I stood at the pulpit with my custom navy blue sweatshirt and blonde highlights. I wasn’t afraid. Even in my awkward 8th grade body, a rush of confidence soared through and propelled me to stand tall. I turned towards my fellow classmates, extending warm sincere congratulations. Then, glanced over to the front pews raising the tiniest smirk to our principal and the priest. I had managed to do the thing that I wasn’t supposed to do. I challenged a...

I wiggle uncomfortably in this tenuous upside down position. Frustration and unnerving rumblings ripple through me as I cocoon in this warm sac, hanging precariously in this quiet shelter. The time is coming. I can feel it, but for now my head feels floaty and woozy. I do not know whether this is anxiety or excitement. The nausea makes it hard to know the difference.

So, I gestate here and hope for the best.

But, how long can I stay here? I cann...

My inner child has been trying to rouse me into being more shameless. She smiles at me with her hands up in the air, twirling about in the front yard in her sock slippers as she points out the butterflies. Carefree and silly, she dances to the music only she can hear. She giggles, “I’m wearing a tutu” and performs a delicate pirouette. Then she offers a mischievous wink and cheeky grin as she breaks into a sassy jazz slide. Suddenly, she’s leapin...

I have been captivated by the birds. Their melody, their swift movement, their ability to glide and flap as needed. I was watching the birds one recent early morning, as there were so many of them out for their daily dawn adventure. Mesmerized by the ease in which they navigated the landscape of trees and currents of breeze. It’s as if they trusted their tiny fragile bodies to maneuver how they needed to. They flexibly shifted from an aggressive ...

COLLECTIVE TAROT READING
MAY 2024

When I practice Tarot, I drop in mindfully, breathing and taking time to tap into my intuition before even touching the cards. I entered into this space with an open heart and a hope that we could receive some intuitive guidance for this part of our collective life cycle. When I ‘pull cards’, that means I shuffle the deck repeatedly, lay them out on a flat surface, and hover my hand over the line of spread out ...

March 11

I want to write.
I want to write.
I want to write.

I have this written on a post it note. It sits there staring back, being held in place by a dainty, smooth rose quartz and an orange amethyst gemstone. The crystal of love and self-compassion, paired with a rock of inspiration and abundance. Suddenly, a tiny wave of nausea courses through my body. I don’t think this is the right time to write, I think to myself. My brain is too foggy, I fee...

Those of us living with PMDD feel deeply. PMDD has a way of pulling us to come in direct contact with the most soft, vulnerable parts of who we are.  All the protective layers become tender to the touch. We lay in bed with a heightened sensitivity as our unwelcome companion on those days hidden away, disconnected from the world during the luteal phase. We literally hear things and smell things others cannot pick up on. Astute critical observers, ...

“It feels so isolating and lonely.”
“I feel too angry to talk to my family but at the same time, I am sad and lonely.”
"I know I’m not alone, but it just feels so lonely.”
“I feel like I’m going to be trapped in this lonely bubble forever.”
“It’s such a lonely place to be, but I’m so grateful for all of you who understand.”

If you live with PMDD, it’s likely that while reading these statements, at least one - if not all - of them tugged at your own he...

Surrender surrender surrender. This is the message I have been downloading big time over the last couple weeks. The more complete version would be to say: a practice of surrendering in order to create meaningful, nourishing space for expansion, joy, alignment, and unexpected growth. I’ll get to that second piece in just a moment.

When we surrender, there is gentle acceptance. There’s a sense of mutual understanding with the ever elusive universe. ...

I’m writing this with my aragonite crystal and blue apatite stone in my hand, my tranquility sea salt and rosemary candle glistening nearby, and a coffee that is 85% decaf and 15% regular because…anxiety.

I have been struggling. And I think it's okay to say so out loud.

I have not been as “publicly present” for awhile, and it comes down to needing space to process, heal, and survive. As you may know, I live every month with Premenstrual Dysphoric...