November 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 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:
I am continuing to learn so much during my coaching calls with Bonnie. (If you are new here, I shared more last month about Bonnie and her expertise. If you have any questions or would like to know more, please send me a message) She has been sharing more about Ayurveda and some of its ancient healing practices. The Ayurvedic clock was the discussion of one of our recent calls and it was fascinating to learn how it uses the laws of nature to teach us more about our bodies. When we are in harmony with nature and in harmony in our body, we are free from disease. When we are out of balance, we often crave the very things that will continue to keep us out of balance and cause disease. There will likely always be periods of imbalance in our lives, however, when we have the understanding and tools, we can recover faster and regain balance. The Ayurvedic clock is an empowering tool that offers insight into the seasons of our lives and offers lifestyle adjustments for each of the doshas. (A simple definition of dosha: the energies that help define the makeup and functioning of our bodies) What have you learned about Ayurveda or the Ayurvedic clock and how has it impacted your life? What have you been learning recently?
What I am offering:
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 the cost is $5 each class after.
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 November 4th qt 9 am. We are planning to hike the Beck Hill Trail in St George. It is rated easy on All Trails and is approx. 4.5 miles. Stay tuned for updates or changes due to weather. I look forward to seeing you all on the trail!
I am offering private, in-home (or on-line) yoga lessons for those looking for more personalized attention. This offering is not on my website currently so please reach out via email if a personalized yoga session is of interest to you.
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 listening to the book “Greater Than The Sum of Our Parts” by Richard Schwartz. This book delves into the Internal Family Systems Therapy and offers insight into the complexities of our mind. He suggests we have different parts or aspects of our psyche that have different needs, desires, personalities, and gifts. These “parts” often interfere with our healing and ability to overcome limitations, addictions, and self-destructive patterns because we are unaware that these “parts” are protecting us using an outdated belief system, usually from childhood. IFS helps us to establish a relationship between our true self and these “parts”, allowing for healing, and harmony within our body and mind. I have found it fascinating to listen to the meditations in the book and to practice learning more about some of my “parts” and seeing how they are showing up in my life. Have you had any experience with IFS or parts work? How has it helped in your healing journey? What are you reading lately?
What I am loving:
I am loving that the harvest is over and that my shelves and freezer are loaded with canned, frozen, and dried fruits and vegetables so we can continue to enjoy eating from our garden and orchards through the winter. I am loving the opportunity to focus energies on organizing, learning, traveling, and resting after a long and busy harvest. I am also loving that I have new tools to help me stay healthy physically and emotionally through these upcoming winter months. What are some of your favorite tools to help you through the winter? What are you loving lately?
Sending you all love and light,
♥️Jessica
An additional tool to help those who might struggle with seasonal depression or who feel a little down with less sunlight and the change in the weather is this awesome community challenge by my friend, Shelby. She is offering “Return to You a 30 day challenge for gratitude, grounding, and growth.” You can find the details on her Instagram at @returnjourneyoga under the challenge tab. Thanks Shelby for sharing this amazing challenge 🥰