Open Hearts Club

A cacao infused reflection on nourishing the heart during times of heaviness. How can we as individuals serve? Actions from the outside and actions on the inside ❤️✨

Some reflections on negative thinking. As someone who has long struggled with getting lost in negative thinking loops, I want to share what wisdom I have gleaned over You can watch the Youtube Video Here

Sharing a little bit about the May you be well experience for the month of May. Giving some insights and ways that we can connect deeper to ourselves in the world and our spirit. If you want to support cacao lab use the code Jennifers10 for 10% off your order

Sharing my experience from a recent trip in the smoky mountains the spring with my husband. Thoughts and reflections on growth renewal and the excitement in groundedness that one feels when the immerse themselves in the natural world

Check out my low inflammation eating PDF I made, inspired by Dr. Mark Hyman Food is information Food can be a lengthy topic and often inundated with a lot of research and so much more. I am going to share some insights based on my own personal research—from listening to a plethora of other podcast, reading books and As someone who has a passion for food and for eating. I, like you, am learning so much along the way. A philosophy I like to follow comes from the great writer, investigator Michael Pollan "Eat whole foods, mostly plants" As someone who is on the path to studying holistic nutrition, I am learning that we are what we eat. Your cells essentially become what you consume. Isn't that scary and exciting? Every notice how you feel tired and lethargic after eating a seemingly delicious cinnamon donut from the cider mill? Well…that just means your body is telling you something…please…no more. My philosophy is to eat intuitively, noticing what is feeling good in my body.

Check out the full blog here Ah, those things you wear to cover your body :D In the era of the internet and information spreading far and wide, we are now more aware than ever of the implications of supporting fast fashion. We should try to raise our awareness. Realizing the impact of our actions. When we buy, we say yes, we support this. The reality is that fast fashion is often laced with poor working conditions and wages, exposure to harmful chemicals and so so many resources are being used. The clothes are made for the current trends and often in poor quality. Not meant to last more than a few seasons. Environmentally "safe" clothes are often pricey, but there are options! The fact of the matter is you have to do what is right for you, your lifestyle and your budget. Are you willing to say Adios to Fast Fashion? Some things you might try to do are... What do you do on a daily basis? consider what is really serving your lifestyle? have wardrobe classics What are some key staples of your wardrobe? trade/borrow with friends buy/sell on Poshmark or other clothing resale shop used...just google used clothing. My favorite is salvation army and Kiwanis club look for a clothing swap party to freshen up your closet Some tips…make a few sweet lists for your self List 1: Brands I like/currently support————>research them List 2: Clothing articles (that I can probs find used) List 3: Clothing articles I really wanna save up for Idea: Make a Pinterest board of your style Ways to remove that good ol' used clothing smell

We all have a choice in what we buy. We are a society of consumerism, and we can be conscious about the way we interact in the world. To create awareness behind our purchases. And being intentional and honest with what we want and why. We are living in a 3d world and exist on the material plane. We all deserve access to materials/goods and services that in alignment with our soul's desires. But what does that mean? For me that means considering the life/timeline of the product I am purchasing. Where did it come from? What is it made out of? Where did those materials come from? Are the workers paid fairly? Is it supporting the community in some way? Where does the money go? What does the company believe in? Are their values in alignment with my own? What are my values? We can all make more conscious choices and the changes can be small swaps. Instead of buying everything from Amazon, see if there is a local shop that carries it? Or maybe the local shop has a web store and you can buy it there. We vote with out dollar. If we are pooling all our money into big corporations with low moral and little value…then we are in effect saying, Yes I support this and the ideals behind this company. There are so many ways we can be more conscious about our purchases and I believe our spending can be categorized into necessities (utilizes, rent, mortgage, bills) Stay tuned for next weeks podcast/blog about Conscious Consumerism: Food Actionable steps: shop local, shop hand made, Hello Etsy :D research the brands you support buy quality over quantity Clothes buy from Poshmark trade with friends, family borrow from someone Food grow your own food buy local as often as you can check out local farm stands and farmers markets What is a food mile? Why Fast Fashion is Bad B Corp 1 Percent for the Planet Some of my favorite brands/companies to support Dr. Bronner's ya'll Country Life Natural Foods, Bulk food supplier organic and conventional nuts, seeds health foods Poshmark Patagonia Worn Wear Rei Used Gear Resources: https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/amazon-alternatives https://www.rollingstone.com/product-recommendations/lifestyle/best-amazon-alternatives-1136987/ https://www.theverge.com/2019/7/16/20696127/amazon-alternatives-online-shopping-books-clothing-electronics-sports-google-ebay-target-prime-day

Nature Ya'll Wow, I can't give enough love to the natural world. It is my happy space to be and to breathe. Nature is my medicine, nature is my true mother, nature is my therapist. We evolved to be in nature because we are nature. So get your hands dirty, remove your personal labels, love yourself wildly, don't look in the mirror (you're beautiful), bring your favorite snacks (hellllooo dates), dance in nature and breath in and out. Notice how you feel. Journal about it, talk about it. Love yourself for taking the time to be in nature. Some ways you can introduce nature in your life: eat your meals out side take a morning walk expose your beautiful eyes to sunsets and sunrises go somewhere special during sunset, grab a bottle of wine (or kombucha) and give a toast to your lover or to your self! invite a friend to go for a hike/walk/nature visit instead of meting at a cafe/restaurant google maps a park that you have never been to workout outside…bike, run, golf, hike, heck you can even sleep outside :D take off your shoes and feel the coolness of the earth on your feet learn to forage take photographs of nature Resources: The Hidden Life of Trees : What They Feel, How They Communicate - Discoveries from a Secret World Forest Bathing All Trails App Google Maps

Howdy all, Happy to share Episode 7 from the lovely Keweenaw Peninsula in the UP (Michigan). I share a few personal stories from our time working remote here to encourage you to be kind as often as you are able to. Some topics that I go over include... Practicing kindness even when people aren't kind to you finding and following your joy spreading seeds of love and kindness everyday you can and are able to doing good things without any expectations holding space for your emotions to just be observing your thoughts asking for help when you need it not waiting for a special day/time/event to tell someone you love them Thank you all so much for listening and please share wildly, you the best! *The second story starts at 11:59, and has suggestions of suicide. I was told this story from a first hand account of the rescuer. We do not know the truth of the individual, just that he was on Lake Superior for days alone. Please send loving energy to this soul. His story serves as a backdrop for talking about mental illness, depression and suicidal thoughts. If you are struggling, need love, help, kindness, please find the resources that are available to you. Know you are love and are loved. Resources: Meditation for self love The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz Don Miguel Ruiz on Youtube

Greetings from Marquette, Michigan. Guess what...we all experience a psychological concept called "hedonic adaptation." Life has ups and downs and we feel a wave of "emotions" after said, up...or down. For example, a new relationship...you are ecstatic, every day is beautiful, you can't wait to see them, they are all you think about, your heart is a flutter every dam day! But as time goes on...you might start to go back to your baseline level and wonder...am I still happy? Same thing with a new pet...a new car....a new career, a new *insert material object here. We all must practice awareness of where we are at. How can we reframe the way we see our world? Because if you are alive...and breathing...you are in a really great position. Key Ideas: Don't take things for granted, count YO' blessings! Get grateful, what do you have? Novelty creates happiness break your routine and be happy! try something new get funky learn to belly dance Experiences over material objects (proven to last longer) Questions to ask your fine self: Where am I feeling stuck? What can I do that is NEW within my current financial means? What can I save up for? (If desiring something new) How can I look at my life through the lens of logic over...emotions? Where in my life do I have an example of hedonic adaptation? Resources The Unhappy Millionaire-Podcast by Lori Santos The Science of Wellbeing Hedonic Adaptation

Sharing some information and updates about Open Hearts Club, you can check out the blog here. So...doesn't it sound better to say, "what are you passionate about?" instead of "what do you do?" (career) It's all too easy to live by our labels, to cling to them, hold tight and never let go. We are so much more than that. These labels can serve us but how are they serving us? Are we gripping too tight on one label/identity we have created for ourselves? What brings us joy and passion? What fuels our reason to wake up? I bring you a little bit of a back story on my education as commitment to being an artist and how I have learned to gently release that part of myself in order to open myself up to a bigger world of wonder. You can see my artwork here :D I hope this lifts and inspires you in some way sending lots of love to you!

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes We all have to start somewhere…but first it takes a hint of awareness to realize that where we are is not where we want to be. To be able to jump outside of ourselves, to ask questions, and to ponder deeply. What changes can we make in our lives and for what reason? The reason can be individualistic or it can be for the greater good, for our partners, our families and friends, our community and inevitably, the world. But why change? Change is such a valuable part of life. Know you are not alone on your journey. There is so much value in the individual who adjusts themselves for the greater good. Most change solely for themselves, as they should, because as the old adage goes, you can't change someone…or “You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.” But you can make yourself drink, drink up the sweet glass of change. Join me for a little discussion about the power of change, how I am making small changes in my life and how it's all about the journey, not the destination. The Blog Resources: Be the change you want to see in the world, Mahatma Gandhi Shadow Work, The Dark Side of Light Chasers, by Debbie Ford

Movement is medicine, and it's available to you right now Movement is good for the body, mind and soul Movement is therapy Movement is meditation/prayer/gratitude for your body Here I take a mini dive into how movement has affected me personally, I hope this encourages you to integrate more movement in your life. Ways you can move (I like to move it, move it) dancing walking running/jogging rollerblading hiking hula-hooping (haaaayyy) strength training flow/yoga/stretching cycling Remember take it slow, encourage yourself and know that your making changes at the cellular level. You are what you do in a day! So love your sweet self wildly. YT Playlist Resources/things I am absorbing/leaning into Blue Zones (also check out his books) Kelly Starrett Mobility + Youtube Channel Yoga with Adriene (free yoga online for all) **Please note, movement is not a replacement for antidepressants and depression pills. Make sure to talk to your health care professional and see if including exercise/movement works for you and your body. Chances are it's a great compliment to your care. Not everyone is able bodied and this is a great privilege to have in this lifetime. I hope you are able to cultivate some movement in anyway possible.

Self love is so so so valuable. We all need to practice it in ways that feel fulfilling to us. Everyone's definition of self care is different, but it's about, as Yoga with Adriene, would say...finding what feels good. We all deserve time and space for love and appreciation of our bodies, our minds and where we are at on our wayward earth side journey.  It's a process, as my Mother in Law says.  We are all in process.  When we serve ourselves, we serve the world.  Our energy can shake the foundation of others, it can lift, it can inspire and encourage. If we choose to live in light and love we send ripples of love out into the world.  We are all capable and worthy of that self love.  Love yourself wildly into the unknown.  Try it on for size, how does it feel to look into the mirror and say positive things about yourself?  Pretty good, right?  Hope you enjoy this tidbit of love and my journey getting there. 

Howdy all, A little homage, love, tenderness for your beautiful skin A little bit of my skin voyage and story and ways that we can improve our skin health...small steps are big steps! Join me for our first love letter and many many more to come. We've spent way way way too much time criticizing and ridiculing all the "imperfections" of our skin, when it is such a grace filled and holy place. Check out my blog post, Learning to Care Deeper for this Earth Suit Learn to make your own face oil Resources: Fat and the Moon Adina Grigori, Skin Cleanse + Just the Essentials My Etsy custom blended face oils Let's Connect

Welcome to the Open Hearts Club