I was on the phone recently with a customer service rep to fix an error I made while placing an order online when I realized just how much I have to be grateful for during this Summer of Change.

Since I have been off social media and working for months on creating more serious & informational content, I decided it is time to update you on some things in my life this summer and some fun facts about what inspired me to do what I do as a nutritionist.

This particular customer service rep had a thick southern American accent, if I had to guess what region, I would say somewhere around Virginia/West Virginia. He was a particularly chatty person compared to most reps I speak with but he was kind and polite, genuinely just curious about all of the people he interacts with but barely gets to know in his day. He pointed out my work email (which was the email I used for this order), (info@theakkitchen.com) and asked me about my business and what I do. I told him that I am a nutritionist, I went to graduate school and I am a recipe developer. He had so much joy in hearing about the different ways people live their lives & he told me a little bit about himself.

Further along in the interaction, he had a question about my address when I cleared it up for him that I actually live in a cottage. He said “Wow! A nutritionist and a cottage, now that just sounds even cooler.”

This summer I have felt infinite amounts of gratitude waking up each day & seeing all of the incredible changes that take place in the wild and nutritionally dense forest in my back yard. Not only am I able to grow and harvest wild berries, herbs, and even make my own maple syrup, but I have been the most successful I’ve been at growing an herb and vegetable garden.

In addition to the adventures I get to experience in my own home, I spent some time in the Adirondack’s on Saranac Lake. The Adirondack’s are a dream for me. I love coming back every year and always hate leaving. Even weeks after coming home, I miss the mountains, trees, water and the loons.

If you don’t know me well, then you probably don’t know that I grew up in Maryland, close to D.C. and lived in Baltimore County before moving to upstate, NY. We moved to Hudson 2 years ago and into our little cottage a year ago. I am only 20 minutes away from where we lived in Hudson but the wild nature that is able to thrive out here blows my mind. My time here has been cathartic, healing, and transformative.

This place has completely changed me as a person and brought me so much serenity and harmony. With all of this change has come a fair amount of revelations and a total reset of my mind-body connection. This summer I have made many more changes to my life and business. If you have been around for a while, here are a couple of major announcements that have resulted from my magical summer Upstate:

1. Number 1 change you need to know about: I am moving my office! I am no longer at KB Chiropractic but will still be located in Hudson. I am joining a few other practitioners from the area to form a new community integrative health center. We have our eye on a location but details are still in the works!
2. I am adding new services! I have always wanted to do more than nutrition consulting. While I will continue to have nutrition appointments available virtually and in person, I will be adding on business coaching and consulting services. I mainly will be helping wellness professionals to organize their administrative systems so they can spend more time doing what they love without the extra business baggage that comes with it. This means that I will have a whole new library of resources and regular workshops available!
3. I am creating jewelry and home good items to sell on Etsy!
4. I am planning a podcast. I have so much more to share and I really want to share these messages more effectively while having the option to bring my favorite experts into your life to share what they have done for mine.
5. I am revamping my recipe calendar. I am carving out more time to create more recipes. People are always asking me fore more & more recipes. In order to make this work, I need to rework my schedule to plan out the appropriate amount of time necessary to complete a recipe from start-finish (this is a lot more involved than one would think) and connect with companies that will hire me to create, photograph and write up recipes using their products.
6. The last change I have seen in the last three months is a total revamp of my website to better reflect what my main goals are with my business, recipes, blog posts, life, etc. Around all things I do and help people with, the main agenda is to find the Basics that promote a True level of maintained Balance. To better help people achieve this, I created the True Balance Basics Method. You can learn more about this method here.

Here are some tips I have to dealing with change and leaning into the flow of new seasons of life:

1. Develop a new way to plan the day, every day.

Every day is going to be different as change approaches or is unfolding. Some days will bring unexpected tasks and interruptions. Planning out everything you need to do in advance can end up setting you back more. Try to wake up each day and plan out 2-3 of the most time sensitive tasks you need to take care of (including appointments or errands; things that tend to be especially time or energy consuming).

2. Set a timer mid morning and mid afternoon to check in with your network.

Staying on top of communications and admin tasks (even personal ones like sending a text reminder to a friend or family member) is so difficult to keep track of while experiencing change. These are the things that don’t tend to make it on to do lists & points of contention or added stress can creep in because something will get forgotten along the way.

3. Spend at least 30 minutes in the morning and evening just focusing on doing absolutely nothing.

Don’t look at your phone, don’t talk to anyone except for casual conversations with those you live with (do not include responsibilities or how your day was. Try to focus on recreational interests like something you say on TV, the internet or your reflective thoughts about life). Grab your favorite beverage and enjoy some fresh air, views outside or just get cozy in your favorite place to sit. Relax and spend the time just taking slow, deep breaths.

4. Spend at least 15 minutes making sure you have everything you need to be nourished, comfortable and prepared.

You can do this the night before or plan for an extra few minutes of your morning routine to make sure you have prepared snacks, fluids, relevant vitamins, and important pieces of information to make your day an efficient and stress free success.

5. Plan out the most efficient routes between errands and destinations to consolidate some of your responsibilities and spend less time on them.

6. Know that the change can bring just as much struggle as it can bring positive results in your life. Much of the change I experienced moving to the country and moving offices has involved difficult decisions, self doubt, risk, unexpected casualties, and extreme levels of stress. Among all the bad experiences I have had during these times of change, I have had better living situations, better health, and countless other unexpected benefits.

If you are planning for a major change in life or are currently struggling in the throws of new routines, the best way to plan ahead is to take each day at a time and don’t overcommit yourself.

Here are some tips to prioritize joy as a regular men’s wellness habit:

Before reviewing the Manifestation Meditation Journal Entry at the bottom of the page. Slowly read through the guided mindfulness practice. Try to imagine the descriptions below. Be present with yourself and dive deep into your mind. 

When you have completed the meditation, write up answers to the Manifestation Meditation Journal Entry at the bottom. Repeat this regularly to sustain the hard work you put in to self preservation and manifesting your desires and goals.

Recordings for this guided meditation coming soon. 

Take a few deep breaths and put your hand on your heart.

After a breathing and and out, fully fill your lungs.

Fill your belly and your chest, then take a last inhale before releasing. 
Feel your toes. Your ankles.
Feel your back relax into your seat.
Relax your shoulders and neck.

Slowly become aware of your body. 

Now begin to imagine you are in an empty room.
There is nothing significant about it. Blank.
Not white, not black but soft, and neutral.

Imagine in front of you is a wall of containers.
You keep looking at the boxes and notice how many there are.
It is in an infinite wall going on forever. 

It just keeps continuing until you become slightly overwhelmed by their presence not enough to be uncomfortable, but so much that their image together begins to change.

At first, you are not quite sure what they are.

You may feel tension returning to your body.
This is perfectly normal.

Acknowledge how your body feels.  It might feel heavy.  Or light and free. 

Accept how it feels and let that carry you. 

This wall of containers is still expanding and moving past your vision.
Faster. Faster.

You notice that some of the containers have a bit of color… at first you can’t quite make out what it is but then you notice something that looks familiar-  it might be a quick flash of your childhood bedroom, summer nights in college, a memory of you driving for the first time.

Then you notice more colors and movement as these images keep flashing by.
You notice…
Textures
Faces
Doors
Walls
Plants
Skin
Fabric
Art
Newspapers
Food labels
Landscapes

Breathe for a moment and just rest here, pay attention to how your body feels
Now you notice these images are moving faster still.

Flying around like little sheets of paper

Allow these images to circle around you and envelop your body, lifting you up almost like being in a tornado.

Now think about how you feel emotionally, mentally- what do you notice with nostalgia?

Do you remember how your body felt when these memories happened when they pass by your awareness?

Try to remove yourself from your memories.

Allow the tornado to get smaller as if getting a tighter hold around your body.

Try to consider yourself a stranger to these images.Like you are just seeing and experiencing every emotion for the first time.

Try to avoid feelings of gratitude.

Consider how these feelings and new images relate to your higher self.
Try to consider these images in the afterlife.

Will you remember them when this physical body is worn down and can no longer recall everything?

Think about these images and about how they will protect and carry you forward when your soul continues past this body’s expiration. 

Let these images of love, pain, sensation and knowledge completely envelop your body and soul.

Let it be like a second skin.

Let it protect you, not to ward off evil but to establish your conscious energy into a preserved, powerful and balanced energy. 

Think about your future.
Don’t push past pain, hoping your armor is sealed tight.
Don’t ignore pain beneath your mask- let it be apart of your experience, body, soul and consciousness all together. 

Still focusing on your memories, allow them to fly past you one after the other. 
Sometimes showing themselves and sparking momentary glee or a pang of hurt… carefully breathe into this swarm. 

It flows around you, moving constantly and always presenting new images, colors, smells, sounds, elevations, gravities…

Allow yourself to hear your breathing but don’t stop your awarenessSlowly start to think about your body- how are you positioned? 
How is your neck
Your face
Your throat
Belly
Work your way slowly down to your toes

Now don’t forget your new armor. 
It hasn’t stopped moving.
Living.
Breathing, just like your organ systems, it becomes automatic. 
Don’t let it stop. 

Will it to continue this cycle for eternity?

Will it to continue expanding, tell yourself and tell your memories to circle around you for eternity- reach for your higher self and search for the center of your soul.

Ask yourself to continue to preserve these memories into this physical and spiritual body for afterlife. 

Take a few breaths. 

Put your hand back on your heart.

When you are ready, slowly begin to let your awareness of the room enter your consciousness. Return to this physical space we inhabit. 
Consider your self and not just your soul when you look around.

Remember part of your soul in this physical body needs the security of your higher being. 
Don’t mistake fear for intuition.

Let your higher self guide you. Remember you have protected and preserved your future. That part of you knows no fear because it is eternally safe and has seen all t needs to to reinforce your intuition and separate it from fear.

Take a few breaths and complete the following Manifestation Meditation Journal Entry:
What do you want to carry with you into the future?

Write down 5 things you want to experience in life that you still haven’t & all of the things you might need to do to achieve that.