Happy Equinox and first day of Spring! Is it just me, or did this come up quickly this year? I am enjoying the longer days and Varsity Baseball games that end with the sun still up.

In fact, I had the first whispers of Spring Fever today, which has me DOUBLY excited for my Springtime retreat next month! There's still some great accommodations available for you, so if Spring Fever is hitting you and you want to pause and soak it all in, come join me April 12-14 in Marble Falls. According to the Farmer's Almanac, the weather will be fantastic! www.jessgoulding.com/blossom

This season, this year, for me is so much about letting go. And although the process can be tough, the results are quite delightful. In this week's podcast episode 35, Delight in Letting Go, we continue with our seasonal theme of delight, and this one is spot on, as it's the Chakra Two episode. 

We hold so much within us, and letting go is a practice that leads to openness, freedom and space...

You've heard the old saying, "Laughter is the best medicine," right?  Well this is SO TRUE to my experience. 

August 30 was a very sad day in the Goulding house. My mom's beloved boyfriend of 5 years was laid to rest.  I traveled to Houston for the ceremony and burial.  Our family, friends, and in-laws all gathered together to say goodbye and support my mom in this, her third, partner loss.  Our hearts were tight and jaws were tense, to say the least.

Between the funeral and the burial there was some time to pass, which we did at a local restaurant.  This is when I learned something about my brother that sent me into a laughing fit like I have never had before!  

While his wife was scrolling the photos in his phone looking for the one she wanted to share with us, she casually said, "You have a lot of pictures of your alarm in here."  

I'm sorry--what??

This little window into Whit's...

I'm sitting at my little desk in my home yoga studio, and I'm thinking about the mind-body connection.  Nick and I just talked for a couple hours about what chakras are and why I work with them, etc.  And it's not because I was explaining things to him.  He was doing most of the talking, and it's everything I needed to hear.  

You see, I have been learning and thinking about the chakras for so long, I see the complicated interplay, I know the history, I know they're not something to "fix," and you can't poke them with a stick.  And yet there they are.  A beautiful map of...of what? I was having trouble getting to the basic idea of what's going on here and why it works.

Nick said it: mind-body connection.  

BAM.

If you've reached adulthood and have any amount of personal reflection and self awareness, you know you have patterns.  You know you keep doing something that isn't helpful, and is possibly...

As I think about my New Year intention and resolutions, I’m trying to remember that there are no disciplines or practices that will make me a more worthy human. Now I can stop grasping, pushing, clinging, struggling, and fighting to self improve. Just be

Welcome to 2021! Feels much like 2020, huh? I'm ok with that. Big change and worthy transition takes time. I'm still reflecting a bit, even as I'm super excited to forge ahead.  Recently on my podcast, we listened to each chakra and asked ourselves how 2020 affected us in all areas of our lives.  (If you haven’t listened yet, I encourage you to listen to that PODCAST episode (#101) where I take you through the chakras and corresponding questions. You can also download the accompanying PDF, and spend 15-20 minutes asking yourself those questions.)  I really feel looking back is imperative to moving forward with wisdom and right action. Because we DO want to move forward!

Even...