Monday – moon day, emotions, & intentions
5pm Pacific Time/8pm Eastern – 60 minutes
Third Mondays
Third Mondays – a day for practice. We’ll explore various techniques of self care together to find what resonates with you. This may include: movement, meditation, breath work, journaling, affirmations, and more. Let’s get weird! Every month has a theme based on a topic from the adventure of self inquiry and self empowerment. Hosted by no stranger to strange, Traci. Session replays are sent out in the newsletter following the session for limited-time viewing.
Nurturing Spirit
Traci’s Monday sessions are like sitting down at a virtual community table sipping tea to learn, reflect, and relax. She thoughtfully and intuitively selects topics to get our minds flowing and offers useful tips that can be used for greater spiritual connections, expanding mindfulness practices, and life hacks to name a few. She ends each session with a meditation, perfect for ending a Monday and starting the week. I look forward to the Monday sessions as a way to connect and learn. The biggest take away though is receiving; a simple knowing of feeling cared for and loved by Traci. She embodies a caring, nurturing spirit in all of her works and offerings.
November
11/20/23 - Attitude of Gratitude
Did you know that gratitude is one of the top research-based actions we can do for more happiness? Sounds simple, right? Then why aren't we all doing it?? We'll talk about why gratitude effects our happiness, how we can practice gratitude, and then we'll get started!
More details to come...
December - on-demand replay
12/18/23 - Wheel of the Year - Refreshing Ritual
I love participating in new year workshops. I find January to be a hard time of year for me personally, a time to spend inwards, reflecting, adjusting, and getting ready for the new calendar year. Over the years, I've combined my favorite practices from positive psychology, yoga, paganism, and tarot to create a refreshing ritual.
Since I'll be in full recovery and receiving mode post-hysterectomy surgery at the time of the 3rd Monday, I'll record the Wheel of the Year practice ahead of time for you to enjoy whenever you feel called to do so! Feel free to practice at the regular 3rd Monday time or whenever you feel called. I recommend 2 hours for this practice, to get deep and luxuriate in the reset.
The Wheel of the Year is a card spread for each month of the year along with conscious and unconscious themes for the year. I've seen these really come to life in my reality, using my special method that supports you all year long.
For this session, you'll need: a tarot or oracle deck (max 2, 1 of each), a journal + pen, space to move, comfortable space to meditate. I recommend setting up the cozy vibe with candles, a warm drink, soft clothes, and a clear table or floor to spread out the Wheel of the Year. The video will be stop-start so you can go at your own pace. There's a meditation to center yourself in the ritual space, invitations for movement, and guidance for the Wheel of the Year practice, as well as how to use it the revelations for support in the year to come!
Download your free Wheel of the Year here - which also registers you for the newsletter so you'll get access to the full session when it's released mid -December. The email contains directions on how to use it without video/ritual guidance as well as the pdf downloads, if you want to choose your own adventure! Otherwise, I suggest having a print out or pdf you can edit when you start the replay.
Past Sessions
Subscribe to our YouTube channel for published recordings
If there's a session in particular you want to see and it's not yet published on YouTube, lmk!
10/16/23 - Samhain & Dia De Los Muertos - Connect with Our Ancestors
And my birthday (10/20). I love presents and your presence is kindly requested ????
Samhain (saw-win) aka Halloween aka the Witches' New Year is a pagan cross-quarter day, meaning it falls roughly halfway between the Autumnal Equinox and the Winter Solstice. It marks the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter - the cold, dark, dead days. So it's no wonder that Halloween imagery consists of gravestones and ghosts. It also falls near the Mexican celebration of Dia De Los Muertos - day of the dead, with iconic sugar skulls and skeleton imagery. Growing up in a largely Hispanic area, it was always one of my favorite holidays because of the celebration of our dead with colorful altars, beautiful marigolds, and sweet baked treats. Personally, I always treat my birthday as my personal new year - let the old die and make room for the new.
The common theme between the many cultural celebrations around the end of October and beginning of November is a celebration of death - embracing the darkness that's coming, and honoring those who have passed before us.
For this celebration together, we're going to Connect with Our Ancestors.
Ancestral work can be sticky. We don't always know or like our lineage. And that's okay. Coming from an adopted father, I didn't know anything about those roots until 2018 and still only a portion of it (a lucky Ancestry.com venture!). Then come to find out, my mother's side isn't as clear as I grew up believing either (shout out to 23andMe, too). So, I've done a lot of work connecting to specific ancestors - whether blood or not - as well as unknown ancestors farther back than we have records of. To be clear - we will only connect with the loving, helpful ancestors of your choosing. Boundaries are for ghosts, too.
If you have a specific, loving ancestor (blood related or not) you'd like to connect with, I invite you to bring a photo of them or a meaningful representation. For example, my Uncle Jerry was part Native American and he was working on a walking stick before he passed. In our last in-person convo, he shared that he was looking for a just a few more feathers to complete it. At his burial, I dropped a long feather earring in his grave - and he sends me feather messages still. I'll share some other examples in the session of how I connect year round.
If you don't have ancestors you'd specifically like to connect with, come with an open mind and heart. Feel free to bring a representative that you're drawn to, maybe an antique piece of jewelry or bone or antler if you have one around, or nothing, it's not necessary.
Either way, I invite you to make space for a small altar for those who have passed. Candles, fresh flowers, sweet treats, incense, shot of whiskey for auntie, cigar for grandpa, necklace grandma gave you, photos, trinkets - whatever feels good to you. Make it colorful and celebratory. This is the last light before the darkness. I also invite you to keep this up until Nov. 3rd (you can replace the fresh food on Oct 31st).
For this session, we'll briefly discuss how to work with our ancestors all year, ghostly boundaries, and then slip into a guided meditation, starting with deep relaxation. For this one, get as comfortable and cozy as possible and eliminate all distractions (headphones suggested). These can be beautiful and emotional connections, so have the tissues nearby and a journal. Give yourself time after the session to process. Feel free to replay on/around Oct 31st - Nov 2nd - when they say the veil between the living and the dead is the thinnest. There's nothing spooky or creepy about this practice - we're summoning evil or contacting asshole Aunt Fannie. This can be a beautiful first step to connecting with the guides who have your back all year long.
9/18/23 - Breathe into Balance
This Monday falls just days before the Autumnal Equinox, pagan Mabon, a day when the length of day and night are equal. And I bet we all need to take a deep breath after Venus and Mercury retrogrades! We'll practice an extended and gentle breathwork together to step back into our own balance.
Autumn also marks the beginning of the turn towards more darkness, when leaves begin to fall and plants die off (in the northern hemisphere), and the beginning of pumpkin spice and spooky season - my fav. This whole time of year is about honoring the shift from long days and productivity into less light and slowing down. We'll slow down together to mark this shift and set intentions for the coming season. How can we slow down during the fall and winter? Let's set intentions!
For this session, create a quiet and dimly lit space for relaxation. Light candles, lower the lights, make a comfortable space to lay flat on your back - a light pillow under your head and a bolster or rolled blanket behind your knees for comfort, and a warm blanket to cover yourself with. Feel free to bring an eye pillow, journal, and something cozy to drink. I'll let you stay in the delightful melt of breathwork at the end of the session or make space for sharing.
*Intense breathwork is not recommended for people with a history of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, seizures, or heart problems. If you are pregnant or menstruating, belly breathing may be uncomfortable. Check with your doctor before participating and always, listen to your Body's needs during practice. I suggest not eating 1 hour+ before breathwork. Since we move the abdomen a lot, I find a full stomach is quite uncomfortable. Have a light snack an hour before if needed!
8/17/23 - Digital Vision Board Workshop - Micro Goals & Daily Habits
with co-host Karleigh of Aligned & Empowered!
Remember my phone vision board I shared a few months back? I partnered with Karleigh, who hosted that digital vision board workshop, to co-host one for us! I am super excited for y'all to meet my firecracker friend, Karleigh. She's a real ray of sunshine and a total badass - my favorite combination!
We're focusing on Micro Goals and Daily Habits for this workshop. We've both found in our work that those tiny daily habits can expand quickly. No need to have your whole life mapped out - let's look at one or two little things to move us in the direction of our dreams!
7/17/23 - Channeling It In
Usually I'm more clear on a set topic, outline, make the slides, clever title, all that jazz. This week, I couldn't focus on ONE thing because SO much is going on!
So I invite you to bring wtf is going on for you to our community space. It's going to be weird n witchy as ever!
Bring a friend, a journal, make your space a total vibe, be cozy AF - maybe a snack, something yummy to drink, jammies encouraged.
We'll cover (at least, maybe more depending on your feedback):
- what happened in Denver and Apogaea - what magical co-creators we are
- upcoming shifts for Balanced Roar
- the current astrological chaos, I recommend having your chart pulled up so you can follow along for more precise, personal impact*
- some energy work to just like, get back to it!
- definitely sharing time if you're down to clown
- close with a New Moon in Cancer ritual - super excited this Monday falls on a new moon, one of my favorite regular practices, and I can't wait to be there with y'all!
This session isn't being promoted on socials, I won't publish it to YouTube, I will send the Zoom recording link to those who ask for it. Bare bones, y'all - that's what I need to nurture me right now!
*I'll screen share my chart as an example. Pull up your favorite astro app, or Astro.com - Charts & Calculations - Extended Chart Selection - enter birth date, time, place - keep other default settings. We'll be looking at the houses specifically - the stage where these transits are playing out for YOU.
6/19/23 - Connect with Your Guides
Working with my guides is what got me here today - here being the happiest I've been in this lifetime, living a peaceful day-to-day existence, and confident on my path of this work with Balanced Roar. All of this work is from downloads from my guides. You do NOT need special psychic powers to Connect with Your Guides! You do need an open mind. We'll cover the basics - what types of guides are there, how and why to connect, tips and methods to connect - and then dive into a guided meditation to Connect with Your Guides. I recommend creating a juicy, calm space for the meditation, and having a journal and pen as an option. Set a timer for after the session if you need to be somewhere, otherwise we'll end the session in the meditative space with your guides.
5/15/23 - Words of Power - Affirmation Workshop
A dear Balanced Roar community member requested a list of affirmations and I thought, "oooh I love that." This 3rd Monday puts us squarely past the eclipse season (thank goddess) and back to active manifesting and feeling more in control of our goals. I create affirmations for my bathroom mirror with each new moon (except eclipses) and then keep them in a box to review later. I cannot tell you how freakin' amazing it is to pull out a index card from 6 months ago and have it be true now!
Affirmations are magic, and highly touted by the scientific research community as well for a more positive mindset and accomplishing your goals. The real magic lies in the intention and the wording - that's what we're digging into. I could share my affirmations, but I'd really love to empower you all to write your own. So this session, we'll briefly talk about the power of words and importance of language and specificity. We'll spend the second half on the session workshopping YOUR affirmations.
4/17/23 - Springing Forward
We're planting more seeds. We'll dig into how science and magic combine to set and accomplish our goals. Has your manifesting been stale? Ditched those new year's resolutions months ago? This is the time to recommit and try a new approach.
3/20/23 - Shedding to Spring Forward
Change is upon us! Today we celebrate the spring equinox in the northern hemisphere and the pagan celebration of Ostara.
How do we shed the things we want to get rid of? How do we truly start fresh? We'll talk about different approaches, based in magic and science, to cleanse your palate. Like how compassion can help you achieve your goals and how sometimes you need to be your own tough love. We'll practice various forms of energy cleansing - smoke and water cleanse, energy reclamation through words, thoughts, and deeds, ending with a shaking dance practice. Bring any thing, habit, person, energy you want to remove from your life. Just like weeding and composting your garden for new spring growth, we'll prepare our soil for the most abundant spring harvest yet.
For this session - bring a small bowl of water, a few pieces of paper, and an ink pen.
We dance to Taylor Swift Shake It Off at the end - or choose any song that makes ya move! Here's some shakin songs to get ya going.
2022
12/19/22 - WTF am I doing with My Life?
I really want to be ready to start fresh with new goals for the new year. But honestly, I am absolutely 100% not there! My vision is cloudy. I don't know where I want to go, so I certainly won't know how to get there!
Are you feeling this, too?
We'll look at a few structures to examine our lives, like the Wheel of Life and Wheel of the Year, to see what's working and what can be different. We'll start with a gentle examination of where we are now and where we want to go. Download the Wheel of Year and Wheel of Life to print or follow along digitally (ok to print black&white). Yeah - they're not wheels because those are hard to write in! Bring a pen or pencil, colored pens - something to write in/on if not the print outs and have your oracle or tarot deck handy - or we'll use mine together.
11/28/22 - Stress Less this Holiday Season (& everyday!)
Get ready for the holidays and interacting with relatives! We'll practice some of my favorite techniques to stay sane and grounded during the busy season.
During periods of high stress, our bodies and minds stay activated in the fight or flight state. Our body automatically pumps adrenaline and cortisol, which effect our bodies and mind. Over time, this activation can lead to chronic pain, anxiety, mood swings, gut inflammation and more.
The good news is - we have the power to change our automatic responses. By toning our vagus nerve and parasympathetic nervous system (our automatic fight/flight responses), we build resilience to stress. Which means, less stress! We can get back to stasis by stimulating our vagus nerve and telling it to relax. This leads to long term improvements in mood, pain management, and wellbeing. Science!
For the session: We'll specifically cover techniques that you can apply anywhere - in the airport, in your aunt's bathroom, during the holiday parade - to help manage the stress of the holidays. Be prepared with space to move!
10/17/22 - High Vibe Dating & Relationships
Libra and Venus are all about the We. We love love and relationships! The dark side though? Codependency, sacrificing our happiness and wellbeing for the comfort of those around us, to keep the peace at all costs. The struggle is real, y'all! As a 12th house Libra stellium, this I understand! Just ask my therapist...
How can we, on our journey of self development, date better? With more peace and ease? Seek partnership with more alignment? I'll be sharing some recent dating stories to illuminate how we get to more aligned dating and relationships.
For the session: There will be plenty of time to share your horror dating stories as well. If you'd like to share a story ahead of time, can't make it live, or have a specific issue you'd like to address/air out, drop a line - traci@BalancedRoar.com
For practice together, we will call back our sexual energy - that vibrant, powerful energy - and practicing cord cutting from past relationships. Let the ghosts go this spooky season! No special tools required.
9/19/22 - Live from Salem MA! - Cleanse and Protect Your Energy - Witch 101
Calling all witches, weirdos, starseeds, and awakening beings! Or WWSAB curious. I'm excited to host a safe space for baby witches, newly awakened, starseeds, and all other magical beings - whether you recognize you are or not (yet!). I'll share my favorite foundational practice for all energy work and existence on this plane - Energy Cleansing and Protecting - as well as hold space for an open discussion for all your magical queries. Tune in for a special session, live from Salem Massachusetts. We'll start with witching 101 - my journey and my 2 favorite foundational practices of cleansing and protecting our energy. I hear a lot of you refer to yourselves as "baby witches" or "witch curious" - THIS is your session! I'll leave space to respond to witch questions and queries or feel free to email them ahead of time. traci@BalancedRoar.com
8/15/22 - Make Space for Pleasure
Pivot! It's still time for fun. How do we experience pleasure? Where do we not allow ourselves to experience pleasure? What are our barriers to pleasure? How can mindfulness help us increase our pleasure?
We are the ones who witness our thoughts, we are not our thoughts themselves. Some of those thoughts were planted by our families of origin, our schools and churches, our social circles, even media and society in general. By embodying the gentle witness, we can separate our true Selfs from our programming. What is mine and what is not mine. Says who? Who says? We can use the tool of mindfulness to increase the frequency and depth of pleasure as we experience in our day to day lives.
We'll connect to our thoughts through breathwork before diving into a mindfulness exercise. Then we'll connect to our senses and move our bodies.
This is a great introduction to mindfulness which we'll be exploring more in the Deep Dive into Inner Compassion course coming this fall!
For the session: I recommend having a pen and paper to journal and take notes. I will offer alternatives to journaling as well. And have space for a little standing movement!
7/18/22 - Reclaim Your Power
It's time to roar and be seen in your full, glorious power! I'm talking about the open hearted confidence, not cockiness, that comes from being at home in your Self. AKA Bad Bitch and Big Dick Energy - gender does not apply. We can all remember and harness our inner fire.
Breathwork gets rid of old toxins, stories, and emotions, making space for new vital energy to settle in. We'll explore a series of 3 types of breathwork, based on breathing techniques from Wim Hof, kundalini, tantra, and yoga. We'll start with a clearing breath to warm up, then move into a powerful breath which stimulates and awakens our kundalini snake, our sexual energy. It doesn't matter how you practice or express your sexuality, this breath is an incredible awakener of our most unique and powerful energy. Finally, we'll end with a relaxing breath and time to journal or head off to bed.
For the session: have a comfortable seat where your spine can be long and your torso can move in all directions. I recommend sitting on a pillow on the ground for this - you may also feel called to dance or shake. For the last breath, we'll lay down on the floor/bed/couch - whatever feels comfortable for your Body and keeps a clear pipeline from base of spine to top of head. Water, journal, tissues recommended - the kundalini breath can really stir up emotions and I often find myself crying or screaming into a pillow!
*Intense breathwork is not recommended for people with a history of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, seizures, or heart problems. If you are pregnant or menstruating, belly breathing may be uncomfortable. Check with your doctor before participating and always, listen to your Body's needs during practice. I suggest not eating 1 hour+ before breathwork. Since we move the abdomen a lot, I find a full stomach is quite uncomfortable. Have a light snack an hour before!
6/20/22 - Develop Your Intuition
Intuition has traditionally been reserved for the female realm, but I'm here to tell ya - not all women have it and yet everyone has equal access to their intuition. If your ego is the loud voice you hear in your head all the time, your intuition is the quiet whisper, the gut feeling, the just knowing.
There are many ways our intuition speaks to us everyday, and it can be different for every Body. We'll discuss how your intuition may speak to you, where you may feel it in your body, and ways to strengthen your intuition. For practice, we'll do breathwork together followed by an intuition-strengthening exercise.
6/6/22 - Meet Your Inner Child
I love inner child work for Gemini season! Your inner child is more a group of inner children, voices from different points in your life and stages of development. I met my 20 year old inner child once. Inner child work is a way to address trauma from your past that still drives your thoughts and actions as an adult, often unconsciously. That "trauma" may be as simple as your caregiver being late to pick you up from kindergarten and you felt scared and abandoned, driving insecure attachments as an adult for fear of abandonment.
For Gemini season, we'll be connecting with our inner child in the spirit of play. We get to talk to that child, reassure them that we're in charge now and will take care of them and ask what they need to feel safe and happy.
*Please note that I am not a licensed therapist or a trauma-informed practitioner. If you had an abusive childhood, I recommend doing this work with therapist.
Think of a time where you were happy as a child. If you can, find a picture of adorable little you - any age, but a photo that brings you joy for the little person you see. Bring some water and have a quiet comfy space - you can sit up or lie down for the guided meditation, whatever feels good and safe for your body, and you may prefer headphones for meditations.
I'll leave time at the beginning for a brief Q&A/guidance, then we'll move a bit, and settle into meditation.
5/16/22 - Self Nurturing - How To Soothe Yourself
For all our cool advances, our brains haven't evolved past prehistoric days. If you read the news or avoid a crash in traffic and get stimulated, it's the same physical reaction as being chased by a predator. Our fight-or-flight response is triggered and it's automatic. We can't stop it from happening, but we don't have to live in the state of chronic stress.
I'll offer a few different ways to calm your nervous system and we'll practice together. Bring some water and note taking supplies if you're into that. I'll leave time at the end for Q&A, plan for 90 minutes just in case.
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