June 2023 Newsletter
Welcome friends! I am so grateful for each one of you and the connections with you through my hikes, classes, and retreats. Thank you for reading my newsletter where each month I will continue to share with you more of my personal journey and the things I have been learning, teaching, reading, and loving. My hope is that you will find something that speaks to your heart and leads you toward healing and happiness in your own life. Please feel free to share this email with any friends or family who you feel may benefit from it as well.
What I am learning:
Last month, I was honored to assist one of my mentors and dear friends, Sariah Bastian, with her healing retreat. The theme of the retreat was “Remembering Her”. It was a beautiful week spending time disconnected from technology, soaking up time in nature, moving and nourishing our bodies, and connecting with the most amazing women from around the world. I learned incredibly powerful lessons as I witnessed beautiful transformations in the women attending and in myself. Throughout the week, I found more strength and confidence in my own coaching abilities and truly felt as if I was able to rediscover my best self. A few takeaways that were great learning lessons for me:
Nourishing our body with healthy food not only gives us energy and greater physical health, but allows us to find greater mental, emotional, and spiritual health as well. Also preparing our food with love and happiness adds a special ingredient that can truly be felt. (Thank you to @bonnie.gene for feeding and nourishing us with the most amazing food I have ever eaten)
Healing can be difficult and heavy at times AND it can also be light and fun. Art projects and dancing are great ways to lighten the healing journey.
Everyone faces challenging times and though our stories are all different, there are so many common thoughts, emotions, and similar ways that we process. We have so much more in common than we have to divide us. When we focus on connection through our healing, instead of connecting through our pain and stories, we find true transformation and deeper connection.
We are all needed. Each person with their unique personality, thoughts, feelings, and ways of being, adds so much goodness to life.
Disconnecting from technology and spending time in nature heal the mind and soul in the most beautiful ways.
What I am offering:
Mini retreats are beginning this month. I am so excited for the June retreat this year! One of my dear friends will teach us a fun macrame bookmark project. In addition, we will spend time moving our bodies, journaling, connecting, and enjoying delicious food. Go to https//www.joyfulbalancedhealth.com/retreats to sign up today as spots are limited. Choose from a morning or evening option on June 17th.
Every Tuesday evening at 8:00 pm MST, I have an amazing group of ladies that join me for a yoga class with breathwork and guided meditation. We have built a beautiful community of women and I look forward to teaching them each week. This is an online class and we always love when new friends join. First class is free and cost is $5 each class after. If you are interested in joining us, please email me at joyfulbalancedhealth@gmail.com.
Once a month I host a free women’s hiking group for ladies in my local area of Southern Utah. Our next outing will be on June 10th at 9 am. We are planning to hike Northgate Peaks via Kolob Terrace. This is 6-mile hike rated as moderate. Stay tuned for updates or changes due to weather. I look forward to seeing you all on the trail! If you are interested in joining us, email me at joyfulbalancedhealth@gmail.com
I am also selling homemade herbal salves on my website. Choose from Calendula, Pine, Rosemary, or Calendula mixed with Rosemary. The calendula and rosemary salves are made from homegrown organic herbs and the pine salve is carefully harvested from Pinion pines in the Southern Utah area. These salves have many beneficial properties and are a great addition to your home first aid kit.
If any of these offerings are of interest to you, please reach out to me at joyfulbalancedhealth@gmail.com
What I am reading:
I have been reading the book “The Inspired Yoga Teacher” and using it to prepare my weekly yoga classes the last couple months. I love the inspiring messages and the insights the author, Gabrielle Harris shares. It has deepened my own individual practice and reminded me of the reasons I love teaching and practicing yoga. She shares “The field of yoga is vast. Once you open one door, it becomes like a hall of mirrors, so knowing which way to go can be daunting. At times you may be swallowed whole by its enormity or wade in uncertainty, but if the intention is there to know more about yourself, you will return again and again.” This idea resonates with me as a teacher and practitioner of yoga. At times I am overwhelmed by knowing how much I do not know and how much there is to learn. What I have experienced that keeps me returning to my mat and to teaching, is the beautiful opportunity it offers for awareness, self-reflection, and self-discovery. I have learned so much about how the way I show up on my mat and how that reflects how I show up in my life. If you practice yoga, what have you learned about yourself through your practice?
What I am loving:
I am loving spending time in my garden. Planting, weeding, watering, and nourishing my seedlings and transplants in hopes of a bountiful harvest encourages me. I am excited to share the fruits of my labors as I prepare delicious food for my retreats. I feel so much gratitude for the land that we are stewards over and love the opportunity I have to grow food to nourish my body.
Sending you all love and light,
❤Jessica