Ever have one of those days when you want to make a loving choice for your future self when it comes to movement…

But you aren’t quite sure if that loving choice is to workout or rest?

I’ve got a question I ask myself that helps me so much in these moments.

If you think “omg genius” when I share it with you, take it and use it!

If you think “WTF,” feel free to throw it in the proverbial trash.

Here’s one of my absolute FAVORITE ways to decide whether to press play on an UNMEASURED barre class or say “yes please” to rest:

Am I tired from the neck up? Or am I tired from the neck down?

If I’m tired from the neck up (mentally exhausted), then movement is usually loving to my future self by creating clarity through the mind fog so I can feel mentally energized.

If I’m tired from the neck down (physically exhausted), then physical rest is usually loving to my future self because it helps me to fully recharge.

Of course, rest is ALWAYS an option… even when we aren’t tired. But, when you’re on the fence, this little tune-in-trick can help!

I love a good question since curiosity is such a powerful way to create deeper self connection.

If you give this Q a try, I’d love to know how it lands for you!

As Abraham Hicks said, “a belief is a thought you keep thinking.”

How many thoughts have you had about your body that you keep thinking?

From very early on in each of our lives, we were exposed to other people’s body beliefs. These beliefs likely come your way through comments directed at you, comments said around you, media messaging, and more. These moments create experiences, internalized “meaning,” and become part of the inner story that you are constantly telling yourself.

I’ve worked with hundreds of women on healing body image and each one has her own body story full of beliefs that started with thoughts that got repeated.

Are you craving healing when it comes to body image?

❤️ You’re not alone! Here’s the reason why so many of us have struggled with our body narrative (hint, your body is not the problem!!)​

❤️ Here’s what it actually means to have more positive body image​

❤️ Here’s a quick visioning exercise for more positive body image​

❤️ Here’s a practice for better body image in 10 seconds​

❤️ Here are 5 questions for better body image​

Exploring your own body story is an important part of healing body image, too.

I’d love to guide you to explore yours a bit, if you’re open to that today. If so, I encourage you to grab a pen & paper, proceeding with compassion and curiosity for yourself.

When you think back to your childhood, what were the comments, stories, or messages you received about bodies – yours & other people’s? These experiences most likely included family/care givers and medical providers (like a pediatrician).

Did any of those thoughts stick with you, repeated, ultimately turning into body beliefs?

What about in your adolescence and teenage years? During this time, experiences with peers and media can become prominent, as well.

Did any of those thoughts stick with you, repeated, ultimately turning into body beliefs?

Finally, what about adulthood? This may be a time when experiences with social media and co-workers contributed to your inner body narrative.

Did any of those thoughts stick with you, repeated, ultimately turning into body beliefs?

Releasing judgment and embracing compassionate curiosity: what is the story you’re telling yourself about your body? How does that story feel for you?

Understanding your body story is an important place to start! We can only reframe our thoughts in a meaningful way when we begin with compassionate awareness.

Yes, reframing our thoughts about bodies can be challenging work. And, it’s absolutely necessary if you desire to create new body beliefs.

What is the story you truly want to write about your body?

What thoughts, if repeated, might help you to write a new chapter in your body story?

Write it all down as you let yourself really explore this.

Perfection is a limiting belief and one of the most common ways perfectionism shows up is an all-or-nothing mindset!​​​​​​​​
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All-or-nothing thinking can keep you trapped in a cycle of unrealistic expectations, exhaustion, and failure. It can disconnect you from how you feel, what you need, and the present moment. It can cause you to miss out on a lot of the goodness of everyday life. And, often, it creates a false belief that your worth is dependent on meeting the expectations or following the particular rules. ​​​​​​​​

I could talk to you forever about releasing perfection. Like…

💌 Thoughts on perfection as a limiting belief here​

💌 How to release the made up rules (via one of my favorite practices) that keep us trapped in an all-or-nothing mindset here​

💌 How “high standards” can actually self-sabotage growth here​

💌 A powerful question to ask in any moment to open up your mind when you’re feeling stuck in perfection here​

💌 & Letting Go of Leo: How I Broke Up with Perfection (a memoir about overcoming a decades long struggle with feeling like I wasn’t enough) here​

Yet, no matter how much I share about this topic, there always seems to be more to dig into, explore, and practice.

If you’ve ever had a situation (I know I have 🙋🏻‍♀️🙋🏻‍♀️🙋🏻‍♀️) where you feel like you’ve fallen short, messed up, or things didn’t go the way you had hoped, you may be familiar with the perfectionist spiral and feelings of failure that can follow.

Today, I want to be there for you in that moment by sharing three questions that you can ask yourself.

These three questions will help you to shift from the “fixed” all-or-nothing mindset into a place of growth, where you have permission to embrace your beautifully imperfect self.

First, what do I want to celebrate about this experience?

Perhaps you tried something new, spoke from the heart, or made an effort toward something that matters deeply to you. See if there’s something you want to celebrate and take a moment to acknowledge yourself!

Second, what did I discover here?

I love the saying, “there’s no such thing as failure, only feedback.” What’s the feedback here? What did you learn?

Third, what do you want to try differently next time based on this experience?

Create an empowered path forward that honors your lived experience. Make the next step possible for you here.

If you practice these questions, I’d love to hear how they shift your thoughts, perfective, and experience.

After the big UNMEASURED bday bundle sale, I wanted to give your inbox a rest. That rest turned into an unintentional emailing sabbatical.

I’m genuinely happy to be here with you now, sipping coffee, and sharing from the heart.

In a way, the unintentional sabbatical is very aligned with my “approach” to sharing this year: don’t say something just to say it.

Say it because you feel it deeply, truly mean it, or are so excited you couldn’t possibly hold it in.

Today, I’m sharing because of all of the above.

Almost one year ago, my professional life took a turn I did not see coming. It was a total out-of-nowhere surprise to my brain (and my life). It was not, however, a surprise to my intuition. In fact, she felt it coming for a good bit of time, softly preparing me for the change.

In the early summer of last year, I got a DM about an opportunity. Truth be told, I thought the DM was an invite to be on a friend of a friend’s podcast. It quickly became clear that what I thought was going to be a chat about how to eat intuitively was actually the first of many interviews for a new role at a brand new health care startup (spoiler alert: it’s one I’ve now been in for 10 months 🤯).

I didn’t see that plot twist coming!

And yet, I definitely felt it.

For more than a year before this opportunity was on my radar, I kept having this deep down “knowing” that I would be part of a team. I’d mention the feeling to Tim multiple times a week.

It wouldn’t go away but I also couldn’t figure out how it would be realized. I kept saying, “isn’t that strange? How would that even happen?”

Sometimes we know something without knowing how that something will actually happen yet. It’s ok to rest in this “not yet” place.

I’ve been a solopreneur for close to a decade. During this time, I’ve loved to partner and collaborate with others on projects. Without a doubt, those are the most fulfilling and cherished parts of my entrepreneurial experience.

But, at the end of the day, I always felt fully responsible for “my” business.

There were seasons in my life when I loved that feeling and I thrived on it! But when COVID hit, something subtle changed. Was it the isolation? Was it the unknown? Was it navigating motherhood with two small children during a pandemic? Something else? All of the above?

I honestly can’t say, but I do know that something(s) planted the seed and I started to know, “I’m going to be part of a team, even if I have no idea how this will happen.”

Co-creating with others has always been one of the most energizing things for me. To hear people’s perspectives, to watch an idea or vision evolve because of their unique gifts, to feel “in it together” — I love it. It’s why I love to co-create a life with Tim, why I love to co-create energy with our beautiful community in UNMEASURED, and why I’ve loved to partner on professional projects with dear friends.

And, it’s also why when I finally figured out that the DM was a chance to be part of a small team co-creating something amazing together, it felt both out-of-nowhere and also meant to be.

It was a real mental rollercoaster deciding whether or not to say “yes” to this opportunity and in the end, my “yes” was fully rooted in the permission I gave myself to choose: me.

I know that choosing yourself can feel scary, selfish, or a departure from your identity (if “who you are” is wrapped up in caring for others). Or, at least, I know it can be all of those things for me.

Each of those presents an opportunity to go inward, get to know yourself more deeply, and decide what is right for you. The resistance to choosing yourself can be an opportunity to re-learn how to in the first place.

Today, I want to share a few things that helped me. I share these in the hopes they will also help you to choose YOU, too — no matter how small or big the moment of choice is.

👏 Confidence 👏

To me, confidence can be summed up in one word: trust. I had to ground into my self-confidence over and over again during this decision-making period.

I had the amazing opportunity to dive deep on the topic of confidence with two of my dearest friends, Whit & Steph, on their amazing podcast Capture Your Confidence (click here to tune in 🎧).

Could I guarantee what the future would look like? Absolutely not. Could I trust myself to navigate the unknown with a growth mindset, compassion, and openness? 100%. That’s the confidence I rooted into. This podcast episode will take you into the intention, practices, and more of this approach to self-confidence.

I hope you’ll listen to our chat and let me know what resonates with you.

❤️ Compassion ❤️

The ongoing practice of self-compassion has completely transformed my inner dialogue, the way I navigate life, and my relationship with myself. I don’t say that to be dramatic… it truly has. It was with me every step of the way to say “yes” to myself in this situation.

I’ve been sharing a lot about self-compassion on social media lately. These are some posts that can support you if self-compassion is a practice that you’re, well, practicing!

✨ a starting place for self-compassion: questions to ask your inner critic

✨ a breakdown of the three components of self-compassion​

✨ my favorite self-compassion exercise​

✨ what self-compassion actually sounds like​

Let me know what comes up for you when you work through these posts!

💕 Care 💕

If choosing yourself feels selfish, this might be a beautiful time to re-write the story you’re telling yourself about your own needs. I really leaned into this opportunity during my decision-making time. It helped me to feel more connected to myself and find clarity.

Want to make this shift in your own relationship with yourself? I was so grateful to get to chat with Holly about self-care on her inspiring podcast Crush the Rush (click here to tune in 🎧). We talk all about releasing perfection, navigating resistance to your own needs, and honoring your mind and body.

Caring for myself in small, daily ways has helped me to shift my internal dialogue around my needs — from selfish to essential. I’d love you to listen to our chat here and let me know what you needed to hear the most!

I truly hope these three practices, and the resources I shared, will offer you support and encouragement today.

What does all this mean for our little corner of the internet?

I’ll continue to show up here for you in three main ways:

✨ In UNMEASURED! I love supporting our beautiful with joyful, intuitive movement. If you’re not in UNMEASURED yet, you can grab a free 7-day trial here.

✨ Via email! I love writing to you here. My plan is to sit down once (ish) a month to write you something heartfelt and substantial. I look forward to continuing to connect!

✨ On Instagram! I’ve never enjoyed IG more than I am right now. You can follow along with me here if you’d like.

I hope you’ll hit reply and let me know which feels most important in your relationship with yourself today: Confidence, compassion, or care?

Years ago, when I traded my food rules for intuitive eating, I also traded my January 1 resolutions (which were always about losing weight) for a different ritual. This ritual is something that’s allowed me to feel more in tune with my values, hopes, and dreams.

I started taking the first week (or more) of the new year to reflect on the past 12 months, reconnect with myself, and set thoughtful intentions for the year to come. Rather than forcing goals on January 1, I ease into the year.

During that first week or so of the year, I journal about it all. I love to look back on my notes from the year before! It’s always so special to see the twists-and-turns, the evolution, and those moments that the me from a year ago never could have imagined.

A few years ago, Tim started to join me. He and I both do this privately and then come together to share, learning how we can support one another individually, and get excited about what we will get to do together.

If you’re ready to ease into 2022 intentionally…

I’ve been creating something for you this entire month, to guide you from 2021 to 2022: A collection of IG stories (saved to my highlights) that you can think of it like a mini workshop that you can explore in your own time.

Grab a journal, cozy up, and tune in here:

• The power in the way you get to a destination here​
• Recognize the positive intention here​
• Focus on what is here​
• Healing + growth that’s for you here​
• Fear vs. love here​
• What’s one thing you’d change today here​
• No such thing as perfect here​
• Ask why here​
• Notice the micro moments here​
• It’s ok to NOT here​
• Lessons from the first year band here​

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And, here are the exact questions I ask myself as part of my new year ritual:

• To reflect on the past year here
• To set intentions for the year ahead here 

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They are wonderful to do solo, or to share with someone you love!

As you reflect on 2021 + set your intentions for 2022, I’d love to hear what’s on your heart!

Thank you for being here with me in 2021! I can’t wait for the moments we will get to share in 2022 (I have something special coming in February… stay tuned).

Happy new year!

Tis the season of the cutest thing ever, which was Osh’s holiday concert at school last week.

We got to see his sweet little class sing Christmas Carols together, and I thought my heart might melt out of my body.

Since his holiday concert included the whole school, we also saw the older kiddos in the band perform.

Seeing those band kids on stage brought back so many memories for me. Any other band kids out there? I played the alto sax, and being part of band was a huge part of my growing up experience.

The band teacher was so intentional in sharing what each class was working on within each piece they performed. When the first-year band kids took the stage, she shared how foundational this year was for them. The kids learned essential skills, like how to hold their instruments and how to practice.

I was so inspired by their courage to try and learn something new. I may or may not have cried a few happy tears.

When they played, it was clear they were not masters of their craft. And, when the teacher explained what they’d been working on, it was even clearer that the music they were making was magical in its own way.

The new year is just around the corner, so you may be starting to set your intentions, make goals, or pick a word of the year.

Psst, in next week’s email, I’ll share with you exactly how I tackle “new year resolutions” and offer some ideas that you can weave into your process.

As you prepare to embark on something new – whether speaking to yourself with compassion, eating intuitively, moving with more joy, setting boundaries, healing your relationship with your body, or something else – think of yourself like those kids in the first-year band.

Do you want to be masterful at the flute or trombone (or whatever your version of this is)? I’m sure!

But first, you’ve got to learn the foundational skills that will carry you there.

You’ve got to learn how to hold your instrument and practice.

Being inspired by the process instead of only the destination is pretty amazing. I’ll be over here, in awe of your courage to try and learn something new. Celebrating you every step of the way!

The benefits of an intuitive relationship with movement are pretty awesome. Decreased anxiety, deeper mind-body connection, increased muscle strength, improved body image, better sleep, improved health markers, and more?

Sign me up!

My love for helping you experience a more joyful, intuitive relationship with exercise (and all these awesome benefits along with it) is why I created UNMEASURED.

A great step towards creating an intuitive relationship with movement is to RELEASE THE RULES.

Many people are walking around with a bunch of movement “rules” that were consciously and subconsciously picked up from diet culture messaging. These “rules” are the requirements you’d have to hit to feel like movement “counts.”

Things that commonly come up when clients share these rules with me are:

• Must workout for a certain length of time
• Must exercise in specific ways
• Must move a certain number of days per week
• Must hit a certain heart rate
• Must break a sweat
• Must burn a certain number of calories
• Must feel sore afterward

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Psst… here are some signs that you might be experiencing some of these rules around movement: you have fear or guilt around not working out, even if you’re injured. Your movement is tied to what you eat (i.e., you exercise to “make up for” something you ate), using exercise as a way to control the way your body looks or to try to fix your body. You avoid movement because it feels impossible to keep up with all the things you “should” do.

Now is a great time to check in with the rules or shoulds you’ve picked up about exercise along the way.

Here’s why…

First: Movement rules can keep you from exploring forms of movement that you actually enjoy!

Back in the day, my movement rules kept me from my two current favorite forms of movement: barre and walking (not “intense enough” and didn’t “burn enough calories”).

Anything coming to mind for you that your rules hold you back from enjoying?

Releasing the rules makes more space for enjoyment, which is a central component to an intuitive relationship with movement.

Second: Movement rules can keep you stuck in an all-or-nothing mindset around movement.

Have you ever had the feeling that you need to follow all the rules or… what’s the point? I.E.., If you can’t get to a 60-minute sweaty cardio class, why move at all? Nothing else is good enough!

When you let go of the rules and open up your expectations around movement, you can live in what I like to call the ‘nice place in between.’

Movement doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing. It doesn’t have to be a sweaty hour or nothing at all. It can be a stroll around the park, a 20-minute barre class with me here, or a dance fest in your kitchen!

Third: Movement rules can trigger guilt + shame!

If you’ve got all these rules that define ‘success’ in terms of movement and then you don’t or can’t follow them perfectly all the time (and honestly… who can?!), how does it make you feel?

Like a failure? And when you feel like you’ve failed, does it bring up guilt? Shame? Feelings of not being good enough?

Do you beat yourself up? Commit to a plan to ‘make up for it’ tomorrow? Google how to have more willpower (FYI, I used to do this ALL. THE. TIME.)? Does it impact your food choices? Influence how you see yourself?

I’ve seen so many situations where the rules have been a catalyst for self-bashing. And, I’ve never seen a situation where it actually ended in someone taking better care of herself.

The thoughts (and then feelings) that not being able to follow movement rules bring up can be devastating!

Lastly: Movement rules are the antithesis of flexibility.

What your body needs at this moment, what your lifestyle allows at this moment, what you’re craving at this moment, what you enjoy at this moment, what you have access to at this moment, what your priorities are at this moment are NOT static.

As humans – we are always changing! An intuitive relationship with movement supports that.

Movement is a way to take care of yourself, which means it’s got to be able to change as your body and life do, too. If you’ve got all these rules around what ‘counts,’ there isn’t much room for flexibility.

Remember: It all counts because in the end, nobody is counting.

What rules, shoulds, pressures, and/or expectations around movement (i.e.. “what counts”) are you currently internalizing or experiencing?

Let me know what comes up for you when you do some rule reflecting + releasing!
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If you’re in the US, it’s Thanksgiving week. Maybe you love this holiday, maybe it’s challenging for you, maybe it’s both and.

Whatever you’re feeling as we head into Thanksgiving (and navigate the holiday season, in general), here are some loving holiday reminders for you:

>> Your body needs energy! Food is such a gift: giving our bodies the energy it needs. I hope this gentle reminder will help you if food feels tough for your right now.

>> Giving thanks — this time of year and always — is a powerful practice. Gratitude has been scientifically proven to decrease anxiety, increase wellbeing, reduce stress, enhance sleep, improve body image, and more. What are you thankful for today? Take a moment to really connect with those heartfelt feelings of appreciation and gratitude.

>> Consider this your permission slip to experience pleasure. How can you prioritize your pleasure this holiday season? What would taste good? Feel good? What would support you to really enjoy the moments? Sometimes a small shift in mindset or perspective can make all the difference.

>> Don’t forget to check-in with what you need! Perhaps you’re traveling or hosting this year. Maybe the calendar feels wild with school schedules, work schedules, holiday gatherings, and more. It’s easy to get swept up in it all and forget to ground into yourself: what do you need more or less of?

If you’re craving some celebratory movement that can go anywhere with you + flexibly fit into the holiday season, I’ve got you covered:

You can Grab your UNMEASURED 7-day free trial here !

Wishing you a happy Thanksgiving, if you’re celebrating this week! I’m grateful everyday for the opportunity to connect with you here.

Over on IG, I’ve been doing a morning story series called “Coffee In The Car Chat.” I even sing my own theme song (I’m sorry, and you’re welcome).

Most morning this month, I’m sharing what I hope will feel supportive to you during the final month of 2021 and the transition into the new year.

A whole new year? That’s a big transition! I think big transitions deserve big intention.

I’ve been saving them all to my IG story highlights, which you can watch here anytime.

Today, I want to share one of the messages here with you:

So many of us have developed a hypervigilant approach to navigating our lives. Hypervigilance can present in many ways, including people-pleasing, perfection, and constant worrying that people are mad at you.

I would know because witnessing, comforting, and healing the part of myself that feels the need to be hypervigilant is something I’ve worked diligently on within myself over the past decade.

If you experience a version of this, then today’s message is for you.

As you think about the intentions (or goals or resolutions, whatever word resonates with you) you may want to set in the new year:

Be conscious of the moments when you’re so focused on outrunning what you’re afraid might happen that you miss out on enjoying + appreciating the very real things that already are.

Sometimes the most powerful intention you can set is to choose to be here now. The small micro moments of shifting from fear to love can really add up.

Months ago, I started a new weekday morning routine.

I wake up at 5 am, make coffee, and do an UNMEASURED barre class. With the colder weather, a fire in the fireplace has also become part of this little pre-sunrise ritual.

This consistent practice was born from a true need and also a deep desire for solo time before the day turns “on.”

Like yours, my days are full. They are full of holding space for others, like my kids and my clients. They are full of connecting with people on social media, my husband, friends, and family. They are full of making snack plates and folding laundry and coordinating schedules and wondering how that room I just picked up is somehow not picked up five minutes later. They are full of creating content and crafting responses and dreaming + planning for what’s next while also trying to be here now.

I both needed and desired something that was for me before replying to those texts, before comforting that tantrum, before answering those questions, before writing that post.

I needed + desired a chance to hold space for myself, to connect with myself, to create trust with myself, to be here now with myself before the rest of the world. It’s been so nourishing.

And, I’m also reminded of a time — in what feels almost like a past life — where I’d set my alarm early to move my body that felt differently. A time when it felt punishing, obsessive and rigid.

So, what’s different now?

What makes consistency shift from being obsessive + rigid to supportive + nourishing?

You can experience consistency without rigidity! Here’s how…

First, start with your intention

What is your intention for this consistent practice? Is it to nourish yourself? To care for yourself? To act lovingly toward yourself?

Or is the intention based in control, manipulation, “fixing” yourself, perfectionism, or to prove your enoughness?

Consistency without rigidity is rooted in connection, not control.

Second, make it flexible!

Change is an inevitable part of the human experience. We aren’t robots, and we can’t expect ourselves to operate within a robotic schedule. Embracing flexibility within a consistent practice is essential for releasing rigidity.

There are absolutely days when I do not get up at 5 am (like yesterday, for example) or when I do get up at 5 am but choose to do something other than taking a barre class.

The next tip will help you to navigate the flexibility within your routine!

Third, trade judgment for curiosity

Curiosity is one of the greatest pathways to connection. So how do you connect with what you need? By asking! And then listening to the wisdom that follows.

Rather than judging yourself, be curious. What do you need more or less of? What’s going well? What’s no longer working? Where are you feeling resentful? How do you want to feel?

These are all questions I ask myself regularly, and they help me navigate flexibly within my morning routine.

Last, practice self-compassion

​I’ve got an entire post on self-compassion here.

Self-compassion will renew your experience with consistency, as it will with most experiences in life.

Where are you craving some nourishing consistency in your life?