My doctor suggested surgery. I learned to surf.

yoga in valencia

A year ago, I sat in the doctor’s office looking over scans of a herniated disc in my lumbar spine. I had been living in chronic pain, had lost a lot of my strength and had to stop exercising. Teaching yoga had become a struggle for me, physically. The doctor was scheduling me an appointment to cauterize a nerve in my back and prepare me for surgery. Something told me to say, “no”. Even though I was desperate for a solution and to stop the pain, I had a feeling that surgery wasn’t the answer. I set a goal instead. I decided to do whatever it took, for one year, to rehabilitate my back and get my strength back. I was ready to invest in myself, my health and more importantly, my future. I started some physical therapy. I found the incredible massage therapist @allivio_massage_valencia who helped to alleviate tension and pain. I started reformer pilates three days a week at @pranapilatesreformer. Little by little, I could walk more. Move more. Sleep better. Teach yoga without being in pain. Dance.

One year ago, I told some friends that I wanted to learn to surf. That I wanted to work really hard over the course of the next year in order to take a surfing lesson during our yoga retreat in Portugal in July 2024. I think some people thought I was crazy. Silly. Too old. Not strong enough. Delusional, maybe. But during every pilates class, I visualized myself getting strong enough to push myself up and stand up on a surf board.

We built excitement in our retreat group during the year and as the date approached, my intention was to simply enjoy it. I believed in myself, but more than anything, I wanted to enjoy the moment with these incredible women, try something new together and if nothing else – laugh.

As I was pushed out on that first wave, I didn’t overthink it. I trusted my body to do what it needed to do. And I stood up. I rode the wave. It was exciting, exhilarating, emotional. I had done it. I had worked hard to heal myself and I was so, so proud. Thank you to these amazing women, my fellow surfer girls, for the love and support. 

More than a yoga holiday

yoga retreat menorca spain

Our Inscape Journeys are so much more than a yoga holiday. It’s a deep dive into the landscape of your being. The artistic expression of your spirit. A spotlight on the intricacies of the human experience. A testament of the power of meaningful connection.

The Inscape Experience is lighthearted, full of laughter, movement, song, dance and a bit of twerking. It’s also soulful and spirit-nourishing. Providing you space and grace to give yourself what you need in the moment. To reflect. Rest. Breathe deeply. To learn how to trust yourself. To get to know yourself, your needs, and your desires. And then to practice listening closely to the body’s messages. The heart’s song. It’s a space to connect within yourself so you build the confidence to trust others, open your heart and take a chance on friendship. It’s a space for you. It meets you where you are. Each and every time.

Thank you for your trust in the process. Your faith in me. And your willingness to explore and evolve alongside me. What a gift and honor it is to share this space and energy with you.

Inscape- the unique inner nature of a person or object as shown in a work of art

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Post-retreat feels

yoga retreat spain menorca

Sitting in gratitude for the past week that was spent surrounded in love, appreciation, enthusiasm, connection and sisterhood. Every retreat group brings something so special to the experience and this retreat was no exception. Not only did I feel so honored to hold space for these 12 incredible women, and humbled by their investment in themselves and trust in me… I also am feeling so loved, supported and held by these women.

It was a true reflection of the past 7.5 years of hosting retreats. This was my 35th retreat and I’m still constantly learning and growing. It’s a lot of hard work and sometimes I wonder what the heck I’ve gotten myself into… haha… but every time I arrive on retreat, I have an immense sense of knowing I’m exactly where I’m meant to be. It truly is my happy place. I find so much confidence in my purpose in bringing people together in community and friendship and teaching people that it is safe to create time to nourish yourself. That we are all worthy of being cared for and nurtured by others. We are deserving of community and we thrive when we learn to accept love from like-minded women and remain open to unsuspecting friendships. 

Looking forward to sharing more incredible retreat experiences over the next year in Spain, Morocco, Italy and Portugal!

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Bloom where you are planted

“Bloom where you are planted”

Once I discovered my purpose through my passion, I began to feel overwhelmed. I was overwhelmed by all the ways I hoped to impact the lives of others. I was overwhelmed by my own capacity to love, share, teach and connect. I wanted to DO it all and FOR all.

I was so eager to connect with every person in my path, I became threatened by how large the world appeared. About how much need and opportunity I began to see in front of me. It was enough to make me feel discouraged.

It was when I shared this overwhelming fear that my aunt looked at me and said, “do what you can, with what you have, where you are”. This was a powerful moment for me. It triggered a shift in my mindset, which enhanced my vision. Instead of living in a sense of overwhelm, I chose to focus. This focus helped me to hone in on what, and who, truly mattered to me.

Where was I connected to community? Who could I connect with most intimately and closely? How could my gifts be shared in the most meaningfully ways? How can I bloom where I am currently planted?

*photograph by Meg Marie Photography

Why setting intentions, rather than resolutions, will make you happier

Happy new year! It’s that time of the year where we resolve to make changes, to improve, to achieve our goals and so much more. Resolutions are a great way to reflect and begin the year with a goal-setting mindset. However, resolutions can also make us feel defeated and even somewhat sad. Often, they are a reminder of our expired resolutions from the year prior. The ones that may not have come to fruition, bringing on a sense of falling short. Setting lofty new year’s goals can trigger a nagging voice of doubt, an unsettling fear of failure. Ugh. Now, that’s not the way to start the new year!

Here’s why setting intentions, rather than resolutions, will make you happier.

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5 Truths About Postpartum

It has taken me awhile to write this post. 7 months, in fact. I wanted to write about my experience with postpartum for sometime now, but each time I attempted, I was overwhelmed with emotion, sometimes negativity, and I often felt ashamed. Postpartum depression is something that is not talked about enough. It is hidden. Covered up. It leaves mothers all over the world feeling lonely, weak, and helpless. It is a shame really, because the more we understand about the postpartum period, the more we can prepare ourselves, work through the sadness, and use our community of mothers as a backbone for the journey through it.

Not all mothers experience postpartum depression. But, I do believe all mothers transition through a period of what I like to think of as “Postpartum Discomfort“. My journey with postpartum depression was dark, painful, and lonely, but what was interesting is that it occurred during the happiest, most beautiful months of my life. Here are my 5 truths about my experience with postpartum.

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