Bacalar, Quintana Roo, Mexico

“Rather than experiencing contentment, we can find ourselves busy getting ready for the next thing, tossed about by our preferences for what we like and what we don’t like, and riding the waves of annoying disturbances.” -Deborah Adele, “The Yamas and Niyamas: Exploring Yoga’s Ethical Practice”

Are you always busy getting ready for the next thing?

At the beginning of 2021, I could definitely say this was me. Living an untraditional life as a non-trust fund, former traditional classroom teacher, digital nomad entrepreneur continuously begs the question, “So what’s next?”

2021 gifted me three beautiful self-compassion practices that guided me through 2022 and helped me keep living in alignment with my Pisces sun sign and taking advantage of every opportunity and experience that piques my interest. Those three practices are intentionally pausing, savoring, + celebrating.

I wanted to use this blog post to do just that: pause, savor, + celebrate.

🥳Celebrating My Birthday

I used to think I wasn’t a big birthday person. That was far from the truth. 2021 taught me that I had to celebrate my birthday in ways that truly nourish me and light me up from the inside out.

Now, every birthday is an intentional celebration of self in deep connection with nature. What does that look like?

Well, last year, a friend came to visit and we brought in my bday sailing around the Laguna de los 7 colores in Bacalar, Mexico! It was my first time ever on a sailboat, and it was in the most beautiful setting. It was the perfect piscean celebration of another rotation around the sun.

🎉Celebrating Clients/Customers

After every session, I am in awe of each one of you. I love how you show up for yourself, show up for your family, show up for your friends, and show up for personal + collective wellbeing.

I’ve worked with the most amazing Wild Women + allies this past year. I want to celebrate 👏🏽 YOU 👏🏽 and extend gratitude to you for choosing me as your rewilding guide.

Shout outs to:

• my “A1 since Day1” client who just completed her 3rd consecutive winter yoga semester 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 She’s seen the evolution from when I just started teaching and was hyper focused on postures, to my first official program called “Align + Refine” when I began embedding the yamas + niyamas into our weekly practice, and now the beauty that is “Vibe + Flow: Embodying ease, emotional balance, + authentic self-expression”. You are so dope!

• my clients who have learned the therapeutic ways of the people’s plant and are now incorporating these elevated wellbeing practices into their lives, in alignment with their eCs, to destress, boost mood, alleviate pain, and sleep really, really well. Enjoy bbs 💚

• the folks who made “Vibe + Flow with Friends Virtual Private Sessions” happen for their friends around the globe. You have a heart full of gold. What a beautiful way to connect and bond with your friends, while also prioritizing one another’s wellbeing. Those sessions are truly a beautiful gift of love 🥰

• my “Rewilding Social Justice” clients, who since our social justice 101 program, are leading their nature-adjacent small businesses from a heart + equity centered core. Your work has inspired me to bring this program to more nature-adjacent small businesses. I celebrate you and I thank you.

🎊Savoring Black History Month + Women’s History Month

If you didn’t see, Susanna Barkataki - one of the leading voices for yoga + social justice - highlighted Dope + Well on her IG account during Black History Month. That post from HER specifically- elevating mostly Black women yoga instructors including ME - was very special. I’m kinda over all the fact sharing each month, especially when our literal rights and freedoms are being trampled on by governments all around the world. Nevertheless, we persist, savor, and celebrate along the way.

I opened with a quote from Deborah Adele, and I’ll close with a quote from the same chapter, “Swami Rama stated it this way, ‘Contentment is falling in love with your life.’”

I’ve come to learn that savoring and celebrating are practices that open us up more fully to contentment in our lives.

So I ask you, “How are you celebrating? What are you savoring? How will you fall in love with YOUR life?” I’d love to hear your answer. DM me on IG or send me an email.

Be dope. Be well.

❤️ Woods