Random Thoughts from August 2021

... and just like that ... the summer is over.

Dammit.  I miss it already.

There is a LOT to look forward to this fall though, so I'm going to focus my attention on all that is coming up!!!

- football season
- my 50th birthday
- quitting my 23-1/2 yr career with the government
- ALL THE EXCITING THINGS IN THIS BUSINESS THAT I HAVE PLANNED!!!!

It's going to be an exciting last quarter of 2021.


COFFEE TALK

Lately I've been having really interesting conversations around anxiety and if you know anything about me, you'll know that I am exceptionally curious.  I've wondered - has the last 18 months increased our anxiety, have we slowed down enough to realize that we HAVE it, have we normalized it enough to openly talk about it or are we over-estimating it because we've glamourized it?

(Welcome to "How Sandra's Brain Works 101".  It's not a walk in the park let me tell ya.) 

Regardless of what is truly going on here, a LOT of people are dealing with uncomfortable feelings of anxiety and stress and I am certainly no exception at times.  





HERE IS THE THING:

We can google a zillion ways to deal with it (and/or, we can seek professional help in managing it) but for God sakes let's not make it who we ARE.  It is not who you are, it is something you are experiencing ... so let's chat about my favourite ways to move through it (some you may have seen a few of them in past newsletters but it's good to review!)

1.  BREATHING.  Seriously.  Have you ever really noticed how shallow your breathing is?  Most of us suck shit at the basic human function of breathing and when dealing with anxiety it's even worse.  I personally like to follow something that I call the 5-5-5+ method (I'll let you borrow it).  Breathe in the nose for a count of 5, hold for 5 and then out through the mouth for 5 or more.  Do this till you feel better.  

If you have a Komuso Shift exhale through your pendant but don't force the air - just slowly release it. It works for monks, it will work for you I'm sure of it.




P.s. I posted this on my stories and apparently at first glance it looked like I was smoking a joint. For the record:  NO WEEDS WERE HARMED IN THE MAKING OF THIS PICTURE!!!!!   lol.  I don't even use CBD Oil so marijuana is not "high" on my list.

2.  Meditation.  If you're in THE VAULT I love the energy clearing meditation for this.  You can even just play it in the background while you are busy doing something else.  




I also really like the Relaxation Meditation for this but any of them will work.  




Choose your fave.  If you aren't a member of the Vault and you tell me that you've tried google, Calm, Headspace, hyposis and Gabby Bernstein but you don't love meditating .... TRY. THE. VAULT.  I'm not a fan of any of most guided meditations (I get angry sometimes even) but I'm obsessed with my channelled meditations in the VAULT.  Keep trying until you find what works for YOU!

Take me to the Vault!!!

3) Walk.  (and breathe).  I've been walking every morning for over a month now.  It is an incredible way to start my day and I really find that just that bit of a walk before I start my day makes a huge difference for me.  Exercise does too but there's something extra magical about walking.





4) Essential Oils.  Yep.  I use 'em and they aren't just to make my house smell less like dog.  My favourite brands are doTERRA (therapeutic grade) and Saje (Canadian company and a bit more subtle).  I love doTERRA sandalwood or the Saje stress blend but seriously just google and you'll find your fave.





5) Grounding spray.  I usually forget about this spray but my husband never does.  If any of us are a little "off" he will grab the spray and spritz it over our heads (usually we are not paying attention, we get it in our eyes, on my glasses, in our mouths ... so when that is the case the anger increases for a moment LOL) but a feeling of peace and calm starts to emerge shortly thereafter.  I love these sprays.

6) Rescue Remedy.  This works well for me when I feel a bit deflated or down but it can take the edge off of a period of anxiety too.

7) GABA.  I first learned about Gaba from my friend Kelly Dunlap (Functional Nutrition Coach and NLP Practitioner - I call her a metabolism coach).  In a pinch, these chewables work similarly to rescue remedy - they take the edge off! (1 doesn't but 2 does). 

Now look ... I'm not a psychiatrist, a psychologist or a medical doctor.  I have a sociology degree, so let's face it I'm not an expert in anxiety or stress.  The tips above are just some of the things that have helped me and MIGHT help you too.  If you are having significant symptoms I am the first to suggest that you chat with a professional who can help further.

FENG SHUI TIP OF THE MONTH

I got the COOLEST message the other day ... feng shui success that I couldn't WAIT to share with you!!!  

Amanda has been using feng shui for a while.  After her husband's children severed their connection, they decided to incorporate some Feng Shui techniques in their home, to focus on connecting with them again.  She said:  "I mean we tried everything else and it didn't work - why not try this."   (p.s. this is how most cool feng shui stories begin .....)





She focused on the Creativity/Children & the Family guas.  They put up the children's artwork & other things in the Creativity/Children's gua and family photos in the family section.

She said:  "For the longest time - I had too much resentment and anger when I looked at those photos. I was so mad at what they did that it was really hard. This year - with the whole pandemic - I realized I couldn't keep carrying around the baggage of my resentment - I just needed to start wishing them loving kindness and everytime I looked at the photos (they were a prominent place in our house).  I remembered the good times, and sent them love.   (Fast Forward a little bit)   They are coming to stay at our house this weekend. I never in a million years thought this day would come. But they will be in our house again....and we will be together"

GAHHHHHHHHHH is that not the COOLEST FREAKING STORY EVER????!

Now here is the thing that I think is so amazing about this story - the Feng Shui "cures" (aka placing items and picture with meaning in her space) were initially laden with negative emotions.  What happens when you add something into your space that triggers unwanted feelings?  MORE UNWANTED FEELINGS.  
When she changed her mindset surrounding the meaning of those items, she started to see the shift happen.  She SURRENDERED to faith, felt love and CONNECTION when looking at the items and connection then happened.

It's magical, I'm telling you.  What you focus on expands.

COOL SHIT I LOVE:

This month ... it's a custom Mala.

This is my favourite purchase in 2021 I think.  Oh my gosh I freakin love it sooooo much.  You know those long beaded necklaces that often have tassels on the end that you see yogi's wearing???  I have been so enamoured by them.  There's just "something" that drew me to them all the time.   I never really understood what they were for though and I never found the "prefect one" (also I don't like tassels and most of them had them, so there's that ...).

I had started following Casey's IG page and started to learn more and more about Malas.  (p.s. isn't she cute?)



I liked a few of her pieces and was deciding between them (and again ... secretly wondering why I needed one) and THEN ... she posted the she does INTUITIVE DESIGNS.

I messaged her and told her I would be honoured if she would create a mala for me, intuitively.  I had no idea what the cost was, I didn't ask and I didn't care.  My gut knew she would create something that was powerful and it was a gift to myself for my upcoming retirement.

I told her that I would love to use it for meditation.  I provided her with a mantra that I LOVE:  I lead and powerful women follow.  She sent me this explanation of her creative process:



Check out Casey showing us how to use mala for mantra meditation

Every time I repeated your mantra I heard “light the way” so I loved this sound that popped right up when I uploaded the video (that goes with the mala debut for her marketing).  It says “do you know who you are” “step in to the light” “shine bright” and it just fit so perfectly!   I used golden string because of the phrase that I kept hearing anytime I said your mantra. The golden string kind of lights the way as it passes through each bead.      

Here are the crystal properties:

Moonstone: New beginnings and fuels your intuition
Citrine: Abundance, joy, brings manifestations to fruition, wealth (6 figure months 😉)
Tigers Eye: Vision, patience, prosperity
Carnelian: Courage to pursue passion, step out of the norms, bravery.   I also sprinkled in clear Quartz because it magnifies the power of crystals it’s near! So there’s a clear Quartz next to every citrine

Ohh! And I also lined the back with Smokey Quartz. That disperses fear and is super grounding. But for the most part the crystals I chose support the sacral and the solar plexus. (AKA energy centers in the body that help you step into your power)

I'm just in love with the whole process and I can't wait to use it with my mantra meditation!!!  It's just SO perfect for the this next level me, don't you think???

A GIFT FOR YOU:

Casey is a member of the UNSTUCK group and she is giving me and all of you, 10% off of her entire shop as WELL as any intuitive customs that you may wish for!!!!!  August 31 - September 29, 2021

Go to:  www.onefiercevibe.com and use the code:  SANDRA

Or connect with her on IG about her intuitive custom jewelry and let her know how you found her!    

I love your group SOOO much and have gotten incredible value from it and you inspired me a lot through the journey of starting this creative business of mine so it makes me super excited that I get to give back a little in this way👏🏼☺️

(told ya she's super cute)

 WHAT (or who) INSPIRES ME:

Lately I've been interested in women who are ahead of their time ... the women entrepreneurs who see something that is missing in the market and GO FOR IT, despite all the rejections and the failures.  They lean into their intuition and do everything in their power to keep the faith.

This month, I'm loving Jamie Kern Lima's story - the founder of IT Cosmetics.  (p.s. she walks for an hour a day, meditates and prays every day too)

She had sensitive skin and couldn't find ANY products that could cover well without being cakey and gross ... so she decided to create her own product.  She was rejected repeatedly but kept pushing through.

And now she's a billionaire.

it COSMETICS Mission is to empower everyone to feel their most confident.  Jamie uses her voice to inspire women to GO FOR IT.

WE BELIEVE EVERY PERSON is beautiful.

WE BELIEVE in loving always, not judging ever.

WE BELIEVE in the power of changing the way you look in the mirror.

WE BELIEVE in superhero people and superhero products.

WE BELIEVE in embracing beauty of every kind.

WE BELIEVE in real results and never tire of hearing “it works!”

WE BELIEVE in changing the conversation about beauty.

WE BELIEVE IN YOU!

CLIENT SHOWCASE:

The girl in the FS tips?  Let's showcase her here for being brave and allowing me to tell her story!!!  I first met Amanda through Team Beachbody (I've met a LOT of cool chicks through TBB).  Here is a bit more about who she is and what she does, outside of her Feng Shui experiments!!  ;)

Amanda is a body positive group fitness instructor and Certified Yoga Teacher (CYT-100) and soon to be Certified Personal Trainer and creator of Ablaze AF an online community for women. Amanda teaches group fitness & yoga classes and showcases ways to make fitness work for your BODY.

She shares her journey to become and maintain a body positive life while discovering more of the mystical world - moon cycles, manifestion, breath work, tarot cards. If you believe cussing is healthy, radical accountability in the name of self love is the goal of life, and identify as a woman - you are welcome at her table.




Sounds pretty awesome, doesn't she?  She's also a reiki practioner (I did not know that!)  You can find her on IG or FB!!  

https://www.instagram.com/setyourheartablaze/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/ablazeaf 


WHAT'S COMIN UP?

Man oh man I'm SOOOOO excited for what's coming up in October!!!  I'm on fire with ideas and I can't wait until I have the time and energy to bring it all to you!!!!

For now this is what I've got on the agenda:

THE VAULT 

it's my guided channelled meditation subscription plus some of my best past videos and trainings and friends.  This month I will be added a Wealth Meditation in!!!  It's so wonderful.  www.thefengshuichick.ca/the-vault 

 THE POWER PORTAL

111 days with me ... the most unbelievable private coaching package that I've ever created.  Designed specifically for you, so that you can step into the next level you, that you've always imagined was possible but never knew how to achieve.  

By Application Only - reply by email if you are committed to leading yourself

EXCEPTIONAL

EXCEPTIONAL is releasing in October to kick off my full-time CEO status!  This 3 week program is for the women who wants to become the leader - the woman who can lead herself confidently, who can recognize her strengths, who can listen to her intuition and "go for it".  Watch for details releasing soon!!!

TASTY SHIT!

This is a recipe of my husbands but man oh man it is so tasty and it's a summer fave so I had to share while it's still somewhat warm out!!!

Grilled Brown Sugar Turkey Breast

(We're gonna brine this sucker so you need to start prepping a day in advance)

Brine
2 quarts water
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 garlic cloves
2-3  bay leaves

two large turkey breasts + twine or string for tying 

Rub (mix all of these together in a small bowl)
2 Tbsp Brown sugar
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
2 tbsp oil

In a large bowl, mix the brine ingredients together.  Add in the two turkey breasts.  Leave in refrigerator overnight.  It looks gross ... but you'll get used to it.

Prior to supper time, remove the turkey breasts and discard the brine.  Rub the rub mixture all over the turkey breasts.  Lay the breasts on top of each other.  Tie some string around the turkey roasts to hold the together - we usually tie them in 3 or 4 places.

At this point you can place on your grill on low heat and cook until an internal temperature of about 165F.  You could put it in the oven on 350F until it reaches desired temperature too I suppose but it's hard to call it GRILLED then now isn't it?  Cam prefers to heat the BBQ up on high heat, then he turns the one side completely off and places the turkey breast on the indirect heat side.  Depending on how big your turkey breasts are will determine your cooking time, but usually a few hours - sometimes less so really watch it and use a meat thermometer!!

Our Tips n Tweaks:

Cam prefers to put wood chips (half soaked, half dry) into a metal smoker tin.  He places the tin on the lit side of the BBQ and then places the turkey breast on the side where they burners are turned right off.  It gives it a slightly smoky flavour and it's oh so good!!

I was manning the grill for these suckers and I left them a BIT too long (oops!) but they were good nonetheless.  Let me know if you try it!!!
***

Well that's it for random stuff from Augustl!!    Once again, from the bottom of my heart, thank you SO much to all of you who regularly email me, recommend my group, my courses, my coaching or this newsletter to your friends and colleagues, your biz besties and your family.  I appreciate every one of you and every message that I receive.  

OH AND ONE MORE THING!!!

If you're loving this email but you're wanting all the blasts from the past, you can now access ALL MY PRIOR NEWSLETTERS on my blog!!

www.thefengshuichick.ca/blog 

"Life is not meant to be an assembly line of tasks ... it's meant to be a masterpiece.  Only you can hold the brush".  
Sandra Priestley 
XO

If you've got a friend who might be interested, invite her to the UNSTUCK with the Feng Shui Chick group or direct her to my IG account:  @sandrarpriestley.  The link to this newsletter is in my bio and I LOVVVVVE seeing the number of subscribers go up!!!