Essence Blog

Besides being my half birthday, August 1st is significant to me because it's a day for reflection and release inspired by the Gaelic celebration of Lughnasadh and the more English celebration of Lammas in the Northern Hemisphere.

This is the midpoint between the summer solstice and the fall equinox. The days are hot and dry, and the shadows are longer. It’s the last days of summer before we begin to tip toward fall. It’s a seasonal reminder to soak in the warm weather and sunshine while also ce...

All three of us jumped at the horrible sound of a crash coming from outside. A few seconds later, as I was running downstairs, I heard my son Ethan say, "Someone just crashed into my car." Dread filled my body.

Matt was out the door first and at the scene of the accident. The priority was checking on the driver. Our townhome sits on a fairly busy road, and now the two-way street had only one working lane, the crash blocking traffic in both directions.

It took two hours for the police to arrive...

We’ve been trying to sell my parents’ condo since it went on the market last September. The sale was necessary so my parents could move into an independent apartment in a senior living community, one that offers memory care for my dad when the time comes. It took so much longer than we imagined, and there were times when I feared we wouldn't.

Last week was a finish line. My parents were packed up, moved, and unpacked. The condo finally sold. And we got an offer on the condo within a day of the ...

For the past two months, I’ve been intentionally focused on adding a few things into my day and doing them consistently.

I’m getting morning light on my balcony while also doing my reflective journaling, pulling an oracle card, and planning the week/day.

I’ve been getting more movement to counteract sitting, and I'm taking walks after meals.

I’ve also been trying to eat dinner earlier to support my stricter “lights off/screens off” bedtime.

These changes didn’t come from an Instagram influen...

On May 16th, I boarded a flight to Barranquilla, Colombia, to a place that wasn't on my bucket list, for a trip I almost didn't take, with one of my best friends. It turned out to be exactly what I didn't know I needed.

Here's how it happened.

In late April, my coach asked me what three things I wanted in 2026. At the top of my list: a real vacation. Not a long weekend but a full week away. But between schedules, work, and the general chaos of life, it had stayed stuck in the "someday" c...

When you have an inner nudge to go after your dream, passion, a creative idea, or simply try to listen to the stirring in your soul, there is that spot in your heart that is a little tender, a little fragile, a little vulnerable.  

And protecting that tenderness is important because the dream is important. But it’s the kind of important that you can’t explain in terms of status, success, or money. It’s important because it’s connected to your heart, your essence, your deep desires, and what ...

 I grew up believing that success, approval, and love were tied to “doing your best.” 

Trying your hardest and doing your best was good. If you didn’t, it could mean you were not living up to your potential or, worse, were lazy. 

Can you feel the pressure and harm that living inside this binary caused us? We were either living in fear of being a disappointment and felt the pressure to be enough, or we believed we were already a disappointment and couldn't be enough.

I remember when Eth...

I am fortunate to have deep conversations with women, and I can tell you they are holding so much in their hearts, minds, and bodies right now. Hardships, health issues, grief and loss, estrangement, pain, pressure, stress, fear, and uncertainty.

I believe that most of us, if not all of us, are carrying something heavy for ourselves and for those we love and support.  And that is on top of the despair and worry over what is happening in our world and in the country.

Today, I want to sh...

I got bamboozled and wasted $47.

My inner critic says I "should have known better," as it feels embarrassing, but perhaps hearing the story might help someone avoid it. 

I was scrolling through Instagram and saw an ad for a comprehensive guide to gathering people together and creating a soul-level experience. This intrigued me because it's a topic I'm passionate about, and I desire to become masterful in it. The sales page described a psychology-backed method by a female with a doctorate in c...

Things are a lot right now. How is your heart? ♡

As the Epstein files continue to reveal more horror, we are seeing how the corruption of power and greed and dark danger we’ve feared yet have always known about deep down are being exposed in real time. And it's disillusioning, destabilizing, and in some ways vindicating.

There is, and there should be, fallout in the spiritual, personal development, and wellness worlds as we watch gurus (like Deepak Chopra) fall from their pedestals. And it'...