Happy November!
November is my birth month, and arriving at this time of year always feels especially meaningful to me. I naturally find myself reflecting on all that has transpired over the past year, the ways I've grown, the challenges I've navigated, and the pieces of myself that are still evolving.
And this year, there seems to be an especially potent invitation to look within.
For those of you who follow astrology, you may be aware of the significant planetary retrograde activity we've been experiencing.
While I'm certainly not an astrologer, I do follow the movements of the planets and moon cycles, finding insight and a deeper trust in the unfolding in recognizing that there are rhythms and forces much bigger than ourselves.
Whether astrology resonates with you or not, perhaps you've been feeling some of this too.
Old patterns resurfacing. Relationships being questioned. Familiar ways of being no longer feeling quite right.
A sense that something is shifting, even if you can't quite put your finger on what it is.
October was intense.
I know it was for me, and I've heard similar reflections from so many women.
And now, as we enter November, I keep coming back to one word.
INTEGRATION.
What do we actually do with everything that's been stirred up, revealed, challenged, and perhaps even transformed within us?
How do we allow these experiences to settle into our bodies, our bones, and our nervous systems so that they become more than just another chapter in our stories?
Because here's something I've come to understand through nearly 30 years of tending to my own healing and evolution:
Awareness alone does not create transformation.
We can recognize our patterns, understand our stories, and see with startling clarity what is no longer serving us.
But if we don't consciously integrate those realizations into how we live, move, relate, and respond, we often find ourselves right back in the same familiar territory.
This is where embodiment becomes so essential.
And it is generally not a comfortable experience.
There can be tremendous uncertainty in the in-between. When the old ways no longer fit, but the new ways haven't quite taken shape. When we know something has changed within us, but we're still learning how to live from that new place.
To me, it is a rebirthing.
And birth, as we know, is messy, emotional, unpredictable, beautiful, and profoundly transformative. We don't emerge from a birth experience and immediately know how to navigate an entirely new existence.
We need time. Compassion. Patience. Trust.
I recognize that this language and way of moving through life may feel foreign to some of you. As a Scorpio and someone who has spent much of my adult life exploring the depths of the human experience, it's familiar territory for me. But familiar doesn't mean easy, and I certainly don't have it all figured out.
I'm right here in the midst of it, too.
So perhaps, rather than trying to make sense of everything or rushing toward whatever comes next, we can give ourselves permission to simply be with what is unfolding.
As the days grow shorter and we move further into the darkness of the season, what if we allowed ourselves to slow down enough to actually feel what's happening within us?
Maybe that looks like getting up a little earlier to sit in meditation as the sun rises. Writing without an agenda. Taking long walks among the trees.
Breathing deeply and allowing a full exhale to soften the places we've been holding tight.
There is a time for doing, for moving forward, for initiating change.
And there is a time for slowing down, listening inward, and allowing our experiences to settle into our bodies and our lives.
Not all transformation is visible. Some of the most profound shifts happen quietly, from within.
Trust the wisdom of your body, the intelligence of your heart, and your capacity to navigate the unknown.
A Little Retreat News!
I also want to take a moment to share how profoundly moved I was by our recent fall women's retreat at SageStone Adventure Lodge in Twin Lakes, Colorado.
There was something so beautiful about the women who gathered, the depth of connection, the laughter, the vulnerability, and the transformations that unfolded.
The venue itself was so welcoming and seamless that I've decided to return for TWO retreats in 2027!
April 30 – May 2, 2027
Rising Into Self in Community: A Women's Retreat for Embodied Renewal
October 8 – 10, 2027
Falling Into Self in Community: An Embodied Women's Retreat
Registration will officially open soon, but deposits are welcome now for those who already know they'd like to join us. Space is limited to just 10 women per retreat.