Author: Ashley Adamek

Conscious love

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Love is easy, relationships are hard work. They take practice, communication, patience and commitment (to name just the very tip of the iceberg). I’ve found myself at the age where all of the sudden friends and siblings are getting married, having kids, buying houses (all beautiful things! Don’t get me wrong). Like anything else, through witnessing other peoples experiences, we start to question our own. As a young women with my partner for over 5 years we often feel societies expectations creeping in on us. Like we have something to prove to the world to assure people that we are committed, we are happy, we are in love. Little did I know how much of a gift this tension would prove to be for our growth. It’s forced us to have some really open and honest conversations about our future that may not have happened otherwise. Instead of being committed to fulfilling societies ideals, or committed to “monogamy” we want to be committed to each other and to our growth. There’s a big difference! So we’ve found …

Waking Up – 5 Morning Rituals

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Everybody is different, duh. This is not a list of things that you SHOULD do every morning but merely a list of things to help inspire you to find what works FOR YOU. Perhaps some mornings you meditate or go for a run or surf or just drink a cup of coffee. The secret is that it’s not the actual activities that are so special, it’s the intention behind them. It’s the meaning that you infuse your actions with.  I wanted to share some things that I’ve found helpful in creating an internal and external environment rooted in presence and direction. Thus, here is a glimpse at my morning routine. I hope it will give you some ideas to try and inspire you to find what works for you. 1.Say THANK YOU The very moment you wake up. Say it. Out loud or to yourself, it doesn’t matter. Let the vibration of gratitude fill your body and give thanks for another opportunity to experience the gift of a new day. Wow, what an opportunity. 2. Make …

emPOWERed

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The total solar eclipse on Monday was such a special event. It was so unique to witness everyone outside with a sense of awe for this place that we all share.  It felt refreshing to have something that connects us (versus the theme of separation) as the main point of conversation between people, on the news and in our papers. On Monday, and the weeks leading up to it, my social media news feed seemed to be filled with posts, from people all over the world, on ways to harness this astrological event as a means for self reflection, transformation and collective enlightenment. Rituals, ceremonies, meditations, yoga classes, surya namaskars and pranayama techniques were just a few examples of topics that I saw floating around. Don’t get me wrong, I believe wholeheartedly in harnessing the energy that is invoked during times like this but I also believe that most are too quick to give away their power to some external event. It’s kind of like around New Years when everyone is setting intentions and questioning …

Authentic Desire

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Authentic (adjective) — of undisputed origin; genuine. I had a wonderful conversation with my friend the other day on the subject of authenticity and what it FEELS like to live in such a way. We essentially spoke about how challenging it is to live in our TRUTH and so it got me to thinking. I believe living in truth requires a couple different things: 1. A willingness/openness to experience our genuine desires, feelings and emotions. <once we are aware of these desires..> 2. An allowing of these desires to move us and influence our lives. The thing that makes these responsibilities so challenging is that we often have a rigid idea of what we want our lives to look like, how our jobs will unfold, who we will spend our days with, whom we love, how we are treated, how we wish to feel etc etc. And so we then have this choice whether to stay rigid in our small understanding of how we believe our life should or should not unfold or instead let …

Chosen chains

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The masculine and feminine archetypal energies at play within our lives and in our relationships are fascinating to me. The archetypes can be expressed through both men or women although most people are majoring in either masculinity or femininity and minoring in the other. David Deida says that the masculine nature is always seeking freedom. This is the onward urge that has led to airplanes, wall street, sports and endless new technologies, to name a few. The masculine thrives off of breaking through barriers, removing constraints and overcoming adversary. Deida writes, the essential “Masculine plea” is, “I want out of here!” That doesn’t mean a man (or a more masculine woman) always wants to run away, but rather that his masculine nature is going to have him constantly seeking ways to escape the constraints he experiences in the world around and within him. On the other hand, femininity carries our longing for the embodied experience of love, unity and beauty. The feminine is saying in endless ways “show me the love!” Which one do you identify most …

Taco Tuesday

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Tuesday is a really special day for me. It’s the one day out of the week that I have a ‘no work’ policy. Being my own boss and having the ability to set my own schedule is such a blessing but it also means that I am responsible for setting aside time to step out of my work role and just rest. Some weeks this is easier said than done but yesterday I slid into my Tuesday with an ease that I haven’t felt in a long time. I’m a big fan of meal planning at the beginning of the week as a way to save time and money. For me, it’s the best way to plan meals with using both the ingredients that I already have on hand as well as making a list for items to pick up at the store. Andrew has been stopping at a local farm stand on his way home from work which has been featuring some delicious mushrooms and peppers (and NJ blueberries!). Thus, our Poblano-mushroom tacos were born.    …

True, Deep Connection

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I was recently reminded of the importance of true and deep connection. Not the kind of connection where you ask someone how they are and they quickly answer “good, you?” I’m talking about the kind where you ask someone how they are and you look each other in the eyes and wait for a meaningful response. I used to have the mentality that I didn’t need anyone. I was the classic case of “I can do it myself”. When I was 18 I moved to Europe for university, not caring that my friends and family were no closer than an international flight away. I just wanted my freedom. It’s been a slow, long journey but I have come to realize that making significant connections is a fundamental need and that having freedom is far less fulfilling without sincere relationships to go along with it. I could travel the word ten times over searching, but unless I was willing to be vulnerable with myself, true connections were not going to find me. Brené Brown says: “Vulnerability is the birthplace …

Fireside Smoothie

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What do you drink when it’s freezing outside, you want something more nutritious than hot cocoa but still want it to feel like a treat? This fireside smoothie! What first started as me throwing together some random ingredients quickly turned into the most delicious winter night smoothie ever. This recipe is meant to be for 2 but you could also save any extra in a mason jar and freeze it for another cold night. What you need: 2 Frozen Bananas 2 Dates 1 cup Coconut milk 1 heaping tablespoon Almond butter 2 pumps Cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice mix) Directions: Add everything to a blender (preferably a Vitamix). Mix on HIGH for about a minute (or until blender runs smoothly). Pour into your favorite winter mug, enjoy alone or with a loved one ❤ merry merry ❤

love and destiny

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Hi beautiful people. I’m writing this from the floor of LAX. Literally, the floor! I’m bumming it for the night here waiting for my next flight in the morning. I think I started a trend in this little corner of the airport. People have been gathering and getting comfy for the night too, which makes me feel a little less crazy. The past few weeks have been full of setting stones. Life feels like that to me sometimes, times of comfort and planning and then times of execution and adventure. Both good, both needed. I write (and think) a lot about what it means to do what you love and follow your destiny. Now, that may seem like a daunting task but in reality it should be the most liberating, loveliest adventure of your life. The backbone of everything you do. The word destiny kinda freaks people out. It’s such a powerful word. I don’t believe anybody has a one word answer to what their destiny is. I think living your destiny is to be open in …

Snow Day Salad

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It’s our first snow of the season and it’s a big one! Last night Andrew and I went to the store and stocked up on all the good stuff. He was filling our cart with things like beer, Oreo’s and popcorn and I was in the produce section collecting as many greens as I could find. I’m so glad we always shop together because we kind of help to balance each other out, with food and everything else too actually. I know he will end up eating what I pick out and of course I can’t resist the smell of popcorn during a movie. I love a good snow day (can the next one be during the week?) especially when it forces you to stay inside and cuddle up close. Unfortunately, we don’t have any real snow gear to really go out and enjoy it for long so we are staying inside, basically eating all day :). For lunch, I wanted some greens but something that still had a warming/stick to your ribs kinda feeling. …