One of the last things I let go of in the clean up of my diet, lifestyle, and household and beauty products was PERFUME. I love smelling good and being surrounded by good aromas! Considering the skin is the largest organ of the body and absorbs everything you put on it, I started making my own deodorant, toothpaste and finally perfume & body oils utilizing pure essential oils and healthy food grade products free of the toxic chemicals, solvents, and dyes laden in most all conventional products. I have been making them for myself and friends for years. Now when I smell perfume or cologne the smell is overwhelming and instantly gives me a headache!
​
Another thing I love about using essential oils is not only do they smell good, but they are also extremely functional, healing, balancing, antimicrobial, and can help relieve everything from allergies to stress.
All that to say, I have started producing and selling three of my favorite perfume and body oil blends and am formally launching WILD ACORN APOTHECARY. These blends are extra special as they are Ayurvedic Dosha based formulas for balancing the winds of Vata, fire of Pitta, and the earth and water elements of Kapha. 

In this post I want to shine a light upon Ayurveda and Doshas so that you may start to learn more about your own unique constitution and how to find healing and foster more balance in your mind and body. Get ready for subsequent posts on essential oils and the specific elements and properties of Wild Acorn Apothecary Dosha Balancing Blends: Dhara, Vayu, and Surya. 

Ayurveda is considered by many scholars to be the oldest healing science. In Sanskrit, Ayurveda means “The Science of Life.” Ayurvedic knowledge originated in India more than 5,000 years ago and is often called the “Mother of All Healing.” ​

Just as everyone has a unique fingerprint, each person has a particular combination of physical, mental and emotional characteristics, which comprises their constitution. In Ayurveda these characteristics are broken down into three categories: vata, pitta, and kapha - collectively referred to as the doshas. These doshas are life forces,  that are combinations of the five elements: air, ether, fire, water, and earth.  ​All people have the qualities of vata, pitta and kapha, but one is usually primary, one secondary, and the third is usually least prominent. Some may even be balanced or "triodoshic" with equal blend of all three. 

I suggest you read through the descriptions here and follow your intuition to which might be your primary dosha. I've also provided a link to a dosha quiz below if you would like a more guided approach. 

If you are curious to find your dosha and learn more you can take this QUIZ. ​

After a whirlwind summer of travels, birthday celebrations, a bout of Montezuma's Revenge from Mexico, and an irregular schedule I am ready to not just cleanse, but also build back some strength and lean muscle that I've lost. I love cleansing, but I've never liked the idea of putting my active lifestyle or exercise and yoga practices on hold due to restricted caloric intake. Maybe you can relate?  You could use a reset, but would also like to stay at the top of your performance game, and even improve! 

The Purium Performance Transformation Program I have put together is about to rock your world! This program has everything your body needs to cleanse, reset,  and even build strength. You won't believe how great you can feel after just ten days!

​Take your game, practice, or workouts to the next level! Power up your performance with clean, fortifying superfoods and natural herbal supplements. 

• Build lean muscle and burn fat
• Create sustained energy
• Reduce fatigue and damage
• Increase endurance
• Boost testosterone, power and strength
• Enhance mental focus
• Minimize lactic acid soreness
• Accelerate recovery

This program is an all organic whole foods based transformation, and is designed to help you reset your body, feel more energized, clear your mind, and build strength. Take a break from processed, genetically modified foods, alcohol, caffeine, and cleanse your body of harmful chemicals and toxins. The daily shakes, supplements, and whole foods will flood your body with nutrients and help break addictions to sugar, salt, carbs, and chemicals. This complete, easy-to-follow program can change the trajectory of your health and athletic gains. ​

I will provide:

• Healthy plant based recipes
• Education on the products and how they are working in your body
• Encouragement to help you stay inspired and motivated to continue on track
• As an added perk you will also receive a FREE 30-Day Membership to BSY.TV loaded with yoga flows and bodyweight workouts!!

Similar to the 10-Day Transformation Cleanse,* the Performance Program has additional protein and supplements to support an active lifestyle while building and maintaining strength.

Purium Products Include:

1. MVP Sport Protein - Packed with 32 grams of protein from peas, pumpkin and brown rice, MVP Sport supports muscle-building recovery without the calories. Digestive enzymes and probiotics allow for easy digestion and assimilation. This organic blend also includes herbs, such as Turmeric, maca and chaga Mushrooms, to target joints for extra recovery support.
2. Super Amino 23 - This highly digestible vegan protein builds lean muscle and aids in normalizing protein synthesis, muscle recovery, strength, and endurance.
3. Super Xanthin: Combats free radical damage to muscles and reduces the buildup of lactic acid that causes post-workout soreness.
4. Can't Beet This! - Made from organic beetroot juice this pre-workout is low in sugar, delivers oxygen and nutrients to fuel workouts and keep endurance strong, while also sustaining vascular integrity and health. It also tastes amazing!
5. Super Life - Formulated to support healthy hormone levels, Super Life contains a variety of herb and plant extracts that have been proven to help the human body increase muscle mass, build endurance, speed muscle recovery, enhance mood, and increase libido.

​​The schedule below is important to stick to, but it is also designed to modify for your own needs.  In addition to the MVP Sport shakes, you can also have a post-workout lifestyle meal and three servings of flex foods or beverages per day. Flex foods include: avocado, apple, watermelon, celery, cucumber, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, spinach, berries, sauerkraut, kimchi, summer squash, carrots, and so much more!

*Please note if you would rather do the 10-Day Cleanse which is more focused on cleansing and detoxifying, you are welcome to do so! I have offered it as an option in the drop down box below under "Type of Transformation." 

1. Submit your $260 payment to me via the PayPal button above. All products will ship directly to your mailing address. 
2. Email me at hello@wildacornwellness.com with any questions, and your WHY. I'd love to meet you and know your motivation for why you want to do a cleanse. I will order all the necessary cleanse kits and have them sent to your home. 
3. Participate ANYTIME from anywhere. Prepare to feel freaking fantastic! 

Start this summer feeling super healthy & revitalized! Join me for a 10-day healing journey to cleanse, detoxify, and strengthen your body... and shed a pound or ten :D I've completed this cleanse twice this year, and love it so much I want to offer it to you. I believe in the quality and potency of the products, and no one can dispute the power of eating an organic plant based diet!

This cleanse is an all organic whole foods based transformation, and is programmed to help you reset your body, feel more energized, clear your mind, and in turn lose weight. I noticed my skin clear, energy levels maintained consistent, mood and mental clarity was improved, and I gained more lean muscle as I continued to practice yoga every day. 

Take a break from processed, genetically modified foods, and cleanse your body of harmful chemicals and toxins. The daily shakes, supplements, and whole foods will flood your body with nutrients and help break addictions to sugar, salt, carbs, and chemicals. This complete, easy-to-follow program can change the trajectory of your health. If you are seeking to reset and change your diet to a healthier more plant based lifestyle this is the way to go! 

You will receive daily emails from me with recipes, information, and encouragement to help you stay inspired and motivated to continue on track during the cleanse. 

Kit Includes:

• Power Shake - Organic, Gluten Free, Vegan, 2 g of sugar per serving this delicious nutrient dense shake will keep you going strong for 10 days! 
• Super Amino 23 - Highly digestible vegan protein aids in normalizing protein synthesis, muscle recovery, strength, and endurance. 
• Super CleansR - Proper cleansing occurs with the body eliminates toxins effectively. Ingredients like Black Walnut Hull, Marshmallow Root, Clove, Wormwood, Amalaki, Cascara Sagrada Bark, and Senna Leaf improve peristaltic action, digestion, and elimination. 
• Biome Medic - Protect your gut from GMOs with this herbal formula of all-natural ingredients. This product helps flush harmful toxins, support “good” bacteria and repair your micro biome and remove toxic glyphosate, better known as Round Up. Glyphosate destroys your gut micro biome which is responsible for 70% our immune function. The gut micro biome also produces serotonin the "happy hormone" preventing depression, and takes all the good nutrients and removes the toxins from the food we eat. Removing glyphosate from your body is essential in optimizing your health. 
• Apothe-Cherry Juice - Tart cherries contain a wide variety of unique antioxidants and phytochemicals like melatonin, which can help balance circadian rhythms for proper sleep. It may also support healthy joint function and promote healthy uric acid metabolism. Excess uric acid can cause gout, arthritis, and kidney stones. ​

Below is the daily schedule outline. In addition, you can also have three servings of flex foods or beverages per day. Flex foods include: avocado, apple , watermelon, celery, cucumber, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, spinach, berries, sauerkraut, kimchi, summer squash, carrots, and so much more!

Remember what Dr. Aviva Romm says, "Real, fresh foods activate your self healing capacities. Your body has an amazing capacity for self repair, which you can look younger and feel more energized." Although it is not mandatory to eat completely plant based, it is highly encourage and is the perfect opportunity to experience how good you can actually feel. "Food is not just calories, it is information. It talks to your DNA and tells it what to do. The most powerful tool to change your health, environment, and the entire world is your fork." - Dr. Mark Hyman

1. Submit your $250 payment 
2. Email me at wildacornjenn@gmail.com with any questions, and your WHY. I'd love to meet you and know your motivation for why you want to do a cleanse. I will order all the necessary cleanse kits and have them sent to your home. 
3. Participate from anywhere. Prepare to feel freaking fantastic! 

Fast forward four years, and I have found my love language, but not without heavy doses of fear and doubt along the way. Doubt of my worthiness, ability, and capacity to share this practice that I hold so dear to my heart - Fear that I would be seen as a fraud, or interfere with my students growth and process... How can you ever possibly totally embody all that is yoga? But then I remember what I am constantly teaching, Metta, loving kindness and compassion. How can I offer it to dozens of students every week, but not to myself?  

I am committing to my 300 Hour Yoga Teacher Training so that I may deepen my knowledge, to re-enlist as a student of life, and ask the bigger questions like:
What beliefs hold me back?  What scenarios no longer serve me? What patterns drain me?  ​Do I trust the inevitability of success when I say yes to my Dharma?

I am doing this training so that I may connect ever more deeply to myself, with love, kindness and compassion so that those vibrations may ripple out into my classes, interactions, relationships, and the universe. Life to me is a about learning and loving. Never stop growing. It’s about being vulnerable and sharing our gifts. It’s about going for it. Being scared shitless and doing it anyway. Shooting for the moon and landing among the stars. 

Nothing in my life brings me more meaningful joy than sharing yoga - union - to yoke. In a world that feels more and more disconnected from one another, community, mother nature, and most importantly from ourselves I hope to be a conduit for connection and healing.

As many of us do, I spent the end of 2017 meditating on what my goals for 2018 would be, and the thing that kept floating to the top was my desire to find true mentorship, to study and learn more along the yogic path and to complete my 300 Hour Teacher Training to become a more masterful teacher and student. So I started researching trainings from every well known teacher, intensive programs in Bali, local programs, etc. And then Lauren took me to Yoga Temple at Del Sol and I met Claudia and Thomas. From the moment I stepped into this space and the class began I knew I was home. I had found my teachers. I know we have only just met and the journey has barely even begun, but I am so excited to learn, to let you live out your dharma as a teacher through me.
​​
Since practicing with Claudia and Thomas my teaching has already changed. My passion for the practice has more confidence, more creativity, more vigor and life. Should our journey together end today I am forever grateful for you, and thankful for your teachers and all the teachers who proceed you. Namaste.

Sign up by January 31, 2018 to take advantage of these specials: 

• 30 Day Reset & Rejuvenate: 2 Coaching Sessions $200
• 3 Month Package: 2 Coaching Sessions per month $175/month
• 6 Month Package: 2 Coaching Sessions per month $150/month

Complete the Intake Form HERE and we will schedule your initial free consultation. 

You also still have time to join us for an empowering 30 Day Yoga Challenge which runs January 8 - February 6, 2018. Start 2018 off STRONG and surrounded by the uplifting Black Swan Yoga Community either in the studio or online at BSY.TV.

We encourage you to join us in reading The Four Agreements, by don Miguel Ruiz, which we will use to guide our 30 Day journey. Whether this book is new to you or you have read it ten times, you will learn to embody these timeless teachings and bring about more self love and happiness.

Four Friday night meet ups will be held at 7pm at BSY Westgate on January 12th, 19th, 26th and February 2nd. Can't wait to start this year off together with you all!

The challenge is free to all BSY Members: REGISTER HERE  For health coaching specials, complete the Intake Form HERE and we will schedule your initial free consultation. ​

Did you know yoga and exercise can not only change your body, but also your mind, attitude, and mood? Not to mention, yoga has been scientifically proven to ease depression and "suppress the expression of genes and genetic pathways that promote inflammation," according to research published in Frontier's Immunology.  Study here. 

For most of us moving our body isn’t required for survival anymore, but it is what we were meant to do! I believe that the more energy and intention we dedicate to honoring ourselves mind, body, and spirit the better we all become as a people and a planet. My hope is that you will find joy and a sense of empowerment in movement whether it be yoga, Hot Onnit classes, or however you get your sweat on. I am so excited to share these transformative practices with you in the studio and on my channel at BSY.tv.

September is National Yoga Month so Black Swan Yoga is offering unlimited streaming yoga for only $8 / month. You'll get access to our awesome yoga instructors - including yours truly - on your computer or mobile device anytime, anywhere. Practice in a hotel room, at the park, your living room, or in the airport if you’re feeling brave. BSY.TV is with you wherever you have wifi and a mobile device (which is everywhere), and there are multiple class styles & lengths to suit your needs. In honor of National Yoga Month, you get the next month FREE. Just head to BSY.TV and use the code YOGAMONTH and make sure to check out my flow or Hot Onnit classes.

​I'd love to hear your feedback, and am happy to take your requests for new videos, content, themes, topics, sequences, and poses. Inspiration? Meditation? Nutrition? Let me know! 

Fall has begun to set in, giving us some relief from the Texas endless summer. The moment it dips below  80°F I immediately start thinking about warm autumn flavors, roasted squashes, stews, more cooked and savory foods over raw and lite of the long summer days. This herb almond bread is an awesome alternative to stuffing or baguette. I love to just eat it alone with butter or ghee. Good anytime, breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It melts in your mouth and warms you to the core. 

• 2 1/4 cups almond meal
• 1/4 cup ground flax meal 
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp Himalayan salt
• 2 tsp. FRESH thyme & rosemary

        ___________________

• 5 eggs (or 4 large)
• 1.5 Tbsp honey
• 1.5 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Thoroughly mix dry ingredients together. Mix wet ingredients together in a separate bowl, then combine the two together. Next, add in 2 tsp. of  fresh thyme and rosemary finely chopped. Mix that in until well combined. You can add or replace those herbs if you have other ones you'd like to try as well, these two are just super fragrant and strong!

And bake 25-30 minutes @ 350°F. Make sure a toothpick comes out clean. 

​Consequently, when I was at my heaviest weight I also happened to be extremely stressed and emotionally drained. With a little help from you this amazing system can become a super power center for healing, regeneration, restoration and rejuvenation. Doing a detoxifying cleanse helps to reactivate your potential and reset the whole mental and physical body. It delivers an all access pass to boundless reserves of energy and healing you didn't even know you had. ​

Why I Chose the CLEAN Cleanse
​I chose the book Clean by Alejandro Junger primarily because it fit my lifestyle and encompassed everything I was trying to accomplish:

• LONG ENOUGH: It is a 10 or 21-day cleanse which would gives enough time to heal, break bad habits and form new better ones.
• FOOD BASED: You're not required to go vegan or totally starve ourselves on juice! You have a protein smoothie for breakfast, a healthy protein+veggie lunch, and a light veggie soup or fresh juice for dinner.
• MIND-BODY-SPIRIT INCORPORATED: It's not just a dietary cleanse. You are encouraged to meditate to cleanse the mind and change negative thought patterns that don't serve you. My favorite meditation resources: Release Into Now with Cory Allen, Insight Timer App, Headspace App, Hay House Meditations Podcast
• MOVE YOUR BODY: Exercise is also encouraged, and since you are still eating nutrient dense foods you have the energy and strength to stay active, go for a run, or do yoga. 
• ADIOS CHEMICALS: All environmental toxins and chemicals including cleaning & beauty products are eliminated and replaced with safe natural products. This includes traditional toothpaste, antiperspirant, deodorant, all soaps & detergents, makeup, air fresheners, etc. 

The Basics

• Liquid Breakfast: Smoothie with greens, spinach, kale, blueberries & raspberries, cucumber, almond milk, vegan protein powder, chia seeds, super greens, coconut butter, maca powder, bee pollen, etc. 
• Solid Lunch: Healthy lunch with animal protein and veggies from the approved foods below. My lentil recipe is a great lunch option. Just switch the sausage for ground turkey, chicken, lamb or go all veggie!
• Liquid Dinner: Fresh veggie juice OR blended veggie soup. Link to my veggie soup recipes HERE
• 2 Tablespoons of Organic Extra Virgin Cold Pressed Olive Oil before bed

Olive Oil taken at night lubricates your intestines, improves bowel elimination, provides anti-inflammatory fats, kills germs and enhance fat burning, stimulates the gallbladder and liver to move bile clearing the liver system, promotes bone formation, inhibits blood clot formation, and promotes hormonal balance. 

• Fast for 12 HOURS between breakfast and dinner. If dinner was at 7 pm breakfast is at 7 am. 
• Drink at least 1 liter of pure filtered water a day not including tea.
• Snack, only if needed, on RAW veggies, fruit or nuts
• Supplement List Fiber, Probiotics, Liver Detoxification Support, Antimicrobial, Digestive Enzymes, Natural Vitality Calm Magnesium 
• Printable Shopping List 
• PDF Cleanse Manual 

Wow! It's amazing how much can change in three years. Despite the smiling face these photos portray, this time three years ago I was a heartbroken train wreck and had no idea what self love was. I had subconsciously given away my power and put my worth in that someone else loved me, and so when that was no longer true I was like a ship lost out at sea, utterly destructive.

I look back on this time now with so much gratitude for the people and the process. I was loved and supported by so many of my dearest friends & family who knew I'd come out on the other side. I know I hurt some people (including a piñata, but that's another story!) and was often difficult to be around. I was angry and sad, but they didn't cast me out completely. There came a point early on in the healing when who I wanted to be became very clear. I could see it, but I still had to go through the healing process, live with the questions, navigate the dark waters, and then be able to stand firm on my own two feet, look myself in the eyes and say I. LOVE. YOU. I did this through yoga, dance, breath, meditation, connecting with nature, leaning on friends, lots of chocolate, through feeling it all and sometimes feeling nothing, but always choosing to rise.

So today no matter where you are in the process of life know there is hope and - should you chose - it's a sacred opportunity. As stated in this beautiful song, "You can't rush your healing. Darkness has its teachings. Love is never leaving. You can't rush your healing." (Trevor Hall) Take all that you can from every experience to learn, to grow, and to find gratitude.

​There are a dozen different inspirational quotes I could put here, but this was the one that kept coming back to me at the time: "Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer." - Rainer Maria Rilke

There are few topics I am more passionate about than providing awareness and education in regards to depression.  I never sought out to become versed in natural treatments or support for those who struggle with depression, however I feel like it chose me. Though I have never dealt with the condition personally, I have a deep personal connection to the havoc it can reap on one's mind and body.  

My first expereince with depression was in 1990 when I was eight years old while on our way to the state hospital to visit my mother. We had gathered things we thought she might enjoy doing while there: a sketch pad, colored pencils, drawing tutorials, sewing and embroidery supplies. Tokens of her life outside the hospital. It wasn't until years later that I learned my mom had been admitted for threatening to take her life. Soon after, she came home and life continued on as usual for the next couple of years.  I won't take too much time here to describe the details of my mother's story as I shared about this in my post, Depression & Suicide Let's Talk About It, in regards to the stigma around the condition.  Unfortunately, my mom's story did not have a happy ending. She took her own life on April 11, 1997. 

As I reflect on her life, her story, and struggles she faced with depression now 20 years later, I know there is so much we could have done to help prevent and treat her condition. This knowledge and wisdom that I have gained is what I want to share with you today. 

When I think about health, wellness, happiness and especially depression I think about the mind, body, and spirit like the ocean - a swirling living pool affected by all the things we absorb and consume through our mouths, eyes, ears, skin, and hearts physically or energetically. Nothing exists in isolation in regards to the body and health. Thus, in order to prevent and treat a condition like depression we must take into account the entire spectrum of life:

1. Diet 
2. Rest
3. Exercise & Movement
4. Stress  Management
5. Work or Career
6. Community 
7. Relationships: romantic, family, friends, work

In this post I have compiled the words and research of several renowned medical doctors, nutritionists, and herbalists regarding diet and supplementation specifically  to back up my beliefs that to the general public may still seem too woo woo. But we like woo woo around here. 

First, I want to clear up a few things including antidepressants or SSRIs: selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, serotonin and how they (don't) work and may even be causing more damage than good. I will let holistic women's health psychiatrist, and author of the New York Times bestseller, A Mind of Your Own, Dr. Kelly Brogan, MD explain:

"The predominant theory behind modern antidepressants is that they work by increasing the availability of serotonin, a neurotransmitter famously associated with mood, in the gaps between cells of the brain... This idea that these medication correct an imbalance that has something to do with a brain chemical has been so universally accepted that no one bothers to question it or even research it using modern rigors of science.  According to Dr. Joanna Moncrieff, we have been led to believe that these medication have disease based effects that they're actually fixing, curing, correcting a real disease in human physiology. Six decades of study, however, have revealed conflicting, confusing, and inconclusive data. That's right: there has never been a human study that successfully links low serotonin levels and depression...  In other words the serotonin theory of depression is a total myth that has unjustly been supported by the manipulation of data. Much to the contrary, high serotonin levels have been linked to a range of problems, including schizophrenia and autism." ​

​"We have been taught, as a culture, that depression is a chemical imbalance, that it is the “result” of us being deficient in chemicals called neurotransmitters like serotonin and norepinephrine. But most of the theories that have been advanced about neurotransmitter deficiencies as the cause of depression have never been proven. What we do know is that study after study is showing us something that the field of psychoneuroimmunology has been saying for over 25 years which is that inflammation is an underlying cause of so many of the medical conditions we are experiencing, and that there really is no separation between the immune and nervous systems." - Dr. Aviva Romm, MD

To read more and dig deeper on the science and research behind Dr. Brogans claims I highly recommend checking out her book, A Mind of Your Own. Enough about that and on to what we can do! 

Recent medical research points to a strong correlation between gut health and mind health. Studies suggest that a healthy stomach improves brain function and mood. This is because the enteric nervous system, located in the stomach, communicates directly with the brain. According to the journal, Scientific American, “The gut-brain access seems to be bidirectional – the brain acts on gastrointestinal and immune functions that help to shape the gut’s microbial makeup, and gut microbes make neuroactive compounds, including neurotransmitters and metabolites that also act on the brain.” In addition to cellular and physiological healing, nourishing foods support the human being on many other levels including how you feel emotionally, physically and mentally as well.  Mealtime provides the most basic sustaining rhythms of life. 

Below is a list of foods and supplements that work specifically to reduce the symptoms of depression, help reduce and prevent inflammation throughout the brain and body, and soothe and reduce your toxic load so that the body may heal. 

Stay tuned for a subsequent post where I will dive deeper into the topics of: 

1. Rest
2. Exercise & Movement
3. Stress  Management
4. Work or Career
5. Community 
6. Relationships: romantic, family, friends, work

​Be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars. In the noisy confusion of life keep peace in your soul. - Max Ehrmann

Much Love!
Jennifer