Whipped Body Butters, no melting.

Here are three great body butters that whipped up fast and easy, with no melting required. 

Coconut oil and lanolin oil 

Ivory whipped Shea butter and olive oil

Cupuacu butter and almond oil

One of the greatest things about whipped body butter is that it is lump free. That's right. You don't have to sit there and proceed to soften the butter in order to get to the smoothing and spreading process. Plus the other advantage is that you see putting a little bit of another oil helps to gently change the consistency of the butter. 

Having said that, coconut oil really is a quality base when blending butters because of its flexibility.  I've never had to use beeswax in butter because the butter stands up well, keeps form and smooth texture.

In this most recent blend I've used a spoon of lanolin. I thought this oil greatly assisted spreadability. I've blended coconut oil with cocoa butter and it makes a stiff butter. Plus you have to melt the cocoa butter. I Will try using less next time. Either way it feels like a cream for a range of skin types but mostly normal to dry. I scented it with geranium and grapefruit essential oil from doTERRA. Helps to calm, balance hormones and eliminate cellulite. I am a believer of grapefruit being a tool for weight loss. Apparently the Slim and Sassy blend agrees with us, as it can be found formulated in that blend. 

Ivory whipped Shea with olive oil was a very rich and thick creation. I see it as a night cream or one for very dry skin, or even as just a foot cream. Actually I stuck my fingers in the mixture and I love it. Maybe it's not as thick as I remember. As it warms it sinks right into my skin.  Anyway I put several essential oils in: cassia, balance, holiday joy and though I think that's it, there could be something missing from this list ...

As far as just simply amazing is  concerned, the rich, creamy and smooth cupuacu butter mixed with almond oil seems to be hands down the best blend that doesn't involve melting. I'm thoroughly impressed with what I was able to turn out.

My mom, nieces and sisters all received a basket for Christmas with tea and butter. So far my mom reports that it's some of the best butter she has ever tried, because it goes in.

Of Food and Feelings on a Next Level Basis.

As we explore in more depth the annamayakosha, we begin to recognize the sensation of hunger and thirst striking more meaning in this dense, tissue-ridden body of experiences. The annamaya contains way more than just food and water, tissues and blood and organs. It contains an entire system of the way the body processes that edible information. What are you telling your body as you choose to down that cheesecake? What does your body say back to you as it translates the cheesecake's message? How does the body disseminate that information? It sounds funny when it is said in this manner, but when it really starts to count, is how the message plays out over time.

Here are a few ways to think more deeply about the annamayakosha and how food informs us of our current state. How many times in the past month have you thought of meditating on that sandwich and bag of potato chips you ate, that you felt "badly" about for the past month?

• sthula (Physical) — In which taste and weight of food is realized.

• sukshma (Subtle) — In which properties and impact of food are felt.

• kaaran (Causal) — In which samskaras of food are preserved. Roots of many physical deformities lie in annamaya kosha.

Sthula is the physical sensation of eating the food: the smell, the taste, the mouth feel, the sensual experience of eating the food. How empty you are before, and how satisfied you are after, is the sthula.

Sukshma (subtle) How filling is it? Was it what my heart desired? Was it everything I hoped it would be? Did it do the job? Did it satisfy all of the emotional lacking that I was going through? Did it ring true to what life has taught me about eating this? How is my pocketbook affected? how is my internal environment affected? How is my external environment affected? What will my friends think about what I just ate? How did it impact my family and friends' and society's view of me? How did eating this affect the society at large? Is it GMO? Organic? Free range? Right for my body and blood type or diet regimen? Did it make me fatter or skinnier? Who's watching? Did I eat the right thing for them so that they will either be proud of me or learn from me? Did their decisions on who I am impact my plate?

Kaaran (causal) Am I really making this choice to eat this or is this the choice of my friends/family/environment/generation/genetics? How am I traumatized or triggered by my food choices? What damage has my food already played a part in creating for me? What part can I play in destroying all the reasons why the food is or is not part of my waking reality?

More on this later. Please send me your thoughts and impressions when you are ready to digest this material, pun intended, and we can dialogue about how this relates to your innermost needs and how food can play a role in creating more stagnation or more freedom.

Blessings,

Connie

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.