​All of us have moments where we’re in a funk. Something is weighing on us heavily and we’re having a hard time getting the dark, gloomy clouds to clear.
 
In these times, I often turn to music to help me.
 
Music is such a great gift! Through vibration, it moves through our whole body and begins to shift the energy.  
 
And if you’re open to its power, it can resonate on a level that’s even deeper within you, reaching your mind, body and spirit.

​Think back to songs you’ve listened to recently. What ones were they?
 
Why did you choose to listen to those songs or that type of music?
 
How did it make you feel?
 
You probably can remember that your mood shifted in some way or certain feelings arose while you were listening.
 
Maybe the music put a smile on your face, and you felt happy. 
 
Or maybe memories from the past arose, reminding you of a specific event. 
 
Or maybe soft, gentle sounds relaxed your whole being and you felt sleepy.

​We’ve all experienced how music can help shift our mood and move us into a completely different space.
 
But now, I invite you to join me and take music to another level. It’ll clear those dark, gloomy clouds easily and quickly, replacing them with a lightness and joy.
 
Pick one of your favorite songs. Put it on and begin to move to the music. 
 
As you begin moving, feel into the music. What movement is wanting to arise just for this music today?  Don’t force it. Just allow it to come. 
 
Maybe your arms sway back and forth. Maybe your feet are tapping or stomping. 
 
Maybe you’re jumping and twirling. 

​Whatever movement arises, it’s perfect. No judgment. Just allow it to arise. 
 
Continue this practice for a few minutes until you feel complete. 
 
Then take a deep breath and check-in with yourself. How does your body feel? Has your mood shifted?
 
Have the dark clouds cleared? Is light shining now?
 
Next time you need to shift your mood, remember you can choose a song and just start moving! 
 
Not only will you have fun, but in just a few minutes, you’ll find yourself:
 

• Calm, yet energized
• Relaxed and content
• Ready to continue with your day with a new mindset

Becoming aware of the power of music combined with movement in your life can support you in being able to shift your mood quickly and easily when you need to. And you’ll have fun too!
 
Interested in exploring creativity as a spiritual practice? Check out 5 steps to Mastering Your Creativity here.  

​Is your energy feeling low today? Are you ready for spring, yet the cold temperatures of winter linger on?

​Let me share with you a way to feel energized even in the middle of winter!
 
Every day, we have an opportunity, an opportunity to connect to the world around us.
 
This connection, when attended to, can be a powerful source of energy for us. For we live in relationship to the earth and the universe.
 
Using creativity, whether it be drawing, painting, songwriting or something else, can be a rich and rewarding way of helping us to tap into the energy and support that exists all around us.
 
Today, I want to invite you to tap into this support through creative expression. Join me! Let’s go outside and find something in the environment to draw. Something that is calling to you.  Something that has a message just for you today.

First, step outside and take a few deep breaths.
 
Close your eyes briefly and set an intention to connect more closely with something in your environment today.
 
Open your eyes and walk around your house or your neighborhood outside. What seems to be calling to you? What wants to connect with you today?
 
Choose something and then take a seat nearby. Spend a few minutes just sitting in silence and observing.
 
Notice the gesture or movement of the object you chose. Is it angular or curved or both?
 
Does it stretch up into the sky or reach out across the ground?
 
Does it billow outward and become wide or does it have thin, straight spikes?
 
Next, observe the details.
 
What colors? Notice every color. Are there several shades of green or brown? Gray? Blue? 

​Notice the texture – bumpy, smooth, prickly, rough? Touch it to feel the texture if you’re able to.
 
Now, take out your paper and colored pencils and draw. Take your time or move quickly, whichever seems best to you. 
 
As you’re drawing, become aware of the connection you feel toward this object, the energy within it, the way it moves, the way it connects to the earth and the universe.
 
Appreciate its uniqueness and what it offers to the world. 
 
Then, as you start to reach the completion of your drawing, consider the message the object is sharing with you today. 

What wisdom does it offer you for your life today? 
 
What can you learn from it to bring forward on your journey?
 
Take a moment to consider or even jot down some words next to your drawing. Return to your home, holding in gratitude the experience of connection and the message(s) received today.
 
Is it winter where you live and a little too cold to stay outside too long?  You can still do this activity! Simply take a walk outside and choose something you can see from a window in your home. Explore its color, shape, and texture during your time outside. Then return inside to draw. You can look out your window to see it again, as needed. 
 
Feeling energized now? I hope you are!  What a precious gift it is to be able to connect to what is all around us every day.
 
Want to awaken your creative, playful side further? Join me in a journey through 5 Steps to Master Your Creativity here in this online 30-minute training now available for free.   

 Do you have a sense of what your soul is still longing to do in this world in your lifetime?
 
Have you connected with the dreams you want to manifest? Have you started down the path to accomplish them?

​If not, you’re not alone and you’re in the right place right now!
 
I want to invite you to go on a journey of creative exploration with me today to begin to open the door to the longings of your soul, the ones that are still wanting to manifest in this world through the unique gifts that you have.
 
Engaging in a creative exploration will help you to come back to your true nature, your True Self. In this exploration, you’ll be able to explore your deeper longings, those dreams you still have for this lifetime.
 
So, join me and let’s get started!
 
Get a piece of white paper (or maybe a few!) and several colored pencils, preferably with a good variety of colors. Maybe even crayons, if you have those.
 
Set your materials out in front of you and take a deep breath. Feel your body settling into your chair. Allow it to do so.
 
Don’t be intimidated by that blank white page! Take a few deep breaths and sit quietly for a moment. Close your eyes.
 
Think of 3 gifts that you have, three gifts that arise as unique in you in some way. Picture how your talents, experiences, and/or skills all weave through with unique expression through each gift.
 
Having a hard time accepting that you DO have gifts? Maybe you have hidden them away out of fear of judgment? 
 
Now’s the time to open the door and let them come out to play. Invite them, embrace them, accept and love them. No one’s here to judge them today.
 
Maybe you’re having a hard time thinking of 3? It could be that you haven’t fully developed them yet. 
 
No problem! Think of 3 areas that are passions, things you LOVE to do or experience.
 
It could be that you have no problem thinking of 3. In fact, you can think of many more than 3.  Great!
 
For this exercise, limit yourself to 3. The three that stand out the most or come to mind first.

Close your eyes for a moment, holding the first gift or passion inwardly. Open your eyes and pick up the colored pencil that calls to you for that first idea.
 
Start to color or draw in a way that you seem drawn to do in that moment. Maybe it’s strong color across the page in lines or maybe gentle curves in a corner.  Maybe it becomes a mountain or fireworks. See what’s calling to you. 
 
If you’re drawn to write a word or two with the color, go for it!
 
Stay engaged with the process, listening and trusting that what arises will be perfect and what’s needed today. 
 
Then when you feel complete with the creative, color exploration with the first idea for your gift or passion, move onto the 2nd one. Use the same paper if there’s space or go to a new one.
 
Hold the second idea inwardly with your eyes closed for a moment. Open your eyes and pick up the colored pencil that calls to you related to that second idea. Start to color or draw in a way that you seem to be drawn to do in that moment.
 
When you feel complete on the second idea for your gift or passion, move onto the 3rd one. Once again, use the same paper if there’s space or go to a new one.

​Hold the third gift or passion inwardly with your eyes closed for a moment. Open your eyes and pick up the colored pencil that calls to you related to that third idea. Start to color or draw in a way that you seem drawn to do.
 
When you feel ready to come to completion with your 3 ideas, look at your creation(s).  Trust that they’re perfect for right now, for today.
 
Consider what your creation may be saying to you today.
 
What’s calling to you, longing to be born into the world from your gifts and passions?
 
What dreams do you still have that are yearning to be realized through your gifts or passions?
 
What’s not yet been manifested that is bubbling up from within right now?
 
Sit quietly and turn inward to consider these questions. Listen to the message that speaks through your creative exploration on paper today.
 
Allow whatever arises to do so without judgment, without analysis, without filtering.
 
When you arrive at the place of a completion, you can sit back and rest for the moment. Let a sense of peace with deep gratitude for this moment of creative exploration about your journey in life arise. Know that the messages that came to you today will blossom further in the days to come. 

I invite you to repeat this creative activity as often as you’d like. Engaging in it can help you to…

1. Create a place of inward calm and quiet to be open to receive As you engage with your artistic creation, you enter into a calmer state within your mind and body. Your breath slows down and your body relaxes. You become more open to receiving divine messages.

2. Develop your ability to follow your intuition and align with your gifts As you open to receive, you’ll be better able to tap into your intuition as a guide. Listen inwardly. What calls to you? 
 
What arises may not be what you were thinking at first! This is an opportunity to accept what comes. Accept that it’s exactly as it should be at that moment. No judgment, no regrets.

3. Boost your energy and excitement for the next steps on your journey As the time of your creative exploration comes to a close, you’ll feel a sense of fulfillment from the process. You’ll feel rejuvenated, a replenishing of your energy and strength to move out into the world once again.

Blessings on your creative exploration and deeper discovery of the longings of your soul. May you fully manifest your gifts and dreams in the world!
 
Want to awaken your creative, playful side further? Join me in a journey through 5 Steps to Master Your Creativity here in this online 30-minute training now available for FREE.  

To help increase my vitality and support my health in winter, I like to turn to the wisdom of St. Hildegard. One of her many contributions that I still find so valuable in my life is her idea of viriditas.
Translated as “greening power,” viriditas is the divine life force that lives and breathes within all living beings. It’s a potent force that’s full of vitality.
It’s able to bring creativity and health into the world. It’s what makes all things grow and thrive. We experience it in the dynamic growth of plants in nature as well as our own sense of health. ​

​And when you’re sick, it’s the force that returns, after being absent, when healing.
​
“The soul is a breath of living spirit, that with excellent sensitivity, permeates the entire body to give it life.  Just so, the breath of the air makes the earth fruitful. Thus, the air is the soul of the earth, moistening it, greening it.”
 - St. Hildegard of Bingen
 
I find that especially in the winter when I go outside and feel the bitter cold wind on my face and the slippery ice under my feet with little greening power visible to the eye that I need to create my own inside!
 
One of my favorite recipes from St. Hildegard’s is her Parsley Honeywine Elixir for the heart. But I also like using parsley in other recipes too since it’s an herb with many health benefits. It’s packed full of nutrients and certainly viriditas!
 
 
What is Parsley?
 
Parsley is a flowering plant that is native to the Mediterranean. There are two common types - French curly-leaf and Italian flat-leaf. They are both bright green and have a mild, bitter flavor.
 
Known as a powerful plant to fight disease, parsley has many impressive health benefits. Here are a few.

​Health Benefits of Parsley

1. Rich in antioxidants- They help to prevent cell damage and lower your risk for certain diseases such as colon cancer and heart disease.  

2. Supports bone health- Rich in vitamin K which is essential for bone health and helps to reduce the risk of fractures and improve bone mineral density.  
​
3. Supports heart health- Rich in the B vitamin folate which helps to reduce your risk of heart disease.  
Here’s a favorite soup filled with viriditas that I love to eat in the wintertime, packed full of nutritious vegetables and herbs including parsley. Best eaten on a snowy, cold day!
​
Chicken Vegetable Soup with Herbs
Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small, sweet onion, chopped
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
• 3 stalks celery, ends trimmed and sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 cups (64 ounces) chicken stock
• ½-3/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/3-1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 2 t. Italian seasoning OR *fresh chopped herbs with stems removed:
  • 3 sprigs each of fresh rosemary and thyme
  • 1 sprig each of fresh sage and oregano
• 2 cups shredded cooked, seasoned chicken
• salt and pepper to taste

 
 
Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add garlic and sauté for an additional 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add carrots, celery, chicken stock, and herbs. Stir and continue cooking until soup reaches a boil.
4. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in chicken. Cook until the chicken is heated.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

*Add more fresh or dried herbs, as desired.

Here’s to a healthy journey in the year of 2022! Looking for my other articles on nutritious foods with recipes? You can find them here. 
the-nourishing-food-thats-good-for-digestion-and-skin-and-even-makes-us-happy.html
a-powerhouse-drink-to-support-your-immune-system.html
​easing-the-discomfort-of-illness-in-winter.html
​an-easy-nutritious-snack-to-help-curb-cravings.html
​

​I hope you’ve been staying well this month and nourishing yourself with delicious and healthy foods! 
 
Do you have a favorite drink you like to have in the winter? I have many! But, today I wanted to share one that’ll support you in staying healthy this season.

​St. Hildegard recommended fennel tea as one of the best teas to drink. But maybe you’re not a fan of fennel? I know it’s definitely an acquired taste for many!
 
Well, rosehip tea is another tea that St. Hildegard said was very beneficial to your health. Especially good in the winter, rosehip tea helps to detoxify the body, reduce inflammation, and strengthen the immune system.
 
What are rosehips?
Rosehips are the small, round seed pods of the wild rose flower just below the petals. You’ll see them on the plant after the rose blossoms fade away. They’re typically red or orange in color and ripen in the late summer or autumn. They have a tart flavor, reminiscent of crab apples, and can be used for tea, oil or even jam.
 
Rosehips are one of the most concentrated sources of vitamin C available and have a long history of being used in traditional medicine. During World War II, rosehips became popular, especially in Great Britain, when there was a very limited supply of citrus fruits. Volunteers gathered rosehips to make rosehip syrup to distribute, particularly to children, to ensure enough Vitamin C in their diet.

​Rosehip Tea
Rosehip tea is wonderful to drink in the winter and is made from steeping crushed or dried rosehips. You can find them at a specialty grocery store if you don’t have any nearby to harvest. 
 
Place 2 tsp. of dried rosehips in a saucepan with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes. Strain and serve warm with a little honey, as desired. Enjoy!
 
You can also find rosehip tea, already crushed and in tea bags, from herbal tea companies if you’d prefer an easier method!

​Rosehip Syrup
You can also make rosehip syrup that’s a wonderful balance of tart and sweet and delicious on pancakes, oatmeal, or yogurt.
 
First make rosehip tea and cool it to room temperature. Add an equal amount of honey to the tea. One cup of honey to one cup of tea. Stir until combined and store in the refrigerator. Yum!

I invite you to nourish yourself this month with healthy foods and drinks – a way of self care. I hope you enjoy the nourishment of rosehips as they support your immune system and health this winter!
 
Did you miss my other nourishing recipes this month?  You can find them here.  
Easing the Discomfort of Illness in Winter
An Easy, Nutritious Snack to Help Curb Cravings
The Nourishing Food That's Good for Digestion and Skin and Even Makes Us Happy!

​Have you been feeling under the weather lately? I know that here in Boulder, CO, there are many who are ill with the flu, a cold, or a respiratory illness, not Covid. 

One of my favorite spices to use during the winter is cinnamon. It’s a wonderful, warming spice that, with its health-giving qualities, can ease the discomfort of the illnesses that often arise in these cold winter months.
 
Although this fragrant spice might remind you of the holiday season, it also contains potent antibacterial, antiviral, and antioxidant properties.
 
Cinnamon has been used for hundreds of years as a natural medicine. In Ayurvedic treatment, it’s often used to treat respiratory and digestive problems.
 
St. Hildegard even enjoyed cinnamon as a healing spice long ago, sharing that it was good for sinus issues. She also included it in her yummy Joy Cookies  along with nutmeg and cloves.

What is Cinnamon?
Do you know? Cinnamon is harvested from the inner bark of a tropical evergreen plant where it’s peeled and laid in the sun to dry. It curls into rolls which we know as cinnamon sticks. These sticks are ground into a powder form to become one of our favorite household spices.
 
There are 2 common types of cinnamon:

• Cassia cinnamon – this cinnamon originates from southern China and is the more common and less expensive type you see in the store.

 

• Ceylon cinnamon- sometimes named “true” cinnamon, this one originates from Sri Lanka and southern India and is less common and typically more expensive at the store.

 
The distinct aroma and flavor of cinnamon that we recognize are due to the oil in the inner bark which is very high in the compound cinnamaldehyde. Scientists believe that it’s this compound that’s responsible for cinnamon’s powerful effects on health.
 
The Benefits of Cinnamon
There are many health benefits of cinnamon. Here are just a few to support you during this season.
1. Anti-viral and anti-bacterial - The essential oil of cinnamon that contains cinnamaldehyde has antiviral and anti-bacterial properties. 
2. Lowers blood sugar- Cinnamon is known for helping to manage blood sugar, working in a way similar to insulin.
3. Supports brain health – Recent research indicates that cinnamon may support the health of the aging brain, possibly reducing the risk of such conditions as Alzheimer’s.

Simple and Delicious Cinnamon Recipes

Here’s one of my favorite cinnamon recipes to have when I’m feeling under the weather. You can sip it as a tea to help relieve your discomfort when you have a cold, the flu, or a sore throat. You can also store it in a jar to use on pancakes, toast, oatmeal, or even roasted squash or sweet potatoes. So simple and delicious!
 
Cinnamon Honey
 
1 Tablespoon raw honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
 
To make tea, simply dissolve a spoonful or two of cinnamon honey in hot water. Then enjoy!
 
Feeling more adventurous and not sick? Then enjoy roasted squash or sweet potatoes with cinnamon honey.

​Roasted Squash with Cinnamon Honey
 
Prepare butternut squash by peeling and chopping it into 1-inch pieces, discarding the seeds. Place the squash pieces in a bowl. Other varieties of winter squash or sweet potatoes can be used as a substitute, if desired.
 
Depending on the size of your squash, add 2-3 T. cinnamon honey, 1-2 T. olive oil and ¼-1/2 t. salt in the bowl.  Mix until the pieces are fully coated.
 
Spread evenly on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and roast in a 375-degree oven for 25-30 minutes. Stir halfway through. Serve warm and enjoy!
 
This is the third post in my series of nourishing foods and recipes for the month of January. A way to support you in taking care of yourself this month. Did you miss the first two? You can find them here:
The Nourishing Food That's Good for Digestion and Skin and Even Makes Us Happy
An Easy, Nutritious Snack to Help Curb Cravings
 
 
 

​January, the start of a new year. A fresh start! A time to focus on your intentions and commitments for the year. And a wonderful time for nutritious food to nourish your body. A little self-care!

​St. Hildegard shared many of her thoughts about natural healing, nutrition, and healthy living in her book, Physica, including recommendations for specific foods with health-giving nutrients. Her list of recommended fruits included such powerhouse foods as red and black currants, raspberries, blackberries, and apples.
 
Yes, apples!  The simple, common fruit that’s easily found almost any time of the year.

​I’m sure you’ve heard the adage since you were a child, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” But you may not have heard of the wisdom of St. Hildegard on this healthy fruit. She shared that apples can be easily digested and eaten raw by healthy people. They’re best cooked or baked for the ill and can also be enjoyed by the healthy in this form.
 
Apples are quite a satisfying snack, both sweet and crunchy. Eating a raw apple that’s high in water content and rich in fiber will help you feel satisfied and full.
 
Apples also take time to eat, one bite at a time, so they help you slow down in eating! A wise way to curb cravings.
 
I love baking apples in the oven in the winter. Such a warm and sweet aroma in the kitchen! Add a few favorite spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves that St. Hildegard shared are inclined to bring joy, and you have a glorious and nourishing treat!
 
3 Health Benefits of Apples
 
Apples aren’t only a delicious snack but, eaten as part of a healthy diet, can support health and well-being. Here are 3 health benefits of apples:
 

1. Antioxidant – Apples are one of the top fruits to protect your cells against free radicals that play a role in heart disease, cancer, and other diseases. Eating an apple a day (including the peel!) is linked to a lower risk of several types of cancer, in current studies.
2. Protects your heart – Eating an apple or two a day has shown in clinical trials to lower cholesterol levels and make it less likely to develop high blood pressure.
3. Supports brain health – Eating fresh fruits and vegetables including apples contributes to promoting better cognitive function and preventing dementia.

 
There are loads of apple recipes that I enjoy, but besides just biting into a fresh apple picked right off the tree, I love this simple recipe for baking them. And the sweet and spicy aroma that lingers in the house for a while is glorious!

​Baked Apple Slices
 
Core and cut up a couple apples into slices (with the peel). Place them on parchment paper in a baking dish. Drizzle a little unsalted butter or coconut oil over the top and stir to coat well.
 
Sprinkle cinnamon, nutmeg, and a pinch of cloves over the top and bake in a 400-degree oven for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Stir once or twice while baking. Add more spices, as desired.
 
Serve warm and enjoy!
 
St. Hildegard was known to honor the sacred connection that people had with nature. She felt that if this connection was out of balance, then there was a drying up of vitality and illness could arise. One could reconnect with this powerful divine life force once again – filled with vitality and moisture - through creating healthy balance through rest, herbal remedies, and proper nutrition.
So, as you bite into that sweet apple, know that you’re reconnecting to this powerful divine life force, filled with vitality and moisture!

Happy New Year! May it be a nourishing and uplifting one for you!
 
The wisdom that St. Hildegard shared long ago about natural healing, nutrition, and healthy living has been so helpful for me that I wanted to share a series of nourishing foods and recipes this month with you. I hope you enjoy this first one and it benefits your health in the new year.
 
In her homeland of Germany, St. Hildegard is well known for her contributions to holistic health and wellness, as one of the founders of alternative medicine. What she shared in her time was truly a seed planted that continues to flourish into our current times in the field of natural medicine. 

St. Hildegard considered one of the most important plants to be fennel and wrote of its many health benefits. She recommended that “however eaten, fennel makes us happy, produces beautiful skin, good digestion and good body odor.”
Are you familiar with fennel? Have you eaten it?
Fennel is a wonderfully aromatic and versatile plant that can be used as a vegetable or an herb. It grows to be about 3 feet tall and has small, yellow flowers. With a white-green, crunchy stalk like celery and green fronds like dill, it has a burst of licorice flavor when you take a bite of it raw. 
A member of the Apiaceae (carrot) family, fennel originated in the Mediterranean region and has many medicinal and health benefits. 

Health Benefits of Fennel
Current research along with recommendations from herbalists indicate that fennel can support your health in these areas:
1.    Supporting healthy skin – The beta-carotene and vitamin C support healthy skin including collagen production and tissue repair.
2.    As an anti-inflammatory – Rich in antioxidant nutrients, such as vitamin C, helps to reduce inflammation, supporting a lower risk for chronic diseases.
3.    An aid to digestion – Helps to relax the gastrointestinal system and reduce gas, bloating, and stomach cramps.
4.    Supporting a healthy heart – like many vegetables, fennel helps to lower blood pressure and manage cholesterol.
​
One of my favorite ways to eat fennel is to roast it in the oven with a little olive and balsamic vinegar. It’s delicious and so simple as a side dish to any meal! Here’s how to prepare it:

Roasted Fennel Recipe
Cut the stalks off the fennel bulb (to use another time, maybe in salad!) and slice the bulb in half, lengthwise. Cut each half in wedges about 1 inch wide. Toss wedges with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add a splash (about 1 teaspoon) of balsamic vinegar. Roast in an oven at 400 degrees F on a baking pan brushed with olive oil for about 30-40 minutes or until the wedges are cooked through. Then eat them! Yum!

​Do you love fennel so much that you want to have it handy all the time? 
 
Growing Fennel at Home
Here’s a simple way to grow it right in your kitchen. Before you use your fennel bought at the store, cut off the base with a little of the attached bulb intact – about ¾-1 inch. Place this piece in a shallow dish of water with the base facing down in the water.
 
Set the dish in the sun and change the water every couple of days. Soon you’ll see green shoots growing from the base and then roots sprouting.
 
You can continue to grow your fennel in the shallow dish to have year-round or plant in soil in a deep container or your garden outside.
 
I hope you enjoy fennel as I do and let me know if you come up with any other creative ways to eat it!

Do you have a longing in your soul of something you’d like to do in your life, but you haven’t yet?
What tugs at your heart to create, waiting to be born into this world?
All of us have dreams of what we’d like to create or achieve. They give us hope and joy on our journey through life. But how can we manifest these dreams?
Interested in diving deeper into creatively manifesting your dreams in life in the new year, check out my Master Your Creativity course that starts again this coming May. Click here to find out more and join the wait list.

5.   Create a plan and take action.
Now, create a plan on how you’ll turn your dream into reality. What steps do you need to take? Set goals with deadlines, one step at a time. Then get started! Don’t procrastinate. One small step in your plan is better than no steps at all!
 
6.   Persevere
Life gets busy and obstacles may arise. Don’t let them get in your way. Commit to realizing your dream, one step at a time. And eventually those small steps will lead to making your dream a reality.
 
“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.”
-Walt Disney
 
Whenever you need a little inspiration, go look at the model of your dream. Imagine it coming into reality and keep moving forward. You’ll soon discover your own power and courage to make your dreams come true in the world. And I’ll be cheering you on!
 
Interested in diving deeper into creatively manifesting your dreams in life in the new year, check out my Master Your Creativity course that starts this May. Click here to find out more and join the waitlist!
​

The “Queen of the Flowers,” the majestic rose, is perhaps the most beloved flower worldwide. It’s been used for its fragrance and healing properties since ancient times.   ​

​Since ancient times, the rose has been used for health and healing. In her time, St. Hildegard spoke about the cooling and healing properties of the rose, as well as its ability to uplift one’s mood.
 
Rose is cold, and this coldness… is useful. In the morning, … pluck a rose petal and place it on your eyes. It draws out the humor and makes them clear. One with small ulcers on his body should place rose petals over them. This pulls the mucus from them. One who is inclined to wrath should take rose and less sage and pulverize them. The sage lessens the wrath, and the rose makes him happy. Rose, and half as much sage, may be cooked with fresh, melted lard, in water, and an ointment made from this. The place where a person is troubled by a cramp or paralysis should be rubbed with it, and he will be better. Rose is also good to add to potions, unguents, and all medications. If even a little rose is added, they are so much better, because of the good virtues of the rose.
 
-An excerpt from Hildegard von Bingen’s Physica: The Complete English Translation of her Classic Work on Health and Healing, by Priscilla Throop (1998)
 
Today we know that the rose has many therapeutic compounds that are supportive. They can relieve stress and anxiety, help with depression, detoxify the blood, bring regenerative health to the skin, and boost the immune system, just to name a few!
 
With its anti-inflammatory properties, rose can be infused in water to sooth the skin. It can reduce the redness of irritation, tighten pores and tone the skin while it hydrates and moisturizes. You can easily make rosewater at home.
 
 
Rosewater Spritzer for Skin Health
 
Take the petals of a fresh rose and simmer in about 1 ½ cups of filtered water in a pan for 15-20 minutes. Let the mixture cool.  Strain and pour into a spritzer. Store in the refrigerator.

To lift your mood, promote calm and relaxation, reducing stress and anxiety, make rose petal tea to sip. Infuse rose petals, about 1-2 teaspoons, in boiling water and allow to brew for 5-10 minutes. Strain and enjoy!
 
You can also add a little honey to your rose tea and use it to sooth a sore throat.
Don’t have any roses handy this holiday season? Rosewater, rose petals, rosehips and rose essential oil can easily be found for purchase.
​
Rose Essential Oil
Rose essential oil is one of my favorite ones to put in my diffuser or in a bath. The exquisite  fragrance floats through the air bringing a sense of calm, happiness, and peace to my home.
 
This Christmas season, let the beauty of the rose fill your home, bringing a sense of fulfillment, joy, and peace this year!