October 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:
At the end of July, I began working with an amazing coach, Bonnie Wallace. I met Bonnie at a retreat I assisted with earlier this year, where I was incredibly impressed with her expansive knowledge and talents. Menopause has been a challenge for me to navigate the last couple of years and I have not found the answers I have needed through the medical system, so I reached out to Bonnie for her guidance in this area. Little did I know the impact this choice would have or the soul journey I would be embarking on.
I enrolled in her 6-month coaching program which includes her “Language of the Soul” course, guided yoga lessons and meditation, cooking lessons, and guidance with my medical concerns. We began right away diving into the “Language of the Soul” and over the last two months I have learned so much. It is difficult to put into words the learning and transformation I am feeling within and there is so much I would love to share. One lesson that has really impacted me though, is one about the Miracle Angle. In the book the “4 Desires” by Rod Stryker he explains this concept. He says “It is an abiding principle of dharma that every experience can help you grow and move closer to who you are meant to become. The key to being able to do so is being willing to surrender, to be dispassionate, to let go of your attachments to the past and your expectations of the future. In doing so, you find a point of view…that will help you live more freely and fully. I call this positive point of view the Miracle Angle because it allows us to see the potential for something good in even the most painful experience”. This Miracle Angle assignment from Bonnie was extremely challenging and also brought to my attention so many thoughts, patterns, and events that I am holding on to. The awareness and insights gained from this have been very valuable.
What is something you have 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 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 October 7th qt 9 am. We are planning to hike the Middle Fork Taylor Creek Trail in Kolob. It is rated moderate on All Trails and is approx. 5 miles. The fall colors should be absolutely beautiful there this week! 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 online) 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 reading the book “Set Boundaries, Find Peace” by Nedra Glover Tawwab. It has been insightful to read and understand more about myself and my current boundaries. I loved a simple statement she made in the introduction of the book. She says “People don’t know what you want. It’s your job to make it clear. Clarity saves relationships.” I am learning so much from this book on my current limitations and successes with my own boundaries, how to communicate and hold boundaries, and some of the sneaky ways (and not so sneaky ways) not having boundaries affects our daily lives.
I would love to hear your insights on boundaries and how having/not having them has impacted your life. And as always, I would love to know what are you reading lately?
What I am loving:
While I am not anticipating the change to the colder seasons, I am loving the beauty of the fall. Here in our little corner of the world we are harvesting and preparing for winter. We have had an abundance of crops in our orchard and gardens this year and we are so grateful for all the fresh fruit and vegetables. I am savoring each bite of the fresh produce and will be sad (and also a bit relieved) when the harvest is over. I am loving the crisper cooler mornings and the beautiful colors changing on the trees all around us. What are you loving about this new season?
Sending you all love and light,
Jessica
An additional little note: We are excited to share our beautiful apples at our local apple festival. If you are in the Southern Utah area join us on October 14th for the New Harmony Apple Festival from 10am-3pm. We’d love if you would stop by our booth and say hello and enjoy some of our incredibly delicious apples.🍎🍏