Tanna Marshall

There are a lot of articles and posts on Facebook and Twitter this week about what people are thankful for, and that is wonderful to see. We’re so fortunate in this country to have a holiday that causes us to pause and think about what we’re grateful for. Or is it just a day to stuff ourselves? Obviously, we all look forward to a delicious Thanksgiving dinner with all the traditional dishes – I’m sure you have your favorite – most likely concluding with a pumpkin pie or some dessert of pumpkin origin followed by a food coma. I know a lot of people look forward to the football games that will be on TV. Some people just look forward to the four day weekend as a welcome respite from their busy schedules and a time to catch their breath before all the big holiday events begin. Often we just float through this day as another tradition that doesn’t mean any more to us than any other day off. Some of you may be dreading the obligatory appearance at a family gathering tha...

Today is a great day to examine your energy – this high-powered day, 11/11/11, is so fully charged and millions of people are taking to really feel it and make shifts toward more positive thoughts and feelings. It also happens to be Veteran’s Day so please take a moment to be grateful to all those who have served our country to keep it the land of the free and the home of the brave. For those of you watching Oprah’s Lifeclass on OWN, you may remember the class that was all about being responsible for the energy you bring everywhere you go. She even has a sign in her make-up room to remind everyone who enters to be responsible for the energy they bring into her space. Wouldn't it be nice if everyone were responsible for their energy? How often do we really think about the energy we bring with us when we are with others, entering their homes, their workspaces or just their personal space? We know when we feel the energy of those who enter our space and whether it is p...

After watching "Scream 4" (among many other horror movies this past weekend), I heard that line way too many times. But it was part of the scary fun....well, for the audience at least. I have always loved Halloween and more specifically, horror movies. I was watching the scariest, goriest films out there by the time I was six. I have no idea why it fascinated me so much, but it did and never bothered me or gave me nightmares. I remember when I was twelve a neighbor had the Z Channel (anyone remember when there was only ONE cable movie channel?) so I went over and watched “The Exorcist” three nights in a row. I know - what's wrong with that 12 year old? Later on I was more into the slasher movies because I wanted to be a make-up artist specializing in gore. I loved to see all the different scenarios and wondered how they made it look so real. I didn’t become a professional make-up artist, but I lived out that fantasy every Halloween, coming up with the grossest an...

I recently got a new license plate, which I love. (Pictued here) Let me tell you how I finally arrived at this message after many plate changes… I have always had personalized plates – even before I started driving. When my parents bought a new car when I was 11, I asked if we could get personalized plates, so they got “4 Tanna”. I know – I’m spoiled. Of course, the plates were transferred to my first car when I was 16 – my dream car, a metallic blue ’75 superbeetle named “Elliott”. (I got him right after I’d seen E.T.) I even wrote a song about my love affair with Elliott when I had a singing duo with my friend Stacey in the early 1990’s. I enjoyed having a personal plate and usually had a custom frame to send yet another message out to my fellow drivers. I think the first one I had read, “Have you hugged Tanna today?” Eventually, I got tired of strangers calling out my name acting as if they knew me so I got new plates when I was going through my Doors phase. I was in ...

OK obviously, I am in love with my hammock. We spend a lot of quality time together, mostly during warm weather, and if I don’t get outside for my special time, I feel it. I love the view from my hammock – I always think that would be a nice title for a daily weather report. This is the actual view from my hammock today – it’s beautiful and clear in LA after a stormy day yesterday. It’s getting colder but the sun is still warm, so there will still be Hammocktime! (I always put this to MC Hammer’s “Hammertime” in my head) I try to get out and spend some time, not only to relax, meditate, align with my spirit and reconnect with nature, but also for my daily dose of Vitamin D from the sun. There is something about relaxing in this particular spot – it could be that I’m surrounded by so much beautiful, lush greenery, a swaying palm tree, birds, butterflies and bees humming around doing their thing – or it could be my personal philosophy about why a hammock is so comfortable and co...

OK so rest didn’t exactly do it for me on Monday…I did indeed get sick, which was surprising, since I was only a bit run down. I’m pretty good at catching myself when I feel out of balance and doing whatever I need to do to regain that balance. But my body had other plans this week. I always try to pay attention to what’s going on in my body and get the message it’s trying to convey. I guess this week the message was, “Cancel more appointments and rest”. *Sigh* When I get really sick, it’s usually starts out with a sore throat, then progresses into horrible sinus congestion and pain, concluding with painful chest congestion and horrific, painful expulsion of mucus. Sorry, I know, gross. Because I am a Holistic Consultant, I like to use natural remedies and prevention to keep myself healthy. When I find something that works well for me, I like to share the information to help others in the same situation. But once in a while, I will get the usual above-mentioned severe col...

I shouldn’t be writing this blog today, according to the intention behind my topic. I’ve been so busy, had so much to do, been booked with back-to-back appointments and now I’m feeling run down. Today I plan to rest and let my body refresh and heal itself. But I still want to get my message out to you today…then I will rest. I’m sure many of you can relate when I say that I often find myself pushing to get things done, especially in my business. And I know, intellectually, emotionally, spiritually and energetically that this is completely counterproductive. My goal is to live a happy, healthy, peaceful, fulfilled life and help others do the same. But I often get off track with the “trying”, the "doing" and the “shoulding”. I'm forgetting about just "Being".  We have been taught that you have to work hard, strive, struggle and climb your way to the top. Granted, many people have done this and enjoyed the fruits of their labors. But they usually maint...