The Collective Alchemy

07/30/2026

Today is said to be one of the luckiest days of the year. Woohoo.🍀

Whether that’s because of the full moon, the energy of Lion’s Gate beginning to build, or simply because we choose to pause long enough to dream... I’ll take any excuse to reflect on where I’m headed, especially since my work centers around expansion and building big bold lives we LOVE with intention!

I used to do full moon ceremonies almost every month. They became a ritual for slowing down, celebrating what had shifted, letting go of what no longer fit, and creating space for what I wanted to call in.

Tonight, we’re bringing that practice back inside The Return - my 3 Month Guided Experience for Expansion.

Do I believe the moon magically changes our lives, who knows. What I do know is that I love creating intentional space to acknowledge our growth and consciously choose what’s next.

Our nervous systems are constantly learning from repetition. When we pause to celebrate ourselves instead of only focusing on the next goal, we teach our bodies that we’re already safe, worthy, and enough. From that place, it’s much easier to expand into what’s next.

So tonight, instead of focusing on everything I haven’t done, I’m going to celebrate how far I’ve actually come. Which I’m pretty darn proud of.

Then I’m going to write a letter to my future self as though everything I’ve dreamed has already happened. I don’t know exactly how everything will unfold, but I definitely know where I want to be going and doing this helps me connect with the version of myself that I know I’m meant to be.

Whether you believe in manifestation or not, this is a beautiful invitation to get curious. To dream big. To know that anything is possible - truly.

✨ If you believed anything was possible for you...What would you be doing?

Share below - be intentional, seriously write it down below and tell the universe you are putting energy into this!

Happy expansion! Next group cohort of The Return starts September 10.

PS: it’s a buck full moon and last night a beautiful young buck walked across the lawn in the lake. It was magical and what I would definitely call a good omen!

07/19/2026

This spring I went to Europe and Morocco for 6 weeks. 🇪🇸 🇲🇦 💃🏽 It was awesome. I love travelling. When I look at my values, travel is definitely one of them. My parents started taking us around the world as kids and once that started I just couldn’t stop. Like seriously I can’t. Freedom is also something I value. The expansive possibility of freedom really blew wide open when I started working from home 17 years ago for Macmillan Publishing, based out of New York.  When I created The Collective Alchemy, I’m not sure I consciously thought, “I am also creating a business I can do anywhere”; I just felt so passionate about creating it.  It’s been a great addition. With that said, I am sure somewhere in my subconscious I knew what I was doing...

Here are a few of my favorite photos from part of the trip - ‘the boyfriend edition part 1.’  No copy on top, no message, in no particular order, just a few fave moments.  It was really hard to pick so I will probably post again.  

1. Love 💕
2. Rufus du Sol in Barcelona (literally a dream to finally see them live!!!) and after the show we came across a salsa pop-up in the streets which is also a dream for me 💃🏽
3. Moroccan feast Surf Maroc
4. Surfing 🏄‍♀️
5. Taghazout sunset
6. Marrakesh
7. Our surf coach Hamsa - definitely a vibe Surf Maroc 🏄🏽‍♂️
8. Barcelona sunset
9. Streets of Monistrol
10. You decide 🚀
11. So many cats...🐱
12. Morocco ocean views from our hotel
13. Barcelona 🇪🇸

Lots of photo credit to blake jorgenson ❤️

Travel, Somatic coach, expansion, nervous system support, breathwork, see the world, The Return, life and business values, remote working, wanderlust, love

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07/17/2026

Apparently, my next chapter includes a little 70s freedom-seeking gal energy. I think it always has though. 😉

Sometimes stepping outside the box looks like changing careers, starting a business, moving across the world, leaving a relationship, or making a bold decision. (I’ve done all these 🙋🏼‍♀️)

And sometimes it looks like putting on an outfit that makes you feel alive just because you can.

The point isn’t the bell bottoms (although... they are pretty fun!). The point is learning to listen to the version of you that already knows what they desire.

Start scribbling outside the lines. I promise you, this is where the magic lives. You don’t have to make giant leaps. Step by step. Breath by breath. Begin with awareness. Because awareness is where it all starts. The big, bold, beautiful life you desire isn’t waiting somewhere out in the future. It starts with the choices you make today.

Your new M.O.:
Operate as the person you desire to be.
Doesn’t need to be perfect, and probably won’t be. That’s ok!

If you’re feeling like something keeps pulling you back into the same patterns, the same doubts and fears, or the same box you’ve always lived in, you don’t have to figure it out alone. I’d love to help you uncover what’s beneath the surface so you can create a life that feels aligned, expansive, and authentically yours with a nervous system that feels safe to receive and hold it.

Because hot tip - this is essential. Your nervous system is the key to it all! It can be your greatest ally.

xo Shannon

Nervous system support, big bold life, expansion, create, nervous system, somatic practices, expansion coach, return

06/11/2026

“The only thing I know for sure about my life is that it never went according to plan. And for that, I am incredibly grateful.”
~ unknown.

Scribbling outside the lines since 1982.

What about you?

🖤

📷: blake jorgenson 😘

Birthday, outside the lines, create, unexpected life, nervous system, growth, breathwork, freedom, let go

06/11/2026

I felt inspired to share more on this after a conversation from being in The Room with Emily Shimwell✨ and a bunch of other amazing and inspiring women. A theme that came up was around moving fast versus moving slow and what that can feel and look like - are we in balance, out of balance? I think about this often.

I personally love both.

The difference for me isn’t whether moving fast or moving slow is better, or if one is in alignment or not. It’s knowing what I need in the moment and having the self-awareness to honour it. If I’m feeling depleted, slowing down and filling my cup becomes necessary. If I’m feeling inspired and energized, moving quickly can feel expansive, exciting, and deeply nourishing.

Being calm all the time isn’t the goal for me. Flexibility, adaptability, resilience, and capacity are. I don’t mind a little nervous system dysregulation when I know it’s coming from growth. It reminds me I’m stretching beyond what’s familiar and expanding into something new.

I don’t think there’s a right or wrong way to move through life. I think there are seasons; and seasons change.

In March, I was forced to slow down because I was sick for over three weeks. I could barely work or exercise. Ironically, it still ended up being one of my most inspiring and abundant months.

In April, I left for a 6 week trip to Europe, moving fast in the first part of the month, and slow in the second.

Since getting home at the end of May, I’ve felt lit up. Ideas everywhere. Notes on my phone. Sticky notes on my desk. Half-finished thoughts scribbled on random pieces of paper. My grandma would be proud; she is the queen of tucking random notes onto pieces of paper everywhere!

My mom texts me: “You seem busy. Are you okay?”

I always laugh. Because I’m just in my own creative vortex.

I tell her, “I am. It’s good. I promise I’ll call you tomorrow.”

The thing I’ve learned is that my body always lets me know when it’s too much. And after years of practice, I’ve gotten pretty good at listening; because I also know what happens when I don’t.

If you resonate with this, you’re in the right place. 😊

What season are you in right now?

🤍

05/12/2026

The life you want requires a nervous system that feels safe enough to receive it -

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about how many of us are trying to create a life that feels good… from a body and nervous system that have been stuck in survival mode for years.  I have a lot of compassion for this, we live in an unprecedented time and we are simply trying to keep up, but it c...

05/12/2026

Summer Solstice Retreat: From Hustle to Harmony - a wellness retreat in nature

Rest deeply. Receive fully. Return to you.

What if the thing you need most… isn’t another vacation, another strategy, or another thing to push through?

What if you simply need space to exhale?

This June, we’re flying deep into the wilderness of British Columbia - to a remote alpine lake only accessible by float plane - for 4.5 days of complete nervous system restoration, nature immersion, healing breathwork, movement, stillness, connection, and deep remembering.

No traffic.
No constant notifications.
No pressure to perform.
No constant rushing, planning, answering, giving, or holding everything together for everyone else.

Just mountains, silence, fresh air, star-filled skies, nourishing food, meaningful connection, and the opportunity to finally hear yourself again.

This is not a retreat where you leave exhausted from trying to “optimize” yourself.

This is a retreat about softening.
👉🏼 Receiving.
👉🏼 Resting deeply.
👉🏼 Coming back home to yourself.

Imagine waking up in a cozy cabin overlooking your private lake…

💫Beginning your day with breathwork and meditation instead of emails and urgency.

💫 Hiking through untouched wilderness.

💫 Canoeing crystal-clear water.
💫 Sharing heartfelt conversations around the fire.

💫 Releasing the tension, pressure, overstimulation, and emotional weight your body has been quietly carrying for far too long.

💫 Letting go of old narratives that are holding you back and keeping you stuck

💫 Summer Solstice Ceremony to where you'll mark a new beginning, one rooted in presence, peace, and purpose.

By the time you leave, you won’t just feel “relaxed.”

You’ll leave feeling:

☀️ Like your nervous system can finally breathe again instead of constantly being “on.”
☀️ Less mentally cluttered and overwhelmed by life, decisions, notifications, and endless to-do lists.
☀️ More connected to your body, intuition, and what you actually need - not just what everyone else needs from you.
☀️ Rested in a way sleep alone doesn’t fix.
☀️ More present, softer, calmer, and emotionally regulated.
☀️ Like you’ve remembered parts of yourself that got buried beneath responsibility, stress, and survival mode.
☀️ Inspired to create a life that actually feels good to live - not just one that looks good from the outside.
☀️ Held by nature, community, and by yourself again.

And maybe the most beautiful part?

You’ll realize the peace you’ve been searching for was never outside of you in the first place. It's always been right there within you.

✨ FROM HUSTLE TO HARMONY
📍 Nuk Tessli Wilderness Lodge, BC
🗓 June 18–22, 2026

If your body is whispering “I need this” - listen.

Learn more: https://www.thecollectivealchemy.com/nuk-tessli-wilderness-lodge-retreat2026

If you have questions or are ready to join us please reach out to Shannon at The Collective Alchemy.
Email: [email protected]

Summer Solstice Retreat: From Hustle to HarmonyRest deeply. Receive fully. Return to you.NUK TESSLI WILDERNESS LODGE – BRITISH COLUMBIA - CANADA June 18-22, 2026 If you’re craving more ease, clarity, and energy in your life, this retreat is your chance to reset. Step out of your daily demands an...

04/15/2026

You can only get here by float plane… -

Just the sound of a lake gently moving against the shore…(your own private lake). Birds in the distance… And mountains rising all around you.

04/03/2026

April happenings and events ☀️ -

Hi lovely,  There’s something about this time of year that invites something fresh into our lives.  I was super sick for over 2 weeks in March but even still, I feel lighter, more at ease, and very excited for that lies ahead.   This time of year creates space: 🌷 To soften, after what felt...