Your Body is Not a Meatsack

meatsack

“When we contemplate the miracle of embodied life, we begin to partner with our bodies in a kinder way.” ~Sharon Salzberg Your body is not a meatsack. Neither is mine. Even though I have referred to it that way on multiple occasions. (Including on at least three episodes of my own podcast.) I can’t remember where I first heard this …

I Am Not a Robot (or, Why I’m So Transparent About My Life in My Business)

“We think that the point is to pass the test or to overcome the problem, but the truth is that things don’t really get solved. They come together and they fall apart.” ~Pema Chodron, When Things Fall Apart:  Heart Advice for Difficult Times   I have written before about some of the advice I received when I first started my business. …

When a Fry is Just a Fry (or, Please Don’t Attach Meaning to Everything)

“Half of what I say is meaningless; but I say it so that the other half may reach you.” ~Kahlil Gibran, Sand and Foam Last week, I was having lunch with my boyfriend when he jokingly began to “read” our fries as a way to tell my future. It was hilarious, yes, but it also made me think about how eager …

Wrinkles, Gray Hair, and Cellulite? You Can Have Them All, But Still Feel Beautiful. I Do. (Or, How the Messaging Behind Skin Care and Beauty Products is Just as Toxic as the Ingredients)

“It is lovely to meet an old person whose face is deeply lined, a face that has been deeply inhabited, to look in the eyes and find light there.” ~John O’Donohue When I was in 7th grade, I remember being invited to a pool party for a friend’s birthday and firmly deciding that I would not go because the tan …

Bold Moves! But First? Boundaries. The Year of the Fire Monkey Begins!

“You wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weighs you down.” ~Toni Morrison, Song of Solomon The Year of the Fire Monkey is upon us, you guys! I, for one, am extremely excited about this year. I am also, admittedly, a little nervous. Fire. Monkey. This is a potent combination of energies, if you ask me. One …

Let’s Change the Conversation About Bodies. Because They’re a Whole Lot More Interesting Than We’re Making Them Out To Be. (Also: This Post Might Talk About Sex. Don’t Say I Didn’t Warn You.)

“I think the reward for conformity is that everyone likes you except yourself.”  ~Rita Mae Brown On Sunday of this week, I got on a scale for the first time in at least six years. And for the first time in almost a decade, I actually looked at the number that appeared when I did. This, you guys, was a …

You Are Not Going To Be Eaten By Tigers. I Promise.

“There is no such thing as a weird human being. It’s just that some human beings require more understanding than others.” ~Tom Robbins You are not going to be eaten by tigers.   A dear friend of mine offered this little gem to me during a particularly challenging bout of anxiety recently. I am not going to be eaten by …

Let’s Talk About Anxiety. Or, Why I Almost Dropped Out Of Graduate School Eight Hundred Times.

“Follow your inner moonlight; don’t hide the madness.” ~Allen Ginsberg Let’s talk about anxiety. While I was in graduate school studying acupuncture and Chinese medicine, I started having panic attacks multiple times a week, forcing me to excuse myself from class for extended “bathroom breaks”, often feeling unable to return for as long as an hour at a time. There …

What You Want Is What You Want. Until What You Want Is Something Else.

“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” ~ E.E. Cummings Ten years ago, the things I thought I wanted were vastly different from the things I know today that I desire. In June 2004, I had just received a bachelor’s degree in English Literature, with dreams of pursuing a master’s degree in creative writing, living …