5 Reasons to Begin an At Home Yoga Practice

When I was growing up, things like yoga and meditation were thought to be foreign and possibly even dangerous.  I grew up in a Christian home and because the origins of this form of exercise were from an unfamiliar part of the world, it was something we never even considered trying.  I was surprised when my mom started attending yoga classes in 2012, because it was so uncharacteristic of her to try something so different.  She had good things to say about it and I was curious, but not enough to try it myself.  I was focused on cardio work outs and saw yoga as boring because it wasn't fast paced.  Then, in 2014 my sister introduced my mom to a YouTube channel called Yoga With Adriene.  My mom started doing the videos at home instead of going to classes because of the convenience and ability to save money.  Once I saw what it was all about, I decided to give it a try last year in 2015, and I'm so glad I did.  Once I stopped being skeptical and let go of my unwarranted preconceptions of this practice, I began to feel the benefits myself.  Below are the results I have felt in my own body, as well as things my mom and my husband have said about their experiences with yoga.

#1: Yoga is Healing to Everyday Aches and Pains

I'm very thankful I found yoga at a young age.  I was 25 when I started my practice.  My mom started because she was experiencing miscellaneous soreness and yoga was suggested to help alleviate the pain.  Now she says if she does yoga everyday, her body doesn't ache, but if she's unable to practice, the aches come back.  She specifically used the word therapeutic to describe her experience with yoga.  Since I've experienced such positive results, I encouraged my husband to try it with me, and now we practice together.  He does a lot of manual labor for his job so he enjoys doing yoga to relieve soreness.

#2: Yoga Builds Strength Without Strain

One of my favorite benefits of yoga is how it builds strength by using your own body weight.  It's also vastly different from the straining I felt when doing other activities, such as running.  Before my mom started doing yoga, she was unable to lift a pack of water bottles.  Since starting her practice, she says she has no problem lifting them into her trunk.  This is a small example of the big things that can happen in your body when you start doing yoga.  It's also a great way to improve flexibility, as there are many stretches involved that feel amazing.

#3: Yoga on Your Terms

One of the main things I love about my at home yoga practice is the privacy.  I'm able to learn the poses at my own pace and focus on improving without distractions.  I've even surprised myself with how much I'm able to do already and there are easy modifications you can apply if you're not quite ready for the full pose yet.  It's so convenient for me to go to YouTube and pull up any video I want for how I feel that day.  There are videos for beginners, morning routines, bedtime routines, long videos, short videos, and practices for certain health issues or goals.  I recently completed a 30 day series called Yoga Camp, which I highly recommend. 

#4: Yoga Helps You Start Your Day Right

I can always tell a difference between how my day goes depending on whether I started with yoga or not.  The days I get up early and start with a yoga practice I feel energized, motivated, and focused.  I'm able to make healthier decisions because I've set a healthy tone for my whole day.  I feel balanced and my mind feels clearer.  There is definitely a correlation between a calm mind and strong body when practicing yoga.

#5 Yoga Is Unique

I believe yoga is unique compared to other forms of exercise because of the focus on breathing.  When I'm in the middle of a tough flow, my mind starts to wander and I feel like giving up.  But then I'm instantly reminded to focus on inhaling and exhaling.  The simple act of focusing on the breath allows me to get through the pose, therefore building strength.  Breathing is key and distracts me from the discomfort I might be feeling in my muscles.  I believe yoga is one of the most healthy forms of exercise because it focuses on the mind and the body at the same time.

I would recommend that everyone try yoga at least once.  You may fall in love with it like I have.  In this world, we are always on the go and yoga gives us the opportunity to slow down and take care of ourselves.

If you've been hesitant to try it because you're worried it's dangerous, I can assure you there is nothing to fear.  You can customize the mantras and thoughts for your own beliefs.  During the moments when I'm going inward and focusing on something positive, I always give thanks to God.  

Here is a link to the Yoga With Adriene YouTube Channel.  Check it out and find what feels good!

Concert Adventures

For someone who rarely stays up past 10 PM, I've been to quite a few concerts.  Even though I have very sensitive ears and sometimes the flashing lights make me feel like I might pass out, the music is worth it.  I don't want to forget all the awesome, often crazy times I've had in the past 16 years going to shows, so I thought I'd share them here.

My first show was pretty tame since I attended with my parents and little sister when I was about 11.  I don't remember much about it except we saw the Newsboys and my ears really hurt.  That's when I learned to always wear earplugs to shows in order to protect my hearing.  It was a lot of fun since this was the first time I'd ever seen a live band.

I didn't go to another concert until I was 16.  It was a Christian festival in 2006 with Hawk Nelson, Toby Mac, and Krystal Meyers.  My mom and aunt took me, my little sister, and our two friends to this show at Wild Adventures.  It was my first outdoor festival.

I also went to Murray Hill Theater, a Christian venue in downtown Jacksonville several times.  I saw Hawk Nelson and Showbread there.  My sister got some killer shots of Josh Dies and Showbread.

In 2007, when I was 17, I had the privilege of attending Cornerstone Florida in Orlando with my sister and our best friend.  It was dusty and blazing hot but it blew my mind.  We spent two days watching sets, meeting bands, buying merch, and taking pictures.

The most memorable bands we saw were The Almost, As Cities Burn, Chasing Victory, Family Force 5, Showbread, Stellar Kart, and Underoath.

 While browsing around, we met a guy from a band called Woodale.  We hung out with him and even went to a backstage area where all the bands sat to eat.

Cornerstone was set up really nice for being outdoors in the summer.  Each band had their own merch booth and huge tents blocked the harsh sun.  We walked around in between sets and got to meet a lot of bands and get their autographs including Showbread, Family Force 5, and Chasing Victory.

The best part of the festival came at the end of the second night.  We stood at the main stage waiting for Underoath to play.  We were in the middle front as more kids started to crowd around us.  I'll never forget how hot and humid it was.  There was a large guy directly in front of me with sweat dripping from his neck and hair.  Finally, the band started walking out and the crowd went crazy.  Everybody pressed against each other screaming as fog filled the air.  Lights flashed, the music started, and that's when we realized we were right in the middle of the mosh pit.  Looking back it's hilarious how ignorant we were.  I learned right then I'm way too fragile to be in the pit, but at that point it was too late.  I remember panicking as my sister was pulled up even closer to the stage.  She said someone grabbed her and tried to make her crown surf.  I got separated from our friend too as I shoved my way to the back of the crowd.

Once I broke free, I took a deep breath.  Thankfully, I didn't have to wait long before I found our friend.  We grabbed each other and started nervously laughing about making it out alive.  It was then we noticed her flip flops were missing and she gave up trying to find them pretty quickly.  We walked to the side of the crowd searching for my sister and finally found her.  We ended up sitting on a side fence at a safe distance from the insanity of the crowd.  It was actually a great view and I remember thinking my life was complete after seeing them live.

The next show I went to was in 2009 with my sister to see Drop Dead Gorgeous and blessthefall at a small bar downtown.  I wasn't great with directions and this was before I had GPS so we ended up getting lost.  Finding the venue was an adventure on it's own, but we finally made it.  I was thrilled to see blessthefall for the first time.  This was when they were promoting Witness and Mike Frisby was still in the band.

In 2010 I went to Stetson University to see We the Kings with a friend from college.  This show was nice because it was outside and the weather was pleasant because it was in the fall.

I saw We Are The In Crowd, You Me At Six, and Mayday Parade next with my husband at Freebird Live in 2011.  This was our first show together so it was pretty special.  The venue was awesome because there was a second story where you could have a higher view, but we ended up downstairs for most of the show.  And yes, we got matching shirts...

We went back to Freebird Live in 2014 to see Silverstein and blessthefall.  I think this was probably my favorite show ever.  Blessthefall was touring for Hollow Bodies which was my favorite album of theirs at the time.  We got really close to the stage without being in the pit and they sounded amazing live.  I saw a huge improvement in their stage presence compared to when I saw them in 2009.

Click here to watch a playlist I made from this show!

In 2015, I was able to attend two shows with my husband.  We saw A Skylit Drive, Wolves at the Gate, and The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus at Aqua/Beach Blvd Concert Hall.  This was another instance where we got lost on the way to the show.  The GPS kept telling us we had arrived, but we were at a Goodwill.  We realized the address on the tickets was wrong and thankfully didn't miss anything.

We ended up meeting Wolves at the Gate after the show and they were really nice.  The first vinyl we ever bought was VxV and we got them to sign it.  It was super nostalgic seeing Red Jumpsuit because I had listened to them since I was 16 when Don't You Fake It came out.

Click here for another playlist I made for this concert!

My husband surprised me and got us tickets to Emery's The Question 10 year anniversary show at 1904 Music Hall.  The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Hearts Like Lions, and Forevermore were some of the best supporting bands I've seen.  Emery played most of the songs from The Question and a few from their other albums.  This was another moment of nostalgia for me because I've been an Emery fan since 2006, so I grew up with these songs.  The crowd knew all the words so it was like we were reliving a part of our past together, even without knowing each other, and that was really special.  We got one of the last The Question vinyls they had.  We also were able to speak to Matt Carter for a minute right after the show and tell him how much we love his band and The BadChristian Podcast.

Click here to watch another playlist I made from this show!

The most recent show we went to was in April 2016.  We went to Orlando to see Underoath on their Rebirth 10 year anniversary tour for Define the Great Line at Hard Rock Live.  We had to buy the tickets months in advance because they sold out so quickly.  This could have been a once in a lifetime event since they reunited  for this tour so I wanted to make sure we got seats.  We decided to make a weekend out of it and stayed at a hotel near Universal for two nights.  I was so happy when we decided to go because Underoath is another band I grew up with.  The nostalgia for this show was off the charts.  This was by far the nicest concert venue I had ever been to.  We waited in line for quite a while and there was even security outside checking everyone before we got in.

The first thing we did was hit the merch table in search of the double vinyl, but unfortunately, they were sold out.  We did get a couple shirts and a hat that were pretty expensive, but I'm okay with paying good money for something that valuable.  We had seats on the balcony, pretty close to the front.  They played every song from They're Only Chasing Safety and Define the Great Line, and sounded amazing live.  The only downside to this venue for me was the fancy lights.  Don't get me wrong, the show looked amazing and all the visual parts were great.  But part of the time I had to keep my eyes closed because the lights were so bright and flashy.

Nevertheless, the show was awesome.  I had seen them 9 years ago at Cornerstone when I was 17 and there I was at 26, hearing the same songs, and still getting chills.  Underoath was almost like a friend to me growing up because I went through a depression in my teens and they helped me get through it.  That place was electric with nostalgia and it was amazing to be among all those fans remembering together.  The show got out pretty early and we were starving so we ate at Bubba Gump's on the boardwalk.

So that wraps it up.  Leave me a comment of your concert adventures if you have any crazy stories.  I can't wait to see what shows I'll be going to in the future.  My dream would be to make it to Warped Tour, so hopefully that will be next on my list!

How I Cured High Cholesterol Without Medication

In 2009, I was a 19 year old community college student.  One day, I was sitting in a nutrition class and the teacher was talking about the fat in our organs.  I hadn't eaten anything substantial that morning, so between that and the discussion topic, I began to feel light headed.  I thought if I could just splash some cold water on my face I would be fine.  I walked out of the class and headed toward the restroom.  My breathing was heavy and my mind was foggy as I walked slowly down the hallway.  The next thing I remember is waking up on the ground surrounded by strangers kneeling over me.  I slowly sat up and they told me I blacked out.  This was the first time I had ever passed out before.  My teacher came out of the classroom and insisted on calling an ambulance.  All she seemed to care about was following protocol.

While waiting for the paramedics, the women, who I found out were in the nursing program, began telling me what happened from their perspective.  They said when they first saw me I was walking strangely close to the wall.  They ran and guided me to the ground as I fell.  I don't know what would have happened if they hadn't been there and I'm so thankful God sent them to help me.  The paramedics came and after a short checkup they determined I was fine.  I called my parents to pick me up and on the way home my mom said I had to go to the doctor, just to be sure everything was okay, and I reluctantly agreed.

My doctor didn't find anything abnormal during the checkup and said it was probably a psychological issue combined with not eating enough.  She wanted me to take a blood test as an extra precaution.  Everything came back normal except my cholesterol.  My doctor was surprised by this because of my age and since I've always been underweight.  She said sometimes genetics can contribute to this condition and there was nothing I could do to change that.  Her advice was to exercise daily and change my diet.  I'll admit I was very sedentary at this point in my life because my main activity was sitting at a desk doing school work.  My diet was also a mess at this time.  The only guidance she gave me was in the form of a vague pamphlet about high cholesterol.

Over the next two years I was given a certain time period to work out and clean up my diet before the next blood test.  I would do well for a while, but then I'd get lazy again.  At the age of 22, I went to a gynecologist who told me about red yeast rice supplements.  Those were a great option for me because I didn't want to be on prescription medication.  I took Red Yeast Rice for about two years.

When I started researching nutrition on my own and discovered The Beauty Detox Program, I stopped taking them.  By eating a whole foods, plant based diet 98% of the time, I got my cholesterol levels healthy in an all natural way.  I also discovered yoga, which gets my heart rate up while building strength and I believe that has helped as well.  I still get checked at least once a year and ever since I've been eating this way my levels have been healthy.  I'm not qualified to give medical advice, I've just been through a lot with my body over the past few years and this is what has worked for me.  You can read my other story, My Journey to Clear Skin, for more specifications on how I changed my diet.  If you or someone you know is on medication for high cholesterol, I suggest you look into this lifestyle.  You don't have to live on prescriptions the rest of your life to be healthy.  All you need is self discipline and guidance from well researched nutritionists.

My Journey to Clear Skin

I'm sharing this experience for anyone struggling with acne.  I've dealt with this since I was 13 years old.  Finally, 11 years later, I found the true solution.  I spent those 11 years trying many different products, making sure I washed my face every morning and night, and I still had frequent breakouts.  At times I hated myself.  Other times I just wanted to give up.  It was something I worried about all the time.  I made sure to sit away from the light so my imperfections were less noticeable.  It was normal for me to stay in my room so I didn't have to go into the world with this curse on my face.  If you identify with any of these thoughts, please read this post and try the tips and solutions I share.  Before we get into all I've learned, I want to share my story and the specifics of what I went through so you can avoid the nonsense and get to the real answers.

As many people do, I believed the main problem with my skin was what I put on my face.  If I could just find the right face wash or acne cream, everything would clear up.  As a teenager, I tried Proactive, and while it did improve my skin for a time, I found after a while it would stop working.  So I moved on to a prescription called Differin.  My sister got it from her doctor, but she didn't like it so she gave it to me.  The instructions said to wash your face with a bar of soap every morning and night, and then apply the acne cream.  Even though I didn't see much of an improvement, I kept using it.  I thought if I kept up the routine it would kick in, but it never did.  In fact, my skin was even more jacked up because on top of the oil and breakouts, now I had scaly patches from the medication drying it out.

At the age of 21, I finally went to the dermatologist.  I put a lot of trust in them because I thought "these people went to school to learn how to have clear skin, so they'll tell me what I need to do."  They asked questions about my daily routine and I discovered the soap I was using was awful for my skin.  They prescribed three acne creams and suggested I start using a Clarisonic to wash my face.   I was optimistic this would work and over the next 3 years, I did as I was told.  The only thing I'm thankful for about that visit was ditching the bar of soap and getting the Clarisonic, which I love to this day.  The prescriptions ended up having the same effect as the Differin, plus they were very expensive.

At 24, I felt defeated.  What was I doing wrong?  Why has everything I've tried not worked?  I prayed for God to give me the answers I so desperately needed, and He did just that.  I decided I couldn't live like this anymore and I had to do something different.  I began to research skin on my own.  I read many articles about the causes of acne and what I discovered changed everything.  I was looking on the outside when I should have been looking inside.  Yes, some of my skin issues were probably hormonal as a teen, but my main problem was the food I was eating.

At the beginning of my story I said I had believed what you put on your face is the key to the problem.  The moment I realized that is only a small piece of the puzzle, I felt so free.  I finally had control over the state of my body.  Since I've always been underweight, people have told me I can eat whatever I want and always be skinny, which was true.  But when I was 20, I found out I had high cholesterol.  My doctor was shocked and said it had to be genetic. She suggested I exercise more and change my diet, although she wasn't very clear about how I should do this.  That was the only time I really tried to focus on a healthy diet, and even then I didn't put much effort into changing my bad habits.  I had always eaten the Standard American Diet consisting mostly of dairy, animal protein, processed junk foods, sugar, and gluten.

When I began my research, I started to make drastic changes to my diet.  Thankfully, my husband was very supportive and we cleaned out our pantry and fridge, getting rid of all processed foods.  It was mostly cereal, cheese crackers, and other junk food I no longer desired to consume.  At around this same time, I decided I would finish the prescription creams and not buy them again.  A friend had told me a long time ago she didn't believe in acne prescriptions because of all the chemicals that get absorbed into your skin.  The more natural and clean your products are, the better they are for your body.  Plus, they don't get to the root cause of acne.  My skin began to gradually improve.  Soon, I no longer had those dry patches of skin and I started using tea tree oil for breakout areas.

In December of 2014, I discovered an author and C.N. named Kimberly Snyder.  I got The Beauty Detox Solution and The Beauty Detox Foods for Christmas and by January I had finished the first book.  I remember the shock and empowerment I felt while reading it.  All the science behind her program made total sense to me.  I felt like I had uncovered the secret to health and I was determined to test it out for myself.

In her first book, she talks about how not only are our livers and kidneys detoxifying organs, but so is our skin.  When our internal organs are overloaded with toxins, our bodies push them out through the skin.  "If the colon is clogged and backed up (which can happen on a deeper level even if we are regularly going to the bathroom) and/or if our bodies have become overly acidic and a fertile breeding ground for unfriendly bacteria, our liver will get clogged and backed up, and toxins will be pushed out through the skin...and then the acne shows up!" (p.50 from The Beauty Detox Solution).  I had never heard this aspect before and it was upsetting my dermatologist hadn't shared it with me.

My main focus was to adjust my diet so my skin would clear up.  I started with one of the easiest steps: drinking hot water with lemon first thing in the morning.  Then, I made the Glowing Green Smoothie (GGS) for breakfast.  It didn't take long for me to realize I loved this new morning routine.  The hot lemon water re-hydrates you and cleanses your liver.  The GGS is full of minerals, enzymes, fiber, and it's easy on your digestive system.  I've never liked traditional breakfast foods, so this was easy for me to implement into my daily routine.

I also made it a habit to drink lots of water throughout the day, because water is essential to skin health.  I learned to drink room temperature water because icy beverages, especially with meals, slow digestion and make your body work harder, since it must warm it up.

The next big change I made was probably the most controversial, but it was the best thing I could have done for my skin and overall health.  I gave up dairy.  I started drinking coconut and almond milk and incorporating them into smoothies and other recipes.  Giving up milk was easy because I've never liked the taste anyway.

You may be wondering why I believe dairy is so harmful to our bodies.  The dairy industry has worked very hard to ensure you believe milk is vital to the health of our bones, but this is not true.  "There is a lot of phosphorus in dairy products, and it binds to the calcium in our digestive tract and makes most of the calcium impossible to absorb." (p.104 from TBDS).

In the section called There Is Nothing Beautiful About Dairy, I learned a lot about how damaging dairy is to our bodies.  It's acidic, mucus-forming, and not compatible with our digestive systems.  "Dairy products begin to wreak havoc on our bodies as soon as they are ingested, so our bodies then try desperately to get rid of them in different ways, such as in the form of phlegm, mucus, or pimples." (p. 102 from TBDS).  Since my goal was to improve my skin, this is the part that really motivated me to stop consuming dairy.

I'm actually shocked to be writing this right now, because not too long ago, I heard milk is harmful to humans and thought that was a ridiculous notion.  But once I actually researched it on my own, the evidence was overwhelming.  I won't deny milk has calcium, because it obviously does.  But it's designed to make cows big and strong, not humans.  You can get plenty of calcium from plant foods such as cauliflower, broccoli, cucumber, and spinach.  I get plenty of calcium every day in my GGS, without the harmful side effects that come from dairy.

I also began to decrease my animal protein consumption.  This was very gradual as well because I had been told my whole life I need meat, but this was all in my head.  I remember the first day I tried a vegetarian lunch.  I felt so light and energetic, because all my energy wasn't being sucked by my system trying to digest such a heavy food.  Now, the only meat I consume is the venison my husband provides.  I eat a very small amount, with greens or veggies first, only at dinner, about twice a month.  The less meat I eat, the less I feel I need.

As I got deeper into the program, the better I felt and the better my skin looked.  I had less oil on my scalp and face, and my ruddy complexion was greatly improved.  I started making Beauty Detox recipes and following the easy tips for better digestion.  My favorites are eating light to heavy, which means you eat fruit on an empty stomach because it digests fastest, then vegetables, then starches or protein.  I also follow proper food combinations because, for example, combining starch and protein in the same meal makes our digestive systems work extremely hard.  "We immediately get tired after eating because all our energy is going right into our bellies." (p.43 from TBDS).

The hardest thing for me has been to decrease my sugar intake.  I've always loved desserts, but I knew if I wanted my skin to improve, I'd have to cut back.  The easiest way for me to achieve this has been to not buy sweets anymore.  If they aren't in my home, I can't eat them.  I do have some dairy- free dark chocolate I let myself snack on, and I make the desserts from the Beauty Detox books, but I've been trying really hard to not overeat sweets.  I've also cut back on gluten, since it's also been known to contribute to acne.

The state of our digestive systems is directly correlated with the appearance of our skin.  When we cleanse out toxins regularly, our skin will be clear.  All the foods in the Beauty Detox program are meant to help with detoxing our systems.  Last year, I finally took the next step and invested in a product called Detoxy.  It's a magnesium oxygen supplement that helps cleanse the body of waste in a gentle way.  I promise, I'm not getting paid for this.  I'm simply sharing how much I love this product because I noticed that when I started using it, my skin got even clearer.  A few months ago, I also started taking Kimberly Snyder's soil based probiotics, and noticed my skin got even better.  Probiotics are very important for clear skin and overall health because they create healthy gut bacteria.

I'd also like to mention some other practical tips that can help reduce the risk of breakouts:

1. Keep your pillow cases clean.
I wash my sheets every week and switch out the pillow cases every few days so I'm keeping clean fabric on my face while I sleep.

2. Wash your hands.
Never touch your face unless you've just washed your hands.  Whether you're washing your face or applying makeup, make sure you're not spreading more dirt and oil into your pores.

3. Use clean towels.
Another item that comes in frequent contact with our faces is towels.  I always make sure to use a fresh towel everyday.

4. Keep the phone away.
Never touch your phone to your skin.  This is another sneaky source that can spread acne.

5. Ditch hair products.
I used to sleep with product in my hair every night.  But I realized this could have been causing breakouts on my cheeks.  I recently stopped using hair products altogether and noticed the breakouts have greatly reduced.  Most hair products on the market today are full of chemicals anyway, so now I just soak my hair in coconut oil once a week.  Since I don't need to wash it everyday, I pull it up and away from my face when I sleep so any oil won't spread.

I'm still on this journey.  As I mentioned before, I'm sharing my experience so if you are struggling with this awful condition, you can cut through all the BS and get to the root of your problems.  I'm not saying everyone's story will look like mine.  You may have other issues going on with your body.  But in general, I believe most people's skin would clear up if they followed the Beauty Detox program.  My skin isn't perfect, but as I get deeper into this lifestyle and continue to perfect my diet, my skin has continued to improve.  I hope this has inspired you to improve your diet, your health, and therefore your life.

Please leave a comment if you have any questions or if you'd like to share your experiences with me.  I'd encourage you to read the books for yourself to get more in depth with the concepts I've described.  Click here to price them on Amazon.  You can buy Detoxy and KS Probiotics here.

Being Human (U.S) Season Four Review

Warning: Spoilers below!

The final, and in my opinion, best season of Being Human starts similarly to last season's premiere.  The roommates are split up again after Sally is pulled through her death spot to another dimension by Donna.  Josh is now a werewolf all the time, except the night of the full moon, so Nora and Aidan live in the woods while they try to figure out how to get him back.  The newlyweds only get a few hours with each other every month and they use their time wisely.

Sally is able to once again outsmart Donna and make it back to her friends.  We quickly realize Sally and Donna are connected through magic and she uses a spell to literally pull Josh out of his wolf.  But, she's unable to finish it because every time she practices magic, she temporarily travels in time!  I really liked this new aspect of the show because it allows us to see different facets of our characters.  For example, Sally is horrified when she travels back to the 20's and gets a glimpse at Aidan's previous murderous lifestyle.

Since the spell is incomplete, Josh comes back different.  He struggles to adjust to living as a human again and becomes aware that the wolf is still there, just beneath his skin.

Kenny shows up again and we learn he's still a deformed looking hybrid, but he's able to compel everyone, including vampires, into thinking he looks normal.  I found myself unsure of his character for the majority of this season because like Aidan, we're trying to figure out if he's a good guy or another power hungry type like Bishop.

The weakest plot point for me is the Ramona story.  Many times when Sally travels throughout time, she sees a little girl being murdered in the 70's and spends part of the season trying to figure out how to help her.

Josh and Nora meet new werewolves and end up throwing a party for a couple whose pure bread baby they helped deliver.  This werewolf baby shower leads to another hilarious moment when Aidan and Kenny crash and start dancing.  Of course, we can't escape the awkward vampire/werewolf tension and an inevitable fight breaks out.

I watched a few episodes of the UK version of this show but couldn't finish it because the main werewolf character was so unlikable.  When he cheats on his girlfriend, I was out.  I was disappointed they brought a similar plot point to the U.S. show, but it's at least slightly more understandable.  Josh does cheat on Nora, but in wolf form when they change in the woods with the new pack.  I hated he didn't tell her right away because I thought he was better than that.  But it does contribute to him learning more about his new wolf.  He is now able to transform at will and Nora becomes afraid of him.  It was so sad when she leaves.

Aidan is reunited with Suzanna, his wife he thought was dead and it turns out, Bishop turned her.  At first, we don't understand her actions.  She whips herself, drinks only to survive, never for pleasure, and is killing other vampires.  Then, we're shown flashbacks depicting her first kill being Isaac, her and Aidan's only son.  When she finally tells Aidan the truth, she gives him the opportunity to kill her, but he can't do it.  The pain in this scene is deeply felt and as they finally mourn their son together, some healing occurs.

I love the fact they used Sally's real life brother to play Robbie because they could be twins.  Unfortunately, he mysteriously dies at the house and we get another great moment when someone learns the truth about the supernatural.  He is now a ghost and Sally insists on getting Donna to help bring him back to life.  We get flashbacks and learn Donna was hung in the 17th century.  Other witches use a ghost's life forces to bring Donna back to life and when Sally learns this, she wants to use this method for her brother.  Donna offers to sacrifice herself for Robbie, but he has accepted his fate and disappears.  At this point, we have come to like Donna as a character because of how much she has helped Sally and we better understand her backstory.

Episode 8, Rewind, Rewind, is my favorite of the entire show.  Sally is time traveling again and she's in the house with Danny and her past self.  But this isn't just any night.  When she unwraps herself from a blanket and reveals her signature outfit from the first two seasons, she realizes this is the night of her death.  She's yelling at herself to get away from Danny and I get goosebumps every time I see this scene.  Even though she's unable to use her magic, she can still possess.  She jumps into her own body and tells Danny off before he can kill her.  What follows is everything you want to happen to her character.  I would say it would be worth it to just watch this one episode, but it's intensity is only felt when you've seen what our characters have been through to make it to this point.

In this episode they bring back many familiar faces from season one.  Sally's personality is so confident and feisty because she knows what is to come.  She prevents Aidan from killing Rebecca and convinces him and Josh to move in with her in the house.  The scene of them moving everything in is so nostalgic because everything is the same, except this time she's alive.  Surprisingly in this reality, Sally and Aidan fall in love!  I remember thinking how great and strange this aspect was because they are great together, but up until this point their relationship has been platonic, even when she was a zombie.  Looking back, there were some moments that hinted at their chemistry, but until now, it was never fulfilled.  They certainly fulfill it in this episode.

Of course things can't stay perfect forever.  Josh is struggling and Sally realizes she interfered with his and Aidan's relationship when Aidan is ready to give up on him.  I remember being so sad about this because I loved Sally and Aidan together.  Sally also puts a rift between Josh and Nora when she gets scratched, preventing Nora from being turned.

Even though she believed she was changing the past for the better, things seem to fall back to the old timeline.  Sally is devastated to learn Danny murdered Bridget.  Aidan still kills Bishop, this time by giving him blood tainted with the virus from season 3.  And sadly, Sally gets mixed up in a fight between Josh, Ray, Aidan, and another vampire, and she dies by getting her head bashed in again.  I have to say, her makeup and outfit in this afterlife are killer.  The conversation between Josh and Aidan after Sally's death breaks my heart.  The pain inflicted is hard to watch.

Even after she dies, Sally is still stuck in the past for a few years.  Josh and Nora do not end up together and Nora is a divorced addict.  Sally is trying to find a way to get back to the correct timeline and when she possesses Josh, she leaves behind memories of the group all together.  I love the scene where he talks to Nora and they're both sad things didn't work out between them.  He sees one of Sally's memories of Nora at their wedding.  This motivates him to help her fix things to how they were meant to be.

She's finally able to enlist Donna for help, who warns her she may bounce ahead of where she's supposed to be before going back to the correct time.  She temporarily goes too far and sees Aidan kill Josh just before getting home.  We are left with dread for what is to come.

In episode 10, Aidan must defend Kenny from Suzanna and ultimately has to kill her, hoping she can finally find peace.  Nora and Sally have a girl talk that starts with Sally knocking pills out of Nora's hands to save her from her addiction.  It turns out, it was only ibuprofen and they laugh at the suggestion that pills would ever be one of her vices.  Sally tells her about the alternate reality romance with Aidan and it becomes clear she needs to tell him what happened.  How does she decide to do this?  By possessing a werewolf during a fight to save Josh of course.  This scene is reminiscent of the movie Ghost, when Patrick Swayze possesses Whoopi Goldberg so he and Demi Moore can have a moment.  Similarly, we are shown Aidan kissing the werewolf and then we get to see Sally take his place.  As awkward as this is, it works and Aidan's feelings for Sally are awakened.

Josh had to be rescued from the werewolves because they forced him to turn willing humans into his new type of wolf.  This whole season he's been struggling to fight against this part of himself.  Sally is able to help him overcome this fear by facing his wolf and accepting him into his life.  This allows his relationship with Nora to be on the mend because now he is in control.

Another great moment occurs when Sally tells Nora she's always admired her for getting out of her abusive relationship since she wasn't able to get out of her own.  Sally is able to rid Nora of her burn scars with a spell, showing at least one time her magic didn't yield horrible consequences.

As this season comes to a close, we realize the roommates can no longer stay in the house.  This is when the Ramona sub plot comes to a head.  Ramona is the little girl Sally saw get murdered in the past.  We find out she has been living in a hidden room upstairs the whole time, which is why this part seemed a little weak for me.  She doesn't want anyone to leave and we learn she is the one who killed Robbie.  It gets weirder because she's actually not even a ghost.  From what I understand she's the evil of the house and thrives on death.

In an attempt to force everyone to stay with her, Ramona manipulates everyone's minds.  Her goal is to get them to kill themselves so they'll have to live there with her forever as ghosts.  Everyone but Aidan snaps out of it and Sally's vision of him killing Josh almost comes true.  In the end, she's not able to snap him out of it and sacrifices herself for him.  Her last spell turns Aidan human, and then she's gone.  After all the times similar things have happened, it becomes clear she's gone for good this time.

It made perfect sense they would choose to make Aidan human in the end because if he has to die, this way he would have an afterlife.  There is some great humor when he eats human food and it actually tastes good for the first time in over two hundred years.  However, his body is aging fast and he only has a few weeks to live.  He's conflicted and even tries to get turned again, but Josh stops him just in time reminding him of Sally's sacrifice.  Her absence causes him intense pain.

He spends his remaining time with Josh and the two have some great bonding moments.  When they discover Ramona hasn't stopped killing, they make a plan to stop her.  Aidan tricks Josh and ends up going to the house alone to burn it down.  He defeats Ramona and we see him dying in the same spot Sally died.  The house being burned is symbolic of the end of this period in their lives.  It has been such a uniting refuge for all of them and now it's over.

I was thrilled to see Aidan's ghost when Josh and Nora come in to see the remains of the house.  They're able to say goodbye and he gets his door.  He walks into the light, is immediately greeted by Sally, and at this point I'm sobbing.  They finally get to be together after all that.  In the final moments of the show, we see a dream Josh and Nora are having about the four of them in the house like old times.  They wake up calling for their two children who they've named Sally and Aidan.  I'm still crying as the show comes to a bittersweet close.

After seeing all four seasons, I might have to say this is my all time favorite show.  It was funny, emotional, suspenseful, romantic, horrifying; everything I want.  I love the characters, the effects and visuals were on point, and it had something to say about what it means to really love someone.