Monthly Archives: February 2019
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Happy Valentine’s Day from the girl who didn’t love herself…

Happy Valentine’s Day from the girl who didn’t love herself for years. Who didn’t know her own worth or didn’t want to believe it. Who looked for validation from other’s and couldn’t find it within. Who spent countless hours, days and years trying to please other people, yet failed to realize that the only one she needed to please was herself.

Who never thought that she would find love and how could she when she had a difficult time being in love with who she was. Who finally woke up one day and decided she had enough. Who decided to see her own beauty, and it wasn’t the external kind. Who began to love herself so deeply that she began to create the life she always wanted. Who found the love of her life (herself) then was able to find the light of her soul. Who now knows how to love immensely and with that love how to forgive.

So on this day of love, don’t forget to love yourself first and foremost. Fill your own cup before filling others, if you come from an abundant place, you’ll be able to better serve others. Be gentle with yourself always, yet strive for excellence. Take what others think with a grain of salt if they don’t except you for who you are they have no room in your life.

Stop second guessing yourself, your intuition will guide you through life choices. Learn how to be alone and take your own advice. Spend time knowing and loving yourself the way you’ve always wanted and deserve. 
The love you receive is the love you give you, the people we attract are the direct reflection of what we either think we lack or believe of ourselves. Are you giving yourself the love you are seeking from others?

Here’s a simple exercise you can do to as a reminder of how awesome and loveable you are.Write 5 thing you love about yourself . 

Here’s my list: 

I love my persistence

I love my resilience 

I love my ability to connect with others

I love my creativity 

I love my sassiness

Make your own list and be sure to leave them in the comments below. 

Spoil yourself today. Eat the chocolate you’ve been eyeing (or has been eyeing you), take a long hot shower, curl on the couch with a cup of tea, watch Netflix, read or listen to that book you’ve been putting off. Fall in love with yourself all over again. 


I can’t wait to read all of the things you love about yourself!

You are deserving of so much love, wishing you love now and always xoxoxo 

“Love yourself as much as you want to be loved by others”  -Nino Varimashvili
She is a drop of free water

About three years ago my back began to hurt immensely. I attributed it to wearing the wrong shoes and pulling a muscle in my back while mishandling my makeup kit. The pain lasted for over 6 months. I started to look at alternatives to alleviate the discomfort. I changed beds, got massages, stretched, but nothing seemed to work. I decided to visit a chiropractor, who confirmed I had pulled a muscle.

The Chiropractor suggested I strengthen my core, a part of me that I had been neglecting for years. I had lost my connection with my navel. Years of shame, self-doubt, and hurt had weakened it, and the symptoms were now manifesting in lower back issues. He walked me through a treatment plan and also suggested I paid attention to my posture. It didn’t take me long to realize that my posture was terrible. I found myself often looking down avoiding eye contact. My upper body was hunched over, my belly sticking out. I was trying to hide, and my body had enough. I knew this was one of the biggest reasons my back hurt.

As a child my mother always described me as strong-willed and inquisitive. With a resilient spirit. I constantly questioned everything. I was limitless and felt like I could achieve and do anything. I possessed great confidence and didn’t care what people thought. I was comfortable in my own skin. Slowly I became aware of other people opinions “Don’t act like that.” or “Don’t wear that, you’ll attract negative attention” and “Don’t say that, someone might take it the wrong way.” I started to worry, and I began withholding my feelings. I became more silent.

This continued well into my adulthood. I would always be afraid of saying the wrong thing or hurting someone’s feeling. Sometimes I wouldn’t speak up because I didn’t want to seem difficult, even if there was a problem. I was allowing resentment and discontent to have space in my life, consuming my thoughts and energy but most of all I was blocking the true me. I spent years focusing on the happiness and comfort of others, forgetting to pay attention to my own wants and needs.

When I found Kundalini Yoga, I was shocked at the number of exercises that focuses on the navel. At times it even made me uncomfortable, and in my discomfort, many things began to surface. I was forced to face all of the shame and self-abuses I put myself through. My body was forcing me to pay attention to all of the details in my life that had been ignored. The lies that I was telling myself and the weakness I had imposed on myself. My injury was the reminder I needed to wake up and remember who I am. I needed to regain to regain my power, to be myself without apologies and speak my truth no matter how difficult it is. The more I paid attention to my core and strengthened it the more confident I became in the things I said and the decisions I made. I noticed a huge improvement in my overall mood and happiness.

When you have a strong navel point you are able to withstand difficulties with ease, you aren’t phased by the chaos that surrounds you. You are able to listen to your intuition and let it guide you instead of looking for the answering outside of you. You speak kindly yet confidently. A strong navel is essential for a woman, this is where our power to command comes from. It is a key energy point and where our creativity is stored bringing ideas to life. A weak navel point will cause separation from our purpose and destiny.

I had forgotten where I came from. The long lineage of strong woman who came before me. The freedom they had to fight for. Whether you realize it or not you too come from the same lineage too. Surround yourself with those who will uplift you, who will help harness your voice and strength. Who will encourage you to be the best version of yourself. Find a tribe of men or women who inspire you and no matter what speak your truth unapologetically.

Here’s an exercise that will help reset and strengthen the navel:

Begin with 1 minute

Stretch Pose:

Lie on your back.
Raise your head and heels 6 inches off the ground.
Focus the eyes on the toes and stretch the toes so they point away from you.
Place your arms either above your thighs with the palms facing down but not touching the legs, or along side your legs with the palms facing your body but not touching.
Begin Breath of Fire (rapid inhale /exhale through the nose with your mouth closed while pumping your navel)

Tips for beginners: Place your hands underneath your buttocks, this gives support to the low back and makes it easier to keep the legs up.
Raise one leg at a time, and then switch after a minute or so. Or try bending your knees slightly.

*Do not practice Stretch Pose if you’re pregnant, or on the first 3 days of your moon cycle

“She is free in her wildness, she is a wanderess, a drop of free water. She knows nothing of borders and cares nothing for rules or customs. ‘Time’ for her isn’t something to fight against. Her life flows clean, with passion, like fresh water.”
― Roman Payne

Be daring. Conquer the world.

Here’s something I don’t tell people often…

“Your body is an absolute mirror of your mind. As you worry, your body shows it. As you love, your body shows it. As you are overwhelmed, your body shows it. As you are angry your body shows it. Every cell of your body is being allowed or resisted by the way you feel.”
-Abraham Hicks

A few days ago while speaking to a fellow makeup artist, we got on the subject of bruxism aka teeth grinding, she shared it was something she often did in her sleep. Here’s something I don’t like to tell too many people: I used to grind my teeth at night. I’m not talking an occasional thing; it was at least 3-4 times a week and sometimes even more. I’ve been grinding my teeth since I can remember. My mom would wake me up, afraid I would break a tooth while sleeping. I was 9 when I had my first sleepover.  My friend’s mother told me that I had been grinding my teeth the entire night. She mentioned how painful it sounded. At that point, I thought everyone did it. Wasn’t this the norm?

As a child and adult, I internalized everything. In my dreams, I would try to fix my problems. I’ve always been a fixer; I try to find solutions for issues, and it would often manifest in my dreams. I would wake up so exhausted as if I hadn’t slept and my entire jaw would hurt. I would have tension headaches. I showed symptoms of having TMJ. It was a painful way to live, but I dealt with it because I knew no other way.

When I was 20, I decided to get braces. My teeth moved quickly. The jaw pain was more severe then the teeth grinding had ever been. My orthodontist started to ask if I was stressed, he could see the signs on my bottom teeth. I was living on my own while trying to build a career, paying bills, while trying to have fun. At times it was all overwhelming. He suggested I find some outlet to deal with my worries. I listened and thanked him for the advice but of course, continued. I didn’t know how to live life any other way.

When I met my husband, I warned him of my habit. I was mortified to have to tell him. I felt ashamed and embarrassed. I was uncomfortable and worried that I would wake him up, and the more I worried, the more it happened. There were times when my husband would gently shake me. He would whisper “you were grinding your teeth.”He was concerned for me but wasn’t sure what to do. I wasn’t sure what to do, it had become a part of me and I didn’t know how to live without it.

One day while getting a routine checkup the dentist suggested wearing a night guard. He insisted that I wear it every single night. It was so uncomfortable that I found myself removing it in the middle of the night. It also seemed to ruin my outlet. I had a weird attachment to the act of grinding my teeth. It was as if I was punishing myself. Even in my sleep, I was trying to control things.  I needed to find a solution; I began to research my options.  I was on the verge of severally damaging all of the expensive dental work I had done. It was sobering to realize that all of the money I’ve spent on dental work was essential being ruined by something I felt I had no control over.

I asked my dentist about botox. He thought it was a good option. A week later I was at a medispa getting botox on my jaw. The results only lasted for six months. I decided to try a more natural approach, so I tried acupuncture.  Instantly I felt relief, but there were still days were I got woken up by my husband. I began to do more yoga and meditate. As I gradually learned to manage stress the grinding decreased. I let go of the need to control and attachment to the outcome. I made an effort to consciously pay attention to the thoughts and words I was saying to myself. All of the tension seemed to melt away. I was more relaxed and happy.

I’m happy to say that it’s been almost two years since I’ve woken up with a sore jaw and both my husband and teeth are extremely thankful. The act that plagued me for most of my life is now a distant memory. My anxiety has been replaced with a knowing that no matter what I will be ok. We store all of our fears and insecurities in our subconscious, manifesting in different ways. Our mind makes up different solutions and scenarios, transforming reality into nightmares. Forgetting to breathe, relax and to be. If you’re feeling overwhelmed here are a few exercises that will help you relax. When you quiet the mind, your inner voice can guide you.


Neck Rolls: Roll the neck slowly in one direction and then in the other. Let the weight of the head move the head around. Do this very methodically so that you go slowing through tight spots and work out areas of tension. At least one minute in each direction.
To end: After this exercise, sit quietly and be with the sensations in your body and spine.

Neck Turns (1 min each)Remain sitting in Easy Pose with the hands on the knees. Inhale and turn your head to the left, and exhale and turn it to the right, like shaking your head “no.” Continue (1 min). Then reverse your breath, so that you inhale and turn to the right; exhale and turn to the left. Continue (1 min). 
To End, inhale deeply, concentrate at the brow point, and slowly exhale.

 Here is an article about the effects of yoga on the brain: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psychiatry-the-people/201901/how-yoga-and-breathing-help-the-brain-unwind

Acupuncture and TMJ: https://www.practicalpainmanagement.com/pain/maxillofacial/tmj/acupuncture-new-approach-temporomandibular-disorders

Remember you are not your circumstances, anxiety or situation. Sending you so much love!

xoxoxox E

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