This week, I found myself thinking a lot about risk.

Risk is a spectrum from blowing up your life and moving across the country to trying a new type of cuisine.

It can show up every day, in simple ways, and it has caused me to tune in more over the last week.

Like in moments where I found myself:

1. Auditing a finance class and sitting in a room where we talked about how people think about investing something personal, like their money.

2. Talking with a client about taking a lunch break during the day.

3. Debating whether I should go to a party where I did not really know anyone.

4. Deciding whether I should set a boundary with a loved one.

And it hit me, most of us are not avoiding risk because we are lazy or unmotivated.

We do it because of fear.

We do not usually call it fear, though.

We call it being responsible.
We call it being productive.
We call it feeling uncomfortable.
We call it “just how things are right now.”

But underneath it, there is often a quiet narrative running:

What if I fall behind everyone else?
What if people do not like me?
What if I look like an idiot?
What if this does not work the way I want it to?

So instead of taking the risk, we choose safety. We choose to stay in a familiar space because it is easier than trying something new.

And here is the part that I think we do not talk about enough:

Your body experiences risk as unsafe. It is programmed to keep us safe. When we are safe and predictable, we are more likely to stay alive. It is a basic instinct. And risk does not have to be just big risks; it is any deviation from what is familiar.

For the first few years, when I moved to NYC, I moved through cycles of anxiety, sadness, and disconnection. And what that actually looked like day to day was trying to live in two places at once. Part of me was physically in New York, building a life, showing up, doing what I was supposed to do. And another part of me, mentally and emotionally, was still back home, trying desperately not to be left behind in the place and with the people I grew up with. I was just holding on to what felt safe.

It was me questioning if I made the right decision.
It was me wanting to go back, even when I knew I wanted to be in the same city as the person I loved.
It was me trying to recreate familiarity instead of allowing myself to build something new.

Because being in this unknown state of change did not feel safe yet.

And this is the part nobody talks about: nothing was wrong, but my body felt overwhelmed, so it went into a protective mode.

Instead of diving into the next experience, I was living halfway in and halfway out. And living in this in-between was exhausting.

What I learned through coaching, NLP, and Reiki was that in this moment of change and uncertainty, I had to accept and just be, because I chose to make NYC work. I began to understand what lay at the root of my beliefs, to challenge their validity, and to reframe them. I started to shift my energy by reconnecting with my body and giving it the support it needed, even on a subconscious level.

This work allowed me to show up in NYC, make real connections with friends, and build a career, all while maintaining the same, if not better, connections with the people back home. I learned that living in two worlds was not the answer, so I allowed myself to merge into one more aligned and intentional life.

And what this experience showed me is that the things we fear most often are not what break us; they are what expand us.

But when we think about taking those steps, about doing the things that feel uncomfortable or uncertain, we often only focus on what could go wrong.

What if we also considered what could go right?

Perhaps we gain a new friend. Perhaps we learn something new. Perhaps we gain some time for ourselves. Perhaps we gain a new idea or perspective.

Because the truth is, discomfort and misalignment are not the same thing.

Sometimes the things we deeply desire require change, and that can feel uncomfortable before it becomes safe.

So maybe the question is not, “What might go wrong?”

But instead, “What might this open up for me?”

Because you do not need to eliminate fear to move forward, so you can know if it brings you closer to the life you desire.

You just need to be willing to take one step, even when it feels unfamiliar.
Services I offer:

• Reiki, 30 & 60 minutes

• Health Coaching Sessions using my NLP and Nursing background

• Essential oil rollers & all-purpose cleaning spray

Mark your calendar — some upcoming event

• IN PERSON, F*CK THE HUSTLE, Brooklyn

  Discover the Freedom to Live & Lead Differently
  👉️ Learn how to pursue ambition without sacrificing well-being

  Date: Sunday, April 19th

  Time: 12-2 pm EST

  Location: Life Wellness Center
  376 Tompkins Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11216
  Tickets: https://www.lifewellnesscenter.life/events/fck-the-hustle-3

You know that moment when you’re in an uncomfortable position?

It could be a conversation you don’t want to be in—where you just want to shrink into the floor and disappear.

It could be a movement hold, like a plank or a squat, when your body starts to burn.

It could happen on a walk, when your legs start to feel like jelly, and you’re only halfway home.

It’s that moment when, simply put, you want to get out. To retreat.

I had one of those moments this week.

I was in yoga, holding a goddess pose (a wide-legged squat), and I was burning. All I wanted to do was stand up, shake out my legs, or come out of the pose.

In my head, it was on repeat: This hurts. When is this over? This is torture.

Then my yoga teacher said something that stopped me: “I know you’re uncomfortable. Tune in—what are you saying to yourself in this discomfort? Can you soften your language? Relax your face. Breathe deeper. You are strong. You are powerful.”

And I paused.

I shifted my script: I can do this. I am strong. Breathe in strength, out discomfort.

That simple moment reminded me of two things:
I have endless choices, and my mind matters.

In moments of discomfort, we always have a choice:

I could have stood up.
I could have gone into child’s pose.
I could have stayed.

There was no wrong answer.

But I chose to stay, not to punish myself or compete with anyone, but because I recognized something: discomfort isn’t always something to escape. Sometimes, it’s where growth is happening.

And even within that choice, there was another one: How did I want to feel inside that growth?

I could stay in resistance:
I hate this. When is this over?

Or I could shift into something softer:
I’ve got this. I am strong.

Same moment. Different experience.

It’s all my choice.

This concept is bigger than yoga.

It’s how we show up in our bodies, our relationships, our work, and our boundaries. When something feels uncomfortable, we rush to escape it through food, distraction, control, or perfection. Not because we’re weak, but because our nervous system doesn’t feel safe staying.

But what if discomfort isn’t the problem?

What if it’s the way we meet ourselves inside it?
What if, instead of immediately trying to escape it, we paused…
and got curious?
What is this feeling trying to show me?
What am I telling myself right now?

Because often, it’s not just the discomfort we’re reacting to, it’s the meaning we’ve attached to it. And when we shift that meaning, something changes.

We don’t have to force ourselves to push through.
We don’t have to override ourselves to grow.
We can support ourselves in the moment.

So the next time you feel that urge to shrink, avoid, or run…

Pause.

Tune in.

And ask yourself: How do I want to meet myself here?

If you’re starting to notice how often you push through or try to escape discomfort…

This is exactly the work I go deeper into in my F*ck the Hustle workshop, happening April 19th, 12-2 pm in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn.

It’s not about doing more or forcing yourself to change.
It’s about learning how to feel safe enough to do things differently.

To move from control to connection.
From pressure to self-trust.

Because real change doesn’t happen when you push harder. It happens when your body finally feels safe enough to respond differently.

Services I offer:

• Reiki, 30 & 60 minutes

• Health Coaching Sessions using my NLP and Nursing background

• Essential oil rollers & all-purpose cleaning spray

Remember when we were kids, and we had endless imagination?

I used to play with utensils at the dinner table and create stories for them. Maybe they were a family, animals, or a magic wand. I would look at two pillows and imagine all the ways I could turn them into a fort.

Our brains saw endless opportunities. Endless choices.

There wasn’t one “right” way to do things.

Then, somewhere along the way, that shifted.

I was taught how to color within the lines.
How to follow instructions.
How to play games with rules.

Slowly, I stopped imagining and started performing.

I learned how to complete tasks within the confines of what was acceptable, or what I thought was acceptable to others.

It was a formula for success, and I followed it:
I worked hard.
I made sure everything was in place.
Everything “right.”
I had a good job.
A good career.
A good husband.
A good apartment.
Good habits.

I had everything I thought I was supposed to have.

But inside? I felt disconnected.

Like something wasn’t quite clicking into place.

I would get irrationally upset over small things like dishes in the sink, laundry not done, the house not being perfectly clean, or when plans changed.

And it didn’t make sense because on paper, everything was fine. I was successful.

Looking back now, I can see it differently.

Those moments weren’t about dishes; it was about the loss of control. I thought there was only one way to do something to be right.

And if something didn’t go the way I thought it “should”, it was wrong. Not just the situation, but me. I was wrong. I wasn’t doing' enough. I wasn’t productive enough. I wasn’t disciplined enough. The list went on and on.

So I tightened in those moments, looking for more control, adding more to my to-do list, saying yes to more things, prioritizing everyone’s requests.

I wasn’t reacting to dishes. I was reacting to the feeling that things were out of order, out of control, outside of what I believed they should be.

And that’s when it clicked for me:

I hadn’t lost my imagination - I had just stopped seeing my options.

I stopped seeing that I had a choice in:

• How I responded

• What I prioritized

• What actually mattered to me

• What “right” even meant for me

Choice is magic.

Choice gives us the ability to move toward the feelings, behaviors, and relationships we actually want and away from the things we don’t.

There isn’t a perfect way to do something.
And when you start to see that everything softens, feels easier, more spacious, and effortless. Because there is less pressure to do something a certain way. It’s not about changing what is happening around you, because you can’t control that, but you can control how you respond.
 
So instead, you can ask:
What do I want?
What do I desire?
How do I want to feel?
What do I want to do next?

We have more choices than we’ve been taught to see.

And that?

That’s a blessing.

If you’re ready to start seeing your choices differently, join me in my F the Hustle workshop. April 19th in Brooklyn, NY.

Services I offer:

• Reiki, 30 & 60 minutes

• Health Coaching Sessions using my NLP and Nursing background

• Essential oil rollers & all-purpose cleaning spray

I used to label myself as an anxious person.

“I just like things a certain way. I just have to do it myself, not a big deal. That way it will get done correctly.”

I said it so casually, like just another thing about me. Almost like I was saying, “I have brown hair.”

I remember going back to grad school and being on the cusp of handing in a final. All ready to submit, and my computer crashed. The internet failed to upload my document. I sat there staring at the screen and thought,

“Oh, I failed. I just failed grad school. Now I’m going to get fired from my job because they will see this grade and know I’m incompetent. I can’t believe I’m so stupid.”

Needless to say, I was spiraling. I was having a full-blown freak-out, thinking everything was coming down around me. I thought everything was wrong.

But looking back now, I see it so differently.

I wasn’t an anxious person.
I wasn’t a control freak.

I was experiencing anxious behavior in a moment that didn’t feel safe for my body.

So I did what I had learned to do…

I tried to control everything.

I realize now that my behavior wasn’t me. It was what happened in that situation that triggered deeper beliefs, like:

“I have to get this right.”

“If I fail, I’m not enough.”

“I need to prove myself.”

“I’m not smart.”

My body tensed up. My heart rate increased. I started sweating. My mind shut down. And I was snippy with everyone trying to help.

Because in that moment, I wasn’t just submitting an assignment… I was bracing for an attack on my worth. Just as if I had to fight off a bear. I was preparing for battle.

And I remember realizing, at some point in that experience, I don’t want to feel like this anymore. I didn’t like the person I became when something didn’t go according to plan, or when I felt uncertain.

So I started to shift. I started to do the work.

I separated myself from my actions and dug into what lay beneath the surface that made me feel that way. What patterns, what beliefs, what was the story I was telling myself?

I found support in things like NLP and Reiki.

I began to shift. And slowly, instead of seeing the world end, I began to see options when things felt uncertain or changed.

This is the work I’m bringing into my new community.

But a space where you can begin to:

understand your patterns

explore the beliefs underneath them

and start relating to yourself in a different way

This isn’t about quick fixes or overnight transformation.

It’s about having a place to come back to learn, reflect, and reconnect with yourself over time.

I’m opening 10 free spots for a 3-month trial starting in May.

If you’ve been feeling stuck in patterns that don’t quite make sense, or like you’ve been trying to “fix” yourself for a long time, or you want to find more time for yourself within your current life, this might be a supportive place to start.

It’s a community built on async reflections and monthly group coaching. The goal of this community is to help women start reconnecting with themselves by noticing their patterns, questioning the pressure they’ve been living under, and creating small moments that feel more supportive and sustainable.

If you want more information or want to grab a spot, email me back.

If you’re curious how your nervous system tends to respond under stress, whether you tighten, over-function, internalize, or freeze, I created a short quiz to help you see your pattern clearly.

Because awareness is where change begins.

Services I offer:

• Reiki, 30 & 60 minutes

• Health Coaching Sessions using my NLP and Nursing background

• Essential oil rollers & all-purpose cleaning spray

Mark your calendar — some upcoming event

• IN PERSON, Fort Greene Market, Brooklyn:

  Date: Saturday April 4th

  Time: 9 am - 4 pm EST

  Location: Fort Greene Park, Brooklyn, NY

• IN PERSON, F*CK THE HUSTLE, Brooklyn

  Discover the Freedom to Live & Lead Differently
  👉️ Learn how to pursue ambition without sacrificing well-being

  Date: Sunday, April 19th

  Time: 1- 3 pm EST

  Location: Life Wellness Center
  376 Tompkins Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11216
  Tickets: https://www.lifewellnesscenter.life/events/fck-the-hustle-3

This weekend, a friend came to visit and stay at my home, someone I have been friends with since high school.

Which means we have seen many versions of ourselves. We have been through the awkward phases, the “I’m not sure” phases, the “figuring it out” phases, the chaotic college years, the many boyfriends, friend group changes, and the “who am I and what do I want” decade.

We saw the versions of ourselves that were trying so hard to figure life out, but didn’t have the tools yet.

There’s something unique about friendships that begin that early. They hold pieces of your history that very few people witness. They remember who you were before you knew who you were becoming.

But sometimes something interesting happens when we reconnect with people who have known us for a long time.

It can be easy to fall back into our old personas. Easy to slip into familiar roles, old patterns of conversation, and outdated versions of ourselves in an effort to maintain the connection.

It’s like trying to swish your feet into an old favorite pair of shoes that are just a little too tight now.

In my experience, when we feel obligated to recreate that old version of ourselves, we limit our growth. We keep ourselves small so the relationship feels familiar. We stay within the boundaries of who we used to be rather than allowing the relationship to evolve with who we are now.

Sometimes we do this because of fear, or because a quiet thought tells us that maybe our true self may not be enough.

What if they don’t like the new version of me?

What if growth changes the relationship?

What if becoming more honest, more aware, or more grounded means we lose the connection altogether?

What if they don’t think I’m “cool” anymore or don’t have an interest in me anymore?

But this weekend reminded me that the most meaningful relationships, the ones worth the real investment of time, don’t require us to stay the same.

They grow with us.

My friend and I have both gone through our own journeys over the years.

We have had different experiences.

For me, those years included navigating perfectionism, navigating my inner self-critic, dealing with low self-worth, and creating different versions of myself that included disordered eating, panic attacks in college, and periods where I found no other way to ignore the noise except to push harder and drown it out.

At the time, none of it made sense. I was trying to control my life so tightly because somewhere deep down, I believed that control would create safety.

For her, it looked different, but she, too, had her coping mechanisms.

Back in those earlier years, my friend and I often processed life the only way we knew how. We vented. We spiraled. We complained. We justified. We analyzed every situation endlessly.

We talked about relationships, frustrations, and confusion about the future. We supported each other, but we were also sitting inside the chaos together.

Over the years, though, I have learned to forgive my younger self for not having the tools. I have gained self-love and self-worth, let go of old beliefs that held me back, and curated a life I wake up and love.

She, too, had her own growth experience.

At the beginning of my self-discovery process, I was nervous that she might not like this new version of me. I feared maybe figuring out some of these big things would be unappealing because I wasn’t in the chaos anymore.

This weekend, though, was a reminder that it was fear, and that the beauty in relationships is finding people who want to grow with you.

We still talked about life, our feelings, our relationships, and our plans for the future. But there was a different quality to it. A calmer energy. A deeper sense of presence.

Instead of spiraling, we listened.

Instead of trying to fix each other, we held space and offered advice when asked.

Instead of feeding each other’s anxiety, we shared perspectives.

We accepted and laughed a bit about the silliness of our youth. We talked about the way we think now, the things we’ve learned about ourselves, and the ways we are both continuing to grow.

They say that friends are there for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.

And this, I believe, is true. Some of the most influential people in my life I no longer talk to because we stopped growing together. And that is okay. It’s okay to accept this, send them love, while also knowing that it is no longer the time for that friendship.

And then there are the lifetime relationships, the ones that allow you to grow, to expand, and champion you along the way. Where the past is acknowledged, the present is honest, and the future feels open.

This weekend reminded me that healing doesn’t just change the relationship we have with ourselves. It changes the way we show up for each other. As we grow, the way we think begins to shift, and because of that, we start to handle situations differently. Sometimes that growth creates an entirely new response from someone else. We can’t control how others respond, but sometimes changing ourselves changes the way they show up, too.

And sometimes the most beautiful part of growth isn’t just becoming a new version of yourself.

It’s discovering which relationships are able and willing to grow alongside you.

So this week, take a moment to think about the people in your life.

Who are the ones growing with you? And who may be people it is time to let go of?

If you’re curious how your nervous system tends to respond under stress, whether you tighten, over-function, internalize, or freeze, I created a short quiz to help you see your pattern clearly.

Because awareness is where change begins.

Services I offer:

• Reiki, 30 & 60 minutes

• Health Coaching Sessions using my NLP and Nursing background

• Essential oil rollers & all-purpose cleaning spray

Mark your calendar — some upcoming event

• IN PERSON, Fort Greene Market, Brooklyn:

  Date: Saturday, March 21st AND April 4th

  Time: 9 am - 4 pm EST

  Location: Fort Greene Park, Brooklyn, NY

• IN PERSON, F*CK THE HUSTLE, Brooklyn

  Discover the Freedom to Live & Lead Differently
  👉️ Learn how to pursue ambition without sacrificing well-being

  Date: Sunday, April 19th

  Time: 12-2 pm EST

  Location: Life Wellness Center
  376 Tompkins Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11216
  Tickets to come

Ever had one of those weeks where everything feels like it’s piling up?

Like every small inconvenience stacks on top of the last one until it starts to feel like nothing is working.

Recently, I had one of those moments.

Our hot water stopped working… and still isn’t fully fixed. Then we had diesel fumes coming into the house that needed to be addressed. We spent money on a ski trip that ended up having very little snow. Work felt overwhelming.

It felt like everything just wasn’t working the way I wanted it to.

At first, I was frustrated.

I found myself looking around at everything that was wrong or could have been better. And I wasn’t alone; everyone around me was frustrated, too. Everyone was annoyed, wishing things were different.

And honestly, I don’t blame them; it is a very human reaction.

But life is made up of choices.

Small choices and big ones.

In that moment, I realized I couldn’t control the broken hot water heater. I couldn’t control the weather. And I certainly couldn’t control how everyone else was choosing to see the situation.

But I could choose how I responded.

So I made a different choice.

I decided that things were still going to work out. I decided to roll with what came up instead of fighting it. I decided to look for what was working instead of only seeing what wasn’t.

When I share this perspective with people, sometimes they ask, “Isn’t that just gaslighting yourself? Or being overly optimistic?”

I see it differently.

You can spend your energy focusing on everything that’s wrong; replaying it, amplifying it, letting it take up more and more space in your mind.

Or you can acknowledge the challenges while still choosing to see the good that exists alongside them.

Both are real.

But one perspective creates more stress in the body, and the other creates more space.

And that space matters.

Because it's in that space that our nervous system feels calmer and more grounded, we think more clearly. We respond instead of react. We notice opportunities, solutions, and moments of joy that we might otherwise have missed.

Life will never go perfectly.

Things will break. Plans will change. The week won’t always go the way you imagined.

But your experience of life is shaped far more by the lens you choose to look through than by the circumstances themselves.

Gratitude doesn’t mean pretending things are perfect.

It simply means not letting the hard moments be the only thing you see.

Sometimes this work takes time.

Shifting our perspective, especially when things feel like they’re piling up, isn’t always immediate. But each time we practice it, we teach our minds and our bodies that we are safe to pause, breathe, and respond differently.

The reality is that life will never be perfectly smooth. Things will break. Plans will change. Weeks will come that feel heavier than others. People will say and do things that you didn’t want.

But our experience of life is shaped far more by the lens we choose to look through than by the circumstances themselves.

We can acknowledge what’s hard without letting it define the entire moment.

And sometimes the most powerful shift we can make is simply remembering that even in the middle of frustration, there are still things going right.

If this resonates with you, share it with someone who might need this reminder today.

If you’re curious how your nervous system tends to respond under stress, whether you tighten, over-function, internalize, or freeze, I created a short quiz to help you see your pattern clearly.

Because awareness is where change begins.

Services I offer:

• Reiki, 30 & 60 minutes

• Health Coaching Sessions using my NLP and Nursing background

• Essential oil rollers & all-purpose cleaning spray

Mark your calendar — some upcoming event

• IN PERSON, Fort Greene Market, Brooklyn:

  Date: Saturday, March 21st AND April 4th

  Time: 9 am - 4 pm EST

  Location: Fort Greene Park, Brooklyn, NY

• IN PERSON, F*CK THE HUSTLE, Brooklyn

  Discover the Freedom to Live & Lead Differently
  👉️ Learn how to pursue ambition without sacrificing well-being

  Date: Sunday, April 19th

  Time: 1- 3 pm EST

  Location: Life Wellness Center
  376 Tompkins Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11216
  Tickets to come

Have you ever wondered why it sometimes feels like something just falls into your lap?

You’re thinking of someone, and they call.
You’ve been craving change, and an opportunity appears.
You’ve been thinking about something, and suddenly it appears.

It can feel like life is full of small coincidences. Little things that just happen to happen.

But here’s the thing: I don’t believe in coincidence.

I believe in aligned action.

There was a time when I was working as a nurse, and on paper, everything looked successful. I had a stable career, in a leadership role, with a full calendar. But every morning, I woke up with no real joy to start my day.

I’d open my eyes at 7 am and immediately turn my phone on to see everything that was waiting for me. I saw a calendar packed with meetings, 40 Slack messages, and 20 unread emails. And suddenly I felt dread.

So I did what I thought was responsible, for high-achieving adults do. I wanted to get ahead, so I started working from bed.

I would prioritize everything and answer quick messages before brushing my teeth, then rush through a 20-minute workout, and take a quick shower before work really "started.”
Then plug into work, taking on more projects, more responsibility, more everything, often until well past 8 pm when my husband would call me for dinner.

Even then, I didn’t feel done. I’d log off the computer, but continue answering emails from my phone until I fell asleep.

And then I would wake up and do it all over again. I did this for years.

My routine often meant skipping full meals and justifying it as “fasting,” feeling snappy with my husband when things weren’t “perfect,” dreaming about work and solving problems in my sleep, and waking up already exhausted. I over-scheduled my personal calendar, said yes when I wanted to say no, and carried the quiet guilt of never feeling caught up.

On the outside, I was high-functioning and responsible. I had a good job, a good partner, a good apartment, and I looked good. On the inside, I was disconnected. I was tired in a way sleep couldn’t fix, constantly proving, constantly trying to stay ahead, and constantly terrified I was going to miss something.

And then I was sitting in a doctor’s appointment, being told I had a thyroid issue.

That’s when it hit me.

Not just because of the diagnosis, but because I recognized the pattern.

I had been here before.

In high school and college, when my parents divorced, and my world felt unstable, control became my coping mechanism. It showed up as disordered eating. And later in college, it appeared as panic attacks. It was perfectionism. The quiet belief that if I could just do everything “right,” I would finally feel safe and worth.

That old pattern was still running; it was just dressed up differently.

This time, it looked like overworking, over-scheduling, over-functioning, and over-structuring.

But underneath?

It was the same fear.

But I realized there was a difference this time - I was different.
I was aware that I had more than one choice, and that awareness changed everything.

I could lean into the fear. I could continue down the same path: blame my body, override the signals, suppress the beliefs underneath it all, and gaslight myself into thinking I was “fine.”
OR
I could reevaluate my life, reprioritize myself, and rewrite the inner critic that had been quietly running the show for years - and that is what I did.

I set boundaries with work, with family, and with friends. I prioritized intentionally moving my body. I stopped answering emails from bed. I reframed the stress I carried. And slowly, I began leaning into ease instead of constant urgency.

And the result?

Slowly, my body began to heal, and I started noticing the small “coincidences.”

I was introduced to people who had been on similar journeys. I started to have conversations that felt energizing. Opportunities surfaced that felt meant for me instead of forced. My relationships became easier, and I felt more connected to those I loved.

It wasn’t that life just suddenly changed; it was that I did.

When I stopped overriding myself, I could understand what I really wanted.
When I stopped forcing things, I could see everything that was already in front of me.
When I stopped trying to overdoing, I could see all the support I already had.

What once felt random started to feel intentional because I finally understood what I wanted enough to recognize what did and didn’t fit.

Alignment isn’t about everything working out perfectly.

It’s about being connected enough to yourself to respond when life nudges you.

And life is always nudging.

If you’re curious how your nervous system tends to respond under stress, whether you tighten, over-function, internalize, or freeze, I created a short quiz to help you see your pattern clearly.

Because awareness is where change begins.

Services I offer:

• Reiki, 30 & 60 minutes

• Health Coaching Sessions using my NLP and Nursing background

• Essential oil rollers & all-purpose cleaning spray

This weekend, we hosted a party for some family and friends.

It was the first time we had that many people coming over to our house since we bought it.

Our house was filled. Filled with family, filled with kids, filled with food, and filled with conversation.

There were a few moments that day when I felt old patterns creeping in — an underlying tone of anxiety, of control, of tightening.

The first came when we were getting things set up.

Old me would have wanted to do it all. No help. No assistance. Just me making sure everything was right.

Because somewhere along the way, I learned that control creates safety.

This version of me paused the moment I felt that old pattern creeping in.

I noticed the urge to take over. I noticed the tightening in my chest. I noticed the subtle thought: “If I don’t manage everything, then it will not be right.”

And I realized something important.

What even is “right”? Could there be more than one “right”?

If I tried to do it all, the only thing that would increase would be my anxiety. My heart rate. My internal pressure.

So I had a choice: old patterns or new opportunities.

And choose new opportunities - I delegated.

I asked for help. I asked people to cook, to set up, and to give input on how to create flow.

And what did that give me?

It gave me the opportunity to let go. To find ease. To trust others in my life. It gave me the opportunity to enjoy the process.

Joy feels different when your nervous system feels safe.

For years, I thought strength looked like being the one who could handle everything.

But this weekend, it looked like something else.

It looked like asking for help. It looked like letting the house be loud, staying in conversation, laughing, embracing the moments that didn’t look “perfect,” and trusting that nothing needed fixing.

I allowed myself to lean into the joy.

Smiling and laughing are biological highs. The change in brain chemistry increases the levels of serotonin and dopamine, which are our feel-good neurotransmitters. It helps shift the body from fight-or-flight into rest-and-digest.

As a nurse, I have seen what chronic stress does to the body. It elevates cortisol, disrupts sleep, causes digestive issues, hormone imbalances, and increases blood pressure. Stress keeps the body in a constant state of alert.

But safety and ease can change the body too.

When cortisol lowers, the body softens. Blood pressure decreases. Sleep improves. Digestion regulates. Hormones begin to rebalance.

We talk so much about managing stress.

But sometimes the most powerful intervention isn’t more control.

It’s allowing yourself to experience joy without feeling like you need to earn it first.

If you’re someone who hosts but never sits, skips conversations to clean up, constantly scans to see if people are having a good time, or feels self-conscious about the setup, take a moment.

The truth is:

You don’t need a bigger house.
You don’t need a better setup.
You don’t need to do more.

You might just need to let yourself feel safe enough to enjoy what’s already here. People are there to spend time with you. To be in your company. To share a meal. To feel connected.

Because control feels powerful.

But choosing joy?

That’s real strength.

If you’re curious how your nervous system tends to respond under stress, whether you tighten, over-function, internalize, or freeze, I created a short quiz to help you see your pattern clearly.

Because awareness is where change begins.

Services I offer:

• Reiki, 30 & 60 minutes

• Health Coaching Sessions using my NLP and Nursing background

• Essential oil rollers & all-purpose cleaning spray

This year stretched me in ways I didn’t expect.
Not because everything went wrong, but because everything expanded.

As I approach my birthday, I’ve found myself reflecting on the last twelve months.

Where have I grown?
Where have I expanded?
Where have I learned new skills?
And where did old patterns quietly creep back in, reminding me there is still more to learn?

A lot changed this year. Big things.

We moved four times.
We finally bought a house.
Things broke — and then broke again.
I continued building my business and our home.
Families expanded and relationships shifted.
Conversations about money, travel, and the future became more real.
My body asked me to slow down through a slight tear in my meniscus.
I paid closer attention to my hormonal needs and began embracing my cycle in a deeper way.

And beneath all of that, what really stretched was my sense of safety.

We moved a lot this year. We tried on different areas, imagining where we might put down roots. Or at least roots for now. While it was exciting to dream, it also felt unstable. It was a limbo season. And in limbo seasons, old patterns tend to surface.

I could feel my need for control creep in. When Airbnbs didn’t feel welcoming, when spaces weren’t how I would have liked them to be, I noticed myself compartmentalizing. Bottling things up. Telling myself to just handle it.

Then we bought a house.

On paper, buying a home is supposed to feel stabilizing. And in many ways, it was. But it also stirred up old stories around money, responsibility, and getting it “right.” When something broke — and things did break. Each time it happened, I could feel my nervous system tighten. The part of me that still believes control equals safety wanted to grip harder.

Building a business while navigating financial conversations stretched me in a different way. Old habits of imposter syndrome, external validation, and comparison would surface from time to time. Trusting my own pace, my own voice, required more nervous system regulation than strategy.

And then there was my body.

I chose to come off birth control so I could allow my hormones to rebalance. I tracked my cycle. I watched my lab values. I noticed patterns, not just in my body, but in my mood, my energy, my behavior throughout the month.

At the same time, I had what may have been a slight meniscus tear. I had to remove lifting for a time. I had to slow down. I had to go back to the basics.

Because the old version of me would have pushed through all of these changes. She would have created longer to-do lists. She would have taken everything on herself without asking for help. She would have downplayed what she was feeling, ignored the signals, and tried to escape the discomfort. She would have treated rest like weakness.

This version of me listens.

She isn’t perfect by any means, but she is conscious.

She is intentional with her words, her body, her mind, and her actions.

She doesn’t need to solve everything all at once or rush to be “done.” She understands that growth isn’t a finish line; it’s a continuum.

I’ve been an eight-year work in progress.
Rewiring beliefs.
Learning tools.
Tuning in instead of overriding.
Paying attention to my body instead of fighting it.

And I didn’t do it alone. I sought support. I worked with someone trained in NLP. I allowed myself to be guided. And that experience showed me something powerful: This work is possible.

Real change, not the performative kind, not the surface-level kind, but the kind that shifts how you respond when life expands.

This year didn’t remove old patterns. It revealed them.
And instead of letting them take over automatically, I chose differently.

That’s what I feel proud of.

Not that everything went smoothly.
Not that I mastered every lesson.
Not that I was perfect.

But I didn’t abandon myself in the process.

Expansion, I’m learning, isn’t about building more.

It’s about becoming the kind of woman who can hold more — without gripping, without shrinking, without losing herself.

And as I step into another year, that feels like enough.

If this story resonated with you, I see you.

This is why I do the work I do with women.

Not surface-level optimization.
Not forcing discipline.

But helping them regulate their nervous systems, rewire old patterns, and build lives that feel safe, so success, happiness, and joy don’t require self-abandonment.

If you’re in a season of expansion and it feels uncomfortable, that doesn’t mean you’re failing.

It means something inside you is evolving.

And if you want support navigating that evolution, I’m here to hold that space with you.

Services I offer:

• Reiki, 30 & 60 minutes

• Health Coaching Sessions using my NLP and Nursing background

• Essential oil rollers & all-purpose cleaning spray

This week, there have been multiple moments where I’ve been reminded of something simple, but easy to forget: There are still good people in this world.

With the constant stream of news and information, it’s easy to feel overstimulated and guarded, like the world is full of people who don’t have your back. And when we hold on to this point of view, our nervous system becomes hyper-aware of assuming the worst. To stay alert, to tighten.

But a few times this past month, life has gently shown me another truth.

There are still strangers who show up with kindness. People who expect nothing in return. People who restore your faith in humanity.

A couple of weeks ago, I ordered something online and wasn’t paying close attention. I accidentally entered the wrong address - New York instead of Brooklyn.

A few days later, I received a delivery notification. Before I even had time to check the mail, I got another text:

“Hi Erika! This is random, but your package got delivered to our apartment building. I think it might be the wrong address since ‘X apartment’ doesn’t exist here. Your phone number was on the package, so I wanted to give you a heads up.”

My immediate reaction was a mix of surprise, gratitude… and a little apprehension.

Is this spam? Is this someone I should trust?

That pause, that moment of hesitation, felt important. It reminded me how conditioned we’ve become to question kindness.

I checked my order and realized she was right. I had entered the address incorrectly. We continued the conversation and agreed to meet at her hair salon so she could return the package.

When we met, I thanked her and offered to buy her a coffee or do something in return.

She declined.

All she said was, “Just pay it forward.”

I walked away thinking, “Wow, there really are good people in this world.”

And more than that, I walked away thinking about all the small, ordinary ways we can pay it forward. A smile. Holding space for someone. Taking an extra moment to help. Showing up when it would be easier not to.

This experience brought me back to gratitude, not as a mindset trick, but as a nervous system state.

When we feel grateful, something foundational shifts. Our brains become more receptive. Our bodies soften. We start noticing joy, connection, and possibility instead of just scanning for threat.

Gratitude changes what we’re available for.

The more we tune into this side of humanity, the kindness, the goodness, the support that exists, the more life seems to meet us there. What we focus on expands. What we attune to, we experience more of.

Gratitude is a quiet but powerful way to orient toward abundance. Not because it forces positivity, but because it trains us to recognize what’s already here.

One simple way to begin this practice is to write down what you’re grateful for each day (in a notebook, in your phone, literally anywhere). It doesn’t have to be profound.

It can be as simple as: “I have a roof over my head,” “I woke up today,” or “I got to chat with my best friend“.

The simplicity is the point.

So I’ll leave you with this:

What have you been grateful for lately?

And how might you pay it forward this week?

Services I offer:

• Reiki, 30 & 60 minutes

• Health Coaching Sessions using my NLP and Nursing background

• Essential oil rollers & all-purpose cleaning spray

My hot water heater broke.

I have a background in nursing, so this was way out of my wheelhouse. But I also love being a bit of a handyman. I enjoy learning how things work, fixing them myself, and building what I call “life skills.” It’s something I genuinely find fun. So I decided to learn how water heaters work - or at least enough to fix this one.

So I did what I always do when something breaks:

1. I asked my dad (always step one).

2. I called an expert, aka a plumber.

3. And I googled obsessively.

All while taking bucket showers, which consisted of boiling water on the stove.

This isn’t a “poor me” story. Even though it sounds like a horrible time, it actually brought me a surprising amount of gratitude.

Let me explain.

At first, I was frustrated. I was fully in a “poor-me” state — stuck in that “everything is going wrong” mentality. The inconvenience felt personal, like another thing on an already full plate.

But then something shifted.

I caught myself and thought, What if I reframed this? What if I chose to do something different here?

I used to believe asking for help was a weakness. I carried a strong “I can do this on my own” mentality, rooted in the belief that needing support meant I was failing.

Over time, and through a lot of inner work, I rewrote that belief to this:
Asking for help is a strength. It’s a reminder that I have a support system.

This situation gave me the chance to live that belief.

So I accepted help.

From my sister-in-law.
From a neighbor.
From a cousin.
From my parents.

And I did it comfortably, without guilt, without shame, and without feeling like I had to earn it.

It reminded me that the relationships I’ve cultivated are full of love. That being vulnerable is how strong relationships are built. And that asking for help is often the first step toward deeper connection.

It was also a time of unexpected gratitude.

Yes, it was inconvenient. But it wasn’t the end of the world.

Instead of fixating on the one thing I didn’t have, I kept coming back to everything I did. And that shift changed the entire experience. Even when I felt annoyed or frustrated, I would pause and laugh, not to bypass the feeling, but to bring myself back into ease, perspective, and lightness.

Our minds give us the reality we focus on.

I could have stayed locked into everything that was going wrong, or I could choose to find steadiness in the middle of it. I had a choice.

And to be clear - I didn’t ignore the problem or pretend it didn’t matter. I researched. I learned. I kept working toward a solution.

I just stayed aware that I could handle the problem without letting it consume me.

This experience is a perfect example of the work I do every day, both within myself and with my clients.

The external experience didn’t change.
The problem was still there. The frustration was still there.
It was still something I was responsible for solving and living inside of.

What did change was my internal experience.

I chose to give myself permission to pause.
To receive support.
To trust that a temporary disruption isn’t a personal failure.

Life is unpredictable. The more we try to control it, the more our nervous system and body push back. But when we change the internal experience, these disruptions become manageable. They do not knock us off track or send us into urgency, control, or self-judgment.

This is the work I practice daily, and it is the work I guide my clients through. I help them stop performing health and instead feel safe enough to live it. Not through more discipline or control, but through nervous system support, reframing long-held beliefs, and rebuilding self-trust.

If this story resonated with you, it is probably not about a water heater. It might be about a job that did not work out, a change in plans you did not see coming, a body that is not responding the way you expected, or a moment in life that suddenly feels heavier and more uncertain than you planned for.

It is about how you respond when life goes off script.

If you want support learning how to create safety in your body, especially during stress, uncertainty, or moments when nothing is going to plan, I would love to support you. You can learn more about working with me here.

Services I offer:

• Reiki, 30 & 60 minutes

• Health Coaching Sessions using my NLP and Nursing background

• Essential oil rollers & all-purpose cleaning spray

When I first started HealthE Wellness, my mission was simple: to help everyone and anyone who needed support.

As a bedside nurse, I would see clients come in, listen closely to what they needed, and do my best to help them while they were in the hospital. I also tried to give them support for what life would look like once they went home, because I knew the real work often started after discharge.

But I learned something quickly. Even when I could see what someone truly needed, I couldn’t always provide the level of care I felt they deserved after they left the hospital. Not because I didn’t want to, but because of the limits of the healthcare system.

That’s where HealthE Wellness began. It became a space where I could slow down, sit with people, and support them in a more personal way. I could actually learn who they were, what they wanted, what they were struggling with, and what was keeping them stuck.

The more I learned about Reiki, NLP, aromatherapy, and whole-person wellness, the more I began to notice patterns everywhere. And when you’re trained to notice patterns, you see everything—the loops people repeat, the coping habits they rely on, the “I’m fine” mask, and the guilt that comes right after.

I started hearing the same phrases again and again:
“I wish I had more self-control.”
“I shouldn’t have done that.”
“I’m fine… I like being this busy.”
“I don’t need rest.”
“I am jealous - I can’t do that.”
“I’m doing everything, but nothing is working.”
“Why can’t I be more like her?”

What made it even harder was that these weren’t always strangers. Sometimes it was my family. My friends. The people I loved most. And when you love someone deeply, it’s hard not to jump in. It’s hard not to give advice, or fix it for them, or try to carry the weight with them.

But over time, I had to learn two important truths:
1. You can’t coach people without consent
2. You can’t force change.

Even if your intentions are pure. Even if you think you have the right answer. Even if you want it for them more than they want it for themselves.

Real change requires something deeper. It requires readiness and ownership. It requires that moment inside someone that says, “I’m ready to do this differently.” And until someone decides that for themselves, pressure doesn’t create change. It creates resistance.

So I started shifting my approach. Instead of trying to coach the people around me, I started planting seeds. I started offering support gently and with permission—without pushing, without forcing, and without coming from a place of “I know better.”

I would say things like, “Can I share something that helped one of my clients?” or “I read something and thought of you; would you be open to it?” or “I learned something interesting about ‘x’, can I share it?”

And the surprising thing is, when people have space, they soften. When there isn’t judgment, they get curious. When there isn’t pressure, they start to question the pattern. Slowly, I’ve watched people take one small step forward, and then another.

Sometimes months later, they come back and say, “Hey… I listened to that podcast you mentioned. Can we talk?” That’s a seed.

Because people don’t change when you’re ready. They change when they’re ready.

And as someone who supports women 1:1 through hormone shifts, stress, burnout, life transitions, and identity changes, I’ve learned the most powerful thing we can do isn’t “fix.” It’s to hold space. It’s to trust timing. It’s to ask better questions. It’s to offer support without attachment.

And the best part is this: when people finally choose change for themselves, it lasts. Because it isn’t fueled by guilt, pressure, or fear. It’s fueled by readiness and the desire to live differently.

If you’re looking for change, I have one question for you: What do you want to feel more of this year?
Feel free to reply and let me know.

Services I offer:

• Reiki, 30 & 60 minutes

• Health Coaching Sessions using my NLP and Nursing background

• Essential oil rollers & all-purpose cleaning spray

Mark your calendar — some upcoming event

• IN PERSON, Fort Greene Market, Brooklyn:

  Date: Saturday, January 31st

  Time: 9 am - 4 pm EST

  Location: Fort Greene Park, Cross Street

  DeKalb Avenue & S Portland Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11205

I was talking to a client the other day, and she said, “I was doing so well, but then I wasn’t able to work out for a few times because of travel, and I feel like I ruined all the progress I made.”

This is a common misconception many of my clients share.

It’s an all-or-nothing mentality. If I didn’t get to something, then all my progress is halted, and I’ve taken two steps backward.

I bring this up now because it’s mid-January. This is the time of year when we’re trying to be consistent with our goals. We’re three weeks into a new routine that may be totally different from what we were doing before. We are still recalibrating.

And this is usually the moment where people start to panic.

Because if we haven’t yet built a flexible mindset and real life starts happening again, you might miss a workout or skip a meal you planned. You get thrown off by travel, stress, hormones, work, family, or exhaustion.

And at this point, some of my clients, instead of thinking, “It’s okay, I’ll do one small thing today toward my goal,” their mind goes to: “I messed up, so was it all for nothing?”

This moment is where the work begins with my clients.

Together, we uncover the truth behind the voice running through their heads. We get to the root of the misalignment between their body and mind. We create a space where they feel safe, supported, and able to move out of protective fight-or-flight mode and into a place where healing can begin.

We identify the belief underneath the pattern and rewrite it into something that promotes self-love, adaptability, and support. We move away from the ideas of failure and the “not enough” mentality, and into a new way of thinking that makes consistency feel possible.

Progress doesn’t happen overnight, and therefore, it can’t be ruined overnight.

It’s not one day, one meal, or one workout that changes everything. Instead, it’s the consistent choices we make over time.

In a nutshell, it’s what we do daily.

Do we consistently choose food that nourishes us? Do we consistently move our bodies in ways that feel supportive? Do we consistently tune in to our minds and create more ease and calm in our lives? Do we consistently face challenges and unexpected change with more flow and flexibility?

That’s what makes us resilient. That’s what makes us adaptable. That’s what allows us to have a “bad day” and wake up the next morning able to make choices that are fueled by love, not punishment, and motivated by our positive desires.

We all know what we need to do logically. But it’s about teaching ourselves how to stay consistent, flexible, and adaptable when life gets busy and unpredictable, without falling into guilt, pressure, negative self-assessment, perfectionism, or the all-or-nothing mindset.

It’s being able to look at an off hour, day, week, or even a month, and turn away from defeat and toward a new question: “What is the next supportive choice I can make today?”

That’s the real work. It’s about learning to meet yourself with compassion and creating a plan that fits your real life.

The good news is it’s easier to get back on track toward your goals than you think. It’s as simple as drinking more water, eating a nourishing meal, taking a walk, stretching, or going to bed earlier.

The goal isn’t to “make up” for what happened.
The goal is to rebuild trust in yourself through small, supportive choices, because that’s what creates real consistency.

Here is an example:

My client traveled for work for three days. The first day, she was up at 5 am for her flight, landed, and was in a meeting all day until 6, had a work dinner out, and was back in her room at 11 pm, exhausted. Unfortunately, this was her routine for the next three days.

When she got back, we held a session, and she told me, “I feel like I ruined my progress. Before my trip, I was cooking all my meals at home, going for daily walks, and working out for 30 minutes, and this just ruined me. I have so many work trips this year, so I’m feeling like there isn’t even a point.”

My next question was, “Tell me more about the trip in detail. What’s one choice you made that was supportive of your goals?”

And this is where the magic happened. She proceeded to find small moments like drinking water, limiting her alcohol consumption, walking instead of Ubering to her meetings, reading before bed, and choosing a meal that was primarily protein- and vegetable-focused.

What happened in the session?

We paused the spiral of shame, guilt, and self-loathing.

We rewrote the story, highlighting the supportive areas.

We came up with a plan for the next trip that would be more supportive towards her goals and was flexible if things didn’t go exactly as planned.

We explored shifting the mind from “I ruined it” to “What’s the next best choice I can make?”

The truth is, your health journey is not a straight line. It’s an ebb and flow. Some days it’s easier, some days it’s harder, but the secret sauce is learning how to navigate through them with compassion.

If this resonated with you, I want you to take a moment and remember:

You don’t need to start over.

You just need to start again, one supportive choice at a time.

And if you’re ready to create a routine that feels realistic, supportive, and sustainable (even when life gets busy), I would love to help you. This is exactly what I work on with my clients: how to build consistency without guilt and create wellness habits that actually last.

Services I offer:

• Reiki, 30 & 60 minutes

• Health Coaching Sessions using my NLP and Nursing background

• Essential oil rollers & all-purpose cleaning spray

Mark your calendar — some upcoming event

• IN PERSON, Fort Greene Market, Brooklyn:

  Date: Saturday, January 31st

  Time: 9 am - 4 pm EST

  Location: Fort Greene Park, Cross Street

  DeKalb Avenue & S Portland Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11205

Have you ever set a goal for the new year, started off with the best intentions, and then by March noticed yourself slowly drifting away from it?

It wasn’t a lack of desire.
It wasn’t a lack of determination.

There was simply something missing from the process

I see this all the time in my work with clients. There is a deep desire for change and a strong sense of motivation, yet somehow they still come up short. Over time, I’ve noticed a few common reasons why this happens.

Lack of positive motivation

I talk a lot on this blog about the power of motivation. It’s one of the most powerful tools we have for taking action.

There are two types of motivation: positive and negative.

Positive motivation comes from wanting something because of gain, pleasure, or happiness. Negative motivation comes from wanting something because of shame, guilt, judgment, or fear.

When we set goals When we set goals from a place of negative motivation, for example, “I need to work out more because I hate how I look at this weight,” we often abandon the goal altogether. The mind instinctively rejects negativity, even when the intention is self-improvement.

When we set goals from a place of positive motivation, such as, “I want to work out because I feel happier and more alive when I move my body,” we create change that is more sustainable.

Our mind instinctively seeks ease, lightness, and love.

Mismatch between mind and body

The mind and body are deeply connected. They are in constant communication with one another.

What we eat and how we move all influence how our minds think and feel. What we think and believe will influence how we feel in our bodies.

When we set a goal without addressing the beliefs that limit or contradict it, the body often steps in and sabotages our ability to follow through. The body is aware that the mind is not fully aligned with this goal, so it will be unable to complete it.

The same happens when we do not tune into the body and seek to understand the symptoms with an interconnected point of view; we will likely miss the connecting piece for our goal to be completed.

Our language 

Our words matter. Our words matter more than we sometimes realize. When we talk in “shoulds and should nots”, “woulds and would nots”, and “cans and can’ts”, we subtly reinforce internal pressure and self-judgment. Over time, this language creates resistance and self-sabotage

Our body listens to our mind, so if we base our goals on this, we perceive as right or wrong without making sure these beliefs are what we want, we will ultimately remain unhappy and unsatisfied with the results.

So, how do I look at my new year?

For me, the key to success is slowing down. Taking time. Turning inward. Allowing space to dream.

To really understand what we want our life to look like and feel like. We want to get very specific about our dream but remain flexible about how we get there.

This is what I help clients do.

I help them uncover their true goal and integrate it into both the mind and the body, so it no longer feels like something they are forcing, but something they are becoming naturally.

I’m doing a version of this work in my upcoming workshop called F*ck the Hustle: Learn to live and lead differently. It’s a workshop designed to help high achievers, highly motivated individuals, people who may be changing careers, or those who want to take a step back and change direction. We learn how to unblock their mind and find what they really want out of life. Then we align the mind and body, creating an opportunity for this dream to become a reality.

This workshop is happening in Brooklyn, NY, on Saturday, the 17th, at the Life Wellness Center. If you are interested, here is the link to sign up.

This may be the missing key you’ve been searching for to finally allow your dreams to come to life this year.

Services I offer:

• Reiki, 30 & 60 minutes

• Health Coaching Sessions using my NLP and Nursing background

• Essential oil rollers & all-purpose cleaning spray

Mark your calendar — some upcoming event

• IN PERSON, F*CK THE HUSTLE, Brooklyn

  Discover the Freedom to Live & Lead Differently
  👉️ Learn how to pursue ambition without sacrificing well-being

  Date: Saturday, January 17th

  Time: 10 am- 12 pm EST

  Location: Life Wellness Center
  376 Tompkins Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11216

  Tickets here

Sometimes the most powerful insights arrive in the quiet moments as the body realigns.

Last week, after a Reiki session with a client, she and I were chatting about her blocked chakras and the impact that our beliefs have on the body. She looked at me and asked if I ever heard of the old Cherokee story about the two wolves. I hadn't, so I read it later and instantly connected to it.

Here is the synopsis:

Inside each and every person, there are two forces, or “wolves.”

There is a positive wolf: joy, happiness, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.

There is a negative wolf: resentment, anger, doubt, fear, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, and lies.

These wolves are fed based on our beliefs and/or actions.

It’s important to acknowledge both of these forces within us and accept the emotions from both wolves. Starving either wolf can create internal conflict and unrest.

However, you have the power to decide which wolf grows stronger. The wolf that you feed more is going to be the one that shows up more.

What does this really mean?

This proverb tells us that first, we are human. There is no such thing as perfect. We are not always 100% one thing. We have to accept that we may have faults; we may feel anger, frustration, or resentment at times, but those feelings don’t need to define us. They don’t need to rule our belief systems and, ultimately, our actions.

We are in complete control.

We can see and feel the fear bubbling up in us, acknowledge it, trust that it is our body’s natural protection, and still decide to rewrite it into something that helps us move forward with confidence.

It’s in feeding the positive wolf, acknowledging the negative, and rewriting those negativities that all the magic happens.

Once we figure this out, the better our health will be. The more productive we will be. The more our relationships will prosper. The more in tune with the universe we will be. The easier everything will come to us.

So, which wolf are you feeding?

If this resonates, this is the kind of inner work I support clients with — helping them notice what they’re feeding and gently shift from the inside out.

Services I offer:

• Reiki, 30 & 60 minutes

• Health Coaching Sessions using my NLP and Nursing background

• Essential oil rollers & all-purpose cleaning spray

Mark your calendar — some upcoming event

• IN PERSON, F*CK THE HUSTLE, Brooklyn

  Discover the Freedom to Live & Lead Differently
  👉️ Learn how to pursue ambition without sacrificing well-being

  Date: Saturday, January 17th

  Time: 10 am- 12 pm EST

  Location: Life Wellness Center
  376 Tompkins Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11216

  Tickets here

I was talking to a client the other day about the idea of opportunity and how it affects our health and wellness.

Do you remember as a kid how you had a boundless imagination? For me, I had the ability to change my forks and knives into families. I could make my stuffed animal be a patient that I could nurse back to health. I could take paper and colored pencils and create a whole Hollywood production.

What I mean is I saw a relatively dull and unimpressive object and found countless ways to use it, play with it, or create it into something unique. What did I really have? Endless opportunity. I had an infinite choice.

I didn’t realize until I was an adult how much that idea of choice really could change my reality.

It’s in the moments that we feel like there is only one choice ahead of us that we don’t like that bring up the feelings of insecurity, anxiety, and stress. We pigeonhole ourselves into believing there is only one behavior, one action, one way to do something.

For example, I used to believe the only way to answer an invitation was a yes. Even when it wasn’t something I particularly wanted to do, I felt like that was my only choice because it would bring me friends, love, and connection. If I didn’t make this choice, I would lose something, something important to me.

But when I started this work, I began to realize something. I lost that superpower—that superpower of endless opportunity.

So I began trying to challenge myself to create more choices, more opportunities.
Instead of only being able to say “yes”. I realized that I could say “thank you for the invitation, but tonight isn’t a good night, “yes, but can we do it another night?” or I could also simply just say “no. All of these are choices. All are opportunities to change my own behavior. My intention to build friendship, love, and connection remains the same, but I can change my decision, which in turn changes my actions.

I’ve seen this show up in so many areas of life. In how we move our bodies, in what we believe our health has to look like, and in how much we give before we rest. We tell ourselves there is one right way, one correct plan, one version of ourselves we need to fit into. When we begin to widen the lens and question those assumptions, space opens up. Space to listen. Space to choose differently. Space to respond instead of react.

Creating choice is a skill. It’s something we can relearn. This is exactly what I help women do in my work. Once you can see endless choices, decisions are easier because you can select the outcome you desire. You no longer have to feel backed into a corner or fit a mold that may no longer support you. Instead, you have agency, clarity, and the ability to choose what truly aligns with you.

Services I offer:

• Reiki, 30 & 60 minutes

• Health Coaching Sessions using my NLP and Nursing background

• Essential oil rollers & all-purpose cleaning spray

Mark your calendar — some upcoming event

• IN PERSON, F*CK THE HUSTLE, Brooklyn

  Discover the Freedom to Live & Lead Differently
  👉️ Learn how to pursue ambition without sacrificing well-being

  Date: Saturday, January 17th

  Time: 10 am- 12 pm EST

  Location: Life Wellness Center
  376 Tompkins Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11216

  Tickets here

We are in the height of the holiday chaos — busy schedules, last-minute plans, constant noise, emotional triggers… you name it. It’s all happening now. This is the season when we feel the weight of demands and expectations more than ever.

But what if we could release the sense of overwhelm and lean more into grounding, ease, calm, and peace? How different would this time of year feel if that became our experience?

The truth is, calm and peace aren’t something we find once the chaos settles. They’re something we can create within ourselves — even in the middle of it all.

So how do we do that?

First, it starts with taking just five minutes to set an intention. Instead of focusing on what we don’t want to happen, we shift our attention to how we want to feel.

Ask yourself:

• How do I want to feel during this season?

• How do I want to show up?

• How do I want to respond, rather than react?

Setting our intention will help us ground and frame how we want our holiday season to unfold. It will set us up for success. Whenever I do this exercise, I keep a small note on the side of my bed as a reminder of my intention. It becomes an anchor I can return to when everything around me feels loud.

The next thing I focus on is a centering exercise. This is something simple and accessible that I can do anywhere, even in a crowd.

That can be things like:

• Box breathing

• EFT tapping

• 4 - 7 - 8 breathing

These are the techniques we can use in the moment when the chaos feels like too much. When we start to feel disconnected from our intention, these practices help recenter us, bringing us back to the present, back to baseline.

Lastly, I keep a set of non-negotiables. These are the things I commit to each day, regardless of what’s happening around me. They’re what keep me aligned, balanced, and at ease.

For me, that looks like:

• 20 minutes of movement

• 10 minutes of morning reading

• Protein at breakfast

• Drinking at least a full glass of water in the morning

• Find

Non-negotiables don’t have to be complicated. They’re small, consistent acts of self-connection that create stability and routine even when everything else feels unpredictable.

Peace during the holidays isn’t about controlling the chaos around you; it’s about creating anchors within yourself. When you set an intention, use centering breaths, and honor a few non-negotiables, you give your body and nervous system a sense of safety. From that place, lightness, peace, and calm become accessible.

Even in the busiest season, you have the tools to move through it feeling steady, supported, and at ease. You are allowed to create the holiday season you’ve always desired.

Services I offer:

• Reiki, 30 & 60 minutes

• Health Coaching Sessions using my NLP and Nursing background

• Essential oil rollers & all-purpose cleaning spray

Mark your calendar — some upcoming event

• IN PERSON, F*CK THE HUSTLE, Brooklyn

  Discover the Freedom to Live & Lead Differently
  👉️ Learn how to pursue ambition without sacrificing well-being

  Date: Saturday, January 17th

  Time: 10 am- 12 pm EST

  Location: Life Wellness Center
  376 Tompkins Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11216

  Book Appointment> Classes and Workshop> F*ck the Hustle workshop.

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or something else, the holidays can be a time when we feel like we lose all sense of our health and wellness. It often becomes the season where we “let go” completely, telling ourselves this is the one time of year we get a break.

But I challenge that idea — because you don’t have to completely disregard your health goals in order to enjoy the season.

I believe in the 80/20 rule: you can indulge and still prioritize your health. And while that may feel impossible during the holidays, there are a few simple shifts that can help you move through this season with far more ease.

Mindset

I talk a lot about mindset because it is the foundation of our health and wellness.

Intention is the first step. What we intend is what we broadcast to the world — and ultimately, what we experience.

If our intention is rigid control over schedules with zero room for adaptation, the result often looks like stress, anxiety, and overwhelm. But if our intention is joy, ease, and lightness, we naturally experience the season as more flexible, enjoyable, and manageable.

The same applies to our health. If we decide the holidays are a time to completely abandon our habits, we often end the season feeling guilt, shame, and the belief that we now have to “start over.”

What if instead, we believed we could still prioritize our health and enjoy the holidays fully?

That mindset alone changes everything — allowing you to move through the season feeling grounded rather than depleted.

Movement

Movement during the holidays doesn’t need to be structured, intense, or time-consuming.

Here are some simple ways to stay connected to your body while still enjoying the season:

• 10-minute walks after meals

• Stretching when you wake up or before bed

• A 15–20 minute bodyweight workout

• Taking the stairs

• Parking farther away from stores

Consistency beats intensity — especially this time of year. It doesn’t have to be big or long. Just a little movement each day helps regulate digestion, the nervous system, and blood sugar, keeping you feeling more balanced overall.

Protein

One of the simplest ways to support your energy and hormones during the holidays is to start with protein.

Beginning meals with protein helps regulate blood sugar, keeps you fuller longer, and creates a stable foundation for when you enjoy snacks, sweets, or cocktails.

The best way to start your day is with protein. Adding protein to snacks and making it at least 30% of each meal helps stabilize blood sugar and reduce cravings. Stable blood sugar supports steady energy, prevents crashes, and plays a key role in hormone regulation.

Protein sources can include eggs, Greek yogurt, protein powders, nuts, and seeds.

Boundaries

Healthy boundaries help you stay energized and avoid depletion during a season that can feel overstimulating.

This might look like:

• Saying no to events that drain you

• Leaving gatherings earlier

• Protecting your sleep

• Taking breaks from social stimulation

Boundaries allow you to fully enjoy what you say yes to and avoid burnout.

The holidays don’t have to be a season of all-or-nothing. You don’t have to choose between enjoying yourself and taking care of your body. By keeping these tips in mind, you can enter the new year feeling grounded instead of needing to “start over.”

Services I offer:

• Reiki, 30 & 60 minutes

• Health Coaching Sessions using my NLP and Nursing background

• Essential oil rollers & all-purpose cleaning spray

Mark your calendar — some upcoming event

• IN PERSON, F*CK THE HUSTLE, Brooklyn

  Discover the Freedom to Live & Lead Differently
  👉️ Learn how to pursue ambition without sacrificing well-being

  Date: Saturday, January 17th

  Time: 10 am- 12 pm EST

  Location: Life Wellness Center
  376 Tompkins Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11216

  Book Appointment> Classes and Workshop> F*ck the Hustle workshop.

Have you ever heard someone say, “I’m so ready to be at the end”?

Now this can refer to so many different things. End of a movie, end of a date, end of a week, end of a day, end of this lease… the list can keep going. We usually want to fast-forward to just “get through” something we deem harmful or undesirable to reach whatever we think will make us happy or energize us.

But if you think about it, what is really the end? While we are living, isn’t it all just the “middle”?

And if it’s all just the middle, then why are we rushing through it?

We’re so focused on getting to the “after” or the “next thing” that we forget the “right now.” We forget that the middle is where life actually happens.

The middle is the awkward conversations, the joyful moments, trying new things and maybe failing a few times, the slow mornings, the messy healing, the tiny victories no one else sees. The middle is where we learn about ourselves and build resilience, self-worth, self-trust, and confidence. The middle is where we create our life. Our dreams.

It’s where we meet our community, create our passion, and find happiness.

The middle can feel uncomfortable, or uncertain, or not as shiny as the finish line we’ve imagined, so we try to skip it. We label it a burden.

What if the middle isn’t something to endure, but something to experience?

What if we label it as an opportunity instead? A chance to build on our own skills, our foundations, and our lives.

We have the opportunity to try new things, to expand, to refine who we are becoming… all right here in the middle.

And the more we allow ourselves to be present in the middle, the more we start to notice things we never saw before. We notice how far we’ve come, even if we’re not “there” yet. It’s in this middle time that we have an opportunity to connect with others, to see the little nudges, try new things, or witness the subtle shifts that guide us toward what’s meant for us.

Sometimes in the middle, we need to learn to let go of control — to flow with what life has to offer and take the best next right step for the life we want.

The thing is, the “end” is always just another beginning.
We finish something only to start a new chapter, a new question, a new desire, a new dream. Life is always evolving, so we are always in the middle.

So instead of rushing, what if we lean into the ease?

What if we accepted this moment, exactly as it is, to be enough?
What if we honored this middle ground as the place where the real transformation happens — where all the fun things about life happen?

The truth is: the middle is where you build the life you’re craving. And once we get comfortable in the middle, we have true happiness.

So maybe the goal isn’t to get to the end anymore. Perhaps the goal is to be fully alive in the middle.

Mark your calendar — some upcoming event

I have REALLY exciting news this year: I will be featured at a few holiday markets in Brooklyn, NYC, selling my famous essential oils!

• IN PERSON, Fort Greene Market, Brooklyn:

  Date: Saturday, December 13th

  Time: 9 am - 4 pm EST
  👉️Grab your favorite holiday gifts - free access!

  Location: Fort Greene Park Cross Street

  DeKalb Avenue & S Portland Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11205

• IN PERSON, F*CK THE HUSTLE, Brooklyn

  Discover the Freedom to Live & Lead Differently
  👉️ Learn how to pursue ambition without sacrificing well-being

  Date: Saturday, January 17th

  Time: 10 am- 12 pm EST

  Location: Life Wellness Center
  376 Tompkins Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11216

  Book Appointment> Classes and Workshop> F*ck the Hustle workshop.

This time of year always comes in fast.

We’re packing schedules, packing bags, and somehow still trying to pack in a little more. I know the drill: rushing from one thing to the next, trying to make it all happen, wondering how the holiday season turned into another high-pressure project.

I get caught in this whirlwind more often than I care to admit. But this year, something shifted. I decided to stop. To press pause on the expectations. To stop chasing the perfectly curated version of the holidays and instead lean into the things that genuinely bring me joy.

Like Christmas music, I used to follow a strict rule: no holiday music before Thanksgiving. But this year? By mid-November, I was craving that cozy feeling: the lights, the soundtracks, the joy. So I leaned in. I played the music, opened up the holiday storage bins, and for the first time, the tree went up in November.

And it felt really good.

Not because I was checking a box. Not to impress anyone. It just gave me room to relax. It helped me reconnect to what I actually want from this season: ease, warmth, and a little bit of magic.

I realized that the stress I usually feel this time of year doesn’t come from the holidays themselves, but it comes from the pressure. The “rules”. The sense that everything needs to be meaningful, beautiful, and productive all at once.

So this season, I’m choosing differently. More presence. More connection. More ease.

That will include more music, more twinkle lights, and fewer things on my to-do list.

If you need permission to shift gears, too — consider this your permission. You’re allowed to move slowly. To say no. To rest. To say yes to the things that light you up and gently step away from the things that don’t.

If you want to lean into that ease but don’t know where to start, I’d love to support you.

I’m currently offering a free 30-minute consultation to help you reconnect with your body, reset your energy, and move into the new year with more ease.

No pressure. No expectation. Just a supportive conversation to meet you where you are.

Services I offer:

• Reiki, 30 & 60 minutes

• Health Coaching Sessions using my NLP and Nursing background

• Essential oil rollers

Mark your calendar — some upcoming event

I have REALLY exciting news this year: I will be featured at a few holiday markets in Brooklyn, NYC, selling my famous essential oils!

• IN PERSON, Old Stone House Holiday Bazaar, Brooklyn

  Date: Saturday, December 6th

  Time: 10 am - 4 pm EST
  👉️Grab your favorite holiday gifts - free access!

  Location: Washington Park

  336 3rd St, Brooklyn, NY 11215

• IN PERSON, Fort Greene Market, Brooklyn:

  Date: Saturday, December 13th

  Time: 9 am - 4 pm EST
  👉️Grab your favorite holiday gifts - free access!

  Location: Fort Greene Park Cross Street

  DeKalb Avenue & S Portland Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11205

• IN PERSON, F*CK THE HUSTLE, Brooklyn

  Discover the Freedom to Live & Lead Differently
  👉️ Learn how to pursue ambition without sacrificing well-being

  Date: Saturday, January 17th

  Time: 10 am- 12 pm EST

  Location: Life Wellness Center
  376 Tompkins Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11216

  Tickets coming soon!