So your soul walks into this contract...

...and doesn't bother to let on that it has a plan, until you decide to answer the small, nagging itch, the gentle whisper urging you to listen, the increasingly turbulent winds pushing you closer to your goal. 

So what is it when a person feels out of place, or that very strange events are happening around every choice they make? What about those moments when one realizes that a way of living takes precedence over all else, and suddenly takes over? What noise can't be dulled? What thoughts won't die, and become an indelible part of the psyche? Or how about when there is this dream that frequently recurs, even though other choices have been its exact opposite?

The soul makes this agreement before earth school begins. It wants you to remember who you are. It tries to hint at who you are, your whole life, until you listen. Some say it is God's plan. Some say it is Divine design. Caroline Myss coins it a sacred contract. Some call it the infinite abundance of the Universe. Access Consciousness method simply calls it, choice. 

When we come to this moment of realization that the very thing we are is the thing we always have been, and that there is no progress without struggle, we then understand what we have been, and were always, meant to be.

Stay in Your Lane.

I was sitting here, reflecting on my week of healthy living, and I can tell you of all my joys and miseries of the week, as this was a full one. One of the lessons I gleaned from being so aware in the last few days, was about how essential oils build the metabolic fuel, how invaluable citrus oils seem to be in my life, how program consistency always improves my game, supplements help to also enhance my performance, my body's natural potential for excellence, and how doing what comes intuitively, is still working for me. 

Sometimes asking too many questions drives me into a flurry of other people's way of doing things, which isn't always best for me. So I have to listen to the voices inside my head, and if they tell me to listen to someone else, I will. That still, small inner voice says and holds all keys to my success in this world.

So should I go out and do what others are doing? Should I pick up the latest fad? Am I doing what works for me? Then I should stick to that.

Oils in the kitchen.

It goes without saying that oils can be of amazing, flavorful use to a cook, and some cooks will definitely tap into the power of the herb. Knowing that a drop of essential oil enhances the flavor and healing potential of the dish is empowering. DoTerra makes sure that their oils are certified pure and therapeutic, which means they are clean enough to eat. This is the reason Dr. Hill has developed oil supplements to assist in the deeper transport of plant phytochemicals that support cellular processes. Yes again, doterra leads the way.

Back to food. Check out the oils I use in cooking.

Basil
Bergamot
Black pepper
Cassia
Cilantro
Cinnamon
Clove
Coriander
Fennel
Ginger
Grapefruit
Lavender
Lemon
Lemongrass
Lime
Marjoram
Oregano
Peppermint
Rosemary
Thyme
Wild orange

Now just take a moment and imagine the number of dishes you can make and the types of flavors you can get to come alive. This can happen  by just adding a drop as a finishing touch for both flavor and nutrition.

The Summer of Homemade Beauty...

Even though there are some extraordinary, natural, shelf-stable beauty products that are waiting for you to purchase and indulge in, none are as gratifying as the homemade product, the natural poultice or cream, soap or oil, that gets to grace your skin and become one with your reality. This also goes in hand with a wonderful, soothing cup of herbal tea with some luscious benefit that your skin drinks. This has summarized my summer of beauty. I spent a ton of time rubbing my skin with salt and sugar scrubs, playing in my essential oils, and using fresh ingredients to fragrance or add texture and color.

Oils: I made an herbal oil with lavender, chamomile and rosemary, a lemon oil, and an orange oil, steeping the herbs and peels in the oil until the oil picked up its naturally glorious fragrance and color. I have steeped my herbal oil the longest, it being two months at this point. I will squeeze the oil out of the herbs and rub the oils through my hair. I use my lemon oil for the same effect, and the orange. Both citrus oils are great post-workout rubs, as they brighten, refresh and soothe the skin, assuaging sore muscles, empowering them to rise another day. I enjoyed nurturing my oils, looking after them as they sat under the summer sun, basking and collecting sunbeams. When I opened one of the warm oils naturally heated by the sun, I thought about being so amazingly close to the earth in this practice.

I have to say how much I've enjoyed my shelf-stable lemon and orange oils. I used a drop of DoTerra grapefruit essential oil to all of my oils, to keep them fresh. Grapefruit, in larger degree than other citrus selections, is an antibacterial and will act as a preservative in a product.

/http://www.mydoterra.com/conniedunn/

whipped body butters: Now I've attempted body butters several times, and while the natural quality diminishes some of its shelf life, these formulas are heavenly. I've used my oils as their base, and they have been absolutely amazing, beyond measure. One oil that can be rather costly, that is a celebrated oil for cellulite, coffee oil. I made my own and steeped in that beautiful sun. Thinking of this reminds me that my next adventure in oil steeping may very well be green tea. And then I can make a lemongrass green tea body butter. That sounds like such a perfect idea.

What Exactly Do Health Coaches Do??

     I've been asked this question before and I'm posing it now in case there are people in the world who think they don't need a health coach. I'm here to show all people that yes, all of you, everyone, needs a health coach. Health coaches need health coaches! My dog needs a health coach! The president has one....I'm sure.

     I'm one who adds value to every job I choose, because in this I see the ultimate self worth shining forth, and also to add life purpose to my profile and resumes. I see being a health coach as a valuable job, and I think it is important that all people who are here to serve in a variety of services, understand the pathways a health coach can facilitate. It's the latest term for organizing your life and transforming for sustainable, progressive change, kind of like our farmlands, to see results that positively impact future events. In my case I also have the writing, cooking, organizational, fitness and energetic body skills that can assist the goal that might be otherwise hard to pursue. Food is at the heart of all of these goals.

     Have you ever heard the phrase "art imitates life?" The food we choose, the body we have, showing all its structural integrity or lack thereof, and food, with all of its subtleties (and grossnesses, okay not a word, albeit a fun one) has its place in the design of  "integrity imitates integrity" across the board. Am I wrong to say that if the physical body has questionable integrity in certain places of the body, there may be an emotional, mental or spiritual element in question as well? Using this concept is so perfect because of its complexity. We can uncover and discover layers upon layers with this concept, and have so many more levels of satisfaction in our life after digging deep to the roots to heal the whole plant, not just its leaves.

     As a health coach, I start out with the basics. I find out what the client's history is, and what the client wants and needs for that sustainable outcome. Then we begin goal setting (S.M.A.R.T. goals=sound, measureable, attainable, realistic, timely) to make the "Project Transformation" come alive. Then comes the action plan. I teach basic food principles and positive habits like keeping a food journal and reading, keeping up-to-date with the latest findings on nutrition and wellness-related news events. As an intermediate participant, we start talking about the political advocacy behind the food industry Next, I assess and program the schedule to meet the model of the koshas. I give product, exercise and tool recommendations for each: body layer, the energy body, the mind and emotions sheath, intuition and wisdom sheath, and the bliss body. Next, we implement and document progress throughout, finally doing assessments and check-ins, special workshops and additional consultations to keep progress fresh.

    As an added, optional bonus, the intuitive and bliss sheaths must be treated differently, with less exercise and more spiritual tools as the needs arise. So I will lay cards and help guide spiritual focus and wisdom teachings from a variety of traditions, using the tool as a Divine benefit to you, while I facilitate. There are two forms of energy healing I offer, from Huna and Access Bars traditions. We can explore this layer further with a private session.

     So really, everyone could use a health coach. As Certified Health coaches, we take personal stock and investment in your life, and how you want it to look, sound like, taste and feel, and we see you through with each step.

Explore Your Depth.

The yogic model of the koshas, or sheaths of consciousness, are broken into five layers: body, breath, mind/emotions, intuition, Spirit (bliss). 

In the physical layer of the body, there is a ton of information embedded in the tissues, that wreak of your life experiences, thoughts, beliefs and values, in addition to your genetic coding and ancestry. When you are in alignment with your body, you shift on a cellular level in such a deep way, that it begins to rock your experience of yourself.

For example, maybe you begin to have dreams of being a famous warrior, or you imagine yourself in front of the camera as an actress or model. Maybe you begin to change the way you look at food, or begin to help others.

Possibly, you change the status of your relationships or give up a food group or pattern. Case in point: I, for one, became a vegetarian after eating meat since I was born. After 14 years I decided to become pescetarian for a year before returning to meat. Newly omnivorous, I feel I've come "home," full circle, and can see my journey and path of progress, painted clearly and in view. Suddenly I picked up running again. This to me, signals that my cells have become born again, newly realized entities, that are ready to tell a new story.

Would you like to explore you and know yourself to this depth? Contact me for your free 50 minute consultation, and let's get started on a journey that will change the way you think and feel about you...

You gotta find Healthy On your Own Terms.

You can't just tell a person healthy advice and expect to have them understand the scope and focus of such an idea, until they are ready to truly receive it in a deep place within themselves. There is a certain urge, a fire, an almost painful suffering sort of a rush, to want the most success for themselves, and the best and highest good possible for all involved or invoked into the goal.

It's never just you alone, going into your goals. So many other pieces and players are a part of your manifestation that once you begin the process, all these pieces keep coming up that make you want to quit, give up and throw in the towel. Sometimes words can't even describe what the Spirit hopes to assist with.

Remembering that manifestation is an intricate, involved process, is what is mostly required to get you through anything. As you manifest your desires, and the images of all parts come into play, make sure to write them down as if you are investigating something, trying to solve a puzzle, and you begin elaborating more and more on the theme until it becomes a living, breathing entity.