September 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:
I feel as if I have been on a crash course with learning lately and have so many things I could share under this topic. One of the most important lessons I learned this last month, however, is that life is SO short. It is incredibly important for us to share the love in our hearts with others, as we never know what day will be our last. I attended funeral services for an amazing woman who holds a special place in my heart last month. She had a positive impact on me throughout my life and showed up in beautiful ways when my children and I were going through some really challenging times. It has been several years since I have seen her and there have been many instances over the years when I thought of her and felt I should reach out and express my love and appreciation to her. Each time I got distracted or busy with other things in my life and sadly, I never reconnected with her before her untimely death. As I sat at her services, I made a commitment to not let the love in my heart go unspoken or unexpressed again. I also was reminded of the impact that each of us has throughout our lives. Even those who feel their reach is small or inconsequential, end up touching the lives of more people than they ever realize. If you are ever doubting your worth or the impact you have, remember that you are so valuable and your presence is needed. Your unique experiences, gifts, and personality cannot be replicated by anyone else and each of those amazing qualities YOU have, brings something so very needed to this world. Thank you to each of you beautiful women in my community that I have the opportunity to interact with and learn from, whether in person or online, you have made more of an impact on me than you will ever know. Sending each of you reading this all my love and appreciation for simply being uniquely YOU.❤
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 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 September 9th at 9 am. We are planning to hike the South Fork Taylor Creek Trail up Kolob. It is a 2.7 mile hike and is rated moderate to hard due to about 1000 ft elevation gain. It is a beautiful trail that is not well known. 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 two books this month, in conjunction with a new coaching program I enrolled in. As part of Bonnie’s “Language of the Soul” course, I am reading “The Four Desires” by Rod Stryker and “The Great Work of Your Life” by Stephen Cope. Both of these books draw from wisdom found in ancient yogic texts-The Vedas and The Bhagavad Gita -and offer a soul journey into discovering what your unique dharma or calling in life is and how to live fully from this place of understanding. The wisdom and insights contained within both books have been transformative and inspirational. I find I am peeling back more layers in my healing journey as I read and apply what I am learning. I highly recommend both books, though I also highly suggest having a mentor or coach who can assist you as you read and work through the processes offered. So much goodness is contained in both these books and the ancient texts they are drawn from. What are you reading lately?
What I am loving:
I am loving the opportunity to see some of the images on my vision board take shape in reality. In January I made a new vision board, after feeling my one from a few years ago had finally been fully completed. I placed a photo of drums in a circle on my new vision board, not fully knowing why the photo was calling to me or in what way I wanted this to show up in my life… as I had never had any experience with drumming or drum circles. Last month, I hosted a drum ceremony with Tina Rasmussen. We met in person for the first time at the retreat and afterwards, I had an understanding of how beautifully interconnected each of our lives are. What began as an interest in a photo led to an incredible new connection and an amazing healing experience. I love seeing how we are so supported and guided in even the small desires of our hearts. What is something you are loving right now?
Sending you all love and light,
❤Jessica