Hey, do you like to hike?

One of my favorite activities is hiking out in nature. It resets my mood, energy, and it provides the space to find perspective on whatever I have going on in my life plus it simply feels great. 

What I love the most about where I live now is that I can walk out my door and be on my favorite hiking trail in less than 5 minutes. This trail goes endlessly through the Santa Monica Mountains and I usually do about 5.5 miles round trip. On my hike I’m constantly taking in expansive 360 views, and can sometimes see the ocean (depending on cloud cover). There’s something about an expansive view, it truly calms me. And the science backs this up! Going out in nature can reset your nervous system, lower blood pressure, cortisol, anxiety and improve your mood! (Check out this study.) No wonder it feels so good!

So use this as a reminder to get outside! It has tremendous effects on your mood and health. 

Now that the weather is becoming nicer, March is a great time to start getting back outdoors.

Tell me, where is your favorite place to be outside?

Remember there isn’t one right way to improve mood and health. And the more variety we add the more interesting and exciting our lives can be. 


Trina LeeComment
Haunted by the past?

Have you ever felt like you can’t accept something that has happened in your life? 

Maybe it was an interaction with someone that keeps replaying in your mind, or an event or situation that feels unbelievable? 

You keep going over it in your head, trying to make sense of it, or make it different than it was? I know, I’ve done this too.

I’m here today to let you know you don’t have to be stuck in this unsolvable problem.  You can escape this, and I know because I’ve done it, and I’ve helped clients break free from it too!

This cycle is usually so repetitive because of an inability to fully accept and acknowledge what has happened. We don’t want it to be true, because if it's true then it means something we don’t want. 

Ready to find your way out of this?   Ask yourself, if I were to accept this, what does that mean about me?  What does that say about me?

Notice what comes up, no need to judge it or filter it, try to only observe it.  Then ask yourself is there any way this isn’t true?  Try to find one way, no matter how small it is, that doesn’t allow it to be true.  This is the first step in showing yourself that maybe this belief isn’t true, and maybe it doesn’t mean anything at all.  Is there any way that is possible?  Play around with this story you are telling yourself about this situation. It’s so much easier to make peace with past events if we don’t attach a bunch of BS meanings to them.  What if it doesn't define you?  What if it doesn’t say anything about you?  What if it happened, and now it's in the past so you can truly let it be, let it go and allow it to rest?  

✨Please be gentle with yourself and don’t try to do this about past trauma.  It’s best to work with a trauma informed practitioner, where you feel supported and safe.

✨Be sure to tap during this process to allow yourself to find new perspectives more easily and feel safe the whole time. Journaling too is also a great way to see those beliefs/stories that are keeping you stuck.

✨Want some help with this?  I’m here for you!  You can schedule here. For the month of February I’m offering 50% off your first session.   


Trina LeeComment
You won't believe what got me through 2023

Hello beautiful souls and happy new year!

I hope you’re enjoying the beginning of this new year.  We’re now 2 weeks in, but have you taken the time to reflect on this past year and set intentions for 2024? 

As I was reflecting on 2023 I realized that the prior year brought a delightful twist into my life, which actually started in the fall of 2022. My childhood friend, Gretchen, and I decided it was high time to make spending more time together a top priority. I reside in Southern California, and she's up in Northern California, so we used to meet up just a few times a year. However, during the fall in 2022, we enjoyed an incredible long weekend in Sonoma, CA. We hiked, shopped, dined out, caught a movie, and even indulged in a spa day. It was pure bliss! On our last morning in Sonoma, as we set out for one final hike under the sunny sky, we realized right then and there that we needed to do this more often. Now that our children are older we’ve been granted a newfound freedom, making weekend getaways easier.

We decided to start meeting up  monthly, which is a lot more often than we used to see each other; as well as deciding to make the focus of our weekends together to be active. Hiking and running became our go-to activities, helping us stay accountable, motivated, and focused on self-care. Each month, we'd either participate in organized 10k races or enjoy scenic runs in beautiful locations. When Gretchen visits me, we often hike my favorite trails and run along the Malibu beach, and when I visit her we often run with her running group on beautiful eastbay trails. Our favorite races to participate in are the She Is Beautiful runs that take place in Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz.

Let me tell you, this has been a game-changer for me. I’m always looking forward to our next weekend together, knowing they're right around the corner. I leave our weekends feeling fulfilled and inspired. The outside accountability for exercise has worked wonders for me. While I had typically stuck to comfortable activities like hiking, light running, walking, and yoga, committing to four 10k races a year with Gretchen has pushed me to step up my game. This has allowed me to realize that I’m capable of so much more, and it has super charged my daily commitment to staying active.

Running has definitely been my refuge during tough times this past year. The repetitive motion of running has a meditative quality that quiets my mind and soothes my soul. I originally discovered its mood-lifting and therapeutic benefits back in college. And at the time I felt like it was the most effective way to balance my mood (This was before I knew anything about EFT Tapping).  But I stopped running while I was battling breast cancer in my early 30s, and switched my focus to yoga. I’ve found yoga to be so grounding and help me be in the moment, but running has a unique impact on my mood, leaving me calm yet energized, with enhanced mental clarity, it’s unlike anything else. Truthfully, it's not always this way, and there are plenty of days when I'd rather skip it, but I remind myself of my upcoming runs with Gretchen, and it gives me the power to get through those tough days. Even on the toughest days, once I hit my stride, it's like hitting the reset button.

As I look ahead to 2024, I'm determined to keep prioritizing my monthly weekends with Gretchen, and we've already signed up for four 10k races!

I'm sharing this with you in hopes to inspire you to make a new commitment in this new year.  One that fills you up, keeps you accountable to your goals and leaves you feeling fulfilled.  

Now’s a perfect opportunity to reflect on this last year to see if there’s something in your life that you want more of this next year.  How can you make it more of a priority, and keep yourself accountable?


Much love and gratitude,

Trina

Here’s some pics from our runs in 2023.  What’s been super fun is that my oldest daughter, Maddie, joined us for a few runs, Gretchen’s daughter also joined us for a run, and we also had other friends who joined us on some runs too!




Trina LeeComment