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Getting sober in a pandemic: one year alcohol-free
2020 will be a year that goes down in history, a year that no doubt will be etched (scarred?) into our memories. The things we learned, the things we lost, and the way our lives changed will stay with us forever. But while the coronavirus pandemic took center stage, when I reflect on my own year, there was so much more than that. There were the little wins and losses and the growth spurts that happen in any year. And there was one big change: 2020 was not only the year of the pandemic, but my first year of sobriety. I had my last alcoholic drink on December 22nd, 2019,…
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Yin yoga, creative cooking, and the gift of sobriety with Jacqui Marti
Today I’m excited to share an interview with my friend and yoga instructor Jacqui Marti. Jacqui is a certified RYT- 200 teacher through Kindness Yoga, and yin trained by Kari Kwinn Yoga. Although we no longer live in the same state, her virtual yin yoga classes have offered me a beautiful refuge during this pandemic, a way to truly slow down and get quiet. In fact, I loved her classes so much that I asked her to team up with me and teach yoga for our She Who Flows group cleanse this fall! In this interview Jacqui shares what first drew her to yoga and how her life has changed…
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A new way to celebrate: a sober birthday in locked-down Los Angeles
I knew that I wanted this birthday to be different. I just didn’t know I would end up spending it in lockdown. A couple months ago I had the realization that I wanted to find a new way to celebrate my birthday this year. This would be the first birthday since I was a teenager that I wouldn’t be drinking alcohol, and I wanted to mark the occasion by doing something new. I started researching retreat centers and workshops. I saved up money and spent time obsessing over the best option. Then I found a songwriting retreat taking place in Ojai over my birthday weekend, and decided to put down…
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A starting place, a celebration
It begins with waking up. This morning in my inbox I received a certificate proclaiming me an “Ayurvedic Wellness Coach.” In 2019 I completed a beautiful year-long program through Shakti School, studying the ancient health system of Ayurveda from a feminist perspective, and after a month of waiting, the official certificate is here. Seeing my name on the certificate brings me mixed emotions: excitement, pride, doubt, fear. I have not shared this part of my life with many people. I feel humbled to take on this role. It is a role that still feels foreign, but that I will learn to step into. I know that today I want to…