adventure – shawntelle marie

Posted on May 2, 2022May 2, 2022 by Shawntelle Moncy — Leave a comment

6 things to do in the small, beautiful town of Uvita, Costa Rica

I recently was intuivitely called to visit Costa Rica for an ayahuasca ceremony. But instead of visiting the more touristic side of the Guanacaste province, I decided to check out the small town of Uvita.

Although I didn’t have much time here, it felt safe and right at home very quickly and I would recommend this area to anyone wanting to experience another area of Costa Rica that’s a little more off the beaten path.

Visit the Beach, Marino Ballena National Park

Uvita is located on the south pacific coast and what keeps this particular beach so beautiful is the fact that you must pay a fee to enter. This beach area is also a national park, where you can spot plenty of wildlife on the coastline as well as whales in the ocean! I recommend early in the morning if you want to spot monkeys or sloths, and you may even catch a few crocodiles!

This area is also surrounded by parrots high in the sky and toucans, so keep an eye out!

2. Nauyaca Waterfall

ust outside of Uvita is the epic Nauyaca waterfall. This was my favorite attraction here, as I am a waterfall fanatic! If your not renting a car, you could taxi to this area. It’s about 35 minutes outside of Uvita. You can also catch a bus from Uvita to Dominical and another bus from Dominical to San Isidro and ask for them to drop you off at these waterfalls. This is what I did and it saves a whole lot of money to use the bus system.

There is a fee to enter the park and an option to pay extra to take a car down to the main trail. And believe me, you want the car. Unless you are well prepared, I wouldn’t recommend the walk as it is nearly 4 miles one way in the Costa Rican heat.

You can definitely spot wildlife along the way. I spotted many toucans and I’ve heard if your there in the morning, you can see sloths and monkeys.

The main trail to the waterfall is very short and there is an option for the overview as well as to the bottom of the waterfall. It is a double tiered, wide falls that you can swim at the bottom of or even swim accross to take a picture right under the falls. It is a powerful gust so be careful! There are plenty of rocks to hang out at during your stay and this spot will not disappoint.

3. Corcovado

Unfortunately, my tour fell through to see this area near Uvita. Corcovado is a national park, about a 30 minute boat ride from Uvita. The region is so rugged that it is only accessable by boat and I would highly recommend a tour. This area is known to be amongst the three most diverse ecosystems in the world by National Geographic and perfect for nature and animal lovers.

I would not recommend trying to find tours online, as I did. Instead, walk around the small town and there will be many shops that offer tours.

4. Learn to surf

This area of Costa Rica is well known for surf! You can book a surf lesson in Uvita, Domincalita or Dominical (for the more experienced). I unfortunately did not get to try, but if you have a good amount of time here, I would highly recommend.

5. Slide down Uvita Waterfall

Uvita has many hidden waterfalls, Uvita is one of the more well known ones. You could definitely walk here if you’d like to save money on a cab, but if not, there are plenty of taxis that can take you. You’ll feel like a part of the jungle here. There’s a small fee of 2 mil colones (about 3 dollars usd) to get inside and then a small hike along a beautiful river with many opportunities to go for a swim.

Keep going to the end to see Uvita waterfall. It isn’t very high or wide but it is a simple gem with something special about it. Locals love it! you can actually swim up to the waterfall, climb up a ladder to the top and either jump off or slide down the waterfall into the pool at the bottom!

Of course, I had to try this and be sure to be prepared for how fast the waterfall takes you, but I highly recommend!

You can also feel free to book tours to the hidden waterfalls of Uvita. A taxi driver could probably take you to a few as well. Just tell them to take you to all the local waterfalls!

6. Visit Isle Uvita

A short boat ride from Uvita, you’ll need a tour guide to get here. This area is perfect for those who want a day on the water to snorkle the south Pacific.

If only I had more time here to experience it all… it will for sure call me back. I would say that this area of Costa Rica (Costa Rica in general) is very safe and very quiet. If you would like a more peaceful visit to CR, Uvita is perfect. Dominical for those who want to hit up a few more bars and surf.

I stayed at Casa Morpho for a budget stay while I was here and ate often as a vegetarian at El French Cafe.

Posted on January 31, 2022January 31, 2022 by Shawntelle Moncy — Leave a comment

Visiting Central Colorado

When I first visited Colorado, I honestly had no idea what to expect. Landing in Denver, I didn’t expect this area of CO to be so abundant in wildlife and adventure. To anyone who plans to visit, even for a small time such as an overnight layover, there is much to see in this area of the state. None of which have any park fees (that as a Washingtonian, I was very used to.)

Here are the ones that I experienced and that I highly recommend. Though I shall caution you to not overdo yourself, as you can get easily winded due to the high elevation gain in the mile high city.

1. Red Rock Park + Amphitheater

This park is a short 30 minutes from Denver and an easy, yet beautiful exploration for a long layover that will not disappoint. There are a few different ways to explore this park, you can head up to the amphitheater and get a view of the whole park or you can use the loop trail that is about 1.5 miles roundtrip and mostly flat.

I recommend you try both to get the best experience, as it is not very difficult. Through the loop, you are walking through all the rock formations and also get some history along the way.

I was fortunate enough to see mule deer, plenty of birds in the brush and also a bobcat!

2. Garden of the Gods

This beautiful park is highly popular, so expect large crowds… but it’s for good reason that you must see for yourself. This park is located in west Colorado Springs, about an hour and 20 minutes from Denver. Simply driving into this park is nothing short of magnificent.

There are several parking areas here, so don’t feel pressured to wait around for parking at the first entrance, as this is the busiest. All parking areas allow access to all the trails. Take your time to soak in all the enormous rock formations and I recommend strolling down every trail, as they all have different things to see and other angles. Once you part from the beginning of the trail, you’ll find much less people on the back trails.

If you here during any season besides winter, beware of rattle snakes (at any park in Colorado). You can also spot prairie hawks at the tops of the rocks here. The hike itself is very easy, almost the entire loop is a wide paved walkway, although I recommend climbing up towards the tops as well.

Don’t forget to drive around the entire park! On the opposite side of the main lot is a beautiful view of all the rock formations and allows you to see them all at a new angle.

3. Rock Rock Canyon Open Space

I didn’t expect much from this place, but it over delivered by far! This area is way less touristy and truly is open wilderness. You can choose to stay on the path or crawl up into the rocks in a way that allows you to experience the rocks of Colorado in the best way you can.

This is located in west Colorado Springs as well and can be easily missed if you don’t pay attention.

There is a loop trail that allows you to see a lake in the middle that unfortunately I didn’t get to do but I highly recommend. I was able to see mule deer here as well as owls and a tremendous view of the Garden of the Gods from afar.

4. Palmer Park

My friend showed me this place to watch the sunrise and I highly recommend you do the same, as this area can have crowds during the day and it supplies the best views without the direct sunlight. Palmer Park is in Colorado Springs as well.

There are many ways to explore this area, you can go straight to the top and wander around or find a trail somewhere and experience as much of the area as you’d like.

This area has a variety of rock formations that are mostly grey with some red as well and has a great view of the city of Colorado Springs. Great place for bird watching, morning meditations and of course… watching the sun rise.

5. Pikes Peak

Now, I did not get to experience this hike, as it is for the advanced locals that are already acclimated to the high altitude. But you can see the peak of this mountain everywhere in Colorado Springs, there is apparently many ways to experience it, but the elevation gain is about 7400 feet! Depending on how you decide to hike this trail, it’s about 5 miles each way. You can also drive it or take a railway!

6. Devil’s Head Lookout

Unfortunately it was far too snowy for us to hike this area, but Devil’s Head is a Colorado staple. About an hour from Denver, this hike goes through tree lines on a simple 3 mile round trip hike. At the end, you climb up some stairs to the lookout house, where you can see amazing views of Denver and rock formations.

This hike does close on account of snow sometimes in the winter, so be sure to check if it’s open.

I now can see why so many love Colorado. There is such beauty to experience all around you while also being within a big city that has it all. All these trails were remarkably clean and the city reminded me of the PNW in it’s design and it’s people. I hope you visit soon and give these trails a try. 🙂

Posted on January 17, 2022January 17, 2022 by Shawntelle Moncy — Leave a comment

Snow Lake and Mason Lake, WA

Each state in the PNW has it’s very special places to explore and although I did consider Oregon to be my favorite, there are things Washington has that Oregon doesn’t and vice versa. The windy, moody beaches and … the many lakes in the center of mountain tops, such as the Alpine Lakes along the Snoqualmie pass.

There are many hikes in this area, but today we are going to talk about Snow Lake and Mason Lake. You do not have to travel to Alberta, Canada to see Insta famous prestine blue lake waters amonst snow filled mountains. You can find them right here in Washington, as well many other locations in Washington state.

The first time I went to hike Snow Lake, it was closed off due to snowfall (isn’t that ironic). So instead, we ventured over to Mason Lake, I say this because if you plan to hike Snow Lake, I would say the end of Octobor may be the last time before the snow hits and it closes for the winter until the snow melts, as it can be a treturous trail.

MASON LAKE, WA FACTS

Dog friendly – Yes

Distance – 6.5 miles roundtrip

Elevation Gain – 2420 ft.

Mason Lake, also called the Ira Spring Trail, is right off I-90 on Snoqualmie pass. It is a 6.5 round trip hike with an impressive 2420 ft. elevation gain, highest point being 4320 ft. This trail is dog friendly and leads to the beautiful Mason Lake, which is not nearly as large as snow lake, but still beautiful and easy to find yourself a little nook that you can have lunch before heading back down.

It was full of grey jays when we went that LOVED our granola and ate it right out of our hands, which was one of my favorite parts of this hike, honestly. Of course, this lake is crystal clear and prestine, well worth the hike. Even our chihuahua, almost made it all the way up on his own!

SNOW LAKE, WA FACTS

Dog Friendly – Yes

Distance – 7 miles roundtrip

Elevation Gain 1800ft

We did make our way to Snow Lake later that year and it was well worth the wait. This hike is a little further, about 7 miles roundtrip with an elevation gain of 1800 ft., yet the highest point was about 4400 ft. You will take the West Summit exit, at the top of Snoqualmie, this hike takes you high into the mountain.

The hike starts off very steep but goes away quickly and stays pretty moderate the rest of the way, making it not very difficult, although much of it is on slick granite stone and can be challenging to not twist your ankle… not sure if I’d recommend it for kids. It is also dog friendly and our dog loved seeing snow, which wasn’t anywhere else on Snoqualmie but we started to see some half way through the hike.

If you go when the snow is melting, which we did, you will be hiking along water most of the way which is quite beautiful. You also will hike across a few small waterfalls, really making you feel connected to nature.

When you reach the top, you can see the lake from above, then you can hike all the way down to the lake itself, crossing some meadows and other small waterfalls. The views are incredible, you are in this bowl of snow covered mountains and crystal clear waters. When we went it was overcast and lovely, but I’m sure if you go with the sun out that the water shows it’s blue beauty.

We brought a fly rod because there are rainbow trout in this lake, but if you want to fish here, be sure to bring waders, as you would have to wade about 20 feet to throw a good cast.

I highly recommend this hike before the winter or beginning of spring, so you can see some of the beautiful snow top mountains reflecting on the water. You will not be disappointed.

Posted on June 26, 2021August 16, 2021 by Shawntelle Moncy — Leave a comment

Connect with the Mexican jungle and your Spirit at Azul Nomeolvides ~ Bacalar

I recently spent a full two months in Quintana Roo, Mexico and ended it in Bacalar. Bacalar is an up-and-coming touristic town, 3 hours south of Tulum, along the Bacalar lagoon, also known as the lagoon of seven colors. It stays true to its name, with many different colors of blues and greens and deep cenotes along the rim.

If you plan to visit this soon-to-be popular town in Mexico, there is no better place to stay than at Azul Nomeolvides. These beautiful eco-cabana’s are right on the Bacalar Lagoon, deep inside the Mexican jungle, down a bumpy dirt road, way off the beaten path.

These 6 luxury cabanas are fully operated by solar power and truly allow you to be one with nature. With an outdoor bathroom and no television or high electric items of any kind; this serene stay prizes the connection with its jungle.

Our time spent here was truly tranquil. We woke up each morning to the sounds of the birds and walked out onto our private patio to read our books, facing the magnificent view of the Bacalar lagoon, listening to its soft waves.

Azul Nomeolvides is just fifteen minutes from the town of Bacalar. Delicious Mexican food and activities are not far away. Although at this unique spot, kayaks are included for you to use during your stay and you can launch them off right in front of your cabana.

Another perk within staying in this beautiful spot is they provide their own organic sunscreen, aloe vera, lotion, bug repellent, hand soap, body soap and shampoo. So if you plan to come to stay here, no need to fill your baggage up with these goods, and they smell like coconut!

There is also a little kitchen with the sweetest staff and a small yet delicious menu for breakfast, lunch, dinner, cocktails, beer and wineYou can choose to take your meal to your room or eat it in the small dining area, surrounded by books and games and two sweet dogs of the owners, Clementina and Tabatha!

Nothing could top the sound of the Mexican jungle in the night, it was the most perfect sound to fall asleep to each night. We were lucky enough to catch a few thunderstorms that we had prime seating to, as the entire front half of the cabana is all windows.

Staying here is like making a whole new home away from home on the beautiful lagoon of seven colors in Bacalar, MX that was difficult to leave and I highly recommend it to anyone who plans to visit this beautiful town of Bacalar.

Click here to book your stay here.

Posted on December 4, 2020January 13, 2021 by Shawntelle Moncy — Leave a comment

Wandering Yellowstone

You know when you hear so much about a place that it loses your interest? Well, that’s what I thought about Yellowstone… until I step foot there and let me tell you… it is other worldly!

Yellowstone is America’s First National Park, sitting on top of the world’s most active volcanic platform! As soon as you enter this massive park, it’s not uncommon to have slow traffic due to herds of elk, bison on the road or other wildlife surprises. When the park opens up, you immediately see steam seeping from the ground and it’s hard to make the decision as to which direction to head first.

What I love about this park is that it is very spacious and spread out. There isn’t much of an issue finding parking or hitting any form of traffic like you may in some other National Parks and you can get around very easily. So, don’t stress that you wont have enough time to see the whole park, as you could easily do so in about 3-4 days.

Keep your eyes out and ears open for wildlife at all times. We were fortunate enough to see a National Geographic status bull amongst 100+ elk during the rut season! As well as a bull chasing a female that was something that no one else got to catch, because we stopped and heard the bull’s call.

We also a heard of bison (not uncommon if you look ) and spotted a mountain goat and her two babies, which started a massive crowd of people to come in and observe as well!

On top of wildlife and volcanic action, there are several GORGEOUS waterfalls in this park as well, so if you have the chance to do a short hike to one, don’t hesitate.

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Something I wish we would have paid attention to is what eruptions may happen each day, as some geysers will go off every week, every month, once a year, once every ten years… whatever it is, it’s good to know and try to catch! Old Faithful is popular for it’s consistency, but their are plenty of other AMAZING geysers in the park.

Everywhere you visit in this park is mind boggling, so although you may want to rush towards the most popular Old Faithful and Mammoth Springs, I honestly think these are not the most beautiful in this park. Just take every turn you can to see something and it will not disappoint!

Click Image for Full Size

Posted on September 15, 2020January 13, 2021 by Shawntelle Moncy — Leave a comment

Exploring Glacier National Park

Glacier has become quiet a popular and Instagrammable area! And guys, it’s with good reason! This spot gets packed by like 11AM every single day and it was worth waiting around 4 hours to get inside.

Glacier National Park is also known as the ‘Crown of the Continent’, located in beautiful Montana at the top of the U. S and on into Canada. This area is also the second most populated area for grizzly bears, right after Alaska!

It is known for it’s mountains, glaciers, amazing hikes and incredibly blue water. The most popular attraction here is the ‘Going To The Sun Road.’ This road goes WAY UP into the mountain tops, a road that seems impossible to even exist and brings you to insane scenic views of valleys, glaciers, mountains and wildlife.

Going To The Sun Road

You can spot bighorn sheep, grizzly’s and mountain goats, amongst other animals of course, in this area. We were fortunate enough to see a grizzly, just 80 yards or so from us, right off of a short trail located near the summit of the ‘Going To The Sun Road!’

Lake McDonald is one of Glacier’s most Instagrammed locations and is one of the first beautiful sites right inside the west entrance to the park. It is known for it’s bright blue waters and colorful rocks. You can also kayak in this lake!

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If you plan on heading here, I would highly recommend planning ahead for hiking. Many of the hikes are very long, including several backpacking trips to see some amazing locations, such as Iceberg Lake. Many hikes lead to the iconic blue waters tucked in a valley of mountains.

There are some shorter hikes as well. I highly recommend Avalanche Lake, this leads to the same iconic view of Glacier, with only a 5 mile round trip hike. Avalanche Lake is absolutely breath taking and being in the middle of massive mountains, with giant waterfalls running through them is a feeling you have to experience.

Glacier has a few easy turn offs as well, such as a few waterfalls, scenic viewpoints, blue pools and wild life viewing areas. But anywhere you can marvel at it’s massive mountains, it just makes you feel so expansive!

As I said before, plan ahead. This park is open 24/7, but camp grounds and hotels nearby sell out FAST. I recommend getting into the park no later than 9AM. To keep nature thriving, there is minimal parking in this incredible place, and entrances after McDonald Lodge often get shut down sooner due to parking.

Glacier is definitely all it’s worked up to be, so get there and get there soon!! 🙂

Posted on November 8, 2019January 11, 2021 by Shawntelle Moncy — Leave a comment

Exploring Bali – What To See and Do

Monkey Sanctuary, Ubud

You can’t come to Bali and not go to the Monkey Sanctuary! This place is located in Ubud, the center of the island and is COVERED with monkeys. These monkeys do not seem to care how close you get to them and will come right up on you even. They are very laid back animals, even in other places of the island.

They are quiet adorable and fun to go see up close. Be careful to not bring any plastic bags, as they will FOR SURE, go for them. They went for mine and tore my bag.

Also, do not look at a monkey directly in the eye, as it is a sign of aggression. I made that mistake before I knew of this and a monkey chased after me relentlessly, and it was quiet scary. They have large teeth, though they are not usually aggressive to humans unless bothered.

Waterfalls

Bali is abundant in waterfalls. The most popular being Sekumpul, NungNung, Banyumala Twin, Tegenungan, Air Terjun Tibumana and SingSing. I saw two of these…. Now that I think of that alone, all of them are so beautiful I MUST come back! 🙂 They are very scattered throughout the island. These are Air Terjun Tibumana and SingSing.

Rice Terraces

Most of the large, beautiful rice terraces are located near Ubud, in the center of the island. Though, don’t be fooled. You can find some pretty amazing rice terraces literally right off the streets of Bali! There can be an open field somewhere off the road and you’ll find one, or one between a gas station and a food mart. They are quiet unexpected.

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Temples

The temples in Bali are stunning and you do not have to travel far to see them. Though the most popular are Uluwatu Temple, Tirta Empul, Tanah Lot Temple, Ulun Danu Beratan Temple, Taman Ayun Temple and Goa Lawah Temple.

Unfortunately, I did not see any of these temples (gives me a reason to come back!) I did see a few that I do not remember the names of. But in Bali, you will find temples everywhere!
It is a Bali law that if you build a home, farm or anything in between, you must build a temple for it as well, to pray for and bless the place.

For this reason you will see them right off the streets and they are all beautiful, though private. There are plenty of large temples that are public as well.

To enter a temple, you must wear a sarong and women that are on their periods are unable to enter. There are usually a place where you can use a sarong to enter the temple nearby, but not always.

Nusa Penida

This is an island off the coast of Bali, but still considered Bali. The roads are still undeveloped at this point and are very, very bumpy, but well worth the view points that they lead to! They are in the process of making new roads. There are also hardly any shops and restaurants, unlike the main island. But you can still find a place to eat during your visit.

You have to pay to use the bathroom at most places, unless your in a restaurant, and the bathrooms are NOT CLEANLY!

But above all else, you can see some spectacular view points, some monkeys and beautiful blue waters here. If you go to Bali, you must visit here!

Bali Healing Ritual

We went to Ubud for a Bali healing ritual and it was incredible, truly an experience I will never forget.

A healer will meet with you to do a palm reading then a ceremony with holy water and flowers to cleanse your spirit of negative energies and bring power.

After wards you will learn the prayers that the Hindu participate in every morning and in the temples to bring balance and harmony to your life. To read all about it and see more photos, I have a whole blog dedicated to the amazing experience here.

Coffee Plantation

Bali is home to the best coffee in the world, made when an animal called a Luwak, poops out the best coffee beans that it ate. They are then cleaned thoroughly and roasted to make the world’s best coffee. The Luwak only eats the best coffee beans and it’s digestive tract make the coffee beans germinate.

This is the most expensive coffee in the world, so it is a must see! When you go to the coffee plantation, you can walk the grounds where the coffee beans and other plants are grown. See the luwaks and get the whole explanation of the process.

You then can taste Bali coffee, a number of other coffee’s and teas made from the farm and try the luwak coffee as well. All while being in the quiet jungle with an incredible view. It was one of my favorite spots.

This coffee is hardly exported, as they do not have enough to supply high demand.

Bali is full of so much beautiful destinations and culture, I can’t wait to go back and experience more and tell you all about it. 🙂

Posted on October 31, 2019January 12, 2021 by Shawntelle Moncy — 1 Comment

Hindu Cleansing Ceremony Experience – Bali, Indonesia

I recently traveled to Bali, Indonesia, which currently is a sought out destination, but it is the religion and culture that most intrigued me about coming to this beautiful island.

About 60 percent of the country of Indonesia is Hindu, a lot of Muslim and a little Buddhist. I had the wonderful opportunity to partake in a traditional Bali Healing Ritual with a healer in Bali and it was a exceptional experience to cleanse the spirit and to learn more about the Hindu religion.

A strong Hindu belief is that water is cleansing, for this reason, I was completely drenched in holy water and flowers by the end of this experience.

Before the healing experience, we met with the Balinese healer, her name was Desak, to do a palm reading, she sensed our emotions of our past and what we needed to do moving forward in our current life.

After this, we walked to an extended deck over a river, where I sat criss-crossed across a bunch of flowers. Desak poured holy water and flowers over me, to wash away negative energies and let them drop down to the river and flow all the way to the ocean to cleanse my spirit. This ceremony is called a melukat ceremony.

During the holy water being poured, she was saying ancient Hindu mantras in a deep voice, like you would when you meditate and say you’re “OM’s.” These mantras were based around cleansing the spirit, banishing negative energies and for protection.

As soon as the water started to hit me, emotions came to me that I couldn’t even explain. I started to cry and I wasn’t even really sure why, but the healer wanted me to let them out, to yell, to cry, to weep, to express myself and let go of these emotions, to rid them with the water all the way to the ocean.

She hugged me and knew exactly how to help me let my emotions go, she knew exactly what to say, even though I did not tell her why I had these emotions.

She guided my breathing in a way to let energy flow, bad energy out, good energies in.

Something stuck with me this day, she said, “never keep this in again.” It’s strange that even if you don’t have a dramatic experience during the time of this ritual, it brings out feelings you didn’t know you even had, but it may only be because you never truly let it go, just buried it.

After the cleansing was done, it was time to bring the power. Desak then poured more holy water and flowers on me, and each time she did, she blessed me with the power of wisdom, the power of knowledge, the power of love and the power of harmony.

With holy water, she blessed my hands and my knees, she blessed my feet, for everywhere I walk, the Universe supports me.

This experience was like no other, at one point my whole body was tingling and I almost felt like I was going to pass out, it’s something that I cannot explain.

By the end of this healing session, I was sitting criss-cross for probably over twenty minutes without really feeling it, it took about five more minutes of help to start walking again.

After this, they handed us our offerings for our blessings.

Everywhere in Bali, you’ll see offerings, in front of doorsteps, on the streets, on the counters, literally everywhere! There will be rice, incense, fruit, flowers and a number of other things.

This is an offering to the God’s and is put there every morning for people to pray to the God’s and The Universe. We were able to have our own offerings specific to cleansing.

The purpose of a Bali blessing is to bring more harmony between yourself and the universe, balance the chakras, release karma from past lives that might still plague you, and encourage prime health, happiness, safety, finances and a bright future.

We did this by following Desak’s prayers to the God’s, drinking holy water three times, blessing our offerings with holy water, placing rice on our third eye’s and our throat chakras.

We ended the ritual by Desak putting a small bracelet of black, red and white around our wrists to represent connection to the God’s, connection to nature and connection to the Universe.

Afterwards we ate our foods of our blessing together and were able to share them with people we choose, I shared some with our healer. 🙂

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This was one of my favorite things about coming to Bali and was truly an experience I will never forget.

Posted on October 13, 2019January 13, 2021 by Shawntelle Moncy — Leave a comment

Full Moon Self Care Ritual

There are plenty of different rituals and beliefs about how to spend your time during a full moon. This is the phase of the moon where you bring in the energy of the Universe to celebrate your achievements for the goals you set for yourself during the new moon, leading all the way up to this time.

For this reason, I take the time of the full moon to reflect and have some serious self-care time for myself. Self care is different for everyone, but I recommend taking it to the next level on the phase of the full moon, doing something a little extra that you don’t normally do.

Self-care is something that we may forget to do in the today’s world, where there are so many distractions that you feel like should have your attention, rather than simply making yourself happy. But you cannot be effective in any of your tasks if you are not aligned with your energy and feeling full.

So here is my self-care ritual that I like to do on a full moon, I feel so peaceful after this ritual and I hope it can help you feel peaceful on this full moon as well. 🙂

The Aura

As you guys may already know, I am huge on creating the perfect aura, every day but especially for rituals. For me, this just keeps me in the zone, keeps me peaceful and makes me feel good about being the space that I’m in.

So first things first, cleanse your space with a sage smudge stick or with palo santo. This gets rid of all the negative energy in your space, cause you don’t have time for that shit tonight.

Light as many candles as you have, light some incense, lay your crystals about (and remember to afterwards put them in the moonlight to be charged).

Meditation

Do a short meditation, just to clear any of the thoughts remaining in your mind from the day and start fresh. Focus on taking deep, long breaths during this meditation and it may be nice to end your meditation by putting some relaxing essential oils, such as lavender or a balancing blend on your wrists and inhaling them in. I will list some of my favorites at the end.

A Flower Mandala

I do not do these often, but every time I do, I feel so aligned and peaceful by the end of it. If you don’t know what a flower mandala is, it’s basically flower petals that you take and create a mandala on your floor, which you can combine with crystals, candles or whatever you wish.

I love doing these because it is so different, but it is incredibly peaceful to do. At first you may overthink it and it may feel awkward and you may second guess yourself, but as soon as you let that go, hours can fly by in what seems like only twenty minutes.

I consider this a form of meditation, because focusing on on some sort of art, really keeps your mind from wandering off elsewhere.

Turn on some slow music or frequencies while you do this or if you prefer silence than do that! And drink some tea, wine or whatever it is you drink to spoil yourself. Take as long as you want to do this!

Here is a quick picture I took of my last flower mandala. I drew this inspiration to partake in these by @sallymustang, I recommend looking up some of her work on Instagram.

Though I feel it’s important to say to not compare yourself to ANYONE else, the point is not how pretty your mandala is, it’s about creating art and creating peace for your mind.

A Bath Ritual

After your mandala, take any extra flower pedals you may have and draw yourself a warm bath, with the flower pedals, essential oils (highly recommended), bubbles, crystals, candles whatever it is you feel would be your best bath!

I put a crystal in the bath water sometimes if I feel the chakra associated with that crystal needs balancing.

During bath rituals I really like to listen to singing bowls, you can find plenty of videos of these on Youtube. I like these because they tend to just echo and vibrate the whole bathroom and of course you can choose a specific vibration that will attract something specific to your life, which for me lately has been abundance.

While in your bath ritual you can read, meditate, do mantras, affirmations, gratefulness practices or even sleep. Do whatever it is you feel your soul needs!

Skin Care Routine

I believe a skin care routine to be a ritual within itself. Today is the day to do your full skin care ritual, your skin has already been being steamed by the bath water, follow it with your face wash, exfoliant, toner, a mask and a finishing moisturizer or skin oil. My favorite skin care brands for things such as this is Aveda, as it’s scents are plant based and smell so lovely.

If you want to put on lotion, do some hair care or whatever, feel free to do so. 🙂

End your night by doing a finishing meditation, this can last much longer as your mind is most likely already cleared. Finish with some mantras for self-care, such as :

I am a goddess, I am abundant and attract abundance, I am loved and attract love, I radiate positive energy and attract positive energy. I am beautiful, I am enough. I am confident and passionate. I am grounded and full of energy. The Universe is in my favor.

You can also partake in some “OM’s” before ending your meditation, I like this as it slows down your mind on a whole other level.

You can end the night by reading a book or journaling, just try to refrain from the tv or your phone before you go to bed tonight. You may find yourself sleeping better and waking up more aligned within yourself. 🙂

Happy Full Moon Loves!

My full moon ritual recommendations :

Full Moon Body Oils: Among The Flowers and Spirit Element

Essential Oils: Aveda Shampure

Posted on October 6, 2019January 13, 2021 by Shawntelle Moncy — Leave a comment

Morning Ritual To Raise Your Vibration

Morning rituals are so important to get your day started off right. Setting your alignment with The Universe first thing in the morning, sets you on your path for the day and how are you going to react to the days challenges.

I am by no means a morning person, but I take this time extremely serious and have grown to love my morning ritual; it is a time for self-care before anything else can get your attention.

This is my ideal morning ritual, though sometimes I don’t have time for all of it, there is not one day where I do not do at least half of this ritual.

First things first…

Make sure your alarm is not outrageous! Sure, your alarm is meant to wake you up, but any loud(ish) noise in the morning will wake you up regardless. Set your alarm to something that is relaxing so you don’t start off your morning irritated by your own alarm! And wake up slowly, you don’t need to jump out of bed like it’s a mission, do some in-bed yoga poses, love on your significant other or your animals. Make your morning enjoyable. And PLEASE, try to avoid using your phone.

After waking up, open up some windows or step outside for a minute to be connected with nature for a bit! Sip plenty of water to get you hydrated, infused with cucumber or lemon can give you an extra boost! Listen to the sounds of nature for a bit and allow your mind some time to slowly wake. I find it super relaxing in the morning.

I normally light some incense while I do my morning ritual, I love breathing in relaxing and/or invigorating smells!

Following that, take some time for your skin care, I wash my face and use moisturizer on my face before starting my morning ritual, to allow my moisturizer time to absorb into my skin. I will put my favorites at the end of this blog.

While your skin is soaking in it’s morning nutrients, turn on some relaxing music (recommendations here) for a short morning yoga session to get your body moving.

I do very simple yoga in the morning, sometimes more advanced and lengthy if I have more time, but some simple cat, cows and warrior poses is just fine.

Right after yoga, I go from my last child’s pose to a seated position for meditation. I’ll keep the same music going and do some silent meditation to settle my mind, or depending on what I’m currently wanting to focus on, do a guided meditation.

At the end of my meditation with some gratefulness practices, mentioning what I am grateful for, everyone’s gratefulness practices should be different and ever changing, but here are my recent ones :

“I am grateful for this brand new day to breath and to be, I’m grateful for this coffee, for this water, for my job. I’m grateful I have a car, grateful I have support in my life. I am grateful for my health and grateful for the support of The Universe.”

It’s important to not overthink this practice, nor the following one, and to just make it relate able to you. No one is hearing this, it is simply for you and your mind. Don’t worry about making it sound perfect and poetic.

After this, go into some affirmations, these should be ever changing and customize-able to you, but something to align your energy for the day ahead. Here are some that I am currently using.

“My body is rested and my mind is clear, The Universe supports me today, I am full of energy and radiate positive energy. I am confident, I am persistent. I am having fun today, I am inspiring others, I am aligned with my goals today.”

Both of those practices work well to say out loud, write on paper or both. Whichever you prefer.

After this, practice some vibration work. Some simple, OM’s can work wonders to get you aligned with The Universe and wake up your body. If you have a singing bowl, this is also a fantastic morning energy/vibration practice.