I want to hear from you.

With the energy of the Full Moon in Pisces and partial lunar eclipse, I’ve been reflecting a lot on what it means to be of service from the heart. Pisces reminds us of compassion, connection, and listening inward, while Virgo, its opposing sign, brings us back to the practical ways we show up and care for one another.

It feels like a beautiful reminder that heart-led service begins with listening.

As I think about what I want to create and share here next, I want to make sure I’m creating things that are actually useful, interesting, supportive, and important to you.

I naturally pay attention to the themes that keep coming up around me, the questions people are asking, the conversations I’m having, and the things I’m noticing in my work. I often see those repeating themes as little nudges toward where there may be something worth exploring.

But I also want to hear directly from you.

What are you curious about? What are you wanting more of? What do you need right now?

Would you like more about:

🌿 Holistic nursing

My journey, the intersection of nursing and spirituality, holistic approaches to healthcare, supporting nurses and caregivers, and my experiences working within and outside of the traditional healthcare system.

✨ Energy + intuition

Reiki, chakras, energy clearing, intuition, psychic awareness, channeling, Akashic Records, energetic boundaries, nervous system regulation, and understanding energy in a more grounded way.

🌎 Nature + Earth wisdom

The elements, seasonal living, grounding, connecting with nature, nature as medicine, herbs, rituals, and learning from the natural world.

🔥 Shamanic + spiritual practices

Shamanic Reiki, ceremony, cacao, journeying, ancestral wisdom, spiritual practices, and exploring the mystical side of healing.

🌀 My personal journey

More stories about my path, what I’ve learned along the way, experiences that have shaped my work, and what it has been like following a path that doesn’t always fit neatly into a box.

🧘‍♀️ Practical tools + practices

Meditations, breathwork, rituals, energy practices, journaling, crystals, herbs, nervous system support, and things you can actually incorporate into your life.

Or maybe there’s something completely different you’d love to see.

As I continue creating here, I want to follow the themes that are naturally emerging while also listening to what you’re asking for and what you’re needing.

So tell me.

What questions are you sitting with?

What are you trying to understand?

What would you love to learn more about?

What would feel supportive to you right now?

Leave a comment below. It can be a topic, a question, an idea, or even just a sentence.

I’m genuinely open to hearing what you want more of.

Your response might become the next newsletter, meditation, recording, conversation, or even a future series. ✨

How can I best be of service to you?

Sending So Much Love,

Amy

As we come to the end of Returning to Your Wild Wisdom, I wanted to offer you two final practices for closure and integration.

Over these past six weeks, we have explored Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Spirit, and spent time remembering something that I believe has always been within us: our own inner wisdom.

Before we move into the closing ceremony below, I want to first share a special Energy Activation with you.

Returning to Your Wild Wisdom Guided Energy Activation 🌿

I’ve attached a 38-minute guided Energy Activation for you to use as part of your integration.

You might be wondering, what exactly do I mean by an energy activation?

Rather than simply guiding you through just a meditation, this practice is an invitation to awaken, connect with, and consciously embody the qualities of the five elements we have explored together.

Throughout the activation, we move through Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Spirit, using visualization, breath, color, and body awareness to connect these energies within you.

Think of it less as something you need to do correctly and more as an opportunity to become still enough to remember what is already within you.

You don’t need any special experience with meditation or energy work to participate. Simply find a safe and comfortable place, press play, and allow yourself to be guided.

You may feel something during the activation, or you may simply feel relaxed and grounded. There is no right or wrong experience.

I encourage you to return to this recording whenever you feel called to reconnect with your wild wisdom.

A Simple Closing Ceremony 🌙

For our final practice, I wanted to offer something simple. Nothing elaborate. Nothing you need to purchase or prepare for. Just a few quiet minutes to pause, reflect, and honor what you have experienced.

Find a quiet place where you can be undisturbed for a few minutes. If possible, step outside. Sit beneath a tree, on your porch, in your yard, or somewhere where you can see the sky. Bring a candle with you if you have one. If not, that’s completely okay.

Begin by taking a few slow breaths. Place one hand over your heart and one hand over your belly. Then, quietly acknowledge each of the elements:

Earth:

Thank you for grounding me, supporting me, and reminding me that I belong.

Water:

Thank you for teaching me to feel, soften, flow, and let go.

Fire:

Thank you for awakening my courage, passion, creativity, and inner power.

Air:

Thank you for reminding me to breathe, create space, and release what I no longer need to carry.

Spirit:

Thank you for reminding me that I am connected to something greater than myself, and that there is wisdom in the unseen.

Then sit quietly for a moment. Ask yourself:

What am I taking with me from this journey?

What am I ready to leave behind?

What part of my wild wisdom am I ready to trust more deeply?

You don’t need to come up with the perfect answers. You might write them down. You might speak them aloud. Or you might simply sit and listen.

When you feel ready, light your candle if you have one. Look at the flame and imagine it representing the light of your own inner wisdom.

Take a few breaths and say:

I trust myself.

I trust my body.

I trust my intuition.

I trust the wisdom that lives within me.

I carry what I have learned forward with me.

Then close your ceremony in whatever way feels natural. You might eventually blow out the candle. Place your hands on the earth. Give yourself a hug. Or simply say to yourself: Thank you.

A final thank you from me to you🤍

I want to thank each of you for being part of this series.

Whether you read every week, listened to a meditation, tried one of the practices, reflected on a question, or simply carried one small idea with you into your days, I am so grateful you were here.

Creating this series has been its own journey for me, too. It has reminded me that we don’t always need another answer, another technique, or another thing to accomplish. Sometimes we simply need to slow down enough to hear what we already know.

I hope Returning to Your Wild Wisdom has helped you reconnect with that knowing.

And most of all, I hope you remember that this doesn’t have to end here. The wild wisdom will always be there.

And you can return whenever you need to.

Sending So Much Love,

Amy 🌿

Share Amy Elizabeth 🦋 Holistic Nurse

Welcome back to Returning to Your Wild Wisdom.

Today, we’re exploring the fifth element: Spirit.

Spirit is one of those things that can be a little difficult to put into words.

🌍We have talked about the grounding and patient power of Earth.
🌊We have felt the healing flow of Water.
🔥We have experienced and harnessed the passion of Fire.
💨We have released as we consciously breathe Air.

But Spirit?

Spirit is the unseen and mysterious. 🪽

It’s sometimes called Ether and, in many traditions, it’s considered the fifth element.

Unlike the other four elements, Spirit isn’t a physical substance. Spirit represents consciousness, connection, life force energy, or the mysterious intelligence that exists within and around life. And you don’t have to have a particular religious belief to explore this idea.

I want to invite you to approach Spirit with curiosity, rather than needing to define it.

The Unseen Intelligence of Nature

Think about nature for a moment. We can look at a tree and see its branches, leaves, and bark. We can watch a seed sprout and then grow to become a plant. We can witness the tides move in and out. We are aware of when the birds begin migrating or other animals are preparing for winter. But there is something happening underneath all of that that we can’t completely see.

There is an intelligence to nature. Plants simply know how to respond to light and temperature. Animals instinctively understand when to migrate, rest, find shelter, or reproduce. The seasons always move in their own rhythms. The moon always moves through its cycles. Nature doesn’t need us to tell it what to do. And humans have been fascinated by this mystery for thousands of years.

Across cultures, people have looked to the sun, moon, stars, rivers, mountains, trees, animals, and changing seasons as sources of wisdom and connection. Nature wasn’t simply scenery. It was something to relate to. And I think that’s an important distinction for this week.

What would happen if we stopped simply observing nature and started becoming more receptive to it?

Maybe that means sitting underneath a tree and noticing what it feels like to be there.

Maybe it’s walking outside without your headphones and actually listening to the wind, the birds, your footsteps, the water, and everything else that is around you.

Maybe it’s watching the sunset and allowing yourself to experience awe without immediately reaching for your phone to take a picture.

Or maybe it’s simply sitting quietly outside and asking yourself:

“What forgotten wisdom might I notice if I simply became willing to listen?”

I really love that question for this week. Spirit’s wisdom is quiet and subtle. It is best heard when you are able to become still enough to notice.

To notice what you’re feeling.

To notice what you’re sensing.

To notice what captures your attention.

To notice that feeling of awe when you stand beside the ocean or look up at a sky full of stars.

And maybe, for a moment, you remember:

I am not separate from this.

The air I’m breathing is part of the natural world.

The water inside my body is part of the Earth’s water cycle.

The food I eat comes from soil, sunlight, water, and countless living systems I didn’t create.

We are constantly participating in something much larger than ourselves.

And maybe that’s one way we can understand Spirit.

Not necessarily as something outside of us, but as the relationship between ourselves and the greater living world around us.

Connecting With Spirit in Everyday Life

So, this week, I’m inviting you to spend some time outside with absolutely no agenda other than to simply listen and receive.

Sit with a tree.

Watch the moon.

Walk barefoot on the Earth.

Listen to the sounds around you.

Watch the clouds.

Sit near water.

Or simply step outside in the morning before you check your phone.

And instead of asking:

“What does this mean?”

Just ask:

“What am I being invited to notice?”

Then listen. You don’t have to force an answer. You don’t even have to believe that an answer is coming. The practice is simply becoming receptive. Because maybe connecting with Spirit isn’t about finding something mystical outside of ourselves. Maybe it’s about remembering that we are already part of something alive, intelligent, mysterious, and much larger than the individual self. And that is the wisdom of Spirit.

So, get outside this week. Slow down. Listen. Be curious. And allow yourself to experience the unseen in whatever way feels most meaningful to you.

Next week, we’ll move into the final part of Returning to Your Wild Wisdom, with a week of closure and integration.

Thank you for being here and for moving through these elements with me. ✨

Until then, stay curious, stay connected, and keep returning to your wild wisdom.

Sending So Much Love,

Amy

Share Amy Elizabeth 🦋 Holistic Nurse

As a bonus piece in our Returning to Your Wild Wisdom series, I wanted to open the door to a conversation that more and more people seem to be bringing into the light.

🍄 Psychedelics. More specifically, the growing curiosity about their potential role in personal transformation and healing the divide in humanity.

Over the past few years, I’ve noticed this topic coming up more and more in everyday conversations. People are asking thoughtful questions, sharing what they’ve heard, wondering what the research says, and trying to separate fact from fiction. What was once considered a fringe topic is gradually becoming part of a broader conversation about mental health and human potential.

I believe it’s important that we can explore these conversations with curiosity, openness, and evidence, rather than fear or stigma.

This isn’t meant to be a comprehensive deep dive into psychedelics. That conversation deserves its own space, and we’ll save it for another day. Instead, I hope this serves as a thoughtful introduction and creates space for open, informed conversation.

I’d like to begin with microdosing psilocybin mushrooms.

As a nurse, my role is to educate, reduce harm, and encourage informed decision-making. This newsletter is not intended to promote the use of illegal substances. Laws surrounding psilocybin mushrooms and other psychedelics vary widely and continue to evolve, so it’s important to understand the legal considerations where you live.

If you choose to explore this topic, I encourage you to do so thoughtfully, intentionally, and with appropriate education and professional guidance.

That said, I also believe we do ourselves a disservice by pretending this conversation isn’t already happening.

People are curious. They’re asking questions. They’re reading the research. They’re wondering whether there may be another path for healing when conventional approaches haven’t provided the relief they hoped for.

As healthcare professionals, I believe we have an opportunity to offer compassionate, evidence-informed education while remaining open to what we’re continuing to learn.

One of the reasons I wanted to include this bonus lesson in our Returning to Your Wild Wisdom series is because I keep hearing the same theme from people who have explored these experiences.

They talk about reconnecting:

✨To themselves.

✨To nature.

✨To other people.

✨To a sense of meaning and purpose.

Almost as if they’ve remembered something they didn’t realize they had lost.

Whether that feeling comes through microdosing, meditation, ceremony, cacao, prayer, spending time in nature, or another healing practice, I believe what so many of us are truly seeking is deeper connection.

After all, health isn’t simply the absence of disease. It’s also reflected in our relationships, our sense of belonging, our ability to experience joy, and the meaning we create in our lives.

What Is Microdosing Psilocybin?

Psilocybin is the naturally occurring psychedelic compound found in certain species of mushrooms. Once consumed, the body converts it into psilocin, which interacts with serotonin receptors in the brain. Researchers believe this may contribute to improvements in mood, emotional processing, perception, and cognition, making psilocybin an area of growing scientific and clinical interest.

Microdosing psilocybin refers to taking a very small amount of psilocybin mushrooms, typically below the level that produces noticeable changes in perception or consciousness. Also referred to as ‘sub-perceptual’.

Many people who experiment with microdosing describe feeling more present, emotionally open, creative, connected, or generally more at ease. At the same time, the science is still evolving. Researchers continue to study who may benefit, which effects are most important, and how to better understand these experiences.

Beyond microdosing, scientists are also exploring psilocybin-assisted therapy and other psychedelic-assisted therapies for conditions such as depression, PTSD, anxiety, addiction, and end-of-life distress.

Most of this research involves carefully designed clinical settings with preparation, therapeutic support, and integration afterward rather than microdosing alone. That distinction is important.

Neuroplasticity and Neurogenesis

You may also hear the terms neuroplasticity and neurogenesis.

Neuroplasticity is the brain’s remarkable ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life.

Neurogenesis refers to the creation of new neurons.

These are exciting areas of research, but they’re also complex. Scientists are exploring whether psilocybin and other psychedelic compounds may influence the brain’s ability to adapt, process emotions, and move beyond patterns that no longer serve us. While there is still much to learn, the questions being asked are opening fascinating conversations about healing and the brain’s lifelong capacity for change.

If someone chooses to explore psilocybin where it is legally available, education and intentionality are essential.

These are powerful substances that deserve respect. They are not shortcuts, and they are not without risks. And they are not meant for everyone.

There is tremendous wisdom in learning from the Indigenous traditions that have worked with these medicines respectfully for generations. Modern science is beginning to investigate experiences that many Indigenous cultures have understood for centuries, while reminding us that healing has never been about the substance alone.

🍄The relationship matters.

🍄The intention matters.

🍄The environment matters.

🍄Preparation matters.

🍄Integration matters.

Whenever appropriate, working with an experienced, ethical, and appropriately qualified guide or healthcare professional can be an important part of the process.

If you’ve been following this series, you already know my heart is always drawn toward practices that help us reconnect with ourselves and the natural world.

One beautiful legal option that supports this is ceremonial cacao.

While ceremonial cacao is not psychedelic and shouldn’t be viewed as a replacement, it offers many people a gentle way to cultivate presence, emotional openness, mindfulness, and connection through intentional ritual and community.

Perhaps that’s the real invitation.

Not necessarily to chase extraordinary experiences, but to remember that healing often begins by slowing down, becoming fully present, and reconnecting with the wisdom that has always lived within us.

My hope is never to tell you what choices to make.

My hope is to provide thoughtful education, encourage open conversations, and create space for curiosity without judgment.

The research continues to evolve.

The legal landscape continues to change.

And this conversation is becoming increasingly important.

As we learn more, I hope we can approach this topic with both openness and discernment, honoring ancient wisdom while remaining committed to ethical research, responsible education, and safe, informed choices.

Because returning to your wild wisdom begins with curiosity.

Sometimes, curiosity is simply the courage to ask a question we were once taught not to ask.

I’d love to continue this conversation in the comments. What questions do you have about microdosing, psilocybin mushrooms, or psychedelics that you’d like me to explore in a future newsletter?

Sending So Much Love,

Amy

We rarely stop to notice our breath until life becomes too much. Stress shortens our breath and anxiety makes it shallow. Grief can make it feel like something heavy is sitting with our chest. Our breath often tells the truth before we do.

We all know the grief that follows the loss of someone we love. But grief also lives in dreams that didn’t unfold, relationships that changed, seasons of life that ended, words left unsaid, and versions of ourselves we’ve had to leave behind.

I’ve come to realize that grief isn’t something we’re meant to fix. It’s something we’re meant to honor. When we make space for grief, something inside us begins to praise the beauty of life, its lessons, and its relationships.

In many spiritual traditions, Air is connected with the Heart Chakra, the center of love, compassion, forgiveness, and connection. It’s also where many people feel grief most deeply. Perhaps that’s why the heart and lungs sit side by side. Every breath creates a little more space around both our greatest love and our deepest sorrow.

Like the wind, Air reminds us we were never meant to carry everything forever. Every inhale welcomes life. Every exhale is an invitation to release just one small piece of what we’ve been holding. Not all of it. Just enough for today.

A Simple Air Ritual

If you can, step outside. If not, open a window and invite fresh air into your space.

Stand with both feet firmly connected to the Earth.

Close your eyes.

Take a slow inhale through your nose for a count of four.

Pause gently.

Exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of four.

Repeat several times.

As you breathe, imagine each inhale filling your heart with fresh light and spaciousness.

With every exhale, imagine the wind carrying away one thread of whatever you’ve been holding.

Perhaps it’s grief.

Perhaps it’s guilt.

Perhaps it’s resentment, fear, disappointment, or simply the pressure to have everything figured out.

You don’t have to release it all today.

Just one thread.

When you feel complete, place one hand over your heart and ask yourself:

What is my heart ready to make space for?

Don’t search for an answer.

Simply listen.

Bringing Air Into Everyday Life

Invite the element of Air into your life in simple ways.

🌬️Open your windows and allow fresh air to move through your home.

🌬️Begin your morning by taking five slow, intentional breaths before reaching for your phone.

🌬️Hum, chant, whistle, or softly sing. The vibration can be incredibly soothing to the heart and nervous system.

🌬️Spend a few minutes watching the wind move through the trees or clouds drift across the sky.

🌬️Collect a feather on a walk and let it remind you that you are always being guided by something bigger.

🌬️Pause before a difficult conversation and take five conscious breaths.

🌬️Write a letter to someone you’ve lost, someone you’ve forgiven, or even to a younger version of yourself. You don’t have to send it.

🌬️Speak one truth you’ve been holding back with kindness and compassion.

🌬️Sit outside without your phone and simply notice the breeze against your skin.

🌬️Place one hand over your heart and one over your lungs and thank your breath for carrying you through every season of your life.

As we continue Returning to Your Wild Wisdom, may Air remind you that healing isn’t always about doing more. Sometimes it’s simply about breathing, making space for what is true, and trusting that each gentle exhale can carry away a little of what no longer belongs.

Sending So Much Love,

Amy

Share Amy Elizabeth 🦋 Holistic Nurse

This guided breathwork is a gentle practice designed to help you connect with your heart chakra and experience the healing qualities of the Air element through conscious breathing.

Find a quiet, comfortable space where you won’t be interrupted, and allow yourself these next few moments to simply breathe and return to yourself.

I hope this practice leaves you feeling deeply connected to your own wild wisdom. I look forward to sharing more about the element of Air later this week.

Sending So Much Love,

Amy

Share Amy Elizabeth 🦋 Holistic Nurse

But Fire also carries another energy that many of us have been taught to fear:

Anger.

Many of us learned, directly or indirectly, that anger is something to control, hide, suppress, numb, and move past.

We may have been told to “calm down,” “be the bigger person,” or “let it go.” We may have learned that being angry makes us difficult, unkind, ungrateful, or somehow less spiritual.

So instead of allowing anger to move through us, we may push it way down.

We smile when we are hurt.

We say yes when we mean no.

We avoid difficult conversations.

We convince ourselves that something “isn’t a big deal.”

We continue giving when we are already depleted.

And most of the time, the anger does not disappear. It lingers.

It may quietly become resentment, bitterness, irritability, exhaustion, numbness, loneliness, sadness, depression, or a simply a lingering feeling that we are carrying more than we can hold.

From my perspective as a holistic nurse, emotions are not separate from the rest of us. Our experiences can affect our bodies, thoughts, relationships, energy, and sense of wellbeing. Holistic nursing recognizes the interconnectedness of the whole person, including our physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, and environmental experiences. (AHNA)

This is why I do not believe that healing requires us to suppress anger or pretend we are peaceful when something within us is asking to be acknowledged.

Anger is not automatically harmful.

What we do with anger matters.

Anger can become destructive when it is denied for too long or released in ways that harm us or others. But anger itself may be carrying important information.

It may be saying:

🔥Something feels unfair.

🔥A boundary has been crossed.

🔥A need has been ignored.

🔥I am hurt.

🔥I have been silent for too long.

🔥Something needs to change.

🔥I deserve to take up space, too.

Anger is a messenger. And when we are willing to listen beneath its intensity, we may discover that anger is protecting something tender. Perhaps there is grief beneath it. Perhaps there is disappointment. Perhaps there is fear. Perhaps there is a part of us that has been waiting to be heard.

🔥 Anger Is Energy Asking to Move

Fire was never meant to remain trapped.

Imagine building a fire and continually covering it so that no heat, light, or energy could escape. Eventually, the smoke would build.

Our emotions can feel similar.

Suppressing anger does resolve the experience that created it. Honoring anger does not mean yelling at someone, acting impulsively, or allowing rage to control our choices. It means creating a safe and intentional space to acknowledge what is real.

You might say:

“I am angry, and I am willing to listen to what this feeling is trying to show me.”

This is different from becoming your anger.

You are not your anger.

You are the awareness that can notice it, feel it, explore it, and choose how to respond.

Sometimes the healthiest release is movement. Sometimes it is writing without editing. Sometimes it is crying, speaking honestly, setting a boundary, or allowing yourself to say, “That hurt me.” Sometimes anger is asking us to take action. Sometimes it is asking us to rest. Sometimes it is asking us to stop abandoning ourselves in order to keep everyone else comfortable.

🔥 Reflection: What Is Beneath the Fire?

The next time anger or irritation comes up, you do not have to immediately make it disappear. Instead, become curious. Ask yourself:

What happened that activated this feeling?

Then gently go deeper:

What feels threatened, hurt, ignored, or unmet within me?

Is there a boundary I have not communicated?

Have I been saying yes when I mean no?

Is this anger connected only to this moment, or is it touching something older?

What does this feeling need from me right now?

There may not be an immediate answer.

The purpose is not to analyze yourself until the anger goes away. It is to meet yourself with enough honesty and compassion that the emotion no longer has to shout to be heard.

🔥 Fire Release Ritual: Give the Anger a Voice

For this ritual, you will need:

✨A journal or several sheets of paper

✨A pen

✨A candle, if you would like to include one

✨A safe place where you can move and make sound without worrying about being heard

Begin by lighting your candle and taking a moment to connect with the Fire element.

Place one hand over your heart and the other over your upper abdomen.

Say:

“I give myself permission to acknowledge what is true. I do not need to suppress my anger to be loving, kind, or spiritual.”

Then write without censoring yourself.

You may begin with:

“I am angry because…”

Keep writing.

Do not worry about being reasonable, positive, forgiving, or eloquent. This page is not meant to be shared. Allow the uncensored truth to have a place to land.

When you feel complete, stand up and allow your body to move.

Shake out your hands.

Stomp your feet.

Press your palms firmly into a wall.

Take a brisk walk.

Move your arms as though you are clearing heavy energy away from your body.

If it feels supportive, make sound. You might sigh deeply, hum, growl into a pillow, or speak the words:

“I hear myself.”

“My feelings are allowed to move.”

“I can express my truth without causing harm.”

“My anger can guide me toward clarity.”

When the energy begins to settle, place your hands over your heart and ask:

“What is this anger asking me to honor, protect, change, or communicate?”

Write down whatever comes up.

You may then tear up the paper as a symbol of release. If you choose to burn it outside, use a fire-safe container or fire pit.

Close by saying:

“I honor the wisdom within my fire. I release what no longer needs to be carried, and I choose to direct this energy toward clarity, courage, healthy boundaries, and transformation.”

🔥 The Purpose of Fire

Fire can destroy, but it can also illuminate. It can burn away what is no longer aligned and create warmth, light, and the conditions for something new to grow. Your anger does not have to become destruction. When it is met with awareness, expressed safely, and listened to with compassion, it can become discernment.

It can become a boundary.

It can become an honest conversation.

It can become the courage to leave what is no longer healthy.

It can become the energy that helps you return to yourself.

This week, I invite you not to ask:

“How can I get rid of my anger?”

Instead, ask:

“What is my anger trying to show me, and how can I honor its message without allowing it to harm me or others?”

Your fire is not here to consume you. It is here to remind you that you are alive, that you matter, and that there are moments when your inner flame is asking to be heard.

Thank you for having the courage to walk through the Fire element with our community. As we honor the wisdom that can emerge from meeting our anger with awareness, we’ll next turn toward the element of Air, where breath, the heart, openness, and clear communication invite us into greater compassion and connection. 🌬️

Sending So Much Love,

Amy

Share Amy Elizabeth 🦋 Holistic Nurse

There was a season of my life when I found myself asking a question that many of us eventually face.

Do I stay where I feel safe…or do I trust where my soul is leading me?

On paper, my life looked exactly as I had hoped it would.

For six years, I worked as an Integrative Therapy Nurse at a hospital in Providence, Rhode Island. It was more than a job. It was a calling. I felt fulfilled and in complete alignment with my soul’s purpose. Every day, I had the privilege of caring for patients throughout the hospital, including the Emergency Department, offering Reiki, meditation, massage, guided imagery, and relaxation techniques to help ease anxiety, pain, insomnia, fatigue, and emotional suffering.

Beyond patient care, I helped develop a Reiki program that trained and certified more than 80 healthcare professionals. I partnered in bringing Transcendental Meditation to healthcare workers during and after the pandemic, served on the Wellness Committee and peer support team, and in 2023 I had the honor of presenting our peer support program at the ANCC National Magnet Conference for Nursing in Chicago.

I loved what I did.

The hospital shaped me into the nurse, teacher, and healer I am today. It deepened my compassion and showed me that healing is about so much more than treating illness.

And yet… simultaneously… I was walking on another parallel path…

Long before Ascending Hearts Wellness had a physical home, while I was working in the hospital, another part of my life had begun unfolding.

On evenings and weekends, I found myself teaching Reiki classes, leading cacao ceremonies, facilitating workshops, and gathering with people in wellness centers and community spaces throughout Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

Over a few years, slowly, one event in the community became another. One introduction became another relationship. One “yes” led to another unexpected opportunity. Without trying to force anything, something beautiful was growing.

My work at the hospital and my work in the community eventually converged in a series of synchronicities that led to the grand opening of Ascending Hearts Wellness in December 2024.

Then, just six months after Ascending Hearts Wellness opened its doors, I found myself standing at a major crossroads.

I knew intuitively that the center needed more of me. Not because it was struggling, but because it was growing. I was being drawn away from my role in the hospital and into the larger community. My work needed to pivot because the experience of humanity was pivoting.

My skills were once needed to help healthcare workers in a hospital recover from the pain and overwhelm of a global pandemic. I was once needed to help these heroes feel seen when they felt invisible despite all they had given.

Now, the shift was happening on a larger scale. More people were awakening to the realization that the healthcare system, while capable of incredible things, often falls short. It does not address the emotional, spiritual, and preventative aspects of wellbeing. A paradigm shift was beginning. Wellness, nervous system regulation, emotional support, and whole-person healing were becoming not just complementary, but essential for everyone.

It was becoming clear that if I wanted to fully serve what we were building at Ascending Hearts Wellness, I could no longer divide my energy between two full-time callings.

That realization filled me with excitement.

It also filled me with fear.

Walking away from a part of my career that I loved wasn’t easy. But I wasn’t running from something. I was being called toward something.

Still, I questioned everything.

Could I really leave the security of a steady paycheck and benefits?

Would I regret walking away from a hospital-based career I had worked so hard to build?

Would people think I was making a mistake?

And as a recovering people pleaser, it was incredibly difficult for me to imagine that my coworkers at the hospital might be mad at me for leaving, disappointed in me, sad, hurt, feel abandoned, or…the hardest emotion of all for me to face…jealous. When your role is primarily caring and supportive, these fears can be more pronounced and make transformation and change more difficult. I had to believe everyone would be okay. Including me.

I gathered the courage and followed my heart. I felt every single feeling I had been dreading. And I discovered something very important. Everyone was okay. I was okay.

Some days my mind was filled with doubt. Other days, I became still enough to hear something much quieter.

A whisper that simply said…

Trust.

It wasn’t loud. It didn’t explain every detail of the future. It simply reminded me that I had never walked this path alone.

When I looked back, I realized my journey had been filled with moments of quiet guidance. Doors had opened that I never could have planned. Teachers had appeared at exactly the right time. Opportunities unfolded that felt far beyond coincidence. Fated encounters that changed everything. Every step seemed to gently prepare me for the next one.

Little by little, I realized something profound. Courage isn’t waiting until fear disappears. Courage is choosing not to let fear make your decisions. Fear deserves to be acknowledged. But it doesn’t deserve to lead.

So, I chose to trust. Not because I knew exactly how everything would unfold. But because I had learned that when we move in alignment with our deepest purpose, life often meets us in ways we cannot yet imagine.

Looking back now, I can see that decision wasn’t simply about changing the direction of my career path.

It was about allowing a new version of myself to emerge.

That is the medicine of Fire. 🔥

The Wisdom of Fire 🔥

When many people think of Fire, they think of destruction.

But in nature, Fire is one of Earth’s greatest forces of transformation.

A healthy forest ecosystem depends on periodic low intensity fires. It clears away what is no longer living, returns nutrients to the soil, opens certain seeds that can only germinate through intense heat, and creates space for new life to flourish.

The same is true within us. The Fire element doesn’t ask us to become someone different. It asks us to burn away everything that keeps us from being who we truly are.

Fire is the element of passion, courage, vitality, confidence, action, transformation, and personal power. It is the spark behind every important change. The force that helps us set healthy boundaries. The energy that gives us the courage to speak our truth. The warmth that reminds us we are fully alive.

And sometimes…

Fire asks us to lovingly release an identity that once served us so something even more important can emerge.

Fire explores how to tend your own inner flame rather than allowing fear, burnout, self-doubt, or old stories to extinguish it.

🔥 A Fire Ritual

Find a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted.

Take a slow breath and place one hand over your heart.

Ask yourself:

Where in my life am I allowing fear to make my decisions?

Then ask:

If fear stepped aside, what would love, purpose, or courage choose instead?

Write down one belief, fear, habit, or story that you’re ready to release.

When you’re ready, safely burn the paper in a fireproof bowl, fireplace, or outdoor fire pit.

As the paper transforms into ash, repeat slowly:

I release what no longer serves me.

I trust the wisdom within me.

I have the courage to become who I am here to be.

Spend a few quiet moments simply watching the flame.

Notice how Fire never clings to what it transforms. It simply allows each moment to become something new. Perhaps we are invited to do the same.

☀️ Sunrise or Sunset Meditation

The sun is our greatest teacher of the Fire element.

Spend 5–10 minutes outside at sunrise or sunset. Feel its warmth on your skin.

Reflect:

🔥Where do I need more courage?

🔥What lights me up?

🔥How can I shine without burning myself out?

Let the warmth of the sun remind you that your light is meant to be shared.

✨ Thursday

In this upcoming Thursday newsletter, we’ll explore the sacred role of anger, learning how to honor it as a messenger rather than suppress it, so it can become a force for healthy boundaries, clarity, and transformation instead of destruction.

Until then, I invite you to notice where the flame is already flickering within your own life. Maybe it’s a dream you’ve postponed. A conversation you’ve been avoiding. A boundary waiting to be honored. A gift you’ve been hesitant to share. Or perhaps it’s simply the quiet voice within you, gently whispering…

Trust.

I’ll meet you back here on Thursday as we continue our journey into the transformative wisdom of Fire. 🔥

Sending So Much Love,

Amy

Share Amy Elizabeth 🦋 Holistic Nurse

One of the greatest gifts of creating Ascending Hearts Wellness in Rhode Island has been sharing this journey with my dear friend and business partner, Kendra Sheehan. She is an amazing soul with an innate gift for gently guiding others, and she has a beautiful way of blending science, spirituality, and nature. Today I’m excited to share one of her favorite practices with you.

In the short video above, Kendra introduces the practice of solar water and explains how she intentionally works with water as a sacred ally for healing and transformation.

In addition to her video, everything shared below is also inspired by her solar water wisdom and teachings.

A Few Key Takeaways from Kendra

💧 Water is sacred. Our lives begin in water, and our bodies are made primarily of it.

🌊 Water symbolizes intuition, emotions, healing, purification, adaptability, and transformation.

☀️ Solarized water is made by placing filtered water in a clear or blue glass bottle in the sunlight for several hours.

🌎 This practice honors all four elements: Water, Fire (the sun), Earth, and Air.

🙏 Set an intention. Before drinking, hold your water near your heart and offer a blessing, prayer, or words of gratitude.

💎 Personalize your water with positive affirmations or color therapy. Use a colored water bottle or wrap a clear bottle with colored cellophane to represent the chakra you wish to support. As you drink, set the intention of inviting the qualities of that chakra into your mind, body, and spirit.

🎶 Water can become part of your spiritual practice. Try placing it on sacred geometry or near sound healing instruments while it solarizes.

🌿 Solar water isn’t just for drinking. It can also be used to water plants, wash your face, or support sacred rituals and ceremonies.

✨ The greatest gift of this practice is not perfection, but bringing more mindfulness, gratitude, and intention into something you do every single day.

I hope you enjoy Kendra’s beautiful video and feel inspired to deepen your own relationship with the sacredness of solar water.

As we complete our journey with the element of Water, I hope you have embraced a connection with the healing power of this sacred element. Next week, we continue Returning to Your Wild Wisdom as we step into the energy of Fire, exploring passion, courage, transformation, and personal power.

If you’ve been enjoying this series and would like to support my work, I would be so grateful if you considered upgrading to a paid subscription for just $11 per month. Your support allows me to continue creating guided meditations, newsletters, practices, and heartfelt content like this each week, while helping sustain the time and energy that goes into these offerings.

Thank you for being here and for walking this journey with me. I’m so grateful to share this space with you, and I look forward to exploring the transformative wisdom of Fire together next week. 🔥

Sending So Much Love,

Amy

Share Amy Elizabeth 🦋 Holistic Nurse

is as soft and yielding as water.

Yet for dissolving the hard and inflexible, nothing can surpass it.

The soft overcomes the hard; the gentle overcomes the rigid.

Everyone knows this is true, but few can put it into practice.”

Tao Te Ching – Verse  78

As we continue our journey through the elements, we now enter the wisdom of Water.

Interestingly, while writing this week’s reflection, something beautiful happened naturally. It was a rainy weekend.

My first thought was, Oh good. I can relax.

There was something about the rain that immediately gave me permission to slow down. As I worked on writing this, I could turn down my brain for a little while, let go of the endless list of other things I felt like I “should” be doing next that seems to always linger in the background, put on a movie in the background instead, make a warm cup of cacao, and finally just relax.

And then I asked myself something.

Why do rainy days make it so much easier for us to relax our nervous system?

Why do we give ourselves permission to slow down when the sky is cloudy and the rain is falling, but when the sun is shining, we feel pressure to be outside, doing, socializing, performing, accomplishing, or making the most of every single minute?

Maybe this is one of the first lessons Water offers us.

Water teaches us that slowing down is not wasted time.

Just as nature moves through seasons of growth, abundance, stillness, and renewal, we also move through these cycles. The wisdom of Water invites us to release the constant need to push forward and instead learn how to honor the ever-changing flow of life.

The Wisdom of Water 🌊

Water also reminds us that we are not meant to remain stagnant. Like a river, we are constantly changing and finding our way. It teaches us to surrender and trust the natural forward momentum of existence.

The element of Water is connected with the Sacral Chakra, the energy center associated with our emotions, creativity, fluidity, passion, pleasure, play, interconnectedness, and our capacity to move with the ever-changing currents.

The wisdom of Water invites us to pause and reflect:

Where am I holding on too tightly?

Where am I being called to soften?

Where can I invite more creativity, joy, pleasure and fluidity into my life?

Water shows us that true strength is not found in resistance, but in our ability to adapt. It carves canyons and transforms everything it passes over, not through force, but through persistence.

Water teaches us to:

🌊 Soften instead of resist

🌊 Release what no longer serves us

🌊 Trust our intuition

🌊 Move through change with grace

🌊 Honor our emotions with compassion

🌊 Create space for rest, reflection, integration and renewal

When we become rigid, Water gently reminds us to become flexible. When we cling to fear or old stories, it offers us the opportunity to cleanse and heal, so we can begin again.

Honoring the Element of Water 🌊

As you continue working with your sacred space from the sneak peek, you may feel called to revisit your altar and bring more in to honor the energy of Water.

You can add items that represent this element and help you connect with its wisdom throughout the week.

Consider incorporating:

✨ Crystals such as Carnelian, Moonstone, or Aquamarine

✨ A small dish or bowl of water

✨ A seashell

✨ A representation of the ocean, river, rain, or another water source that feels special to you

Remember, sacred spaces are not created through perfection. They are created through intention.

Water Practice One: A Cleansing Shower Ritual 🚿

Water has been used as a sacred element of cleansing across cultures for centuries. This simple ritual transforms an everyday shower into a moment of energetic renewal.

Before stepping into the shower, take a cup or bowl of warm water and add a handful of Epsom salts. Hold the container in your hands and pause for a moment. Take a deep breath and set an intention to cleanse your energy field. Once in the shower, pour this cup or bowl over your entire body. Imagine anything that doesn’t belong to you being washed away.

You can repeat:

“I release what I no longer need to carry.”

“I clear away energy that does not belong to me.”

“I return what is not mine with love.”

Allow the water to remind you that you are always capable of energetic cleansing.

Water Practice Two: Water Meditation 🌊

For this meditation, sit by your sacred space or in another quiet area. Place a bowl of water in front of you or bring another symbol of Water into your space. This could be a seashell, a crystal connected to Water, an image of the ocean, or anything that helps you connect with this element.

Begin by settling into a comfortable seated position. Rest the backs of your hands gently on your thighs. Bring the tips of your thumbs and pinky fingers together, creating Varun Mudra, the Water Mudra. Close your eyes and take several slow, intentional breaths. Imagine yourself becoming like a calm body of water. Still on the surface. Deep and wise beneath.

Reflect on the qualities of Water:

Flow.

Trust.

Adaptability.

Creativity.

Emotional balance.

Intuition.

As you breathe, repeat:

“I trust myself and the path unfolding before me.”

“I allow life to move through me with grace and ease.”

“I release what no longer supports my growth.”

“I listen deeply to my intuition.”

“I allow myself to soften, receive, trust and flow.”

Spend several minutes connecting with the wisdom of Water and allowing yourself to receive its message.

Connecting With Water Through Your Senses 🩵

There are many other ways to connect with Water in your everyday life.

You can work with the energy of Water through:

✨ Essential oils such as jasmine, clary sage, and sweet marjoram

✨ Incense such as cedarwood and juniper

✨ Sitting beside a lake, river, or ocean

✨ Walking near water

✨ Swimming or floating

✨ Listening to a rainstorm

✨ Drinking water slowly with gratitude and intention

✨ Taking a relaxing bath

✨ Watching the movement of clouds and remembering that everything is always changing

Water is available to us everywhere.

Sometimes connection does not require a ceremony. Sometimes it is simply noticing the rain falling outside your window, feeling the energy of waves at a nearby beach, or appreciating the drinking water that nourishes your body every day.

Something Special ☀️

I am so excited to share that Thursday we will have a special guest joining us for a lesson about Solar Water. My dear friend and business partner at Ascending Hearts Wellness in Rhode Island, Kendra Sheehan, will be sharing her wisdom and knowledge about working with Water in an intentional way. Kendra carries a deep connection with this element, and I cannot wait for her to share her insights with this community.

This week, I invite you to notice where you are being called to soften, where you are being asked to release, and where life may be inviting you to flow instead of force.

May we remember the wisdom of Water:

We do not have to fight every current. Sometimes the greatest transformation happens when we simply allow ourselves to flow.

Sending So Much Love,

Amy

Share Amy Elizabeth 🦋 Holistic Nurse

As we come to the close of our first week of Returning to Your Wild Wisdom, I want to thank you for walking this journey with me.

Throughout this week, we’ve explored the grounding wisdom of the Earth through reflection, mindfulness practices, visualization, and gentle reminders that healing doesn’t always happen by striving. Sometimes it begins by simply remembering that we belong.

Today, I’m honored to share our final offering for the Earth element: Becoming the Ancient Oak, a guided meditation designed to help you reconnect with the steady, unwavering support of the Earth beneath you.

In this meditation, you’ll be invited to become the ancient oak, growing roots deep through every layer of the Earth until they reach the brilliant white healing light at its center. From this place of deep connection, you’ll draw healing energy upward through your entire body, releasing stress, fear, and anything you’ve been carrying that no longer serves you.

The oak reminds us that true strength comes from deep roots, not hurried growth. It teaches us to trust the natural unfolding of our lives, honoring both the quiet seasons beneath the surface and the moments when we are ready to reach toward the light.

I hope this meditation becomes one you return to whenever you need to feel grounded, supported, and reminded that you are never walking alone.

As we complete our journey with the element of Earth, I invite you to notice what has shifted within you this week. Perhaps you’ve found a greater sense of calm, a deeper connection with nature, or simply a few quiet moments to pause and breathe. Whatever your experience, know that the wisdom of the Earth remains with you.

Next week, our journey continues as we step into the flowing wisdom of the element of Water. Together, we’ll explore emotional healing, intuition, adaptability, creativity, and the gentle art of learning to move with life instead of against it.

Thank you for being here and for allowing me to be part of your journey back to your wild wisdom.

Sending So Much Love,

Amy

Share Amy Elizabeth 🦋 Holistic Nurse

Read more

As I reflect on those walks with my dad, one memory always rises to the surface.

The rocks.

Somehow, every walk ended with a pocket full of them.

None of us ever announced that we were collecting them. It simply happened. We would bend down, pick one up, turn it over in our hands, admire its colors or smooth edges, and tuck it away to take home. Looking back, I don’t think we were searching for perfect stones.

I think we were learning to notice.

Each rock had been shaped over countless years by wind, rain, waves, seasons, and time. What may have looked ordinary to someone else held its own unique story.

Perhaps we are not so different. Life shapes us too. Sometimes gently. Sometimes through seasons we never would have chosen. Yet like those stones along the shoreline, there is beauty in what has endured.

This week, I’d love to invite you into that same ritual.

Aimless Wandering

Wander outside in nature without a destination. Let your mind simply be. There is nothing to solve, plan, or figure out. Allow curiosity and intuition to guide your steps. Notice what naturally draws your attention, whether it is a rock, a tree, a feather, or the sound of the wind. Trust what calls to you.

If a rock seems to choose you, allow it to become a symbol of your intention. Sometimes the greatest gifts from nature are found when we stop searching and simply allow ourselves to wander.

Nature Heals

If you have collected some rocks, choose two that you can write on with a marker. Paint works well too.

On one, write or draw something you would like to release. Bring the rock to the water or another place in nature. Allow yourself a moment of reflection, then toss the rock back into nature to symbolize your intention of release. Place your hand on your heart and take three deep breaths. Know it is complete.

On the other, write or draw what you would like to manifest or welcome more of. Place the rock at home on your altar or in a special place. Each day, know it is complete.

Reiki practitioners can infuse their rock with Reiki.

Walking Meditation

One of my favorite ways to connect with the Earth is through walking meditation.

Walking meditation has been practiced for thousands of years in many spiritual traditions, particularly within Buddhism, where it is considered a way of bringing mindfulness into movement. Rather than walking to arrive somewhere, the walk itself becomes the practice.

I often smile when I think about that because my dad never called our walks meditation.

Yet that’s exactly what they were. I’m sure he knew that. He instinctively understood that healing doesn’t always happen while sitting still with our eyes closed. Sometimes healing happens one slow step at a time.

This week, I invite you to experience your own walking meditation.

Choose a place where you feel comfortable. It might be a wooded trail, a quiet beach, a neighborhood sidewalk, a local park, or even the path around your office during your lunch break.

Before you begin walking, pause.

Stand with your feet parallel, about hip-width apart. Allow your weight to settle evenly between both feet, feeling the steady support of the Earth beneath you.

Gently close your eyes. With your palms facing upward, rest your left hand on top of your right hand at the level of your waist, in a quiet gesture of gratitude and receiving. Take three slow, gentle breaths. Allow yourself to arrive fully in this moment.

When you are ready, slowly open your eyes. Begin a slow, mindful walking pace.

Bring your awareness to the first foot as it steps forward and meets the Earth. Feel your heel make contact, then the ball of your foot, then your toes. Notice the foot lifting as the opposite heel gently meets the ground. Continue following this natural rhythm, one step at a time.

As your walking becomes steady, allow your attention to rest on each complete step. Feel the subtle shifting of your weight from one side to the other. Notice the changing pressure beneath your feet and the gentle movement through your ankles. There is nowhere to rush.

As you continue walking, gently expand your awareness upward through your body. Notice how your knees bend and straighten, how your hips sway naturally, and how your pelvis supports each step. Feel the movement travel through your spine, allowing it to lengthen with ease. Observe your shoulders. Are they lifted, rounded, or relaxed? Notice your arms softly swinging at your sides and your head balancing effortlessly above your spine.

Without trying to change or judge anything, simply witness your body’s natural wisdom in motion. With each step, return your attention to your feet, your breath, and the steady, grounding rhythm of walking.

As thoughts come up, simply acknowledge them without judgment and gently return your awareness to the next step. You don’t need to solve your problems during this walk. Simply let the Earth hold them with you for a little while.

As a holistic nurse, I’ve come to appreciate how powerful practices like this can be. Modern life asks our brains to process an endless stream of information, notifications, decisions, and responsibilities. Our nervous systems often remain in a state of constant alertness without us even realizing it.

Nature offers us a different rhythm. Its pace is slower. Steadier. More patient.

When we intentionally slow our bodies, breathe deeply, and reconnect with the natural world, we give ourselves an opportunity to shift out of constant doing and into simply being.

The Wisdom Beneath Your Feet

One simple practice that beautifully complements walking meditation is earthing, also known as grounding.

The practice is wonderfully simple. Whenever it feels safe and comfortable, spend a few minutes with your bare feet in direct contact with the Earth. Stand on grass, sand, natural soil, or smooth stone.

Stand, sit or lay quietly. Soften your knees. Relax your shoulders. Take five slow, steady breaths.

As you breathe, imagine roots growing from the soles of your feet deep into the Earth, just as the roots of a great tree anchor it through every season. With each inhale, invite in steadiness, nourishment, and strength. With each exhale, release tension, worry, overwhelm, or anything you no longer need to carry.

If you are able, remain there for five to ten minutes. If your day is full, even one mindful minute can help regulate your nervous system and create a powerful reset.

If removing your shoes isn’t possible, don’t let that stop you. Step outside for a few moments. Lean against a tree. Rest your hand on a large stone. Sit on a park bench. Open a window and take several slow breaths while looking toward the horizon. Nature has many ways of welcoming us home.

While grounding has long been honored in spiritual traditions as a way to reconnect with the wisdom of the Earth, emerging research suggests there may be physiological benefits as well. Grounding, sometimes called earthing, is the connection of your body to the Earth’s natural electrical charge through direct contact with the Earth. Although research is still evolving, early studies suggest grounding may support the body’s natural inflammatory response and have beneficial effects on stress, sleep, pain, and overall well-being.

The Earth is always there, patiently waiting to meet us exactly where we are. You don’t need hours. You simply need a moment of willingness to reconnect.

The Earth still has a few more gifts to share. Join me tomorrow for Part Three as e complete this chapter with more grounding practices, reflections, and wisdom inspired by the steady presence of the natural world.

Sending Much Love,

Amy

Share Amy Elizabeth 🦋 Holistic Nurse

If I close my eyes and think about the element of Earth, I don’t only picture towering mountains, winding trails, quiet fields, gardens in bloom, the trees outside my window, stones gathered from special places, or the grounding feeling of the Earth beneath my bare feet.

I picture my dad.

Long before I became a holistic nurse, long before I studied nervous system regulation and the science behind the healing relationship between humans and nature, my dad was quietly teaching me the way of this wisdom.

Whenever someone in our family, or our very large extended family, a friend, or even a coworker was going through a difficult chapter in their life, he rarely tried to fix it with words. He didn’t rush to offer advice or explain away their pain. Instead, he would simply ask, “Want to go for a walk?”

Sometimes he would bring me along too. This is where I began learning how to respectfully hold space for others. And sometimes, as I grew older, I was the one having a hard time, and the walk was for me.

Most of those walks took place in Little Compton, Rhode Island along one of our favorite rocky beaches. There was no agenda and no expectations. Sometimes we talked. Sometimes we didn’t. We wandered slowly along the shoreline, listening to the rhythm of the waves while searching for beautiful stones that somehow always seemed to bring intense joy.

Collecting rocks from the Earth became part of the tradition on these therapeutic strolls. At the time, I thought we were simply bringing home souvenirs. Now I realize we were bringing home reminders. Reminders that healing doesn’t always happen through doing. Sometimes healing begins through simply being.

Every summer, our family also traveled to the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Believe it or not, one of my favorite words to say as a little girl was “Kancamagus” Highway. There was something fun about it the challenge of saying it when I was just learning to talk, long before I understood just how magical of a place it is.

One of our favorite traditions each summer was riding the gondola to the top of Loon Mountain. My mom was too afraid and she stayed down below, exploring the shops or reading while she waited. Each year my dad, my brother and I would spend hours wandering the trails at the summit, breathing in the crisp mountain air, and taking in views that made every worry feel much smaller.

What I remember most about these walks wasn’t what my dad said. It was what he didn’t say.

He knew how to be present. If you wanted to talk, he listened. If you wanted silence, he honored that too. Though they sometimes included him talking quietly to himself along the way. A trait I inherited.

Looking back, I realize he offered people something we don’t receive very often in today’s world. He offered the lost art of quiet presence.

In a world of quick fixes and toxic positivity, my dad understood something the elders of so many generations and cultures before us have always known: presence is the medicine.

The Earth offers us that same gift. It never asks us to be more productive. It never asks us to explain ourselves. It simply welcomes us exactly as we are.

My connection to holistic nursing began long before I had the words to describe it. My dad was incredibly wise, and he already understood much of what I would later discover through science and my studies. I entered nursing with the intention of specializing in holistic nursing, and through that journey, I found the evidence behind what I had experienced throughout my life.

Across cultures and throughout history, many healing traditions have worked with the elements as symbols of both the natural world and our inner landscape. This week we begin with Earth, the element of stability, nourishment, strength, patience, resilience, and belonging.

Think about a mountain.

It doesn’t rush. It doesn’t compare itself to the mountains beside it. It simply stands.

Think about an old oak tree. Its strength isn’t found in what we see above the ground. Its strength comes from roots that reach deep into the Earth, drawing nourishment day after day, season after season.

The same is true for us. Before we can grow, we need roots. Before we can truly care for others, we must learn how to return to ourselves. That is the invitation of the Earth element.

Building Your Sacred Space

If you haven’t already, I invite you to visit last week’s Sneak Peek: Returning to Your Wisdom Series newsletter and begin creating your elemental altar. This altar will become a sacred space throughout our six-week journey, evolving as we explore each of the five elements. You are welcome to gather items that represent all five elements now or simply allow your altar to grow with each week’s invitation.

As you build your altar, I encourage you to spend a little extra time this week choosing objects that represent the Earth element. Perhaps a stone from a peaceful walk, a pinecone, fresh flowers, fresh herbs, a small plant, a crystal, or even a bowl filled with soil from your garden or seeds. There is no right or wrong way to create your altar. Simply allow it to reflect what helps you feel supported as we begin this journey together.

As you arrange each item, pause for a moment before placing it down. Ask yourself why you chose it. What memory or intention does it hold? What quality of the Earth does it remind you of? Strength? Peace? Patience? Steadiness?

When your altar feels complete enough, light a candle if you wish. Place both hands over your heart. Close your eyes. Take five slow breaths.

Reflection

As you connect with the steady, nurturing energy of the Earth, let these reflections guide your journey inward. You can journal with them or simply sit in quiet contemplation.

⛰️What would help me feel more grounded this week?

⛰️What part of my life is asking for stronger roots before I continue to grow?

⛰️What can I release to create more stability and peace?

Trust whatever comes up. Like a seed beneath the soil, not all growth is immediately visible. Sometimes the deepest transformation begins quietly, beneath the surface.

This week, you will receive the Earth element newsletter in three parts on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, followed by a guided meditation on Friday.

Sending So Much Love,

Amy

Share Amy Elizabeth 🦋 Holistic Nurse

One of the first invitations of this series is to create a sacred space (sometimes referred to as an altar in certain spiritual traditions), a special place in your home where you can intentionally connect with the energy of the sacred elements and your own inner wisdom.

Your sacred space does not need to be elaborate or perfect. It is about creating a simple place that feels meaningful and supportive for you.

This can be anywhere that works for your space and your life:

✨ A small table

✨ A section of a bookshelf

✨ An open desk or bureau

✨ A space on your porch

✨ A bedside table

✨ A simple tray or even a TV tray

This will become a place where you can pause, breathe, meditate, journal, set intentions, read, practice energy healing, or simply rest and reconnect.

As we move through the six weeks together, you can continue adding to this space and allowing it to evolve alongside your own journey.

Here are some ways to honor each element by bringing its energy into your sacred space through meaningful objects, symbols, and offerings placed on your altar. Selecting just one item to represent each element is enough to begin, but you are welcome to add as many items as feel aligned for you.

🌎 Earth Element

Chakra: Root

Themes: Grounding, safety, stability, connection to nature

Ways to honor Earth:

✨ Crystals such as: Red Jasper, Smoky Quartz, Black Tourmaline

✨ Natural rocks or stones collected from meaningful places

✨ A plant or flowers

✨ Soil, seeds, or anything that reminds you of your connection to Mother Earth

💧 Water Element

Chakra: Sacral

Themes: Flow, emotions, creativity, intuition

Ways to honor Water:

✨ Crystals such as: Carnelian, Moonstone, Aquamarine

✨ A small dish or bowl of water

✨ A seashell

✨ A representation of the ocean, river, rain, or another water source that feels special to you

🔥 Fire Element

Chakra: Solar Plexus

Themes: Transformation, confidence, inner power

Ways to honor Fire:

✨ Crystals such as: Citrine, Tiger’s Eye, Sunstone

✨ A small candle (if safe and appropriate for your space)

✨ Incense, herbs, or another smoke-clearing practice

✨ A yellow flower, sun symbol, or another representation of light as a non-fire option

🌬 Air Element

Chakra: Heart

Themes: Love, compassion, breath, connection

Ways to honor Air:

✨ Crystals such as: Rose Quartz, Green Aventurine, Amazonite

✨ A feather

✨ A symbol of birds, wind, or movement

✨ A journal entry, affirmation, or prayer connected to your heart

🪽Spirit Element

Chakra: Crown

Themes: Intuition, higher wisdom, spiritual connection

Ways to honor Spirit:

✨ Crystals such as: Amethyst, Clear Quartz, Labradorite

✨ A meaningful spiritual symbol

✨ An oracle or tarot card

✨ A piece of sacred artwork

✨ A meditation bell, singing bowl, or meaningful object from your spiritual practice

✨ A written intention, prayer, or message from your higher self

As we begin Returning to Your Wild Wisdom, this sacred space can become a place to return to throughout the journey, a reminder to slow down, listen inward, and reconnect with the wisdom that has always been within you.

I can’t wait to begin this six-week exploration with you.

If you feel called to go deeper, you can upgrade to a paid subscription for just $11/month to receive the full series content, additional practices, and exclusive offerings throughout our journey together.

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And if you know someone who may feel called to reconnect with their own wild wisdom, I would be so grateful if you shared this with them.

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With Much Love,

Amy 🌎✨

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Sending Much Love & Blessings,

Amy

I’m excited to share a new six-week summer series beginning next week: Returning to Your Wild Wisdom.

Designed through the lens of my work as a holistic nurse, this series will explore how the wisdom of nature can support your nervous system, deepen your spiritual practice, and inspire simple, sustainable wellness habits.

Each week, we’ll focus on one of the sacred elements, Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Spirit, discovering how its unique energy can help you feel more grounded, balanced, connected and whole. Together, we’ll explore the element’s associated chakra and its spiritual and holistic significance.

Throughout the series, you’ll receive a thoughtful blend of newsletters, guided meditations, relaxing audio recordings, affirmations, energy activations, simple rituals, reflection prompts, and Notes, all designed to help you gently weave these practices into your everyday life.

Ready to experience the full journey? Be sure to upgrade to a paid subscription so you don’t miss a moment of this special series. While everyone will receive a glimpse of what’s to come, paid subscribers will enjoy the complete experience from beginning to end, along with access to our private community chat where we can connect and journey together throughout the series.

⬇️ Upgrade to Paid to Unlock the Full Series – Only $11/month ⬇️

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Whether you join as a free or paid subscriber, I’m grateful you’re here. I hope this series encourages you to slow down, reconnect with nature, and remember the wisdom that already lives within you.

Please share this message with any of your loved ones who may be interested in participating in this series! All are welcome. ☺️

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Our journey begins Monday, July 13, with Week One: Earth | Root Into Safety. 🌎

I can’t wait to send you a sneak peek this week!

Much Love,

Amy

As we celebrate Independence Day, this meditation invites us to explore a deeper kind of freedom, one that begins within.

From a spiritual perspective, sovereignty is the remembrance that your true essence has never been defined by fear, conditioning, guilt, shame, or the expectations of others. It is the quiet knowing that beneath every role you have played and every story you have carried, there has always been a light that remains completely whole and completely worthy.

As you listen, allow yourself to receive the meditation without trying to force an experience. Find a quiet space where you can sit comfortably or lie down, and if possible, use headphones to deepen your sense of presence. You may wish to return to this practice whenever you feel disconnected from your sense of inner freedom. Each time you repeat the affirmations that are included in the meditation experience, you are creating new pathways of self-trust and inner peace while strengthening your connection to your authentic self.

May this meditation remind you that true freedom is an inside journey, and that your greatest liberation comes not from changing who you are, but from remembering the pure light and love that have always lived within you.

Sending You Much Love,

Amy 🦋

Many of us entered this work because we genuinely love supporting others. We hold space. We facilitate. We channel. We teach. We witness transformation. We sit with people in their becoming.

Yet somewhere along the way, it becomes easy to equate worth with output.

Another appointment.

Another session.

Another ceremony.

Another offering.

Another message to respond to.

Another thing to hold, create, or prepare.

And slowly, without even noticing, the nervous system begins to carry a quiet pressure: keep going.

I’ve learned this part of the path intimately in my own life.

There have been seasons where I felt ashamed for resting, for stepping away, or for spending a slow morning in nature when I ‘could’ have been working. Even when my body was clearly asking for pause, my mind would often override it with a sense that I was falling behind or not doing enough.

What I didn’t realize at the time was that this wasn’t alignment.

It was conditioning.

And underneath it… guilt.

Guilt for rest.

Guilt for softness.

Guilt for stillness.

Guilt for choosing myself in a world that often rewards constant output.

What’s taken time to understand is that guilt doesn’t just live in the mind. Guilt lives in the body. And in healing work, it can quietly shape how we show up, how we give, and how we receive.

Nature has been one of my greatest teachers in releasing this.

🌳The trees don’t question their seasons.

🌊The ocean doesn’t apologize for retreating.

🌎The earth doesn’t bloom endlessly without pause.

Everything sacred in nature moves in rhythm… expansion and withdrawal, activity and restoration, expression and integration.

Nothing is meant to stay “on” all the time.

And neither are we.

The more I’ve allowed myself to step outside, to slow down, to sit without producing or performing, the more I’ve noticed something subtle but profound: my intuition gets clearer when I am not forcing it to speak.

The guidance comes easier.

The energy feels cleaner.

My work becomes more rooted, not less.

Rest is not separate from the work. It is part of how the work stays true.

And slowly, I’ve been learning to replace guilt with trust.

Trust that I don’t have to earn rest.

Trust that my worth is not measured by output.

Trust that my energy is more powerful when it is cared for, not depleted.

If you are someone who works in healing, spirituality, or any kind of heart-centered service, I want to offer you something simple but meaningful.

A small practice for releasing guilt around rest:

A Ritual for Releasing Guilt of Rest ☀️

Find a quiet space, ideally somewhere you can feel grounded… outside if possible, or near a window.

Place one hand on your heart and one on your belly. Take a few slow breaths.

Bring to mind any guilt you’ve been carrying around resting, slowing down, or doing less. Notice where it lives in your body without trying to fix it.

Then gently say to yourself:

“I release the belief that I must earn rest.”

“I release the guilt I’ve carried for slowing down.”

“I honor that my energy is sacred, and it needs care, not constant output.”

Take a few more breaths and imagine your body softening… like nature itself exhaling through you.

When you’re ready, place your attention on something in nature: a tree, the sky, the earth, water… anything that reminds you of cycles and rhythm.

Let that be your reminder that you are part of that same design.

You are not meant to be always on.

You are meant to be whole.

And wholeness includes rest.