The Four Agreements: Personal Growth Tips

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books to read, deepak chopra, don miguel ruiz, God, how to be happy, how to improve your life, inspiration, magic, Mushpa + Mensa, new york times best seller list, personal growth, self care, self help, self love, source, the four agreements, tips for self care, toltec tradition, turth, universe, wayne dyer, wisdom book

A few years ago, my father gave me this little book called The Four Agreements. It is a type of “self help” book, although self help sounds so…clinical? I like to refer to books of this nature as food for the soul, brain food, and also good advice for life. Some of these writers in this genre that I like include Dr Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra, and author of The Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz.

Essentially this book gives you four different “rules” that you should live by. In return, he argues, you will gain insight and live a more peaceful and happy life. These rules are nothing extraordinary, and have been said one way or another by many people before him. The nice thing about his presentation though, is that these agreements are useful to check back in with yourself…. “Am I following this agreement? Or am I acting in a way that doesn’t align with these agreements?”.

I highly recommend you READ THIS BOOK. He talks about concepts based on ancient Toltec wisdom that give you a Toltec perspective of the story of life, the Source of all, and where it is our souls stand against everything else.

But I would like to just give you the bullet points of the four agreements as even just that can give you a boost of understanding everyday.

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First Agreement:

“Be Impeccable with your Word: Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.”

Your words are powerful, and the thoughts behind those words are even more powerful. When we express ourselves we should speak from the heart and only truth. For me, being impeccable with my words means being honest with myself, God/the Universe, and speaking truth and beauty only. Everything else is static.

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Second Agreement:

“Don’t take anything personally: Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.”

It’s true. What others say it is just a reflection of their reality, and my reality in the end is what affects me. Others perspectives and options are their own. If i judge myself on others perspectives, I am not being honest and true to my perspective. I try to assess what others say, absorb it, and apply my own experience instead. This one is very hard for me, but I have seen the difference it makes when I do not take things personally. I am honestly happier.

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Third Agreement:

“Don’t make assumptions: Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness, and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.”

You know how the saying goes…When you assume, you make and ass out of you and me. It is a universal truth. We are not Vulcans last time I checked, so we cannot read each other’s minds, and thinking that “we know” certain truths can get us in a lot of trouble. Yes, sometimes gut feelings are on point, but communicating avoids the drama on every point…I should know!

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Fourth Agreement:

“Always do your best: Your  best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgement, self-abuse and regret.”

This seems like something your teacher tells you in grade school…But what happens when we don’t? I personally end up feeling gloomy, disappointed and even physically drained. My best today, is not the same as my best tomorrow. We are ever-evolving beings. As long as we work hard towards our dreams, our reality will reflect the results of our very best. When I try my best, my life feels like the best!

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There it is then! The Four Agreements. Simple but true. Write them in a notebook, or on a piece of paper and stick them on your wall. They have helped me get a better grip on my feelings, my happiness and my reality.

I hope sharing these with you will do the same!

Happy day to you,

-Mensa

Listen To Some Music While Doing Some Good #LessWasteChallenge

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#LessWasteChallenge, A Prairie Home Companion, Alejandro Jodorosky, Banjo, Baritone Ukulele, Blank Tape Records, Cara Reynolds, Chandler Pratt, Colorado, Concertina, eco-friendly, Fiddle, guitar, Guitar Mike Clark, Harmonica, Haunted Wind Chimes, Inaiah Lujan, Kazoo, magical mobile art machine, Mandolin, Mandolin Desirae Garcia, Maria Emilia Borja, Melodica Chela Lujan, Mushpa + Mensa, Mushpa Y Mensa, OpenAir 1340 Colorado Public Radio, psychedelic, Pueblo, Rattle Your Bones, recycle, recycle toys, recycled, Sarah Megyesy, Sun Shining Bright, TerraCycle, The Good Luck Thrift Store Outfit, Tom's of Maine, Vocals

Take the #LessWasteChallenge and recycle your old toys!

TerraCycle and Tom’s of Maine have partnered to create a free recycling program for used/loved toys from now through April 30!!!

You can send those old or broken toys to TerraCycle for free, courtesy of Tom’s of Maine. Here is how easy it is!

1. Request your free shipping label

2. Fill a box with toys (10 pounds per box)

3. Send TerraCycla your toys to be recycled

Free shipping labels are available until April 30th and your toys may be in any condition!

Broken toys. Used toys. Forgotten toys. Instead of bagging them up and putting them on the curb, try recycling.

This year, Tom’s of Maine challenges you to reduce 1 lb of waste per week through the #LessWasteChallenge. And they want to help you meet this goal by providing a free recycling program for your old toys.

Toy Condition: Your toys may be in any condition. Instead of being thrown away, these old toys will be sorted and recycled into cool, new creations.

Less to the dump, R6 it!

– Mushpa

How To Tie A Bowline Knot For Hanging A Hammock

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anchor boat, anchor ship, Bowline Knot, burn ends of rope, camping, Cara Reynolds, diy, dock boat, hammock, hanging a hammock, hero, hero knot, heroine, heroine knot, how to hang a hammock, How to tie a bowline knot, How To Try A Bowline Knot For Hanging A Hammock, Maria Emilia Borja, mountain climbing, Outdoor, spring, summer, survival, survival knot, yogi bear

Mushpa + Mensa got a hammock in Ecuador last Christmas, but had not hung up said hammock as we had no idea how to do it! Me, I am from NYC and we are not in the business of hanging hammocks, so I delved into the world wide web for some answers. I even used my own mystery solving brain and incorporated this new knowledge of knots towards hanging this hammock in a way we would never crack our skulls on the pavement. I am here now to share this wisdom with you via the video above.

The bowline knot is a pretty amazing knot. It is real simple to tie and will make it so not only can you hang your hammock using 4 knots and 2 pieces of rope, but you can also tie your boat to the dock and not worry about it floating away, you can tie your horse outside the saloon, climb the Appalachian Mountains, tie your camping treats up in a tree out of Yogi bear’s greedy little paws and last but not least, rescue damsels in distress out of wells. It’s a hero’s knot really.

Mensa and I have both sat in the hammock together for some time now and it held us perfectly, swinging and all! I am the heroine of hammock hanging, here to save the day!

Enjoy.

– Mushpa

Sidenote – I did not show it in the video, but I burned the 4 ends of the pieces of rope to make sure they did not fray. Better safe than sorry.

Vegan Arepas con Curtido Fusion Recipe

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arepa recipe, arepas, cabbage, coleslaw, colombia, corn meal, curtido, Food, fusion, harina de maiz, latin american food, latin american recipes, Latinas cooking, Mushpa + Mensa, pupusas, recipe, traditional food, Vegan, vegan cheese, venezuela

Arepas, Pupusas, Gorditas. Different maize (or corn meal) patties made slightly different in many Latin American countries. Delicious either way you eat them. A food that is economical, and so versatile it can be stuffed with literally anything you could imagine, from eggs and avocados, to meats and of course, the classic, cheese…ohh quesito!

I decided to make Arepas once we started reaching the back row products in our kitchen cabinet. Somehow, we always end up getting the most creative when we have less resources. But I cannot complain. Even when we are low on food in the cabinets we often feel like our life is full of richness. Cheesy, I know, but true. And Cheesy is always good… as the recipe below will show you.

These Arepas were a simple recipe. Basic. Paired with cabbage salad, usually accompanying Salvadorean Pupusas. Here is the recipe. Go make them. Delicious. I used corn meal called P.A.N. This is what my mother gave me, and it is what I have read, the most commonly used corn meal.

For the Arepas:

2 1/2 cups of water                                                                                                                                            2 cups of PAN – Harina de maiz (pre-cooked corn meal)                                                                   1 teaspoon of salt.                                                                                                                                             Oil                                                                                                                                                                         vegan cheese for stuffing

Pour water and salt into a container. Mix well. Start pouring the corn meal slowly, while mixing. Make sure you don’t get any lumps! When all is mixed, knead the dough until it is smooth, and let rest for a few minutes (3-5 minutes).

Oil your pan, or griddle  a little bit on medium to low heat. Place patties and fry them until they brown in one side, and then the next. About 5 minutes each side. The lower the heat, the better, as you want the water inside to dry out a bit. Ideally when you knock on one with a knife, it should sound hollow or like an echo. The lower the heat, the longer they will be on the pan.

Place them in an oven at 325 degrees and let them cook for about 10 more minutes.

Cut them open in half, and stuff with a small palm full of cheese. Veggies and Protein are also an option!

For the Curtido:

1/2 head cabbage, a carrot, and a yellow onion thinly sliced
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar/ maple syrup/ honey
1 teaspoon dried oregano, or Italian seasoning
1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

You can use a bag of ready coleslaw as I did this time (excluded the onions). Mix all vegetables in a bowl. Mix all other ingredients in a separate bowl, and then pour over cabbage mix. You can let it rest for a few minutes, while you season the arepas, but 2 hours or evnn the day after rest will absorb the flavors the best.

Serve along side the arepas and ENJOY!

Buen provecho,

Mensa

So Many Pens, So Little Time

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and recycle permanent marker caps, Free Recycling Programs, Mushpa + Mensa, Mushpa Y Mensa, recycle, recycle bottles, recycle brita all filters, recycle brita faucet systems, recycle Brita® pitchers, recycle dispensers, recycle filter packaging, recycle marker caps, recycle markers, recycle mechanical pencils, recycle pen caps, recycle pens, recycle permanent markers, The Pen Guy

I have been saving pens, markers and mechanical pencils when they die for a long time now. I store them away in the utility room like some crazy hoarder. I have no idea what I will do with them all, but I know dumping toxic plastic into a landfill at the rate I would is not an option.

Honestly, we don’t buy so many pens in the Mushpa + Mensa household, they just appear from everywhere and nowhere. Actually, Mensa came home from visiting her family with a huge pen caddy full of pens, pens and more pens, most which were dried out. Last night they joined the rest of my dead pen collection and I thought, okay now is the time to figure out where these pens need to go to start their second life.

Here is what I discovered:

The Pen Guy – He makes art out of pens. He covered his Mercedes Benz with pens… I mean come on, that’s cool and eco as long as the car never ends up in a landfill! The Pen Guy, collects and reuses thousands of pens in his art that would otherwise be thrown out. Donate your Ball Point, Dry Erase, Crayola, Felt Tip, Markers, Mechanical Pencils or any other type of pen and experience the transformation into beautiful recycled pen art. Here is where you can send the pens and keep them out of the landfill.

The Pen Guy – P.O.Box 994 – Forestville, CA 95436

If you are sending via UPS or FEDEX please address it to:

The Pen Guy – 6484 Mirabel Road, #994 Forestville, CA

Terracycle – They have boxes you can buy to recycle pens. Acceptable waste for this box are pens, pen caps, mechanical pencils, markers, marker caps, permanent markers, and permanent marker caps. Then the plastics undergo extrusion (a high-volume manufacturing process in which raw plastic is melted and formed into a continuous profile) and pelletization (the process of compressing or molding a material into the shape of a pellet) to be molded into new recycled plastic products. Terracycle also has a very helpful link to free recycling programs like for Brita and Pure water filters, guitar stings, cigarette waste and tons of other stuff!

The Prang Power Recycling Program – If you use Prang art pens, they offer you a free recycling program for said pens.

There isn’t a multitude of options out there for pen recycling, but there is something. That means we can all do something. Also, invest in a pen or mechanical pencil you can refill. I am going to once I exhaust the last pen in this house! I will keep you abreast of the situation.

“People” say you do not really need pens or pencils anymore with all the electronics out there, but for me holding a pen in my hand is more organic and honestly where my truth comes from. I wake up every morning and write on paper using a pen for a half hour or so. It manifests my destiny, so I will keep on with it, but in a more environmentally conscientious way.

Here’s to you Mama Earth.

Love,

Mushpa + Mensa

Last Minute Women’s March Sign Ideas

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activism, art, Audre Lorde, Awesome Event, be brave, Cara Reynolds, Carrie Fisher, Ecuadorian, environment, Feminism, gay, God, Government, green, Happiness, Health Care, inspiration, Latina, lesbian, love, Love is Love, March, march signs, Maria Emilia Borja, NC, North Carolina, political, politics, Princess Leigh, Protest, protest march signs, protest signs, queer, recycled, resistance, revoltion signs, revolution, Sign Ideas, Star Wars, The South, Voltaire, wilmington, Woman Owned Business, Women's March, Women's March Sign Ideas, WomenAlice Walker

If you are anything like us, we can get real close to the time of whatever-it-may-be and then get what needs to be done, last minute style, done. Don’t get us wrong, we do it well under pressure. The Women’s March tomorrow is no different. We are going to wake up around 7AM to get our signs done to get out to our local Wilmington, NC Women’s March. I did some image research and quote digging and came up with 10 good sign suggestions off the World Wide Web.

1. We go high.
2. Your silence will not protect you.
3. Nasty Woman
4. “Those Who Can Make You Believe Absurdities, Can Make You Commit Atrocities” Voltaire
5. Hate Kills
6. “I am deliberate and afraid of nothing.” Audre Lorde
7. Woman’s place is in the resistance. (in reference to Carrie Fisher…Princess Leigh….Star Wars. You get it.)
8. I am stronger than fear.
9. Truth matters.
10. “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.”  Alice Walker

Get your recycled pieces of boxes, cardboard, old sheets and get to creating. We will collectively be with every human at every women’s march tomorrow. We love you.

Love trumps hate. Be brave.

Cara and Maria Emilia

Mushpa + Mensa’s Low Impact

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#GiveBackPack, abuse, against forced labor, alternative apparel, Alternative Earth', biodegradable fabric softeners, certified organic, child labor, chrome, Common Thread, copper, eco-friendly, environment, Fair Labor Association, FLA, G2 Eco-Wash, insufficient wages, low-impact dyes, mordant, Mushpa + Mensa, Mushpa Y Mensa, natural enzymes, non-toxic, non-toxic clothing, Oeko-Tex Standard 100, organic, organic cotton, organic cotton certified, Philanthropy, R6, reclaimed water, recycle, reduce, Reflect, ReImagine, Replenish, reuse, safe working practices, Social Responsibility, STATE Bags, sustainable fabrics, Workplace Code of Conduct, Worldwide Responsible Apparel Production, WRAP, zinc

The main shirts that Mushpa + Mensa hand-print their original designs on is Alternative Apparel’s 100% organic collection, made from pesticide-free organic cotton.

Is Alternative’s cotton certified organic? 

A: Yes. Anything in our line stating it is 100% Organic Cotton is certified organic cotton, produced pesticide-free. We keep copies of the organic certificates on file.

The dyes used to color Alternative Apparel’s pesticide-free organic cotton tees are low-impact dyes. Let’s breakdown this process called low-impact dying. A low-impact dye is a dye that has been classified by the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 as eco-friendly. Generally, low impact dyes do not contain toxic chemicals, heavy metals (like chrome, copper and zinc), or mordants (a substance, typically an inorganic oxide, that combines with a dye or stain and thereby fixes it in a material).

Low-impact dyes are dyes with a higher than average absorption rate (70%-80%, depending on the color). This means less water is required in the rinse process and less dye runs off in the water; therefore, the dyes have a lower impact on the environment. Alternative Apparel also use a G2 Eco-Wash to finish garments which uses 60% less water and no chemicals.

Alternative Earth’s collection water washes with reclaimed water, the organic cotton is certified, biodegradable fabric softeners and natural enzymes for their super-soft finishes to make the best basics.

Alternative Apparel make their clothing from sustainable fabrics (currently 65% of the fabrics they use are eco-friendly, although they are working to increase this figure), with a transparent supply chain in officially audited factories.

Alternative Apparel publishes its factory vendor guidelines, which the company says are in line with the Fair Labor Association (FLA) Workplace Code of Conduct, on its Social Responsibility page. The company states that many of its factories have Worldwide Responsible Apparel Production (WRAP) certification, and that Alternative Apparel places ethics as a priority in vendor selection: Alternative Apparel is committed to safe working practices for all employees.

Manufacturing: They have all the right policies against forced labor, child labor, abuse, and insufficient wages — and they work nearly as hard on keeping their clothing non-toxic. Their factories are frequently inspected to make sure their dying processes are toxin-free, and their wool is sourced from sustainable alpaca farms in Peru.

The first elements we consider when selecting a vendor is their ability to meet our social compliance standards and the quality of their products … Typically, there are only certain geographic areas of the world that can meet our production needs. We head to those areas and search for vendors that exceed our expectations and requirements. If a factory does not meet our social compliance standards from the very beginning, we don’t even consider them. After that, we base or search on the quality of the goods and the efficiency with which they can be produced.

Environment: Thirty percent of their sales are from the Alternative Earth line Mushpa + Mensa uses, which is made from organic cotton, low-impact dyes, energy-efficient facilities, and absolutely no toxic substances. A portion of their sales benefits a variety of environmental organizations and charities.

Philanthropy: Alternative donates to multitudes of different charities under their “Common Thread” program. For instance, like with STATE: Going Beyond the Bag. STATE Bags one-for-one model provides at-risk kids with a fully-stocked backpack every time someone purchases a bag. That means when you get an awesome bag, you support #GiveBackPack at the same time.

Down with fast fashion! R6 – Reduce, ReUse, Recycle, Replenish, Reflect, ReImagine.

Get your Alternative Apparel organic cotton Mushpa + Mensa original design t-shirt on and feel good in it, while feeling good about yourself. Functional art Mushpa y Mensa style.

-Mushpa

 

Himalayan Pink Salt Lamps Save The World

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asthma symptoms, boost blood flow, calm allergy, dirt, dust, earth magic, electromagnetic radiation, gamma rays, generators, Himalayan pink salt, Himalayan pink salt lamp, hygroscopic, improve sleep, in which electric, increase levels of serotonin in the brain, lamp, magnetic fields, microscopic mold, mildew, Natural Healing, negative ion, negative ion generators, pet dander particles, pollen, positive ions, radio waves, visible light, x-rays

I saw Himalayan pink salt lamps around, but I never paid much attention to them. I just thought they were very 80’s looking and therefore I had no interest.

Then Mensa let me know the other day she would love to have one. She said that they were amazing and a cure for something possibly and maybe even everything! That sounded pretty amazing to me, so I put aesthetics on the back burner, and decided to do some research on these magical lamps. Here is what I have learned so far.

The first is science. There is science involved. I am not going to break down said science except to say, the Himalayan salt lamps are negative ion generators. Negative ions are oxygen atoms charged with an extra electron. They are created in nature by the effects of water, air, sunlight and the Earth’s inherent radiation.

Negatively charged ions are most prevalent in natural places and particularly the ocean or after a thunderstorm. We live next to the ocean, just think if we walked on the beach everyday, well it would cure Mensa’s allergies for one, but I am getting ahead of myself.

Second, word on the street is, it’s great to counteract electromagnetic radiation (a kind of radiation including visible light, radio waves, gamma rays, and X-rays, in which electric and magnetic fields vary simultaneously) and also prevents the build-up of static electricity! Which for one, means all the electromagnetic radiation attacking you from your tv, to your computer, to your phone, to your tablet, to every other electronic in your house, this coral colored salt rock lamp can combat. I’m going to need to pick up a few of these lamps it seems, to turn those positive ions from electronic equipment into negative ions. :] Also, remember don’t sleep with your phones, tablets, laptops in your room if you want a true chance to rejuvenated your overwhelmed temple. It’s unnecessary static.

Third, is health. These natural lamps supposedly boost blood flow, improve sleep, increase levels of serotonin in the brain, and calm allergy or asthma symptoms. What??? Here’s how this circle of life works, salt is hygroscopic (more science), which basically means these salt lamps absorb “dirty” water molecules from the air till saturated, then the salt literally traps dirt, pollen, microscopic mold, mildew, dust, pet dander and smoke particles which is within the water vapor. Once these airborne contaminants have been locked in the salt, clean water is re-released into the environment due to the heat from the lamp and thus it has a purifying effect on the air. Lastly, the salt is revitalized through drying of the lamp and then the process begins again.

Oh, and just for the record there are no Himalayan salt mines, all the salt for these lamps are from Pakistan or Poland. More trivia, they say table salt is rejected by your body, sea salt has some benefits, but that the Himalayan salts may help with digestion and lower blood pressure. It may be placebo, but if it works, just do it I say.

There are many other claims and studies you are free to research on your own. Science out of Berkley says negative ions help make your trachea bigger to breath better. What? I said it. ;] The sunset light the lamps emit may trigger something in your brain that helps you sleep better and so, so, so many other things. What if they are all true? All that for under $30 and it will make Mensa happy, I’m in.

I’ll give post reviews in another entry.

-Mushpa

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The Day After the 2016 Elections

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2016 Election, Cara Reynolds, diseased government, Donald Trump, enlightenment, evolution, Hillary Clinton, hopefull, Laurent Wolf, libertarian, Maria Emilia Borja, Mushpa Y Mensa, Nationalist, No me jodas, revolution, The Young Turks, tyt, wolf-pac.com

We got a lot of messages this morning from friends and family, some telling us about their plans to move to Canada, others worried about what maniacal plans of revolution we may be coming up with, and some excited about said plans. The rest are in utter shock. Thankfully the government is not just run by one man. We must remember that we as a people are more powerful than the few, if we work together. The key words being work and together.

Here is what my basic response has been while a bit shell-shocked.

“This is what this country needed. This is the time where we decide to wake up and take our country back from corporations and nut jobs. This is our time to fight. To make sure he doesn’t take away things or pass things we don’t want. I will no longer be complacent. I would have most likely been while Hillary sold us out to Wall Street. This is a blessing in disguise. He could and might, on day 1, take away my healthcare, just because… You realized this country just elected a man who said he wanted to make America great again, meaning make it the white man’s America again, and disenfranchised white men and women, Donald Trump wouldn’t even let ride in an elevator with him, voted for him. We just elected a man that has sexually assaulted women numerous times and that basically tells people it is ok to do that to women. Actually, you can even become president. I am ashamed of my fellow countrymen that voted for Donald Trump or did not vote or voted for libertarians. This man will forever be in our history books like Hitler to the Germans is if WE allow this. He is a horrible racist, sexist, faithless, mentally unstable, sad man and our president. This is our battle cry to wake up and make change. We must start with ridding ourselves of the rigged electoral system and educating ourselves on our political system. Hillary won the popular vote and Donald still is our president!!!! Check out wolf-PAC.com and The Young Turks online. -c ”

I will not run. I am excited for the changes to come. I am excited for us to see the greater good of people that will come to light because of this darkness. I am ready for more of us to become enlightened and with that greater health for all and this world. We need to heal, but to heal we must first fight the sickness and this diseased government.

No me jodas, because now I’m awake. Stay tuned for more on this front.

– Cara aka Mushpa

 

Get Some Delicious Incense On

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aura cleansing, buddha's blessing, chakra, Happiness, incense, India, karma, meditation, nag champa, namaste, positive vibes, pyramids, reiki, sandalwood, spiritual healing, super hit, tantra, traditional ayurveda

Hello All,

It has been a minute since we’ve blogged. No excuses, just get excited that we are going to get back on it.

We stayed with a friend who had tons of amazing incense she burned all weekend. We got inspired to get more in our lives. The smells makes us feel good, it uplifts our souls and connects us to the universe. Below are some of our favorites!

 

Let’s go meditate!

— Mushpa + Mensa