Open Hearts Club

Open Hearts Club

By Jennifer BelairEducationSelf-Improvement
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Open Hearts Club episodes

  • Something for the heart
    A cacao infused reflection on nourishing the heart during times of heaviness. How can we as individuals serve? Actions from the outside and actions on the inside ❤️✨
    19 min
  • Why am I doing this and the May You Be Well Experience
    Sharing a little bit about the May you be well experience for the month of May. Giving some insights and ways that we can connect deeper to ourselves in the world and our spirit. If you want to support cacao lab use the code Jennifers10 for 10% off your order 🙏
    21 min
  • A Spring Adventure in the Smokey Mountains
    Sharing my experience from a recent trip in the smoky mountains the spring with my husband. Thoughts and reflections on growth renewal and the excitement in groundedness that one feels when the immerse themselves in the natural world
    18 min
  • Ep. 11, Conscious Consumerism: Food

    Check out my low inflammation eating PDF I made, inspired by Dr. Mark Hyman

    Food is information

    Food can be a lengthy topic and often inundated with a lot of research and so much more. I am going to share some insights based on my own personal research—from listening to a plethora of other podcast, reading books and

    As someone who has a passion for food and for eating. I, like you, am learning so much along the way.

    A philosophy I like to follow comes from the great writer, investigator Michael Pollan

    "Eat whole foods, mostly plants"

    As someone who is on the path to studying holistic nutrition, I am learning that we are what we eat.

    Your cells essentially become what you consume.

    Isn’t that scary and exciting?

    Every notice how you feel tired and lethargic after eating a seemingly delicious cinnamon donut from the cider mill?

    Well…that just means your body is telling you something…please…no more.

    My philosophy is to eat intuitively, noticing what is feeling good in my body.

    21 min
  • Ep. 10, Conscious Consumerism, Clothes
    Check out the full blog here
    Ah, those things you wear to cover your body :D

    In the era of the internet and information spreading far and wide, we are now more aware than ever of the implications of supporting fast fashion. We should try to raise our awareness. Realizing the impact of our actions. When we buy, we say yes, we support this.

    The reality is that fast fashion is often laced with poor working conditions and wages, exposure to harmful chemicals and so so many resources are being used. The clothes are made for the current trends and often in poor quality. Not meant to last more than a few seasons.

    Environmentally "safe" clothes are often pricey, but there are options!

    The fact of the matter is you have to do what is right for you, your lifestyle and your budget.

    Are you willing to say Adios to Fast Fashion?
    Some things you might try to do are...
    • What do you do on a daily basis?
    • consider what is really serving your lifestyle?
    • have wardrobe classics
    • What are some key staples of your wardrobe?
    • trade/borrow with friends
    • buy/sell on Poshmark or other clothing resale
    • shop used...just google used clothing. My favorite is salvation army and Kiwanis club
    • look for a clothing swap party to freshen up your closet
    • Some tips…make a few sweet lists for your self

      List 1: Brands I like/currently support————>research them

      List 2: Clothing articles (that I can probs find used)

      List 3: Clothing articles I really wanna save up for

      Idea: Make a Pinterest board of your style

      Ways to remove that good ol’ used clothing smell

      23 min
    • Ep. 9, Conscious Consumerism, Chapter 1

      We all have a choice in what we buy. We are a society of consumerism, and we can be conscious about the way we interact in the world.

      To create awareness behind our purchases. And being intentional and honest with what we want and why.

      We are living in a 3d world and exist on the material plane. We all deserve access to materials/goods and services that in alignment with our soul’s desires.

      But what does that mean?

      For me that means considering the life/timeline of the product I am purchasing.

      • Where did it come from?
      • What is it made out of?
      • Where did those materials come from?
      • Are the workers paid fairly?
      • Is it supporting the community in some way?
      • Where does the money go?
      • What does the company believe in?
      • Are their values in alignment with my own?
      • What are my values?
      • We can all make more conscious choices and the changes can be small swaps. Instead of buying everything from Amazon, see if there is a local shop that carries it? Or maybe the local shop has a web store and you can buy it there.

        We vote with out dollar. If we are pooling all our money into big corporations with low moral and little value…then we are in effect saying, Yes I support this and the ideals behind this company.

        There are so many ways we can be more conscious about our purchases and I believe our spending can be categorized into necessities (utilizes, rent, mortgage, bills)

        Stay tuned for next weeks podcast/blog about Conscious Consumerism: Food

        Actionable steps:

        • shop local, shop hand made, Hello Etsy :D
        • research the brands you support
        • buy quality over quantity
        • Clothes
        • buy from Poshmark
          trade with friends, family
          borrow from someone
        • Food
        • grow your own food
          buy local as often as you can
          check out local farm stands and farmers markets
          What is a food mile?
        • Why Fast Fashion is Bad
        • B Corp
        • 1 Percent for the Planet

        • Some of my favorite brands/companies to support
        • Dr. Bronner’s ya’ll
        • Country Life Natural Foods, Bulk food supplier organic and conventional nuts, seeds health foods
        • Poshmark
        • Patagonia Worn Wear
        • Rei Used Gear
        • Resources:

          https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/amazon-alternatives

          https://www.rollingstone.com/product-recommendations/lifestyle/best-amazon-alternatives-1136987/

          https://www.theverge.com/2019/7/16/20696127/amazon-alternatives-online-shopping-books-clothing-electronics-sports-google-ebay-target-prime-day

          19 min
        • Episode 8, Gettin' Wild

          Nature Ya’ll

          Wow, I can’t give enough love to the natural world. It is my happy space to be and to breathe. Nature is my medicine, nature is my true mother, nature is my therapist.

          We evolved to be in nature because we are nature.

          So get your hands dirty, remove your personal labels, love yourself wildly, don’t look in the mirror (you’re beautiful), bring your favorite snacks (hellllooo dates), dance in nature and breath in and out.

          Notice how you feel. Journal about it, talk about it. Love yourself for taking the time to be in nature.

          Some ways you can introduce nature in your life:

          • eat your meals out side
          • take a morning walk
          • expose your beautiful eyes to sunsets and sunrises
          • go somewhere special during sunset, grab a bottle of wine (or kombucha) and give a toast to your lover or to your self!
          • invite a friend to go for a hike/walk/nature visit instead of meting at a cafe/restaurant
          • google maps a park that you have never been to
          • workout outside…bike, run, golf, hike, heck you can even sleep outside :D
          • take off your shoes and feel the coolness of the earth on your feet
          • learn to forage
          • take photographs of nature

          • Resources:

            The Hidden Life of Trees : What They Feel, How They Communicate - Discoveries from a Secret World

            Forest Bathing

            All Trails App

            Google Maps

            26 min
          • Episode 7, Be Kind

            Howdy all, 

            Happy to share Episode 7 from the lovely Keweenaw Peninsula in the UP (Michigan). 

            I share a few personal stories from our time working remote here to encourage you to be kind as often as you are able to. 

            Some topics that I go over include...

            • Practicing kindness even when people aren't kind to you
            • finding and following your joy
            • spreading seeds of love and kindness everyday you can and are able to 
            • doing good things without any expectations
            • holding space for your emotions to just be
            • observing your thoughts
            • asking for help when you need it
            • not waiting for a special day/time/event to tell someone you love them
            • Thank you all so much for listening and please share wildly, you the best!

              *The second story starts at 11:59, and has suggestions of suicide. I was told this story from a first hand account of the rescuer. We do not know the truth of the individual, just that he was on Lake Superior for days alone. Please send loving energy to this soul. His story serves as a backdrop for talking about mental illness, depression and suicidal thoughts. If you are struggling, need love, help, kindness, please find the resources that are available to you. Know you are love and are loved. 


              Resources:

              Meditation for self love

              The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

              Don Miguel Ruiz on Youtube

              25 min
            • Episode 6, Hedonic Adaptation/ "getting used to stuff" and bringing novelty into your life

              Greetings from Marquette, Michigan. 


              Guess what...we all experience a psychological concept called "hedonic adaptation."

              Life has ups and downs and we feel a wave of "emotions" after said, up...or down. For example, a new relationship...you are ecstatic, every day is beautiful, you can't wait to see them, they are all you think about, your heart is a flutter every dam day! But as time goes on...you might start to go back to your baseline level and wonder...am I still happy? Same thing with a new pet...a new car....a new career, a new *insert material object here. 

              We all must practice awareness of where we are at. 

              How can we reframe the way we see our world? Because if you are alive...and breathing...you are in a really great position.


              Key Ideas:

              Don't take things for granted, count YO' blessings!

              Get grateful, what do you have?

              Novelty creates happiness

              break your routine and be happy!

              try something new

              get funky

              learn to belly dance

              Experiences over material objects (proven to last longer)


              Questions to ask your fine self:

              Where am I feeling stuck?

              What can I do that is NEW within my current financial means?

              What can I save up for? (If desiring something new)

              How can I look at my life through the lens of logic over...emotions?

              Where in my life do I have an example of hedonic adaptation?


              Resources

              The Unhappy Millionaire-Podcast by Lori Santos

              The Science of Wellbeing

              Hedonic Adaptation

              19 min

            About Open Hearts Club

            From the publisher's feed

            An investigation into the metaphorical heart