Balanced Wellness with Donna

03/08/2026

Life does not wait for perfect feelings.

If you keep waiting until everything feels right, you may keep postponing your life.
Healing does not always come first.

Sometimes you move forward while still feeling sad, anxious, or uncertain.
And through living, something inside you slowly begins to heal.

Take the walk.
Start the journey.
Try the new thing.

You don’t need a perfect mind to live a meaningful life.

Often, the courage to keep living is exactly what brings the healing you were waiting for. 🌿

03/05/2026

Clarity is the theme of the day today in client sessions...I just saw this and it hit 🎯

02/17/2026

🔥 YEAR OF THE FIRE HORSE 🔥

Tomorrow we step out of the shedding energy of the Snake and into movement, courage and forward momentum. The Fire Horse does not wait. It pushes you to live louder, love braver and stop holding yourself back from the life you know you deserve.

If the past months felt heavy, emotional or slow, that was preparation. You were releasing old skins, old attachments and old versions of yourself. Now the energy shifts from reflection to action.

This new cycle is about confidence, independence and passion. Some relationships will accelerate, some will fall away, and some truths will finally come to the surface. Follow what feels alive again inside you.

Type 🔥 if you are ready to leave the past behind and ride into this new chapter with strength.

02/14/2026

So interesting!

Long before chocolates and roses, Valentine’s Day had a far darker beginning. The holiday traces back to Saint Valentine, a Roman priest who lived in the 3rd century under Emperor Claudius II.

According to legend, Claudius believed single men made better soldiers and banned young men from marrying. Valentine defied the order and secretly performed weddings for couples in love. When his actions were discovered, he was arrested and eventually executed on February 14, around 269 AD.

Another story claims that while imprisoned, Valentine befriended — and possibly healed — the jailer’s blind daughter. Before his death, he allegedly signed a letter to her “from your Valentine,” a phrase that may have inspired the modern tradition of love notes.
Over time, the Church honored him as a martyr. Later, medieval poets connected the date with romance and courtly love.

Eventually, the legend transformed into the celebration we know today. So behind every red rose lies a story of rebellion, sacrifice, and a love that refused to bow to power.

02/13/2026

Some may love who you are, some may not...When you stop curating an image and start honoring your truth, life becomes lighter. Some people will feel seen by your honesty, others may feel unsettled by it—but neither reaction defines you.

The sun doesn’t dim itself to please the night, and the moon doesn’t apologize for its phases. They simply exist in balance, just like you.

Remain untouched by opinions, projections, or expectations.

Be real. Be whole. Be unbothered. 🌗
Because when you are rooted in who you are, nothing outside of you has the power to shake it.

02/06/2026

01/01/2026

26 Manifesto Rules for the Year.
1. Stare fear in the face. So often fear stops us. Instead live fearless - knowing when to stop and when to move and when to be brave.

2. Invest in your friends. Good friends listen and show up. Do the same. Friendship is give and take and give and take. Friends are the ultimate gift.

3. No excuses. You must take care of yourself: heart, body and soul. There is no excuse for forgetting you. Your family needs you to love you with the same tenacity that you love them.

4. Guilt doesn't need to dictate choices. Don't let guilt stop you from taking care of yourself. Guilt keeps one stuck.

5. Read real books again. Watch a mini-series. Start jogging. Do something that is not work, not chores, but simply that makes you happy.

6. Love your body. Your aging body. Yes, that. And stop lamenting the wrinkles, but embrace them as another year lived.

7. Don't short-change yourself. You are amazing.

8. Listen more, judge less. Comparison is the death of contentment. Instead of judging, be happy for others.

9. Slow down. Hold hands more. Say "yes" to one more book. Let them get the gum in the check out line. Just be present.

10. Create margin in your life. That space in-between the busy and the crazy where you can just breathe again.

11. Don't be afraid of "no" and trying. The worst that can happen is that you brush off and try again.

12. Be proud of yourself. Like really nitty gritty proud - of all the showing up and trying and giving and little things you do that matter so greatly.

13. Give to others. Maybe it's not money or time, but sometimes it can be grace extended.

14. Be straightforward with your words.

15. Love well. Love without fear. Love unconditionally. Love others. Love yourself.

16. Forgive. Grudges destroy, forgiving brings freedom. And if you’re not at a place of forgiving, it’s okay. It’s your timeline, not what others “think” is right.

17. Fall seven times, stand up eight. Don't lament the falling - celebrate the standing.

18. Learn from your experiences and mistakes. They don’t need to define. Sometimes those spaces of experience make us real and in the real spaces we forge connection.

19. Take risks. The biggest risk for me in life is the risk of not trying.

20. Mindset, mindset, mindset. What one thinks truly is what one believes, what one becomes.

21. Be adaptable. Life can change in an instant.

22. Love others deeply. For who they are, for their courage, for their story. Kindness and love are priceless.

23. Be a learner, but don’t let learning stop you from taking action. You have to start. Try. The only way to walk (or run) a thousand miles is to complete mile one. So be brave. Start.

24. Do the work. Whether it’s the mental work to change patterns or the active work to change things - talking and doing are some different. So don’t be afraid of hard work, put in the effort. Talking about change and working for change are completely different.

25. Step into YOUR story and fuel YOUR soul. Live unapologetically yourself. This is your time, now.

26. There is a duality to life. Hard and soft, hustle and peace, grit and grace, stength and flexibility, etc… lean into both. Life is not one or the other, rather is this beautiful place of needing both.

Begin. 🙌

~Rachel


PS: I originally wrote these at the end of 2019 and have been adding on with new lessons learned.

original words by Rachel Marie Martin of Finding Joyo

01/01/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Answ4kBPe/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Since you are standing right on the threshold of January 1, 2026, you are entering a rare "Triple 1" portal. In numerology, we calculate the year by adding its digits:
2 + 0 + 2 + 6 = 10, and 1 + 0 = 1

This means 1/1/2026 reduces to 1 / 1 / 1! 🤯
This significantly amplifies its meaning of individuality, initiation, and the spark of creation.

⬇️ Here is what the 1/1/1 portal on New Year's Day signifies for you:

The Ultimate Clean Slate:
This isn't just a new year; it’s the beginning of a new era. Any "baggage" from the last nine years (since 2017) is officially behind you.

Seeding the Decade:
The intentions you set on this specific day carry the "1" energy of leadership and self-reliance. They act as the blueprint for everything you will build through 2034.

The "I Am" Presence:
This portal shifts the focus from collective struggle to personal sovereignty. It’s a day to ask: "Who am I, independent of everyone else's expectations?"

The Power of "The Great Beginning":
The number 1 represents the "Point of Origin." Spiritually, 1/1/1 signifies the moment a thought becomes a reality. It is the bridge between the spiritual world (the idea) and the physical world (the action).

The Message:
You have the green light from the universe to start something new.

The Energy:
It is pioneering, courageous, and independent.

Alignment of Mind, Body, and Spirit:
The triple repetition suggests a rare alignment. In many traditions, the three "ones" represent a harmony between different planes of existence:
• The First 1: Your conscious thoughts (The Mind).
• The Second 1: Your physical presence (The Body).
• The Third 1: Your higher purpose (The Soul).
When these three are in sync, your ability to manifest your desires is at its peak!

A "Wake-Up Call":
Seeing 111 or focusing on 1/1/1 is often described as a spiritual "check-in." It is a reminder to monitor your thoughts. Because this energy is about rapid manifestation, the universe is essentially saying: "Whatever you are thinking about right now is what you are attracting." I suggest focusing on affirmations on this day.

⚡️How to Use This Portal⚡️
To make the most of the 1/1/1 energy this January 1st, consider these three actions:

1. Direct Manifestation:
Write down one major goal. Because "1" is the number of the pioneer, make it something bold that you’ve never tried before.

2. Solitude and Clarity:
Spend even ten minutes alone. The "1" energy is about the self; find your own voice amidst the New Year noise.

3. Physical Firsts:
Do one thing you want to be a habit for the next nine years. Even a small 5-minute version of that habit will "anchor" the energy of the new cycle.

❤️Yes, I will be offering all night manifest on the night of 1/1/2026 😘 Keep those eyes out for a post!

12/22/2025

✨ Vision & Vibes: 2026 Vision Board Workshop ✨
📅 Saturday, January 10th. 1:00–4:00 PM
Step into the energy of 2026 with clarity, intention, and aligned vision with an afternoon designed to help you see, feel, and call in what’s next.
👯‍♀️ Bring a friend and create together—manifesting is even more powerful in shared energy.
💫 We’ll begin with a guided intention-setting meditation and group Reiki, creating space to release the old and anchor into what you’re ready to receive.
🎨 Then you’ll create your personal 2026 vision board—a visual roadmap infused with purpose and possibility.
What’s included:
✨ All vision board supplies
✨ Light snack
✨ You’re welcome to bring your own photos or clippings
💵 Energy exchange: $75
🌟 Early Bird: $65 if registered by January 3rd
👥 Limited to 8 participants
🏘️ Balanced Wellness Healing Studio, New City, NY (address will be provided upon registration).
Spots fill quickly—this is your sign to claim yours 💖
DM to reserve or for more info.

11/29/2025

✨Small Business Saturday is here, and my heart is so full!
I’m deeply grateful for every client who has supported Balanced Wellness and trusted me with their healing journey.
🥰To show my appreciation, I’m offering a special gift certificate sale for private Reiki sessions (either in-person or by distance).
Thank you for supporting small businesses and the impact we have on our community.

11/20/2025

Worth a share…make the time 💜

Take the time because time doesn’t wait for you to catch up. You have to find the time, my friend.

I’m sitting at the airport waiting to board a plane to Minneapolis. I’m going home, at least where home was for most of my life. I’m going home to the home that was my home for almost twenty years.

I’m visiting my parents.

Several years ago I watched a video by Jesse Itzler about time and doing what one needs to do. We assume we always have time — time to say “I love you” and time to forgive and time to let go and time to visit and yet we don’t know how much time we actually have.

The point is not to wait.

And maybe it’s not about getting on a plane and visiting (but if you can, do it). Maybe it’s about sending a note to a friend, trying new things, and telling those you love that you love them.

Maybe it’s about mending the relationship or giving back or really investing in your story.

The older I get the more I realize how valuable this resource of time truly is - it’s the one thing we wish we had more of when loved ones die or things change or people move away - and yet so often we live assuming we have an unlimited supply.

You have now. Today.

So today, before the holidays, take the time to share with those you love how important they truly are to you.

Take the time. You won’t regret that.

It makes a difference.

Time is such a gift.

-Rachel

11/18/2025

✨We got ready for the week on Sunday evening✨
We had a calming, grounding event last night starting with a guided meditation by Jess bringing awareness to our breath and our body.
Then we opened ourselves to the soothing sounds of Karin's Tibetan singing bowls while I brought in the nurturing and healing touch of Reiki.
It allowed us to release what we no longer needed. And we welcomed a calm mind, a relaxed body.
We left feeling nurtured and recharged. Ready to take on this week.
Thanks to Atlas Peak PT for hosting us!