Tag: SelfAwareness

Posted in Uncategorized

The Power of Surrender

Posted on by Sabrina Renee

When I was deeply into my spiritual practice, there was a phrase I’d chant to bring me into alignment. I’d light a candle, sit on the cushion in front my my altar, close my eyes and tune in.

“Surrender my ego for my soul’s purpose so that I may receive what’s meant for me.”

It’s been a while since I’ve sat in front of that altar or had a formal practice of any kind since entering motherhood, but that phrase has stayed fresh in my mind. That phrase is the prayer I lean on when I’m expecting maturity or silence from my babies. It grounds me into the understanding that life does not unfold in all the ways I believe it should-that’s the ego talking. Instead, life constantly offers opportunities for me to live purposefully, as long as I surrender my agenda.

This week’s BLOOM theme is all about the expression of the universe through day to day life. I’ve been reading Becoming Supernatural by Dr Joe Dispenza for the 5th time, only this time I’m consistently applying the practices. In just a few days of shifting my attitudes and thoughts about where I’ve been struggling, there have been incredible changes. And I’m not saying these problems have vanished, even more powerful, they’ve stopped being problems!

What stands out as the biggest blessing this week is my will to create change when I recognize it’s necessary. It may not be immediate but when there is an intuitive pull in my life informing me that I’m misaligned, or traveling down a path of fear and doubt, I heed the call. Each time it looks different but this week it looks like practicing a mindset shift during low energy moments, reminding myself that instead of yelling I can speak calmy, instead of silencing the alarm I can whisper “thank you,” as I lift my head off the pillow, instead of stressing about lack of sleep I can remember what a blessing it is to have a healthy vocal baby laying in bed next to me keeping me on my toes. My biggest blessing this week is not just my willingness to do the thing I know needs to get done, it’s the attitude I bring when I decide to show up.

The lesson that’s shining through for me this week is the power of surrender. It’s one of those things that I’ve read about a million times in self-help and personal development books, something I’ve understood and accepted logically for years. However, this week I’m experiencing the results of consistently surrendering the tight and tense feelings in my body for relaxation and calm. Which translates to me noticing that my body is reacting to a negative thought I’m having, which is causing me to contract in my body. Therefore, the lesson I’m continuously learning is the more that I tune in to how I’m feeling the more control I can take over what I’m thinking and guide it where I’d like to go, and choose how I’d like to feel.

The obstacle I’m facing the most this week is my own damn self, more specifically my pride. There are certain ways I’ve expected myself to behave in motherhood, or life in general, that I’ve needed to adjust. It’s easy to have expectations before life actually unfolds and while I know that logically, the emotions of what I believe “should be” occurring can really overpower my senses. And this ties into the lesson of surrender because the tighter I hold onto “the should” the further I become from what is, the more unnecessary stress I create in my world.

As a result of my lesson on surrender and obstacles with pride, the opportunities I’ve been seeking are to change my mindset each time I encounter a negative thought. Which of course first requires noticing my thoughts at all followed by the will to shift it, no matter how strong the current is. This week’s negative thoughts were about the way others were showing up and how frustrated it made me feel. But there’s no use in focusing on what I can’t control, so I sought opportunities to shift my thoughts toward how I could respond rather than react and it helped remind me I have a choice-always.

This week a lot of momentum was being generated toward attracting my highest and greatest good and I’m real proud of that. It takes a lot of work to reprogram my thinking and I’m the only one who can do it, so I’m showing up and it feels good. Momentum looks like waking up to go to the gym after 4 hours of interrupted sleep, choosing kindness over crankiness when I’m running on reserves, pausing during the good moments to soak them in so that the bad moments don’t have as much power over me. Moving into next week I’d like to build on that momentum by planning things ahead of time to bring the energy of preparation, anticipation, and consistency into my days.

Thankful for another week of reflection and intention. Cheers to choosing gratitude and awareness again and again.

Posted in Healing

How I’m Healing (2023)

Posted on by Sabrina Renee

This season’s focus is on paying attention to the character being played out in my life, to be the awareness behind the unfolding. It’s something I have committed to practicing again because I forgot. Each time I forget to be aware of the story it’s because I started to believe it as permanent. 

And there’s even deeper layers than that. 

So let’s tie everything with the theme of distraction, otherwise referred to as “you’re doing it again.”

So this season I’m paying attention to myself from thoughts and behaviors to habits and identity anchors, simply noticing. Noticing how I show up for myself, for others, places I’m shining, and places that I’m keeping dark, my responsibility is to become aware of the life I’m currently living.

My job is to practice paying attention.
It’s a practice which means I will keep coming back to it, over and over again. 

The end game is when the game ends, the game of life, there’s no ultimate goal other than waking up. 

The obstacle that’ll be faced for everyone is falling back to sleep, going from awareness to distraction, over and over again.
Rather than associating negative feelings with being distracted learning how to stop taking it personally and start taking responsibility for the change. 

It’s my job to notice who I am and accept it, to decide who I will become, to forgive who I was.

Cultivating, manifesting, and deciding the details of the life I want to build is part of my day to day. Some seasons call for more action to be taken, others urge reflection, grounding, and gaining clarity, the last one is what I’m aligning with.

Simply because I’ve remembered to. I was jolted out of the story playing in my mind just long enough to become a witness as if the main character of your TV show broke the 4th wall.

Standing back far enough to see you’re in costume, dressed up as this personality that was founded on beliefs, some of which you’re not even aware of, that are deeply driving the vehicle (your body) through this life. Beliefs of fear and love are the seeds planted within blossoming or dying off from the amount of focus fed.

Making a cup of tea, looking at my apothecary, noticing it’s a bit more full with what is healing. 

Connecting back to my relationship with healing, what it’s looked like, where it’s begging for the light of awareness to be pulled out of the darkness. A nudge back into alignment with the vision after becoming lighter from letting go of assumptions and expectations, moving higher, closer to my higher self. 

Remembering it’s not about the details, the story, or the anchors in identity during this chapter of the character’s story. It’s about how it all feels and whether it’s bringing you closer or further from where you want to go.

So when you notice you’re distracted, you’re doing it again, come back to an anchor in the present moment. Unhook yourself from what’s pulling you in multiple directions and decide you’re going to stand tall, here and now.

Remember to stand back far enough where you are not your thoughts, your feelings, your experience. You are the awareness behind all of those things. Someone playing a character, stepping into a role that can be changed at any time.

Notice and come back, over and over again.

Posted in Uncategorized

It’s Okay to Start Over

Posted on by Sabrina Renee

For the past week I’ve been bringing more intention to my day. From noticing what I’m putting into my body, making sure I get outside more often, actually having a meditation practice, hydrating the proper amount for someone who’s breastfeeding.

All of these things I’ve at some point in my life were second nature, some I had even mastered (except for the hydration while breastfeeding) only to be approaching them as a beginner once again. It’s incredibly easy to become overwhelmed with where I want to be, rather than focused on where to start, especially if I’m stuck on how it used to be.

Stuck focused on how well balanced things were, how consistent I once was, how easy some of this used to be. That’s a recipe for never taking a step forward because you’re too busy trying to recreate the past without accepting the present.

The more awareness is brought to my day to day activity the more I need to practice having grace with myself. Because the truth about living an intentional life is that you first have to notice.

Notice what’s working for you.
Notice what’s benefitting you.
Notice where your priorities lie.
Notice the quality of life you are living.

And then own it all.

Taking ownership is avoided by most people because initially it’s terribly uncomfortable. To face all that you are not, all the places you haven’t yet gotten to, all the behaviors you still unconsciously or willingly choose, these are the things that aid to your demise. These are the choices that bring you further from who you ultimately desire to be.

Taking ownership is hard but so is repeating the same loop of patterns that keep you small, frustrated, or stuck. Every road will offer a hard obstacle that needs to be faced. It’s all about deciding which challenge is worth your time, which challenge will you benefit from, which one is hard now but fruitful in the long run.

If these words are tugging at your heart strings, you already know what you need to own up to. Before you talk yourself out of facing the uncomfortable parts of yourself I encourage you to take a moment and reflect. Look back at this moment from the eyes of your future self, the most successful, happy, healthy, loving, and carefree version of yourself.

If that is even too challenging for you PAUSE.
Meet yourself where you are.
Notice any judgment that comes up.
Practice extending some grace and compassion within.
Then take the time to figure out what success, happiness, health, love, and being carefree would mean to you.

Do this over and over and over again. This is intentional living at it’s finest.

Now it could be ten years down the line, 1 year, a month, or maybe even next week. The amount of time doesn’t matter as much as the visualizing itself does. Stand in that future moment and reflect back on this one with gratitude, knowing you’ve made it out of the trenches, started from scratch and built a life you’re proud of.

Stand in the emotional state of what your ideal life feels like. Is it joyous? Content? Fun? Whatever description suits you, practice standing in that feeling. Then ask yourself these three questions:


What behaviors did I let go of to get here?
What thoughts helped me strengthen my self-worth/confidence?
What choices shaped the person I am today?

Let the answers surface organically. Force nothing. Allow your future self to guide you with ease.
The more you practice standing in the moments experienced by your ideal future self, the more clear each of these answers will become.

This week’s insight is that I’m starting over in fitness, nutrition, creativity, being an entrepreneur, all of it. IfI let it, the thoughts on being a beginner will overwhelm me into not taking any action. But I’m reminded that ownership is only uncomfortable initially, if it continues to be it’s because I’m choosing not to move forward.

This week my intention is to move forward with the knowledge I have, standing on the stepping stones of all the times I’ve started over, and allowing ownership be empowering instead of overwhelming.

May you have the courage to move forward even when it’s uncomfortable.

I promise your future self is worth it.

Posted in Weekly Insights

Monthly Highlights: January 2023

Posted on by Sabrina Renee

January is the final month of maidenhood as I’m a few days shy from my due date. Not only does it feel like this pregnancy has gone by so quickly, but also the start of this year feels like it’s moving at lightning speed. To think any day now my newborn will be in my arms just blows me away.

The days ahead may be blurry. As the saying goes the days are long but the years are short, that’s a wild concept to consider. My goal as a parent is to be as present as possible but as a first-time mom, I also understand most of my learning happens on the job and so being present may prove more trying than realistic.

In an attempt to make the most of this life-changing year, I’ve been journaling each day to savor the most precious moments. Writing has always been my favorite form of release, communication, and reflection especially when done consistently. Usually, I bite off more than I can chew, but this year I’ve found the sweet spot of answering 3 simple questions at the end of every day:

What excited me today?
What exhausted me today?
What did I learn today?

Each month of 2023 I’d like to share the highlights of my life with you, the exciting ones, the exhausting ones, and the ones that offered me lessons to take forward. Partially because it’s important to me that I maintain my love for writing, even if it’s simple journaling. But also I love sharing my experience with those interested, especially as I embark on new territory with mindful intentions. So here are my highlights of January and what I’ve taken from them.

Highlights of Excitement in January

Getting a bedframe for the first time in 5 years
My husband and I are minimalist by nature, or maybe just lazy I’m not sure, either way we don’t need much to be happy. We’ve lived together for 5 years going on 6 and this month bought our first bed frame. Until now we’ve had a mattress on the floor and have had no complaints.

However, since I’ll be having a baby any day now we’ve been preparing for the postpartum period and all the ways to create comfort and support for me and baby. The more I thought about getting out of bed with my knees higher than my hips the more I realized it was time for a bed frame. It has been a HUGE change, I’m not used to being so high off the ground but it’s been an amazing improvement for the multiple bathroom runs throughout the night.



My father’s 72nd birthday
My family lives a little over an hour away and ver since hitting 9 months of pregnancy I stopped taking long trips outside of town. So although I wasn’t able to physically see him, hug him, and grab a slice of ice cream cake, what a blessing it was to call my father on his 72nd birthday this year.

It’s exciting for all the obvious reasons, celebrating life is always exciting. But this year is super special for me because my baby will have a grandfather, something I didn’t have the priveledge of growing up. The thought of my little one making precious memories with him in the garden or listening to old school wisdom swells my heart.

My grandmother’s 95th birthday
A few days after my father’s birthday is his mother’s, my grandmother’s, and this year she turned 95. That entire week felt like on gigantic blessing to be celebrating so many decades of life. My grandma lives in North carolina and it’s been nearly a year since I’ve seen her, I really miss her.

Thankfully she’s surrounded by love all the time and never alone. Her friends and family threw her a party with upwords of 120 people showing up to shower her with gifts, loving speeches, and gratitude for all that she’s offered throughout the years. My grandma’s heart is so pure, I can’t wait for my baby to experience all of that love.

Washing my newborn’s clothes
Those tiny socks and mittens are honestly too cute to explain. The smell, the size, the cute little designs. My heart began to swell. I wasn’t ready for how emotional it would make me to wash, dry, and fold those little outfits.

It allowed me to start fantasizing about late night feedings and getting them dressed in the morning, as I started to pack a diaper caddy that will sit next to my bedside. As I counted and organized the clothes according to months I prayed for time to slow down just a little bit. This baby isn’t even here yet and yet it all feels like it’s going too fast.

Purchasing home-birth materials
I’m so excited to be setting up our home-birth essentials in the baby’s room. We’ve got the tub and hose ready to be used, positive affirmations ready to be written on a giant white board, and the essential oil diffuser ready to set the tone. All that’s left is the set up when the time comes. I’m in no rush but I am getting eager.

Highlights of Exhaustion in January

Starting the year off with the worst congestion
The most frustrating part of this year was starting it off so congested that I couldn’t breathe through BOTH nostrils. I literally pulled back to back all nighters because laying down felt like drowning, and I couldn’t find comfort with my big belly. On top of the congestion I had a few hours of Braxton hicks contractions that I had to mouth breathe through, would not recommend, but you do what you’ve got to. Although the congestion hasn’t gone away 100% I have since become very grateful to breahe through both nostrils again.

Releasing pent up resentment under the full moon
Two of my spiritual friends and I like to get together under full moons to align our energies with higher frequencies. This one was very important to me because it was the last one before I became a mom, and I’m not sure when we’ll be getting together again. Once we got together, lit the incense, and started sharing intentions, I began to feel lighter. I had no idea just how much heaviness, resentment, and anger I had been holding onto for so long.


The days that followed felt like being hungover, a healthy hangover where I had let go of burdens and baggage, but a hangover nonetheless. I was left with lots to think about, exhausted from all I was still letting go, and working to accept how to move forward from all of that. It was powerful, overall great for my spirit, but man it was exhausting.

Nesting non-stop for 3 days
From waking up with the urge to scrub a toilet all the way to my need to start freezing meatballs for postpartum, nesting hit me hard. It came in a strong wave and stayed for about 3 days before I suddenly crashed. It was empowering and exhausting all at once, and I hear it could come once more right before baby arrives. This time I’m ready for it.

Dealing with swelling of my legs and feet
One thing I wasn’t prepared for was the swelling of my lower body. Swelling is one thing but the “fluffy discomfort” that accompanies the swelling really threw me. I’d describe it as having server’s feet, if you’ve ever worked in a restaurant setting you know what I’m talking about.

The crazy thing is I didn’t need to be on my feel for hours or do strenuous work. This exhaustion was challenging to get around because it was simply apart of pregnancy, something to work with, accept, and learn to rest through. I guess this doubles as a lesson learned too.

Working through 12 hours of promordal labor contractions
This sounds more painful than it actually was, it felt more uncomfortable and inconvenient than anything. What was exhausting was being awake for it the entire time and not being able to sleep the next day. It was interesting to feel the waves varry in intensity, time, duration, move from my abdomen to my back, and suddenly subside. It was like a dresss rehearsal of what could be expected, but from what I understand x10.



Highlights of Learnings in January

The importance of slowing down for my mind and body
I (re)learned that slowing down is a precious gift to give myself, one that continues to serve me long after I’ve begun to pick up the pace again. Whether it’s to slow down and take a deep breath during a challenging moment, or slowing down my body after a lot of activity, it’s the choice itself that I keep learning from.

I keep learning that I have the option to slow down, that urgency may be my first go to but it doesn’t have to be the end decision. Each time I slow down I remind myself that I can always slow down, it’s always a choice, and it’s always MY choice to make, no one else’s.

There is someone on the otherside of the anger I feel
As I began to release anger and resentment under the full moon I realized how strong that hold was over me. I was holding on so tightly to how wrong someone else was, how much they were hurting me, and how their actions were impacting those around them.

What I wasn’t thinking of was the person on the otherside of my anger and resentment, what they may be feeling and going through. The more I humanized the person the less power those emotions had over me. My resentment didn’t fade entirely but it doesn’t control me anymore.

Consistency is truly a superpower when it comes to making an impact
Each week this year I’ve been emailing my subscribers which may not seem like alot but I’ve really struggled with consistency in the past. As a result I’ve had a couple of people reach out in gratitude for what I’ve been sharing.

It’s been reassuring that when I stick to something there’s someone on the otherside building an expectation to receive from me. Instead of allowing that to transform into overwhelming pressure, I’m learning to allow that to help me sustain my consistency. Rather than striving for perfection each week my goal is progress, to keep showing up as I am even when it’s not pretty.

My husband is the best support system I could ask for
During the most painful, uncomfortable, and challenging moments of my 9th month of pregnancy my husband jumped into action. This isn’t something that surprises me at all but I’m learning just how supportive he could really be. Doing the heavy lifting, putting the dishes away, putting together the baby furniture-these are things I expected.

But sitting on the floor in the bathroom with me, rubbing my back through the contractions, buying my favorite ice cream without prompting, these took me by surprise. I learned he really wants to support me in anyway he can. I decided to make a word doc with suggestions to take out the guess work so when it’s crunch time and I’m focused on my breathing, he’ll have a little cheatsheet.



Time For You To Reflect

This simple practice has helped me reconnect with what’s important in my life and allowed me to start practicing gratitude for the little things each day. I’m a firm believer that the little things one day become the big things by snowball effect, and I’m really excited to look back each month on just how much life changes each day.

May this monthly highlight blog invite you to become curious about the life you’re living, what feels good, what drains your energy, and overall what lessons you’re learning along the way. Life is being lived whether you pay attention or not, but the more you pay attention the less it feels like it’s slipping away. This way you’re actually living it with your eyes wide open.


Start where you are, with how you’re feeling, and all that’s going on within you. It’s a perfect time.

Posted in Mindfulness, Weekly Insights

Finding Gratitude and Practicing Presence

Posted on by Sabrina Renee

Nesting Intuitively

Each day this week my morning started with a strong urge to deep clean something. From the moment I opened my eyes I found myself imagining how satisfying it would be to transform a space from dirty to clean, from disorganized to everything having its home. One day it was the bathroom, from the toilet to the shower, another day it was the kitchen from the countertops to the pantry. Scrubbing, sweeping, slowly cleansing my space and transmuting the energy all around it.

There’s something so magical about having the energy and motivation to complete something that’s been on your mind, even if it only recently popped in. Cleaning is one of the most tangible ways to practice energy work because you’re quite literally transforming a space, the energy in it, and the items that occupy it. Everything is energy and if you bring intention to whatever it is you do, anything can become an offering.

There’s a palpable change in the environment when that happens, and when you can bring mindful awareness of what’s being moved, thrown away, cleaned thoroughly, or properly placed it’s like you’re waving the magic wand of change.

That’s what nesting has felt like to me and it’s been a lot of fun.

Exhausting but fun.

Exhausting because it’s coming in waves of urges that I can’t seem to suppress or logically wish away. So during the moments when I’ve attempted to tell myself “just relax you can get some of this tomorrow,” there’s a loud inner voice that instantly responds “let’s just see how much we can accomplish now.”

It’s been interesting, however, to maneuver this energy work with a big belly and swollen limbs. There are absolutely times when my body is speaking louder than my thoughts and forces me into a nap, or at least sitting down in between tasks. And believe me, I listen.

It’s been a loud reminder that intuition isn’t always woo-woo. Sometimes it’s incredibly practical, it offers guidance that you know is best for you but maybe you’ve been too distracted to listen.

Somewhere in between reorganizing the pantry and elevating my swollen ankles, there’s a voice of wisdom guiding me throughout my day. After more than half a year of transformation and change grounding me into the physical realm, it’s been pleasant to feel my intuitive senses reignite within me. Whether it’s coming in the form of nesting for my sweet babe’s arrival, or suddenly feeling like an open channel with the ability to write for three hours straight, I’m grateful, I’m open, I’m willing to be guided.

Finding gratitude in the lack of control

This week I’m grateful for the bursts of energy that have been followed by the inevitable winddown. From starting off my day like a firecracker, with focus and intention on specific tasks that are calling me, to the hot shower and red raspberry leaf tea routine at night, these moments are sculpting something beautiful in my home.

In an incredibly physical way, all these little moments are teaching me the importance of balance, the feeling of doing and being, listening and taking action. More importantly, it’s helping me understand the balance of that which I can control and that which never was in my control. When I tune into the rhythms of my intuition and the direction it’s guiding me each day, I become more trusting of the universal wisdom that is all around me. For all of the lessons I’ve learned, there are another thousand I have yet to learn, and that’s such a wonder.

Each time I follow my intuition the universe ushers me closer to where I’m meant to be, all while miracles and shifts are taking place behind the scenes, most of which I’ll never even know about. Something as small as following the “urge” or “inkling” to clean my kitchen countertop could be the smallest step in a larger vision unfolding for me. And the more I listen the deeper I establish trust in what’s to come. The more I trust in what’s unfolding the easier it will be to practice gratitude for it all, not just what I believe is working out or in what I am in control of, but for the unseen unknown parts of my life as well.

These days I’m finding gratitude in the unknown because I’m faithfully falling in love with this next chapter way before I know what’s written. I’m choosing to be grateful rather than be worried because the vibration is higher and honestly it just feels better. Even if I’m blissfully unaware of what’s to come at least I’m choosing to do so from a positive standpoint. I’m choosing to surrender the illusion of control for the belief that something greater has my back. So while admitting there will always be areas of life I can’t control, I’m also willing to accept the areas I can-like my thoughts, my mindsets, and my beliefs about what’s on the other side of the unknown chapter.

And that, my friend, is the greatest power any of us can harness.

How I’m Practicing Presence

I’m at the point in my pregnancy where the baby can come in the next 5 days or 5 weeks and still be considered in the realm of healthy. It’s easy to get wrapped up in wondering when things are going to start to happen, looking for all the signs, and listening to the old wives’ tales about which gender the baby will be. And I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t swept up in those “what-ifs” every now and then. But the truth is this is the ultimate unknown territory and as a mindfulness teacher it’s the greatest curriculum I’ve come across yet.

Not knowing what motherhood looks like, not knowing exactly when my child will come earthside, now knowing how it’ll feel or what to expect, it’s the perfect opportunity to remain open. There will always be moments when worry or doubt creep in and in those moments they’ll be brief pauses between the thoughts that follow. In those pauses, I see the string of narratives created in my mind and recognize when I’ve gotten lost in the thick of it all, allowing the unknown to consume me rather than cultivate curiosity and openness.

It’s interesting, you can try and plan every detail of how something will go but the truth is everything is unknown. Sometimes it feels like that’s how the media and society promote pregnancy, as something to prepare for from the nursery and toys to the schedules and types of parenting. But as a first-time parent, I’m becoming a brand new version of myself that I’ll have to learn and figure out as I go. And that’s okay. Planning is okay and so is not knowing it all, making room for both I believe is key.

Something as transformational and unpredictable as pregnancy can really drive home the point of not being in control, while simultaneously teaching me all the ways I am.

I can control my breathing when it’s time to calm down.

I can control whether I move my body or whether I allow myself to rest.

I can control whether I fuss over when the baby will arrive or whether I chose to be present.

I’m incorporating mindfulness practice by focusing my energy where I actually have a say while calling energy back from all of the worry and doubt that drains me.

To be present doesn’t necessarily mean to feel pleasant. It doesn’t mean I have to enjoy what’s currently unfolding or have control over it by any means. Presence, rather, is the choice to be here now, no matter what. To practice presence is to be where my feet are, to observe my thoughts, to notice my attitudes and body language, and the energy I’m offering at this moment.

It’s only in the present moment that I can recognize the ways my mind is driving me to nest, or when my body is begging me to take a break from moving so much, or when it’s time to hydrate and take some deep breaths. Life is happening in the present moment always, never in the past or the future, so each time I notice myself worrying or planning or assuming I know what comes next, I remember I’m not living. I’m oscillating between thoughts of the past and the future, constantly ignoring what the present is currently offering.

The beauty of this practice is that it’s a practice, meant to be revisited consistently. The present moment doesn’t take it personally when I’ve been lost in thought, instead, it invites me back in with grace and compassion. It invites me with a deep inhale and a slow exhale.

To embrace what is.

To be here.

To notice.

To allow.

What is the present moment offering you right now?

What is it inviting you to experience?