Emotions Creativity Sensuality Workshop and Colors of Joy

Special Invitation to My Blog Readers

You are Invited!

Sacral Chakra Energy Workshop: Emotions, Creativity, and Sensuality and Book Signing for Colors of Joy

Where: The Seasoned Woman, the Williams Center Plaza, 5460 E. Broadway Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85711

When: Thurs. Sept. 20, 2018 between 5-6 PM

Why: Have Fun as Nancy Andres Shows You Ways to Use Sacral Chakra Energy and Orange to Enliven Mind/Body/ Spirit.

Interactive Workshop is Complimentary, and Seating is on a First Come First Serve Basis. Please call the Seasoned Woman at 520-745-5942 to confirm. 

You'll see Colors of Joy: A Woman’s Guide for Self-Discovery, Balance, and Bliss. It helps journal owners enhance self-awareness, boost vitality, and attract more joy into daily living.

Each of the 12 chapters in Colors of Joy begins with a Color Illustration

Buy a copy of Colors of Joy at this workshop, and I'll autograph it. Save shopping time and purchase another as a colorful birthday, thinking of you, or holiday gift. 

Does color play an important role in your day to day pleasure, passion, and inspiration?

Why not enjoy yourself, as you learn to get in touch with emotions, creativity, and sensuality through sacral chakra energy and its corresponding color ORANGE? 

I can't wait to meet and greet you at this workshop. Please join us. Come on down!

For wellness tips and information about special events, please visit my website and sign up for the wellness news.

Do you have questions or want to share ideas and information about sacral chakra energy, orange, or living a healthier, happier lifestyle?

Please scroll to the comment section below, enter your comment, then click publish. 

Thanks for your visit, and sure look forward to meeting you at the workshop!

How to Use Fall Colors to Awaken Your Senses

Want to feel more centered, happy, and mindful this autumn?

This post is designed to help you understand ways to surround yourself with autumn colors that resonate with you.

Colors work at the sensory level and transcend thinking. When you glance at colors that appeal to you, you'll feel immediate satisfaction as well as be more fully present from moment to moment, as you engage in daily life.

An effective way to start including fall colors in your lifestyle is to wear them, while you engage in hobbies, sports, and leisure time activities you enjoy.

Envision fire maple, rust, marigold yellow, burnt orange, sage green, and autumn leaf brown in your mind's eye. What sensations, ideas, or feelings arise when you use your imagination this way?

The colors you choose for your home, the ones you pick for your wardrobe, and those in your work and play environment, have power to bypass reason and influence your emotions at the cellular level.

Try this on for size. Imagine pleasing shades of orange as “helpers." When you use this bright autumn hue in this way, it makes it easy to connect with your emotions, thoughts, and feelings. 

Fill a large flower pot with mums and place them at your front door or in your front yard to welcome guests.

Jump in the car for a fall foliage tour and admire autumn's earthy beauty.

Read Favorite Fall Fruit and Vegetables . Discover which fall fruits and vegetables are packed full of nutrients to help you stay healthy and feel energized this fall.

Observe Eva Cassidy sing Autumn Leaves on YouTube and sing along.

 

Paint an accent wall or accent piece in your home or office a beautiful fall color. Rust or burnt orange, sage green, grounding brown, amber, garnet, golden yellow, brilliant scarlet, or maroon are top fall favorites.

This autumn colored bench is in my foyer

Don a cap or tee shirt in a hue that reminds you of autumn leaves. Then read "Wear your colors to feel great about yourself." It lists specific colors and how each can enrich daily living.

Pick pumpkins in the pumpkin patch.

Get outdoors to hike or mountain climb.

Crunch through fall leaves, hug a tree, collect chestnuts, or gather pine cones.

Paint, draw, finger paint, or use chalk to make autumn leaf or autumn tree pictures.

Frolic and tumble in a pile of autumn leaves, with or without your children and pets.

Visit a nature preserve, go birdwatching, and admire the aliveness of all living creatures.

Reserve time to witness an autumn sunrise or sunset.

Visit an arboretum, plant nursery, or public garden and let the energy from vegetation and crisp fall air refresh you.

Snap Fall Photos.

Gather a bushel of farm fresh apples and munch on a juicy one.

Cozy up by the fireplace, with a good mystery, romance, or other fun reading.

Slip into your favorite flannel shirt, sweatshirt and jeans, or wear pajamas all day.

Make a pot of steaming vegan chili with beans, corn, and plenty of spices.

Plant hyacinth and daffodil bulbs.

Participate in a Color Run.

Take family or friends on a hayride.

Listen to an Audio Meditation called Eyes Closed from Dean Sluyter, author of Fear Less: Living Beyond Fear, Anxiety, Anger, and Addiction.

Dean's soothing voice helps me slow down, nurture my spirit, and connect to places in my body and mind that need care.

Give the audio mentioned above a try, and please let me know ways listening to it helps you.

Fall is a reflective period, a time to celebrate the harvest, show gratitude, and recognize endings.

If emotions including grief and loss surface, do your best to identify and name them. 

Then, imagine feelings flowing through you and going into the ground, as autumn leaves do in the fall.

In this season, you can learn to release "dying relationships, situations, or painful life experiences," to have closure and make room for something new. 

Remember not everyone deals with emotions in the same way or is attracted to the same colors. Take time for self-care this fall. There are many color visualizations online that can bring you relief from stress, and provide healing, peace, and joy.

Awaken your senses by observing yourself right now. Look inward as well as outward to feel and appreciate the wonder of fall colors and the blessings in your life.

Before you go, please take a moment to comment. 

What are your favorite fall colors and/or activities? 

Which fall color tips have you tried? Did they work for you? Please explain.

Want to continue to improve your relationship with yourself and own a color guide and self-care journal combined? 

Colors of Joy: A Woman's Guide for Self-Discovery, Balance, and Bliss will be released in its second printing 😍 this fall, and you can order it now. 

Journal owners are excited to share about it👍. Here's a few book reviews to see what I mean:

“I enjoyed this book. Learning to use colors with meditation and feeling awesome.” Xochiquetzal Kazantzis, an Amazon Reviewer

"Colors of Joy: A Woman's Guide For Self-Discovery, Balance, and Bliss by Nancy Andres is a remarkable book. It incorporates fun exercises, that act as both an affirmation and a meditative practice. Working through this book helped me reflect on my life, and get more centered. I adore this book. It is a book I would highly recommend. Makes a great gift too." Amazon Customer who Rated Colors of Joy 5 stars

Babs Hightower of Babs Book Bistro rated it 5 stars and reviewed Colors of Joy on Goodreads. "A Woman's Guide for Self-Discovery is a wonderful book to learn about yourself. I have been journaling for years now and it helps a great deal. I go back to the earlier days and read though to see how far I have grown. 

Nancy has really done a great job with this book and she goes deeper to help you reflect and help move forward. It's all about taking care of yourself.

All women need to pick this book up and start taking care of YOU!"

Jane Brett said. “Loved the book! It gave me a new perspective on self-discovery. Feels so good to practice self care.”

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Plant-based Food Tips to Make Life Healthy and Lively

Evidence is mounting that people who follow a whole food plant-based eating plan (WFPB), enhance their mental and physical health.

One of the most comprehensive controlled trials of diet and mood finds a plant-based nutrition program in a workplace setting across ten corporate sites significantly improves depression, anxiety, and productivity. 

The quote below is part of a Nutritional Update for Physicians: Plant-Based Diets. It appears at the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institute of Health Website (NIH) from the Permanente Journal.

“The major benefits for patients who decide to start a plant-based diet are the possibility of reducing the number of medications they take to treat a variety of chronic conditions, lower body weight, decreased risk of cancer, and a reduction in their risk of death from ischemic heart disease.”

Perhaps your motives for change are one or more of the following:

You want to have more stamina

You struggle to manage your weight

You notice emotional eating is an issue for you, especially when you feel stressed, anxious, or bored

You'd like to feel more relaxed as you eat, instead of eating on the run

You want to learn how to prepare vegan food

You aim to keep food costs within your budget

You choose to be compassionate to animals

Consider the plant-based food tips below. Try each on for size. Then observe how each contributes to your healthy, lively life.

Don't wait for a special occasion. Eat plant-based foods today  A simple way to start is to take one step at a time

Put the whole spectrum of colors into your shopping cart

Prep a few days' worth of veggies, fruits, whole grains, and brown bag lunches. Planning ahead saves time and helps prevent impulse eating

Eat a wide array of cooked and raw veggies, as variety helps cover all your nutrient requirements and a rainbow of colors adds fun to eating

Learn why it's key to get your orange and yellow on

Surf the Web, bookstores, and library for WFPB recipes. See what I found? Vegan Stuffed Zucchini Boats from Judee Algazi at Gluten Free A-Z Blog is delicious, nutritious, and simple to prepare.

Snack on in-season local, organic color-rich fruits including these 6 Colorful Summer Fruit Superstars

Shop for the freshest, most vibrantly colored produce and whole grains at farmer’s markets, health food stores, food co-ops, or a nearby market

Grow your own fruits and veggies. Connect with earth energy and become more self sustainable

Take it slow by experimenting by adding one new plant-based ingredient a week 

Step it up a notch and replace some of the animal protein in traditional dishes for plant-based kinds including beans, lentils, and green leafy veggies 

Be daring and substitute plant-based protein for animal protein in more and more meals

Add fruit and a small handful of nuts and seeds to oatmeal and other cereals

Find an unsweetened variety of nut milk you enjoy, and drink it instead of cow's milk

Substitute unsweetened applesauce or a banana in cake recipes that call for a lot of sugar or oil

Assemble salads and serve them as one dish meals. Whole food plant-based entrée salads satisfy hunger, fuel your body so it can work at peak efficiency, and aid digestion and elimination. 

Say nix to the toppings on most conventional salads including bacon, cheese, eggs, and fat laden salad dressings. This will eliminate cholesterol and is good for heart health 

Want to enhance the taste of whole grain pasta, steamed veggies, or casseroles? Watch the video and bookmark Oil Free Pesto at Lori Clark Fitness, an excellent site for healthy lifestyle information.

Basil and Spinach are Rich in Flavor and Phytonutrients

          Make beans a staple of your food plan

Mix it up and serve one or more portions of black, pinto, garbanzo, kidney, cannellini, great northern, adjuki, lima, mung, and fava beans each day 

Cook up a big pot of veggie chili, black bean soup, or other type of bean or legume. Freeze some, and use the rest to add to soups, salads, and wraps you eat during the week

Switch from white to brown rice, white to whole grain bread, and processed to unprocessed foods

Discover why beets and beet greens are tops.

Reap health rewards by eating organic soy products.  Here's prep and serving ideas for tofu and tempeh

Eliminate processed salad dressings, and mix up your own. One example is a high protein oil free recipe for nonfat bean dressing

Savor split green or yellow pea soup, lentils, and peanuts for good taste and high protein

Reduce inflammation by eating  broccoli and avocado. Learn new ways to include green-colored fruits and veggies in daily meal planning.

Eat whole grain plant-based breads, cereals, and cake, instead of grabbing those that are sugary, salty, and highly processed

Educate yourself and consider this advice from Michael Greger MD. Not all plant-based foods are equal

Take time to shop and read labels, discover awesome reasons for cooking meals at home, and eat whole foods that are colorful and seasoned well

Appreciate the effort and time you take to use whole food plant-based ingredients

Take credit for sustaining your momentum and serving WFPB foods for  breakfast, lunch, and dinner 

Be selective about dining out, and patronize establishments that offer cooked from scratch meals that are good for your health. One fine example is The Tasteful Kitchen in Tucson, AZ. Chef Sigrid and Host Keanne Serve Delightful Vegan Fare. 

Spaghetti Squash Burrito Bowl with black beans, fajita veg, fresh cabbage, and avocado crema from The Tasteful Kitchen

Make the most of Mother Nature’s bounty, and select and prepare foods that get their vibrancy the natural way. 

Generate more eye and taste appeal and increase nutrient count as well, by including at least 5-9 servings of fruits and veggies each day.

Be your own health advocate, and assure that in addition to fruits and vegetables, you get an adequate amount of whole grains, legumes, and beans. 

Flavor foods with interesting herbs and spices, and a small amount of nuts and seeds each day. Make WFPB eating the foundation and mainstay of meals. 

Remember, your food and lifestyle choices play a big role in making your life more healthy and lively.

What steps have you taken or want to take to improve your eating plan?

This is also an opportunity to brag. What food successes have you experienced recently? 

Before you go, take a moment to comment and share the love I'm sending you by posting on social media. If you do, please credit me and provide a link back to this blog.

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Beauty, Healing from Red Rocks of Sedona

Sedona red rock formations are breathtaking. One of the reasons this is so, is the rocks exhibit a vibrant red and orange glow at sunrise and sunset.  This place's natural majesty is easy to see and feel. All you need to do is show up and be present, any day or time during the year. 

How did the rocks get that way? Layers of sandstone and limestone were left in the area by a receding ocean. Over the span of millions of years, iron oxide coated the grains of sandstone, and eventually rust was formed.

Visitors to Sedona can enjoy endless hiking and mountain biking trails in and around the rocks, on 300+ miles of trails.

If exploring the terrain is your desire, purchase a Red Rock Pass. It covers the cost of parking and trail use. 

Many who travel to Sedona have found they feel inspired, recharged, and uplifted by the special vortex energy here.

A vortex is a place where the earth seems especially alive with energy. Top on the list of strong vortex sites in Sedona are Bell Rock, Airport Mesa Vortex, Boynton Canyon, and Cathedral Rock.

Sedona is a mecca for energy healers, yogis, spiritual guides, Reiki masters, massage therapists, crystal healers, Shamans, artists, writers, those who seek help, and appreciate its beauty.

See more at Sedona Tourism Bureau.

My husband and I explored Sedona a little more than a week ago. It was a wonderful opportunity to disconnect from electronic devices and set aside the cares of the world.

It turned out to a boon for my outlook, as I mindfully took in the Red Rock grandeur.

My personal experience shows traveling to a new environment, seeing sights, and temporarily jumping off the treadmill of striving, refreshed my mind, body, and spirit. 

Being more active than I am when I'm writing, spending quality time with my loved one, and learning new things, made me feel happy and at peace.

Time away from work, home, and family responsibilities, is a simple way to improve physical and mental health. It sure proved to be that way for me.

Studies show that those who take time out to vacation, often report come back to their regular life, feeling more productive and effective, and this is a win-win.

One study that tested men who were already at risk for heart disease, highlights cardiovascular health benefits of taking a vacation. 

Even if you don't feel energized by the red rocks of Sedona, I'm sure you'll agree each rock formation is a magnificent natural wonder. 

At lunchtime, I enjoyed this delicious salad at a totally organic restaurant, Chocola Tree in West Sedona. The address is 1595 W. State Rte. 89A and phone is 928-282-2997. 

Notice those cases of handmade chocolates and desserts in the background. Yum, yum.

Right next door to Chocola Tree is a neat bookstore I want to share with you. 

The Literate Lizard Bookstore is an Independent Sedona Bookstore, located at 1575 W. State Rte. 89A (phone 928-325-2971). It's a cozy place to browse and shop for adult and children's titles, as well as local interest books, and journals including Colors of Joy. 

The Literate Lizard Bookstore in Sedona Carries Colors of Joy

Yearn to feel inspired, recharged, and uplifted, during your vacation or back at home? A simple way to do that is to pick up your copy of Colors of Joy: A Woman's Guide for Self-Discovery, Balance, and Bliss.

Colors of Joy offers tips to reduce stress, boost vitality, and spark delight through color themed journal writing activities, affirmations, and ideas for enhanced self-care.

Enjoy Colors of Joy at your own pace, and observe how its reflective exercises heal you, support you, and enhance daily living.

Colors of Joy Features Journal Activities to Make You Feel Beautiful Inside and Out!

Purchase an Autographed Copy Here

Purchase Colors of Joy at One of These Fine Shops, 

or Order it through PayPal

Before you go, don't forget to comment. Have you been to Sedona or another place with red rocks? Please explain. 

Do you like to see and do new things on vacation?  Where's your favorite place to visit?

Certain natural wonders like mountains, boulders, forests, oceans, and fields have vortex energy. Do you believe this? 

Try to focus on colors in nature, and visualize them to restore and renew your spirit. 😁

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