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Time for reflection

I have always had a reflective practice. It has helped me connect, align (my guiding word for 2020) and grow forward, in both my business and in my life. 

It began when I was little; I was always the deep thinker, the seeker, the sensitive one who always looked further than what was in front of her. I found it has helped me to see what worked, what didn’t work, and what could be changed. It allowed me to reframe my perspective and improve, which lead me to living a magical life of freedom. 

In my healing journey, I spent a lot of time reflecting on my life. The funny thing about having space for yourself in life is that you are almost forced to reflect.  It happens naturally within that sacred space, and that my dreamers, is where the magic happens. 

I get it. Some of you are thinking to yourself, “but how can I create space in my already full and busy life? It’s impossible. I just can’t right now. Maybe down the road when the kids are grown, the bills are paid, blah, blah, blah.” Nope. Sorry, not sorry, but that’s not how it works. That’s not how big magic is created.

Creating Space

Creating space for yourself in your life to think, to breathe, to reflect, to feel and to HEAL must be intentional and deliberate for it to empower you. It’s not always perfect timing and it doesn’t always feel safe and comfortable. Creating space can be downright scary! But let me tell you something; when space is needed in your life, it doesn’t ask permission. It comes barging in, in the form of resistance, illness, “stuckness”, sleeplessness, anxiety, depression, feelings of “lostness” and disconnection, compensatory strategies (emotional eating, anyone?), the list goes on. It forces its way in until you have no choice but to do something about it.  Sound familiar? 

Making the brave and bold move to create space in your life, to slow down and to simplify things so you can get clear about what you actually want, need and wish to create, is one of the biggest gifts you can give yourself. I know because I’ve done it. Many times. Sometimes by choice; sometimes by force, but when I’ve allowed space to partner with me in this deliberate and intentional way, ALWAYS, yes, ALWAYS, my eyes were opened to what my heart and soul had been crying for. Then, and only then, have I been able to see the magic, make the magic, be the magic that creates a life aligned and fulfilled. A life of Freedom. 

Big Magic

2019 forced me to create space. I was grieving the loss of my parents, I was sick, tired, sad and lost. Not exactly the ingredient to make magic, right? But, I have honed the skill of radical self- awareness. I can now see the signs. I reflected on my past and realized my own “stuckness” was begging me to make space, to be brave and courageous enough to take a step back. To slow down. And to allow myself to feel, to heal, to see clearly and to decide what I needed in MY OWN LIFE to truly feel free.

And I found it.

I found my magic again.  And I couldn’t see it or feel it through the clutter of a busy (ugh, that word) life. I couldn’t see it through the forcing and the “shoulding” and the continuing to try to show up in a way that didn’t align to my core. That didn’t align with what I value most in all aspects of my life. FREEDOM. 

Then I got to work. 

What was missing from my life? What needed to go? What could I improve on and what was going well? What new habits did I need to practice that supported this freedom life?  When I cut out the noise around me, I was able to tap into my soul and ask myself all of the questions I had been avoiding, and then to answer them with truth and realness. The answers WERE the magic! 

The Other Side of HEAL with Shari

By creating space, I was able to feel.

By being stuck, I was able to heal.

By going deep, I was able to get real.

The pain of “stuckness” forced me to create space. Space guided me to connect to my core. The connection allowed me to find my magic again.

I realized what was missing, went out and found it, and I invited it into my life. Intentionally and deliberately.

I needed to be part of a team again.

I needed to feel the energy exchange only hands-on healing can provide.

I needed to reignite my passion for holistic skincare.

And so, I did.

The Magic and Freedom I have created in my life, being able to work from home as a Holistic Freedom Life Coach AND to work with an incredible team of hands-on healers at Province Apothecary as a Holistic Skincare Therapist is a dream. A dream I created for myself by creating space for the answers to arrive, and then to act in the direction of my dreams.

Magic, freedom and a life fulfilled are available to us all.

If you feel stuck, let me help you.

You can find me at Province Apothecary, Wednesdays, Thursdays + Sundays.

Love + freedom + glowing skin,

Shari xo

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Aligned + Awake

Everyone has heard the saying, “everything in your life happens FOR you, not TO you”, right?

And what about, “everything that is meant for you will not pass you by”? 

How about, “you are exactly where you should be”? 

These are quotes we see, hear and read everywhere these days in order to feel aligned, awake and free. 

I truly believe this. I drink the Kool-Aid. In fact, I’ll take it one step further and say that I truly LIVE MY LIFE by all of these sayings, and I have never felt more aligned and awake than I do right this second.

The last few years have been the most challenging ones of my life, for many different reasons. My husband had a bad accident and lost a finger (could have been his life!) whilst completing his final commission before closing down his wood working side-gig. It was scary shit. 

My parents passed away within 18 months of each other, and as an only child, I felt alone, detached, sad and broken. Hello, grief storm! We moved from the city to a small town on the water, only to realize after three years that it wasn’t for us and we needed to move back. Packing sucks. Making values-aligned decisions does not. 

Space to Heal

Oh, did I mention that in the midst of losing limbs, parents and the inability to remember my postal code, I launched my biz out into the real world AND assumed my husband’s name (no simple feat). The dream is free; the hustle is sold separately (or so they say).

When 2019 kicked-off, I thought I was just going to slide back into a flow state because I wanted to.  Because it had to after all this craziness, right? I deserved a break after all the life changes I fought through, right? (some obviously self-inflicted). There is no way things could NOT just fall back into place so I could move forward with ease; pretty please?! Ha, ha, nope. That’s not how life works, My Dreamers. That’s not how freedom is found.

I felt stuck. I felt sad. I felt sick. I felt unmotivated. I felt lost. And I most certainly did not feel FREE in any sense of the word. After a couple months of pushing, pulling, forcing and fighting, I finally surrendered to “The Plan” and began to HEAL: mind, body and soul. Deep and dirty work.

I worked on getting my adrenally exhausted body back to normal functioning. I worked on balancing my way-out-of-whack hormones so I could have energy to do things again and to feel joy again. I fed myself well, let myself sleep and focused on my yoga practice with healing intentions. I read and I wrote, and I cried. 

I sought support through my husband, my friends and family, also a grief counsellor who all allowed me to unravel in a safe way so that I could piece myself back together again. I took a huge and scary step back from my business so I could have space to heal. I slowed things down. I nourished and nurtured myself, I let myself feel in order to heal. 

Time to awaken

You see, in the forcing, I was keeping myself stuck. In the pulling, I myself, was being pulled backwards. In the pushing, I was met only with resistance. It was only when I leaned into the space I gave myself to heal and the permission to take my time to do it right, was I able to trust and surrender to the unfolding of my life.

I knew something needed to shift. I knew something was missing and out of alignment. I knew whatever it was, needed time, love, compassion, trust and to be able to show up.

I needed to be ready and I needed the space to heal. I didn’t know what it looked like but I called it in. I believed in it. I believed in myself. Funny thing about time and space; they help us heal. My body began to heal. My heart began to heal. My mind began to heal. My soul began to heal.

“Everything in my life has happened FOR me, not to me.”

“Nothing that is meant for me will pass me by.”

“I am exactly where I should be.”

I feel Aligned and Awake and ready for a new decade to begin.

I found my Freedom.

Love + Freedom,

Shari xo

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Finding Freedom

Freedom. Ahhh. Just the sound of this word feels like a deep belly exhale. It allows your shoulders to drop from your ears just a little. It brings a softened smile to your face. Freedom often reminds us of a time when we were younger and free of the stressors of adulting. The struggle is real, my beautiful dreamers, but you never have to go finding freedom alone. I got you.

Freedom has been my number one value for as long as I can remember, it’s the core of what I help my Life Coaching clients to find in their lives too. But finding freedom can seem so ambiguous, impossible even, which is why it’s so important to define what freedom actually means for YOU, in all areas of your life. I’ve been on the finding freedom train so long I am practically driving the dang thing, so I know a thing or two about what freedom feels like, for me. But I also know what does not feel like freedom and how to re-align myself to get back on the train. You can too!

Clarify, Define, Align

If freedom is what you are longing for, but you aren’t exactly sure what that means for you, it’s probably because you haven’t defined what it actually FEELS like in the different areas of your life. You see, it’s the FEELING that matters most, and what feels like freedom to me, might be completely different from what it feels like for you. Because you need to clarify what freedom looks and feels like in the major areas of your life to be able to decide if what you are doing is in alignment with freedom, or off the rails of the freedom train.

Here is a practice I do with myself and with all of my clients.

1) List out the major areas of your life – I call them The Big 7:

– Health
– Relationships
– Finances
– Career/Purpose
– Creativity
– Connection to Source/God/Spirit
– Leisure/Hobbies.

2) Clarify exactly what your life would look and feel like in each of these areas if freedom was present. Write it out in as much detail as you can. See yourself experiencing freedom in all areas with ease. Who would you be? What would you be doing? How would you show up? What wouldn’t you be doing? Who would you be with? Where would you be? What would you be feeling in every cell of your body?

Becoming crystal clear on what freedom feels like in each of The Big 7 will help you make decisions in your life that align you with what you value most. Because, if it isn’t clear then how on earth will you know if it’s there or if it isn’t?! It’s important that you clarify YOUR definition of freedom, and not your mother’s, your sister’s, your partner’s or societies. YOURS.

3) Now every time you are deciding, in any area of your life, you can ask yourself, “does this feel like freedom?” If the answer is “yes”, then go for it! If the answer is “no”, take a step back and evaluate what is missing or out of alignment for it to feel like freedom and for you to hold your own integrity. Shift gears, course-correct or simply get off that train altogether.

Trusting your inner guide is all you need in order to know if you are in integrity with your values or not. Resistance, anxiety, compensatory strategies and buffering to avoid are all ways your inner guide is trying to tell you something is off. These signals are vital messengers trying to alert you that you are off course in your quest to finding freedom. Remember, these signals are not telling you to quit! They are reminding you of what you value most, which is freedom, they are helping you to re-align with what matters most to you in your life! How awesome is that!

In everything I do, from the foods I eat, to the people I spend time with, to the work I throw myself into, I continue to ask myself if it feels like freedom. It’s an automatic response for me now because I’ve practiced it so much. My soul now knows what freedom looks and feels like. Is it always perfect? Heck no! But, I know to trust the signs and signals when something is off. I am better able to make decisions that align with my values, keep my in integrity with myself, allow me to live the life I know, I want and deserve. Finding freedom isn’t as hard as you think it is. Freedom equals clarity, courage, commitment and consistency. Freedom is yours if you want it. You’ve got this and I’ve got you. xo

Holistic Health + Lifestyle Coach - Newmarket, Aurora, Keswick, Heal with Shari
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Get Unstuck by Simplifying Your Life + Move Confidently In the Direction of Your Dreams

If you read this title and immediately thought, “Life Goals!”, then you are in the right place. And you are always in a safe place of love + non-judgement here at HEAL. You belong here so let’s get unstuck together so we can all move confidently in the direction of our dreams + live the lives we have imagined, as Henry David Thoreau said a gagillion years ago. Such timeless wisdom. Le sigh.

Staying Stuck Sucks (say that 5 times fast)

As a Holistic Lifestyle + Mindset Coach, my clients come to me stuck. Stuck in unhealthy habits. Stuck in unhealthy relationships. Stuck in unfulfilling careers. Stuck in stagnant friendships + finances. Stuck in the muddy pool of old stories + programming filled with self-doubt, self-loathing, self-criticism + fear. STUCK! My job as a coach is to empower them to dig deep to find the root of the “stuckness” + to kick through what’s blocking them or slowing them down from living the life of their dreams. And to get out of their own way in order to take Empowered Action forward. In consistent, manageable steps. On. Their. Own. Terms.

Are you feeling me, Sister? I got you.  The key is to SIMPLIFY your life in all areas. Streamline things so the flow is, well, “flowy”. Keep the good stuff + get rid of the bad.  Right now, you’re rolling your eyes + saying, “yah right” + I feel you, but stick with me Kid, and we’ll go places.  Pinky swear.

Saying NO to things that no longer fit into the truth of how you want to live your life isn’t always easy but it’s necessary in order to become unstuck. They are called BOUNDARIES + creating them + sticking to them no matter what is a powerful way to unstick yourself + allow the flow of your life to just get on with it already! Boundaries are a whole other blog, but they are our friends + they deserve an honourable mention here today. Thanks Boundaries! Talk soon!

Streamlining Your Life

I am currently in the process of streamlining my life + my business + let me tell you how free I am feeling these days. I am out of the frazzled hustle + it just feels easier. We all want our lives to feel easier, don’t we? There’s something so magical about clearing clutter, making space + trimming the dead + unruly branches of our lives. Not only can we SEE things more clearly, but it gives us space to breathe. So, let’s start creating magic by simplifying our lives, becoming unstuck + moving forward in creating the lives we dream of allowing for optimal health + wellness, deep, harmonious relationships, solid finances, fulfilling careers + a strong connection to Mama Universe, trusting that she has our back on this but only when we tell the truth about what we truly want.  Ready?

As a Holistic Lifestyle + Mindset Coach, I try my best to live a healthy lifestyle. Is it perfect? Nah, but it’s balanced + in alignment with how I want to show up in the world. (most days).  I want to simplify things for you in a way that makes sense so let’s look at your life as a perfectly healthy + balanced plate of food. Yup. You heard me.  Eating healthy isn’t about restriction but adding an abundance of nutrient dense foods to fill your plate- quality proteins, healthy fats + loads of leafy greens. You are not taking away from your life, but you are adding MORE of the stuff that fuels you + feeds you + lights you up. You with me?

Introducing the Big 5 Areas of Life

So, I want to invite you to take a good look at the Big 5 areas of your life:

  • Career,
  • Finances,
  • Relationships,
  • Health +
  • Connection to That Which is Greater.

One at a time I invite you to explore the aspects of those areas that are sucking your energy with little to no return + start trimming. When you trim the fat, so to speak, you are left with only the good stuff. There is space for inspiration, space to flow, space to invite the people, experiences + things into your life that are in alignment with your goals + dreams that will energize you to become unstuck.

It’s a gift to be able to create the lives of our dreams + it all comes down to choices + Empowered Action Steps in the right direction.  Will you choose the life-sucking fat that’s keeping you stuck or the magical, energizing, flow-producing  nutrient-rich greens to fill your plate? You get to decide what stays + what goes. You just need to start + if you’re still stuck after trying this exercise, let’s talk.

I invite you to join the conversation. You can connect via Facebook, Instagram, or leave a comment right here on the blog.

With light, love + empowered action always,

Shari xo