Rainstorms & Rainbows

I love my Thursday night yoga class-

No matter what I have previously planned, once the room fills there is an energy that takes over and leads us all on a magnificent journey of discovery, introspection and, more often than not, a little laughter.

A few weeks ago, as we began our standing and balance postures, the skies turned that eerie dark color that usually means severe weather is upon us. It was interesting that no matter what I tried to do or how I tried to focus, I could not balance in any of our postures. One by one the room began to empty of students. Those who remained watched as the dark clouds began their very ominous swirling as they slowly gathered into a large funnel in the distance-
Finally the room emptied of students as we all realized that the weather had won over our need for a yoga practice that night. As I ran to my car, I was pummeled by golf ball sized hail and puddles that were as deep as my ankles.

Tonight, weather was on my mind again as the rain fell wildly from the sky. I have lived in many states and experienced all sorts of weather conditions, but the rain storms of both Texas and Minnesota (actually I think it is the whole mid-section of the country) are unique in many ways. Rather than being a rain 'fall' it is more like a rain 'dump'-
rain literally falls from the sky in buckets! And the dark sky that accompanies the SEVERE weather systems can swallow the light of mid-day in a heart beat!

As I drove to yoga, watching the weather change rapidly, I thought about that class a few weeks ago that ended early because of the extreme weather. I remembered how out of balance I felt that night and how difficult it was to maintain any sort of focus in the class or in myself. I wondered if tonight would end the same way- no focus, no balance and a room being emptied of people who knew in a situation like this the only place anyone really wants to be is  home.

Luckily, the clouds tonight slowly gave way to peaceful skies. The energy in class was vibrant and full; we were focused and balanced as we found our flow and. Rather than the thoughts I had prepared, I shared thoughts of the rain in Minnesota-

Looking down at the MN I-35 Bridge collapse

Minnesota is naturally a very green state. Lots and lots and lots of trees- as a matter of fact, when we first got there from Arizona I told my husband that all the trees made me a little claustrophobic!

The head of the Mississippi River; Lake Itasca State Park, MN

He always thought that was funny since all the trees make that Minnesota air so clean and fresh!

McKinnley Elementary School; Ham Lake, MN

Anyway, as it goes with seasons, this green foliage eventually gave in to winter's harsh bite. Trees lost their leaves, flowers died, bushes went dormant and grass was covered by (thick, thick) blankets of snow.

Home, Sweet Snowy, Home; Ham Lake, MN

All Bundled Up

The first peek-a-boo's of spring green were always eagerly anticipated as winter finally got exhausted and relinquished it's hold on all living things. Every year, with excitement, we would nurture our plants and foliage back to life. Sprinkler timers were set, fertilizers spread, and outside clean up projects would commence. I loved these days as I prepared for my favorite of all seasons- Spring!

Yum, YUM!

No matter how much work I did to enliven the plants, there was something unique about the moisture of the spring rains; the greens were brighter, the lawns thicker, and the leaves larger in a very tangible way. In awe, I would admire the work Mother Nature could do in a 30 minutes- a work I couldn't compete with even when I tried.

As I shared these thoughts with my class, I suggested that they take in a little of the spiritual aspect of today's rain. Allowing the pains, worries or disappointments of life to be washed away and to allow the nourishing qualities of the rain to breathe new life- invigorated life- in their place.
A sweet student, one who had been in class the night of the severe weather, shared a picture she took that night after the storm blew over. It was a beautiful picture of a rainbow, complete end to end; her entire street lit by the pale sunset peeking through a few remaining clouds. No fancy photo editing, no expensive equipment- just an appreciating eye and the camera on her phone. Yet the picture captured God's bounty and mercy in simple and perfect detail!

Double Rainbow- McKinney, TX; Spring 2014

Make no mistake, storms will brew and clouds will swirl overhead, heavy and dark with the burden of too much pressure bursting to be released. Thunder will clap and lightening may strike as the feeling in the air (one you can almost taste, smell and see) gives hints of severe weather ahead!

As reliable as the setting sun, the clouds will empty their load allowing thirsty Earth to get her fill and her plants and produce to be nourished and refreshed. These loud and proud manifestations of stormy weather WILL give way to clear skies, sunshine and nourishment that simply cannot be reproduced in any way. The clouds will depart as the blue sky pushes them away, demanding room for the sun and it's light to shine through---

---and if we are lucky, and we hit it just right, AND we are watching exactly where we should be waiting, we will see a rainbow, a beautiful and vibrant rainbow, we may even catch a double rainbow-

Tempe, AZ; 2006

The reminder that life is settling down, that God is aware of our needs and He has prepared a way for life's storms to be washed away, leaving in their wake a beauty and bounty that only the storm can bring.

Let us allow ourselves the refreshing power of the rainstorm, offering thunderclaps that get our attention to changes we must make, flash flooding to give rise to our weaknesses and heavy winds to sweep them away; allowing the rains to refresh and cleanse before the air of conflict is pushed aside by blue skies and brighter days.

Blessings & Balance to you and yours-

Forgive, Forget & Move On

I recently had an experience that has literally left me breathless at times.

As I begin to see the impact of one very simple decision made early one morning during my study and meditation time, I marvel at how intricately and well designed our lives are. There are no accidents, events are not random and coincidence is pride taking credit for spiritual serendipity- at least, this is my (pretty unshakable) opinion!

I have always teased that I have room for only one hate in my life. It's held pretty true in my life as I tend to have one person that I simply cannot get along with despite any effort put forth. I've been okay with this- I guess it is not a very good thing to admit to, but it is what it is :0  When we moved to Texas, I got a big ole' bee stuck up in my bonnet and I found my 'one hate'. I had convinced myself that she had done "this" and "that", so my feelings were definitely justified! This poor gal is an amazing person and why exactly I picked this bee up and put it in my bonnet I still haven't figured out. Luckily, the two of us didn't have a lot of interaction, but we did go to church together (yeah, this confession gets more embarrassing as I tell it) so there was plenty of opportunity for my blood to boil. In all honesty, I never spoke to anyone of my feelings, never spoke ill of her- EVERYTHING I felt and thought was held deep in my own heart and mind!

One morning I was studying progress- specifically what holds us back from progressing & what actions allow us to progress further. With my books at my side, I sat quietly to consider what I had just read- it was a passage from the book of Job in the Bible- and all of a sudden I knew that I needed to ask this gal for her forgiveness. Not just lay aside my feelings, but confess them to her!!! To top it off, I felt very strongly in my heart that I was under a time line- I had 24 hours to issue my heart felt, sincere apologies, tell her how I had felt and ask for forgiveness. I tried to talk myself out of it for about 5 minutes, but it was obvious this was NOT my imagination- there was a purpose to this and it needed to be sincere. I said a quick prayer asking for her heart to be softened and I took the plunge...

Okay, I took the wimpy approach and sent an email.

Within 5 minutes, she called me! I was a heart pounding, knees knocking nervous wreck. We talked, I expressed how I had felt, the things I had thought of her and reassured her that my feelings had been my own and I had not spoken ill of her. She admitted that she had known something was wrong, but wanted to give me space rather than confront me.

She forgave me...

Now we are great friends!

And, as it turns out, there was a purpose behind the process. Not only are we friends but we are partners in the biggest miracle I have ever been blessed to be part of.

I have two wonderful kiddos who have entered my life completely by divine plan. Some might say coincidence, but the more I understand and learn, the more I defend "Divine Plan"! Because of a lot of LIFE STUFF that these kids have gone through, I wanted to somehow be a help to their family. I knew that I needed a partner in this desire and who was the FIRST person to come to my mind- Yup! my nemesis turned friend!

In four months I have been blessed with an increased sense of love, compassion, charity, kindness, acceptance, determination and desire to serve than I have had in my 44 years of life prior! To say my life has been changed, my capacity to love increased and my personal balance in line would all be a HUGE understatement. I cannot wait to see where this journey eventually ends, but more important is that I feel incredibly blessed and privileged to be on the journey at all- a journey I enjoy every moment of every day!

And it started with forgiveness! Well, it started first with a desire to learn- it moved into humility to swallow my own pride and hurt. After eating the biggest piece of humble pie- than it moved to forgiveness.

My heart was touched, the voice I heard was still and quiet- but it told me I needed to make this relationship right, NOW! And in answer to my prayer, her heart was softened, bridges were repaired and a friendship has been forged!

I love this quote from Nelson Mandela,
"Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies" You can replace any anger or hostility filled word for 'resentment' but the thought is the same. The only person that really suffers with hostility, anger, hurt, resentment or hate is the person who is feeling it! If you are holding on to a negative emotion or two (or 6,000)- Let It Go! Lay it Aside- it is possible there is no room for the miracles in your life to come because you are simply too full to receive them.

Forgive, Forget & Move On

Blessings & Balance to you and yours,

Sugar is my Kryptonite

Hi, My name is Treisha,
and I'm an addict...

This is a little hard for me because I know there are so many mixed opinions out there. I also know that I don't really seem like the poster child for a sugar addiction and on the surface, I really could fool you into thinking I'm a pretty put together person.

photo courtesy of my 7 year old son

You're getting my deep down, heart and soul here. Your getting it because I've talked to more people than I can count over the past few weeks who are feeling overwhelmed, out of control, depressed, frustrated and plain old discouraged. If I could reach out and find a magic cure, I would in a heart beat, but the only thing I have to offer is what I know,what I've learned and my honest to goodness experience.

My littlest kiddo is the only one who takes pictures with me in them :)

So for that reason, I'm going to put it all out there, everything!

... okay, maybe not ALL out there- this gal knows that there are some parts of this story that are not ready to hang on the clothesline- not just yet anyway! But for some reason, my heart feels like this story needs to be told today.

I have not been shy about my sugar craziness over the years. If you've personally spent any time with me at all, you know that this is my "thang"-
I've laughed and called myself a "sugar addict" for years.

Ain't one person in this house afraid of raw eggs in the batter-

But it really wasn't a laughing matter- not if you understood what was going on in my head, my heart and my life. I've done some pretty insane things to hide this addiction or mask it in some way. I've been known to eat the rest of a pan of brownies while everyone is away at school and
a) made a new one and eaten the EXACT amount that was eaten the day before or
b) say I took them to the neighbor.

If you have been one of my neighbors, it is likely you got a treat once in a while from me so this story would be backed by evidence!

My favorite Christmas sin... Trader Jo's JO JO's dipped in chocolate & crushed candy canes

We "celebrate" everything with a trip to the treat store, just so I can get my "fix".
I have been known to plan my route home deliberately so I could pass by my favorite shops.
I know EVERY specialty bakery in EVERY town I frequent.

Our Nashville trip where we visited more cupcakery's than we did music sites!

And we've, more often than I will admit, eaten dessert instead of dinner.
I've done addiction recovery groups, tried meditation and medication and I've cleansed time and time again!

When I read this interview I actually sobbed, not for him- but for me!
Though it sounds so silly and just a little over dramatic- I know it does- but it is how I have felt.

Before we head on I'm going to say two things:

First- I'm going to say, "YES" I know there are some who truly don't GET this! They just don't see how you cannot drive by the FroYo store and stop for frozen deliciousness. They don't understand why you need a "treat" several times a day or several times an hour! They truly don't get why you can't exercise good ole' fashion self control in the midst of cookies, cakes and ice cream!

So I'd like to say to these people, read on anyway- because you know what, there's a GOOD chance you know someone just like me who really struggles. Read with an open mind, because you might learn something and actually be able to help someone.

Second- I'm going to give you a quick tutorial on CANDIDA!

Candida grows naturally in our guts. Like the yeast you use to make breads, candida thrives with sugar. If you've never seen this, add warm water to yeast in one bowl and warm water to yeast and sugar in another- YUP, that's what happens in your gut when you eat sugar. You literally grow a little candida monster blob! Every bite of sugar, every bite of bread- feeds that monster and he just keeps growing! He's not shy and he WILL find a place to reside, which means he WILL continue to get bigger and bigger with every opportunity he gets.

Well, in simple terms, Mr. Candida monster don't want to die! He likes this nice little home he's got set up in your gut. So when you try to starve him of his sugar, he gets HUNGRY- think cookie monster hungry! And this hunger releases a toxin in your system. This toxin causes headaches, fatigue, swelling, bloating, foggy mind, irritability and and lethargy. So you know what you "think" you want- sugar! And what really sucks is that the sugar works- for the moment. But Mr. Candida man only cares about the minute, because now he's had his fix and he knows how to get the next fix and the next. And every time you give in, your brain agrees with Mr. Candida that sugar really does make you feel better. Man, talk about a vicious cycle!

But here is where the addict part of it kicks your butt! So you've tried, you really have! But Mr. Candida blob keeps getting up in your face and gettin' you down. So you start kicking too. You try harder and harder. And every time you try, you feel awesome. And every time you fail, you feel- well not so awesome! Negative mind chatter fills your head and you spiral- said spiral sends you to the store or the kitchen to bake. And you bake and you share your goodies and you feel good. Until you don't. And then you start the whole process again. Man, I'm feeling the weight of it all, and I'm just writing about it!

So here is my personal story:

I am 45 (or 44, I never can keep it straight). I am healthy, active and educated. Okay, I do have lupus, but for some reason, I still consider myself healthy. And thank you very much, I am currently in remission, so I can for sure claim that "healthy" status!
I was a skinny kid but a plump teenager. Actually, I was a "fluffy" teenager more than "fat", which I've learned a lot about in my quest for health and now I understand the difference. I was active in my youth, and as an adult I fell in LOVE with group fitness. I'm not a runner, though I am frightfully envious of people who can run marathons.

I'd rather lift weights any day, but I know cardio is important, so I find the best workout instructors around and follow their classes faithfully. Almost a decade ago, I added yoga to my workout drill and haven't looked back. I actually just completed a Yoga Teacher Training and teach between 4 and 6 classes a week- which I LOVE!!!! Bringing yoga into my fitness routine has benefited more than my body.

A little balanced living in the Carribbean

I've always been a treat lover. I have a lot of happy memories that are centered around baking and eating sweets. I had a little bit of a rocky childhood, but I believe we only have to hold on to what we want to hold- so I hold on to my happy memories and have learned to flush the bad. So naturally, a lot of my memories revolve around sweet treats, eating and big family gatherings (dysfunction always hides for a family reunion, especially once the dessert tray comes out).

My husband loves to tell the story of our first formal GALA. We'd moved past poor college years and he was working for a great company. Each year they held a Gala to celebrate and recognize their employees. We were sitting at the table with his colleagues and out of the corner of my eye, I saw the dessert tables being set up. Faithfully, I watched EVERY step they made. I whispered to our server that I wanted to be the first one at that table, so he needed to come and tell me right before they made the announcement that dessert was being served. I was chatting with my hubby's boss (yes, it had to be the boss) about skiing- just than I see the server coming my way and I know what is coming- he motions me to join him and "Yes, mid sentence, I leap from the table, (my husband says I scaled tables- I don't remember it that way at all) and walk (okay, maybe gallop) to the dessert table. Man, it was worth it and I sampled EVERYTHING!!

I tell you this, because it is the perfect story to illustrate who lies within me! The problem (to some it seems like a blessing) is that I've always had this amazing metabolism! This has been a blessing in that it has kept me from being 6000 pounds, which surely I would be under different circumstances. BUT, it has allowed me to get really out of control of this crazy, big problem.

I first started thinking that sugar could be causing me a problem when I was pregnant with my third child. With both babies #1 and #2, I gained a lot of weight, but again it was that "fluffy" weight! Really, really swollen- but I had morning, noon and night sickness and vomited constantly.
Because I was a high risk pregnancy, my docs watched the weight, but more than anything they were watching how lupus was going to treat these pregnancies.
After each baby, I lost the weight and more, so by the time I got pregnant with baby #3, I was 10 pounds under my normal weight and the docs stopped thinking about my weight gain altogether.

My lupus didn't like baby #3 at all, and tried to get rid of her very early. I'd already done my fair share of bed rest with the others, but with her, I was down for the count.
Because I spent sooooo much time in bed, I had time to pay attention to when and what I threw up.
I craved treats like nothing else in the land! I've never been a "salty" craver- but man, I love me a Hard Rock Cafe style Brownie Sundae!
I got sick every time I ate sugar-
I mean EVERY time!!!
But the more I tried to quit eating it, the more I craved it- which in turn led to the more I got sick.

Well that was the beginning, but it was long before we ever started learning about Candida, sugar addictions and toxins in our systems. Long before gluten free was trendy and waaaayyyy long before palio, atkins, and south beach! So I kind of sounded like a fruit cake when I mentioned this to anyone.
I chalked it up as weird pregnancy stuff and really only thought about it while hunched over the toilets for pregnancies 4,5  and 6! Again, the fact that I didn't have a weight problem led my docs to not really put any weight into what I was telling them.

Side bar here----> please know ONLY you own your health- you are YOUR expert, if your gut says something, go with your gut!

Fast forward several years and I enter a MAJOR flare up with my lupus. No one can figure out why it flared with such a vengeance and there is nothing we can do to get it under control.
In the meantime, I am learning as much as I can about health and wellness. I've seen a HUGE change in my health since I started yoga, so I begin to study mind and balance and holistic living.
It took six years before these two worlds- massive lupus flare and balanced living- would come head to head and there could only be one winner-

Well, balanced living won- (there's more to that story for another day)

I started playing with my diet and my food intake. I found an amazing doctor who was my advocate all along the way and I had a Rheumatologist at the time who was incredibly supportive. I realized some common ailments when I ate sugary goodness: my fingers and face would swell, I would develop a red rash all over my fingers, I had arthritis type flares in my knees and hips and I suffered from horrible insomnia. EVERY single time, I would say, "look at that, I just can't believe this is sugar". And EVERY single time, I would stay away from sugar for a time and YUP!!! I'd be right back at it! I always had an excuse, or a new plan or a new justification (but it's my birthday)!

thank goodness my cupcake obsession has finally been released

If I was an alcoholic, I can guarantee my family would NOT have let me continue to drink- but sugar is socially acceptable. Not only is it socially acceptable, but it is almost worshiped! Don't believe me?? Count how many donut, cupcake or bundt cake specialty stores in your area- We flock to sugar in our country! There are more treat stores in my town than liquor stores that's for darn sure!! How often do you see people bring sliced apples to a pot luck and how often do you hear a parent offer ice cream to a kiddo who is good while shopping??? When was the last celebration you had with NO sugary goodness on the table?

I love me a fresh cream puff stuffed with ice cream & topped with gooey goodness

So here I sit, five years after I started this journey of discovery. I am more educated, I am an advocate of whole health wellness, I monitor EVERY thing I eat- I check labels, don't touch white flour or rice to save my life, avoid processed anything, make my own 'almost everything' and rarely drink anything other than water. I exercise faithfully and I try desperately to treat illness and ailments holistically.

But gosh darn it, those sugary things somehow still haunt me and somehow they make it past all my food policing and get through. And every single time, I look down at my fingers and think "I just can't believe this is because of sugar". And every time I go through the same self abuse-
EVERY! SINGLE! TIME!

Salted Caramel Cupcakes with Pretzel Crust

This is all I have to offer you- this is what I've learned.
You can make changes, you really can! And you can eat a cookie- you really can!!
Your not a failure. You're not doomed to failure. You are not doomed to feeling like crap ALL the time!

One of our favorite desserts for guest nights- Baked S'mores

Because yoga can vary from person to person and really even from day to day- I LOVE to offer variations to the poses and to teach some of the more advanced postures. I always coax my classes to try something new, even if it means falling! Falling isn't bad- it's only by falling that we learn to get back up.
And it's in the "Get Back Up" that we learn anything worth learning.
But if you never try, you never fall- and if you never fall, you never learn to get back up.

I know from experience that eliminating sugar, flour and processed foods has benefited my health and wellness. I know it because I've fallen more times than I can count.
But I've always gotten back up and each time, I'm a little stronger-
a little smarter and a little more prepared for the challenges that I might face.

My favorite- strawberry lemonade!

I had an awesome massage therapist who sat me down one day, held onto my shoulders and looked me square in the eyes
(You might want to know that my massage therapist is 6'5" with muscles to rival Rockie!)
and said "God does not mistakes Miss Treisha! He did not make a mistake with you, He did not make a mistake with me. In 6,000 years and more, He has made no mistake- you take this moment and enjoy it for what it is!"

So, I'm saying the same thing to you,
My friend, God does not make mistakes. This journey you are on will benefit someone, somewhere, sometime. Just learn, grow and keep moving forward-
Find something wonderful to say to yourself,
and say it EVERY time you start to think those self negating things that we say to ourselves-
those same things we would be shamed to say to anyone else
and would never dare let others know this is how we talk to ourselves!

Blessings & Balance to you and yours,

Try Something New- Do Something Different

I taught an awesome Yoga class today-

They were as diverse a group as you can get; all ages, sizes, experience and a group of men & women!

It was a Power Yoga class, and I'm here to say- I teach a hard power class! These people are building muscle- this ain't that "stretch and sleep" yoga but a 'come out sweaty from head to toe' YOGA!

As we opened the practice, I encouraged them to do a body scan of their body. This is easy to do- close down your eyes and as you begin to pay attention to your breath, travel up your body from toes to forehead, concentrating on one body part with each inhale/exhale breath cycle. As you scan, just pay attention to anywhere in your body where you might be storing stress, guilt, tightness, anxiety! You'd be surprised, we hold a wad of emotional garbage in our bodies- this awareness allows you to send that (fillintheblank) out of your body with each exhale-

We then set an intention for our practice to replace all the emotional garbage we just emptied with creativity and adventure! "We are going to need this creativity and adventure later in the practice" I warned them!

(I'm afraid I may have scared some people with that comment- but luckily they ALL stayed)

Because I had such a diverse group, I gave them variations on our poses depending on their abilities and experience. Though I gave them a wide range of options, I encouraged them to draw upon that "creativity and adventure" that we had brought into our minds and now bring it to the mat.
I was SO excited as I saw most people at least attempt an arm balance or a bind or any variety of NEWNESS to their practice.

This philosophy doesn't just exist on the yoga mat however. I have a FAV instructor at the gym and she reminds us often to add more weight if we are comfortable or mix up our workout routines. There is NO growth in comfortable and NO excitement in complacency.

I love this web talk by David Eagleman about How to Slow Down Time! It is worth the ten minutes it will take you to watch it. I love that the simple and VERY conscious act of switching up our routines can add enough impact to our lives that time literally slows down.

1.  
   

I am taking a Time Management class for school and we have been discussing just how many decisions we make on a daily basis that we DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT! These are BIG decisions, some with BIG consequences! Have you ever been driving down the road and all of a sudden realize you're on the way to the wrong place? Or wondered how you got to where you are? Life is RACING before us because we live on autopilot more than we live in the moment.

Take a moment today, just a few moments to do a body scan-
Where do you feel tension? Where do you feel ease?

Encourage the ease, release the tension and than go forward with your day with an eye to Newness, and eye to Adventure, and eye to Enjoying the very moment you are in RIGHT NOW!
Where you are going WILL happen! What you need to do WILL get done! The difference you're going to make is that you are going to ENJOY the JOURNEY-
I'm telling you, this is a GREAT JOURNEY of life we are on,
it just takes a little balance to see it-

Find your Balance &
You'll see the Beauty

Blessings & Balance,
Treisha

Keeping It Real

Dear Valued Friends & Family,

After several failed attempts to help my husband lose weight and with a few vanity pounds lingering on my own body, I looked into the Plexus line of products.
I have a few close friends who were having GREAT success in weight loss, overall energy and vitality as well as having incredible financial success.

I signed up to be an ambassador- there is a story within this story that is not of value here- and began to post once in awhile on my Facebook page. I had a few friends in mind when I read the testimonials online, but to be 100% honest, my heart cringed every time I read the testimonial of someone I didn't know first hand. As a result, I had a hard time posting anything but information about the product and my OWN personal experience with the products.

I also found myself to be a horrible salesperson, because what I care more about is helping people find their own balance- not mine or a random person with great "before and after" pictures.
I have been a believer for so many years that weight gain/loss is so much more than a few (or a lot) of pounds to get rid of.
We are complex people- weight issues don't happen overnight nor do they go away with a pill, shake or powder. So my conversations more often than not ended with me offering to help someone with their overall wellness improvement and no plexus at all.

If you know me well, you know I have had some pretty serious set backs as far as health and wellness go. My journey has NOT been an easy one- but it has been a WORTHWHILE one. As I sit here today, I am actually overcome with more humility, awe and gratitude than I can really process without tears. In this mess of emotion that I find myself in right now, I can honestly declare- I wouldn't change one thing about who I am or how I got to be here.

I live, eat and breathe this belief

I went to the doctor today because something has felt off for about six months. I have tried to blame it on stress, school, heat, cold, crazy schedules, balance... but I couldn't seem to get a handle on what was going on.
As the doctor and I looked at some blood results and talked about my daily lifestyle he said the same thing I have heard a hundred times before- "with all this stacked on your plate, you are doing unbelievably well. Most people at this point are ______" (fill in the blank with many different ailments".
He declared that my wellness is 100% of what I put into it and that it is obvious I give it my all.

People, I have heard this so many times you would think it is old hat and not a big deal- but I leave the doctor EVERY SINGLE TIME this is said so overcome with emotion that God has been so merciful to me and allowed me to find this path of wellness I am on. I am NOT PERFECT!!

I struggle with sugar EVERY single day-
I struggle with SELF ESTEEM every morning, noon and night and
I watch my scale in a way that sometimes I think borders on disorder-

BUT with all that being said, I would like to say,

IF I CAN DO IT, SO CAN YOU!

my type of rainbow

So, I left that doctor with a game plan-

I'd like to interject here that having a doctor who will listen to you as the owner of your body is CRITICAL! Let's repeat that YOU ARE THE OWNER OF YOUR BODY- and ONLY you know what is best for YOU!

l left with a game plan for my health,

and I left with a commitment to make a change to our relationship-
whether or not Plexus is a good product for you is going to be up to you and I can tell you some great people who sell it-

BUT if you need help making some changes in your life- in your lifestyle-
if you need help finding balance, peace, progress in your weight, your wellness, your lifestyle than I KNOW I can help.

ain't never been a more true statement

It's a journey I've been on, it's a journey I have studied on a personal and an academic level, it's a journey I know all too well. And it's a journey that I KNOW if you put the effort into, you will reap the rewards in spades!

I won't promise you easy,
I won't promise you a size 4 jeans by Easter
or bikini abs Memorial Day,

the abs may just be an added bonus :)

BUT I will promise you control over your own body and mind, I will promise you a new understanding of who you are and where you want to be and

I will promise you BALANCE-

I will promise you my BEST-

and together we can make it to YOUR best!

Send me an email if you are ready for some changes at restoremybalance@gmail.com

balance of body, mind & soul

Blessings & Balance
Treisha

Bloom Where You Are Planted

I have been thinking about this for several days
and decided that the thought needed to be put
into writing- maybe just for me-
but hopefully for you too.

I am almost 100% sure that I am not the only
mom/woman/human/adult (pick your noun)
who worries about the life they are living
and if it is the life they should be or COULD be living!

I have been really been struggling since we made
this most recent move!
It's been almost 2 years, for crying out loud-
and I just can't seem to get any semblance of
BELONGING!

Honestly it is the weirdest thing...
I wish I could explain it without sounding WEIRD!

Anyway,
I have offered many prayers on this matter and
a few days ago, I feel that I got a mini-answer
Maybe not an answer,
but definitely a little bit of an understanding.

You see,
I feel like I've been holding back since we moved to Texas-
definitely not on purpose,
and definitely not on everything...
but I've been holding back those things that I love-
love to share, love to create and love to do!

For 9 years we lived somewhere that we loved-

Our beautiful home in small town MN

kind people, great friends, awesome experiences!

Pig Roast in a garage- classic MN entertaining venue

I loved to decorate, craft, scrapbook, sew

Ten years of Ornament Exchange ornamentation- my favorite tradition EVER!!

and mostly I loved to host...

Andover Ward Ten Year Anniversary

ANYTHING and EVERYTHING-

I loved to find a reason to have a bunch
of people together laughing and having a good time!

6th Annual 4th of July Bike Parade

We had a lot of space,

Human Foosball at our 'Nothing Like a Good Friend Party'

a lot of flexibility

Ice Hockey on our Front Yard Pond

and it was simply what I LOVED to do...

Every good Bike Parade ends with a game of Water Baseball

I started hearing some pretty unkind criticism of
the things I loved to do,
and I noticed that I started to hold back and feel
anxious when I wanted to host a party or an activity-
I tried so hard to not allow the unkind remarks of some
to influence my heart,
but I fell prey to human emotion
and the remarks left a sting.

And then we moved...
No one knew me, which meant
no one knew what I did in my spare time
or what talents or skills I had or didn't have

and I found that I became a different version of ME!

We became Beach Bumms to the MAX

To be honest, I liked this version of me quite a bit too...
weekends at the beach,

Muscle Beach... always a FAV

Any Day is a Beach Day

lunch with friends, shopping in the city-
my husband has teased that I was on a 3 year play date :)

And because I felt like a blank slate,
I incorporated some things into my life that I hadn't
taken enough time for before-

Yoga moved from an exercise routine to a way of life

Over time, I started to add some of the old me back
into my life and things were really starting to click
that this could be my new HOME!

Pasta Parties before a Swim Meet

Kids in the Kitchen cooking classes

AND THEN WE MOVED AGAIN!

and I feel like a clean slate that just doesn't dare to be
inked up or colored on.
But I also feel a little lost and a lot lonely-


Now I want to take a minute to say, that
there are some things that I have added to my life
because of where I am emotionally that I LOVE-

So I'm not a male accordion player- but I do spend a lot of time in peaceful contentment

and honestly I wouldn't trade these things for the world-
or for either of my past lives!
 
But it doesn't change the fact that I feel a little disconnected...

So as I was praying one day,
desperate for guidance or understanding,
I envisioned a beautiful flower-

alone in a meadow.
Though the flower was alone amongst all the green foliage,
it was blossoming in it's full glory-
big, colorful and full of God's splendor.

I realized that not for one moment did that flower
hesitate to bloom,

never once did it question how long it
would be able to sustain that blossom nor did it ask
how many people would get to see it's beauty-

The flower blossomed because it was time
AND that is what it was created to do-
to reach it's full potential,
to magnify the measure of its creation.

I thought about this ALL day-
and I asked myself a lot of questions.

Why am I holding back?
What am I holding back?
Who am I waiting to give me permission to live the life
I want to live?
Why do I think it matters where I live to fulfill the full
measure of MY creation?

I loved this visual aid that Heavenly Father gave me.
I do better when I can SEE the lesson-
and I could SEE this!
Not only could I see the flower imagery,
but I could apply it into my own life.

I understand a little more why I feel so disconnected
AND more importantly,
I understand what I need to do to fix it-

I need to consider my life as a wonderful journey-
similar to a walk in a park with little kids!

My kiddos could walk along and gather
anything and everything-
rocks, sticks, leaves...
At the end of the day they were the same
beautiful kids they were at days beginning
(probably a little dirtier)
BUT they had gathered a lot of little treasures to take home with them!
Some treasures we keep,

It's not what you do, but who you do it with that really matters

some we outgrow or leave behind

These treasures moved on to their own bigger and better...

and some are precious enough to display...

Some people come into your life long enough to make a forever imprint on your heart

I just happen to be walking through a much larger park :)

I just need to remember that we have gathered some amazing treasures over the years

Enjoy your day
Enjoy where you are right now
And never let a single day pass by
without living up to the full potential of THAT DAY