The wonder of ritual:

Aloha everyone! I’ll get right to it. Today I am going to talk about ritual and how it can help us to connect to ourselves, others, and with the natural and spiritual world. Ritual is important to working out things like illness, grief, and emotion, and can help cultivate connection with our communities and and bring us back to our natural world.

What is ritual? Ritual, unlike ceremony, is something that we do not have control over. When we engage in ritual we must do it with an open heart and shut off our logical minds. This is hard for a lot of us Westerners to do because we are so used to thinking that we have control over our lives. Ritual reminds us that we do not and that this notion does not have to be frightening. In fact, it helps to enlighten our lives by bringing us more clarity and meaning. Ritual can be done anywhere, but nature is the best place to have it if it is available to you. If not, that is perfectly fine too! Ritual can be done alone, but it is also great to do with a group. Many of us love our individuality; however this can sometimes make us feel alone and isolated with our problems and emotions. When ritual is done with a supportive community, it can help others to move through their pain (physical and mental) as well as their fears with the feeling that they are loved and supported by others.

How to conduct ritual? Ritual starts when you begin thinking about it and planning! While I was planning mine, I silently chanted the mantra “Om Shanti Shanti Shanti” throughout the process and thought about bringing peace and unity to the ocean and to humanity and the earth. My intention for my ritual was to focus on the ocean as well as the water element which signifies peace and unity. This brings me to another important aspect of ritual. The intention! It is important to remember why you are doing ritual in the first place. It is good for everyone to agree on the intention and to be aware of it while moving through the ritual. Sometimes we can get lost in our fears and rational minds and it is necessary to bring our awareness back to why it all started in the first place.

Find a place in nature or wherever you and others feel comfortable to engage. Start by making an altar out of anything from the natural world: leaves, twigs, shells, flowers, etc. Make it beautiful! I put flowers on mine and also brought a candle and some sage to cleanse the area and the energies around and within us. Perhaps make a circle with with natural objects you have collected or have everyone stand in a circle. It is important that everyone engages in ritual and feels seen and heard as well as respected. You could bring an object to give back to mother earth, light a candle for your ancestors, or say a mantra/poem to honor and spirits or species you would like. It is important again not to think so much but to feel!

Again, I am not an expert. I am just learning as we all are on our journeys. You can follow any of these suggestions or form your own path: honoring your intuition and what is being asked of you. Ritual can help to ground us in what is important in our lives. It can help us to show respect for our ancestors, the natural world, and the spirits that are around us. I will include a picture of the ritual I conducted recently. Feel free to share your own experiences with this as well. Also feel free as always to message me with any questions, concerns, or if you just want to chat:)

Peace,

Rylee

Our connection to everything:

Hello everyone! I hope that you have all had a good weekend, or week, or whatever this day means to you. Today I want to talk about our connection to everything. And by this I mean, EVERYTHING. Other humans, animals, plants, the cosmos: we are all connected. In fact, as I will highlight later we are not just connected to everything and one another. But we are one another. We are everything in the universe. This may sound a little New Age, and that is ok, I get that. As always, take what you would like from this. Some of it may resonate and some may not and that is perfectly grand!

So, what do I mean by “we are connected to everything?” Well we can look at the universe in which we live (and where we came from) as a web in which multiple systems within other systems are all working together. We could not be where we are/who we are today without other species that came before us. We could not be who we are at this exact moment if the story of the universe did not unfold how it did. Pretty wild! If anything was different (even by a very minuscule amount) about the history of it all and everything that came after that, then everything would be different! Because we all depend on each other and we are all constantly relating to one another in ways that we may not even know. We sum this up in the term interrelatedness. This translates to wholeness; as well as describing the way other beings depend upon each other in the universe.

We are all related to each other. We all came from one point before space and time even existed! Around 14 billion years ago, when the Big Bang happened. From this came hydrogen, helium, more elements, stars, star clusters, galaxies, our galaxy the Milky Way, our home the Earth, and then came all of the organisms that we would evolve from. Some scientists say that our lungs were even designed in similar ways as trees. Neat! Nature learns and continues to emerge in ongoing creativity. In the Newtonian era, our culture used to see the universe as a machine and us (humans) as cogs in the machine. When this happened, we saw and continue to see that nothing has life, wisdom, or anything to add or learn from. Because of this, we think that what we do to the Earth and all of our brothers and sisters (animals and plants) is justified because they are somehow less than us or not as alive as us. But this is simply not true. The universe is intelligent in it’s ways of constantly emerging and in its cataclysmic behaviors of destructing. But it is important to look around us as well as within ourselves to see the effects of our actions. Because what we do to others will be done to us. The law of karma! Science has also proven some of these similar notions in quantum mechanics. For example, in the term entanglement. In entanglement there are small particles that possess properties that are connected beyond time and place. This means that what happens to one particle happens to the other, instantaneously! We are all made of particles, this can be the case with us as well. Quantum mechanics has also started to explain some of the phenomena such as clairvoyance, telepathy, etc. Very cool stuff! It is not yet widely accepted, but society never accepts anything new right away.

I just watched a really good documentary on Netflix as well about the Earth and what we have done to it over the years. It is called David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet on Netflix. If you are also looking for more information on Quantum Mechanics I highly recommend the scientist David Bohm. He is rad. This topic and all that encompasses it is a lot to take in, sometimes it makes my head spin as we are all so used to other ways of thinking. But I also think it is important if we are ever to emerge as a species that can save ourselves. After all, the Earth will be fine without us.

Peace,

Rylee Hedberg

Also if you are interested in the origins of the universe (aka us) check out: https://www.bighistoryproject.com/home

Looking into our dreams:

Aloha everyone! Later posting this week, as I have been busier with school and life things. Thanks as always for being patient to the ebb and flow of life! This week I would like to talk about our dreams and their importance. Like most things that I write about on this page; this has been relevant to my life for the last couple of months. Before this, I did not think too much about my dreams. But, as I have gone deeper into my graduate program as well as other aspects of my life, I have realized that dreams have quite a significance to our psyches. Carl Jung (famous psychiatrist) talks about dreams as “the road to the unconscious”. Dreams can actually teach us a lot about ourselves if we make the choice to look at them.

What are dreams? Firstly, I am not an expert and I do not pretend to be. To be honest, this is all quite new to me as well, so I will give my interpretation of what I have learned so far. However, we can look into the definition of dreams more; especially as they will be studied deeper in years to come. Dreams happen when we are asleep. They can also happen when we are awake (according to some theories) but more on that later. The reason why dreams seem crazy and irrational to us sometimes is because our prefrontal cortex is turned off when we are dreaming. The prefrontal cortex is in charge of decision making and social behaviors; hence a lot of rationality. But other parts of our brains are still very much active, especially during REM sleep or Rapid Eye Movement, when dreaming occurs. Most of us say we do not remember our dreams when we awake. In fact, according to Medical News Today, around 95% of dreams are forgotten by the time a person gets out of bed.” Wild!

Why are dreams important? Dreams are important because they help us to connect with our deeper selves. Most of us are so busy in our daily lives with demanding schedules that we simply push who we are to the back; just so we can get through our days. Dreams can help us remember our connection to ourselves, to others, and to the greater universe through the meaning and messages that are derived from them. Some people think that we dream, but another perspective is that dreams come to us! They may come to convey something important about our lives or the greater whole. We are all connected to one another (including other species) and our dreams can help us to solve problems that we have been having trouble finding solutions too. (School, relationships, climate change, math, etc.). They may also ask us to take action somewhere in our lives. It is important to not only look at what the dream is telling you, but think of yourself as an observer in the dream. Perhaps try to recall what you noticed: the landscape through your senses, other characters, how the dream made you feel. This can help you to go deeper into the dream and to recall more.

I have been keeping a dream journal. When I wake up in the morning, I notice first how my body feels. Try to do this without thinking much about it, just feeling. Sometimes I feel heavy and fuzzy; sometimes nauseous. It all depends on what the dream was trying to tell me. I also try to notice what position my body is in. Sometimes if you get back into that same position later, it is easier to recall your dream. Then I write in my journal for a while on what the dream was and what I noticed about it. I also always tell my partner what my dreams were when I wake up; this has helped me to remember them more! As far as deciphering dreams, try to figure out the meaning yourself first. Maybe look back into your journal and notice anything that subtly arises. Try not to think so logically! Think right brain! If you still are stumped, chatting with someone always helps too.

When we look into our dreams, we can see that they are not just random. We see that they have immense meaning; just like anything in our lives. When we slow down and really look within us, we begin to see the magic not only within every day, but within all days! Dreams have helped me to notice more and connect the dots of my inner and outer worlds.

Thanks as always for reading! Feel free to comment, message, share, etc. I will leave you with another quote from Carl Jung, “Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.”

Peace homies,

Rylee

Here is a link to the website I got my quote from: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/284378#_noHeaderPrefixedContent

Living a sacred life:

Aloha everyone! I hope you are all having a great week! Today I want to talk about living a sacred life and what this can do for us in terms of how we think about our life and the lives of everything that surrounds us. This idea has been prevalent to me in the last few weeks in some of my classes. It has helped me to connect more to my life in a meaningful way, and perhaps it will help yours too:).

What does the word sacred mean? I think a lot of us can get stuck on the meaning of words and in turn have a bias for or against them. This may be one of those words for you. But I am not using the term sacred here in a solely religious sense. If this works for you, amazing. If not, then use something that resonates with you. To me, sacred means something that has value and importance to me for specific reasons. Perhaps it is a rock that I keep in my pocket, a special place that overlooks the ocean, a book that really connects with my being. It can be anything!

Why does this matter? When we think of the things in our life that are sacred to us, they become powerful tools that connect us to our true selves and to everything that surrounds us. When I think of my favorite spot by the ocean I am caught up in the immense feelings of appreciation, love, and gratitude for the waves and all that the ocean does for me everyday. I think about the calming presence it has on my mind and I think about the qualities that she possesses that are quite similar to my own. The ocean is alive just like I am and I feel connected to her depths. When I think in this way, I don’t see the ocean as just “some thing”. I see it as a vital component to my existence. Without her, I would not be what I am today.

Thinking of things in our life as sacred can help us to not feel so alienated and separate from life; this is something that is especially important today as we are more separated than ever. It is also important to our connection and the survival of certain species in our environment/home. For too long humans have gotten lost in our objective mindsets that have caused us to lose touch with ourselves and other forms of life.

If you don’t have anything that is sacred to you, that is ok. Perhaps if you feel called, think of something that holds value or a special place in your heart. You don’t have to make too many judgments on this either. It can be whatever you like. Find it and then think about why it is sacred to you. Think about the connection you have with this and then perhaps return to this entity when you feel called, need guidance, or just want to be with it.

I have realized the English language proves it difficult to not use the word “it” for things! I am going to try to find other words, but for now it is what it is. Thanks for your support. Also if you’d like, feel free to comment on what is sacred to you.

Peace,

Rylee

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The Age of Anxiety:

Aloha everyone! Today I am going to talk about anxiety and how it effects the way we perceive our realities and act in our lives. I want to talk about this today because I am feeling very anxious. Some days I feel a lot more relaxed and calm; but other days it feels as though my heart will explode by how fast it is beating, and my mind runs and runs on all of the things that “need to get done” in the day. This causes me to run around with my head cut off; trying accomplish my mental to-do list. Usually by the end of the day I have no recollection what really occurred…I realize that I did not really enjoy it because I was not taking in the subtle moment of the day. I was not noticing my surroundings or my inner world because I was too busy feeding into my monkey mind. I know that in the modern world, anxiety is something that effects a lot of us and I think that it is important to take some time to talk about it.

So here we go! What is anxiety? In my perspective (again, we all have own unique ways of thinking based upon our experiences) anxiety happens when we are not aligned with the present; with what is happening right in front of our eyes. It is when I am on the yoga mat practicing various asanas, but I am thinking about what I need to get a the grocery store. It is when I am lying in bed trying to sleep, but all I can think about is how I will pay next month’s rent. When this happens, my mind tries to come up with a million ideas to solve it quickly! (We humans HATE feeling uncomfortable). The mind likes to try to solve “problems” right away; even if we are not able to presently. Most of the time these so called “problems” are actually not even really problems at all! They are just something that we make up in our head. It is like thinking about your plane going down and crashing as you think about your flight next week during a work meeting. You heart beats fest, and maybe you feel a bit queasy inside. Anxiety is thinking about something that is not actually occurring in our lives in the now. It goes hand in hand with fear of course.

I feel that the media also causes more anxiety in us. We become anxious when we are constantly scrolling through instagram and wondering why our lives are not as perfect as someone else’s and then we think, “what am I doing wrong?” “Maybe my life is not that great as that persons” “Maybe I should do this or that and I will be happier.” We are constantly bombarded with these messages everyday and we become disconnected with ourselves. We feel off-balance, lost, and confused. I know I have been in this position many times and will continue to do be. It is what I can do to ease it.

What can we do? Well, I can’t speak for everyone, because we are all different and what I might do may not work for you. But, I will talk about things I do to help with my anxiety as well as some other ideas I have learned about.

First, meditation! I will continue to talk about it and list it in every post probably haha, but it really has helped me so much to connect with my inner self and explore my thoughts and emotions. Second, journaling. I have a billion thoughts in my head all vying for my attention. Sometimes I think that one of these thoughts is a big problem that needs attending to right away; however when I write it out, usually it is not as monumental as I had previously thought. Third is exercise! This can be anything you want, but I firmly believe that exercising helps to move energy around. A lot of stuck energy usually leads to illness in one form or another. Four: talking about it! Talking about our anxiety and they way we are feeling can help us to face it head-on instead of feeling shame about it. I will sometimes talk to friends, family members, and of course my therapist! (this has been difficult to do). If you do not feel comfortable talking with someone you know, I recommend a therapist. They are even online now. Lastly, do something that puts you in a flow state. By this I mean that “thing” you do where time seems to cease to exist. This means you are in flow with the universe. You are normally not thinking about your past or future but are immersed in what is happening now. For me this is usually writing poetry.

There are always things that we think “need” to be done. When this happens to us we can choose to engage with our thoughts or we can take a step back and breathe and really take into account how we are feeling. We can choose to observe ourselves and ask if we really need to listen to what our mind is saying to us. Sometimes I like to say to my thoughts, “thanks for telling me this, but I do not need to do or think about this right now” and I let it be on its way. Thoughts do not stay forever and we can always change them into something that aligns better with our being.

I could write more, but this is a lot so I will save it for another day. Feel free to message, comment, share, etc! Peace earthlings!!! Have a great week and life.

Documentaries/Movies:

Aloha! I decided to make a separate post about films that I think might interest some of you on various topics about consciousness.

1. The Way of the Psychonaut: About Stan Grof’s life as a psychiatrist. He explored psychedelics and their impact on patient’s psyches and the ways they helped to transform their lives.

2. E-Motion: Documentary about emotions and how they impact our lives physically, mentally, and spiritually more than we think. Very good and transformational!

3. Yogic Paths: This series goes through the different limbs of yoga. Exploring more fully yoga’s roots and its healing qualities. I watched this on Gaia. Gaia is a great channel for more films, documentaries, and series on these types of topics.

4. Sensitive: The Untold Story: This is all about a personality trait people have which makes them HSP (highly sensitive people). This effects about 20% of the population; including me! After watching this documentary, I wanted to cry. It suddenly all made sense. If you (or someone you know or love) may think you are a HSP, than I recommend watching this. For more information on HSP check out their website: https://hsperson.com

5. Heal: I highly recommend this documentary to those that are looking to heal themselves; not just physically, but including the mind, emotional, and spiritual bodies as well. We get inside information from various healers across multiple disciplines on how our belief systems really do affect the way we heal and if we heal! Very cool!

The nature of duality:

Aloha everyone! I hope that you are all doing well on MLK day. Today I felt called to talk about the nature of duality; especially when it comes to our minds and how we view the world. This concept has been coming up a lot for me recently, as I am starting my second quarter of graduate school and this is something that we discuss a lot in all of my classes. One thing that I really love about this life and experience as a human is that I am constantly learning about myself and about reality. My ideas and thoughts are always changing with what is happening inside of me as well as outside of me. It is very exciting! Especially because I am an individual that likes change. Maybe that is why I enjoy learning so much….

Anyways, duality! What is it? Duality is seeing two things as separate or different from each other. Again, we all have our own interpretations of everything, so this is the way I see it (for now). A lot of the time when two things are considered dual they are considered in opposition with one another. Hence the term dual! Now what does this have to do with my blog? Well, this term has shown up in consciousness, spirituality, and specifically the mind and our perceptions.

When we have a dual mind we see things are separate from ourselves. For example, when we see someone that is outside of us such as a friend, a plant, a rock, etc. we consider them to be a separate entity. We picture boundaries between us. When we see ourselves as separate from everything it is much easier to treat something badly or to not care about the outcome of our actions and how it might affect everything else. One idea that comes to my mind is our relationship to nature. We see nature as separate from us, when in fact we are nature! A lot of human see themselves (myself included) as more evolved than the natural world or perhaps higher up on the hierarchy of life. But this is not true, we have just severed our connection with the natural world and so we do not see it as a living organism that is capable of much more than we think.

When we also possess a dual mind we can close ourselves off from life. We judge, we isolate, and we feel alone. Most of us have a dual mind as that is how we humans have evolved with the modern world. It is not something to be ashamed of, it is the way things are. But we can help ourselves to connect more to a boundaryless existence. One in which we are open to what is all around us. Where we see ourselves in everything. One way to do this is through meditation! Meditation has helped me so much to connect to a deeper feeling that is within me. One that is within all of us and connects us to everything. Meditation does not also have to be sitting with your legs crossed for hours. It can look different for everyone. Perhaps its taking a walk outside, cooking, running, etc. Whatever gets you into a flow state.

Duality can also be the act of seeing things as black and white, this or that, one or the other. This can also be a limiting mindset as it puts us into boxes that we are not meant to fit into! Life cannot fit into a box, it is too large and full of beauty and the changing winds to be stuffed into something it cannot flow out of. Life is a spectrum not a checklist.

Our experience can sometimes be hard to connect to. We are all so busy running around we can forget to stop and really take time out of our day to feel our existence fully and what it means to be a human at this time. I know I have a very difficult time with this, I am constantly running around! I have to force myself to make time for mindfulness and connection each day. But it has been worth it for me and has made my life much richer.

Mahalo for reading humans! Feel free to comment or message me with questions, concerns, debates, additions, whatever!

Peace,

Rylee

Leaning into fear:

Hello everyone! I hope that you are all having a wonderful week and start to the new year. Today I wanted to talk about fear and how we can work with it as well as use it to transform ourselves. So lets dive in to the murky waters that surround fear…

Fear is something that we all feel. Most of us feel it everyday; whether it be the thought of having to give a presentation in front of a group of people or our partner leaving us. You may feel fear when someone else may not, and that is ok. Everyone is different in how they feel and perceive their realities. The important thing to remember is that you are not alone. We all experience it and it is nothing to be ashamed of. I could say a lot about how our society has made us feel about this; that being fearful is a bad thing, but I will leave that for another post haha. If you’re a human, I guarantee you that you will feel fear at some point in your life, it is just part of the experience of being a human. How exciting!

How can fear possibly be a good thing?

Fear can be used to tell us exactly what we need to move into/towards. I like to think about my fears as something that I need to face head on. Like a big wave is coming at me and I am experiencing fear from the thought of it crushing my with its great force! Instead of running away, I dive in head first! In this instance the wave is not actually a wave, but what scares me. I have found out so far through my experiences that when I finally decided to face my fears and lean into them instead of avoiding them, I came out on the other side changed. I realized that there was really nothing to fear in the first place. I learned that I could use my fear to help me grow into the person I wanted to be.

Whenever I feel afraid/anxious/nervous/ I first try to recognize that I am feeling this way without judgement (something that is very hard for me to do!) and then I try to breathe through my experience. It is happening and there is really nothing I can do about it but face it or suppress it. And suppression only leads to more fear…a never ending cycle. I try to ask myself why I am so afraid and I try to use my breathe to put some space between myself and my emotions so I do not get so entangled in them (this is also tricky for me).

Using the breathe can help soothe a fast heartbeat and an anxious mind. It can help us to move more consciously into our fears instead of blindly trying to blunder into them. Using our breathe can help us realize that perhaps our fears were not so big at all.

Thanks as always for reading and being a part of this community. I always love comments and feedback, so feel free to share any insights about this topic. You can also email me to with anything you would like to say:) There is much more I could say on this, and I am sure I will at some point. Much love to you all.

Peace,

Rylee

My Return

Aloha everyone!

It has been a long time since I have written on this site. Thanks for being so patient with me. 2020 has been difficult for me as I assume it has been for a lot of people in various ways. I haven’t been writing at all because I wasn’t really sure what I even wanted to say…I have not been feeling very inspired as of late. My self-esteem in terms of how qualified/relevant I think that I am has also played a large part. However, I feel a pull that it is time for me to return to this site, my audience, and my writings. Hopefully they have helped you in some way as much as they help me!

I hope everyone had a safe any easeful new year and if you didn’t that is ok too; life isn’t always made of ups. I am going to update my others pages as well with new books I have read as well as new podcasts. I have been on a podcast binge the last few weeks!

A little update on my life: I am back on the Big Island of Hawaii and am starting my second quarter of graduate school next week. I am studying Consciousness and Transformation. This is something that I have thought about doing for years but was always afraid to do. I did not know if it was right for me or what I would do with the degree. To be honest I was afraid of spending a lot of money on school and not knowing if I would get a job that would help me to pay back my loans. But that is what life is about I guess, taking leaps of faith and not knowing where we may land.

Which takes me to my next subject. I have decided to leave Hawaii as it does not feel right for me to be here any longer. This has been hard for me as I will be leaving behind someone that means a lot to me. Life is hard and I’ve come to realize that I won’t be able to live it fully withou suffering at times. This has been a difficult realization but one that has helped me to feel more humble and calm about the present and the future. I am not sure where I’ll go next but I am optimistic it is somewhere that is meant for me to be.

Mahalo,

Rylee

Boundaries!!

Hey everyone,

I’ve been taking a hiatus from the blog for a while. I honestly didn’t feel like writing anything and I don’t believe in doing some just for the sake of doing it. However, now I am feeling the pull to write and share again, so here I go! Thank you all for understanding the ebb and flow. Today I am writing about boundaries. Honoring them for ourselves as well as respecting other’s and the boundaries that they have for themselves.

This topic has been very relevant in my life lately. Setting boundaries has been a hard thing for me to do throughout my life. Sticking to them has been even more difficult for me to do. I don’t like making other people feel bad or uncomfortable, but I’ve noticed that when I put others wants and needs in front of my own it usually ends in me feeling drained emotionally and physically. This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t put others in front of ourselves sometimes, I think it is great doing things for others! But it’s when we are constantly putting others in front of ourselves that the situation can turn sour.

Not having boundaries can lead to us feeling bad about ourselves and our ability to stand up for what we really want in life. Sometimes it is good to say no! To take time away to focus on self-care, following our dreams, or even dreaming about what we want. But if we are constantly saying yes to things we know we don’t want, just because we are worried about what others may think, we take away from ourselves. Whether this be energy, moments, time alone, hobbies, etc.

Society likes to tells us that we are selfish if we put ourselves first instead of others, but we are actually being selfish if we let others dictate how we want to live our lives. Selfish in a way that we are not truly our best selves when we don’t follow the boundaries we have set up for ourselves. If we don’t feel our best inside; if we feel depleted energetically and emotionally within; than this will for sure show up in what we project to our outside world.

It can be difficult to set boundaries because we have fears about missing out on certain events, fears about what others will think of us, etc. But when we do this others will know what to expect of us. They will learn to respect us because we respect ourselves and our needs. If you don’t respect what you really need and want, how can you expect others to? This is a hard lesson that I had to learn!

Remembering to respect the boundaries that others have set for themselves is an important aspect as well. A lot of people put their happiness in others, again this all comes back to attachments! Ah, everything really is connected! But something I’ve been learning also recently is that real love means letting someone live their life how THEY want to, and not how we think they should. If they want to do something alone, take up a new hobby, meditate every morning, then we should let them do what they would like! And if that doesn’t include us, then we have to accept that. None of us belong to anyone, none of us own anything, and when we act like we do, it can sometimes feel suffocating for ourselves and for others.

Setting boundaries may look like choosing to stay home and practice yoga instead of going out with friends or working on your latest project instead of binge-watching a show with your roommates. Sometimes the latter is great, but again it all comes back to balance. It all comes back to listening to ourselves, to the inner voice. It’s easy to get swept up in our outer world; in our friends, family, jobs, affiliations. It’s easy to get lost and forget what it is we actually long to do in this life, who we are/who we would like to be. But it’s important to remember that we are all human, and we all stumble, but eventually we all pick ourselves up again and have the opportunity to grow and learn from what life throws at us!

Its all a crazy journey, yet exciting! Feel free to message me or comment. Hope you all are dong well out there!

Peace humans,

Rylee

Non-Attachment:

Hey everyone, I hope things are well on your end, wherever you are. It seems as though this Coronavirus thing is really creating some havoc back on the mainland and around the globe. Canceling flights to and from Europe and even the great March Madness!! How will we ever live!! Its times like these that I remember how little control we all actually have. It also reminds me that it doesn’t matter where you are living on this earth, how much money you have, what your job is. Coronavirus does not care about the labels we place on ourselves. Everything is fleeting, and we never know what is going to happen at any moment. No, this doesn’t have to be scary either. This is what makes life exciting! Everything is always changing right before our eyes, and having a view of it that is non-attached can help us all to live it in a more peaceful, happy way.

Most of us create little stories or mind-movies within our heads. We play out scenarios or our future lives and how they will be. We picture ourselves happy (most of the time) with maybe our dream job, the perfect partner, maybe a few kids thrown in the mix (or none if thats how you want to roll). We spend our present moments carefully planning and checking things off our lists so that our futures may turn out exactly how we view them in our minds. But most of the time, reality is not what we think it is going to be! I know that I am not alone in this. Did I think that I would be typing away in a coffee shop in a small town called Pahoa on a Thursday morning in Hawaii? Hell no! I thought I would be living out west, in some graduate program for creative writers. That was my plan anyway. But plans never turn out how we think they will. Life never turns out how we think we want it to. But it turns out how it is supposed to. Take that sentence in, let it marinate in your membrane for a minute or two. Everything turns out how it should. Though sometimes we don’t always see it this way.

We get so caught up in what we think we need and want, who we think we should be with, what job we think we should have, where we should be living, that we forget we are exactly where we are supposed to be, doing exactly what we are supposed to be doing in the present moment. To me, everything happens for a reason. There are no coincidences. The universe pushes us exactly where we need to go. Sometimes it gives us lessons that may seem unfair or unbearable. We may ask, “why is this happening to me?” A good way to think about these hardships is rephrasing the questions to, “what is this teaching me?”. This goes back to one of the Niyamas of yoga called Tapas which means to put yourself in the heat or the fire, so that you may burn away anything that keeps you from becoming your best self. At the time it really sucks to be in the heat, it is uncomfortable and maybe a bit scary, but change is scary for most of us. That is why a lot of people don’t want to change.

You may look around and think that your life is in chaos, or destruction. You may feel confused when you see the ashes of your life lay around you; everything that you were working towards, everything that you thought you knew suddenly changes. But I promise that you will make it to the other side a much stronger and more humble, wise soul.

Even though our external world is out of our control, such as the way others act towards us, or circumstances that occur, we can control our internal reactions. Practicing non-attachment is a great way to do this. Simply letting things you can’t control (which is everything outside of you) flow out of you. When someone cancels plans, instead of getting upset with them, just letting the negative energy you are feeling inside flow out of you and on its way. Imagine life is like a river, and if you don’t flow with it, what happens? You try to fight the current, climb your way upstream and you become exhausted and stressed by having to flight the natural direction of the way the river is going. The more we try to fight what is happening to us, the more we will suffer. The more we acknowledge what is happening to us and make peace with it, the faster it will be to get over it.

The more that we can view our lives with a non-attached view, the more we can enjoy the rhythm of life. The more we can let go of the tension we feel within, we begin to relax and join the ever-changing dance of what it means to be alive in this human experience. We spend so much time worrying about things that will never happen, things that don’t really matter in the grand scheme of it all. When we do this we miss out of the simple pleasures that are always happening within and around us.

I also want to say that this doens’t mean you can just sit back and wait for it all to come to you. Because that is not how it all works either (if only). Knowing when to take action and when to just let it be is also part of life; again it is a balance:) What you put out into the world you get back from the world.

Remember to breathe through it all. You are exactly where you are meant to be, doing exactly what you are meant to be doing.

Mahalo beauties,

Rylee

Living out of the box!!

Aloha homies!!! I hope everyone is well. I am feeling the energies of life today!! New changes occurring in my life…and I am excited about it. Where will it all lead? No one knows…can only enjoy the present moment at hand! Mercury retrograde may have us all feeling a certain type of way, but its not all bad like we think. In fact, during the retrograde it is the perfect time to reflect on habits and patterns of thinking that might be limiting us. It is a time to rest and reflect, which is why sometimes our technology doesn’t work, travel plans don’t go our way., etc. The universe is trying to get us all to just stop and relax for a few minutes during our crazy, wild lives! Something our western culture has a difficult time doing.

Recently I watched a video that someone shared on Facebook about women, and all of the struggles we face to be “perfect”. To live up to these unattainable standards that society attempts to force upon us. I really vibe with this video, as I can think of many times that people have made comments to me about how they think I should be living my life: in terms of the way I dress, act, behave, etc. My friend and I got to chatting about how rigid our society really is. Its as though we are born and put into these boxes before we even get a chance to discover who we really are! (The being that is under all the learned behaviors, ways of thinking, childhood/past-life traumas, etc.). Most of us act a certain way because we believe it is “the right way” to be. But have you ever stopped and really asked yourself why you are doing what you're doing? Why you like what you like? Have you asked yourself if you’re happy with the “persona” you’ve created within your mind? Newsflash! These are all just thoughts in your mind. Not the real you. You can be who you want at anytime you want. Time is always moving, change is always happening. Nothing is stagnant. Everyday we are born again. Remember this when you feel you want to change, when you want to let the real you out! When suddenly the life you think you wanted doesn’t make sense any more! Its ok to feel lost, confused, sad, happy, angry. Its ok to feel all of it…it is apart of the human experience.

Society sets us up to limit us. It categorizes us and tells us who we should be. But humanity is a spectrum, its a rainbow of colors! To think that billions of us could be categorized into a few labels is insane!! The beauty of humanity is that we are all unique, we all have our own gifts and passions that we are born with to share with the world, or to just share with ourselves! Point is: its YOUR life. At the end of it all, the opinions of others won’t matter, they don’t matter now. No one knows you better than yourself. No one knows what you need more than you.

We were not brought into this world to look the same, act the same, be the same. We were brought here to share our dreams and our passions with one another. To share and to give and to live in love. When we don’t express who we really are, we hold this within ourselves. This can create stuck emotions that can lead to physical and mental ailments. When we are not who we are truly meant to be, not only us suffer, but the whole world suffers! Just look around at how unhappy most people actually are….we all drown it in drugs, alcohol, media, other people. We use these things as a way to run away from the fear of how unhappy we are that we are afraid to be ourselves. And yes it is scary….but most things worth fighting for in this life are scary. But you will find that the grass is truly greener on the other side. So take the leap, make the jump…do what it is that sets your heart on fire. Because I guarantee you will thank yourself, and so will the rest of the world.

I am really passionate about this topic as it really hits home for me. My whole journey thus far I always felt like I was chained down, forced to fit in when I knew deep down that to be like everyone else…to follow the “normal path” laid out in front of me, was just something that I would never be able to do (unless I wanted to be really unhappy). This caused me a lot of pain and suffering…and thus I projected this out to the world. But I’ve have been trying my best to heal the wounds first in myself, and to also help others by living a life in which I choose to love others for who they are. It can be challenging at times, but it is worth the struggle. I want you all to know, whoever reads this…that you are already everything you ever need to be. Already perfectly imperfect! And you can do anything you want to do…just trust and listen to yourself. We can do this!!

Mahalo,

Rylee

Following your heart can be the hardest thing to do:

Hi everyone!!

Thank you all for being so patient as I haven’t written in almost a month. I have been busy with yoga, visiting my family, and also taking care of myself. But I am back! Hope you have all been well:) This week I am going to talk about following your heart/staying true to yourself. This may sound easy but is actually very hard for most of us to do. Our heart knows deep down what we truly need, what it is in this life that we are supposed to do. But most of us forget to listen or choose not to listen to it.

All of the answers that we continuously search outward for such as in other people, material objects, teachers, books, technology, etc. lie within our hearts. I have spoken about this before and I will always continue to do so because this is very important. A lot of us listen to the voice in our heads which is mostly run by the ego and not the truth within our souls. This voice in our heads can sound accurate and like it is coming from us, but if we actually take some time to listen to what it is saying and think about where it is coming from, we can see that it is not actually us and only a fabrication that the mind has created!

One way to quiet this voice and begin to listen to the heart is through meditation. Just taking a few minutes out of the day for self-study or svadhyaya can tell you a lot about what you are actually feeling. Taking a few deep breaths and centering yourself. Feeling the way your body reacts to certain thoughts, words, outside stimulants can also tell you a lot about what may or may not be good for you. We are all energies and everything around us are also energies; our bodies know the difference between positive and negative energies and vibrations, its just about listening and acknowledging this. Pretty cool, ya?!

Once we can center ourselves and come back to our bodies instead of hanging up in the clouded minds inside our heads we can begin to feel the strong sensations within our hearts. The quiet voice that lives within and knows what you truly need, who you truly are. All we have to do is listen. You can also ask your heart how it is feeling (internally or externally, it doesn’t really matter). All that matters is that you acknowledge and feel what this voice is trying to tell you. You may not like what it has to say because sometimes the truth isn’t what our ego wants to hear! The truth can make us uncomfortable and fearful but these feelings are not us, just another layer of the ego that we must shed. When we can breath and let go of this fear that we may feel from learning the truth; this is when we truly begin to step into our power.

Following your heart can be tricky and at times difficult. Its not all romance and jetting off on some whimsical adventure like they show in the movies (thank you commercial movie industry). Most of the time it is diving into your biggest fears of letting other people down (this is also only an illusion), sacrificing relationships, leaping into the unknown without knowing how it will all work out. Yes it can be scary at the time, but the best things in this life usually are. To get where I am now I had to stop listening to the opinions of others, sell all of my stuff, say goodbye to people I loved not knowing if and when I would ever see them again, quit my jobs, and fly to the Hawaiian Islands not really knowing why exactly I was going there in the first place. I didn’t know what I would find, just that my heart wanted me to go! If I didn’t listen to it, I knew I would continue to be unhappy. And yes, people said I was crazy to not get a “real job”, save money, live out of two backpacks, and move to an island where I knew no one. But it was the best decision I ever made!

We are all on different journeys and no one can say what is right for you, but you!! No one knows how to live your life better than you. So stop listening to the opinions of others, and start listening to your heart. Listen to this, go inward, breathe deeply. It will never lead you astray. Yes the road can be tough, nothing worthwhile is ever easy. It’s all about remembering to be grateful for the present moment, and everything in-between. We are all only in this human experience for a short while, so we might as well do what we actually are meant to do, instead of what we “think” we should do.

I am at a point in my journey again where my heart calls me to do something that I don’t necessarily want to do, but I will do it anyway, even if it makes me fearful and uncomfortable. I am not sure where I will land, but I trust that it is exactly where I need to be.

Mahalo to all you lovely beings. Feel free to message and comment!

Rylee

Living to serve/serving others/putting other first:

Hi everyone!! I hope you all had a beautiful weekend!! I recently moved from Maui to Big Island into a yoga ashram, whoo! It’s quite different than the last place I was at, but I know it’s exactly where I am supposed to be at this time. This week I wanted to talk about serving others, or putting others before ourselves. This can get a bit confusing, which I will explain more in detail below. This idea came to me today while cooking dinner. I was talking to someone I live with about how lucky we are to live where we do. He told me that when you want anything in your life, when you are doing anything, if you are doing it with the intention of helping others instead of just yourself, magical things happen that you normally wouldn’t think possible. Everything falls into place with ease. This hit me in a really profound way and made me stop and think about what I was really doing with anything in my life such as my art and my reasons for being at the ashram. I for one, always feel a lot better when I am doing anything for the intention of helping others instead of myself, giving to others instead of myself, I find my heart more full and I am more content and peaceful.

The reason this can be so tricky (in my opinion) is because some people mistake putting others first as doing anything they can possibly do for other people, giving away all of their energy to others and not leaving any for themselves. I like to think of it as a well. Yes, its great to give water to those that need it, but if you give all of your water away (even to those that have enough) you will dry up and not be able to help out anymore thirsty humans! So, it’s very important to remember that self care comes first. Making sure your needs are met, that you have enough energy or life force so that you may give your mana to those that really need it!

Again, it all comes back to intention! Ask yourself, why are you doing what you are doing? This can be with anything! If your intention comes from the ego, or for selfish reasons, than maybe it is best to direct your energy and attention to something else. A lot of the time we may think we are doing something good for someone else, but this can be another trick by the ego (ah!!) and it is actually just to make ourselves feel better. This is not really what it means to serve others. What I mean is doing something and not thinking about what you will get out of it, not thinking about the outcome, just doing it to do it! Most of us do things so that we as individuals will get something in return!

This goes hand in hand with the law of attraction: what you give out you get back. The more you give (especially love!!) the more you will get back! Sometimes we are afraid and we get too attached to material objects, circumstances, people, dreams, desires; we are afraid if we give them away we will never have them again. The truth is, we don’t own ANYTHING in this life, nor the next one, or the next one after that! We are just visitors hanging out on this earth. So don’t worry about things you cannot control, possessions or people that will inevitably leave you. Because one day we will all depart from our skin suits and then who knows! What I do know is that you cannot take your cellphone, car, dog, sister, banana figs (my favorite) with you on the way out. A good practice to lessen our attachments is to give it away! “Give always give what you can, even if your allies draw lines in the sand.” A great start to the song Love Letters to God by one of my favorite musicians Nahko! This song is a vibe for me, a great reminder to give even when you don’t necessarily want to, when it is difficult to let go, give and you will feel yourself become lighter and more connected.

Putting others before ourselves is not something our individualistic society is used to. We are taught to take what we can because there is never enough. Well there is enough. Pachamama provides for her children, but when some take more than they need to, that is when there is imbalance in the world. That is why there is starvation, deforestation, destruction, alienation from one another! There is no need to live in fear. To live in greed. Sharing what we have is a much better way to live, our ancestors knew it, the ancients, the indigenous. When we share and put others first, we find more meaning, purpose, gratitude, and love for ourselves and for others. Ask yourself, do you feel better when you share with others or keep it all to yourself?

This also doesn’t have to be tangible, material possessions either. Sharing ideas, art, love, stories, emotions, are sometimes even more beautiful! So if you take anything into 2020, I hope it is giving more than you take, living and loving with intention, and showing yourself some love and gratitude for what you already have:)

Everyone have a blessed week. Peace from Big Island!! Also, feel free to message me as always! Also hear is the link for the song I mentioned earlier: https://open.spotify.com/track/7KJcNLzUlCYnmTgsyyswOG?si=l7x7torkTfWRe9zCHOnWJw

Aho!

Rylee

The power of vulnerability:

Hello everyone, I hope you are all having a great 2020 so far! Today is aloha Friday and also a FULL MOON!! I don’t know too much about astrology, but I do know that full moons shed some light on our inner darkness, causing everything we have been trying to suppress (emotions, feelings, traumas) to come to the surface. This is why some people may feel a bit out of balance and perhaps like they are going a bit crazy! Don’t worry you are not, and honestly if you feel like you are-it is a good thing! Don’t fight it: the wild emotions, the feelings; they are all a part of what it means to be human. We can take a lesson from our beautiful friend the wind: simply let it flow through you: in and out of your limbs. The more we hold onto things, whether this be tangible or intangible, the more we remain stuck; in patterns, habits, thoughts. This can cause us to have illness within our physical bodies as well as in our mental spheres. So just breathe and let it go!

Now for my talking point this week: vulnerability! Full moons ask us to be vulnerable with ourselves and others. This time allows us to really look within and ask what we need to let go of. What is it that holds us back from becoming our best selves? Why are we so afraid to let ourselves be vulnerable? To let ourselves be open? Most of this stems from fear: fear of rejection, of being hurt, not loved, misunderstood, etc. To be vulnerable in our society is to be looked at as weak and emotional. We’re taught to be strong; to hold it all in, because no one wants to see the “ugly side” of things. But we as humans have more than one side, more than one emotion. One is not more beautiful than the other, that is what makes being a human so magnificent! Its that we get to experience all of the feelings, the whole spectrum of colorful emotions!! Without one you could not have the other, we would not be whole.

Yes being vulnerable can be fucking scary. It has been the hardest thing for me to overcome, and I honestly still have work to. But I am trying, and thats all that matters. By putting ourselves in the fire ( this is also tapas, one of the niyamas of yoga, more on that later), we can help to burn away anything we no longer want or need in our lives such as past traumas, habits, etc. Yes perhaps defending ourselves, keeping our emotions closed in was some survival skill we needed at one point in our lives. But its important to know when it is time to let go, to release and realize that maybe these learned habitual patterns are not what we actually need in the new.

Letting others see our vulnerabilities can also help them to become more comfortable with being vulnerable themselves. When others see us living authentically it gives them the opportunity to see us for who we truly are as well as see themselves and notice if they are truly living the life that they want to be living. When we let go of fear and the fake armor that we hide behind, we create deeper connection with ourselves as well as with those around us. We also feel more at peace within, and cultivate more self-love:) And we all know, the more love we have for ourselves, the more we have for pachamama, and all of her children!

So my challenge to you is to open up to yourself, perhaps become more introspective and ask yourself if you are holding anything back, if fear is driving your actions or the way you live your life. Find where this fear is and then go after it and dive right in, conquer it, and you will find that it wasn’t actually so scary at all, that maybe opening up and being vulnerable with yourself and others is exactly what you needed.

I realize I am posting this on Sunday and not aloha Friday, but life became busy when I was typing this up Friday night and I wanted to move with the flow not fight it, so I am posting it now when I have more time to edit and write! Feel free to comment or message, everyone have a great week!

Mahalo,

Rylee

Meditation 101:

Hello folks!! Happy new year/vision year/weekend/journey. Whatever you want to call this time period or moment that you are currently in, I hope that it is full of joy and love. And if it is not, that is perfectly fine too. There is no light without darkness, no ying without the yang, no moon without the sun! Ah, the sweet balance of it all!

Today I want to talk a bit about meditation. This is something that has come up a lot in my journey and something that I believe started my spiritual awakening. It is a very important practice to me, something that has allowed me to dive into the deeper parts myself so that I can notice what serves me/doesn’t serve me. It has also helped me to feel more connected everything, as well as the ability to quiet the fluctuations of my mind so that I may be more present in the now! Because all we really have in this life is the now, a string of moments upon moments that create one big moment! The moment that is our life. Whoo!!

So what is meditation? To me, it is focusing the mind’s awareness on one specific point. It is concentrating on one thing within the mind so that the voices in your head may grow a bit quieter, may flow in and then out instead of staying and creating false stories/images/illusions/etc. It is taking time out of the day to really assess how you are feeling. How is your breath? Is it shallow and in your chest area? (You may be feeling anxious). Or is it more elongated and flowing down to your navel? (More relaxed). Breath can tell you a lot about how you are feeling!

This is also a time to simply notice what is coming up, without judgement! This is a big one. We don’t need any more judgment in our lives, we certainly get enough of that from society. Notice these thoughts and simply study them. Where are they coming from? What are they telling you? Is this true for you? Is this how you actually feel? A lot of the time our thoughts are telling us things that aren’t actually relevant. If we listen to them too much, if we believe everything that they say, it can make us go crazy, feel overwhelmed, anxious, and depressed. Feeling anxious is a big one for me, and knowing that my thoughts are NOT ME, but simply my ego, I can decide whether I want to listen to them, or let them go.

By meditating we gain a bit more control over our minds, our breath, our emotions. When we do this, it easier to relax into the present moment, release attachments to the stories we tell ourselves, and simply just be! We don’t need to go anywhere, be anything, we already ARE. Right now!

Meditating also doesn’t have to be sitting on some rock staring off into space for hours (though I enjoy this sometimes). It can be while you’re chopping vegetables, walking down the street, driving your car, talking to your neighbor. If you can focus your mind on what is right in front of you, you are meditating! One trick I like to use is concentrating on my breath while I do anything, this helps to bring me out of my head and into presence. You can also try guided meditations. There are some cool ones on YouTube, Gaia, Spotify, pretty much anywhere on the web! This may be good for newbies if you don’t know where to start:)

Again, its all trial and error. What works for you, may work completely different for another. Some days you may feel totally focused and zen, other days you may feel out of control and restless. All is completely ok! This is a life-long, probably multi-life-long practice! There are so many different types of meditation techniques and practices, finding the right one that works for your life at the present moment is so important! And like anything, your meditation practice may change and look different with the ebb and flow of life. As long as you make time for yourself and your practice, you are doing your best with where you are at and what you’ve got!

You also don’t need much time to meditate, even 5-10 minutes a day is so helpful! Doing this just once everyday can seriously change your inner world in terms of how you perceive your reality. It is important to remember to keep at it, a lot of times our society wants the answer or fix right now! But our meditation practice asks us to be patient; the best things in life are worth waiting for.

I could say so much more about this topic, and I most likely will in another post! This is what I feel is important when first starting a meditation practice. As always, feel free to comment or message me with any questions or tips of your own!

Mahalo,

Rylee

Gratitude!!

Hey everyone…hope you are all having a spectacular last day of the DECADE!!! Say what?!?! Can’t believe it is actually happening. We are moving into the year 2020 or so to speak. Who actually knows what year it is. I like to call this time period the year of the vision. I call it this because its 2020, and I am seeing with more clarity what I want really want in this life, what my passion is, my purpose. I am also able to distinguish more what doesn’t serve me such as negative thoughts, emotions, beliefs, habits, and people. I am putting on my glasses made with lenses of new perceptions and realties so to speak! This is what I have gained and learned from the past year as well as my entire existence!!

Something else I have gained and perhaps one of the most important lessons is gratitude. This has helped me on my spiritual journey so much this past year, and I have been really trying to bring it into my life each and everyday. Gratitude is the highest vibration one can put out into the world and into themselves. What you give out you always give back, law of attraction. If you are giving out gratifying energies to the universe you always attract this back. Whether it be from others, or simply from the energies of this cosmic realm we are all traveling in.

Expressing gratitude is an easy and fast way to bring yourself up to a higher vibrational field. Simply sitting and thinking about what you are grateful for can make you feel so much better about everything that may be going on in your life. We humans sometimes get lost on the ego train and get wrapped up in what we don’t have, what we didn’t accomplish, etc. Especially during the holiday season! But reminding yourself of what you do have, can change your reality immensely!! For we DO have everything that we could ever possibly want and need within us! Its all there, ALWAYS within you, you were born having it, and you’ll leave this body having it, for it is within the soul!

Expressing gratitude can help you to peel back the layers of societal conditioning that says, “I am never enough” “I don’t have enough”. Society WANTS you to feel this way so that you are more inclined to “buy into what they are selling”, aka spending money and energies on things you don’t need and don’t necessarily even want, as an attempt to fill the void within. But this void will never be filled with things, materials, people, etc. It can only be filled by going within. By showing yourself some love! Being grateful for who you are, how far you’ve come! Because lets face it, life can be a real challenge sometimes and it isn’t always rainbows and positive vibes (though I dream of this someday). It can be scary, rough, and full of lessons that at the time may feel heavy, but I promise you will make it out! They are here to teach you, not destroy you.

Practing gratitude everyday for simple things in your life can help you to see things in the bigger picture. It can help you to see others and your reality in a more positive viewpoint. Let this energy fill up your heart, let it allow you to take on the day, to face your fears, and live your dreams! It can be as simple as saying out loud what you are grateful for, writing a small list, or simply expressing them in your head. The universe isn’t picky:) So give it a try this new year, give it a try now!! Now is all you have, and will ever have, so if you want to do something, start now!

I am grateful for all of you, for this journey, this path, all of the lessons, the ups and the downs. I wouldn’t be who I am today, I wouldn’t be where I’m at today without everything that has ever happened to me. I am grateful for my health, the love I have for myself and the world, and beautiful pacha-mama and all she has given me: including all of my sisters and brothers!

Happy 2020 all you beautiful human/alien organisms!! You are all so important to me, know this if you ever feel alone. We are all always connected. If you have any questions or want to talk, feel free to reach out.

Aho!

Rylee

Life is a balance:

Hiiiiiiii homies!!! When thinking of what topic to write about today, balance was the first thing that popped into my mind. Balance has been a very important aspect in my life thus far and also has helped guide and align me on my spiritual path. Though balance is much needed in all of our lives, this is something that is often forgotten or put on the back-burner.

Why is balance important? Balance is important because it helps us keep and contain the right amount of energy we need to be our highest selves in all aspects of our lives. When we spend or give too much of our energy to just one area of our lives, other parts suffer. This can lead to stress, anxiety, relational problems, self-loathing, etc. When our outside world is out of balance, you can be sure our inner world is out of wack as well! We may feel confused, chronically tired, or feel like we are stuck and moving nowhere towards our goals and dreams.

A lot of us are so overwhelmed now-a-days with everything in our lives: whether this be our job, friends, hobbies, dreams, family, and now social media; which adds on another layer to our balance enigma. We are all so busy trying to do everything, be everything, check all the boxes off on our to-do lists; we forget the point of all of this busyness: to LIVE! To simply be alive and to just BE, is all we really need to do, all we really need to accomplish. Finding balance can help us find presence which helps us to be in the present moment, without worrying about texts we need to answer, work that needs to be done, a run that needs to be completed, etc.

All you need to do is first listen. I have said this a few times and I will say it many more times on this blog. Simply listen to your body, your mind, your heart, your breath. These will all tell you if you’re out of balance, out of synch with life. And if you’re questioning if you’re out of balance, you most likely are out of balance. For we know ourselves better than anyone, sometimes it’s just facing the hard truth that maybe some aspects of our lives needs to change. Maybe you need to work less, and rest more. Maybe its less drug use and more time for your hobbies or working towards your dreams. Maybe its less Netflix and more hikes with your dog or friends! Maybe its eating more veggies and fruits instead of processed foods, skipping your workout and sleeping a few hours more. These are a few examples of how to bring yourself into balance! Once you feel as though you are able to walk through your life on solid ground its totally ok to have a beer, eat that donut, watch that show on netflix, run that half-marathon!

Sometimes we get so caught up in doing the best things for ourselves, that we become too attached to a version of ourselves that isn’t exactly the best version we can be. I’m talking about the one that is able to relax, flow through life with more ease, appreciate their life as well as others within their lives. For we are all humans, and none of us are perfect (in the normal sense that most people think of). Honestly, we’re all perfect right now, as is. I’m perfect as I type out this post, you’re perfect as you’re reading this post, my roommate sitting to the left is perfect as he strums his guitar! The good news is, you’re exactly how you’re supposed to be at this moment, exactly where you’re supposed to be at this moment. This doesn’t mean that you can’t strive to be better, you can do this everyday! But it means being able to appreciate what you may consider a “mistake” or a “flaw”, it means moving through the flow of life with less effort and simply enjoying the ride. Finding balance helps us to enjoy the simple moments. These moments are what truly make this world beautiful.

I am grateful for you all! And know that you who is reading this is an amazing and beautiful human and cosmic being RIGHT NOW at this minute! Yes you!! I hope this article helps to shed a bit more light onto the balance situation, as always feel free to message me on my email or social media pages!

Mahalo and namaste,

Rylee

Authenticity!!

One of the most important things we can do in our lives: live authentically!! Yet this is one of the hardest things for most of us. Why is this? What is holding us back from living as our truest forms? Living without limits, boundaries, lines and fears. Truly being exactly who we are meant to be at each moment in time.

There is only one you. The you that is unlike any other. You were meant to be exactly who you are for a reason, so why are so many of use trying to be anything other than ourselves? It’s like trying to swim upstream, constantly fighting and battling with the current of life, desperately trying to conform and fit into boxes that our soul just wasn’t meant to be packed into. The fact is, no one is meant to live in a box! No one is meant to follow any rules. There are no rules of life. This is no secret! Yet all of us are raised to believe that we must follow the guidelines of a book that was written by someone other than ourselves. Imagine this: we’re all living our own lives in a way that SOMEONE ELSE wants us to be living it. This is crazy! For someone else to tell us what to do, what to think, how to feel, express. It doesn’t align. When we try to conform, to fit into places not meant for the shape of our soul, we end up feeling confused, angry, unhappy, bitter, resentful, etc.

Living authentically can be scary. But guess what? Some of the best things in life are scary. Its about acknowledging that fear, and then simply letting it go, not letting it take ahold of your life and how you’re going to live it. Take the reigns back! Dive into the scariest depths of yourself! Do the things you’ve always wanted to do, but are too scared of doing. Say the things you’ve always wanted to say. People aren’t always going to like what you say and do. That is fine! At the end of the day the only thing that matters is what you think of yourself. And I promise you, the more you live your life in an authentic way, the better you are going to feel. The more aligned with your true self you will feel. The more in-tune you feel with yourself, the more connected you will feel to those around you.

Living authentically also gives others the opportunity to live authentically. Ever see someone totally owning who they are and thinking how happy they are? How they radiate with a great luminosity and higher vibration? It’s because they really do! And because of this they in-turn attract energies and vibrations on the same wavelength as them, law of attraction baby!! Others can literally sense your authenticity, can feel it. Once you own this, there is NOTHING that can hold you back.

It would be a waste to try to live within the lines. To live as someone else, when you know fully well who you are inside. We ALL know who we are, and we all have the tools at any time to figure this out. Everything you need is within. That happiness you crave and search for? You aren’t going to find it within another person, in your drink at the bar, in the books that you read, the places you travel. It doesn’t exist there, it only lies within your soul, your being. Living authentically is honoring your soul, your essence. It’s giving yourself the love that you deserve. We all deserve this unconditional love that only we ourselves can give to us. When we give this love to ourselves, it is then we can share it with the world.

Grateful for all of you, this moment in time, and the alignment of the sky.

Namaste,

Rylee

Living life with intention:

It’s all about intention! Literally everything. Why do we do the things we do? Say the things we do? Act the way we do? It’s all surrounded with our intentions in life, and a lot of us have good intentions that may be received negatively, and likewsise, some of us have bad intentions that are received positively. How can that be?! It all depends on the person receiving and the person giving. As well as the energies inbetween. Actually, this all depends on all energies since everything is energy. It’s also all about perceptions, realities, lenses, beliefs, etc. For example, someone could speak with good intentions, but another individual could interpret this to be hurtful. So even though one’s intention (in their perspective) was a good one, the receiver could interpret this in a completely different way. How confusing!!

This can be why a lot of us suffer from communication issues and are afraid to speak authentically. We fear we will say the wrong thing at the wrong time, someone will be upset with us, disagree with us, or simply not understand where we are coming from. I won’t lie, these issues are probably going to happen for the rest of your life. There really is no preventing it, some people will just interpret what you say in a different manner than you originally meant when you put the energy out in the first place. This is completely ok!! Differences are fine, various opinions can be accepted and validated.

It all comes down to YOU. As do most things. You cannot control what is going on in the outside world. Nothing. Everything is happening and flowing just as it should be, and you can flow with it too if you simply let go of your grasp to what happens/what you want to happen on the outside and instead turn your focus onto your inner self. Here is where you control what you say, act, perceive, interpret, feel, everything! Remember: no one can MAKE you feel any sort of way. No one can MAKE you do anything you don’t want to do! Only you hold the key to this. So stop worrying what others are going to think, say, and do. Instead pay attention to what you will think, say, and do. This will get you way farther on your journey to your highest self. Focusing inward and having good intentions with everything you do. Really asking yourself, “why am I actually do this?” “Is this serving me in the best possible way at this time?” “Is what I’m putting out a reflection of how I actually feel inside”?

A lot of times our ego can get the best of our good intentions and take them on a wild ride down a winding road we didn’t intend on going. But never fear, for there are always lessons to be learned at every step, on every path. If you ever afraid of speaking your truth, acting on what you think is right, or simply doing something because you want to do it, just simply stop and listen. Listen to the beating of your heart, to what it is saying to you. The heart always knows what is truly best for your highest self. Ask yourself what your true intentions are: if it is coming from the ego or the heart. Listen to your breath, your body. Your body always knows and can pick up on energies, because it IS energy. So stop, feel your feet, breath deeply into your navel center (diaphragmatic breath) (I’ll talk about this more in another post) and relax. Relaxing and taking time to really contemplate what your intentions in life are can help you to save a lot of energy in the things you do. Knowing that you are only acting, speaking and living with good intentions from your highest self; you can release your fears about what will happen in the outside world.

In the end, everything is going to be ok. Everything is already ok right now! The universe is exactly how it is supposed to be at this moment. You are exactly what you’re supposed to be in this moment. Let go and trust. Follow your heart and not your mind, live your life with good intentions. I promise you will be alright!

Feel free to comment or message me as always with any questions or just to chat!

Peace,

Rylee