I've been hearing a lot of the same things from so many of my clients, friends and fellow practitioners over the last few weeks:

Anxiety, fear, stress, grief (insert your own experience here) around the upcoming election, the wars in Europe and the Middle East, the devastation unleashed by recent hurricanes, ongoing economic uncertainty, and more.

The world is intense right now. There is so much suffering. The news is horrible. And, people are struggling to feel grounded and safe and present through it all.

Maybe you've gotten caught up in these feelings, too. Maybe you've checked out completely.

Wherever you are on that spectrum, if you are a human being with even an ounce of empathy (and if you are reading this, I'm sure you are) I have no doubt you've been affected and are feeling it all on some level.

Maybe it's been tough to talk with friends, family or co-workers with differing views. Maybe the news headlines keep drawing you in and despite wanting to get to bed on time, you find yourself scrolling through the night. Maybe you're having trouble making a big decision because you just don't know how it's all going to play out.

However this time and these circumstances are impacting you and your life, I can tell you- you are not alone. Not by a long shot.

I've listened to so many of you over the last several weeks grapple with all that's happening in the world. I've heard you express the need to break free from the challenging feelings you're experiencing. And, I've also heard your struggles in figuring out how to do that.

We're in for quite a week ahead, as far as I can tell, and I wanted to share a few suggestions for ways to hold onto whatever sanity you have left as we ride these waves together.

Please, carve out some time to tend to yourself and cultivate strength and loving energy to send out into the collective in the coming days. Share this email or the suggestions and/or links inside with your loved ones. Humanity needs us, and we need some more humanity.

1. Here is a easy 15 minute guided meditation I recorded for you, just click the link and enter the passcode to listen:

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/KNwmj68NU3mQypubDQJvOVoxQWXIC0vfM0bcrM4xzi8KC2vz_KCHMnJupmpF0fvN.aCX4O8ondcEoITlZ?startTime=1730638173000

Passcode: 8w=yzCyf

If you found that helpful, please consider joining me and some other lovely humans for the next round of Embodied Awareness- a 6 week meditation series offered over zoom. We start in a couple weeks. You can get more information HERE, or click HERE to sign up.

1. Some Herbs to support a healthy stress response:

• Skullcap- This is my go-to herb for settling a busy mind. If you feel stressed out, anxious and/or can't stop ruminating over things, Skullcap can help. It's great anytime of day, in tea or tincture form. It doesn't cause drowsiness, but can settle you enough to help sleep come naturally when it's time to be tired.

• Reishi Mushroom- A powerhouse, Reishi is not only a helpful adaptogen, but a deep nourisher of our immune system, too! It also helps to regulate our blood sugar levels, histamine response and liver, kidney and gall bladder function. Look for double extraction liquid and take about 5ml/day.

• Valerian Root- Grounding and sedative, this strong nervine will ease muscular tension present due to stress and also help induce sleep. Most people find it a little stinky, but it's worth it! Blended with other herbs in a tea or all on it's own in tincture form, Valerian is a powerful sleep aid and friend in tense times.

• Milky Oats- A beautifully gentle but powerfully strong nerve tonic, oats can settle our frayed nerves and offer strength and endurance to our constitutions. They taste lovely, with their slightly sweet and grassy flavor and silky mouth feel, in any tea blend. And, yes, you can just eat some oatmeal! (But the old fashioned kind- none of this "quick minute oats" stuff. You have to cook them slow, which allows all the medicinal goodness to come out.)

• Tulsi (AKA Holy Basil)- This plant is known in the herbal world for helping us "see the bigger picture" and feel a sense of connection with the collective. It is a nervine and will help bring ease in tense times while also offering an uplifting vibe.

• Rose- If you are struggling with feelings of grief, or if you are having a hard time cultivating compassion- Rose has what you need. This fragrant and beautiful flower supports our hearts in every way possible- offering strength to our physical, emotional and energetic bodies, and encouraging feelings of love and connection- things we can never have too much of.

• Lemon Balm-If your anxiety manifests in your belly- let lemon balm help. Another nervine, this plant will help ease symptoms of stress, but it's best superpower, in my opinion, is it's help with digestion. It is also very uplifting and a cup of delicious Lemon Balm tea will add a bright spot in your day.

• Burdock Root- Grounding and tonifying, Burdock Root will bring you down to the earth, help you find strength and feel centered. It will also clean up your liver and help your body's processes work more efficiently.

You can find these herbs in teas or tinctures wherever quality herbs are sold (I recommend Traditional Medicinals brand for teas, Mountain Rose Herbs, Starwest Botanicals or Herb Pharm for tinctures. You can also check out my list of formulations HERE). For more suggestions tailored to your specific needs, please reach out anytime and I'd be happy to help.

1. A few general suggestions

• Cut back on screen time. Especially after 7pm.

• Limit your consumption of processed foods, alcohol and sugar.

• Don't watch/read/listen to the news constantly- allow yourself a short window of time each day to get caught up on the latest and let it go. The truth is we can't do anything about most of it from our couches and headlines are designed to stoke strong emotions to keep our addiction levels, and their ratings, high.

• Practice assuming the best about folks. Everyone is just trying to get their needs met. You might not agree with or even understand them, but beneath it all they are human and they are suffering right along with you. Be kind.

I hope there's something useful in here for each and every one of you. I know I will be holding space for healing, love and the expression of the highest good for our collective "whole world family" (as my wise beyond her years, 8yo daughter likes to say) over the coming weeks.

I'm wishing you all peace, sanity, and a reason to smile.