One Paramita

Today I encourage you to run towards the darkness. To unveil the mysteries of what has caused you so much pain, discomfort. To sit with your shadow and begin to understand her, to console her. Today it’s time to run with your heart and arms open ready to embrace the darkness. @rayphotographyanddesign

The ego is part of the human experience. The ego keeps us safe. But the ego limits us. It puts us in a box that makes us think we will only be happy when we have certain things when we meet certain expectations of ourselves or others. When we are ready to free ourselves from our limiting beliefs, from the lies of the ego we have to begin to acknowledge past trauma and heal our emotional wounds. This often means that we have to begin to acknowledge the shadow side, the ar...eas we have hidden away so deep for fear or being shamed, exiled or abandoned. The shadow was never this dreadful creature many of us have made her out to be, she was simply areas of you that you suppressed because you thought that would keep you safe. The ego said, this part of you isn’t acceptable so it needs to be tucked away, or maybe that was a subconscious belief because you were told it all your life. Now this area has become the shadow. And has mutated into this beast that is screaming, thrashing to get out, she has become more terrifying then before. But she’s really just wanting to be heard, to be seen, to be understood. Over the next week we will explore the four main shadow archetypes according to @carolinemyss stay tuned. Much love Brittany

Today, instead of running from the darkness I encourage you to run towards it, with your heart and arms open. Today it’s time to sit with the uncomfortable feelings, the areas you tried to hide and it’s time to console and understand them. @rayphotographyanddesign

The ego is part of the human experience. The ego keeps us safe. But the ego limits us. It puts us in a box that makes us think we will only be happy when we have certain things when we meet certain expectations of ourselves or others. When we are ready to free ourselves from our limiting beliefs, from the lies of the ego we have to begin to acknowledge past trauma and heal our emotional wounds. This often means that we have to begin to acknowledge the shadow side, the ar...eas we have hidden away so deep for fear or being shamed, exiled or abandoned. The shadow was never this dreadful creature many of us have made her out to be, she was simply areas of you that you suppressed because you thought that would keep you safe. The ego said, this part of you isn’t acceptable so it needs to be tucked away, or maybe that was a subconscious belief because you were told it all your life. Now this area has become the shadow. And has mutated into this beast that is screaming, thrashing to get out, she has become more terrifying then before. But she’s really just wanting to be heard, to be seen, to be understood. Over the next week we will explore the four main shadow archetypes according to @carolinemyss stay tuned. Much love Brittany

How far we’ve come. Welcoming the rise of the feminine and all her incredible gifts and teachings. But with her rise it does not mean we want to extinguish the masculine, we need both. Just like the sun and moon, they shine together, the moon would not glow without the suns reflection. It’s finding unity between the two. Each of us carries within us the divine feminine and masculine, uniting them and allowing the flow of both will bring about harmony and balance. When one... rises, the other does not need to fall, they need to rise together, working together. Just as the sun and the moon, the sun does not move the tides, he needs the moon, Mother Earth can not create her own sunshine, she needs father sky. We need both. The masculine energy is organized, structured, the feminine is free flowing, creative. Too much of one causes and imbalance, but when we nurture both we can live in harmony. So as the feminine rises, with a gentle hand lets tame the masculine but encourage the unity between the two. Much love Brittany

A lot of us are not taught about how connected everything is. We are often taught how to treat the body, each organ or system as a single system, when in reality when one system is out it directly impacts other systems. Take your womb for instance. When we are lacking in digestive health, this directly impacts the micro biome of the uterine & vaginal linings. In Ayurveda, Agni, known as digestive fire, is said to be the cause of 95% of all dis-ease. Which when we think abo...ut it, if we have too much Agni or not enough, how are we probably breaking down nutrients to absorb what we need? Let’s start to heal our hormones and womb health with a FREE online workshop February 21st @ 10am MST and learn some simple tools to help begin your journey home to harmony with your body. DM or comment your email below to receive your link one hour before start time! Much love, Brittany

It wasn’t even 20 years ago when we spent more time away from screens. Things were a lot different then, including our hormonal health. 15-30% of couples today will be diagnosed with unexplained infertility. Partly because we are taught our womb health doesn’t matter until we’re ready to conceive. But also because we are living a life disconnected from our bodies and our earth.... Join me February 21st at 10am MST as we learn simple tools that you can start using to bring your body into balance and regain power over your body. Send us your email or comment below to join the waitlist

Our insecurities are a reflection of our shadow self that we have hidden and refuse to acknowledge. And when we ignore and banish an area of ourself that we feel isn’t good enough or isn’t worthy then we latch on to the need to control or exert power over others to keep our insecurity from showing. When we slow down and invite in our insecurity into the light, having an honest look at where it is coming from and why, we begin to take back our personal power. When we begin t...o reclaim control in our inner worlds, we start to find trust and ease in our external world. As above, so below. It takes trust and it takes time, but sit with your darkness, invite in Goddess Nyx and just allow the chaos to be. It doesn’t happen all at once, but you slowly begin to let go and find peace as you invite your shadow into the light. And when you do, the world that seems so chaotic around you begins to settle and still. But it starts internally, doing the work and letting it be.

This might seem obvious but it’s really important. When we could gather and practice together, the space was created for us, the room was set, the energy was held and you could let go of the outside world when you arrived. Right now a lot of us have to create that same space, within our own homes.... It is so important to do this before committing to time with yourself or even through online lectures or practices. So set your space, pick a room with a door if you can, find a candle or a few, maybe you burn your herbs or incense. Turn off the electronics you’re not using, or turn off notifications for the ones you are. Create a space that makes you feel at ease, peaceful and calm. Then take a few deep breathes to ground yourself in that space, setting the intention to be in the present moment. You can get as creative or simple as you’d like. Add flowers or create an altar. Maybe you just clean a room and sit in a clean space. Make YOUR sacred space your own. Even though some of us can’t go out to gather in circles or community, you can still create the intention and the space for yourself and in doing so you will find a deeper connection to your practice. Much love, Brittany

Our bodies run on a cycle called the circadian rhythm. The cycle that supports sleepiness, hunger and wakefulness. Research has also shown that this cycle not only impacts our sleep wake cycle, but also our organs. Sleep is the natural detox process for our bodies and brains! Isn’t it funny we hear about all these ways to detox but literally one of the best ways to detox your body is by getting enough sleep! Take a look at Traditional Chinese Medicine. They say that each ...organ has a time throughout the night where it cycles through a detoxification process. The liver, for example is said to detox between 1am and 3am. Using the TCM chart, you can start to see which organs need support based on the times of the night you wake up at regularly. What’s also fascinating is that Dr. Nedergaard and her colleagues unexpectedly found that sleep may be also be the period when the brain cleanses itself of toxic molecules. Their results, published in Science, show that during sleep a plumbing system called the glymphatic system may open, letting fluid flow rapidly through the brain. We have all heard of the dangers of sleep deprivation, from poor motor function to depression, weight gain, anxiety, stress, the list goes on. But what we don’t talk about is all the amazing stuff that happens during sleep and WHY it’s important to get enough sleep. This week, try to set up a healthy sleep routine and see how things feel the over the course of 7 days. Also! Send us your email to join the waitlist for our FREE hormone workshop (10am MST February 21st) to better understand the impact of sleep on our cortisol levels and how this impacts other areas of our bodies. Much love, Brittany

Did you know, before patriarchal beliefs came into the world around 1500BCE, the Goddess was worshiped? The people saw the moon, how she travelled through the different phases of fullness and then to death and then to rebirth. The earth and her seasons, of life (summer) through to death (winter) and then rebirth (spring) were celebrated. And because women experience these same cycles within ourselves, women were thought of as goddesses, priestesses, divine beings, the brin...ger of new life through death. The world was viewed as collective, everything interconnected part of the great universe. Then a shift happened, men started to create disconnect between themselves and other villages, between the earth and themselves, patriarchy was on the rise. The Goddess and her three phases, The Virgin, The Mother and The Crone were wiped from the earth. Replaced with the bringer of light, the sun. Separation of light and dark, death to be feared instead of welcomed as the phase before new life. So take a minute and honour who you are. Honour your cycles and your phases. Because long before the division of light and dark, you were wise one, the one who was celebrated and cherished. And you still are! Embrace yourself as you are, fully and completely, and come back to unity between yourself, the planet and the people around you. It is all connected. Brittany

It drives me crazy how we just accept what is. Ya, it’s just hormones. Night sweats, ya I get them all the time.... Migraines, I’m so used to those now. I get the worst cramps! But it’s just cause of my hormones. But did you know, it actually doesn’t have to be this way..? You are not a prisoner in your own body. You can feel good! We have simply accepted things for the way they are without question. And not saying medicine doesn’t have it’s place, but why give your power away to someone in a white lab coat when they say yep it’s just your hormones. Because they aren’t JUST hormones, and they actually are here to help you and make you feel good. All of the things I mentioned above, and a lot more are actually a symptom of hormonal imbalance. So why are we treating the surface issue? Why are we not treating the root? After all my research and studying it all comes down to a few lifestyle changes and the biggest one, food. The food you eat and when you eat directly impact your hormones. So if you do one thing for yourself, if you’re ready to make a shift in your life and move from a place of acceptance into a place of power and connection with your body then start with your food. Eat within an hour of waking up, even if it’s small! Then eat within the next three hours. These don’t have to be huge meals but start eating every 3-4 hours if you can, and eat within an hour of the same time each day. It sounds hard, or maybe it sounds simple but if you can cut out the trash and start yourself on an eating schedule I promise you will see major improvements in your symptoms. Blood sugar. Keep it balanced. Brittany

If you needed another reason to grab one of our Self Care Ritual Sets then this is it. Included in the set will now be a printed out version of our New Moon Ritual. Dive deeper into your practice and commit to you and your practice, all while aligning your energy with the New Moon. Link below to learn more ... https://www.oneparamita.ca/product/self-care-ritual-set/50

The spiritual/wellness community has amazing tools to help support you on your healing journey. Just like western medicine has it place so do these teachers. But the most important healer on your journey is yourself. I searched for answers, that one final modality that was going to fix me. Constantly thinking, if I just do this one more thing, this one more class, I will get it and it will all align. The truth is, after spending countless hours and money, I always ended ...up back at the same place. Your lifestyle, the foods you eat and the amount and quality of rest and sleep you get along with daily meditation or some sort of spiritual practice. All things that are right in front of you. The things that are the hardest to change. We want to feel good. We want to feel full of life, energy, healthy. But we also don’t want to change what we’re doing. Our routines, habits, food choices, it’s easy now. You’ve been doing it for so long it is hard to change, it’s uncomfortable and it takes work. That’s why we keep looking elsewhere for that magical fix. But ultimately, your body is your best teacher. It just depends if you wish to listen or not. Brittany

I have been making eye pillows for the last year and a bit. Every year they change slightly based on client feedback and new ideas. This year they have grown in width slightly and we have adjusted the ratio of Flax Seed : Mung Bean. And so! We have two gift boxes this year (limited quantities for each)... 1. Self Care Ritual: Includes a Lavender or Unscented Soothing Eye Pillow (filled with organic flax seeds, mung beans and lavender if you wish!) great for meditation, before bed routine and savasana. It also includes a self love blend and essential oil roller, organic bath tea with rose and calendula, or juniper and raw rose quartz. $55 2. Release + Restore Ritual: Includes a Lavender or Unscented Soothing Eye Pillow, Sage bundle to cleanse and Raw Rose Quartz. $33 Just interested in an Soothing Eye Pillow? $24 Each set is designed to help you facilitate a space of self love and healing DM for details or to order . Locally made in High River, AB

I can only share with you what I have learnt and from my own experiences. Through studying Ayurveda, reading multiple women’s health books, shadow work books, taking womb trainings, yoga trainings it all comes back to the same thing. Our connection to the earth.... We are so aligned, so connected with the planet, with the elements, earth, air, fire, water, it’s all within us. And when we start to recognize when things become imbalanced. When we begin to notice a change in our external environment, check in, because a shift is about to happen in your inner world as well. Use whichever term feels good for you, witch, wise woman, medicine woman, healer, whichever you prefer, but know that our connection with this earth runs deep. Spend time outside, spend time connecting to the earth, listen to the wind, hear the songs of the river, feel the earth beneath your feet. Connect back with the planet.

In my morning meditation today, I was guided to the top of a mountain where I then stood tall, feeling the cool air on my face and the strong support of the earth beneath me, and then I ran and jumped. Jumped right off the mountain into a beautiful free fall, only to be caught by Archangel Michael’s Dragon. The lesson, let go and trust. We don’t need to control everything and honestly, we have no control over pretty much anything other than ourselves.... So let go of the need to control. Take a deep breath. This can be hard, when we feel like our world is falling apart around us. But trust. Trust yourself, trust the universe, the higher power you align with. You don’t need to control and everything will work out just as it needs to in the end, all you can do and all you have to do is show up for yourself AS yourself. There is a beautiful feeling and sense of freedom when we let go, like a weight is lifted off our shoulders and without that weight we can be free to experience the beauty and joy life has to offer. So trust yourself, and yes trust the process, let go and trust that you are exactly where you need to be. Brittany

It sounds so obvious, I know. But think about it. Your daily routine, your lifestyle, the foods you eat, your sleeping habits, your career, the time in between home and work, are you using it to support yourself? There is a huge amount of power in living your life aligned with your values and for your highest good.... Yes, when it comes to a job or career, money is still a thing and we still have to work and pay bills. But what if you continued to work while looking for an opportunity that was more aligned with who you are? That wasn’t sucking the life out of you, that somewhat supported your goals? The foods you eat. Are you eating things that support your health and well-being? Or are you starving yourself by skipping meals just so you can hustle a little bit more and get those projects done? If health is a value of yours, why not plan your day with food in mind, keeping healthy snacks on hand just in case? Prepping and planning meals when you have a little bit of time throughout the week? Food is medicine. All I’m saying is your lifestyle plays a major role in our health and overall well-being. If you have goals or values that have anything to do with your physical, mental or emotional well-being evaluate your lifestyle, and see if maybe there are things you can adjust or change to better support yourself on this journey of life. Brittany

Yes, the holiday season can be stressful at the best of times, and this year? That’s a whole other ballgame. But remember, just like yourself, everyone is doing their best, the best they know how and everyone has their own struggles, their own triggers and their own response to situations, and you are not responsible for that. This holiday season remind yourself, it’s ok to say no thank you, it’s ok to say thank you for thinking of me but I can’t this year, it’s ok to set bou...ndaries. It’s ok to feel anxiety, frustration, fear, but remind yourself, others may be feeling this way to. So share compassion towards people, a smile, even behind a mask goes a long way, a kind word, a simple thank you, all those things can make a difference for someone. So just a soft reminder, it’s ok to say no to gatherings this holiday season if you feel that’s best for you. You are not responsible for the reaction of others and share kindness whenever possible. Brittany

Whether you had a year full of personal growths and gains, or whether you had a year full of anxiety and stress know that both are ok. Before you scroll through social media over the next couple days, set the intention to NOT COMPARE YOURSELF to others. However you handled this year, however you felt moving through each month, know that it is ok.... If you feel like just making it to the end of 2020 was the biggest accomplishment you made, that’s AMAZING. If you had major strides and growth, know that that is amazing to! However these next couple days pan out for you, just remember, you are loved, you are WORTHY of love and you are doing the best you can. And guess what, you DON’T NEED to set goals right now if you don’t want to. You don’t have to change a damn thing. Take a breath and move through these next few days with kindness towards yourself and to others. We all did the best we could and knew how to over the last year, so breathe, relax. You are wonderful just as you are right now. Brittany

Many things can cause attachment to show up in relationships, and when we don’t acknowledge and deal with it, just like everything else, we will continue to relive that pattern. You are valuable and worthy. Read that again.... Your relationship status does not define you. You know how it goes, at family functions or that phone call home, so do you have yourself a man yet?. And when we have this belief that we need to be with someone to be successful it can begin to trigger this attachment response, this clinging to another when they may not even be right for us. Attachment let’s you lose yourself in someone else. Attachment means your world now revolves around this person, you do their stuff, try to adapt to their likes, their passions, try your best to please them. But you can live without attachment. When you remove the limiting beliefs that you need another, that if you don’t have someone you are somehow less than, not valuable, you begin to create this self soothing, supportive relationship with yourself. Attachment can be a response of childhood abandonment. It can be the fear of being alone, thinking you are incapable of taking care of yourself. It can be so many things. But you can break the cycle and you CAN love without attachment. Brittany

Reflect on your habits, on the subconscious beliefs that run through your mind. How many of these things were you taught? How many beliefs or fears do you carry, that you aren’t even sure where they came from? When you look at your ancestors, how many of them may have experienced the same beliefs, fears, or hardships?... Just like our DNA gets passed down from generations, so does the energy, or the imprints of trauma or deeply rooted beliefs. These things we can not justify, a fear of water for no reason. A belief that you have to suffer, that you have to punish yourself, but for what? Or maybe the belief that you aren’t worthy of love, success or happiness. Our energetic bodies pick up and carry unresolved blockages, fears, limitations from our ancestors and maybe you’re the one who breaks the cycle. Maybe you’re the one who shows up and does the healing work, who releases the trauma, the pain, the anger. Maybe you are the one to heal your ancestral line. So breathe. Sit with emotions that come up for you when you’re not sure why or where they came from. Meditate on your ancestors, with them. Ask what needs to be healed, what needs to be let go. Become the vessel, the one who release and move forward into the light. Trust yourself and trust the process. Because maybe you’re healing more than just yourself, maybe you’re healing lifetimes of pain, heartbreak and anger. Brittany.

How hard is it to take time for yourself, especially now? Perhaps even before all the uncertainty and chaos it was still a struggle. As women we get so caught up in nurturing others, helping take care of the house, littles or our partners, pets, plants, we nurture. But in that nurturing space we often find self neglect. We abandon dreams, I can’t paint that, I don’t have enough time, I will do it once the house is clean, I just need better supplies before I can start ...all the excuses start to tumble in because it’s scary! It’s terrifying to commit to space and time for yourself, for your dreams, your desires, things that bring you joy, fill you up. It’s easy to stay with what we know, it’s easy to continue the circle of, cleaning the house, walking the dog, cooking the dinner, finishing the laundry, preparing tomorrow lunches or breakfast. But you still need to take time for you, you still need to nurture yourself. And especially now that may seem impossible, with everyone at home because of a lockdown maybe? But still try, even start with 15 minutes, just simply close a door, let your partner or spouse know you’re taking a few minutes and sit and read, breathe, meditate! Or go for a walk, even if it’s cold bundle up, breathe the fresh air! Do something just for you every day. Start the damn painting, because you deserve to experience joy, peace and happiness, you deserve to express your creativity, you deserve to experience life other than just a care giver. Start with 15 minutes then maybe, maybe you drag that out for an hour or two a day for yourself. Brittany

Daily. It almost comes up daily. I asked the doctor what was wrong and they said, oh it’s just hormones, here take the pill it will make it better Ugh why am I breaking out? Yea your just going through a hormonal shift, just hormones... I’m so tired and bloated! I hate hormones Honestly, yes they are just hormones but you CAN feel good and you CAN live in harmony with your cycle. Food IS medicine. The first key or advice I would love to offer you is notice what you’re putting in your body and how it affects you! Food directly impacts how your body works throughout the day. This is HARD. This is why so many people opt for a pill that has multiple side effects but solves their one issue. It’s easier to take a pill then re-evaluate your lifestyle, your food intake. But I promise you when you start to pay attention to the foods that you eat and how they affect you, and you start to avoid the foods that cause you discomfort, that make you feel sick or off and you start to eat on a regular eating schedule this will help balance your hormones, your circadian rhythm will start to balance and come back to its natural state. It’s not JUST hormones and there are solutions. You just have to be committed to you and the process and know, you’re not alone. Words - Brittany

Give it a try. Close your eyes and see yourself biting into a juicy lemon wedge. Notice how your salivary glands actually start to produce more saliva, how your body reacts to that image?... That’s how powerful the mind is. So think about it for a minute, if with just the thought or visualization of something can have such an immediate reaction, how do heavy, dense, negative thoughts impact the body? Especially over time? Our thoughts are energy, our thoughts have the power to support our journey, we just need to start removing the layers of limiting beliefs, we need to PRACTICE gratitude. Gratitude just like anything else is a practice, it takes work, it takes time to reprogram heavy thoughts of, I have to go to work or I hate making dinner, I’m too out of shape, I’m not good enough for that all those thoughts can be rerouted into gratitude. I get to go to work today, I am grateful I have food in my house to cook with, I am grateful for the opportunity to move my body this way!, I am so lucky to have the opportunity to try something new. Gratitude takes practice. Something my partner and I do every night before bed is we say three things we are grateful for, either about our selves or in our life. It take time but you can begin to support your life with supportive thoughts, and when you begin to forget, bring yourself back to that lemon wedge ;) What are you grateful for today? Let me know in the comments Brittany

Over the last 6 months it’s been very apparent for me that I needed to be outside, I needed to immerse myself in nature. I needed to come home to me, to this earth. As we enter into a New Moon, use this opportunity to connect with YOURSELF. Let go of the need to seek answers from a higher power or source and get in touch with YOURSELF.... Begin to ask yourself things like how am I? How am I really? Who am I? Who do I want to be? What are MY goals? MY passions? What do I want to create? We have been taught to live (in my opinion) in a world where we give away our power, where we let other people, society tell us what we should do, who we should be, how we should look. We have been taught to live from a place of disconnect. But this New Moon I invite you to stop, put away the tarot cards just for now, close your eyes and breathe, what do you want? What does your soul crave? Sit and just listen, trust yourself. And for a moment really ground yourself, connect to the earth, envision roots growing from the areas of your body that are connected to the surface below you. Feel yourself rooted in Mother Earth, we are all connected to her, part of her. And then breathe out the limiting beliefs, the self doubt, come home to you, come home to trusting yourself again. Much love, Brittany.