 Today I was able to see the solar eclipse from Raleigh. 93% of the sun was blocked out by the shadow of the moon. I rolled out my yoga mat at the park, did my grounding meditation, and looked inside to see what was hidden there. And then I donned my "glasses" and layed down and observed.
The eclipse was pretty impressive. There was much written about this event and its meaning - from the scientific to the spiritual. I began to think about what this means to me personally, how will I use this awe-inspiring event in my real life. The moon is soft and gentle-- you can gaze upon it at any time without fear. The sun is the opposite - it is forceful and harsh. But today I saw the moon reach across and touch the sun, and calm its heat. It reached inside of me and calmed my frantic mind. Everything is possible. Softness has power, as does stillness and love. The point I am making here is that we get to determine what events will mean to us. We get to see the miraculous and integrate it in our lives. Today has made the list of my TOP 5 - awe-inspiring natural occurrences I experienced in my lifetime. #knowyour5 How did you experience the eclipse ?
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Its AUGUST, we are in the second half of the year - and some of the goals you set in January are not happening because - you are afraid (of something) and you do not even know it.
Today I read an interesting blog post about how fears are experienced on a daily basis. The writer observes that we cannot stop our triggers [important], but we can recognize when we are triggered and take immediate action to stop the downward spiral. We can do this by walking around, or taking a deep breath, and definitely by questioning the validity or usefulness of your response. I can tell you that these small actions can be successful over time, you can literally skirt the fear and move on (most times). I want you to really think about your goals - are they really your goals or are they goals based around where you are safe from your fear? Think about the ones that are sitting there looking sad -- what is actually stopping you from achieving it, or deleting it from the list? The question, "How do you want to feel?" - is not magic. It is meant to be a guide to getting the things you want from life in a way that feels good all the way through to final achievement. I know that this is not easy. Sometimes it is easier to ask the question "How do I NOT want to feel?" Even better, "What feelings am I f*cking tired of feeling? The thing is, our FEARs dictate our lives, and keep us feeling stuck and unsatisfied (hence the unwanted feelings popping up over and over again). Unless we choose to NOT to listen to it. When we set goals, our fears are automatic restrictions/limitations --- blocking options without our intentional choice. #findyour5 most potent fears is a major step in Soul-Setting (yes - that is setting goals that set your soul and your life on fire). Think about this... I mean really think about it. Living a SEXY blissful life, means becoming a badass in your own skin. Aren't you tired of being bullied by fears you do not even know? Make your list. Comment below: Sharon MacGregor is a Certified Holistic Health Coach & Yoga Instructor and Licensed Desire Map Facilitator Her own success combating depression, and the symptoms of perimenopause with yoga and nutrition has led a realization that we can make our lives into whatever we want, whenever we want. She creates programs to help women build self-confidence and embrace life after 40 with optimism. Her retreats and workshops combine yoga+nutrition+coaching. You can join the conversation on her private Facebook group Upgrade Your Life. You can find out about working with her at www.sharonmacgregor.com.  "Nothing in nature blooms all year." #bloom is my word this year, it does not mean I have to be " on" all the time.... it's a natural organic process... no forcing. I am learning that letting go is a part of the process as well. Constant striving leads to burnout and losing #connection to the #magic of the journey, puts the focus on the end goal instead of "the now". It pulls me out of #alignment with my desires... the accomplishments lose their true value. Constant striving leads me to impatience, perfectionism, steals my joy. Suddenly I feel trapped, not #free, not #wild but overly calculating and controlling. This kind of constant tension leads to all kinds of pain and distrust. My core desired feelings are compromised. I have to come back to them and reacquaint myself with what they mean to me and FEEL them. I have had to loosen my grip on HOW things are supposed to go, accept that #blooming isn't constant. The beginning of the answer is on my yoga mat.. in the form of Yin Yoga. A practice of letting go (no muscle 💪contraction at all). It is not a relaxation practice.... you must find stillness at the edge of your discomfort so the deeper tissues will release. For a get-it-all-done kinda girl like me, the challenging is allowing myself to stay still (for up to 5 minutes). Honestly, this sounds like what I need to do in every aspect of my life. The precursor to the #bloom.🌸 So what have you learned at this mid-year time? #howdoyouwanttofeel #shelovesherlife #knowyourwhy #goddessing Sharon MacGregor is a Certified Holistic Health Coach & Yoga Instructor and Licensed Desire Map Facilitator Her own success combating depression, and the symptoms of perimenopause with yoga and nutrition has led a realization that we can make our lives into whatever we want, whenever we want. She creates programs to help women build self-confidence and embrace life after 40 with optimism. Her retreats and workshops combine yoga+nutrition+coaching. You can join the conversation on her private Facebook group Upgrade Your Life. You can find out about working with her at www.sharonmacgregor.com.  Ever had a dream come true, and something inside of you freaked out and panicked?
Well it happened to me (again) this weekend. I experienced absolute bliss, as something I wished for unfolded.. and before I knew it.. I noticed anxiety welling up, and before I knew it, the familiar feeling of needing to "go" as in "run away", "leave", erupted. I literally started to feel like my world was closing in. Do you know what I did? This time, I did something differently. I did not act - I simply got quiet, and looked at myself. 1. I told myself - "I don't do that anymore" - I do not run away to think, or to make sense of things. I stay. 2. I recognized that I was on auto-response, and started to slow my breath - focused on the words, and the feelings of "in" and "out" with each breath. 3. I told myself - "This is it - what you have wanted." This is a small moment, don't miss all of the #magic that is here. Do not let your imagination, make what is really here, seem irrelevant. Feel it. Enjoy every second of what is happening. Do you know what happened next? I started smiling. This work that I have done, the core desired feelings, the awareness, intention setting... all of it provided tiny sign posts.. that lead me to where I am going when my fear shows up. Like tiny flickers of light. I have learned to trust myself so completely, that when my automatic responses kick in, I recognize them. I TRUST my vision, I TRUST my core desired feelings. It is a brand, spanking new day... and I'm feeling good.. and free and wild and magic and connected and aligned. How do you want to feel? What are you willing to do to feel that way? What are you willing to invest? Leave your comments below. Sharon MacGregor is a Certified Holistic Health Coach & Yoga Instructor. Her own success combating depression, and the symptoms of perimenopause with yoga and nutrition has led a realization that we can make our lives into whatever we want, whenever we want. That has led her to create and programs to help women build self-confidence and embrace life after 40 with optimism. Her retreats and workshops combine yoga+nutrition+coaching. You can join the conversation on her private Facebook group Upgrade Your Life. You can find out about working with her at www.sharonmacgregor.com.  Yoga Brunch featuring The Desire Map was an amazing experience. Practice + Nourish +Explore Here is the playlist for the yoga class - the practice segment of the experience, with links to take you there. Om Asatoma (Yoga Mantra)
Hallelujah – Noah Guthrie Be Here Now – Ray La Montagne Beneath Your Beautiful – Labrinth feat Emeli Sande Closer – Kings of Leon Kali Durga (Yoga Mantra) Way Down We Go – Kaleo What A Day – Greg Laswell Better Man – Paolo Nutini Don’t Let Me Down – Joy Williams Om Shanti Shanti (Yoga Mantra) There is power in the question, "How do I feel?" When the answer is, "stuck, unhappy, depressed, overwhelmed" ... it is an indication that we need to look at our lives, something is out of alignment. Maybe it is something that we have outgrown, maybe it is some crap we have been tolerating and we have reached our limit. Simply accepting that these feelings are a part of life, and you have no power... will only lead to more discontent. We must be brave and ask the next question, "How do I want to feel?" Women go through so many changes in their lives (physical, mental, emotional), it is only natural that things will fall out of balance. This question, will be the first step to being responsible for your happiness in your life. Which leads to the next question... "What do I want to do to feel the way I want to feel?" This is the inspired step. This step is you owning the action that will change your life. Change is a process. It is the only constant in our lives. We can use change to thrive, to bloom.  Sharon MacGregor is a Certified Holistic Health Coach & Yoga Instructor. Her own success combating depression, and the symptoms of perimenopause with yoga and nutrition has led to the creation of workshops and programs to help women build self-confidence and embrace life at this stage of life with optimism, that the good times are not over. Her retreats and workshops combine yoga+nutrition+coaching. You can join the conversation on her private Facebook group Upgrade Your Life. You can find out about working with her at www.sharonmacgregor.com.
 I love the holiday season because I get to give gifts. It is such a great feeling to show people that they are special! This year I am going to be more intentional and not get caught up in the spending frenzy. My theme for this year is giving the gift of INSPIRATION, sprinkled with a little soul. Here are my top 10:
 Happy gift giving! Cheers to your good health and awesome life, created by YOU.
Sharon MacGregor, CHHC Certified Holistic Health & Lifestyle Coach, Yoga Instructor & Licensed Facilitator of The Desire Map. If you have questions, contact me here. Do you have any gifts of inspiration to suggest? Comment below :-)  I recently attended my second Girls Weekend for Your Soul Retreat in Seattle, which is fast becoming one of my favorite cities. It has such a cool vibe! Having attended the retreat last year, I expected this one to be a breeze.
In 2011, I set out to be the hero of my own life. To show up for my dreams, for my life, for my version of happiness, and in support of that journey, I attended the 2015 retreat. I learned about the Desire Map and my Core Desired Feelings. So by the time I returned in 2016, I had lived a whole year guided by my Core Desired Feelings - connection, free, sensual and aligned. I used them to make big and small decisions about my life and my business. It felt good and I was all set! To me, this retreat was just some fine-tuning, maybe some buffing, and lots of laughing and chatting, with focus on the business. But, to my big surprise, there was MORE. MUCH more. The truth is, as I was reminded, once you begin this journey guided by your inner wisdom, there will always be growing to do. There is always going to be pruning and discarding and moving forward. I was unprepared for this…deeper dive. Who knew there was deeper? Now my Core Desired Feelings were guiding me to evaluate my story; the one I tell myself when I am alone...the “cover” story that protects me from showing up all the way. The story that led me to believe that this weekend would be a breeze. Surrounded by people on the same quest, encouraged by their willingness to be vulnerable, I found the courage to be honest with what I saw and what I wanted, acknowledge what was not lining up with how I wanted to feel, and most importantly to LISTEN. I had grown, for sure, my life felt like mine, for sure...now was the time to ask: What had I outgrown? Where do I go next? In the end, I felt like my soul was dredged. Like it was sifted. I was literally “hung over” for a full week. But the soul-mining paid off. With the help of my soul sisters, I discovered some golden nuggets. I saw how I can be of service in the world; I saw my purpose “refined.” It would require commitment to bring these gems to their full, magical lustre. I tried to step back, I didn't know if i was ready. My soul sisters certainly had no doubt that I was indeed ready. Last year was about getting to the center of my center; finding my peace and, trusting my, wisdom and goddessness. This year, it's about taking all of me into the WORLD - without apology! It’s about not dimming my light or being “Sharon-lite” because I am scared. I know this belly clenching fear is an indication that I am at the edge of my comfort zone, moving in the right direction. “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking. We are all meant to shine." - Marrianne Williamson The fact is, once you see your truth, you have but one choice…to honor it! You can never again fake it and be comfortable, or turn away from your core desires. You cannot be unfaithful to yourself. Because now you know you have a purpose that is yours and yours alone to deliver to the world. And because you know when it’s not right or things are out of alignment with your soul. I left the retreat with clear direction and focus, as well as an updated list of Core Desired Feelings: connection, free, aligned, magic, wild. As the hero of my own life, now it’s time for me to dare greatly! Sharon MacGregor, is a Holistic Health and Lifestyle Coach & Yoga Instructor. She is the founder of Serene Serendipity Wellness and creator of Yoga Brunch which is held at Serenity Farm. As a Licensed Facilitatior of The Desire Map, she helps her clients connect with their internal compass as a way to achieving good health and ultimately a happy blissful life. www.sharonmacgregor.com  Thinking about perfection today. The perfect life, the perfect body, perfect relationship... add your thing to the list. Does any of this exist --- the answer is YES. (no... I am not drunk).
The truth is perfection happens in moments. It is NOT a steady state. Whatever is on your list ... will need work on an ongoing basis. You must be sure to recognize the gloriously perfect moments. The house will need to be maintained - yes... things will break and will need to be fixed. The relationship will experience discord and misunderstanding - so that trust and intimacy can develop. The job will require you learn, grow, overcome economic obstacles, unruly co-workers and clients. Again, you will grow through these challenges. The perfect body - one that is healthy, and allows you to live your best life (as the definition evolves) will get sick, require you feed it well, you move it often and you love it. Sooo... take another look. You are already experiencing PERFECTION. It might be that IMPERFECT is the real definition of PERFECT.  I recently left Raleigh for Seattle to attend a Girls Weekend For Your Soul - Retreat – where I was a participant and the yoga instructor. The trip was fabulous – I love travelling. Airports are to me, the physical representation of infinite possibilities. You can go anywhere in the world. I literally move through the airport with a skip in my step and a smile of contentment on my face. I keep this attitude through the security check, the delays and cancellations. Excited for my trip, I landed at 10:00 pm in Minneapolis – to the news that I had “just” missed my connection to Seattle. What exactly is a girl to do? People around me were losing their cool, I think they had President Obama on speed dial or something like that. I made my choice and this became an adventure – and experiment in gratitude and acceptance of “what is”. I learned that people are very, very kind and helpful – if you give them an opportunity. I found a good hotel room for a steal, the hotel staff was amazing – and I felt LUCKY. I did not lose anytime in Seattle, I landed at 8:45 am. I welcomed figuring out the rail, and the lay of the city. I enjoyed the food and the amazing people who just kept smiling at me as I skipped along luggage in tow, taking it all in. I was feeling grateful that I get to have this adventure. The Girls Weekend For Your Soul Retreat – was soulful, soul food, with new found soul sisters. Taking in their energy, I shared mine with them as I led them through a grounding yoga practice on Saturday morning. How do you want to feel? The question we were asked over and over. We did not actually know the answer.. at first. However, with exploration and discussion, we got there, all of us. We all left knowing how we wanted our lives to feel. When we set goals and start to strive for anything, our feelings are the most important attribute to success – not the acquisition of the goal. It must all feed our soul. I love freedom – and airports make me feel free; I love connection – all the people I encounter feed me with their smiles; I love alignment – it shows most in the way I lead a yoga practice; I love sensuality – all of my senses are ignited in my experiences. So the moral of this story, a blissful experience is not perfection – it is filled with gratitude, and an adventurous, flexible, trusting acceptance in what is happening, and choosing an attitude that aligns. Until next time, Namaste – I see and honor you.
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