Clearing Space for Your Best Year Yet!

This time of year is all about "out with the old and in with the new!" Letting go of energies that surround and drag us down or emotions that no longer serve us is like hitting the spiritual reset button.

So how do we earthy peace-lovin' mamas do that around these parts? We gather loved ones and a bundle of fresh sage and get to smudging!

I can guarantee you that there are no evil spirits up in this house! I burned the sage. Glenn drummed and chanted. Drake shook his maraca. We danced. It was the perfect way to make room for all things that are good!

I took on smudging as a practice a few years ago thanks to a friend of mine who supplied me with all the tools and instructions. It works so well to clear negative energy and start anew.

I've seen it visibly shift people's emotional states very quickly, replacing nervous energy with a sense of calm and replacing depressive energy with liveliness. It's such a fun and satisfying activity for our family. If you haven't taken this on as a practice, check it out. It's so grounding, really taking us all back to our tribal roots.

Never smudged, or chanted or drummed before? No worries; you can't really do it wrong. Just light your sage, get your groove on and keep the fire away from flammable objects. Conjure thoughts of love and light filling your home and your bodies and clearing away any juju that needs to hit the road.

Happy clearing!

Love,

Charlotte

New Perspectives on Love and Healing

The things in life that bring us joy also bring us pain. Nowhere is this more true than in intimate relationships. I still know people that believe that they won't be happy until they are married or even better, their marriage sucks and they think kids will make it better. Good luck with that cuz wherever you go, there you are!

As I reflect on the last three years since having a child and all the changes that have transpired, these two books have helped Glenn and I traverse the rough waters. Parenting is a game changer and it's good to have some new relationship tools in your pocket, even if kids aren't a part of the package.

Stan Tatkin is awesome. He weaves neuroscience into attachment theory and simply brings the hard to swallow truths about relationships. One of my favorites is that when you take your vows, you might as well say, "And I take you to be my pain in the ass." According to his work, there's nothing more difficult than another person. Isn't that the truth?! The romance phase is a drug-like state that won't last forever but people chase it, like it will.

As far as the other book goes, talking more won't solve your problems, instead you need to find a way to connect on a vibrational level. This fascinates me because the ability to connect emotionally came long before language.

Bottom line, cultivating vitality involves nurturing our intimate relationships. Stan Tatkin explains that if you aren't tethered to one other person, then your health is negatively affected. Yep, we are tribal and need each other. Relationships can offer many levels of healing - if you're up for the work! You won't regret reading these two books to have a better understanding of yourself, your life and your loved ones. Really good stuff.