TCM GUEST EDITOR

When we launched The Chalkboard, almost four juice-fueled years ago, wellness guru Kris Carr was one of our very first Guest Editors.

Since then, we’ve published over 3,ooo stories on everything from oil-pulling and herbs to high-fashion fitnesswear and organic lipstick. All these years later, we’re still stoked to be talking greens, superfood smoothies, and everything else it takes to “live well.” 

The same is true for Kris Carr, who, since hosting in 2012 has gone on to publish more NYT best-selling books, marry, and generally stoke the fires of wellness revolution everywhere. If you don’t know Kris’ story, get acquainted and catch the spark. We love her Super Soul Sunday with Oprah – yes, that Oprah – here.

One of our favorite women in wellness, we’re thrilled to have Kris with us again this September as, together, we celebrate a season of greens. Read Kris letter, get inspired, then learn more about our daily green juice challenge here.

Hiya beautiful Chalkboard readers!

I’m so excited to be the guest editor for the month of September! The Chalkboard and Pressed Juicery have a special place in my heart; Hayden Slater, one of the founders of Pressed Juicery, was a former (and favorite!) student of mine at NYU. A few weeks ago we had a chance to catch up over lunch in New York. Naturally, we sat down and immediately ordered a green juice. When it arrived we toasted and then Hayden articulated something that basically sums up why I practice self-care and teach folks about the power of prevention. Upon tasting the green elixir, he happily declared, “It just feels right.” Cheers to that! Taking good, loving care of ourselves just feels right and that’s what we’re going to talk about this month: simple ways for you to work self-care into your already busy schedule.

As summer winds down and the kids are getting ready to go back to school and new opportunities and obligations take shape, I’ll be here to gently remind you to carve out some personal time to refill your soul well. We all know what it feels like when life starts to spin out of control. So rather than adding more to your to-do list, I want to encourage you to find clever ways to fit self-care between the cracks of your schedule. Let’s get creative so we can sneak health, happiness and joy in on a daily basis.

A great example of that comes from a dear friend of mine, Mark Hyman M.D. Last month we were both lecturing at The Chopra Center and I was thrilled to see first hand how he walks his talk. As a busy M.D. and trailblazer, it would be easy to skimp on self-care. But in truth, it’s impossible to perform at the highest level when we do. When Mark got off the plane, he went to yoga, then his meetings. With an hour to spare between our panel discussion and dinner, he scheduled a 45-minute massage. Now that’s what I’m talking about!

In truth, self-care is a mindset. It means that we believe we matter. We realize that our body and mind don’t just care for themselves. Our wellness practice doesn’t have to be all or nothing, and it certainly doesn’t have to be perfect, boring or restrictive. It’s about making it work for you. I learned this lesson when I was diagnosed with an incurable stage IV cancer over a decade ago. Living with an incurable disease can feel very disempowering, like there’s nothing you can do to make your life better. But that’s never the case. For years I was sick, tired and emotionally stuck. Basically, I didn’t value myself very much, and I certainly didn’t know what to eat or drink or how to deal with the toxic emotions and limiting beliefs that were holding me back.

For me, cancer put everything into focus. It helped me stop putting off a brighter day and a better tomorrow. If I couldn’t be cured, could I still be healthy? Could I feel good in the skin I’m in, regardless of my medical condition? Could my heart be filled with gratitude for my life even though my plans had taken a drastic turn? The answer was a full-blown, “heck yes!” That pivotal decision kicked off my own personal wellness revolution.

With each season of my life, I continue to explore how to feel great and make a difference, and that exploration has a domino effect. When we feel good we bring that energy to everything we do. Our relationships improve, our work life gets better, doors that where previously closed begin to open. Most importantly, our priorities change. For me, if a project or opportunity doesn’t feel good in my body, I think long and hard before saying yes. After all, there are only so many hours in a day and days in a life. The more we take responsibility for our own well-being, the more we’re able to contribute to the world around us. It’s a juicy journey and I’m so glad we’re on it together.

Until we chat again, there are a few things I’d love for you to meditate on, and, if possible, work into your weekly routine – see my list of five wellness ideas for this month below, starting with drinking one green juice every day.

I love you and I can’t wait to connect!

Peace and veggies,
Kris