Guided by Love

Happy Monday!

I hope that this letter finds you well.

I like to start my days with a morning walk, and this week, I noticed the leaves beginning to change color. The cool, crisp morning air felt incredibly refreshing–a welcome reminder that Fall is just around the corner!

Autumn is my favorite season. It feels like a warm, soothing hug that wraps around me.

During this time of year, I find myself more playful and eager to explore Halloween-themed activities in and around my area.

Shows like Halloween Baking Championship and Outrageous Pumpkins really spark my creativity. I feel inspired to bake some nutritious, delicious treats and to get creative with pumpkin sculpting.

Walking through corn mazes, hiking, jumping into piles of leaves, decorating our home, and enjoying the Oktoberfest parade bring out a joyful, curious, and expansive side of me.

Speaking of playfulness, I recently attended a leadership conference that was truly eye-opening.

For me, playfulness can feel like exploring different perspectives and finding ways to apply what resonates into my daily life.

Marcus Buckingham, who co-created the StrengthsFinder tool, spoke about love being the most powerful force in life and in business.

Love.

Just imagine a world where every business operated from a place of love–towards their employees, customers, and the community.

As I reflected upon this, I was pleasantly surprised to realize that I had worked for a company that valued love, family, and genuine connection.

During the onboarding process, the leaders at this company took time to get to know each of us, inquiring about hobbies, life goals, favorite foods, books we've read, and so on.

At the beginning of every shift, I was greeted with a warm smile and a sincere “How are you doing today?”

I had the freedom to play around with visual merchandising whenever I wanted. It was a low risk activity, which allowed me to soften my grip on perfectionism.

They offered words of encouragement and extended gratitude often.

They welcomed constructive feedback, and attentively listened to our ideas.

It felt like a supportive family where I could voice my concerns and suggestions without fear of judgment or rejection.

I felt seen, heard, and valued–not just as an employee, but as a person.

I had an ‘aha’ moment when I realized that this chapter of my life has influenced how I show up in the world today.

It has shaped the way I treat myself and others, making me more open to giving and receiving love.

It’s one of the many reasons why somatic practices resonate with me so deeply.

Somatic practices are guided by love–they offer choice and welcome you to show up exactly as you are.

It's a compassionate, non-judgmental practice that invites you to explore what feels good in your body, offering a sense of freedom that can feel like a loving gesture.

Somatic practices invite a deep inner listening, honoring your body’s innate wisdom. This can help nurture confidence and self-trust.

This practice creates space for connection, authenticity, and vulnerability.

It is a self-care practice that nurtures the whole self, recognizing the interconnectedness of all aspects of our being.

It is a practice that is guided, informed, and shaped by love.

As we tend to our inner worlds, this love naturally radiates outward, touching the lives of those around us.

It’s amazing to realize how one business, simply by leading with love, profoundly impacted my life without me even realizing it.

Now, through my own business, I have the privilege of sharing that love through our practices and interactions.

What a gift!

It’s a reminder that when we lead with love, the impact we create can spread far beyond what we ever imagined, touching lives in ways we might never fully realize.

Okay, let’s chat about this week’s practice: Somatic Yoga for Hips and Lower Back.

This practice includes two grounding techniques: breath sensing and a body scan. These somatic grounding techniques invite you to notice what’s currently present for you. As you explore these practices, you may notice different sensations arising. You might experience physical sensations like ease, muscular relaxation, warmth, coolness, pulsing, your heartbeat, the rhythm of your breath, pain, muscular tension, tingling, and more. You may also sense emotions such as anger, joy, sadness, overwhelm, agitation, peace, fear, and so on. The invitation is to become curious about what’s arising without trying to change it. These sensations are messengers from your body, welcoming you to connect with your inner experience.

This practice includes pelvic tilting, moving bridge, hip openers, various spinal movements, and opportunities to play with movements that feel good in your body.

Two yoga blocks and a blanket might be useful for this practice.

Show some love to your hips and lower back with this Somatic Yoga practice. Click on the picture or the button below, and I’ll meet ya there!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read through this letter.

Enjoy the rest of your day!

Take care,

Rachel