The Live Journal

Fall is a season for change, for shedding layers and releasing. For me this is a welcome shift, but I must admit it can sometimes be quite uncomfortable. Healing is not linear. it’s easy to believe that once on a journey of self discovery breakthroughs are always pleasant. The key here is to stay the course, celebrating the highs and nurturing ourselves though the lows, knowing that the only way through.. is through. It’s important to feel all the feelings, touch them and digest them in order to understand them. Once you know what the conversations in your head are - you can best work with them rather than against them. For today’s conversation I sat with Josefien Smet of @yosogreen, she’s brilliant and beautifully humble and a plant based chef  who’s healed herself through the  power of foods.  Our conversation has inspired me to dig even deeper and try out new things, it ignited curiosity and has set me on a path of playing with new herbs and mystical mushrooms. Josefien iresides in Leuven, Belgium. She creates functional food with a focus on self-care - because food IS selfcare. Her culinary journey started as a blog, YOSOGREEN and she now works as a freelance chef and recipe developer. The idea of YOSOGREEN as a brand came into fruition during her culinary education at PlantLab in Los Angeles, where she felt hugely inspired by the food culture. Upon her return to Belgium, she founded the company with the aim of creating food that should be regarded as an extension to your personal self-care: functional food! And how do you see your food? Is it nurturing? Does it support you and your body? Does it make you feel calm or energized when you need to? Or are you in a muddy space of reward and punishment… good and bad.. of all or nothing? Today I encourage you to pause and take account of how you feel and consider which practices you can put in place to support you on your journey. … Can you take a few minutes on Sunday or during your daily commute to write down how you WANT to feel, then assign one or two action steps you need to take to achieve these… Start with simple tasks and build from there, and if you need support - seek it - there’s a village waiting for you out there… JOSEFIEN’S FAVORITES Self Care Ritual: My favorite selfcare ritual is waking up early! It's my personal time where I stay quit and have an hour of me-time. I wake up early, do some breathing excercises and set my intentions for the day. I walk around in a bathrobe and make myself a chagacchino. Next I play with my dog. Recipe: Mushroom dust Ingredients 1 cup almonds (I love to reuse dehydrated almond meal) 1/4 cup sesame seeds 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast 1 teaspoons cordyceps extract powder 1 teaspoon Himalaya salt How to: Blend in foodprocessor until powdered + Add in any dried herb you like How to use: Use as a topping for stir fries, asian dishes, pasta or salads --- For delicious recipes and self-care tips subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠my FREE newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Coaching registration is open! ⁠⁠⁠Email me⁠⁠⁠ to schedule a FREE intro chat, no registration required. For a full list of my coaching offerings visit my website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PaolaAtlason.live⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. And for daily musings follow along on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@PaolaAtlasonWelllness⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

One of the most important, if not THE most important item to keep in check is your self worth. I was fortunate enough to have a mother, a stepdad and grandparents who believed in me - and always reminded me that I could do whatever I set my mind to -a tool which shaped me, and got me through many difficult yet luckily not detrimental moments in life. My motto has always been “if I don’t know the job I’ll learn it”, words which I still default to today. But I did lose my sense of self worth along the way.... And how? Was it internal or external forces that dissolved it? Was it my own wounded ego or that of others? For many years it seems I was rolling through life, measuring my value in financial gains, and along the way letting my true self go. A few years ago I stood up. As I began walking my true path. I was reminded in mysterious ways that simply being is enough. Now I walk in integrity and clear in my purpose - but this took a while. Meeting Jourdan Ash reminded me of the strength I had as a young woman. Her presence is regal. Intelligent and dark humored - her confidence is inspiring. I was humbled during our conversation, she’s very clear on her worth, she doesn’t take BS from anything or anyone, and she’s able to manifest what she wants and clearly detect what is a test. Known on Rihanna's internet as LifewithJRDN, she’s a New York based writer with words in Complex, Pitchfork, her own blog, LifeWithJRDN.com and more. When she's not behind the pen, she's hosting, editing and curating her bi-weekly show, Dating in NYC: The Podcast, an hourly show that focuses on the many lessons in love, sex and dating as told by creatives of color. On this New Moon I leave you with an exercise in introspection… Find a quite moment and ask yourself this or journal it if inspired: Are you in alignment with your self worth? Are your values based on your core beliefs or on other’s expectations? How do you want to feel? What do you want? JOURDAN’S FAVORITES Favorite beauty ritual: My favorite beauty ritual is oiling my cuticles! My nail artist always tells me that the hands are the first things to show age. So a few times a day, I take a moment to oil my cuticles. It's a mini moment in my day that helps me to pause and remember to think about myself. Favorite wellness tip: My favorite wellness tip is to get up. I recently started taking classes, that I love. But the hardest thing for me to do is to get up to actually go. To encourage myself, I try to remind myself how proud I feel when I make it to class and how great I feel afterwards. The feeling alone is all the encouragement I need. You can learn more about Jourdan on Instagram @lifewithJRDN -- For delicious recipes and self-care tips subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠my FREE newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Coaching registration is open! ⁠⁠⁠Email me⁠⁠⁠ to schedule a FREE intro chat, no registration required. For a full list of my coaching offerings visit my website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PaolaAtlason.live⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. And for daily musings follow along on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@PaolaAtlasonWelllness⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Jenn Tardif is magical. Upon meeting her she seems ethereal, and once in her presence you realize she’s incredibly grounded. As the founder of 3rd Ritual she creates objects to support meditative practices, which are beautifully designed and pleasant to the senses. She left a career in tech to apply her talent for building successful products to the sacred teachings she’d long been immersed in. During this conversation Jenn shares how the need for structure as a child led her to seek refuge in these practices. We discuss the importance of ritual in every day life - from it’s simplest form to it’s more complex variations, and the joy of passing these traditions on to our children. Tardif is a teacher at Sky Ting Yoga who leads global retreats and trainings, and a certified aromatherapist who began creating custom blends for her students as a way to inspire self-care. Tardif launched 3rd Ritual while pregnant with her first child and has been on a steadfast mission to share the tools and techniques that support mental well-being ever since.  But what is a “ritual”?  Simply put it’s anything done with beauty and intention. This week I encourage you to create a ritual for yourself. Choose an activity you “have” to do on a daily basis - this could be your shower, your lunch time, or even bedtime - and see how you can beautify it, and allow yourself to be mindfully present and uplifted while performing it. I’d love to know how it goes, please leave a comment and share! JENN’S FAVORITES A favorite ritual she’d like to share with the audience: Trataka Her non-negotiable self care ritual or routine: “As an antidote to anxiety I place great emphasis on putting myself to bed. This involves a series of small acts like lowering the lights, massaging MOON into my hands and feet, reading or journaling in bed, and giving thanks while breathing deep.” You can learn more about Jenn and 3rd Ritual on their website or Instagram @3rdRitual and @Jenn_Tardif --- For delicious recipes and self-care tips subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠my FREE newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Coaching registration is open! ⁠⁠⁠Email me⁠⁠⁠ to schedule a FREE intro chat, no registration required. For a full list of my coaching offerings visit my website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PaolaAtlason.live⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. And for daily musings follow along on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@PaolaAtlasonWelllness⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Christina Caruso is the Jerry to my Bianca . A true friend I made in adulthood, getting to know each other as we sat at arms length - face to face - at work for over a year. This happened what feels like a lifetime ago, and as our friendship continues to blossom I cannot help but admire her even more. Christina is a mother, a loyal sister, a wife and daughter - and in her work life a fashion Creative Director, and the co-founder of AWE NYC an initiative that brings women together with the purpose of connection. During this chat we discuss motherhood and it’s joys and stresses, how women are made to believe we have to choose ONE path in life and stick with it (ummm no), and how transitioning from career to home life and back to the work force can be a bumpy yet refreshing and rewarding road. You can learn more about Christina on her website www.christinacaruso.com or Instagram @christinacarusostyle I hope this conversation inspires you to reflect on how your life is evolving at this moment. Do you feel as though YOU are in charge of it, or is it dragging you around? Would you take a moment of your busy day to journal your concerns and outline the thoughts surrounding them - so you that you can truly choose which are valid,  and which to discard? *JOURNALING EXERCISE: Take a few minutes to sit in silence and breath. In your mind raise the statement “I am concerned with… “ and write down what comes to the surface in your journal or piece of paper. Once you’ve written this statement, list all other thoughts that come to mind in it’s relation, in the following format “I worry that…..”. Once you’ve listed all of these thoughts label them as either a TRUTH (a true fact), an ATTACKING THOUGHT ON YOURSELF (negative beliefs or mean words you use to refer to yourself) or a LIMITING BELIEF (something you believe to be true even though you know it’s not). Once you’ve labeled each one, contemplate which proactive action steps need to be taken to resolve your TRUTHS, turn the conversation around on your ATTACKING THOUGHTS by writing true and valid positive statements that prove them wrong, and go deeper in analyzing where your LIMITING BELIEFS stem from (either in childhood or other times of your life where these were settled in you) and begin to break them apart. If you need support with this exercise please reach out, you can always schedule a free 15min phone consultation and I will gladly walk you through. *adapted from “A Course in Miracles” --- For delicious recipes and self-care tips subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠my FREE newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Coaching registration is open! ⁠⁠⁠Email me⁠⁠⁠ to schedule a FREE intro chat, no registration required. For a full list of my coaching offerings visit my website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PaolaAtlason.live⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. And for daily musings follow along on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@PaolaAtlasonWelllness⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

After suffering from Crohn’s Disease as a child, Amber set out to empower her kids to take charge of their health in order to feel their best. As a mother of 2, Salthaus was born due to a lack of places to engage in wellness together with her family. Amber discovered Halotherapy and wanted to share her mission ‘wellness together’ with the world by redefining wellness, making it social, fun and available to all ages. During our conversation we discuss how when looking for a creative outlet she found her idea, and it was as if striking a water pipe with a pick - it never stopped flowing. We also talk about the importance of believing and following signs and omens when they present themselves to you, and how we should include children in the wellness conversation, in order to teach them how to create healthy rituals beginning at a young age. This conversation inspired me to seek more creativity in my personal life, it doesn’t only belong to to artist or people in creative arenas - you can be creative in simply planning your day. For me this translates into being more creative in how I spend time with friends and participating in new activities which do not involve drinking - Salthaus anyone? You can learn more about Salthaus and book appointments on their website, and on instagram @salthausNY --- For delicious recipes and self-care tips subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠my FREE newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Coaching registration is open! ⁠⁠⁠Email me⁠⁠⁠ to schedule a FREE intro chat, no registration required. For a full list of my coaching offerings visit my website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PaolaAtlason.live⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. And for daily musings follow along on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@PaolaAtlasonWelllness⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

My guest today is Tina Essmaker. She’s a dear friend, a writer, and she coaches creative professionals through career road blocks. Tina is quite honestly a breath of fresh air. I met her a handful of years ago as a very close family friend’s “new girlfriend”. What was meant to be a “does she pass the test?” scenario turned to be a bonding and long lasting conversation, one which I feel continues to this day. Before this faithful encounter, and years before she came into the family, Tina was in a long term relationship which ended abruptly and without warning. This tailspin set her on a new self discovery path, a long journey in which she found herself, and discovered a passion and talent which would have otherwise remained hidden. Tina equips the creative community to move beyond inspiration into action. She is cofounder and former Editor in Chief of The Great Discontent magazine for which she interviewed more than 250 creators. Her decade-long background in social work combined with her expertise in themes that dot the creative landscape are the foundation of her coaching practice working with individuals and teams across creative industries. Listen in as we discuss how journaling is a wonderful tool for shutting out the noise and in getting stuff OUT of your head - and how this simple practice supports you in accepting and best handling your reality. Tina believes we’re all here, on this planet,  to add value to the world, and that we need people on our team to guide, encourage and support our endeavors. For today’s Beating the Monday Blues homework, I encourage you to get inspired by this touching story and to stay open when times are shifting. We tend to subscribe to a lifestyle or a routine or a schedule - and when life throws us a curve ball at us we tend to drop it ALL.  What are the things you value most? What is important to you in YOUR  life? Are YOU part of the equation? What are your non-negotiable moments of care? Is your personal time blocked off in your calendar? Ask yourself these questions. List your needs out on a piece of paper, pick the most important ones, and add them to your calendar with a flexible structure.  A simple technique I use and recommend in my practice is to treat your calendar as your BEST friend. I take half an hour on Sunday’s to look at it. I asses what’s coming up for the week, and call in feelings of gratitude for the times I’m BUSY -  as much as I feel grateful when times are slower. I make sure my movement routine, my meditation practice and at least one coffee with a friend are blocked times in there, and If I can treat myself to something special - like a massage on a Friday every few weeks - that gets blocked as well. I observe how work and family time will compliment each other, and I make sure they do not overlap - But when they do (because life is life) I keep an open mind and adjust accordingly, looking to maintain the awareness of being in the moment when interacting with my children, my husband and my clients. Thank you for tuning in today, I look forward to your feedback, keep sending in your questions and…. Enjoy today’s ride! With Love and Gratitude -- For delicious recipes and self-care tips subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠my FREE newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Coaching registration is open! ⁠⁠⁠Email me⁠⁠⁠ to schedule a FREE intro chat, no registration required. For a full list of my coaching offerings visit my website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PaolaAtlason.live⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. And for daily musings follow along on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@PaolaAtlasonWelllness⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Dale Moore is an Earth Advocate. She mothers Herbal and Fungal Allies from seed to medicine in her near Zero-waste Home in Brooklyn. We met earlier this year and immediately connected, when a simple hello turned into an incredibly deep and spiritual conversation. She grows her own food in her backyard and the front of her apartment hosts a studio where she channels Animals, Spirit, Poetry and Energy. Dale calls upon elemental, galactic and ReikiEnergies to inspire balance, growth and peace as she facilitates reconnection to power, to earth; to Self.   During this conversation we discuss the importance of daily homework as a form of reflection, her mission to get people to incorporate healing into their everyday lives, and how moon rituals and simple rest keep her afloat. PS: Did you know New Hartford Connecticut  is considered a portal? DALE’S MOON RITUAL Because the airdate is 5 days before a New Moon I want to recommend an introspective blend of Herbs to foster diving deep within ones self to embrace our Shadow work. The Full Moon is about interpersonal relationships and the New Moon is about reflection to plant a Seed that will grow with the pull of the Moon as it waxes Full.  Cacao Lun Ingredients: Cacao, Mugwort, Fennel, Licorice Best enjoyed after Lunch! Cacao is Heart Medicine - my favorite Brand to use is Cacao Lab - a Brother and SIster who serve as a true voice for the People and Land the Medicine comes from.  Cacao is the base, to be finely chopped and blent with the following Herbal Tea base: Steap Mugwort and Licorice in simmering Water for a minimum of 20 minutes in portions 2:1 Add a pinch of Cayenne (to your heat discretion!) Mugwort (which I forage locally) promotes dreaming, activity of the Penial Gland and is also known to reduce anxiety and depression.  Licorice is a sweetener but also a Powerful Demulcent Herb.  And the Activator is Cayenne, which we use to pull the Energy down from the Universe and circulating it around the Body to support deep introspection in this lower Chakra work.  You can find Dale on Instagram @hotdiggitydale --- For delicious recipes and self-care tips subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠my FREE newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Coaching registration is open! ⁠⁠⁠Email me⁠⁠⁠ to schedule a FREE intro chat, no registration required. For a full list of my coaching offerings visit my website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PaolaAtlason.live⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. And for daily musings follow along on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@PaolaAtlasonWelllness⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

An uplifting, revealing and raw conversation with the incredibly radiant Charanpal Kaur - Kundalini yoga teacher and renown chant artist. She shares with us how Kundalini found her, the beauty, power and immediate effect of the practice, and how music and mantra are a universal healing light. It was a dream speaking with Naomi. I’ve been a fan of her music for quite some time (Sat Siri Siri Akal is my favorite mantra song), so learning that we had a similar “wild” youth and are now reformed souls confirms there’s a deep common thread between us all. We also go deep in discussing the connection between human and planetary prana and all that intergalactic goodness - but you must listen in for those good bits ;) Naomi’s voice is incredibly powerful, so much so you can feel it’s vibration in this audio. With three mantra albums to date, her last two releases, Jala (2017), and Aeons (2015), made it to #3 and #4 on the iTunes music charts. Charanpal is also a featured teacher for two international online yoga communities; Kundalini Lounge (London, UK) and Kundalini Live (Monterrey, CA). Yogis around the globe practice with Charanpal via her viral Youtube classes, such as The Keep Up Spirit.   Stay tuned after the interview, where I dive deeper into the subject of “Ritual vs Attachment”, and guide you in turning the attention inward to support you in uncovering emotional ties. Please continue sending your questions to paola@paolaatlason.live - the conversation keeps getting deeper with your participation! NAOMI’S FAVORITES Her "keep my sanity"’ essentials: Nature time, stretching my body, and getting plenty of sleep! Her favorite workout: I love hiking in the woods here in Santa Cruz. The mixture of prana and cardio is invigorating. If you don't live in the woods, just get outdoors and get your heart pumping. It's so enlivening. Non-negotiable self care routine or tool? Exfoliating my face followed by rosehip night cream. Also, some sort of spinal flexation on the daily. Cat / Cow, or a Kundalini spinal flex work great and they are a non-negotiable part of my day so that I feel I am awake and ready for anything. Best beauty / health / wellness advise your mom has given you? Oh goodness. Hmmm, I was going to say retail therapy! My mom taught me how to hunt for a good deal. Haha! But, more accurately, my mom instilled in me the value of having a clean and organized house. She taught me that clutter is nauseating and that going to sleep with a messy home is less than ideal. I'm nowhere near as regimented as she is, but I do resonate with the fact that self-care includes caring for our immediate environments. You can find Charanpal on her website charanpalmusic.com and on Instagram @akalstars --- For delicious recipes and self-care tips subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠my FREE newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Coaching registration is open! ⁠⁠⁠Email me⁠⁠⁠ to schedule a FREE intro chat, no registration required. For a full list of my coaching offerings visit my website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PaolaAtlason.live⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. And for daily musings follow along on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@PaolaAtlasonWelllness⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Jackie Courtney is the founder of Nearly Newlywed, the online destination where millions of women worldwide discover, shop and sell new and preowned wedding dresses, engagement rings, jewelry & accessories. Formerly a fashion publicist and digital strategist, Jackie started her business out of a personal need, in 2012 (out of her bedroom)... As she was preparing to marry she wanted to wear the dress of her dreams without having to pay the hefty price tag - and Nearly Newlywed was born. We became Instagram friends and I her biggest fan: her sparkly style, grounded personality and glimpses into her adventures in motherhood - and how she keeps an “attitude of gratitude” through it all- are ever inspiring. Jackie currently lives in Brooklyn with her husband Patrick and their two year old son Ryan (the cutest happiest dancer), and loves dresses, sequins, prints, sneakers and a good belly laugh. You can follow her on Instagram @jac_courtney and @nearlynewlywed Also in this episode I continue our conversation on emotions and attachments to food, and share a few science based facts on how these occur - and how to work on de-coding them. Please continue to email your questions to paola@paolaatlason.live, lets keep sharing our stories! --- For delicious recipes and self-care tips subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠my FREE newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Coaching registration is open! ⁠⁠⁠Email me⁠⁠⁠ to schedule a FREE intro chat, no registration required. For a full list of my coaching offerings visit my website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PaolaAtlason.live⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. And for daily musings follow along on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@PaolaAtlasonWelllness⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Nicole Berrie’s career first began in the fashion industry at Elle Magazine and later as associate features editor at Vanity Fair. Seeking to find a bridge between her personal interest in healing and wellness and a high-end editorial concept, Berrie founded bonberi.com in 2013 featuring the wellness regimens of designers, models, chefs, influencers, along with her original plant-based recipes. In September 2018 she opened Bonberi on Bleecker, a plant-based cafe in New York’s West Village featuring grab-and-go vegan dishes and an array of juices and smoothies, as well as a curated selection of holistic, non-toxic retail. During our conversation Nicole shares her experience in transitioning into a plant-based and food-combining lifestyle, and how taking this path has allowed her to thrive as a mother of two, and a pioneering wellness advocate. You can find Nicole on Instagram @bonberi, in her beautiful shop on 384 Bleeker, and all her abundance of delicious recipes live on her website bonberi.com  NICOLE’S DULSE SEA CAESAR DRESSING dressing ingredients: 2-3 cloves of smashed garlic 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup cold filtered water 2 tablespoons of sunflower seeds or raw pumpkin seeds 3-4 leaves of dulse seaweed (the whole leaves) juice of 1 lemon 1 handful of fresh parsley leaves 1 tablespoon of Tamari sauce 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard freshly cracked black pepper sea salt optional: 2 teaspoons of nutritional yeast Combine all ingredients in a food processor and high-speed blender. Include 1 teaspoon of nutritional yeast if using. Blend until creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (I like it super peppery.) Pour over chilled chopped romaine leaves, crack more black pepper over and sprinkle with remaining nutritional yeast. Toss and serve. -- For delicious recipes and self-care tips subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠my FREE newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Coaching registration is open! ⁠⁠⁠Email me⁠⁠⁠ to schedule a FREE intro chat, no registration required. For a full list of my coaching offerings visit my website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PaolaAtlason.live⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. And for daily musings follow along on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@PaolaAtlasonWelllness⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠