Happy New Year! This week, I’m soaking up precious moments with my family at a place called Massanutten Resort. Instead of exchanging gifts for Christmas, we give each other our time together to make shared memories. Between Christmas and the New Year, we fully embrace the season—indulging in delicious food and diving into the activities this magical time of year brings. I gave up skiing years ago, so now I bring a creative project along to keep me company. This year, I packed my felting supplies. Staying true to my recent theme, I’ve decided to craft a little sleeping fox. I didn’t originally intend to turn this into a tutorial—I’ll admit, just filming it was a challenge. If I’m being honest, the temptation to lounge in my pajamas and watch movies all day was strong! Balancing your personal life and creative work can be tricky at times, and I’m learning how to pace myself so I don’t burn out. Felting found its way into my life five or six years ago, and from the very beginning, it captivated me. There’s something about the texture, the vibrant colors, and the endless possibilities of the medium that feels magical. It’s as if every bit of my creative journey had prepared me for this—helping me shape wool into either a 3D figure or a painting with fibers.
travel
You’re Right Where You Need to Be
Sometimes life sends us messages to guide us and help us along our journey. But sometimes we're not listening. We are all so busy being busy that we miss what is right in front of us. I am truly guilty of this and it was never more clear then when I was in Costa Rica staying at the lovely wellness retreat spa Hacienda del Sol. I will explain. But let me first tell you a little about this wonderful place.
I found out about Hacienda del Sol thru this goddess .... Megan Talpner. She did a whole blog post on it here. Essentially she did all the research and found exactly what I was looking for in a retreat, beautiful place, healthy food, yoga classes, salt water pool, wonderful caring people and so much more. Where do I sign up? I'm in!
I would say this place is not for everyone but everyone should go. If you enjoy everything I listed above then let me put your mind at ease. This place is for you. You’re not too fat, you’er not too lazy and your not too unhealthy to go. It's funny how our minds will try to talk us out of anything. I went to Hacienda thinking all those things but learned thru the reflection of those around me that I was strong and healthy and exactly where I needed to be. I pushed myself to be present and to just show up mindfully to every adventure. My yoga teacher Ange reminded me of this many times during yoga class. You are perfect in this moment and exactly where you need to be. I thought I understood. I thought I was totally tuned in. But then I realized I still needed to learn this lesson. I was out on a hike one day and stopping along the way to marvel at all the little creatures in the jungle. Well I came upon a hermit crab and looked down at him in disbelief. How did you get here? And why are you so far from the beach? I scooped the little guy up and carried him with me to the beach; feeling very proud of myself and my generosity to help this creature. Once I reached the beautiful white sandy beach, I gently lowered the hermit crab down to the sand. As soon as he was free to crawl the hermit crab took off toward the forest again. I stood there with a bewildering look and a heavy heart and thought to myself what have I done! You see that little creature wanted to be in the forest and I moved him. At that moment I realized everyone and every creature has there own journey and it is not for us to judge or decide but only trust that they are actually where they need to be.
I will never forget this lesson and I will always have a special place in my heart for my time at Hacienda del Sol. I encourage you to go and give yourself the gift of soul energy building, health and love. I promise you will be met with open arms and a handy life lesson to stick in your pocket for when you’re ready to hear it.
I created a visual diary of my time at Hacienda del Sol which will show you everything, the glorious food, yoga, hikes, beaches, accommodations and of course all the beautiful lovely people that I met along the way. The only thing not in the video is my experience with the massages. duh. That's another kind of video. I treated myself and got massages from Nadia, Ange and Shar and they were all so different and wonderful in their own way. I don't really recommend one over another. All I will say is … treat yourself and get as many as your budget will allow because you won't regret it. I also highly recommend the pedicure from Veronica. It was truly the best one I've ever had.
So please sit back and watch and let me know if you enjoyed the video. Leave me a comment. Email me if you have any questions. Thanks for stopping by and remember next time you feel restless and unsure all you need to do is say this little phrase... You are perfect in this moment and you are exactly where you need to be.... and soon you will feel the calm wash over you.
Share this post with someone you love that might need to hear this today.
much love jan
