The Celebration Interview!
A Year of Writing, 53 Posts of Empowerment and Wellness.
Well. I did it! This is blog post number 54.
Over a year ago, I set a goal to push through whatever crazy demands life made of my time and commit to publishing once a week. I may have missed a week when things got too much. One or two posts may have stroked in at only 700 words…keeping it short and sweet. Even with my easily distractible inconsistent ways, I got there.
Know it or not, you all kept me going.
If a tree falls in the forest, and no one’s there to hear it … better still … if a writer writes with no readers… is she still a writer? Thanks for loaning me your eyeballs and giving me such lovely feedback. It kept me inspired to stretch and grow as a thinker and a writer.
This week, I wanted to do a little retrospective on the full expanse of Dharma Days. I had the idea to do this as an interview. But there’s nobody beating down the door for a hot take on the past year of Dharma Days. So, I got techy and asked Chat GPT to act as an interviewer. (Initially-for fun, I asked it to pretend it was David Letterman, but that just got a little too strange, even for me.)
Is this as cringey as referring to yourself in third person? Yeah. It is. Here we go.
In your journey as a writer and wellness advocate, how do you navigate balancing vulnerability and authenticity with maintaining boundaries and privacy, especially when discussing personal or sensitive topics in your blog?
A lot of what I write is coming from what I most need to learn. Even as a yoga teacher, it’s always been that way. I’ve invested myself in this wellness field for over half of my life now, so I do have many things to draw from. There are so many techniques and perspectives that I want to share to help others find their piece of mind and peace of heart.
Definitely the best of everything comes from the moments I allow myself to be vulnerable and speak from my own challenges. It’s tricky because I’m a full-on introvert and a fairly private person. It’s important to me though. I want to be as real as I can be.
Read the full blog. All Apologies. The path from over-apologizing to mastering mindful apologies.
Your blog covers a wide range of topics related to wellness, mental health, and lifestyle. Looking back, were there any unexpected themes or connections that emerged across your posts over the past year?
When the surgeon General came out last year to declare the epidemic of loneliness, I felt a sense of urgency to create conversation about it. Post Covid, I feel like we all have a deep yearning for community and I am just not sure it’s being met. I think the political climate certainly hasn’t helped. Everything feels fractured. Meanwhile, it seems like we’re all pretending like covid never happened.
Many are still struggling. Businesses closed, livelihoods changed, connections were lost - so much is still missing. It will likely take a decade to rebuild the fullness of what we had. Maybe not for everyone, but for some. The long term effects of human disconnection drain our wellness, physically and mentally. It’s vital that we find a way to move toward each other. I need to work a little harder at that too.
Read the full blog. Understanding Loneliness: Unraveling the complexities of connection. Belonging vs. Fitting in.
Now, we know writing isn't always sunshine and rainbows. Can you share a bit about the topic hardest for you to write about? What made it challenging?
Grief. I’ve had quite a journey with grief in the last past couple years. I have to go into those tender places with a little bit of care. I don’t think I’ve even allowed myself to go fully in for the healing I know is needed. Grief and loss create this big split in the timeline of each of our lives. Who we were before knowing what loss feels like and the visceral knowing after. It’s just a heavy weight that shows up from time to time. Grief has as much of a place in my life as love. They both take up so much space.
Read the full blog. Harnessing Autumn's Emotional Landscape :A season of letting go -Healing, Growth, Grief.
With each post, you're not just sharing information but also fostering a sense of community among your readers. How do you cultivate and nurture that connection through your writing?
The whole point of Dharma Days; the blog, the planner, the program is to reconnect people to themselves. To get them rooted and grounded in a life that feels electrified. It’s easy to get caught in feeling hum drum and lackluster. It’s easy to get driven by productivity and work. We get so caught up in cycles that we forget to just stop and breath. We’re so busy managing our neurosis, we forget to live.
When we tend to our physical and mental health, we feel that surge of vitality. We come back to being inspired toward our goals and dreams. I am trying to light a fire and draw people toward their flame. I am hoping to reflect back to whoever needs it - the pure force of their super power. In order to build a better world and a stronger community, we need everyone to show up in their superpower.
Read the full blog. The Essence of Dharma, Your True North. The Path to Being Your True Self and Illuminating the World.
Looking back at all 53 blog posts, which blog was the easiest to write?
The blog I had the most fun writing was about interior design! “February is here. Time to elevate your surroundings, spark your creativity, and boost your mood.” It came so fast and easy. Now it kind of sits alone way out there in left field. I haven’t really gotten to do a follow up. I thought it would be a reoccurring theme. I very much believe in creating sacred spaces that let our home be a healing haven. Just don’t come look at my house, right now.
One on my favorite parts of every blog is coming up with the graphics. I like to dig into finding the perfect photo to tell the story. Photographs, even graphs and charts, they give the words some spark. They help support any ideas that got jumbled along the way.
Read the full blog. February is here. Time to elevate your surroundings, spark your creativity, and boost your mood. Winter Bliss. Home, Head, Heart.
Reflecting on your recent blog topics, which one do you feel had the most significant impact on your audience? Why do you think it resonated with them?
Definitely the series on women and wealth. I’ve gotten some good feedback on those posts. I think it resonated with a lot of women. Things have shifted so much lately. Women are finally being educated and elevated in planning their financial future. We’ve come a long way baby. It’s really exciting to see.
Personally, I’ve always had a block around money. Part of that is because I didn’t understand the world of finance. It was never a topic that interested me, nor was it ever a subject presented to me as something that could empower my life. For a long time, women were being left out on purpose. Not any more. Especially, if we are the ones starting the conversations.
Read the full blog. Why for women, money should be one of the top goals for the New Year. Myths, Magic, Capitalism, and the Patriarchy. Part 1.
With so many demands on your time and energy, how do you prioritize self-care and maintain your own well-being while also creating content for your blog?
Okay, this is where I admit epic failure. I get so hyper-focused when I write that all self-care goes out the window. I am getting faster, but it still takes a long time to put all of the parts and pieces together from the research to writing, then editing to creating images. I put a lot of pressure on myself to deliver a compelling piece. With so much noise out there, I don’t want to be another distracting instrument in the cacophony.
There are times I am on the computer way too many hours in a day. I am trying to change this. I know wholeheartedly that I need to practice what I preach. Overwhelm and burn out are not good places to write from. Creativity is a very delicate energy that needs to be nourished to maintain it’s flow.
Read the full blog. Reclaiming the word Self-care. Self care as a resource, not a commodity.
Managing moods; anxiety, depression, and anger through yoga and ayurveda is a significant focus of your work. Could you share some specific practices or techniques you find particularly effective in addressing these challenges?
The breath. Just watch it. Feel it. Get so focused on the details of it - that it drops you into the present moment. As your breath slows down, your mind starts to follow. This is how we make the shift in our nervous system. We can go from the chaos of the mind to the simplicity of the rhythmic movement of the ribs and lungs. Not to over-simplify, but this is numero uno.
When you get into the specifics of yoga and ayurveda each technique and practice is meant to be a medicine of moments. Mood management and parasympathetic regulation are a benefit of having a daily practice. Even creating a routine around consistent care of your body communicates a profound self-love that feeds your wellness and wholeness. First love yourself.
Read the full blog. Set Your Emotional GPS. 21 Strategies to Steer Your Moods and Mindset.
Looking back on the past year, what's one piece of advice you would give to yourself at the beginning of your blogging journey, knowing what you know now?
Go easy. You are your own worst critic and your sternest boss. Release the pressure valve and quit being a perfectionist. Take some time off to refuel. Sometimes your writing will really speak to people, other times it might fall flat. It’s all okay.
How do you stay inspired and continue to innovate in your teachings after so many years in the field?
It always makes me squeamish to take on the role of “the expert”. Especially when it comes to yoga and ayurveda. In both cases, the more you know, the more there is to learn. I stay inspired by continuing to taking trainings. The over-arching goal is to find ways to apply the healing techniques and philosophies to everyday life. I love building a bridge between these eastern wisdom traditions and modern western science. It’s incredibly fascinating to watch science prove what eastern medicine has always imparted. The undeniable connection between mind and body. The full scope of wellness exists in wholeness. We are not just parts and pieces. Symptoms in the body are not only of the body. There is always a root cause. It usually begins with our lifestyle choices and behaviors.
Anyhow, I definitely sit in the seat of the student and the educator. Inspired to learn and teach. And cheerlead. I’m good at cheerleading. Minus the pom poms. I’m inspired to inspire.
As we wrap up our recap, can you share a sneak peek into what's in store for your readers in the coming months? Any exciting projects or themes on the horizon?
I am envisioning a new way to bring everything together. Connecting to people online has been a vital pivot for me since covid forced the shutting down of my in person practice in March 2020. There’s so much I value in being able to work a little deeper with the philosophies and healing concepts of yoga and ayurveda. Online platforms like Home Om and Substack have really helped me gather a community of people who want to show up fully realized in their own lives. I’d love to begin to include some more consistent in person retreats. I’m in a long planning phase on this one. But I just might have an idea…
As far as topics, I expect it will be more explorations into the concept of clarifying and amplifying dharma. Opening people up to a creative prowess that brings a palpable pulse to life. Annnnd maybe some more interior design for sacred spaces? I love that stuff.
What message or takeaway do you hope readers gain from your work, and how do you hope it impacts their lives?
I came to yoga in 1998 with an expectation that I would get some good exercise and carve out some time to relax. I’d go to YMCA every week - try to tune out the kids in daycare down the hall and the dull rhythmic sound of the stair climber in the main gym. Somehow it all still worked. Within weeks I noticed a profound shift in the heavy feelings of depression that I had gotten so used to. I could feel a lightening. A sweet relief.
I guess my hope is to build community and remind people that they are not alone in any of their struggles. And to help build a set of tools that can begin to support people in their mood management. Beyond the confines of all of this mental and emotional baggage, there is the freedom to be in the unique power of who you are. This is the true Dharma. To live your days in connection to Self.
When asked in childhood “What do you want to be when you grow up?,” I always answered a writer. At that time I wanted to be an author for those little golden books. That was my benchmark for really making it. Post college, I applied to the graduate program for poetry at only one school. I told myself, if I didn’t get in, I was going to become a yoga teacher. So it was.
I am grateful that it’s all come full circle. Writing and yoga have now aligned, the dharma unfolds.
Woohoo! Made it to 54! 🎉
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