The Shadow Hunter

I used to think of gratitude like I was quickly scribbling out a thank you note to a friend (...my doctor's-esque scroll is  mostly legible...its the thought that counts!).  I’d be thankful for something that a person did for me or gifted to me, so I’d shoot off a quick and friendly thank you to that person and move on to the next thing. It was efficient and polite, but rather…short lived.   Or, I’d sign an email with “thanks!” — but is that really gratitude? Are we grateful for them reviewing the document and sending detailed feedback? (In advertising? Probably not…!) Then, there’s Thanksgiving. The day when we’re supposed to be grateful for everything. But that’s only one day a year, and we’re often on a turkey-high so the gratitude fades a bit.   This year, I learned that gratitude is so much more than that. It’s actually a way of life, an energetic current.   When I’m grateful for what I have on a continual, daily basis, good things flow. And when I’m not actively practicing gr

Happy Christmas season, friends! As everyone gets ready for Christmas, you're probably thinking of all the things you need prepare for others by the end of the week.  Do you have a list of things to get done?  I know, it can be a lot! However, take a moment and think about this...what gift are you giving to yourself this year?  Have you thought about what YOU want?  We're often so hard on ourselves. We often ignore what we want in favor of what others need from us.  And what we deliver to others needs to be "perfect". I get it. I'm a Virgo, it is literally in my nature to be a perfectionist. I used to judge myself by my own standards of perfection: at work (I once had a client tell me I was "overly thorough"...wait, that's not a good thing?!)... at home (I used to own 4 vacuums and religiously clean every Saturday. I had a friend tell me once they would feel comfortable eating off of my kitchen floor haha)... in friendships or relationships, etc.  If

I’ve been working on this topic for about month, because I wasn’t exactly sure how to express it.  Death, and loss, are never easy things to talk about -- so most people don't talk about them!  However, I’ve started to reframe the thought of “passing away” into a more...hopeful state.  Here’s my take: Einstein told us that everything in this universe is energy.   Even what is not considered to be energy comes from energy or is caused by energy. So if everything is energy, including love, then when someone (or even a pet) that we love dies, does that energy disappear?   Does that love just…vanish?   No. I believe it remains, and  — that you can still access it. Death is not the end, my friends.   This past spring my grandmother (who had suffered dementia for several years) began to experience more health issues. This did NOT in any way affect her spirit, and when I would come to visit, she’d always greet me with a huge smile and would know exactly who I was.   She always used to t

The title of the blog was inspired by a failed yoga session.   OK, maybe failure is a little harsh, we’ll go with…attempted. An attempted yoga session.   When it comes to working out, I’m all about HIIT workouts where I can push my body to the max for 20 minutes and then promptly move on to something else.   Or…a long walk outside where I can look around and absorb all the nature around me. When it comes to exercise for me, I like to be entertained.   Yoga always seemed a little…slow, and I needed something more attention-holding so I avoided it because I thought it “wasn’t for me”.   But lately I’ve been having some hip pain so I decided…ok. I’ll do a yoga flow. This should help. Maybe. Hopefully.   However, I’d forgotten something. I do not have a great history with yoga.   I remember taking a hot yoga class with one of my friends several years ago and the teacher came up to me and put her hand on my shoulder. She looked at me seriously and instructed me to, “relax". I laughed a