RedEssences

I am amazed by our beautiful Melissa herb this spring. This year, it has gifted us the most beautiful, strong, and harmonious leaves. All the rain we received over winter gave it exactly what it needed to become so healthy and generous.

Lately, I’ve been adding Melissa herb to my evening tea and deeply enjoying its soothing, calming benefits. Recent studies have shown that Melissa essential oil may help support healthy blood pressure, which is something I’ve been needing these days. Hormonal shifts have increased my blood pressure, so alongside other things I’m doing to support balance, Melissa brings the gentle calm I need.

Melissa essential oil is also known as the Oil of Light, and it is incredibly powerful. It has a very low yield—requiring a vast amount of leaves to produce just a few drops—which is why this oil is so precious and expensive.

Its magic lies in its ability to reveal what has been hidden. Be prepared for moments of disturbance or uncomfortable feelings as it helps clear away the dust, the rust, the old. It is an essential oil to work with respectfully and intentionally each time you use it.

I have practiced microdosing with Melissa (using micro drops on the roof of my mouth several times throughout the day with intention), and the results have been astonishing. Sometimes it takes days before I notice a change; other times, only hours before I feel a shift and clarity comes in.

Whatever your intention is, I trust you will feel its powerful resonance.

Some of the experiences I’ve had include a surge of emotions—sadness, disappointment, overwhelm, irritation, questions of worthiness, even withdrawal. Yet once the clearing is underway, there can be a profound sense of contentment, relief, satisfaction, joy, peace, clarity, weightlessness, and calm.

We are all different, so these experiences will be unique to each of us.

Be patient, trust the process, and allow Melissa to help unlock the wisdom within.

Letting go of my “old self” — she has expired.

This landed so clearly for me this morning during meditation.

Lately, I have been feeling drained, tired, unmotivated, and disconnected from passion. And for a while, I kept wondering what was wrong with me. Why I couldn’t seem to ignite the same fire, the same drive, the same energy that used to move me so naturally.

But this morning, I realized something deeper:

What used to excite me no longer does — not because something is wrong, but because I have changed.

Trying to force myself back into an old identity has only created more resistance, more numbness, and more inner friction. I’ve been asking a version of me that has already expired to come back online. But that version is no longer alive.

And that truth is uncomfortable.

Because part of me still wants to operate from what used to work, what used to feel easy, what once created results — even when it was no longer aligned. My comfort zone wants to resurrect the familiar. It wants to reactivate the part of me that pushed, performed, and made things happen no matter what.

But she is gone.

The rebellious part of me — the one who wanted to do things her way, in her timing, driven by force and fire — has completed her role.

And the version of me that is emerging now wants something entirely different.

She craves discipline.
She craves consistency.
She craves organization, devotion, and real human connection.

And yet, I am still learning how to trust her.

I am still adjusting to the fact that this new version of me is not a loss — she is an upgrade. She is preparing me for the years ahead. She is asking me to build a life, a rhythm, and a way of being that can truly sustain me.

Today, instead of forcing myself into productivity, I chose to do something I genuinely wanted to do.

I went into the garden.

I reorganized, planted flowers, touched the earth, and let my hands get dirty. A part of me felt guilty, thinking I should be doing something more productive, more work-focused, more “useful.”

But then I realized: this was useful.

I needed the grounding of the earth to reconnect to myself.
I needed beauty.
I needed spaciousness.
I needed to nourish my spirit before asking creativity to return.

And sure enough, once I felt settled and fulfilled, I found myself naturally wanting to work — outside, in the company of birdsong, with fresh air on my skin and a quiet sense of energy moving through me again.

Not forced.
Not manufactured.
But alive.

And here is what surprised me most:

The parts of me I thought were “missing” were actually just waiting for the right conditions.

My consistency and discipline were rewarded with a strong, energizing workout.
My need for organization was met through meaningful, aligned work calls.

At the start of the day, I truly didn’t think I would accomplish anything.

And yet… I did.

Not by forcing,
but by listening first.

There is so much power in taking time in the morning to reflect:
Where am I, really?
What do I need today?
Where do I want to place my focus?

That simple pause can shift the entire trajectory of your day —
from unsatisfying and heavy…
to grounded, aligned, and deeply rewarding.

By accepting that my old self has moved on, I can begin to honor the wisdom of who is emerging now.

And maybe this is what growth really looks like:
not becoming someone else,
but releasing who we no longer are,
so we can meet ourselves more fully.

Step by step.
With more clarity.
More alignment.
And more grace.

This weekend was meant to be about celebrating Valentine’s Day and cheering Roger on for his half marathon. Instead, life invited me into stillness as I nursed myself back to health.

I missed the beautiful room Roger had booked in Barcelona for our little getaway… and some fun meals with friends.

But I live in the camp that life happens for me. So I stayed open.

My body went into a full mucus party — lungs and sinuses congested, back and legs aching, head pounding. For 24 hours I felt like an alien in my own body.

Mucus can be the body’s soft way of releasing what the heart hasn’t had words for.
A gentle clearing.
A dissolving of what once needed protection.

The one place I found some relief was the bath.
Warm water softening the tension… holding me.
I added Epsom salt with Ravintsara and Melissa essential oils and oh my — the perfect duo for me.

I kept working with these two powerhouses:
Melissa under the tongue, Ravintsara on my temples, the back of my neck, and chest.
And slowly… relief arrived.

It still amazes me, the power of these magical oils.
I heard the whisper of Ravintsara and followed the intuition. It felt like exactly what I needed to clear stagnant, closed energy in my chest.

No big surprise after the past events.
My heart had tightened, and life was asking it to soften again.

Nothing happens by mistake.
My body needed that pause — a sacred clearing, a release of what was ready to move.

I’m deeply grateful for the years of learning and attuning, for knowing how to listen when the body speaks.

Melissa brought light back where it had dimmed.
And slowly… I felt life flowing through me again. ✨

As we return home from this stunning Norwegian experience, my heart overflows with gratitude for the company we’ve partnered with for over thirteen years — doTERRA. Although we’ve been invited on several of these special trips before, I hadn’t felt called to join. But Norway had been whispering to me for years, and this felt like the perfect opportunity.

This journey confirmed that I am exactly where I need to be, and that the personal work I’ve been doing recently has truly integrated. Over these past few years, I often felt guilty for not engaging more with our business — for not recruiting, finding new customers, builders, and future leaders. So many times I told Roger, “I’m going to start,” and I truly believed it. Yet it never happened.

I couldn’t tell if it was a lack of courage, energy, motivation, or simply the deep resistance to shedding old cellular programming that was slowly eroding and even harming my earthly experience.

Today, I understand that this was simply part of my journey. I couldn’t invite new people into our business and life from an outdated place within myself. It would have crashed — hard — taking me with it. It wouldn’t have created the experience I want my future network to live and feel. This trip revealed just how deep an abyss I had descended into, and that to climb out, I needed to return as a renewed, upgraded version of myself — mostly, if not fully, integrated. Though new “mindset chips” had been installed, I hadn’t grasped the magnitude of the upgrade. Like trying to run an old familiar operating system on a new phone, I kept wanting to use what I knew and had mastered — but it no longer worked.

What I am excited about lately! OMEGA-3s 🧡
These essential fats do so much for my body — inside and out!

There are 3 main types:
🧡 EPA – Eicosapentaenoic acid
🧡 DHA – Docosahexaenoic acid
🧡 ALA – Alpha-linolenic acid

Top sources?
🐟 Fatty fish like sardines, tuna, cod liver, herring, salmon, and mackerel.
Fish aren’t just rich in Omega-3 — they’re also packed with protein, vitamins (A, B12, D, E), and minerals (calcium, selenium, iodine, iron). Mackerel is especially nutrient-dense! 💥

Why Omega-3s rock:
🧡 Support heart health & reduce inflammation
🧡 Linked to reduced risk of breast, prostate & colon cancer (emerging studies!)
🧡 Promote glowing skin by preventing moisture loss & keeping cell membranes healthy
🧡 Help with skin issues like dryness, irritation, inflammation, breakouts & even boost sun resistance (amazing if you’re fair-skinned like me!)
🧡 Nourish hair from the inside out, helping with thinning & breakage
🧡 Keep eyes moist & support vision
🧡 Offer neuroprotection for the brain
🧡 Reduce joint pain & stiffness

✨ So much goodness in one simple nutrient. Your skin, heart, and brain will thank you. I love that doTERRA sourced the best and pairs it with essential oils for optimal delivery and benefits! Find out for yourself what is right for you. 🧡

“Pure water is the world’s first and foremost medicine.” – Slovak Proverb

For the longest time, I resisted drinking enough water. I had to ask myself—why? What was holding me back?

I realized there were two main reasons:

1. Taste – Not all water tastes the same! It finally clicked for me that water’s flavor varies depending on its source. So, I started a quest to find water that actually tasted good to me. I’m not against tap water—some are great—but ours just wasn’t satisfying.

2. Convenience & Preparation – I needed a system that made water easily accessible. That meant finding the right water bottle. I experimented with different ones until I found “the one”—the perfect size, feel, cap, and even a good suction (because I didn’t want to deal with unscrewing a lid every time! 😂).

Once I had my ideal bottle, I set up a routine: I prepared two glass bottles with my daily water intake and refilled my water bottle throughout the day. Suddenly, drinking water became effortless and enjoyable. My bottle started following me everywhere, and over time, I naturally adjusted to drinking the right amount.

Then, I had to remind myself why drinking water matters so much. Our bodies depend on it for countless functions:

1. Fuels cells and removes waste

2. Flushes out toxins

3. Boosts brain function and mood

4. Improves blood flow and oxygen delivery

5. Protects joints and muscles

6. Regulates body temperature

7. Strengthens the immune system

8. Keeps skin hydrated and youthful

9. Aids digestion and metabolism

10. Supports heart and kidney health

If you’re not used to drinking enough water, start gradually. Your body will adjust over time. And if you exercise frequently or drink large amounts of water, adding electrolytes can help maintain sodium balance.

Personally, I’ve noticed major changes—brighter, firmer skin and less heaviness in my legs, thanks to better lymphatic flow.

Water is such a simple thing, yet it makes a world of difference :-)

I’m excited to join the Align45 community, and do this together! 😉 45 days of optimal hydration—let’s make it happen!

Water is the driving force of all nature Leonardo da Vinci