Hi everyone,

For me, this July started out feeling chaotic. Summer in the PNW takes off like a track and field starter pistol. Suddenly, ALL THE THINGS were happening. And, in my life, several endings and many changes were happening seemingly all at once. I was feeling unmoored.

So I took a digital day off… as in a FULL day off… my partner was out of town; I turned off the phone; I didn’t look at the clock; I did whatever the heck I wanted for the whole day; I was beholden to no calendar or schedule (except maybe the dog’s!); I even read an entire novel cover to cover and put on my PJs early. Of course, I had to resist urges to pick up my phone or check email – both for no reason but habitual addiction! I recognize that this was a privilege. And, it was a conscious choice to make space and find anchor.

This tech-free day shifted everything for me.

In turn, July has since been phenomenally full of simple summer pleasures and creative flourishing that has filled me to the brim with gratitude for having my precious life to live and the precious people in it. It has truly been a memorable birthday month.

🎓 After 3.5 years, I completed my yoga therapy program with Robin Rothenberg and the faculty at Essential Yoga Therapy. As of July 2, I officially added new letters after my name: C-IAYT – which means I’m a certified yoga therapist through the International Association of Yoga Therapists. I am extremely proud of how hard I worked – and how much I challenged myself to grow personally – during this deeply intensive program. I was also blessed to have formed incredibly rich relationships with a community who will be friend-colleagues for years to come. Many of you already have heard me say (or write!) several times that this program ended up being over 1,300 hours of study and practicum, and that much information will be integrating into my work, my brain, and my body for years to come. I feel honored to bring this work forward – and deeply moved by how much my clients are willing to share, how much they trust me, and how much they continue to teach me.

❤️‍🔥 I was invited to receive my first cacao ceremony by the generous and lovely Heart Seed Ritual up in Shoreline. A powerful ritual of honoring transition and relaxation. We learned about the specific Guatemalan community that this particular cacao came from and their traditions passed down for centuries, in union with nature as guide, healer, and teacher. The ceremony included education, a fire circle, sharing, and honoring the four directions. What a tremendous opportunity!

📅 I celebrated another revolution around the sun – 51! – the celebrations have lasted all month, really… full of flowers, food, family and friends, and the expansiveness of long summer days. This year, I’m taking a year-long course in death and dying, grief and loss, and I’ve found that it’s making me appreciate what is right now, in the moment, more deeply and more fiercely, as I am choosing to remember that we don’t get forever.

🪩 I attended Daybreaker on the rooftop of Monkey Loft in SoDo: a morning yoga practice followed by an alcohol-free DJ dance party.

✨ Friends and I camped at another friend’s property and went new moon night kayaking on Bainbridge Island to see bioluminescence for the first time. Light little sparklers of possibility – something so tiny brought me so much delight.

🐳 By chance, I got to see a small pod of orcas in Puget Sound. I was awestruck. My friend’s husband, a marine biologist with us that day, guessed that they may have been transient (Bigg’s) since they were traveling in such a small group fairly close to shore. See my 1 minute video here.

🫐 I met dear SF Bay Area friends for our annual blueberry picking date over at Bybee Farms – hands down THE most beautiful place to pick blueberries in the Pacific Northwest! Their berries are peaking and so delish, so if you are in the area, make an excuse to go!

🌅 I taught a sunset private group class to a lovely group of women for a birthday party on a rooftop overlooking Portage Bay.

🧘🏻‍♀️ I am super excited to be announcing a NEW Monday night CLASS starting in September down in Columbia City – read on for more info below. (My Sunday night class at Datza will also resume in September.)

😴 And last but not least, I took lots of naps, often nested in my Restorative yoga props, but sometimes just laying on my beautiful deck with my legs up on a patio chair. Isn’t rest the best? Maybe I will go do that now.

How has your July been? What are the gifts of summer that you treasure the most? Or does summer run you ragged? If you are feeling exhausted from summer’s go-go-go, consider joining me online next Monday for a FREE and open to the public 45-minute chill yoga practice, Mid-summer Reset (info below).

In gratitude and in rest,