Resources, tips and tools for honoring the heart of
your hustle.
"Never underestimate the value of time spent in the womb," my teacher Eden said to me a few years ago when I was going through a particularly hard time. "Darkness is pregnant and full of life."
I've been reflecting a lot on these words as we just passed through the winter solstice- the darkest time of the year- and also as this baby boy has now spent nine months growing inside the fertile darkness of my own body.
As we begin the new year, you (like me) are likely thinking about new goals and intentions for 2021. With the start of every new year, I notice my desire to "start over", to create new goals and intentions, to lean into new supportive habits or get rid of old ones. I have definitely been deeply reflecting on what I want to create this year (I have some big plans!) and what I'm also ready to let go of so that I can move forward with less baggage and more lightness + ease (you have to let go to grow, I often say). If you are looking to go a bit deeper with your intention-setting process for 2021, I've created some questions that can help you.
Reflection is an exercise of the soul, a beautiful practice that turns experience into insight and wisdom. 2020 was an intense year for all of us and the lessons have been deep. All the more reason to spend some quality time "mining the pearls", collecting the valuable nuggets of your experience to get clarity on what you've learned so it can support you with where you want to go.
This is one of my recipes on the regular morning rotation. With just a few healthy ingredients, it's one of my favorite breakfast (and snack) staples full of fiber, healthy fats, and antioxidants. Sometimes it's almost too pretty to eat. And a bonus: it basically makes itself while you hop in the shower!
It's been years since I sold my organic meal delivery business, but one of my happiest places is still in my kitchen inventing new recipes (or perfecting old ones). Since I can't have you over for dinner right now, I collected a few of my favorites below to inspire some healthy holiday cooking. (side note: my post-Covid dinner parties are going to be EPIC.) Now push away the cheese tray, put on your apron and dive in!
I made this for dinner last night and it was so good I wanted to re-eat it! (plus, bonus points for how pretty it is). It might even give my garlic kale salad a run for its money (if you know, you know). If you’re still looking for a salad to serve for your holiday meal, stop scrolling and save this recipe!
What’s the gift in this? It’s a simple and powerful question. And I’ve learned that like all good questions, the answers you find in the inquiry can transform you. These five words have helped me unearth gratitude in some of the hardest moments of my life, perhaps like some of the moments you've experienced in this crazy uncertain year.
I have a serious obsession with baked goods (like a serious one. It’s kind of a problem). For me, it’s a texture thing— actually, most of my cravings are based on food texture. Now that I’m on a gluten-free diet, I’ve been looking for ways to find that soft, chewy texture in a sans-gluten form. This bread is it! It’s super simple with just a few ingredients, made with real, healthy whole grains and seeds (not nutritionally deficient processed flours) and it is SO FREAKING GOOD. You can doctor it up to make it sweet or savory or just have it plain with ghee or butter and little sea salt. Shout out to my friend Adriana for delivering me this perfect recipe that is straight after my gluten-free heart.
I heard my husband Travis ask his Zoom room of 7th grade students that question one morning last week. Apparently, this is one of the most common questions he asks them during their daily check-in call. (side note: I’m learning a lot about what an amazing teacher he is, as we've done the work-at-home space sharing dance over these last 6 months).
"That’s so much of what healing is. It’s just being willing to be with yourself through whatever you’re experiencing and letting it be ok… There’s no playbook for how long it takes, at all. You just need to keep walking through it one step at a time."
I loved this recent conversation with Nicolette Richer who invited me on her Eat Real to Heal podcast for the 2nd time to talk about so many aspects of my own healing and how to take care of yourself during this crazy Covid time.
If you’re feeling exhausted right now, I’m with you. These last few weeks and months have been a lot to take in and show up for. I've been listening, learning (and unlearning), and reflecting on how I can be a better ally to the Black community. With our collective energy and efforts, I pray that something new is blooming— to finally help heal the racial divide in the US, to remind us of our inseparable connection to each other and all living things, and to help us see that what is done to one of us, is done to all of us.
“What IS breathwork?” is one of the most common questions I hear. Some people have experienced a connection to their breath through mediation or yoga, or they’ve tried a simple (but powerful) breathing technique like box breathing. And yes, breathwork can be all of those things. In this video, I will guide you through a 10-minute pranayama breathwork practice that I use almost every single day. It’s my go-to self-care tool for grounding, connection and stress relief. Let’s breathe!
“All I want is you and a backyard with a lemon tree.”
That's what I told my husband Travis as he was packing up his things to move to California about 5 years ago, not knowing when we’d live together again. He was starting our transition to a new life out West, while I stayed behind in DC to *hopefully* sell my business. It was the biggest leap of faith we’d ever taken, and we had no idea how it was going to turn out. We leaped and we trusted, and it was absolutely terrifying.
When people ask me that question lately I’m not sure how to respond (honestly, it depends on the moment you ask). It’s an intense time for all of us and nothing is “normal.” This is clearly a defining moment of change, and we are each being asked to pause, look at our lives with new perspective, and honor the interconnectedness of all life (more on that in another post).
There’s a lot to feel right now, especially with so many of our typical distractions and numbing agents stripped away. Suddenly, we're being asked to BE with ourselves in new ways. I’m doing my best to show up for it— for myself, for my people. To be gentle with myself and others knowing we’re all doing the best we can in the face of so much uncertainty. To honor what my body says she needs TODAY (and sometimes that changes hour to hour).
Yesterday I returned home from a week on the Big Island of Hawaii. The truth is, the first six weeks of 2020 felt like an entire year (can anyone else relate?!) and I was already in serious need of a chance to slow my sprint to more of a saunter, get some rest, and reconnect with myself through nature.
