Journey of Self Love
Journey of Self Love

featured Posts

All Posts
Guide To Natural Childbirth
Guide To Natural Childbirth
Natural Mastitis Home Remedy
Natural Mastitis Home Remedy
Breastmilk Lotion Bars
Breastmilk Lotion Bars
Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Lactation Smoothie
Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Lactation Smoothie
 
 

Hey there!  Welcome to Journey of Self Love!  As you can read in my story (below) this blog originally started after I overcame debilitating anxiety and depression after a week at the Iboga Wellness Center in Costa Rica.  It was such a life changing experience and I have really developed a passion for spreading the awareness of iboga and other psychedelic and plant medicines.  I also have a passion for holistic living, ketosis and nutrition, my dog, love and relationships….and now that I have a baby, pregnancy, post partum and family life.  I strive to excel in all areas of my life and do the very best I can in everything, so this blog has organically transformed into a lifestyle blog encompassing all of my passions in living well.  I’m a sucker for efficiency and researching, but at the end of the day, my ultimate purpose in this lifetime is to continue to learn and cultivate self love.  

 
 

mental, emotional & spiritual

All Posts
The 7 Day Mental Diet
The 7 Day Mental Diet
15 Habits To Improve Your Life
15 Habits To Improve Your Life
"The Secret" on Netflix
"The Secret" on Netflix
 

iboga, plant & psychedelic medicines

All Posts
Human Mushroom Trial Beats Depression
Human Mushroom Trial Beats Depression
Plant Medicine FAQs
Plant Medicine FAQs
Iboga: Two Years Later
Iboga: Two Years Later
 

ketosis & Nutrition

All Posts
Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Lactation Smoothie
Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Lactation Smoothie
How Does Ketosis Work?
How Does Ketosis Work?
Homemade Vanilla Almond Milk
Homemade Vanilla Almond Milk
 

holistic living

All Posts
Himalayan Salt Lamps & Negative Ions
Himalayan Salt Lamps & Negative Ions
Product Review: Dr. Bronner's Toothpaste
Product Review: Dr. Bronner's Toothpaste
Product Review: Dr. Bronner's Organic Shaving Soap
Product Review: Dr. Bronner's Organic Shaving Soap
 

Pregnancy & Postpartum

All Posts
Guide To Natural Childbirth
Guide To Natural Childbirth
Natural Mastitis Home Remedy
Natural Mastitis Home Remedy
Breastmilk Lotion Bars
Breastmilk Lotion Bars
 
 
 
 

plant medicine information

reading & Lifestyle resources

 
 
 
 

STAY IN TOUCH ON INSTAGRAM

Helping Theo live his best life a private gym agility sesh at @zoomroomhuntington this morning! It’s been so long and it completely blew my mind how much he remembered! . On a side note 📝.... does anyone ever think about their dog dying some day in the distant future and legit start tearing up!? I mean, it’s inevitable, I will outlive Theo, and the thought of being there with him while he takes his last breath breaks my heart. Like, why do I even go there!? Theo isn’t even 4 yet...there are SO many more years to enjoy his presence! . Which then got me thinking, I have this huge fear about death. I’ve never really experienced a major loss, and just the whole idea of death scares me. I know logically it’s not something to be feared and a natural part of life, but still. I know this will have to be something I dive deeper into one day! Until then, I’m just going to love Theo and be grateful for each day we have him here with us!
I had such a major epiphany recently....it’s one of those obvious to know, but harder to embody epiphanies...and I’ve finally integrated it into my being. So here it goes... . The extraordinary is exactly that. The baby showers, weddings, birthday parties...things we look forward to, get joy out of and show gratitude for. But life is made up mostly of the ordinary. The day in and day out of cooking, cleaning, brushing teeth, sending emails, and more. I’ve realized that if you can find joy and gratitude in the ordinary, there’s not much more you’ll need. Seems obvious, right? Ive been trying to do this for a while, but its finally integrated itself into my mind and habits. Just in my interaction with Rory everything has changed. Really taking the time to find joy and gratitude in caring for him has filled my heart SO much. The way we play together is so much more animated and real. Watching his face light up as he goes “fast” down the driveway on his skateboard literally can bring me to tears of joy. . It’s all of the mundane things that just seemed normal...just my job. But with a new lense they bring so much joy and gratitude as I can savor every drop out of each ordinary moment. . How do you appreciate the ordinary in your life??
Dear Septiembre, BRING IT 💪🏼
New Holly, Who Dis? . When you hear the word KETAMINE what comes to mind? Special K? Horse Tranquilizer? What about treatment for Anxiety? PTSD? Depression? Probably not... . As many of you know I used to have severe anxiety. Frequent panic attacks. I couldn't get in elevators. I couldn't be a passenger in car or have passengers in my car aside from Eric. I had such a severe case of orthorexia that I was afraid to eat anything that wasn't organic in fear of getting sick. And that’s the short of it. Jan 2015 I went to Costa Rica to take a psychedelic plant medicine called iboga. To say it was LIFE CHANGING is an understatement. I was able to easily maintain the new mindset and remain the observer of my thoughts through gratitude, journaling, healthy diet, exercise, yoga, meditation, etc. . All was good in the hood until about 2 months post partum (putting us at Jan 2017, 2 years after iboga). I literally had not experienced any anxiety that I wasn't able to control until then. But after about 2 months of falling out of my exercise/meditation routine and constant sleepless nights some of my old anxiety crept in. Elevators were starting to trip me out. I still got in, but it felt uncomfortable. . Even though my self-care game has been on point since January 2017 I've felt stuck. I wasn't able to kick it...and the more it stuck around the harder I tried...I did my tried and true methods and I tried new things. I felt ashamed that I wasn't overcoming it. I was the girl that overcame my anxiety in such a courageous and bold way...how was this even still a thing for me?! . Ok...now enter Ketamine. I've been following the studies and literature about the medicinal use of psychedelics for years now. I've personally experienced those medicinal benefits with iboga. I can't believe I didn't know this, but I found out in July that Ketamine has been used “OFF LABEL” for about 5 years to help treat several things including ANXIETY, PTSD, and DEPRESSION. In larger doses it used as an anesthetic, but in lower therapeutic doses it produces a hallucinogenic psychedelic experience. . CONTINUED ⬇️⬇️⬇️
A lot of people have followed my story of anxiety and depression for the past few years and I have so much to share coming up... taking a few weeks off of social media to reflect and grow, and I can’t wait to share all about it because I know it will resonate with at least 1 person. And if it resonates with at least 1, it’s beyond worth it! . See you on the flip side 😜
Everyone has that go-to on repeat dinner when you can’t think be bothered to look for something new on Pinterest! . Mine is Tomato Basil Zoodles! Just throw some chopped tomatoes and fresh basil in the pan and simmer it (covered) for like 30min to an hour. I’ll usually throw in some garlic, Celtic salt, and avocado oil too. Then zoodle up some Zuchinni and add some ground beef if you’re the omnivorous type! . What’s your go to staple dinner? I need some new ideas!
Just a boy and his #açaíbowl. @fitbarcafe legit has the best bowls in town! This is the “Lipid Lover” .... avocado, unsweetened açaí, monk fruit, coconut, cacao, and more stuff I know I’m forgetting #protip: add some goji berries as a topping!
My ❤️ is so happy because I’ve officially dedicated August to Theo! Everyone said Theo would get pushed to the side after Rory was born, and as much as I tried to resist it...it happened. I so badly wanted to give him the same amount of love and attention, but I just didn’t have the bandwidth...and he definitely took notice. Don’t get me wrong, he still lives a pretty great life, but I want to be able to give him more...and to be honest, his obedience needs a bit of a refresher 🤦🏻‍♀️ . So this month I have made it a priority to spend lots of time with Theo and reinvent myself into the leader he needs. . This morning we did our a wellness visit @hemopetholisticcare (just him and me) and he LOVED being the center of attention. . For anyone with a dog, I definitely recommend checking out @hemopetholisticcare! They are in Garden Grove and worth the drive in my opinion. For those trying to live a more natural and holistic lifestyle, it can be easy to forget that we can carry on that lifestyle into what we feed and how we care for our pets! @hemopetholisticcare is the dog version of who I would want to be my general physician 😆 plus, their methods are backed by the approach of Dr Jean Dodds who is kind of a big deal in the dog world 👍🏼