To everyone who sent love and good energy on my birthday, thank you. ❤️
Turning 45 feels different than any other birthday I’ve had. It feels earned.
Despite some of the lighter moments I’ve shared this past year on social media, age 44 tried me in ways I never could have prepared for. I can honestly say I spent a majority of the year feeling like the universe was trying to take me down. Some of my worst nightmares came true, one after another. I was forced to question just about everything I believed to be true about who or what I could trust. There were moments I genuinely wasn't sure I'd make it to the other side of the chaos. And in my darkest moments, I found myself wondering if somehow I deserved it all.
It took some time, but I am now choosing to see that all the events of this year didn't happen to me. They happened for me.
I’ve learned some important lessons and recently chose to see each one as a gift. I understand now that the universe has delivered each of these gifts to teach me about resilience, clarity, personal freedom and what I really value in life. Thank you, universe. 🙏
And thank you to every one of you who offered your help, kind words, healing energy and support through this wild season of my life. I only hope that you trust that I would do the same for you if the time came. We need each other, friends. ❤️
If you’ve ever been in a crisis, there is usually a moment when you think, This is the worst it will ever be. Your nervous system does what it’s designed to do, it calibrates. You move through shock, grief, bargaining, and a fragile form of acceptance of a new reality. You find a way to live inside the pain that crisis has caused.
Here I share the story of how I learned about this new reality while hosting a yoga retreat in Sicily.
Read the rest of my post on Substack at the link in my bio. #mentalhealth #messymiddle #fibromusculardysplasia #brainanuerysm #traumahealing
This past weekend, I stepped back onto my yoga mat @thehotroomindy for the first time in over three months and returned to teaching. I believe it’s healthy to take breaks from anything—but this was not a break I chose.
In September, my worst nightmare came true. After weeks of severe head pain that I assumed was a migraine, I learned that I had dissected an artery in my brain and developed an aneurysm. I’ll share more details about this experience through my writing on Substack, but the past few months have been some of the most difficult of my life. I am still very much in the “messy middle” of this chapter of my story.
Read the rest of my *first* post on Substack at the link in my bio. #mentalhealth #messymiddle #fibromusculardysplasia #brainanuerysm #traumahealing
Starting this Sunday, I’ll be back teaching Yin Yoga @thehotroomindy , Sundays at 6:00 PM. Next month also marks 10 years of practice for me at this studio—an anchor in my life that has shaped me in ways I could never fully put into words.
Over the past few months, I stepped away from teaching to tend to my own health and wellbeing. That pause was not only necessary but imperative for me to have space to heal my body and mind. It reminded me how important it is to be grounded, present, and still so that I can show up and serve the people and communities I care so deeply about.
Yin is the practice that meets us where we are—especially in winter. It’s a counterbalance to the constant going, doing, and holding it all together. This is an invitation to slow down, feel, breathe, and simply be—in support of your mental and physical health.
If you’ve been craving steadiness, softness, or a deeper connection to yourself, come say hi. I’d love to practice with you.
If you've ever been interested in training to teach Yin Yoga, join me for my training in Spring 2026. DM for details.
#yinyoga #yoga #selfcare #mentalhealth #downtownindy
One of my favorite moments from Giving Tuesday GPFM Fundraiser: @ms.polley hyping up the audience to donate for a matching SNAP fund for the market! Erin is personally my biggest supporter and she always brings the best energy to every good cause in this city. I love you sister, I couldn’t have done this evening without you 🥰
I met Kevin from @behindbeautifulthingspodcast months ago in a podcast recording studio. We exchanged information, set a date, and sat down to talk for his powerful podcast focused on mental health.
I had almost forgotten about the episode until I ran into him a few weeks ago and he said, “Your episode comes out tomorrow!”
So much has unfolded in my life since we recorded in late summer. I genuinely couldn’t remember what I had shared or whether my own mental health journey would feel meaningful to anyone. This year has challenged me in ways that have made it hard to feel like I could offer any help to others when I was barely keeping myself together.
In our conversation, Kevin asked about the roots of my commitment to being in service to others. We talked about perfectionism and people pleasing. We talked about “Big T” and “little t” trauma. He asked what anxiety looked and felt like for me at different points in my life. He asked what I most wanted to share with anyone who might be struggling with any of these things.
Listening back, I was reminded that it’s okay to struggle. It’s okay not to have it all figured out. I recalled in this episode other times in my life when it felt like I was drowning in my emotions and maybe even feared I would lose myself in my depression and anxiety. Listening reminded me that thankfully, life ebbs and flows. At least in my story, I eventually find myself again in the non-linear journey towards some kind of healing.
This episode reaffirmed something I deeply believe: caring for ourselves is essential if we want to do good work in the world. It won’t be perfect every day. If we really want to live in the world doing the least amount of harm, we must try to heal something inside of us. Some days will feel impossibly hard. But we keep going—not just for ourselves, but for the people we impact every day. Our friends, our families, our coworkers, our communities.
Thank you, Kevin, for the conversation and everything you contribute to helping us all feel less alone.
You can hear this podcast everywhere. Link to Apple Podcasts in my bio.
I’m going to call this our Holiday Card since this year has been rough and I’ll cherish an impromptu moment with my little love any f**ing day. 🙏🏻
I’ll send you one IRL if you DM your address ❤️
