Blog Archive
The Power of Fun
Last month, I wrote about the importance of finding your tribe and huddling with other women. I was inspired to write...
How to Stay Healthy and Warm this Winter
In the winter when temperatures drop, many of us start to have some health concerns, like how can I avoid getting...
Practicing Grace
Practicing grace creates a balance between the masculine and feminine energies. It is the yin to the yang. I chose...
Let Go & Get Grounded
As the autumn winds creep in and the summer glow fades, it seems Mother Nature is once again reminding us to let go...
Navigating Transitions with Resilience and Grace
Along with pumpkin spice and apple everything, fall brings the start of many seasonal transitions. First, it's back to...
Living Life with an Abundance Mindset
For many of us, we were raised and have lived with a fixed mindset of either/or instead of both/and. We have been...
Enjoy the Benefits of a Membership
The Resilience & Grace online studio is a community and learning platform for students to come where they explore...
Connecting with Nature: The Benefits of Practicing Yoga Outdoors
It is the middle of summer in the Midwest. The days are long and the temperatures are warm. Exercising outdoors is one...
Yoga for Gardeners
Hello Spring! Thank you for longer days to play outside and enjoy the fresh air. In addition to warmer weather, many...
The Power of Asana
When you imagine a yoga class, what comes to mind? Do you envision a class of sweaty bodies in lululemon...
Taking Yoga Off the Mat
Many of us are introduced to yoga as a physical practice that helps our bodies look and feel good. After a while many...
Student Spotlight: Michelle Sommer
Hello! I’m Michelle Sommer and I live in Adel with my husband of 23 years. We have three adult children. My...
The Power of Finding Your Tribe
A few weeks ago, I attended the 2022 Central Iowa Women Lead Change conference. It was a wonderful event filled with...
Student Spotlight: Sue Jansen
I am Sue Jansen and live in Des Moines with my husband of 40 years and a rescue pup. I retired from 39 years of...
Rest for the Weary
Over the past year, I have been practicing the art of rest and what it means to feel fully rested. Although this may...
Student Spotlight: Terrie Larsen
Hello friends. My name is Terrie Larsen, and I live in Windsor Heights with my husband of 41 years. We have three...
Student Spotlight: Carol Miller
Hello Yogis! My name is Carol Miller. I work for a local insurance company where I support an amazing team of...
Yoga and the Koshas: 5 Layers of Being
For many of us, the physical body or physical motivations are what first brings us to a yoga practice. It is an entry...
Student Spotlight: Mary Gillaspey
Greetings, fellow yogis! I’m Mary Gillaspey here. I live in Urbandale with my husband, Dean, and our golden retriever...
Witnessing Your Thoughts
Early on when I was starting to practice and teach yoga, I met many experienced yogis who incorporated meditation into...
Student Spotlight: LJ Pollack and Nancy Crowfoot
Hello Yogis! We are John “LJ” Pollak and Nancy Crowfoot. We are retired in our 60s. LJ from 3 decades as a...
Student Spotlight: Rachel Regenold
I would have scoffed if you had told me I’d one day enjoy practicing yoga via on-demand video. For me, a big part of...
Restorative Yoga vs. Yin Yoga
Did you know yin yoga and restorative yoga are not the same thing? From the outside, the practices look similar - they...
Kula Member Spotlight: Kathi Kruidenier
Hello. My name is Kathi Kruidenier and I have been a student of Mary’s since day one - almost 23 years. I have two...
My Journey with Anxiety
I have anxiety. In fact, sitting down to write this blog about having anxiety heightens my anxiety. However, I want to...
Kula Member Spotlight: Robert Brammer
Greetings to you who are part of Mary's community and to anyone thinking about joining Mary's extraordinary work to...
Exercises for Fall Prevention
Falls can have very serious consequences as we age. According to the CDC, each year, more than one in four adults age...
Kula Member Spotlight: Judy McClure
Hello! My name is Judy McClure, and I’m a Midwesterner—born in St. Louis, lived in the four central states until we...
Making Yoga Accessible for EVERY Body
Sometimes, in our quest to do things “the right way,” we get so caught up in how we look that we forget why we even...
Love & Belonging
Do you feel disconnected, untethered, or adrift? Have you lost your community or opportunities to make meaningful...
Kula Member Spotlight: Susan & George Riley
Meet Susan! Greetings! My name is Susan Riley, and I live in Windsor Heights with my talented husband George. We are...
Kula Member Spotlight: Deb Hill-Davis
Hello friends! My name is Deb Hill-Davis and I live in Des Moines, Iowa with my husband, Todd. Our two adult children...
Why Resilience Matters
"Put One Foot in Front of the Other" and "One Day at a Time" are the mantras I have said to myself many times over the...
Kula Member Spotlight: Hannah VanEvera
Hello! My name is Hannah VanEvera. I live in West Des Moines with my 3 cats: Jack, Sahara, and a 6-month-old kitten...
How To Use Hey Marvelous
Welcome! This post is to help you navigate my online studio, hosted on hey Marvelous, with ease. Quick Links: How to...
Kula Member Spotlight: Patty Dornacker
Hello! My name is Patty Dornacker and my husband, Doug, and I are natives of Omaha and currently live in West Des...
Student Spotlight: Alfonso & Heather
Heather and Alfonso Erdmann are virtual students practicing yoga online from Sioux City, IA. This post is written by...
Benefits of Yoga
Yoga is a journey. It invites us to explore our heart’s desire while connecting our mind, body, and spirit. It...
The Joy of Play!
Hello summer! Summer is a time for sunshine and laughter, gathering with friends and family, and making time to rest...
Student Spotlight: Barb Madden-Bittle
I live in West Des Moines off Grand Avenue beyond Raccoon River Park. I live with my husband, Ed; we are in a second...
Student Spotlight: Terri Johnson
My name is Terri Johnson and I live in Pleasant Hill, Iowa. I am married to Dick and I enjoy being a mom and grandma....
Managing Change…How to Be Resilient
Stability. Comfort. Peace. As humans, we are often resistant to change. So when things change, and they have changed A...
hey, MARVELOUS
I am SUPER excited to share some MARVELOUS news! Starting early fall, my online platform will transition from Wix to...
Student Spotlight: Carol Popken
My name is Carol Popken and my husband, Ken and I live in Clive, IA. We have lived here for 51 years. Ken worked for...
Student Spotlight: Jane Tucker
Living in the far northwest corner of Oregon, on the Columbia River, I am so pleased to have found Mary McCarthy and...
Make Time for Movement
Many of our daily routines have been restricted or modified over the past year during the coronavirus pandemic. It can...
Student Spotlight: Barb Klubal & Jan Svec
Barbara Klubal and Jan Svec recently sneaked into their 70s and live in Des Moines, IA. Barb: I started practicing...
Rest – Just for a Minute (or Two)
Do you remember your parents telling you "I'm just resting my eyes for a minute"? I would catch my mom or dad at...
Lead with Love
"Because I have a choice, I choose love."-Deepak Chopra Our heart space is the place where our light comes from. When...
New Opportunities, New Possibilities.
We have come to the end of a very different year than we imagined this time last year. My January 2020 blog post,...
Yoga @ Home: Why We Practice Now
Take a look. Do these home studios look similar to how you practice now? Did you ever imagine you would turn on your...
The Heart of Gratitude is Acceptance
This year the holidays are looking a little different. Instead of the hustle and bustle of traveling from event to...
Strengthen Your Immunity
With COVID-19 still a threat and the flu, common cold, and other bugs lurking, you want to make sure your immune...
Niyama: Santosha – Contentment
Ah, santosha. Contentment. Sounds nice, doesn’t it? The second of the niyamas (personal observances) from Patanjali’s...
Yoga is the journey
"Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self" The Bhagavad Gita. Often the question is asked, what...
Niyama: Svadhyaya – study of self
Svadhyaya means, literally, “to recollect (to remember, to contemplate, to meditate on) the Self.” It is the effort to...
Soft Heart, Strong Body
Have you found yourself full of judgment? Are you judging yourself, your family, your friends, your leaders, your...
Teaching to a Camera…Talking to a Mic
For fourteen weeks now, I have taught all of my classes online using the Zoom platform. I transformed my business from...
R.A.I.N. – A Practice of Radical Compassion
Tara Brach, PhD, is an internationally known teacher of mindfulness, meditation, emotional healing, and spiritual...
Powerful Energy Centers for Meditation
Where should you place your attention during meditation? Where you shift or place your awareness during a meditation...
Grace, not Perfection
"Grace, not Perfection" by Emily Ley is the title of a book I have on my shelf, wanting to make time to read. I see...
Maintain Your Brain Class
What can we do to prevent Alzheimer’s Disease or age-related cognitive decline? While there is no cure, there is...
From Stress to Serenity
Ok. Here we are...multiple weeks into our new routine managing the coronavirus. I don't know about you but I have...
Back to Basics
When survival gets triggered, go back to these four basics:1. Ritual & Routine: In a time of pandemic, it is likely...
Sleep Hygiene & Saboteurs
You may know how long you sleep every night, but do you know how well you sleep? The quality of your shut-eye is as...
Embodying Resilience: Teachings from Yogarupa
During times of loss, unpredictability, scarcity and pain we are not our best selves. We are in survival mode and...
Creating a Home Yoga Practice
We have entered a time in history when we are asked to stay home to flatten the curve and help slow down the spread of...
Brain Resilience & Meditation
In the March/April 2020 Yoga Journal Magazine, an article was written titled, "Mind Games." The author, Tasha...
Stop, Drop & Meditate
Can I really "stop, drop and meditate?" Who has time for that anyway? Won't my thoughts make me feel more anxious,...
Physical Fitness was Never the Purpose of Yoga
Below is the article I was wrote for Wander Women Iowa. I thought it was a good one to share with you as well. Enjoy....
Living a Life with Intention
Did you know one of my favorite celebrities is Oprah? I watched her as a young girl everyday at 4 pm (like a lot of...
Do you have 2020 Vision?
You can't help but notice the message shared all over social media as we enter a new decade and a new year. My inbox...
Do You Believe in Magic?
The holidays can be a really tough time of year for me when I am trying to maintain balance between my regular...
Adaptiv – Calming Blend
I recently purchased the new Adapativ Calming System created by doTERRA and released in September 2019. I struggle...
Amplify & Release
Elena Brower's PRACTICE YOU daily awakening deck The season of fall is a wonderful time to pause and ask yourself,...
What a Feeling!
On Stage @ Wells Fargo Area for 5,000+ Women during the P.E.O. International Convention Wow! What a feeling! This...
Kids Oil Collection
Whether you are an experienced practitioner or new to essential oils, the doTERRA Kids Collection is the complete and...
Welcome
The Welcoming Prayer by Father Thomas Keating Welcome, welcome, welcome. I welcome everything that comes to me today...
July BOGO – Spearmint, Tangerine & Lemon
Buy ONE get TWO FREE!!July 30th ONLY! Buy Spearmint get TANGERINE & LEMON for FREE! This is an AWESOME trio of the...
Choose Your Attitude
"Our job is not to set things right but to see things right." - Eric Butterworth How many times in a day do you catch...
BOGO July 23 2019
Today ONLY (7/23/19), TWO bogo options!!!!! Buy 2 get 3 free!1) Buy Blue Tansy $85 + tax and get Tea Tree (Melaleuca)...
The Next Right Thing…
It is pretty amazing when a friend sends you a text sharing a podcast she believes you will find helpful and valuable...
Keep the Bugs Away!
I’m sure all bugs serve some ecological purpose, but if it were up to me, I’d wipe mosquitoes, ticks, and chiggers...
Lifelong Vitality
As one of doTERRA's most popular products, doTERRA Lifelong Vitality Pack is full of essential nutrients, metabolism...
The Path Made Clear
Oprah released a new book this spring titled, "The Path Made Clear: Discovering Your Life's Direction and Purpose." In...
Listening to My Inner Wisdom
Have you found yourself outsourcing your inner work to someone else? Within each of us there is an unbroken flow of...
Launching a YouTube Channel
Did you know I grew up with a mom who taught aerobics in the 80s? She owned a business with my aunt Jane called "The...
Seasonal allergies: Nip them in the bud
Spring means flower buds and blooming trees — and if you're one of the millions of people who have seasonal allergies,...
Practice You
It is no secret I have a huge girl crush on Elena Brower. Her latest book and card deck, "Practice You" is a beautiful...
Melaleuca (Tea Tree) Oil
Melaleuca, or Tea Tree oil, is best known for its purifying qualities, which make it useful for cleansing the skin and...
Purify
Purify is my go-to room freshener mixed with Wild Orange or Lemon for a clean and fresh scent. I also put 1-2 drops...
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
I belong to a financial book club group lead by Triangle Financial Services. It has been a great asset to my business...
I AM Magic! Blend
An essential oil blend for serious self love. 4 drops CLARY SAGE for seeing yourself more clearly4 drops PEPPERMINT...
I AM Magic!
What if loving yourself is the answer to every single thing you want in life. What if it's the key to unlocking every...
doTERRA Yoga Collection
An exclusive trio of CPTG® essential oil blends designed by doTERRA for the yogi in you. Anchor, Align, and Arise are...
Your Highest Intention for the New Year: Decide to Rise
"The journey of the year to come demands active participation. May each of us come to touch and know intimately our...
Essential Oils for Emotions
The doTERRA Emotional Aromatherapy System is a revolutionary organization of aromatic plant families around a...
Taking Time…
The holidays are here and another year is coming to a close. As we enter the month of December our lives are filled...
Ignite Your Life!
I got invited to partner with a new friend, who is living ON purpose and FOR purpose. Her name is Beth Montpas, and...
Making Space
"Like our noticing, like our trust in the support of the ground,like our breath,releasing tension is not something we...
Serenity: Calming Oil
I really enjoy doTERRA's calming blend known as, Serenity. I diffuse it at night and put it on the soles of my feet to...
Favorite Yoga Books
I love books. I have loved reading since I was a little girl. My best childhood memories are of me reading in special...
Deep Blue Essential Oil
Deep Blue products by doTERRA have become one of my favorite products to use on my body for pain. It helps ease my...
Deep Listening
"Welcome. Welcome your breath into your body. Welcome your mind onto your breath. Welcome your body into the room....
Protective Blend: On-Guard
It's that time of year again when kids go back to school, the weather changes daily and we find ourselves with...
Go Time!
Wow! I'm thrilled to introduce you all to my completely revamped website. It has been an amazing journey that provided...
Invigorating Blend: Citrus Bliss
Citrus Bliss Invigorating Blend merges the benefits of citrus essential oils. We combine the powerful essences of Wild...
Let Go & Be Happy
This phrase, "Let go and be happy" sounds simple, right? No. I know it's not. There are many samskaras (impressions...
Grounding Blend: Balance
Beautiful, sensual, and evocative, essential oils have a stunning range of health benefits, and their natural scents...
Witnessing Mind
We are challenged when unpredictable (and sometimes unwanted) external events occur and change our personal goals or...
Peppermint: Oil of a Buoyant Heart
Peppermint brings joy and buoyancy to the heart and soul. It invigorates body, mind and spirit and reminds individuals...
Lemon – The Oil of Focus
Lemon is very uplifting and energizing and has been shown to help improve mood. It is the oil of focus. Lemon oil...
My New Logo!
I am thrilled to reveal my new business name, tagline, and logo! Spring was the perfect season to birth something new!...
Lavender – Healing Oil
Lavender is one of my "go-to" daily oils. It is often considered a must-have oil to keep on hand at all times due to...
Deep Rest in Yogic Sleep
Yoga Nidra - Deep Rest in Yogic Sleep"Yoga Nidra" means "yogic sleep" and goes far beyond deep relaxation to a place...
Time to Celebrate (and pause)
Wow! This past year has been an incredible year for me and I am so honored to share this journey with you and...
Chakras
Last month I attended a Chakra exploration class through asana, meditation and aromatherapy at Evolve to Harmony in...
Awakening
Today as we emerge into another new year, we are invited to reflect on the days past and be inspired by the days to...
The Four Desires (aka-Gunas): Moving Toward Freedom!
The four purusharthas are yoga's four aims or desires of life. The purusharthas include dharma (purpose), artha...
8-Limbs of Yoga: Pratyahara (World of Silence)
The fifth limb of yoga is called pratyahara and is defined as "the conscious withdrawal of energy from the senses."...
Understanding Life Force: Prana Vayus
According to yoga tradition, there are five currents of vital force (prana) that flow through our body. They are...
The Power of Pranayama
Breath is essential to life. It is the first thing we do when we are born and the last thing we do when we...
Summer of Fun!
My summer of 2017 will be called, "my summer of fun!" It was my intention and goal to be present with my children and...
The Power of Asana: sthira sukham asanam
The physical aspect of yoga is the third step on the path to freedom, and if we’re being honest, the word asana...
8-Limbs of Yoga: Niyamas
Throughout the month of May, we discussed and learned more about the 5 yamas in the 8-limb Patanjali tradition of yoga...
8-Limbs of Yoga: Yamas
Wow! What a gift to listen to Deborah Adele as she shared her wisdom and teachings of the 8-limbs of Yoga according...
The Book of Joy
It is another month and another great book has my attention. It is "The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing...
It’s YOUR Yoga!
This is a milestone month for me. I am celebrating a birthday that ends in a "0." To some people, like my children,...
The Benefits of Yoga Nidra
Yoga nidra is a powerful and unique state of awareness in which the body profoundly relaxes, the thinking mind fades...
Roll On – Fascia Work
Have you ever had a pain in your foot and later learned it was because your calf muscles were tight or experienced...