As human beings we are herd creatures. We crave connection, community, and a sense of belonging. Being part of a herd helps us feel heard (I couldn’t help myself) and helps us hear ourselves better too.

Part of this is biological: back in the day when there were saber-toothed tigers after us our survival depended upon us sticking together. That’s probably why we evolved to fear rejection (if the group rejects us we die, historically speaking.) And it’s probably why we’ve evolved to relish genuine, heart-centered connection so much.

My mom often says that community builds immunity.

She refers to a very interesting study that showed that the more varied, regular social group interaction a person has, the stronger their immune system. They counted the number of groups a person was a member of (a church group, the PTA, their immediate family, a yoga class, etc.) Then they measured the number of colds a person had during a year. (The way they determined whether or not a person had a cold was by weighing Kleenex. Disgusting and hilarious. Go science!) They found that the more social groups a person was a part of that they hung out with regularly, the fewer colds they had, and therefore the stronger their immune system. Move over Echinacea. I’m headed to my knitting circle to boost my immunity.

Last night I met with 12 incredible women in Portland, ME for our first Campfire centered around Danielle LaPorte’s new book The Fire Starter Sessions. It was a beautiful Maine summer night after a few days of rain and yet these women chose to circle up in the name of self-actualization instead of going outside to play.

Here’s why the evening rocked my world:

•  I put out a call with only a week’s notice and people came. I thought I’d have maybe 3-4 women and we had 13 including me. Many are called and sometimes more than you think choose to show up.

•  I arrived at 7 on the dot and the party had already begun without me. Women brought friends. Women showed up and saw acquaintances from around town they’d known for years but had never actually had an in depth conversation with before. And here they were baring their souls at the Campfire after having only said a simple hello in years past.

•  One woman’s vulnerability and sharing what was really going on for her gave permission to the next woman to go deeper into laying her truth out there for us. I got teary more than once listening to the brilliance and heart and verve in the room.

•  Almost every single woman said she had come for the connection and community. The recognition that we’re all after the same thing here on this human journey coursed through my veins and sent a delicious shiver up my spine.

•  Each woman shared something about wanting to go deeper, higher, more full out, be clearer, more truthful, more authentic, and more ~them~ as we delve into The Fire Starter Sessions with one another as our soulful cheerleaders. I was tickled pink to have this rocking group of women, most of whom don’t know each other, show up to stand for themselves and for the best versions of one another.

Here’s what I know about women coming together:

•  Seismic shifts happen simply from sitting in a circle, hearts and minds open, even if there’s not an agenda, specific purpose, or even anything in particular produced

•  The act of bearing your under belly gives the next woman permission to do the same and so on and so on until every person on the planet is set free from the tyranny of pretending to be something they’re not or live smaller than they know they’re capable of

•  No matter how much we’ve accomplished and how much we seem to “have it together” we all need support, love, and community. It’s a fundamental nutrient for thriving.

I’m nourished to the core from the gathering of these 12 incandescently beautiful women who came and put their hearts and souls on the line last night. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

We’ll be meeting for the next 4 months, ever 2 weeks, doing 2 sessions from Danielle’s book per gathering. If you couldn’t make our first gathering, never fear – our doors are open! You can email kathleen@katenorthrup.com and let her know that you want to get in on the Campfire goodness.

And, if you don’t live in Southern Maine (which chances are pretty good you don’t), start a Campfire of your own! Start a women’s jam session to come together and cheer each other on. Center it around a book that you’ve been dying to dive into, like I did, or just do it for the love of women and community.

Do it for your immune system. Do it for your heart. Do it for your soul. She will thank you. And so will all the other souls you circle up with. Surrender to the herd creature that you are and connect.

___________________________________________________________________________

Speaking of community and support, the deadline to get in on The Foxy Bod Program is this Monday, July 2nd (but if you’re on the east coast I recommend ordering by Friday to ensure you get your stuff in time to start.) It’s a 28-day experience of getting rid of your sugar cravings, wiggling off a few pounds, and soaking in the love and cheers of a group of foxy women egging you on to be the sexiest, foxiest version of yourself possible.  Click here to read more, or to sign up!

Got Svelte?

Foxy New Group starts 7/15

Join me and a group of very fabulous and foxy women (and a few great men) who are getting svelte for summer. Balance your blood sugar, get rid of your sugar and carb cravings, lose a few pounds, and enjoy improved energy, a more even, stable mood, happier hormonal health, better sleep, clearer skin, and more. Click here to find out more and register.

The Infinite Power of Time Off: How to Make it Work for You

June 19, 2012
8:00pm – 8:30pm EST

FREE Telegathering Join Dr. Christiane Northrup, leading authority on women’s health, and co-creators of Team Northrup, Kate Northrup and Penny Northrup Kirk for an intimate, 30-minute telegathering. Many people in North America choose to take their vacation during the summer months. But have you ever experienced coming home from time off and feeling completely exhausted, as though you need a vacation to recover from your vacation? Especially for those who run their own businesses or have a lot of responsibility at work, it’s becoming nearly impossible to take an actual break. Not only does your sanity depend on taking time off from activity, so does your physical health. This call will teach you how to plan your time off ahead so that you can get the maximum physical, emotional, and spiritual benefits. You’ll also learn some strategies to use during your vacations (especially when taking them with family) to ensure that you return to your “real life” renewed and ready for action.Email us to reserve your space on this FREE call.

Wanderlust – June 21- 24, 2012, Bondville, Vermont

Join me at Wanderlust, where I’m a featured member of The Speakeasy Lecture Series.

The Speakeasy is Wanderlust Festival’s unique lecture series on subjects pertaining to the mindful life. With offerings from a wide range of presenters including prominent yoga teachers, wellness industry leaders, authors, musicians, and many others, the Speakeasy is just that — a casual experience where presenters can “speak easily”.

These are not stuffy lectures, but rather informal conversations that take place in an intimate lounge setting. Get comfy on the couch or cozy up on some cushy pillows, sip on some free tea and kombucha, and listen to some of the most fascinating people in the world of wellness talk about a wide range of topics including meditation, nutrition, technology, music, organics, spirituality, yoga, and more.

Since 2010, the Speakeasy Series has materialized into one of the most exciting parts of the Wanderlust festival. Click here to check out previous Speakeasy videos.

2012 Stratton Mountain Speakers:
Seane Corn
Elena Brower
Eli Pariser
Schuyler Grant
Kelly Morris
Gabrielle Roth
Gaura Vani
Irshad Manji
Jeff Krasno
Joel Salatin
Kate Northrup
Lama Marut
Majora Carter
Manoj Chalam
Marisa C. Weiss, M.D.
Meggan Watterson
Nick Ortner
Sean Hoess

Portland, Maine Camp Fire – Fire Starter Sessions Group

Kick-Off Fire: Wednesday, June 27th, Portland, ME

Come one, come all. We’re gonna get lit*. Together. Here in my new home town port city. This group will meet for 16, soul-powered sessions and explore, engage with, and implement Danielle LaPorte’s book, The Fire Starter Sessions.

This Camp Fire has three primary purposes:

1. to support the spectacular men and women of Portland, ME in lighting their lives afire in the best way possible

2. to create the perfect avenue for me to meet these spectacular men and women and expand my community her in my new hometown

3. to give me (and the others) accountability to read this book AND engage with the exercises in a full-out kind of way (I devoured it in a few days when I first got it and have yet to go back through and do the worksheets. I’m one of those people who doesn’t practice yoga unless I go to class, and I don’t do worksheets unless I told someone I would. If you’re like that too, come to the Camp Fire.)

Please email kathleen@katenorthrup.com to get yourself on the list. We’ll begin Wednesday, June 27th at 7pm in the upstairs space at Peloton Labs, 795 Congress St. Once we all gather round the proverbial fire we’ll discuss if we want to do every other week, once a month, etc.

*In case you’re not clear, we’re going to get metaphorically lit. I don’t smoke :)

Kate hits the Pacific Northwest!

Learn about true Freedom this Independence Day Weekend in Tacoma & Seattle!

July 3rd in Tacoma, WA

July 5th in Seattle, WA

Health and Freedom with Team Northrup
Discover the secrets of the health-wealth connection

Join me, Co-Creator of Team Northrup and USANA Health Sciences Gold Director, for a conversation about how she, and thousands of others, have created optimal health and financial freedom.

Join me and my Team Northrup Colleagues for an intimate discussion:

• Explore the relationship between the health of your body and the health of your bank account,
• Learn about a community on the cutting edge of health and wellness, championed this year by Dr. Mehmet Oz and for the past 16 years by Dr. Christiane Northrup, and
• Hear how thousands of smart people have created an additional income stream that helps them thrive from three people who’ve done it.

Don’t miss it!  Register here, and we’ll look forward to seeing you.  This event is FREE to guests, and $10 for Team Northrup associates.

More about me:

I’m a professional freedom seeker and creative entrepreneur, author of the forthcoming book Money: A Love Story (Hay House, Spring 2013), and daughter of New York Times bestselling author Dr. Christiane Northrup.

More about Team Northrup:

Team Northrup is a league of entrepreneurial men and women who are aligned with the work of holistic health pioneer and New York Times Bestselling author Dr. Christiane Northrup.  Team Northrup teaches holistic business skills to entrepreneurs and wellness advocates through conscious networking.  To learn more about Team Northrup, visit www.teamnorthrup.com.

July 3, 2012, Tacoma, WA

7:00 pm – 8:30 pm, PT

Aflac
7030 Tacoma Mall Blvd #200
Tacoma, WA 98409

Click here to register!

July 5, 2012, Seattle, WA

7:00 pm – 8:30 pm, PT*

1520 Eastlake Ave E
Seattle, WA 98102

Click here to register!

Summer Love Seattle Meet Up

Thursday, July 5th, Seattle, WA

If you live in Seattle, I want to hang! From 5:00 – 6:30pm, right before the Health and Freedom event above, I’ll be hanging in a nearby coffee shop called Voxx ( http://voxxseattle.com/) and would love to meet you. Plan to come by for an iced tea, a hug, and a chat. And of course, you’re more than welcome to saunter over to the Health and Freedom gathering mentioned above directly after.

Portland, OR, July 6-8, 2012

I’ll be joining the rest of Chris Guillebeau’s small army of unconventional people in the “other Portland” for a weekend of inspiration, community, out-of-the-boxness, and fun! Tickets for the event are sold out, but if you’re already registered, I can’t wait to meet you there! And if you didn’t get registered for this year, pop over and join the wait list for 2013.

Summer Love Vancouver Meet Up

Tuesday, August 21st, Vancouver, BC

My beautiful friend Danielle LaPorte and I are co-hosting a Summer Love Vancouver Meet Up on Tuesday, August 21st in Vancouver, BC. More details to follow, but for now, save the date! It will be a lovely, balmy summer evening time, most likely in Gastown.

Wanderlust – August 23 – 26, 2012, Whistler, BC, Canada

Join me at Wanderlust, where I’m a featured member of The Speakeasy Lecture Series.

The Speakeasy is Wanderlust Festival’s unique lecture series on subjects pertaining to the mindful life. With offerings from a wide range of presenters including prominent yoga teachers, wellness industry leaders, authors, musicians, and many others, the Speakeasy is just that — a casual experience where presenters can “speak easily”.

These are not stuffy lectures, but rather informal conversations that take place in an intimate lounge setting. Get comfy on the couch or cozy up on some cushy pillows, sip on some free tea and kombucha, and listen to some of the most fascinating people in the world of wellness talk about a wide range of topics including meditation, nutrition, technology, music, organics, spirituality, yoga, and more.

Since 2010, the Speakeasy Series has materialized into one of the most exciting parts of the Wanderlust festival. Click here to check out previous Speakeasy videos.

And a preview of coming attractions for the fall…

I Can Do It Ignite! - NYC

November 3-4, 2012: Javits Center ~ Special Events Hall 1D, New York City, NY

Join me at Hay House’s: I Can Do It Ignite! conference where I’ll be giving the Keynote, Money: A Love Story

The path to financial freedom is not what you think. Traditional financial advice misses the most important piece of the puzzle: love. Untangling your money woes has far more to do with your self worth than your net worth. I’m a financial freedom expert, having achieved financial freedom at the age of twenty-eight. II’ll teach you the crucial tools to living a life of financial abundance and joy that you won’t learn from your CPA, investment advisor, or financial planner.

I Can Do It Ignite! features 20 minute bursts of incredible wisdom from your favorite authors, speakers and visionaries.

Featuring cutting edge authors, speakers and documentary filmmakers in the mindful spirituality, health, holistic, and sustainability lifestyles movement. These trendsetting speakers will Ignite your passion with topics ranging from relationships, sexuality, finance, and personal transformation to mindfulness, youth empowerment, health and so much more!

Register today to reserve & occupy your seat and access that untapped energy & inspiration that exists in all of us! Is it time for you to be innovative with yourself & re-evaluate what you thought you knew?

I devoured the book. Reading it every morning became my spiritual practice.

Then I read it by the fireplace because I figured it would help to ignite fires within my soul too. It did.

Then I read it in Hooters because, really, that place could use a little extra soul to go with all the boobs. Plus, the color on the cover kind of matches the shorts that the Hooters girls have to wear. (Note the shorts and rack on the girl to the right of the book.)

This book is the antidote to self doubt. The Fire Starter Sessions had my cells tingling from the first page. Every word, idea, and invocation has been curated to evoke our deepest hunger and deepest knowing. Part wake up call, part affirmation, part love letter, The Fire Starter Sessions will get you hot and bothered. This book is the ignition for the creative work still unborn on this planet that the world is so desperate for. Get the book and be reminded of your genius.

At Danielle’s launch party in NYC on Wednesday night she said:

“Your success is directly proportional to the quality of the relationships in your life.” ~Danielle LaPorte

(CLICK HERE to Tweet this quote)

There is a sea change happening here, people. Danielle is part of a new model that includes commitment to love, generosity, and spiritual actualization not in addition to business success, but as necessary ingredients for it. I was deeply aware and viscerally delighted by the fact that I was surrounded on Wednesday night by people committed to this same reality.

The night was glowy, love-filled, and beyond spectacular – thanks to the tone set by the guest of honor.

Here are some more photos from the evening for your viewing pleasure and to show you how you can expect to feel when you receive your copy!

ORDER IT NOW SO YOU CAN FEEL THE WAY WE ALL FEEL IN THESE PICTURES!

Also included at the bottom of this post is my Glimpse TV episode with Danielle from back in October. It is one of my most favorite and one of the most commented on and re-shared episodes in Glimpse TV history. If you have yet to see it, scroll to the bottom and enjoy!

My sister Ann and I totally psyched about getting our copies of The Fire Starter Sessions.

My friend Ms. Rich Happy and Hot herself, Marie Forleo, enjoying the hell out of celebrating Danielle.

My man Mike and I enthusiastically displaying our new copy of The Fire Starter Sessions.

Launch party co-hosts Marie Forleo, Gabrielle Bernstein, and Kris Carr kicking off the evening love fest telling Danielle how much they adore her and her work. How gorgeous are they?! How breathtaking is it to see super successful women cheering one another on?!

My man Mike, who drove from Pennylvania to be at the party, and the gorgeous Ms. LaPorte.

And finally, as Danielle, dubbed it: a love sandwich :)

Get your copy of The Fire Starter Sessions by clicking HERE. Permission to thrive, love letter, and antidote to self-doubt rolled into one.

And last but certainly not least…Glimpse TV featuring the Divine Ms. Danielle Laporte:

I’m starting my own Camp Fire, a Fire Starter Sessions group, in Portland, ME in May. If you live in Maine or know anyone who does, leave a comment below so I can start wrangling the Fire Starters Down East.

Leave a comment and tell me what lights your fire and your favorite quote from the book so far if you have it!

Reading Danielle’s work about self-actualization is like sitting in a temple getting a download of ancestral wisdom that your cells remember but that you had forgotten how to articulate.

Not to mention the fact that she’s a hottie (inside and out), a generous and loving friend and mentor, a spell-binding speaker, a world-class entrepreneur, and a priestess.

Pre-order a copy of her forthcoming book The Fire Starter Sessions (April 2012, Crown): http://amzn.to/tAJkJy

Yesterday, Danielle launched Your Big Beautiful Book Plan with Linda Silverstein.

Your Big Beautiful Book Plan promises to teach you how to write a book proposal that will make you a visionary writer, a stronger business person and land you a publishing deal.

I can’t tell you how many brilliant writers with ideas that will change the world can’t get their work out there because they don’t know how to market themselves (and the publishing industry certainly isn’t teaching them). Enter Danielle and Linda. If you’ve got something to say, head on over and get your copy now. I did and I can’t wait to implement their wisdom as I work on my book.

Glimpse TV with Danielle LaPorte

Back in October I met Danielle in her room at the Ace Hotel in NYC after Rich, Happy, and Hot Live to shoot an episode of Glimpse TV. I just watched the episode while editing it (well, my version of editing which is basically adding a few titles and trimming the end) and its pretty amazing.

Click below to watch the episode and you’ll find out what I’m talking about. Seriously, I’m sitting here by myself feeling very, very inspired after watching my own show because Danielle really serves it up for you.

In this episode you’ll:

• find out exactly how to deal with negative feedback
• learn the most important through-line that Danielle used to create her rocking White Hot Truth empire
• get the goods on how Danielle turns traditional marketing wisdom on its head…and rocks her bottom line while doing her soul’s work
• hear us telling secrets about Glamour magazine
• get some insight into what success feels like to Danielle
• meet two amazing special guests, one who’s green and squishy and rode with Danielle all the way from Vancouver, and one who Danielle calls a Spiritual Technician

This may very well be the best episode of Glimpse TV to date. It may also be the longest. And worth every single minute. So grab a beverage, put your feet up, and get ready for great questions, uncontrollable giggles, and a glimpse of the Divine Ms. Danielle LaPorte.

Tweetables from the video:

Desire should be the driver of your to-do list. -@daniellelaporte to @katenorthrup #glimpsetv http://bit.ly/w49qNh

To go bigger and to serve more, its gotta be scalable. -@katenorthrup to @daniellelaporte #glimpsetv http://bit.ly/w49qNh

I would so much rather be miscellaneous than categorizeable, wouldn’t you? -@katenorthrup to @daniellelaporte #glimpsetv http://bit.ly/w49qNh

What future to do you belong to? -@navjitkandola to @daniellelaporte + @katenorthrup #glimpsetv http://bit.ly/w49qNh

Links to stuff we talked about in the video:

Pre-order Danielle’s book The Fire Starter Sessions here: http://amzn.to/tAJkJy

My Glimpse TV with Nicole Daedone: http://katenorthrup.maryweise.com/slow-sex-glimpse-tv-with-nicole-daedone/

Get Your Big Beautiful Book Plan: http://bit.ly/ugfzkD

Danielle’s site: www.whitehottruth.com

Danielle on Twitter: www.twitter.com/daniellelaporte

Danielle on Facebook: www.facebook.com/whitehottruth

Navjit’s site: www.navjitkandola.com

Leave a comment below!

What does success feel like to you?

What future do you belong to?

Other thoughts, comments, questions welcomed!