Denise O'Dunn @ Balance & Bliss
@deniseodunn.bsky.social
Ayurveda and yoga teacher, life-balance mentor, writer, forest walker, avid gardener, animal lover, protector of people and our planet
This morning, I found a grasshopper and the exoskeleton it had just outgrown. A perfect image of transformation. Sometimes, growth means leaving a part of ourselves behind.
June 19, 2025 at 3:30 PM
This morning, I found a grasshopper and the exoskeleton it had just outgrown. A perfect image of transformation. Sometimes, growth means leaving a part of ourselves behind.
Nature creates the cutest things… pom-poms! (Photo by Denise - Paper Mulberry tree)
June 12, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Nature creates the cutest things… pom-poms! (Photo by Denise - Paper Mulberry tree)
The sunflower opens, the bees arrive, and the dance of life begins again. Our pollinators are essential to the balance of nature. May we notice them, honor them, and plant what they need to thrive. (Photo by Kevin O’Dunn, first sunflowers of the season)
April 21, 2025 at 11:41 AM
The sunflower opens, the bees arrive, and the dance of life begins again. Our pollinators are essential to the balance of nature. May we notice them, honor them, and plant what they need to thrive. (Photo by Kevin O’Dunn, first sunflowers of the season)
My shadow is standing tall, stretched by the rising sun!
April 14, 2025 at 3:44 PM
My shadow is standing tall, stretched by the rising sun!
According to Sankhya philosophy, one of the foundational perspectives of Ayurveda, we are born with more than a body. We come into the world with consciousness, a sense of identity, awareness, perception, and the elements of life. Digital painting by Denise
deniseodunn.substack.com/p/the-myth-o...
deniseodunn.substack.com/p/the-myth-o...
April 12, 2025 at 1:35 PM
According to Sankhya philosophy, one of the foundational perspectives of Ayurveda, we are born with more than a body. We come into the world with consciousness, a sense of identity, awareness, perception, and the elements of life. Digital painting by Denise
deniseodunn.substack.com/p/the-myth-o...
deniseodunn.substack.com/p/the-myth-o...
May you notice the natural thresholds that ask you to slow down and truly look. (Photo by Denise - on a trail in the Ocala National Forest)
April 10, 2025 at 4:00 PM
May you notice the natural thresholds that ask you to slow down and truly look. (Photo by Denise - on a trail in the Ocala National Forest)
Spring whispers, “wait and watch.” Not long ago, this looked like lifeless limbs. But spring, the great renewer, moves in her own time. What seemed gone was simply preparing. Nature reminds us: With patience, new life is emerging, even when it’s not visible yet.
April 6, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Spring whispers, “wait and watch.” Not long ago, this looked like lifeless limbs. But spring, the great renewer, moves in her own time. What seemed gone was simply preparing. Nature reminds us: With patience, new life is emerging, even when it’s not visible yet.
Love is everywhere, waiting in quiet spaces and nature’s gentle patterns. I found it in this tree trunk, a reminder that when we slow down, the world reveals its tenderness. Living with awareness and wonder means seeing the sacred woven into the everyday. Springmaid Mountain Retreat, NC
April 4, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Love is everywhere, waiting in quiet spaces and nature’s gentle patterns. I found it in this tree trunk, a reminder that when we slow down, the world reveals its tenderness. Living with awareness and wonder means seeing the sacred woven into the everyday. Springmaid Mountain Retreat, NC
We are natural beings, designed to be in sync with the rhythms of nature. When we fall out of rhythm, we lose touch with our true essence. Living in harmony with nature reconnects us with who we truly are. Remember who you are. (Photo - Myakka River State Park by Kevin O'Dunn)
March 31, 2025 at 5:17 PM
We are natural beings, designed to be in sync with the rhythms of nature. When we fall out of rhythm, we lose touch with our true essence. Living in harmony with nature reconnects us with who we truly are. Remember who you are. (Photo - Myakka River State Park by Kevin O'Dunn)
Regularly set positive intentions for your home. Visualize your space filled with light, love, and harmony. Your thoughts and emotions have a powerful impact on the energy of your environment. (Photo - Quiet corner by Denise)
March 26, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Regularly set positive intentions for your home. Visualize your space filled with light, love, and harmony. Your thoughts and emotions have a powerful impact on the energy of your environment. (Photo - Quiet corner by Denise)
Oh, how I love the bright green-yellow color of spring!
March 20, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Oh, how I love the bright green-yellow color of spring!
Gardening invites you to slow down and immerse yourself in the present moment. As you nurture plants, you become attuned to the subtle changes in the environment. In these moments of connection, you rediscover a sense of wonder for the world around you. (Photo – newly seeded zinnia bed)
March 19, 2025 at 10:59 AM
Gardening invites you to slow down and immerse yourself in the present moment. As you nurture plants, you become attuned to the subtle changes in the environment. In these moments of connection, you rediscover a sense of wonder for the world around you. (Photo – newly seeded zinnia bed)
“May peace and plenty be the first to lift the latch to your door and happiness be your guest today and evermore.”
Blessings on St. Patrick’s Day from the O’Dunns!
(Photo - flying our Irish colors by Denise)
Blessings on St. Patrick’s Day from the O’Dunns!
(Photo - flying our Irish colors by Denise)
March 17, 2025 at 9:50 AM
“May peace and plenty be the first to lift the latch to your door and happiness be your guest today and evermore.”
Blessings on St. Patrick’s Day from the O’Dunns!
(Photo - flying our Irish colors by Denise)
Blessings on St. Patrick’s Day from the O’Dunns!
(Photo - flying our Irish colors by Denise)
Greet the day with gratitude and praise. Pause at your bedside, in the silence of the morning. Give thanks for having this day to experience life. Create a positive image of your day and know you are attracting that to you. (Photo - Sunrise and the Mist by Denise)
March 16, 2025 at 1:33 PM
Greet the day with gratitude and praise. Pause at your bedside, in the silence of the morning. Give thanks for having this day to experience life. Create a positive image of your day and know you are attracting that to you. (Photo - Sunrise and the Mist by Denise)
Houseplants are natural air purifiers. Through the process of photosynthesis, they absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. The NASA Clean Air Study identified several house plants that effectively improve indoor air quality, such as the peace lily, spider plant, and snake plant. Photo-Snake plant
March 12, 2025 at 11:07 AM
Houseplants are natural air purifiers. Through the process of photosynthesis, they absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. The NASA Clean Air Study identified several house plants that effectively improve indoor air quality, such as the peace lily, spider plant, and snake plant. Photo-Snake plant
Nature speaks in the gentlest of ways. She doesn’t demand our attention, she invites it. Here's my latest post on Substack. Visit me there!
open.substack.com/pub/deniseod...
open.substack.com/pub/deniseod...
March 8, 2025 at 12:04 PM
Nature speaks in the gentlest of ways. She doesn’t demand our attention, she invites it. Here's my latest post on Substack. Visit me there!
open.substack.com/pub/deniseod...
open.substack.com/pub/deniseod...
Bringing simple mindfulness practices into your day promotes peace and presence. Mindfulness is being fully engaged in the moment. Small practices make a big difference. Tune into your sense of sight~smell~sound~taste~touch, and you’re there. It doesn’t take more time; it enriches your time.
March 7, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Bringing simple mindfulness practices into your day promotes peace and presence. Mindfulness is being fully engaged in the moment. Small practices make a big difference. Tune into your sense of sight~smell~sound~taste~touch, and you’re there. It doesn’t take more time; it enriches your time.
We are natural beings, designed to be in sync with the rhythms of nature. When we fall out of rhythm, we lose touch with our true essence. Living in harmony with nature reconnects us with who we truly are. Remember who you are. (Photo - Denise at Hillsborough River, FL by Kevin O’Dunn)
March 6, 2025 at 12:34 PM
We are natural beings, designed to be in sync with the rhythms of nature. When we fall out of rhythm, we lose touch with our true essence. Living in harmony with nature reconnects us with who we truly are. Remember who you are. (Photo - Denise at Hillsborough River, FL by Kevin O’Dunn)
Houseplants carry their origin stories of distant jungles and deep forests. As you care for them, you become part of their story, nurturing them and your connection to the natural world. Their quiet presence teaches patience, resilience, and the joy of growth. Photo - Monstera by Denise
March 5, 2025 at 1:21 PM
Houseplants carry their origin stories of distant jungles and deep forests. As you care for them, you become part of their story, nurturing them and your connection to the natural world. Their quiet presence teaches patience, resilience, and the joy of growth. Photo - Monstera by Denise
Abhyanga, an Ayurvedic oil massage, nourishes your body with oils chosen for your needs. This daily self-care ritual enhances vital energy (prana) through anointing with oil (sneha), also meaning “love,” offering the comfort and strength of deep love. (Photo - Oil and Devotion by Denise)
March 3, 2025 at 12:46 PM
Abhyanga, an Ayurvedic oil massage, nourishes your body with oils chosen for your needs. This daily self-care ritual enhances vital energy (prana) through anointing with oil (sneha), also meaning “love,” offering the comfort and strength of deep love. (Photo - Oil and Devotion by Denise)
Your body speaks to you through the language of sensation. Listen closely; the way you feel is your body’s wisdom. In stillness and silence, you can hear/feel your body’s voice as a whisper, gently guiding you. (Photo - April 2022 Pink Flower Full Moon at Varn Park, Flagler Beach, FL)
March 2, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Your body speaks to you through the language of sensation. Listen closely; the way you feel is your body’s wisdom. In stillness and silence, you can hear/feel your body’s voice as a whisper, gently guiding you. (Photo - April 2022 Pink Flower Full Moon at Varn Park, Flagler Beach, FL)
In the garden, you are reminded that life is a continuous journey of growth and transformation, that every moment is an opportunity to cultivate beauty, both within yourself and in the world around you.
March 1, 2025 at 8:18 PM
In the garden, you are reminded that life is a continuous journey of growth and transformation, that every moment is an opportunity to cultivate beauty, both within yourself and in the world around you.