The Birth of Juniper Rose

Looking back

As you may have heard, every pregnancy, every baby, and every birth are different, but I’d like to add that the same goes for mothers both first-time and repeat moms.

The early days go by so fast. I didn’t realize it last time. Being a first time mom was like being thrust into a tornado of all things beautiful and difficult led by every emotion felt all at once with postpartum depression and anxiety in the driver’s seat. Understatedly, it was rough.

This time is different. Or maybe I’m still too sleep deprived to notice. But I’m soaking it in. I feel impossibly tired but happy and content. I actually feel like I was made for this. I’m much more confident in myself this time. I’m not allowing myself to be swayed by an unrealistic perception of motherhood. And, I have a little insight; a lay of the land, though the terrain is a bit different.

I don’t want to just survive or get through the day the way I did before. I realize a lot of that was beyond my control, but I didn’t know that in the moment. It’s hard to see straight when you’re in the thick of it. I’m letting myself enjoy this limited time. I’m not wishing to speed through it. Although, during those late night feedings I want nothing more than to get back to “sleep,” I’m still thankful to be able to experience this again.

I’m not sayin it’s easy. I’m not a pro, despite the doctors and nurses telling me during recovery “but you’ve done this so you already know.” Tell me again. Remind me how to do it again because I need to hear it. Coach me on how to do this or that. I’m a new mama to two little ones now. It’s new. I want your guidance and your words of wisdom. I need your encouragement.

Things new moms always appreciate hearing especially when we’re not expecting it, “I don’t know if you’ve heard this today but you’re doing so well. Keep it up mama. You’re doing great.” Followed by, “how are YOU?”

The Birth Story

On August 15 I got the call that my bed was finally ready and waiting for us. I had an induction scheduled for the 12th, but with covid restrictions and a crowded labor and delivery unit, there simply wasn’t space. An induction wasn’t initially something I planned on, but if I’ve learned anything from being a mama and a yoga teacher, it’s to be flexible.

Anyway, little did I know I was actually already in labor, for days in fact. Which is to say, I apparently am one of those people who doesn’t know they’re in labor even though people always say “you’ll know,” I didn’t lol.

I was 2cm dilated when we arrived at the hospital at 1:30pm. I was given medicine to help my cervix dilate a bit more and then I was given a very low dose of pitocin to encourage my contractions. And I didn’t need much to get things going. I made great progress and the process was much quicker this time. My water was broke and then I entered active labor. I breathed through each surge allowing my body to relax and do what it needed to do. I felt proud of myself that I went into this labor prepared. I practiced my breathing while pregnant as well as different positions. My cervix dilated 2 more cm in a very short period of time. A few hours after that I entered transition and switched breathing techniques to distract myself from the intense surges. I was totally tuned in and it was a powerful feeling. Trusting my body to do what it is designed to do. I put on my labor playlist, I swayed my hips and circled them. I followed my body’s cues.

At 7 cm I felt the immense need to push. After spending the last several hours reminding my body to relax I now needed to straddle the line between relaxing baby into the birth canal while also holding her in place and breathing through pain I didn’t know was humanly possible to feel. I opted for nitrous gas in an effort to take the edge off, but it only made me feel light headed and offered no relief.

At 8cm I needed to push badly, the need became greater. My breath was escaping me and I could feel myself losing control. I was clenching up. Drawing in air was the last thing I wanted to do. I wanted to push. So, the doctor came in and checked my cervix again. “We’re just not there yet and I need you to hold on, we need to protect your cervix. You can’t push now.” It felt impossible, ignoring what my body wanted and accepting what I was being asked to do. My contractions were stacked on top of the other. If there were breaks in between surges, I didn’t notice. My mind fixated on this. The incoming wave, a loud moan, the wave drifting away; the whole process without pause. I communicated in quick, fragmented sentences, sometimes spread between surges. I needed to push. My body begged me to. But I can’t. We’re not there yet.

Epidural. Now.

The anesthesiologist came in with the epidural I ordered. This process took so long, it felt like an eternity. In my head I recited “just one wave at a time, just one wave closer” as I begged for the drugs. I squeezed the nurse’s hands as they asked my husband to wait outside. I couldn’t hold in my baby, I thought to myself. I couldn’t breathe with control. I felt her drop lower into my pelvis. Finally, my feet tingled but I still felt the powerful surges. By the time I laid down to catch my breath the doctor checked my cervix. I was 9.5cm, just a ridge of cervix left. The epidural still hadn’t set in completely and I was nearly fully dilated. I started to feel like a failure but I essentially had done it. And my husband was so supportive as was my nurse who both told me I was a rockstar and that all the epidural meant was that I needed to rest and that’s okay. My contractions nearly all but stopped, so we waited another hour before my body was ready. I was started again on a small boost of pitocin. Still, I wouldn’t do anything different. My body seemed to prefer no epidural, it was able to progress through labor quickly, but it also needed the break. As my heart calmed and my body felt more at ease I realized that I had no regrets about anything. I felt that in that exact moment, not after my baby was born.


I called the shots.
Nobody influenced me.
I was in control of my entire experience and that was extremely empowering to me.

Shortly after that, within 3 contractions I pushed my beautiful baby girl out and I sobbed. I felt her leave my body in one moment and on my chest in the next. We both cried. We prayed for this baby for 13 months. And then another 9 months while my body grew her. Every tear that fell from my eyes carried 22 months worth of hope, gratitude and pure joy.

We did it.

She’s here and she’s perfect and we’re both healthy.

My little Leo babe was born August 16 at 8:25am. 7lbs 13 oz, dark hair, a lanky 21.5 inches long and more beautiful than I could ever describe.

My body did that and I’ve never been more proud.

NOTES:

I want my birth story to inspire hope and provide encouragement. It is worth saying that however you birth your baby is the story that was meant for you. Embrace it. For me, with my first baby, Jade, I went in and let labor happen to me; I didn’t research or practice anything and even though I didn’t want an epidural with that birth either, I received one and had a less than ideal experience. Plus, I had a feeling that it wasn’t a great match for my body. With Juniper, I planned, prepared, and practiced, and it paid off. I followed my intuition and had a completely different experience, one that I love. In regard to my description of what contractions felt like, I don’t want that to scare you. Labor is extraordinary, and it’s helpful to be realistic about it. That being said, how intense each woman’s contractions are varies and is determined by how many nerve endings are on your uterus. Beyond your control babe, so embrace where you are.

Nadi Shodhana–A Powerful Meditation

Hello, friends! I am so glad you found this guide. I am thrilled to share a breathing practice, or pranayama, that has been essential to my meditation and yoga practice. Not only is it powerful, but it is also efficient; just 10 minutes or less is all you need to feel the effects of this pranayama. That makes it easy to carve out time for even on my busiest days.

Okay, so here is what you’ll need: a comfy place to sit. Yeah, that’s all! Were you expecting a long list?

I wanted to also quickly add that this specific breathing practice has been scientifically proven to eliminating immediate stress.

Sit comfortably with a tall spine. Relax your shoulders and your jaw. If you feel safe to, close your eyes or keep a half-gaze. Otherwise, it is fine to keep your eyes open. Take in your normal breathing pattern for a moment.

Next, use your dominant hand to hover in front of your nose. Pinch off your right nostril and inhale on the left nostril. At the peak of the breath, pinch off both sides, then exhale through the left nostril.

Inhale into the left nostril, pinch both sides, then exhale out of the right nostril.

Breathe into the right nostril, pinch, switch and exhale.

Inhale, pinch, switch, exhale.

Continue this pattern for as long as you’d like. When finished, return to normal breathing and seal your session.

  • Inhale
  • Pinch, Switch
  • Exhale
Thank you!

Inspiring Women Project with Sirah Mora

This post is part of an ongoing series called the Inspiring Women Project. It is a collective of women who have dedicated time and energy into building women up through resources such as products, services, or information. While some of the women featured in this series also work with men, some do not, and the core focus of their work with women is what is shared here.

This week’s guest is a breath of fresh air. After reading through this beautiful soul’s words you will feel like you have just taken the biggest exhale. I know I did! And on the off chance you don’t feel that way, you’ll absolutely feel something, perhaps even inspired. Which is why I knew I had to share this incredible artist with you all. So, I introduce you to Sirah Mora of Sacred Hive Creative.

Tell us about yourself. Where are you located, what brought you to the work you’re doing today, and how long have you been in your field?

My name is Sirah and I’m the artist and designer behind SacredHive Creative, a creative studio specializing in branding, web design, and illustration. Though my services are in the realm of creativity – I like to see it that I’m somewhat of a midwife for the incredible people I get to work and collaborate with to bring their vision and gifts to the world! I’ve been an artist my entire life but I’ve been a “professional creative” for about 3 years now. I’m located in beautiful California most of the time but I like to travel lightly as they say and land in new places. 

What is your area of expertise, the main focus of your work? What led you here?

I specialize in branding, web design, and illustration where I serve mostly those who identify as entrepreneurs, healers, teachers, artists, and visionaries. I also share my art and writing. My path here was curvy, as most are. My early career started out in the corporate setting working in marketing at a very renowned consulting firm but that was the experience that got me questioning my life to lead me to take the leap of faith to quit my job, start my own business, and get into the work I do now. I didn’t have a traditional education in design or art, but I continued to follow the creative streak I had since I was a child and was getting projects from word of mouth that kept coming. It was a lot of experimenting, trust, and letting myself be a beginner, but I think when we are doing the work we are meant to in the world and with a pure heart, the opportunities show up for you and of course you will continue to evolve and grow into new things.

What is your “why”?

In my work, my “why” is to inspire and help others live their dreams by helping them be seen. In my life, my “why” is to leave a piece of my spirit everywhere I go. To give myself to whatever is in front of me with my full heart. 

Tell us why your work is important. 

If we’re being honest, I make crafts for a living haha! My work isn’t important, but the way I do it is. So if I had to answer why it’s important, it’s because my work is my prayer and my devotion. It’s how I say ‘thank you’ to life and stay connected to my humanity and your humanity. It’s all from the heart! Of course, helping others thrive in their businesses by capturing their essence into a visual brand is a special cherry on top and making people feel something through my art is like my way of offering healing. 

How does your work inspire women?

My work very much has a strong women-centric identity and I think it offers women a different way to look at themselves and womanhood in general. There’s a deep reverence I hold in being a woman and I think that honor and respect for that experience and gift transmits in my art. We are divine, we’re able to birth human life as a direct portal between the seen and unseen realms, we’re magic, we heal the world with our love, we support each other, we’re just so beautiful –

so I hope it inspires women to see themselves in that way and to feel the gift it is to be a woman in this world; especially when we’re bombarded every day with messaging that we aren’t enough or valuable as we are.

Sirah Mora

Anything else you’d like to add that you feel needs to be shared?

Relax your shoulders. Slow your breath. Put your hand over your heart. You deserve to be here. We’re experiencing this world together and it’s a wild ride being human, we share the same pains and experience the same emotions, but we’re in it with each other. You are with your family in this world. big hugs and big love . 

How can people connect with you online? How can people hire/work with you?

You can submit a project and view my work at www.sirahmora.com or follow me on Instagram at @sacredhivecreative. 

You’ll definitely want to give Sirah a follow and check out her artistic offerings. Next, Sirah dives deeper in what it means to her to be a creative and the impact she makes.

How does creating your art make you feel? Has anyone shared how it makes them feel?

I love this question! Creating my art makes me feel completely in flow and at ease. I don’t think about anything else! I tend to create from a place of inspiration and emotions that fall more on the spectrum of these higher vibrational feelings like joy, hope, etc. Art is how I communicate and speak so usually my art is a response or a conversation to my own processing, feelings, or thoughts of the world. 

The messages I’ve received about how my art has made someone feel blows me away every time and deeply touches me. People have told me how my art has moved them to tears or inspired them to think differently about the world or given them a sense of hope. One woman told me how she was going through a divorce and she was living on her own for the first time and she decided to start an art wall filled with art that reminded her of her strength. She included one of my pieces on there and said whenever she looks at it it empowers her to keep going and that just had me in awe. It’s beautiful because the human spirit and the power of our heart is so strong that the energy and heart we make something with can literally be emitted in an image or in written words. And we can feel it from each other. I love how God can use us in that way and so when I hear this it just reminds me of how we’re all just these transmitters for each other. We’re all giving each other a token of love in some way to make this human experience more bearable. 

Your art has a spiritual element to it, how does that translate into your life? 

The spiritual element of my art is definitely something that comes from my own spiritual inner world. In my reality, we’re all spirits in form, so I like to invite others into that reality through my work. I work very intuitively so sometimes I will hear or sense to do something specific to a piece that somehow makes it take on this richer meaning. I see my art as a message and so staying a clear channel and giving room for those signals to come through is my work. 

What gave you the confidence to share your work with the world?

When I first started out, my illustration was so bad haha. But I started out of pure curiosity and experimentation and was drawing portraits of friends. The first day I started I decided to share them on social media and ask anyone if they wanted a portrait just so I could practice. One thing led to the next, and then I got better and then people wanted to pay me for my work. It all just kind of unfolded from there. To be honest, my confidence can wax and wane in sharing my work still because it’s so easy to get caught up in your head, but I’m learning that it’s not even about me and it’s about sharing from a place of wanting to connect and offer vs wanting to be approved of. 

How do you move through creative blockages?

This is a work in progress haha! Art is kind of like life in the sense that you just have to show up and not every day is going to produce something amazing and you’re not going to have this perfect flow of inspiration every time, but every day we show up is a day we get to lean in a little bit more and discover and play and be curious. So my way of working through creative blockages is just to keep showing up until something moves. It’s letting myself make stuff Im not in love with because what’s most important is that it’s honest. Art has the ability to heal so usually when I’m blocked creatively, it’s because I myself haven’t let myself feel that emotion or experience it viscerally so I let myself come back to it over and over until I can really let it in and through me. 

I am feeling so inspired to keep creating and moving forward. Did you also experience that shift? I hope you’ll continue to follow where your heart yearns to go. If you liked this post, then be sure to browse the stories of all of the women featured on the website. Don’t forget to check out Instagram too. You can find me there by searching @magicmama_ . I also have all the wonderfully talented and inspiring women in my highlights tab.

Want more magic right at your fingertips? Subscribe to the blog today!

Inspiring Women Project with Stevi Ellis

This post is part of an ongoing series called the Inspiring Women Project. It is a collective of women who have dedicated time and energy into building women up through resources such as products, services, or information. While some of the women featured in this series also work with men, some do not, and the core focus of their work with women is what is shared here.

Y’all…I am literally on the edge of my seat because I am so excited to introduce you to the beauty behind Brow Almighty. She is insanely talented #madskills and I am quite obsessed with her artwork, and I’m not even a client (yet). Seriously, this babe makes dreams come true. And her work speaks for itself, so really what are we waiting for because you’re going to love her! Owner and artist of Brow Almighty, Stevi Ellis.

Tell us about yourself. Where are you located, what brought you to the work you’re doing today, and how long have you been in your field?
Hi! I’m Stevi Ellis, the artist and owner of Brow Almighty- a microblading and permanent cosmetics studio in Ventnor City, New Jersey. I mentor growing artists and provide women (and men) with an experience and service that helps to build self confidence and gain wholeness through tattoo.

I’ve been in the industry for over a decade and a business owner for three years in August- Happy 3rd birthday Brow Almighty!

Stevi Ellis, owner of Brow Almighty

What is your area of expertise, the main focus of your work?
There are lots of facets to permanent cosmetics and tattooing, but I specialize in eyebrows and mentoring other artists.

Honestly, brows are just so personal and make the biggest difference. It sounds silly, but a lot of my appointments get emotional (lol). Missing brows means missing a feature on your face that literally only exists to express your feelings to others- they’re more than just brows, they’re a means to communicate what you’re feeling.

Before I did permanent cosmetics, I was a makeup artist. I really enjoyed my work, but long term it became difficult to maintain work/life balance and a healthy mindset around what I “should” look like. It was taxing to go to work everyday and hear women talk about what they didn’t like about themselves, and in return I’d have to sell them products to “fix” that and hope they’d come back to buy more.

Making the transition to permanent cosmetics was something I did for myself just as much as it is to serve other women. I can create a safe space and set the tone of how we speak about ourselves and support more positive language. I can use my skill and creativity to help women feel good, and I mean really good, about themselves. I can use my gifts and talents to give back something they may have lost during a fight with cancer, a struggle with alopecia, or a busy mom who just does not have the time.

What is your “why”?
Why? Because it’s a happiness high to lift people up, to remind them how beautiful and worthy they are, and to see their minds change when they start to believe it. This is my why for why I do what I do for my clients, and the same why for why I decided to start mentoring and sharing my knowledge and drive with other artists.

Being a military spouse, I feel it’s easy to sacrifice your career goals for your partner’s or feel your potential is stifled, because of the lifestyle. I can see how having children and becoming a mom may bring the same feeling of  limitations. 

For me my why gives me the freedom from these limiting beliefs. 

It’s important my why is not location or service specific- I can go anywhere, I can sell anything, or do anything and stay true to my why! I focus on my why when I feel self-doubting, when I feel like quitting, or when I feel like an imposter. When business success ebs and flows, turn to your why sister!

How does your work inspire women?
It’s flattering to be seen as inspirational, but more than that I want to be relatable. I want people to see a bit of themselves in me and feel like “If she can do it, I can too!” because that’s so true!

I want to show up imperfectly, unorganized, but wholeheartedly and do the damn thing. I want to show other women that they can sit at the table just as they are and be successes too- key words are as they are.

You don’t have to learn more, or lose weight, or have more followers to start- just start! Show up as you are and you’d be amazed at how your authenticity is catalytic to your success.

Stevi Ellis

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Can you tell us how microblading goes beyond changing physical appearance?
Microblading and permanent cosmetics goes beyond physical appearance by giving you TIME. What is your time worth? It’s invaluable. Time to sleep in, time to start your morning with coffee or meditation, time to wake up with your kids.
And confidence- hello?! Defined and flattering eyebrows are like the little black dress of the face.

What other tattooing skills are you working on? Future offerings?
I’m currently working on refining and developing my skills for areola restorative tattooing. This technique creates realistic, 3 dimensional areola tattoos for women who have survived mastectomies from breast cancer or as a preventative action from breast cancer. This is hugely needed for these survivors to complete their journey to wholeness. Right now there is currently The Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998 that provides protections to patients who choose to have breast reconstruction in connection with a mastectomy, but realistic areola tattoos are not recognized as a step of reconstruction unless completed by a nurse- not a tattoo artist.

These survivors deserve better, they deserve a skilled artist and a realistic rendition of their anatomy. I’m excited to serve women in a whole new way, and I’m dedicated to the time it takes to master this craft!

What does it mean to you to own your own business? What has that journey been like?
Owning my own business is freedom, baby! My husband makes this joke that I never liked any of my bosses, so I should have known I can only work for myself- and he’s so right!

You know that age when kids ask a question and follow that answer with “why?” to everything? That was me as an employee, just questioning everything. It wasn’t ever good enough for me to just be told what to do, I wanted to know why. When I would go through the seasons of being miserable working for someone else, I would ask myself why? Why can’t I do this myself, why can’t I start a business? I started to think backwards. Why not? What’s the worst that would happen? Could I survive the worst case scenario? Realistically answer that. The answer is yes you will survive, and that’s enough to freaking go for it! Trying won’t break you, but staying in your misery might.

How can people connect with you online? How can people hire/work with you?
You can find me on instagram at @browalmighty or online at www.browalmighty.com

Reach out to me and connect, I love this space for sisterhood and I’m so honored to share my experience with you! If you’re here and you love Alicia like I do, consider us friends too.

HERE. FOR. IT.

Wow y’all! I am itching to book my appointment, aren’t you? I hope you’ll definitely follow Stevi on Instagram and stalk her work. And, when you’re ready for her to work her magic on your brows, I know you’ll reach out. Plus, now you can say you know of a great artist if any of your friends are looking! It’s not the craziest thing to book a flight and make a vacation out of the whole things either. So, if you loved getting to know Stevi, I have more amazing women to introduce you to, so go ahead and do yourself a favor and subscribe here if you’re not already. You can also follow me on Instagram to stay updated and receive daily inspo and info.

Inspiring Women Project with Sondra Holtz

This post is part of an ongoing series called the Inspiring Women Project. It is a collective of women who have dedicated time and energy into building women up through resources such as products, services, or information. While some of the women featured in this series also work with men, some do not, and the core focus of their work with women is what is shared here.

Sondra Holtz–Body Positivity Advocate

I could not be more excited to share with you this week’s inspiring woman. She is such a lighthouse for women journeying on the path of self-love and acceptance. Not only is she beautiful inside and out, but she is genuine. Did I mention that she also radiates sunshine? Talk about a rare gem! Yeah, so you can see why I had to introduce you to the one and only Sondra Holtz!

Tell us about yourself. Where are you located, what brought you to the work you’re doing today, and how long have you been in your field? My name is Sondra, and I’m in San Diego, CA! My passion for body positivity and inclusivity led me to start my blog, Curves and a Carry On, where I share my travels and create a community for ALL bodies to feel loved and appreciated. 

What is your area of expertise, the main focus of your work? What led you here? When I originally started blogging in 2011, I had a blog chronicling my weight loss journey. Fast forward to 2014 when I’d lost the weight and started re-gaining some of it due to a huge career change becoming a 911 Dispatcher. It became evident to me that losing the weight didn’t really “fix” anything for me. What I really needed to fix was the way I saw myself, and the ideals I was subscribing to. That mentality was keeping me from living my dreams (like seeing the world), and it was time for a change.

Now, it’s really important to me to lead by example, by living really genuinely and authentically and loving myself inside and out. It’s not easy work, and it doesn’t happen overnight. But there are people like me here to help motivate and encourage you to see that you are valuable and beautiful at every stage of this life in your body.

What is your “why”? I got so tired of people asking me “how are you so confident?” How are you NOT! 

YOU are my why! Every person who wondered how someone else can be confident in these bodies. Everyone who wants to love themselves but isn’t sure where to start, or why it matters. If you saw yourself through the eyes of the people lucky enough to experience your magic, you’d be so much nicer to yourself. I’m here to facilitate! Doing this work on myself, as well as taking the leap to see the world really exposed me to a brand new way of life, and I can’t ever see going back.

Tell us why your work is important.  I think a lot of us can remember the moment that we became aware of our “flaws.” Mine was when a boy (whose name I can’t even remember) used to sing the Jenny Craig theme song when I got on the school bus. It really rocked my world, because it highlighted something that was so normal to me, that I felt so comfortable in…and it made me want to shrink and change! All because of the opinion of literally NOBODY to me. I think what I do is important, because

I help women get to the best moment: the one where you take your power back and live according to your own standards instead of the world’s.

Sondra Holtz

How does your work inspire women? It’s weird to think of myself as an inspiration, because I genuinely think we should all have the honor and privilege of authentically loving ourselves unconditionally. But I’d like to think that by sharing all of the love and beauty I have found in life by finding that love for myself, I can inspire other women to get there, too! When people ask me how, I don’t hold back or keep secrets. I try to share my story (the good, the bad, and the ugly) and no matter who I’m talking to, I find we always relate to each other in these areas and inspire each other.

How can people connect with you online? How can people hire/work with you? I am an Instagram ham! You can find me on Instagram @curvesandacarryon or via my blog www.curvesandacarryon.com.

I am currently in the process of curating Self Love centered travel retreats (think beautiful villas, self love photo shoots with a pro photographer, poolside yoga and lots of brunch!) that will launch in 2021, as well as a really cool Body Positive weekend retreat in San Diego Summer 2021! You can subscribe to my email list on my website or send me a DM on IG if you want to be updated when those drop! In the meantime, let’s be friends, yeah?

Next, Sondra shares from her heart valuable insight on how to further deepen the love you have for yourself.

What has been your biggest breakthrough in your body-positivity and inclusivity journey? And what have you found is the most challenging? I think the biggest breakthrough was looking at my body for what it is, and all that it can do! These negative thoughts were stopping me from the life I dreamed of, full of travel and rich experiences. Once I stopped hyper-focusing on what I wished it was, I started really appreciating it…every little curve, all the things it allows me to do to live an amazing life…it’s so good to me at every stage, and I had to learn to nice to it. I catch myself passing reflective surfaces and praising my body instead of shaming it!

I think the most challenging part in this journey is recognizing that it’s constant work. It never stops. It’s a daily task that I’ve taken on to improve my quality of life, give myself the love I deserve, and most importantly create a community for people who have the same struggles at any stage in their journeys.

If you could tell your younger self anything, what would it be? Spend less time trying to be who you think you should be! Everyone is finding themselves, and you’ll have more success loving yourself and doing what makes you happy than trying to fit into the mold(s) of people who are equally as young and naïve! You have so much to gain from being your authentic self. Channel that 5 year old version of you that was completely unaware of other peoples’ perceptions & fought for their independence and individuality!

What are some practices/actions that women can take today toward loving themselves more? Celebrate yourself EVERY step of the way! Small victories add up, and every time you catch yourself admiring yourself or being kinder to yourself is a win! A big thing for me was also making an effort to compliment others! The feeling of boosting other people naturally boosted the way I felt about myself, and I like to think of it as a trickle effect that makes a big impact overall! And lastly, don’t apologize for taking up space. You deserve to be here. You are important, you are amazing, and you are beautiful because of all of the little imperfections that make you unique!

Louder for the people in the back!

Sondra’s words hold so much truth for many of us: feeling great about ourselves until that life-changing moment and then working to get to a point of self-appreciation. It’s true for Sondra, it’s true for me, and I know it’s true for so many other women. I hope you’ll take her practices to heart and start incorporating them into your life!

Your magic resides within you.

I hope you enjoyed hearing from this week’s inspiring woman. Stay tuned next week for another very special guest. Make sure you’re subscribed to my blog and following along on Instagram @magicmama_