We watch the planets and the moon to speak to our hearts and help us to ground us in all that’s happening in our lives. This time it’s so much bigger. This time we look for guidance and to connect within to our inner knowing. The practice of aligning with the rhythmic cycle of the universe is medicine to the soul.

By becoming aware of the cycles of the moon and how they affect both personally AND societally is a small step on the path to wholeness and connection.

Today we are greeted by a Full Moon Lunar in Sagittarius which is the first in a series of three. A Full Moon is heightened and charged up but an eclipse is that much more so. It’s when the earth, sun and moon are in alignment. We’re currently in the middle of a high retrograde season already encouraging us to slow down, reassess life and call in powerful transformations. Get ready for an awakening!

This is an awakening on a global and personal level to all that has been in the shadows and to the imbalances across systems and our own limited realities. This process is painful but powerful. It’s up to us to feel empowered to move to action and not fall to victimization.

“Our collective lens has focalized on the experience of our black brothers, sisters and relatives that continue to be subjected to racism rooted in white supremacy and abuse that has been systematically allowed to perpetuate. Our expanding realizations are transforming into bridges of solidarity and action calls to the ways we can each proactively participate in the active dismantling of the oppressive systems that we consciously or unconsciously maintain.” - Mystic Mama

It’s time to expand and evolve. Use the Sagittarian energy to stir up positive change and reinvent new ways to support our life here on earth for everyone. 

The Full Moon Lunar Eclipse

We officially entered eclipse season where energy is charged, emotions are HIGH, and there are deep, deep layers. This Full Moon rests in independent and strong-willed Sagittarius. 

This is a powerful moment in our history. We can use this lunar event to turn into our intuition in order to listen to what’s on our hearts and feel confident in what we need to share. When we’re able to tap into our inner knowing we open up space for so much expansion and evolution. 

This moon is giving us permission to fully meet our shadows and we move through this momentous time in history and become part of the global awakening. Let’s raise the vibration of the collective. 

Perform a Full Moon Practice

In order to listen to our intuition and connect to the deep insight, we need to be in a place of openness and ease. With the heavy stress we are facing, our nervous systems are completely thrown off so it’s important to rely on practices like breathwork and meditation to help slow down and soften so you can LISTEN.

Try out this check-in practice on your own:

1. Gather a pen and journal, candle and matches, card deck (optional), crystals, and tea.
2. Sit or lie down comfortably
3. Take three deep, grounding BREATHS
4. Place a hand on your heart or on your belly and list everything you’re grateful for - go for as vast or as few as you would like
5. Write down in your journal 1-2 things you’re currently feeling
6. Write or speak in your mind your INTENTION for this Full Moon Lunar Eclipse

A beautiful way to infuse more loving energy into your Full Moon practices is with the Mystical Moon Ritual Bundle which will give you the tools you need to create your own moon ceremony. I've been using my Dragon's Blood Sage non-stop during this time of such heaviness and transformation.

Journal prompts: Think about where you are in your life. Is there anything you’re unsure about? Any choices you go back and forth on? What are you doubting at this moment in your life?

What are your intentions for this moon cycle? How do you plan to celebrate today’s Full Moon Lunar Eclipse? Let me know in the comments below!

It’s time to roll up our sleeves, people. Somehow, SIXTY years after the civil rights movement we STILL have a racism issue. We STILL have an IGNORANCE issue.

This will be an ongoing list of the things you can do TODAY. Here are some ideas to help you get started: share, share, share, educate yourself, educate someone else, help, help, help, stand on front lines, end a vicious cycle, do the right thing, share a story, lift someone who’s suffering, donate to causes that support, sign a petition, learn to recognize + understand your own privilege & teach your children, look at your own biases & consider where they originated, find out how your company or school works to expand opportunities for minorities, list goes on.... let’s hear yours!

“Civil rights didn’t change anything. We are all racist inside. It’s a sickness our European ancestors took on for access to property. It’s ingrained in America. It’s important to grieve this.”

EDUCATE YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY

• Racial Justice Research Document. READ HERE.
• THIS ARTICLE
• Tons of books on this page with ones for your kiddos. I purchased “A is for Activist”, “Let’s Talk About Race”, and “The Skin You’re In”.
• Read and Support Rachel Cargle (@rachel.cargle) in her anti-racism work. 
• This list of anti-racism resources
• This article for a list of books for kiddos to read. 
• This article full of recourses + tips to begin talking to your kids about race.
• Parenting recourse to raise anti-racist children. READ HERE.
• A list of contemporary books on systemic, entrenched racism. READ HERE

The following is from this article in Harper’s Bazaar:

DONATE

• Floyd's brother, Philonise Floyd, has started a GoFundMe to assist his family in their time of grief and need. DONATE HERE
• The Minnesota Freedom Fund, a grassroots organization currently working with the National Lawyers Guild and the Legal Rights Center, will use donations to bail out arrested protestors and to supply those on the field. DONATE HERE
• Reclaim the Block, a grassroots organization based in Minneapolis, will use funds to address community needs. DONATE HERE
• Black Visions Collective, which is based in Minnesota, focuses its work on transformative justice in the state. DONATE HERE
• North Star Health Collective is a group of street medics, radical health organizers, and community health trainers based in Minneapolis and St. Paul, and will use funds for gear and medical supplies on the field. DONATE HERE
• Organizers in Louisville, Kentucky–the city that Breonna Taylor lived in–have created a community bail fund for protestors. DONATE HERE

CALL GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES

• Contact Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey to demand justice. You can also call his office at 612-673-2100. REACH OUT HERE
• Demand County Attorney Mike Freeman charge the officers with murder by calling him at 612-348-5550.

SIGN PETITIONS

• Color of Change's petition demands that Frey block the involved officers from receiving their pensions and ban them from being able to become police officers again, as well as demands that Freeman charge the officers with murder. You can also text "FLOYD" to 55156 to sign the petition. SIGN THE PETITION HERE
• Another petition posted on Change.org is also trying to get the attention of Frey and Freeman. It currently has more than two million signatures and is aiming for at least three million. SIGN THE PETITION HERE

Text FLOYD to 55156 for George

Text ENOUGH to 55156 for Breanna

Text JUSTICE to 55156 for Ahmaud

This Instagram Post.

Over the last few months, we’ve had information overload with tons of ways to navigate these times, boost your health, support immunity and restore balance. There’s SO much energy in the world right now and I want to make sure I’m doing my best to share a ton of valuable content on what is helping ME stay balanced, tips + tricks for what’s keeping my immune system supported and how I’m moving my body and finding peace within a FULL home. 

Most importantly, this is a time to listen to yourself and your needs. You and you alone speak to yourself. Be kind. Be gentle. Be understanding. It’s more about aligning with your flow and tapping into your highest power. 

These are the tools and rituals that help boost immunity and allow me to tap into my F L O W.

Turning my HIGH ENERGY + stress into helpful action. I’ve been teaching almost every Sunday for the past three months an intuitive yoga movement class and sharing all the stress-relieving tips that work for me. It’s a beautiful way to connect with my community and has been a reminder of how much I find joy in teaching.

Try out this free intuitive movement class on my YouTube!

High Vibrational + Alkalizing Nourishment. The food we eat is our first form of defense, medicine and support. 80% of our immune cells are in the gut so by strengthening gut health you boost immunity. When you choose whole, real foods you are supporting your whole health. I fuel my body with smoothies, salads, broths, grains, veggies and SUPERFOODS (the most efficient + effective way to restore the body) every day. 

To make sure your body is receiving all of the nourishment it needs to keep you free from sickness and GLOWING, make it a daily ritual to whip up an energizing smoothie filled with fruits + veggies, Philosophie superfoods, and coconut water or nut mylks. Try this Dragonfruit Smoothie Bowl!

Take a relaxing walk. Have you ever noticed that after a low-intensity workout or yoga flow, you actually feel energized? According to a University of Georgia study, a light workout can boost your energy by 20%.

Take in as much natural vitamin D as you can even if it’s just for a 10-minute walk in your neighborhood. I love being outside. I try to get outside at least once a day even if it’s just a short morning walk around the neighborhood with my kiddos. Being in nature can be calming and nurturing to your soul, spirit and body.

A spoonful of raw superfood honey a day keeps the flu away! The moment you feel a scratchy throat, try Philosophie Green Bee Honey or Berry Bee Honey (loaded with extra vitamin C) to lubricate the throat and boost your immune system with superfoods and adaptogens to heal you quickly.

Take a power nap. Overloading our brains with new info and then analyzing and storing all of that data can zap some of our energy. The National Institute of Mental Health has found that by taking short + sweet 60-minutes naps, we can restore our energy and actually better retain any new info we’ve gathered during the day.

Drink your chlorophyll water! Chlorophyll helps to eliminate harmful bacteria from the body, hydrates + heals the skin and boosts your energy.

My kiddos are growing up and I wanted to create a space that supported this next level of their evolution. We all needed a bit of a distraction and creating this playroom has been such a fun project during these months in quarantine. I’m so excited to share this space with you and hope it inspires you!

Here’s the story: our last au pair left early this year. She was living in a spare bedroom we had upstairs down the wall from the master bedroom and kids’ rooms. The “playroom” for the boys was downstairs but it just became a dumping ground for lost toys and things. When our au pair left we felt it was best to switch the playroom with her room so it was more accessible to the kids, more connected to us adults, but the kids still had a space all their own.

I worked with my love, Dany of Spatial Soulutions who helped to completely transform and up-level our entire home. Dany is a holistic stylist on a mission to help people create conscious, beautiful and functional spaces. She’s offering virtual sessions if you want to get started now while you’re at home.

THE WHY BEHIND THE SPACE

When you have three kiddos at home all under the age of 10 - messes happen. I’ve always believed the sign of a mess is the sign of life fully being lived and experienced. Yet as a Taurus, I thrive off creating warm, grounded energy in my home and having a clean space does ease my stress. I wanted a playroom that encouraged their play, imagination and growth but didn’t become a room of constant mess. The organization, simplifying, and intentional design was key so I partnered up with Pottery Barns Kids to take this room to the NEXT LEVEL.

We wanted the playroom to be soothing and open which is why we stuck to a very neutral color palette. We dedicated the closet to board games + costumes – items that are more colorful and harsh on the eye. We got this mid-century toy chest from Pottery Barn Kids (obsessed!) for all the dress-up accessories to live in right next to the closet. 

ORGANIZATION IDEAS THAT WORK FOR YOU + FAM

When it comes to rooms for your littles, SIMPLE is always best. We started by doing an entire cleanout everything and removed items that had somehow made their way to this room where they didn’t belong. We donated a ton of old toys, books and games the kids no longer played with and no longer inspired new levels of growth. 

What we kept we organized into a specific place. If you’re organizing a playroom of your own, don’t dump ALL the toys in one large bin or toy chest. It’ll turn into a mess. When you store each toy in its own place it helps maintain the space and the kids can help clean up because they will know where things go. 

We used Pottery Barn Kids’ 3x3 Cameron wall system because it has incredible open and closed storage. This whole system is modular which makes it really easy to personalize it to your space. We used this system to streamline the majority of the boys’ toys. We used the Quinn baskets in various sizes inside of the cubbies for manipulatives (blocks, legos, etc), small card games and building accessories like people + animals. We also displayed the boys’ books inside of the Cameron wall system. We put their school materials inside of the cabinets of the wall system. This piece is great because it also has the concealed storage of the cabinets. We also got the Seagrass and Metal storage baskets for large blocks to be displayed out for easy building access, and these items are safe for Noa to play with too! 

We already had a gray art cart, so we found the Carolina Play Table in gray and some cute metal play chairs for the boys to work/create at. We also put this large lidded basket next to the table to house their coloring books + sketchbooks. 

For Noa, we found these perfect double market bins with dividers and placed them on the floor so she is able to get her toys herself at eye level. She is obsessed with feeding us, so we literally have play kitchens for her all over the house. For the playroom, we went with the stunning Chelsea All-in-1 play kitchen for her to enjoy and got her an adorable shopping cart to add to her pretend play area. 

ELEVATED DESIGN TOOLS 

The neutral color palette of this room allows them to go wild with their toys, games and art. When they leave things out it doesn’t feel like too much of a mess because the room is soft as it is. We found a perfect rug from Pottery Barns Kids in 8 x 10. The Korey rug is so cozy, and also has the neutral yet playful boho feel I love. 

We wanted to add neutral, functional, yet fun decor into the space. Here are some of my favorite items we selected to help give you some ideas:

Animal decal - We cut it up and put the pieces in different areas around the room. It was Adi’s idea to break up the decal and we really love it!

Magnetic strip with Clips - To display their creations in a functional + fun way!

Navy Campaign Pinboard - Another way to display their art, and put up their schoolwork/schedules/etc. This has been insanely helpful while they have school at home.

Giraffe + Peace Sign wall art - Playful and neutral pieces to add to the space. 

We are SO in love with how this room turned out and it was been such a blessing to have it completed during these months at home. They have a designated space for homeschooling and playtime while I work. I also love that I can easily go play and create with them. So magical!

Thanks to Pottery Barns Kids, who collaborated with me to really take this room to a whole new level! I’m obsessed with it!

What do you love most about this space? Any ideas you’re going to implement in your own homes or ideas of your own? Share with me below!

What a crazy time we’re in! So many moms and dads out there are adjusting to a new normal of having their kiddos home with them 24/7 and things can get tense if you’re not used to it. Both my partner, Adi and I work out of the home so we’re figuring out the balance of running businesses, being parents and now home school teachers? Whew!

I have a crazy awesome support system and a live-in nanny helping us out at the home but I’ve also pulled together some resources and tips that are working for us right now. I hope this helps all the other parents out there trying to keep a house under control and diffuse the tension.

We will get through this! I challenge you to change your perspective on this *extra* time at home with your kids as a fun stay-cation! Try new games, experiment with new family-fun recipes like Green Dream Waffles (we have a TON on this site), take long neighborhood walks, play outside if you can and make dinner time fun! We’re also watching a lot more movies with the kids and that’s okay!!

Healthy Snack Time, ALWAYS!

As your kiddos are now home all day and there are no nights out for dinner, planning meals and snacks can get stressful. Anyone else finish the day with a HUGE spoonful of nut butter straight out of the jar? Yup! Make this a time to create meals with your kids and involve them in cooking. Experiment with food and STOCK UP on all the healthy, feel-good snacks.

We have shelves FULL of LesserEvil snacks to help us through these times at home. It’s the perfect healthy snack during days of homeschool and playtime and the whole family LOVES them (especially Noa, she demands it). 

Use my code “SophieJaffe20” for 20% off!

Some Resources I’m Loving

FOR HOMESCHOOLING

• Depending on your kid’s school they may be asked to join classes via Zoom or Google Classrooms or they were sent distance learning packets (our boys received both) and it’s a good idea to set a place and time in your home for school. Create a schedule that aligns with your routine so when you’re working your kiddos are practicing quiet time, creative playtime or working on school work. 
• Webinars + Audiobooks. Our kid’s love online drawing classes and listening to audiobooks is a great way to keep them entertained and engaged. Children’s author Mo Willems is offering “Lunch Doodles” and Penguin Kids is hosting online storytime!
• Print Activity Sheets! Check online for a ton of free printable worksheets including these Coronavirus activity sheets by Elise Gravel

GAMES & ACTIVITIES

• This blog post has 87 fun indoor games & activities to get your littles moving and burn energy
• The National Geographic for Kids ONLINE has games, videos and learning tools to entertain your kids for hours
• We got Kai a science kit and we’re having so much fun trying out different science experiments (all safe and family-friendly!) and using tools from things lying around the home! 
• Play, exercise and movement throughout the day is super important! I have a ton of yoga flows for kids on my blog and YouTube Channel as well as family workouts! 

“TRAVEL” AND EXPLORE

• Visit the Zoo and Aquarium! Virtually, that is! The Georgia Aquarium and the San Diego Zoo has webcams of their animals online for you to watch all day, throughout the day! 
• Travel the world with your kids without leaving your home through Airpano and their 360° photos and videos from all over the planet

This is a gift and SACRED PAUSE to slow down and appreciate what’s most important in life: family, loved ones and staying safe. Use this time to connect with your kiddos in so many magical ways but don’t forget to care for you and YOUR needs. Take a couple of hours off for self-care with the delicious Chrysalis Bath Soak or cozy up with a book or even a reality TV show and a superfood latte. Whatever you need!!

We’re in this together! If you need support or have questions on anything, please reach out! Here for you!!

The Chaturanga! So, so foundational in every yoga flow you do but oddly difficult to master. POPSUGAR asked me to share 3 exercises to help build your strength and ability to easily flow in and out of Chaturanga. I’m sharing them with you all!

Read the full article on POPSUGAR here. Finish your workout with a Berry Bliss smoothie loaded with immune-boosting properties to keep any flu/cold/sickness FAR away!

"According to Sophie Jaffe, a certified yoga instructor and owner of Philosophie, the foundational yoga pose is all about using strength from your core while activating leg-and-arm balance. I figured a new strength-training routine would do some good, so with that, Jaffe offered up some core and triceps-focused moves that can be done at home, in the gym, or on the go. Hopefully, now my Sun Salutations will be seamless the next time I'm in the studio."

Triceps Dips

Grip the edges of a stable bench or chair about shoulder-length apart.

Hover just off and in front of your seat, keeping your feet flat and legs bent or legs extended for more intensity.

Straighten your arms with a slight bend to keep tension away from your elbow joints and onto your triceps. This is your start position.

Bend your elbows and lower your body until your arms form about a 90-degree angle.

Then, engage your triceps and push back up to the start position. This is one rep.

Keep your shoulders down as you raise and lower, and keep your back close to the bench or chair.

Aim for three sets of 10-15 reps.

Plank

Begin on the floor on your hands and knees.

Place your hands directly under your shoulders.

Step your feet back one at a time with your toes flexed. Your hands and toes should entirely support the weight of your body.

For stability and a modification, bring your feet a bit wider apart. Intensify the pose by bringing them closer together.

Keep a straight line from your heels to your back and up through the top of your head.

Activate your core and tighten your entire midsection.

Hold for 20-60 seconds, and don't forget to breathe.

Repeat for a total of three planks. As you get stronger, aim to do the plank for longer than a minute.

Push-Ups

Begin in a plank position with your arms straight.

Keep your shoulders over your wrists to avoid injury and maintain a straight line throughout your body.

Engage your core, and don't let your hips sag.

Slowly bend your elbows until they reach about a 90-degree angle and lower your chest toward the floor.

Then, press back up into the starting plank position.

Aim to complete three sets of 8-10 reps.

What’s your favorite yoga pose? Share with me on Facebook using #PhilosophieSuperfoods or #PhilosophieLove!