lavender, and work your way into others. They can be used a variety of ways: Massage into your skin after diluting into a carrier oil like jojoba or coconut oil. Diffuse in a diffuser for a half hour every 4-6 hours, or when desired. Keep a roller of essential oil nearby to inhale for on-the-go aromatherapy. I keep oils in my purse and in my house so I can have them whenever I need!

Another great remedy for fibromyalgia is to consume Omega-3 fats such as flax seeds and MSM. According to UCLA researcher Ronald Lawrence, MD, PHD, "supplementation of MSM often offers a breakthrough in the treatment of fibromyalgia".

Some other ideas:
Soak in the tub! Mix epsom salts and a high-quality lavender essential oil and take a relaxing bath before bedtime.
Stress reduction time! Be it work, life, or home environment, make it a number one priority.
Sugar is off the menu! Caffeine too! Consider a paleo diet or some other inflammation reducing/auto-immune food plan. Join me on a Whole-30 Challenge coming up soon to reboot your diet!
Create a nurturing sleep environment: No screens before bed. Ditch the Facebook, email, or Netflix in favor of a good book, an audio book, or my current favorite: listen to a rerun of an old show with the screen turned off and the volume way low. Black out curtains. Sound machine. Diffuse a calming essential oil.
Meditation: Singing bowls, mantra, visualization, guided meditation... try it all! Find the one that works for you, set aside a time for it each day, and stick with it!
Try a few difference alternative healing practictioners to work with so you can approach it from all angles: massage, accupuncture, vibrational sound therapy, reiki treatments (email me to schedule a distance reiki appointment), chiropractors, etc.
Find someone locally with a Biomat and schedule regular sessions. Or alternatively, save for one of your own (they are pricey but can do incredible healing work).
Give it time, and give yourself credit! Success with Fibromyalgia treatments can be very personal to each individual, so keep trying!

Do you have any other suggestions? What techniques work well for you?

(Boring Disclaimer/Reminder: I am not a doctor, and my advice is not medical. All alternative health should complement instead of replace traditional Western medicine, and should be done so under a medical professionals consultation and care.)

Reiki: What It Is and Why I Am A Practictioner

Just For Today: I will not anger. I will not worry. I will do my work honestly. I will be kind to all living things. I will give thanks for my many blessings.
The Reiki Principles

Reiki has been a part of my life since I was a child. Both my mother and my late grandmother achieved 'Reiki Master' status, and I grew up receiving healing sessions for whatever ailments popped up.

Over the last year, I felt an overwhelming pull towards furthering my reiki experience, and decided to follow in their footsteps and receive my reiki training as well. Once I arrived at my level one attunement and class, I knew I had made the right decision. My reiki master is a wonderful guide and teacher, and I soon went on to receive my level two attunement as well.

So, have I confused you yet? Let me back up and in an effort to give you a little more background, lets chat about what reiki is!

Reiki is a healing modality that uses energy for natural healing. To gain a little better understanding, we can break down the word reiki into two parts. First, we have "rei", which can mean divine, higher power, or the universe's flowing love and wisdom. Secondly, we have "ki", which has the same meaning as Qi or Chi (like in Qi-gong) in that it is life-force energy that inhabits all things. Combined, you have a practice that allows you to divinely channel energy to heal.

During your first attunement, you are opened up as a channel for energy so that you may do self-healing. During your second, your channel expands so that you can direct healing energy to others. During your third and final attunement, you become a master so that you may give attunements to others. When I received both my level one and level two, I felt a distinct increase of awareness and intuitive information available, and have felt it was a great step along my spiritual path.

Reiki energy is pulled to where is needs to go, so the only two ingredients you need are a reiki-attuned practitioner and their clients free-will to receive healing. If you come to a healing session, but there is a part of you that doesn't want to be healed, the energy is not going to be able to do its work until you are ready. As a reiki practitioner, you serve as a channel for divine energy, flowing through you out of your hands to whomever you are helping, therefore healing you at the same time. This type of healing work works on the physical, emotional, and spiritual level. You can receive both distance and in person sessions, and they can equally helpful. For distance work, it is best to be in a quiet place whereyou can be relaxed and calm (like right before you go to sleep). In person, you can get a one-on-one discussion with your practitioner, and I personally like to incorporate other elements into the healing process, like guided meditation, crystals, and sound therapy.

I will now begin scheduling reiki healing sessions for others, both in person and distance, and I am so excited! I love being able to assist people on their path towards a healthier and happier life, and am so grateful for tools like reiki that allow me to do it! Additionally, all the crystals and items I offer in my online boutique have all received reiki treatments so that they may be energetically aligned to facilitate your highest good.

Want to book a reiki session? Email me at bluelotusbozeman@gmail.com, and for a limited time, the first 10 people who book will receive one free 30 minute distance reiki treatment!

Ready to be a healer and receive your own reiki training? If you are in Bozeman (or Montana and don't mind a drive), check out Christine Clark's Usui Reiki training classes at www.christinerenee.org. I can't recommend her enough!

Have you had any experiences with reiki or other energy healing?

Essential Oil Guide: 21 Drops Review

I am always on the hunt for new essential oil products and brands. Essential oils are a fantastic way to naturally improve our well-being on a mental, emotional, and physical level. 

I most recently discovered 21 Drops, and was immediately intrigued. When asked what set them apart from other essential oil companies, their response was what sealed the deal! 
  1. All of the essential oils used in our blends are therapeutic-grade, 100% natural, sourced from artisan distillers, organic or wild-crafted, and GC-MS tested to ensure their upmost purity and effectiveness.
  2. We focused on the molecular chemistry, so you can focus on the physical. Our remedies are pre-blended to treat some of the most common conditions, allowing you more time to spend time with your partner or try that new yoga class.
  3. All of our essential oils are safely diluted in 100% jojoba carrier oil.
  4. Our bright, colorful rollerball packaging makes our blends easy to toss into a purse, place aside your bed or at your desk at work. Basically, they're way more fun and simple to use.  
What's not to love? Unable to narrow it down to just one oil (how can you choose between 21 amazing blends?), the wonderful folks over at 21 Drops were kind enough to send me over the Let's Celebrate Trio to review, and I am in love!

The Let's Celebrate kit includes three 3ml oil blends: Invigorate, Passion, and De-Stress. Each blend is formulated specifically for inhalation and topical application, and every one comes with a fantastic affirmation!

Invigorate (#01) is a combination of black pepper (enlivens & motivates), cedarwood (maximizes endurance), juniper (energizes & invigorates), and rosemary (stimulates the mind). The affirmation that comes with this oil is "I initiate. I act. I deliver." This has been my go-to oil for early mornings and mid-afternoon for when I need a pick-me-up! Caffeine never seems to agree with me (if you ever see me with super shaky hands and looking a little grey, its likely the barista accidentally switched my decaf for something higher octane), so coffee is usually too strong for the usual slow-moving moments. However, one whiff of this blend is enough to get me moving, and once I put a little on my wrists, I am getting things done! I've started keeping this one on my desk so that whenever I feel myself loosing steam, I can have it within reach so I can get back in action! 

Passion (#06) is a combination of cardamom (enlivens & refreshes), jasmine (diminishes fears & inhibitions, rose (invites feelings of love), and sandalwood encourages self-acceptance. The affirmation that comes with the blend is "I am open. I am playful. I am inspired." If sunshine came in the form of an essential oil, this would be it. When wearing Passion, I feel radiant and goddess-like. The floral aspects make it a great date night scent, but I love wearing it anytime I want to feel sunshine-y and special!

De-stress (#11) is a combination of frankincense (quiets the mind), German chamomile (reduces tension), lavender (reduces anxiety), and ylang ylang (helps ease panic attacks). The affirmation is "I accept. I bend. I release." This oil is my new signature scent, hands down. I usually have an affinity for similar blends (as an old flame once proclaimed: "You always smell like tea... It is a good thing, I swear!"), but 21 Drops De-Stress takes the cake. Every time I put on this essential oil, I can feel all of the tension in my body melt away, and I am left relaxed and smiling. 



After the success of these three blends, I cannot wait to try their others! The next ones I have my eye on are #03 Strength, #07 Equalize, #12 Uplift, and #17 Digest, not to mention getting bigger sizes of what I already have!

Have you tried 21 Drops yet? Check them out on their website, and enjoy!
Super Duper Easy Paleo Pancakes


Since switching to a (mostly) paleo diet last year, I have been two variation of a paleo pancake recipe for breakfast that I absolutely love. Unlike most recipes that you can find online, this recipe has minimal ingredients and takes just a few minutes to whip up. Plus, these pancakes are little energy pucks fill me up and get me ready to take on the day. Either variation is delicious, and I usually decide between the two based on what ingredients are more readily available!


Super Duper Easy Paleo Pancakes

Using an electric mixer, stir together:

Variation A: 
one egg
one banana (the fresher the banana, the better it will hold together... if you use a ripe banana, add a spoonful of coconut flour to help hold it together)
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup almond flour (different brands will absorb differently)
a dash of cinnamon
a pinch of nutmeg
a itty-bitty pinch of clove

Variation B:
three eggs
2 bananas
1/4 cup - 1/2 cup coconut flour (add 1/4 cup, mix, then see if more is needed to thicken)
a dash of cinnamon
a pinch of nutmeg
a itty-bitty pinch of clove 

Heat a nonstick pan to medium high heat. Add a spoonful of coconut oil, and once melted, scoop batter into pan into small pancakes. I have found it easier to flip the pancakes if they aren't much bigger than my spatula. Cook until you can easily slide a spatula underneath and see a nice golden brown, then flip!

To be honest, I typically cook this while multitasking, and don't measure exactly or keep a watchful eye while it cooks. The result is darker, less "cute" pancakes (alright, slightly burnt), but they still taste delicious! (However, if "pretty pancakes" is what your after, try Variation B.)

Once you get the hang of either variation, try mixing it up with added fruit! I love to add blueberries into the pancakes, and next I am going to try a few small cut up pieces of apple.

Try at first not to add additional sugar to this; it has plenty of yummy flavor all on its own! If you want a little extra, try frying a few banana slices in the left over coconut oil and putting those on top. Or keep a tiny dish of pure maple syrup on the side. Also, I like to fry up some turkey bacon as well for a real breakfast feast!

Happy cooking!