Getting to the Bottom of It

“I only have two minutes I say hastily as I pick up the phone.” I know it’s Jade from the caller ID.  She’s part of my posse.  I can rush her off the phone without feeling bad or without her taking it personally.  I’m running, this time, to preschool drop off and then onto work.  The pre-game was dog pee on the carpet and two girls in simultaneous meltdowns over what to wear to school, leaving me with 20 minutes to shower, pack lunches, and get into my big girl shoes.   “This won’t take long,” replies Jade on the other … Continue reading

The Twenty-Five Minute Badass

The body never lies. You can say you’re not stressed, but the clench in your stomach betrays you. You can say you’re not angry, but then the stiffness in your throat reminds you that you chose to stifle the words. You can’t say you’re not depressed, but that tightness in your chest knows differently. I can’t get away from my feelings.  I’m a yogi. I’ve trained endlessly to know the awareness of living in my body, my life, my feelings, and to teach others to do the same.   Even when I’d rather deny my feelings, it’s too late for … Continue reading

My Big Girl Voice

E. had a few things to say to me after my confession. “Why did you do that?” her voice sounding a little annoyed.   “They needed help.” “And why did they need help?” “Uh…” I stammered, feeling as if I was about to answer a trick question. “They were in a bind.” “Their bind is their problem!”  She continued.  “It’s not your problem, don’t make it your problem.  Next time you need to say no.”  “OK.” “How do you ever expect to get to the things that really matter to you if you keep saying yes to the things that … Continue reading

Rock My Root Chakra

“Call me. It’s important,” she specified in her voice mail. R. hated to talk on the phone, so I knew it had to be important. When she picked up on the first ring, I got scared, as R. didn’t race to the phone for anyone, not her husband, her friends, or even her clients. R.’s phone aversion mirrored my aversion to processed foods.  If I were starving on an island and had no choice but to eat dinner rolls from Perkins to stay alive, I would relent.  If R. were stranded on an island and needed to make a phone … Continue reading

My Big Bad Belly Tattoo

I stand in front of the mirror with a black sharpie, with my shirt hiked to my upper ribs. I pull the skin around my belly taut and dig the marker into my abdomen, as I slowly begin to write the backwards B, which in the mirror, looks forward facing. This was my assignment from E, the transformative coach with whom I had just spent an hour rambling about the past 4 years of my life, the many changes, studying yoga, the issues with my marriage, and what I see as my ideal future.   “What do you want for … Continue reading