Hi, beautiful souls! Even though it happened slowly and over the course of several years, I felt like I woke up one day, looked around, and thought, Is this my life? Did I create this? As a wife, mom to two young boys, teacher, and business owner, I stayed so busy I never had to focus on my own needs or desires. I pushed myself off for so long, I didn’t even know who I was anymore. On the outside, things looked pretty good - my house, my husband, my family, my life. But inside, I had a nagging feeling that my marriage was a mess. I suspected my husband was having an affair, but I had him on such a pedestal, I brushed off my intuition as crazy.

A lifetime spent putting off our own heart and intuition will cause pieces of our soul to die, and we will never truly feel at ease.

I quit drinking alcohol when I knew it was no longer a choice, I was addicted. At the same time, I found out my husband of 10 years was having an affair with a woman he loved. The reality was crushing, yet it opened me up to strength and resilience I didn’t know I had. We are all stronger than we think. We just spend so much time running for the sake of others, and to avoid ourselves, we’ve never been given the chance to understand who we are and what we’re capable of.

We are all capable of love. No matter how badly we’ve been hurt, or how critically we’ve treated ourselves, there are sacred practices that can bring us back to ourselves in a compassionate and loving way. Self-love and kindness heals us from the inside-out.

When I finally accepted the fact that alcohol was no longer an option, I had to find other, healthier ways to cope with the ups and downs of life. I started writing. I returned to my yoga practice that I had abandoned since becoming a new mom. I came down to my mat everyday for survival. I held my body through poses and difficult emotions. I allowed everything to bubble to the surface, and then I went home and wrote it all down. I wrote about motherhood and marriage and my feelings. I felt my voice emerge for the first time in a while, and it felt good.

I wondered if other people needed to hear this voice too, the voice that has been patiently whispering for our attention our entire lives.

This is the loving voice of our soul - really, our SELF.

We can observe our painful experiences as a witness, with gentle understanding and compassion. We can love ourselves through difficult times, without force or willful control. We can embrace the practices and lessons of yoga, as a way to befriend the body and access the heart. We can create a life of self-acceptance, ease, and peace.

When my marriage crumbled I was lost. But often it takes something spectacular to force us out of our comfort zone. My yoga practice created sacred space for me to heal, and to have the courage to share my story and experience on this blog, so that others can do the same. I love teaching yoga, writing, and using my authentic voice for the purpose of our collective awakening. The journey into self-discovery through love takes faith and discipline, but there is a freedom in letting go, in acceptance, and in putting your own heart first.

Thank you for being on this journey with me.