Moving through Creative Blocks

Are you subconsciously closing off your creativity tap? If you’ve lost that creative flow, here are a few things to consider to get you back on track:

Mindset Matters - If you think you aren’t creative, odds are that’s a limiting belief you’ve picked up over time. Maybe you were raised to think creativity is primarily fine or performing arts and something that requires a natural talent or ability. But what if you could expand your creativity perspective to include any time you:

• Make something when you are cooking, writing or gardening

• Problem solve using technology, research or logistics

• Stretch yourself by going someplace new or trying something for the first time

Distractions - Creative flow, takes just that...flow. So everytime you stop brainstorming to check your email or put down your project to pick up your phone, you are causing your brain to stop and reset. Research now shows that multitasking doesn’t really exist. What you are actually doing is called switch tasking and it’s a productivity and creativity killer. So close down your apps, put your phone on silent and let yourself really focus on the creative project at hand.

Compartmentalizing - Are you a creative maven at home, but feel trapped in a box at work? Or maybe you are a creative leader at work, but don’t give yourself the permission and time to cultivate creativity at home? We were designed to show up as our incredible, creative selves in all aspects of our lives. So perhaps it’s time to take a deeper look at where and when you are letting your creative side shine.

I believe we are here to experience everything. Yes life will be hard, but it’s also meant to be messy, silly, fun. Don’t let these creativity blocks get in the way of you shining your brightest, most expressive self.

And if you’ve been feeling a creative spark, but aren’t sure what to do next, I’m launching a new program Accelerated Alchemy. In 30 days I will help you transform your passion into a plan, mixing just the right amount of woo and work to give you the clarity, confidence and creative strategy you need to bring your business, project or idea to life. Sign up for the launch list and you will be the first to know.

As always, I'd love to hear from you, so please visit my website and follow me on social at Instagram and Facebook.

Wishing you creative flow,
Lauren

How to increase Creativity everyday

It’s been a whole year since our lives were turned upside down. Along with so many challenges, many of us have been blessed (or maybe forced) to use creative solutions to help keep us safe and sane. But ironically, I’ve heard so many clients tell me they aren’t creative or don’t feel creative in the “traditional” sense. So for this month, I’m focusing on all the ways creativity flows and how to add more creative fun into your daily life.

• Think about your perfect day. On a beach vacay somewhere? Yeah, me too. So let’s use those #sunshinevibes to dig into the details of what really makes the day feel so perfect, besides the location. Here’s some questions to help you see what you can incorporate in your non-vacation life:

  • How and when do you wake up and go to sleep?

  • What do you eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner?

  • Are there rituals you get to enjoy? Or maybe things you take off your to-do list?

  • What kind of movement, hobbies or passions do you play with?

• Be a creativity detective. Have you ever considered where your creative inspirations come from? Perhaps you prefer to be organized first or like less structure. Do you have rituals like meditation or nature walks? Maybe you always get ideas in the shower or listening to music. By honing in on your natural links to creative energy, you can ensure you get in the right space before any project needing a more creative mind.

• Add in downtime. I get it, we all have so much to do, but moments of “nothing” are critical to clearing our mind of clutter and boosting our creative connections. Finding quiet, empty space might be simpler than you think:

  • Choose silent driving, instead of listening to music or talking on the phone.

  • Same with going for a walk. Rather than feeling like you should multi-task, turn off the podcast and tune-in to your surroundings.

  • Schedule it. If you are someone who loves a daily agenda, then add in 15 mins twice a day and make it non-negotiable.

While we are all creative, it's a muscle we have to activate in order to keep it moving, fresh and flowing. I’d love to hear what creative projects you are working on this month so let me know!

And if you’ve been feeling a creative spark, but aren’t sure what to do next, I’m launching a new program Accelerated Alchemy. In 30 days I will help you transform your passion into a plan, mixing just the right amount of woo and work to give you the clarity, confidence and creative strategy you need to bring your business, project or idea to life. Sign up for the launch list and you will be the first to know.

As always, I'd love to hear from you, so please visit my website and follow me on social at Instagram and Facebook.

Wishing you creative sparkles,
Lauren

The Lunar New Year

If January felt like just another month of 2020, you are right! In many traditions, January is actually not a month of new beginnings, but of rest, reflection, transitions. It's a bridge month that lets you more mindfully and effectively close out the past year and prepare for the new one.

So thanks to the Lunar calendar, you basically get a January do-over! With a history dating back at least 10,000 years, the Lunar calendar is based on the cycles of the moon. Accordingly, the new year starts with the first new moon (2/12/21). New moons are a great time for setting new intentions, cleaning out (both physical belongings and mental clutter) and starting fresh.

What does that mean for you? If you haven’t accomplished your goals or your new habits haven’t stuck, it’s okay! It's time to stop the shame spiral.

🤔 Maybe you are letting perfection get in the way of progress⁠ and need a new system for how you work best
🤔 Maybe it's been so long since you've focused on yourself that you've forgotten how
🤔 Maybe you are spending too much time in your head ⁠and not enough time in your body and soul
🤔 Maybe you are trying to achieve someone else’s dream and need to reevaluate what you really want

I'm working on some amazing tools and resources to help us all gain more clarity and confidence to create the real change we seek. As always, I'd love to hear from you, so please visit my website and follow me on social at Instagram here and Facebook here.

To a happy, healthy and high vibe New Year,
Lauren

How to be Successful

Are you letting other people define "success" for you? ⁠
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Let's stop right there. Only you know what you want. And only you can decide what success means to you.⁠

⭐ Maybe success is the feeling of freedom or peace or independence.
⭐ Maybe it's the ability to give all of your time to causes that matter to you.⁠
⭐ Maybe it's having good relationships with family and friends.⁠
⭐ Maybe it's feeling connected to your healthy body and getting to move it everyday.⁠

Most of us have been raised with a certain idea of what it means to be successful. ⁠Add in a culture that prioritizes influential fame, enormous wealth and superhuman athletic ability, and it's easy to feel like you will never measure up.⁠

But who are you living for really? ⁠Why are you allowing someone else to determine the value of your dreams?⁠

It's time to redefine what success is and look at achieving whatever you want from a completely different perspective. Finding where it feels easy and natural, using your energy in the most aligned way.⁠
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My new offering, Success by Design, highlights 11 unique ways you can rediscover what success means to you. Each guide is custom created using your specific Human Design. It's an invaluable tool in helping you learn more about yourself and how you were best designed to find success, in whatever you want to achieve.
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Learn your energy style, strengths, work pace, how to make decisions, the correct way to structure your day, manifest and more! The guide includes action items and activation techniques you can put into practice immediately.
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It's available now, at an intro rate of $21. Order your guide by visiting Success by Design.

As always, I'd love to hear from you, so please follow me on social at Instagram here and Facebook here.

To making all your dreams come true,
Lauren

What are Limiting Beliefs and how to combat them

I am a liar.

And so is almost everyone I know. Below is a list of lies I’ve told myself or heard from my friends and clients.

• I’m too busy.

• I need to put my {children, husband, parents, siblings, friends, boss} first.

• People will think I’m crazy.

• I’m too old to change or learn something new.

• My life is fine, I really don't deserve to complain.

• I don’t know where to start.

• No one has it all, so it’s okay that I don’t have everything I want.

• When my kids are older I’ll have time for myself.

But these aren't facts, they are limiting beliefs. And we’ve said them to ourselves so many times, that we’ve come to believe that they are true, but they aren’t.

I know this might cause some resistance, because that’s how our ego works. It wants to keep us safe and protected. Each one of these beliefs does just that, by preventing us from taking risks and fully committing to our goals. The ego also wants to always be right. So each time you allow yourself to go along with one of these beliefs, the ego reinforces it and solidifies it in your mind. So over time, it becomes true to you.

But here’s the amazing thing about self-discovery work - you can change, grow, evolve at each and every moment. You can break the cycle of these limiting beliefs and move forward in creating the life that’s calling you deep inside.

If you want to bust through your limiting beliefs about Success, check out Success by Design. These custom guides are created based on your unique Human Design. Highlighting 11 elements of success you can activate in the most authentic way, because they are specific to you.

⁠Learn your energy style, strengths, work pace, how to make decisions, correct way to structure your day, manifest and more! The guide includes action items and activation techniques you can put into practice immediately.
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It's available now, at an intro rate of $21. Order your guide by visiting Success by Design. And then get ready to flip the script on those limiting beliefs.

As always, I'd love to hear from you so please follow me on social at Instagram here and Facebook here & here.

All my best,
Lauren

Redefining Success

Let's be honest...2021 has not gotten off to the best start. If you are looking at your resolutions and wondering WTF happened, I hear you.⁠
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😬 Maybe those goals weren't realistic⁠
😬 Maybe you are following someone else's system⁠
😬 Maybe 2021 has just been a dumpster fire⁠
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Whatever the reason, I'm here to release you from that old paradigm of success. The one that says we all have to:⁠
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❌ follow a specific morning routine⁠
❌ be good at all the things⁠
❌ hustle all day⁠
❌ have a defined structure⁠
❌ go with your gut⁠
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Sure some of those ideas are correct for some of us, but we are all designed so uniquely.
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That's why I created Success by Design. Based on your unique Human Design, each Success by Design guide is custom created for you. It highlights 11 specific insights to help you find more success, on your own terms.

Learn your energy style, strengths, work pace, how to make decisions, correct way to structure your day, manifest and more! The guide includes action items and activation techniques you can put into practice immediately.
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It's available now, at an intro rate of $21. Order your guide by visiting Success by Design. And then get ready to crush your personal and professional goals like never before.⁠

As always, I'd love to hear from you so please following me on social at Instagram here and Facebook here & here.

All my best,
Lauren

Choosing You

What a long, strange Fall it's (already) been. I've really missed connecting with all of you via my weekly emails. And I could give you a bunch of proper excuses for my mini-hiatus. But the truth is, I took some of that outward energy and turned it inward. I set an intention to take some extra time to meditate, journal, take classes, network and explore. It's been an incredible time of growth, increased self-awareness and mindfulness.

I've also been fortunate to spend lots of time connecting with many of you through Human Design sessions. There has probably never been a better time to Choose You by learning more about yourself. In one hour, you get so many meaningful and impactful insights:

- discover and utilize your gifts
- tips for self-care, manifestation, alignment
- areas of strength and sensitivity
- how to best interact and engage with others
- the essence of your energy and aura

Some of my past Clients have said:

"I feel like I've been seen for the first time".
"This is 💯 spot on. I don’t know how this is so accurate based on my stars but it is".
"I felt both relieved and validated".

If you want to find out more about the value of a Human Design session, I'd be so happy to chat. Click here for one of my complimentary Info Calls.

I've got lots of other fun, helpful things in the works, including a Free Daily Alchemy worksheet and a December Intention challenge. Make sure to follow me on social at Instagram here and Facebook here & here.

All my best,
Lauren

Finding Flow

Last month I shared the idea of Riding the Current of the Current. In other words, letting go of the need to control our external situations and instead, using the innate power of our mind to shift into a state of flow. So what does flow look like when the world feels like a tidal wave and it seems like you are constantly treading water?

First things first. You cannot (at least, not for very long) successfully take care of others, if you are not taking care of yourself.

Every – Single – Day, we need to:

• Eat well

• Move our body

• Sleep enough

• Do something by ourselves, for ourselves

If this is something you are struggling with, please reach out and I’d be happy to help you learn the best way you specifically can find a sustainable plan for self-care.

Each person is created differently and knowing your Human Design will help you determine how to best sleep, eat, use your energy and find joy. Seriously, this is all easily available to you. Click here for a 30 minute Self-care Session.

When you are ready to open to the real life transformation that comes when you shift your mindset, here is one inspired action you can take. And it starts with using the healing powers of the earth.

Grounding: This technique is easy to learn and accessible in any situation. You use the weight of your body and just a few minutes of mindfulness to start feeling more calm and centered.

• Sitting: Close your eyes and sink into the feeling of support from all the points of your body that are touching either the furniture or the ground. Let the weight of your bottom, back and arms feel the connection against your chair, a cushion or the floor. Stay here, feeling consciously held by the physical objects around you.

• Walking/Standing: While you can do this anywhere, I love to do it barefoot on grass or other natural floor. Lift and spread your toes. Then push all four corners of your feet into the ground. Imagine roots spiraling from your feet and growing down into the earth. You can also push against any solid object, such as a wall or table to enjoy the stabilizing power of your hands.

Next week I will cover some suggestions for letting go of anger and setting intentions. In the meantime, remember that surrendering to flow takes practice, but the result is so worth it!

If you want to talk 1:1 about this or any other topic, book one of my 3 Free Connection Calls I offer each week! I'd love to help you find more ease and joy in the current moment.

To freedom and flow,
Lauren

Riding the Current of the Current

Imagine, for a moment, if this experience was your choice. Not the illness or suffering or division, but the practical day-to-day of what is happening inside your four walls. Inside your heart and head.  
 
What if you had decided to take this year and completely turn your existing world upside down? A year to mostly stay home and spend a lot of extra time with your family. A year when you would see only people who lived close by or those you really enjoyed and trusted. A year that would prompt you to question your priorities and discover your true values, hidden talents and underlying fears.
 
How would you be living right now, if you viewed every thought, feeling and action, as if you had intended this year to be exactly like this?
 

• Think about your time with family. Would you spend it feeling stressed, anxious and overwhelmed? Or would you feel relaxed, engaged and grateful?

• …Your time at home. Would you be excitedly going through your list of “rainy day” projects? Or would you stay lost in the time warp of not knowing how or what to prioritize?

• …Your time with yourself. Would you be reading, trying new hobbies and enjoying quiet reflections? Or beating yourself up for not getting enough done and then (mindlessly) crashing on couch for another night lost to TV and social media?

I know the first few months of this pandemic were incredibly stressful and in many cases traumatic. For a lot of us, the loss of control and absence of "normalcy" has shaken us to core, even mimicking the five stages of grief people can experience when they lose someone close to them.
 
So while the external circumstances might be outside our control, it is still our choice to live mindfully, with clarity and intention, rather than get swallowed up by the sea of uncertainty. When it comes to Control in the time of Coronavirus, there’s two pieces to the control puzzle for you to consider.

1. We were never really in control. Oh sure, you could put some plans in place, run through a to-do list and think you were managing it all. But there was always something – a sick child, a rainstorm, a broken appliance – that would break your rhythm and show you that we are always at the mercy of unexpected occurrences.

2. You still have control, over the only thing that has ever and will ever bring genuine contentment: this moment, right here and right now. Not in stewing over past negativity and missed opportunities, or anxiously awaiting a different future.

Next week I’ll provide some practical ideas on how to move forward with greater ease. Until then, consider this when you are feeling overwhelmed:
 
True joy is found in surrendering to the flow. The waves of 2020 will continue. And unlike the hypothetical planned year I suggested, we don’t know how or when this new paradigm will end. So will you take this opportunity to ride the current of the current? How can you reframe your current circumstance into one of choice?

If you are ready for this type of mindset shift, click here and let's talk. A 30-minute Intention Session can transform how you see yourself and the world around you.

With love, 
Lauren

Self Compassion + Announcement

I’m taking a break from Self-Discovery Summer to share something that’s been in my heart the last few days. The topics I’ve been writing about each week are really just opportunities to better know and ultimately accept yourself. The more you are truly connected to your heart, your soul and your special gifts, the more loving you will be to yourself. And that self-compassion allows incredible transformations to happen.

The healing and spiritual practices I’ve shared all have one thing in common: they ask you to put yourself as a priority. To carve out a few minutes of mindfulness so you can feel your heart beating and lungs breathing. So you can remember that you aren’t just someone’s wife, parent, child, employee. That underneath all the to-dos, emails and noise, (both in and out of your head), is a voice longing for meaning and connection.

It’s not a straight line from self-discovery to self-compassion. It’s a path with peaks and valleys, self-doubt, cultural and family pressure. But the closer you get to the heart of who you are, the easier (not easy) it is to re-center after you get bumped off-course. It’s in these places of calm, clarity and surrender that we connect to what really matters to us. When we can let go of the need for external validation and break free from the societal definition of what happiness and success look like.

For me, part of the path is a long coming transition from Lauren Ivy Health to my new brand…Open to Alchemy.

Open to Alchemy is both an invitation and an affirmation. It’s a deep call to bring a modern and accessible take on spirituality and share the magical transformations that are available to everyone, regardless of your age, stage or experience. I’m so excited about this, it’s practically bubbling over! More on this, including expansive new offerings coming next month!  

I’ll be back next week to wrap up Self-Discovery Summer, but I just wanted you to know that I hear you, I see you, I feel you. We are on this journey together. We can choose to create whatever life is calling to us. Those whispers are telling you that you are ready.

Xo,
Lauren