Crystals have been aiding humankind by providing spiritual power for thousands of years. Talismans for protection, love, and guidance, crystals have captured the vibrational energy of the earth and the universe within their mineral make up and can transfer their metaphysical powers to you. Any crystal expert will tell you, a crystal chooses its owner, not the other way around. You may be browsing a shop with an infinite number of crystals laid out before you, when one particu

Listen to These Podcast Episodes to Guide Your Spiritual Awakening. Every week I bring my latest roundup of podcast recommendations that broach the topic of spirituality, and the path to inner peace. Some of them are guided meditations, but most are discussions of the nuanced processes of self reflection, awareness, and the management of personal suffering. I invite you to listen to these suggestions each week, leave your comments below, and to provide your own recommendation

More studies than ever reveal the actual health benefits of channeling and expressing gratitude on a daily basis, but it remains a difficult

Listen to These Podcast Episodes to Guide Your Spiritual Awakening. Every week I bring my latest roundup of podcast recommendations that broach the topic of spirituality, and the path to inner peace. Some of them are guided meditations, but most are discussions of the nuanced processes of self reflection, awareness, and the management of personal suffering. I invite you to listen to these suggestions each week, leave your comments below, and to provide your own recommendation

The arrival of Spring is always a reason to celebrate, but more can be done than Instagram shots in wildflowers. As the current superbloom in the southern deserts may have implied, Spring has arrived! The hills are awash in a beautiful array of orange, yellow, purple and white flowers of all shapes and sizes, and the Painted Lady butterfly migration is so thick this year, its tough to speak out loud in nature and not get a one of these pretty little pollinators stuck in your

Many of us live by the energetic pull of the universe. It can alter our emotions, our productivity, and how we manage our relationships. Often times, a shift in these energy fields comes at inconvenient times— just when we’re feeling extra motivated, in the midst of positive creation and productivity, the universe suddenly pulls us into a state of passivity, or even, depression. The drive that we felt, or the tidal crest we were surfing, suddenly drops and we find ourselves i

Listen to These Podcast Episodes to Guide Your Spiritual Awakening. Every week I bring my latest roundup of podcast recommendations that broach the topic of spirituality, and the path to inner peace. Some of them are guided meditations, but most are discussions of the nuanced processes of self reflection, awareness, and the management of personal suffering. I invite you to listen to these suggestions each week, leave your comments below, and to provide your own recommendation

The Renegade Craft Fair made its way to dtLA at the Los Angeles State Historic Park. This year had as many as 250 vendors! There were so many amazing vendors there, with incredibly beautiful work for sale! But these were the booths that caught my eye: Desert Daisy Jewelry @desertdaisyjewelry Desert Daisy Jewelry by Emma Kelly, invokes the Empress within each of us to rise before our people and take charge. Regal collars made of copper and crystals, each with a unique patina,

Edy Pickens Levin has over 20 years of experience teaching art in the West Los Angeles area. To assist her own meditation journey, she began painting lotuses as she focused her energy on a particular chakra and its energy source. She is currently offering painting workshops to coach others through their own meditation-through-art experience. There are many parallels between the painting process and the path of transcendence through meditation. To many, a blank canvas can feel

These are my recommendations to begin-- or deepen-- your meditation practice and to understanding more about Buddhism: The apps, podcasts, websites and books that I turn to for seeking my True North. These days, the reality of the world, society, and our future feels unsettling. Never mind the day-to-day struggle that keeps us from our Buddha-self! We owe it to ourselves to meditate. No matter how dark the storm is we’re weathering, we need to set aside a moment of kindness t

If you’re like me, first thing in the morning you'll reach for your phone shortly after opening your eyes. But instead of reading email, or the news.. checking Facebook or Instagram... instead, open the app called Insight Timer and start your day with meditation. Insight Timer is a social app that connects you with a library of guided meditations, gongs and bells for a stillness meditation, and thousands of users around the world who are also using the app. A common result fr

If you have a long commute, or if conversation isn’t a requirement for work, listening to podcasts or audiobooks can establish the pace and tone of your day. In the mornings I reach for soothing voices discussing Buddhist concepts, such as living with radical kindness to ourselves and the world. I usually find these messages from Talks and Guided Mediations by Tara Brach, Connie Chapman’s Awaken Radio, Krista Tippet’s On Being, and the range of hosts broadcasting on DharmaSee

The following links are my recommendations for Buddhist sutra available for free online. Tricycle is contemporary dharma produced by today’s practicing Buddhist teachers. Click here for their insightful Buddhism for Beginner’s guide. A joyfully academic online resource for having a greater understanding of Buddhism is Alan Peto’s Explanation of Modern Buddhism. Perhaps because I too have studied Mahayana and specifically, Vajrayana Buddhism, I appreciate the approach he uses

There are an infinite amount of books offering in-depth explanations or guidance into varying Buddhist concepts, and have adapted the teachings into modern-day practicality. This small compilation of popular Buddhist texts is in no way definitive, but should provide a satisfactory introduction to familiarizing yourself with Buddhist concepts and teachings. Siddhartha, by Hermann Hesse, is a fictional, spiritual classic about a man in search of meaning. Siddhartha follows the

This post is a follow up to Books & Audiobooks ~ An Intro to Buddhism What I love about The Art of Happiness, an interview with the Dalai Lama by Dr. Howard C. Cutler, is the clarity of dialogue between the venerable leader and the psychiatrist as they explore humanity’s daily struggles with anxiety, fear, insecurity and anger. It provides real insight into the awareness and compassion the Dalai Lama has for everyday people in the world, and inspires us towards loving-kindnes

As a final recommendation for either beginning or advancing your understanding of Buddhism, go to a yoga or tai chi class! The vinyasa and ch'uan performed in yoga and tai chi are themselves methods of practicing Buddhism through movement, and in every class the instructor applies various concepts of this way of life into their sessions. You should never feel intimidated by yoga, as it is always encouraged that one listen to their body and go at their own pace. It is meant to

Chances are you have heard of the Chakras at least once before, and you've probably even seen an illustration of where they are located within the body. But you may still be wondering, what are they exactly? In this introductory piece, I hope to give you a basic overview of the Chakras and what each of their purposes are. Ultimately, the Chakras are an energy system that runs up the center of the body, beginning with the Root Chakra-- near the tail bone area-- and ending at

Love Heals leather fringe purse ; Hot Rocks Jewelry pouch. Essential oils work best when you use them daily, whether you are using them for a boost to your immunity, or for routine beauty practices. I keep my daily dōTERRA in a pretty little bag inside my purse, along with any other keepsakes, like crystals, that remind me to take a moment for myself and breathe. The oils I bring with me vary week to week, but I find that I regularly reach for a few specific bottles, and so