This is the part of the CYCLE that I share a prompt and we open discussion. I share mine and you share yours :)

The prompt:

Where did you learn to make yourself smaller? Not when, WHERE. The someone who taught you. Or the room that showed you. Or maybe it was a moment.

I’ll go first because I’m not asking you to go anywhere I won’t and this is the connection thread.

I was in seventh grade, 12 or 13 at the time, when our family dog passed away. It was traumatic and it lived in my body for years. That was the first time I understood that love and grief are the same thing wearing two faces and I had no idea what to do with knowing it.

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I have spent so much time …. planning and writing the classes, coordinating and booking the spaces, creating the graphics, posting on my scheduling website, sharing on the socials, answering messages…..

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Full moon in Aquarius today… and it’s on the same day the sun meets Jupiter in the sign of Leo. This is significant as it is the first time in 12 years since this alignment. It is also considered the luckiest day of the year.

To fill you in on the energy of Jupiter…

It takes about 12 years to circle the whole sky, which means it only comes back around to the same place roughly once a decade. So when it meets the Sun in a particular sign, think of it like an anniversary. It hands you back a moment from 12 years ago and says: look what you were building then. Look what you’ve become since.

Whew. So I looked.

Twelve years ago I had just moved back to my hometown, as a family of four, married with toddlers under three, an online fitness business, in the best shape of my life. From the outside, it looked complete. A young family, freshly planted, everything in motion. And it was real and it was the life I knew how to want at the time.

But a lot can happen in 12 years…

The marriage dissolved in 2019. The babies are teenagers now. The fitness business… someone else’s program, sold through someone else’s system… became something I don’t do anymore. And the town I planted myself in, the one that once felt like coming home… no longer feels like home.

Everything that once looked complete, I’ve outgrown.

And it’s right on time, aligned. As always, when we are willing to look a little deeper and a little higher.

So to the skies… this full moon is the release… it helps you set down the version of your life that doesn’t fit anymore, the container you’ve grown too big for. But the Sun meeting Jupiter, that rare golden meeting, is the reach. It’s not asking me to rebuild what I had 12 years ago. It’s showing me that every single thing that was borrowed or decent or good-enough back then gets to become fully, truly mine this time- by choice, and by feel, instead of by default.

The rented house wants to become a home I actually chose. and the house I’m in no longer feels like home either. The marriage that I was settled in and for wants to become the real thing. Someone else’s program wanted to become my own voice…. the words you’re reading right now, the work I finally put my own name and my own price on. The town I landed in wants to become a place I picked on purpose.

Same light. Twelve years later. Completely different life underneath it.

And here’s the part I keep circling back to, the part that’s easy to miss under all the “luckiest day” noise. Jupiter isn’t sitting in the house of the grand escape. In my chart it’s in the house of the everyday — the body, the daily work, the ordinary reps. Which means the expansion doesn’t come from the big external change I keep aching for. It comes from what I actually do, in my own body, in my own craft, right where I still am… even while I’m still here, still in the town, still in the in-between. The luck is in the daily doing. It always has been.

So I’ll ask you what I’ve been asking myself.

Think back about 12 years.

• Who were you?

• What were you building?

• What looked complete then that you’ve quietly outgrown since?

And then….

• Where in your life right now is there something that you may be settling for that’s asking to become fully, truly yours?

You don’t have to have the answer in this moment. Just think of it as being willing to set down the version you’ve outgrown and as we say in yoga, find your edge……reach just a little further than is comfortable for the true answer…

So today, that’s the assignment:

Release the container.

Reach for what’s real, true and yours.

And then, say it out loud.

This is the Aquarius moon talking - you were never meant to build the true version of your life alone.

And know that I am reaching too. Right alongside you.

Under the same golden light of the sun….and moon…

Release the need to be understood by everyone. Give yourself permission to be seen.

Call in courage. Authenticity. Community. Purpose.

Now I want to hear you. Who were you twelve years ago — and what are you finally ready to make truly yours? Tell me in the comments. One word or the whole story, both are welcome. I read every one.

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And if someone you love is standing in their own in-between right now, send this to them. Sometimes permission travels better secondhand.

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And if you’re ready to actually practice it — to bring the releasing and the reaching into your body, not just your journal — that’s what I’ve built inside The Unbound Cycle. It’s my monthly membership: a somatic practice, field notes, a shared prompt, and a live circle each month, all around one theme. This month we’re on Taking Up Space. If that’s the edge you’re standing at, come find your ground with us. 🌕

The Back of You - Taking Up Space

There’s a version of you that’s taking up space and it’s all up front. The seen, the performing. The expansiveness and the breath. Chin up and shoulders down. Walking in like you own the room and the space. I teach it. I live it. It also photographs beautifully and it makes sense. But it only lasts as long as the class or the shoot or the prompt does.

The body knows the difference between performing and having it. The place it keeps the truth is behind you. The part you can’t see. It’s where we brace. So today, we start at the back body, breathing in to that space and taking up space. Widening. We can’t take up space, ask for what we deserve, say the true thing, or let ourselves be seen when we are bracing and holding. Today is an awareness, a permission to give yourself space. To take up space. Movement but not asana. Notice then ground. Here’s the practice: (listen below)

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But I know that it’s time. Every part of me is saying it’s time. And I don’t believe those old stories.

So I’m going to speak it and I’m going to speak it plainly.

And now that I feel aligned with the stars ;) I’m going for it. Mercury has shifted out of retrograde and I feel the Leo energy, shining, stepping into my life and let’s GOOOOO energy.

I am turning on my paid subscriptions.

No big deal, right? Well, to me, it really is… because what this does is it makes this path REAL. I’ve been dodging what I know I am meant to do out of fear but now it’s go time. For the cost of a cup of coffee, $8, I’ll be sharing more here than ever. It’s getting real, y’all.

What stays free:

At least one weekly essay plus all the notes and musings.

Everything I’ve already published stays open and available.

You receive. I appreciate you for that. I appreciate the time you’ve spent here; it encourages me to share more and connect more.

What I’m building:

The weekly essays are what I think. But thinking has never been the thing that changed me. What changed me was the action… the movement… the practice… the slow, unglamorous, deeply inconvenient work of getting back into the body and soul. No one can write their way out of self abandonment. It requires DOING something; movement, rituals, real somatic work and alignment until the nervous system believes you.

That’s what I build here and that’s my work - that’s what the paid tier is for.

And here’s what actually changes: You begin catching the yes before it leaves your mouth. You speak the no when necessary. You notice where you brace and when. You feel a boundary in your body before you have the words for it. You stop asking whether you’re allowed to take up room and start noticing what it feels like when you do. Recognition in your own body.

The Unbound Cycle:

Each month is built around one theme, and moves through four weeks:

Week One: The Practice

A practice built around the month’s theme, written + audio so you can close your eyes and be led. The work: boundaries in the body, emotions and taking up space. It’s movement, but not just or always a stretch. Embodiment.

Week Two: Field Notes

The real, the raw. What I’m noticing and what keeps showing up. Unpolished and real. My way of seeing, my perspectives, so you can widen your own. Expansion.

Week Three: The Thread

A prompt and my honest answer to it. Then yours. This is the communication. You, me and this community open discussions and connecting. community > content

Week Four: The Circle

Once a month, one hour, live and together in community circle. Practice, prompts, conversation, movement if needed. This is the integration. Recorded for anyone not able to make it, but highly encouraged to attend to experience the energy.

What lands in your inbox:

One free essay a week for everyone, plus one Unbound Cycle a week for paid members. When you have the app and follow me, you’ll also receive access to my notes and postings for you to interact with as you feel led.

Paid subscribers also receive:

• The full Unbound Cycle archive - practices, notes, audios, recordings - always available for you

• First pick at new offerings and special discounts off everything I offer - coaching/empowerment sessions, portrait sessions and future offerings

Which means the subscription pays for itself the first time you say yes to something.

What it costs:

$8 a month - like a fancy cup of coffee!

$77 a year - better value, paid all at once

$200 - Founding Member … for those of you who are all in. Plus a 60 minute private virtual empowerment session with me. (normally $111). I have 5 spots for this.

Why now:

At this moment, there are over 800 beautiful humans here. And I want to offer more than an essay to those of you who are still here.

And above everything: I have two teenage daughters watching my every move. It matters to me that they see a woman not flinch when she follows her intuition and names her worth.

Thirteen years of teaching, three published books and multiple journals, years of training and certifications and a ton of lived experience… I’m finally ready to share from my soul instead of from what I think is the “right way” to do things.

One of the things I teach is this: you’re allowed to want, to ask, and to receive without paying it back in guilt. I get to do that too. It’s what I’ve struggled with my whole life, and I’m doing it here, in front of you, on purpose.

Everything is energy. I pour mine into all of it, and I want you to feel it — that exchange is the whole thing.

I want to keep doing this - writing, sharing, teaching, holding space, speaking, connecting, creating, it is literally my life’s path and purpose and to keep doing this in this capacity, it is necessary to take it to the next level.

Subscribe now

SOOO I’m asking you…

If anything on these pages has ever landed for you, or if you’ve been in circle or in class with me over the last 13 years — come with me. Let’s do this.

And if not, I honor exactly where you are. Stay here. Stay free. Stay close. I’m not going anywhere, and I’ll be in your inbox every week either way.

We begin Monday, July 27th with the first Practice.

The theme is Taking Up Space: Ground — because you can’t take up space you aren’t standing in. We start at the floor, in the feet, in the weight of you. Everything else builds from there.

I can’t wait to see where this takes us.

Thoughts, reflections, stories, requests — comment, reply, share. I want your voice in this too. You’re welcome here. You belong here. I’m so grateful for you.

Blessings, love & much gratitude,

Amy | The Unbound Mama

New Moon in Cancer: Mood and Musings

Oh boy. There’s so much, and I don’t know where to begin.

So I’ll begin where I actually began today.

Journaling and card pulls, meditation, coffee, the birds singing and a bit of a breeze before the humidity took over like a wet blanket. A bit later, I walked around one of the lakes in our small town, just over a mile, enjoying the sights and sounds and fresh air.

Then I came home and vacuumed and mopped the entire house then saged the entire space… rituals I do every full moon and every new moon, complete with Abundance essential oil in the mop water. Since I was already sweaty and motivated (amazing how movement creates momentum;)) I did a 20 minute full body workout with weights and sweat more than I have in months. Releasing… and it felt so good and was so necessary.

If you know my story, you may remember that weights are what started my whole “journey.” Well, it was the first stop I suppose. I have always been active and never stagnant but when my youngest was eight months old and I was dark and deep in postpartum depression and anxiety, I was desperate to get my life back so I could mother my “two under two” daughters. Oh, that and build a business and work full time. I was a mess, overwhelmed and didn’t know where to turn. I always come back to my daughters - they saved me and continue to. I gave them life, yes, but they are the reason I keep fighting, keep going, and keep reaching for an expansive, intentional and present life for the three of us.

Anyway, when I get off track with the lifting, I feel it everywhere. Not just in my body. In how I talk to myself and how much room I think I’m allowed to take up. In how I think I’m stuck but in reality, I’m so not. All I have to do is one rep at a time. One step at a time, one foot in front of the other.

And every time I begin again, I don’t beat myself up. I’m actually really good at giving myself grace; something I have learned to do since that life coach said to me over a decade ago “Amy, you do know you’re human, right?” (at the time, I don’t think I did…) but I do ask the same question: Why did I wait so long to do this?

I’ve asked it about the weights. I’ve asked it about the writing. I’ve asked it about leaving, about asking for what I want out loud, about a hundred small things I put off for years for no reason I could ever name out loud. I asked it again this morning, on the floor of my own living room, sweating, with nobody watching.

You see, for years, I played the part of a chameleon. The one who could walk into a room and fit right in (the truth is, it was torture for me) - I was the one who did all the “right things” and didn’t speak my mind because I might be deemed as difficult or misunderstood. And so years of performing, showing up, accolades, attention, great jobs, etc etc and now, I realize presence is so much more important. Presence in my own body and my own life. So this morning, my body told me to work out. I listened, I didn’t think, I just started. I didn’t wait for permission or applause.

I think that’s the whole point of today’s energy and this new moon in Cancer.

The new moon landed in Cancer this morning - in the dark, before most of us were awake.

Cancer is the only sign the moon rules. This is the one new moon all year where she’s home in her own house and she’s in the dark. What’s this mean: she isn’t performing, she isn’t lighting anything up for anyone. She’s not a chameleon. She’s not trying to fit in or belong. She’s not actively searching or doing. She’s just home.

Mercury is retrograde in Cancer too, sitting right on top of her. Which typically in my own experience is a shit show of things falling apart. In this case, this one’s theme is revisit, review and return. I keep reaching for the same image for this one. A bow and arrow, pulled back, drawn and held, not released. Feeling the tension. Feeling where it’s easy and where it isn’t. Noticing your own grip. And then you rest there, in the pull, without firing.

That’s the assignment. Not a launch. A return.

Because a retrograde asks you to go back and get something before you’re allowed to go forward. And a new moon in Cancer doesn’t ask what you’re building. It asks what you need… which, for most of us, is a question nobody has asked in a very long time.

So if you’re reading these ramblings and can resonate, I’d say, give yourself permission to not rush it tonight. Nothing gets planted in ground that’s never been broken open first. Maybe for me, that’s what the cleaning was. The sweating. The clearing out.

I’m sitting with the questions below and also what home and belonging truly mean to me. And what I have concluded is that home is not a place, it’s a feeling. A knowing. A return to body, mind and soul. A feeling of expansiveness, aliveness, being seen, accepted, but all that begins in my own body… which explains why I felt the need to cleanse my home and space physically and then to move my body. Of course, I did the nurturing things as well - a good meal, time with my daughters and a beautiful conversation with someone I care about.

No performing. No expectations, just the feeling, the pull back, the sitting with and then figuring out what feels the best to plant moving forward.

What do you think - how are you feeling with this one? If you’re not sure but are curious to dive in… check out the prompts below.

The prompts:

1. What do I need in order to feel safe enough to want anything at all?

2. Where do I feel most at home in my own body and where do I feel like a guest?

3. What did being taken care of look like in the house I grew up in? What did I learn to stop asking for?

4. What did I leave behind that I’m being asked to go back for?

5. What am I still waiting for permission to want?

6. What am I planting that no one will see for a long time?

7. Finish the sentence - I am coming home to _______.

That last one is the one that got me.

Because so much of what actually matters is invisible for a long, long time. The kids I’m raising. The book nobody’s read. The life I’m quietly building. There’s no proof yet. There’s no announcement. There’s no one watching.

Reminder: every seed spends it first whole season underground - that isn’t failure. That’s gestation.

Tonight:

Go dark for a while - write down one thing you left behind you’re going back for. Then write down one word for what you’re planting. Fold it up and put it somewhere no one will see it - and leave it there until the full moon. I’ll come back then and share what to do from there ;) Stay tuned. In the meantime, if it feels right, affirm: I go back for what was always mine. I plant it in the dark. And I let it take its time.

You’re allowed to be in a season nobody can see.

I’d love to hear if this resonates with you - comment below or share this post :)

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—

The full prompt version of these monthly posts, plus the somatic sequence and the ritual I use in my circles will be going out to paid subscribers. Paid subscriptions open here on July 24th.

NEW MOON

What it is:

90 minutes online, real women, real conversation, a chance to actually exhale with other women. No performing, no homework, nothing to prepare for. Come as you are and leave feeling refreshed and lighter.

Just like nature, we move in cycles, in seasons, in time… the new moon energy is all about planting intentions and seeds. It’s about slowing down, finding stillness and resting beneath the soil. If you know, you know and you’re feeling the shift and this new moon is about defining what belonging, creating and home is for you toward a more authentic way of being. It’s about remembering and returning. I can’t wait to witness you during this beautiful transit as you define what that feels and looks like for you.

This circle includes intention, grounding, breath work, writing, movement, conversation & witnessing.

No experience required - just being human is experience enough.

Who it’s for:

- For the woman who’s carrying something she hasn’t said out loud yet.

- For the woman who just needs to exhale with people who get it.

- For the woman who’s fine — except when someone actually asks.

- For the woman who’s ready to live her life with intention & heart, not auto-pilot or stress

(if you have ever been in my spaces, you know this, but you can simply be a witness; no pressure to say anything at all. just come as you are and be in the energy of feeling seen, held and witnessed)

When:

Tuesday, July 14th @ 5:30 - 7 p.m. CST

Sliding Scale Energy Exchange: $30 - 45

I have 8 spots available and I am keeping it small on purpose.

Note: no recording will be available, as this is a sacred space and live is where the magic happens!

REGISTRATION is required to receive the zoom link — click the register here button:

REGISTER HERE

all we truly have is now.

and all life really is, is a series of nows.

not yesterday.

not tomorrow.

NOW.

moments.

moments by moments by moments.

we get to choose how we want to feel.

we have the power to choose what we want - in this moment, in this now.

it may take time to materialize, yes, of course, but ultimately what we do, how we act, where we go, how we receive, how we love, how we fear…all of it… comes down to choices we make in the now.

we have the power and when we forget that power, we have nothing because we fail to see that power within and that’s where the work comes in.

sitting still, dealing with it, feeling the emotions (emotions = energy in motion)…finding people who are truly in your corner with your highest good in mind and who have your back…

moments of connecting with a higher power bigger than yourself to remind you just how powerful you are…

you can teach, you can’t fix, you must just be and witness.

and choose.

it’s in those moments that we realize we are powerful.

may we remember.

-@theunboundmama

This is a voice note I left myself this morning on the way to teach my yoga class.

I have amazing humans in my life… every day we share quotes and inspiration and astrology and thoughts and feelings and all the things. This morning was no different. Today began with a quote about being in the now… and how that’s really all there is.

Then as I was driving, the above came through to me and as I’m sharing it here, I trust the right human will find it and read it and it will help them remember.

Happy Monday musings… from my soul to yours….and I hope you have a beautiful day and week of moments that remind you and help you remember…

you are powerful

you are significant

you matter

and

you get to choose.

Be blessed & unbound,

Amy | The Unbound Mama

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If you’ve been in a season of doors… perhaps some slamming, perhaps some cracking open with ease… I hope this helps you feel less alone in it.

I would love to know…what door are you standing in front of right now? Share below…

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It’s been almost a year since I recorded a podcast.

I’m not really sure what happened…

Well, actually I do. Life happened. I fell back into old patterns - the ones where I make myself smaller, forget to use my voice, say yes when I mean no and no when I mean yes. I teach this work and yet I still disappear into it sometimes. That’s the human in me… and if you are human too, keep reading because that’s what this post is about.

I am here, writing this now because I have spent over a decade learning what to do when the truth bubbles up …in the eyes, the soul, the body, the mat, the car, the unexpected moments, the page… and I know that the only way out is through. And through is a lot easier when you don’t have to go at it alone.

So I’m back. And I’ve been listening to that truth that’s been bubbling and one thing that surfaced is that I needed to begin using my voice again. Not only in the small circles I host and classes I teach, but in a bigger way.

With that said, today, on the longest day of the year, Summer Solstice… I am relaunching The Unbound Mama podcast… except it is now rebranded as “When the Soul Speaks -by The Unbound Mama.”

This is a space and podcast about what happens when women finally feel safe enough to share and tell the real thing. Not the edited and filtered version. The real, the raw, the HUMAN version.

This first episode is my reintroduction. It’s called “Tell Me, I Care… The Sign Across My Forehead.”

Ever since I was little, I have said that I must have a sign across my forehead that people see that says “tell me, I care.” Grocery store clerks, strangers on the streets, family, friends, co-workers, women on yoga mats who came in for the stretch and left with the Namaste” (I actually had a student tell me that one time! True story!:)) They all see the sign on my forehead.

I used to wonder why me and do I really care? And I used to think it was a lot to carry. Now I know that YES, I absolutely care. When I ask how you are, I want to KNOW. I want to hear the real shit. This is a gift and it is what I was made for.

In this episode I talk about:

— The gift that showed up before I understood it
— What it actually means to create safety for truth-telling
— Why I disappeared and what brought me back
— What this podcast is going to be and who it’s for

If you’ve been waiting for a place where it’s safe to finally say the real thing and be witnessed, held, heard, received, seen and felt, then welcome. You’re in the right place.

It’s safe to be seen here. It’s safe to be loved. It’s safe to be held.

Fun fact: I announced Soul Speaks: Her Stories on Winter Solstice (the longest night, planted a seed in the dark… in December) and I’m relaunching this podcast on Summer Solstice (the longest day…full light, maximum visibility…) in June. I didn’t plan that. But I’ve learned to stop being surprised when the timing knows something I don’t. Synchronicity always.

If you are ready to share your story, please reach out to me. Leave a comment, message or email theunboundmama@gmail.com

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My teenagers are still sleeping.

I, however, have been up since 5 a.m. and while I was annoyed at first that I was tired and couldn’t go back to sleep, I am now sitting on my back porch reflecting and counting my blessings. I’m sitting in this quiet that only the coffee and birds understand. The stillness of early summer mornings is soft until it isn’t. My journal, my cards, my Leo, my coffee. I have this. I love this.

And this is what I call my living journal.

Not a diary, not a list of things I am grateful for, though I do focus on gratitude. I realized that my living journal is what happens when I sit and let the morning speak and actually listen. A conversation between me, the birds, the cards, the stars, and God/the Universe. All of it is one to me, all of it connects. Lately, I’ve been digging back into A Course in Miracles and the messages are so beautiful. So divine. And so on time. I’ve also been drawing oracle and tarot …and oh man, are these decks speaking to me. The tools aren’t the point though - I truly believe that everything we need is already within and the tools simply remind us. If we are willing to listen.

This morning’s messages were so clear and undeniable - I’m still reeling a bit.

I opened ACIM and let my hand find the page; to read what lands… today, it was chapter 29, a section called Your Guest Has Come. You asked Him. And He came. You did not hear Him enter, for you did not wholly welcome Him. And yet His gifts came with Him. He has laid them at your feet, and asks you now that you will look on them and take them for your own.

I had to sit with that one.

Because here’s what I know to be true..and maybe you do too. We spend so much energy calling things in. Love, stability, abundance, health, friendships. Creative and purposeful work that sustains us. The life that feels like ours. We ask, we pray, we affirm, we manifest, we vision board, we journal, we do the work. Then the thing arrives. And yet, we don’t fully let it in. Not because we don’t want it, but because we don’t know how to full receive it. And a part of us may not believe that we fully deserve it.

The passage from ACIM says the gifts came anyway. They are already at our feet. The only work left to do is look down and claim them.

I want to share something for you to sit with, just as I am… what have you been asking for that is already here, waiting for you to receive it? Not waiting. Already here, already laid at your feet.

I have also been deep diving back into astrology and tomorrow, Chiron shifts for the first time since 2018. Chiron, the wounded healer, spends about eight years in each sign and wherever it travels, it surfaces old wounds not to reopen them but to finally transform them into wisdom. And tomorrow, it moves from the energy of identity and self-wroth into body, abundance and what we believe we deserve to receive. For these past eight years, the collective wound has been “do I have the right to exist as I am? Do I have the right to take up space, be fierce, be complicated, want things, lead, rest, and to be fully human without justifying it?

(is this resonating???)

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I know in my life 2018 was quite a year, a year of many shifts and changes that were bubbling under the surface that would explode that next year. The way of being was no longer working, but the signs were being ignored.

That’s the invitation of this threshold: to name what you have completed. To give yourself credit for the war you quietly won. To stop carrying the sword.

So the question that surfaced for me and I’m sharing with you is this:

What battle have you finally stopped fighting that you haven’t yet acknowledged?

After sitting with the ACIM passage, I pulled five tarot cards, one for each question I had been sitting with. I wont walk you through every card, but I will share the overall message.

The first card: the battle is over. The second: the gifts are already here, stop floating above them and land. The third: you wholeness is the gift you give. the fourth: claim your worth in the material world, not just the spiritual one. the fifth: two cards…. you body already said yes, your mind is just catching up.

All of this saying the same thing… when this happens, I pay attention. I don’t believe in coincidences. This is the living journal doing what it does.

The last card I drew was from another deck and it was “inspired action.” I literally laughed out loud.

This image is what I keep coming back to.

There is action that comes from fear - away from proving, from effacing, from the anxious need to make things happen before they slip away. and then there is inspired action (I teach this in my guided journal - here) which comes from tuning in, wholeness, from receiving, from the knowing that what is meant for me is already in motion and my job is to move with it rather than ahead of it.

The message: the time is now (something else I keep seeing and hearing in my awareness) Not tomorrow, not when I’m “ready.” No when the fear disappears or the path is perfectly clear. NOW. Here. As I am.

This card came with a ritual and I wanted to share it with you here.

Grab your journal or a piece of paper and draw a circle. In the center, write the thing you are wanting to let into. One thing: the real, the raw, the thing that is living in your chest, your gut, your throat when you think about it. Then draw rays out fro the circle like a sun and on each ray, write one action step, small or large that moves you toward it. Just one per day, or whatever timeline is realistic. One day, one ray at a time.

So this morning, in the quiet, in the still, I had so much movement. Now the coffee mug is empty, my daughters are stirring and the day will shift gears. The conversation I had with my journal and the birds and the cards will live on. I am leaning in, not seeking more, but seeing it clearly enough to receive it.

What is your morning trying to tell you? Are you listening?

If this resonated, share it with a woman who needs to hear it.

And if you have your own living journal practice, I’d love to hear what it looks like for you. Tell me in the comments.

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I know what it looks like when people show up.

I’ve seen it and I have felt it. I’ve witnessed others show up for people I know and love. The texts that flood in, the comments on social media, the food that appears with the knock at the door. The sudden closeness of people who hadn’t called in months. Crisis has a way of pulling people toward you like a current.

It’s beautiful. I mean that.

But I’ve also stood in the aftermath of that kind of showing up and realized that most of those people were gone by the time I was okay again. Don’t get me wrong; it’s not because they’re bad people. Or that it wasn’t needed and appreciated. It was because what we’d built wasn’t really community. It was response.

And response without presence isn’t the same thing as belonging.

“Belonging never asks us to change who we are, it demands us to be who we are.” - Brene Brown

Belonging is someone texting you on a random Tuesday because something reminded them of you. It’s a friend who hears your good news and gets loud and celebrates you. It’s the rooms that make space for your wins the same way it makes room for your grief and crisis because they understand both of them are real and deserve to be witnessed.

I go deep. My kids go deep. We’re not surface-level people, and we never have been. And something that has been on my heart lately is to realize how few people know how to meet us there.

As I was writing this article, I thought to myself, there HAS to be psychology behind why humans are better at crisis than celebration, and there is!

When someone we love is in pain, showing up feels like the natural thing to do. We step into the role of helper, supporter, and a witness to suffering. We know what to bring, what to say and to be honest, as humans, it feels good to be needed. Crisis gives us a job and in turn, it makes us feel useful, connected… virtuous even.

Celebration is harder. And the reason is that it is uncomfortable to sit with it is layered. I reflect on this often, as my work holds rooms for women who are very human, showing up to do the work on their minds, bodies & souls - and that journey can be a lonely and defeating one without true support.

What I know is this…. (and it’s backed by psychologists as well) when someone else wins publicly, visibly or otherwise, it holds up a mirror. And depending on where you are on your own journey, the mirror can be brutal. Psychologists call it freudenfreude (the opposite of schadenfreude: the ability to genuinely share in another person’s joy.) Research suggests it’s actually a skill, and not everyone has developed it.

Because to celebrate someone else fully, you have to be at peace enough with your own journey to not feel diminished by theirs.

I’ll be honest, I didn’t understand why celebrating others wasn’t universal because I’ve never struggled with celebrating other people’s wins. It has always felt easy and natural to me.

I want to be clear, it’s not a character flaw. It’s a wound. And wounds can be healed. People who can’t receive celebration usually can’t give it either…because somewhere along the way they learned that joy was unsafe, temporary, or something that invited loss. So they stay in the struggle, the familiar, the bonding. It doesn’t require them to stretch into a version of themselves they haven’t met yet.

I see freudenfreude (what a fun word to say!) play out in my classes. At the beginning of my classes, I offer a reflections page - it includes simple prompts to help students notice how they feel, what they want to release, carry forward, and what they’re celebrating.

As soon as someone speaks their celebration out loud… “I got out of bed today, I came to class tonight, I put the job application in, I spoke my truth, I cleaned out my closet…” - the room received it and something shifts. I feel it every single time. And it’s beautiful. It’s real. And it’s true.

For me, it’s easy to find something to celebrate; it’s a practice I’ve been building for years - gratitude for the glimmers, magic in the mundane and celebrations abound. For some, it doesn’t come so natural. It may take a moment for them to lean in to the vulnerability of being celebrated… of letting the room hold them and simply receive their joy - because it can actually feel more exposing than sharing suffering. We know how to be held in pain; we don’t always know how to be held in light.

It is similar to a gratitude practice and the science backs it up as well. When we first begin, gratitude is surface level. I’m grateful for my coffee. I’m grateful for sunshine. Which is beautiful of course… it’s a start. But the deeper practice, the one that actually rewires the brain, requires specificity. I’m grateful for the way my daughter laughed this morning. I’m grateful that I trusted myself in that moment even though I was scared. That level of noticing changes your neural pathways. It literally restructures how your brain scans for meaning.

Celebration works the same way. It’s a muscle. And like any muscle, it responds to use. When we practice witnessing our own wins and letting others witness them too, we’re not being self-centered. We are building the capacity to be genuinely present for someone else’s joy. And it’s important because you cannot give what you haven’t practiced receiving.

This is what I want more of. In my classes. In my friendships. In my relationships. In my community.

Not just the casseroles. The confetti.

I’m done waiting for the community I wish I had to appear fully formed. I’m building it. Slowly, intentionally, in the spaces I already tend.

It lives in the circle of women who gather each month for Soul Speaks: Her Stories… who come not because something is broken but because something in them wants to be witnessed. It lives in my Substack, in the messages from people I’ve never met in person who somehow feel closer than neighbors. It lives in the rooms where I teach, where someone nervously names a win and the rest of us lean in like yes, tell us, we want to hear it.

That is community. Not the crisis response.

The everyday. The Tuesday. The I saw this and thought of you. The room that makes space for your grief AND your glory, because it understands that both are sacred, and both deserve to be held.

I go deep. My kids go deep. We always have.

And I spent a long time feeling like that was a problem… like my depth was an inconvenience to people who preferred to keep things light, who only knew how to connect when things fell apart. I used to wonder if something was wrong with me for wanting more. I don’t wonder that anymore. I know now that what I was missing wasn’t community. It was belonging. And belonging isn’t given… it’s grown. In the small moments. In the celebrations no one else thinks to mark. In the practice of turning toward each other in joy, not just in pain.

So here’s what I want to ask you… if you have read this far, I want you to feel this and actually sit with this:

Who shows up on your Tuesdays?

Not when you’re falling apart. Not when you post something vulnerable and the comments flood in. But in the ordinary moments, when nothing is wrong and nothing is needed.

Who sees you anyway?

If you can name them, tell them. Today. Not because it’s a crisis. Because it isn’t.

Because, remember, the confetti matters too.

Also, if you resonate with anything I said here, if you’re looking for more confetti, I feel led to offer this to you:

Tomorrow evening, June 14th, I am leading the first “Come As You Are” virtual women’s circle where we will witness, celebrate, breathe, and make space for all the good.

No matter where you are in the world - register & we meet here:

Sign me up!

“Belonging never asks us to change who we are, it demands us to be who we are.” - Brene Brown

Squirrel moment: I started reading and listening to Brene Brown over a decade ago and I love that she does the research and translates it so simply. I thought of her words as I was writing this article… Check out this short video about belonging and fitting in:

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If this article resonated with you - share with your Tuesday friend <3

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What it is:

90 minutes online, real women, real conversation, a chance to actually exhale with other women. No performing, no homework, nothing to prepare for. Come as you are and leave feeling refreshed and lighter.

This circle includes intention, grounding, breath work, writing, movement, conversation & witnessing. No experience required - just being human is experience enough

Who it’s for:

- For the woman who’s carrying something she hasn’t said out loud yet.

- For the woman who just needs to exhale with people who get it.

- For the woman who’s fine — except when someone actually asks.

(if you have ever been in my spaces, you know this, but you can simply be a witness; no pressure to say anything at all. just come as you are and be in the energy of feeling seen, held and witnessed)

When:
Sunday, June 14th @ 6 p.m. CST

Cost:
$33 - $44 pay what you can

I have 12 spots available and am keeping it small on purpose.

Note: no recording will be available, as this is a sacred space and live is where the magic happens!

Share the love, tag a friend who could benefit too!

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Support is necessary.

Thankfully, I had a ton of support during my darkest moments of that season.. and I know many who are in the middle of the same season right now. I felt very led to share a few resources that helped me through that season of my life.

Codependent No More

Even if you don’t think you’re codependent, marriage does bring a certain amount of dependency because that’s your person. You’re supposed to be able to lean in and depend on each other. And when they’re not your person anymore, it unlocks something in you that you may not even realize. This one can help you recognize patterns and help you claim your own power again in a healthy, forgiving way. I would recommend reading it and keeping a journal as you go through it. It’s one I have come back to time and time again for other life seasons and reasons too.

Purchase here: https://amzn.to/4o9e2PF

Day by Day

I published this guided journal in 2019 - ironically, the same year my separation happened and didn’t realize how much I would use my own tools through those next few years. I still get author copies of my own book and use it often to get me back on track. I outline daily rituals and routines that will help you live a more creative life of flow and intention. I have gifted it numerous times since 2019 to people in the thick of a life transition.

Purchase here: https://amzn.to/4uhfdxO

When Things Fall Apart

This book was required reading for our YTT (yoga teacher training) and I’m forever grateful for my teacher. Again, ironically, I went through my separation and divorce while going through the nine month YTT. Grab a highlighter and a journal and dive deep. It’s one of those that I not only recommend but still grab off the shelf and flip to a page and it’s exactly the message I need to hear that day too, even all these years later. It’s not specifically for divorce, but any kind of hard season of life.

Purchase here: https://amzn.to/4eaoYYB

Growing Through Divorce

This one was recommended to me by someone who had been in my shoes before and it is like your own personal therapist you can take anywhere. A little dated, but still relevant. Another one to keep your journal close by and move through it.

Purchase here: https://amzn.to/4okGy0H

A Daily Dose of Sanity

My mom gifted me this book years ago and it’s just an overall daily read no matter if you’re in a season of light or dark. Simple, digestible prompts, real life stories, lessons and daily guidance.

Purchase here: https://amzn.to/4dSq2S

I would love to know if this helps you.

If you know someone navigating a tough season, please share this post with them.

And if you have any other recommendations, drop them below in the comments!

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_{*This post contains affiliate links. I make a small commission if purchased directly through these links. Thank you!}

Pfft.

But sometimes… that “challenge” can land you on the bathroom floor at 12:30 a.m. with excruciating stomach pains and a fever breaking, wondering whether you’re going to pass out or need to call someone or just ride it out…

Last week, I was sick with some horrid stomach bug or something from the pits of hell. Throughout those three days, I thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown because I had self diagnosed and Dr. Google told me I might be dying. I felt every emotion known to humankind, moved through them, journaled like a madwoman, dreamed the craziest dreams, and binge watched the latest season of Virgin River (that was a positive!:)) I had several moments where I found myself so grateful for having teenagers who are independent and who helped when I needed it. And also for my mom who didn’t hesitate to bring food and electrolytes when I asked for help…and that was a big thing…if you know me, I don’t ask for help often.

But that’s the old story.

And now, I feel like that whole damn book is complete.

The thing is, I’m really great at leading others home to their bodies and helping them find peace and stillness.

And I know how to do this myself - I have picked myself up dozens of times from dark thoughts and moments and whole seasons using these tools and practices… But what I didn’t realize is that I had landed back in fight, flight and recently freeze mode, on top of the beginning of perimenopause, only parenting, running businesses, everyday zillion things that must get done to run my home, life, business and keep my kids alive, and with life moving at warp speed some days, I got derailed and didn’t realize it.

I have been carrying emotions and situations and energy that was not my own. I was so in survival, care taker, only parent and space holder mode that I didn’t leave space for ME.

My trip to Asheville in March was a catalyst for me (so much more to come from that - but read about it here, here and here…) and then when I got back… tragedies in our small town hit back to back to back. And because I am who I am and they all happened so fast and I feel everything, I didn’t even realize I was absorbing so much collectively that wasn’t mine to carry. Then almost a month ago, my magical kleptomaniac cat disappeared and I hadn’t slowed down to grieve her.

So when I started feeling so low energy, moody AF, spiraling in ways I haven’t in a long time, I knew I needed to slow down. And so when I found myself on the bathroom floor, I made a choice. I leaned into all I know…found my breath and grounded myself back to reality. I felt my body on the floor, put cold rags on my chest, neck and forehead, breathed in peppermint essential oil, I took deep breaths and counted things around me. I affirmed all kinds of things by speaking them slowly out loud. I am safe, I am healthy, I am here. I am okay. And I made it. I calmed down, the pain subsided and I went back to bed.

Then I found myself on the couch for three days. Watching the rain. Releasing. Asking for help. Receiving. Surrendering (once again) to the fact that I am, in fact, HUMAN.

When I woke up the fourth morning, I felt like a brand new person. It was almost as if the last three days hadn’t happened. Like I had jumped into a new reality and had to pinch myself to see if I was truly alive.

I have told students and clients that “you didn’t get here overnight. It’s all a practice, it takes time to ‘get back.”

However, for me, in the aftermath, something clicked. And I realized I couldn’t go back to the old story, the old ways, the limiting beliefs and stories that have not been mine. Other people’s expectations, perceptions, emotions, fears, etc that I have been allowing way too much weight on my own - which is NOT me and never has been. I’ve always done what I wanted to do and had the f it, let’s go - you never know until you try - and somewhere along the way, I lost that. I got stuck in the day to day. Stuck in the what if’s. Stuck in the fear. Stuck in the comfort.

Society programs us to push. To get the job, work your ass off, have the savings account, make sure you have a benefits package, stay there, be responsible, buy the car, the house, keep the job, the spouse, have kids… and that’s all well and good, but I have never fit in that box….but yet, I did the things… and they didn’t fit my SOUL.

And I’ve been struggling lately back and forth, do I go back to that, nothing seems to be working, but then the truth and reality is YES IT IS WORKING. Just not in the typical way.

Other truths I’ve realized since that day:

My worth is not measured by my output.

I NEED, DESERVE and am OPEN to receive reciprocal in every aspect of my life. Reciprocal, not conditional. I have given so fully in my life - to relationships and friendships that were NOT reciprocated, where my kindness was mistaken for weakness or I became a container for the dumping and the space was not held for me.

One of my life lessons has been learning boundaries…. I am highly gifted and part of my soul’s path to hold that space and be empathetic - and the lesson is to learn to hold super clear boundaries and not lose myself in the fixing.

I continue to dive the depths of my birth chart and it is making so much sense. Aligning myself with the planetary movements, learning where my placements are and how they relate to the current transits… it’s eye opening. And my north node in Cancer outlines that my soul’s journey is literally to teach, lead, build spaces where healing and movement occurs. To speak, to show up authentically and build a legacy.

During this down time, I realized too that I’m done with surface level. I literally CAN’T do it. And I don’t have to. Because my life belongs to ME. I have so many placements in my chart about depth. Watching people, spaces, situations, fall away has been gut wrenching because it feels so lonely at times, but so does being involved where I have to shrink. Pick your path, right? F that. I’m done.

So moving forward, whatever hit me and forced me to rest and be for 72 hours cracked me open in the biggest and best and loudest way.

So I am turning a little more inward, cutting the noise and the bullshit, not pouring into every space and person I come across because I literally do not have the capacity. I can love big but I have to love me first. I have to choose me first. Then my daughters. Whatever is left is going to be so much more clear and authentic and aligned.

I have finally let go of the habit of being “on” all the time - I am letting go of the old story that that is necessary to be loved, seen or valued. I am finally choosing myself and owning my life.

I can feel it in my bones.

#LFG.

*Would love to know if this resonates with you - I know this is a collective awakening and I know a few women in my circle are feeling this in a not so subtle way too. Drop a comment, let’s chat if this is you too. We got this, let’s go.

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If you're curious. If you feel stuck. If you're in transition…

Your chart is waiting - the guide that has been there your entire life. It IS you, and when you entered this life earth bound plays a major role in understanding why and how your life is what it is. It can be a tool and compass as you move forward.

You don’t need to understand astrology to feel this truth. In fact, many of the birth chart readings I’ve given, clients were brand new to all of it!

Have you always wondered why you do things you do, move through the world the way you do and think the way you think? Or have you wondered why you’re drawn to certain career paths, hobbies, people, spaces. Or maybe you’re stuck and caught in a pattern and aren’t able to see the way out. Or perhaps you’re in between - leaving one chapter but not sure what way to go next.

A birth chart reading can be the mirror that changes everything.

I have been into astrology since as long as I can remember - probably 8 or 9 years old. Then, in my teen years, I’d read my horoscope (and my crushes ;)) and friends horoscopes) in the newspapers and magazines and be fascinated at the accuracy. Over the years, I have learned so much about astrology and I can pretty much guarantee I can guess your sun, moon and or rising sign by just talking to you for a few minutes. It’s a part of me and it has been eye opening in the way I live my life. It’s not the end all, be all, as nothing is, but it is SO clarifying and so much fun to learn about. It also coincides with personality tests and again, be a fantastic tool to help you move forward and through.

Fun fact: I’m so in tune with astrology that even my cycles are synced with the moon phases. That’s an entire other conversation and post and it’s so incredible to understand the interconnectedness of all beings on this planet and know that we are just one miracle out of zillions in this beautiful world! The more we know, the more we can live into our fullest expression, best life and most passionate life!

What I’ve witnessed in my clients:

“OMG, it all makes sense now!! My entire life!!”

“I finally understand why I'm like this.”

“Everything just clicked and I was able to make moves toward what I know is my path.”

Seeing yourself clearly changes everything. And for some, it’s been genuinely life-changing.

If you’re curious, if you’re stuck,, if you’re in between… leave a comment below - I am offering comprehensive readings at $33. I have three spots available. You’ll receive a PDF with all the info!

You may also upgrade to include a zoom call where I review it all with you. Those are $111.

Let’s see where you shine!!

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I almost canceled Soul Speaks: Her Stories last night.
Not because I wanted to or because I don't trust, but because I'm tired.
Tired of algorithms and noise.
Tired of wondering if meaningful things still matter.
Lately, it feels like I'm throwing things out into the void. My classes and workshops are not filling like they used to.

I know it's a busy time, I know people are hurting, struggling financially, mentally, emotionally and/or spiritually, worried about the state of the world...and the list goes on. Life has been life-ing HARD for many of the collective and so many are struggling silently.

BUT THE TRUTH IS... THIS IS EXACTLY WHY I DO THIS WORK.

Why I curate, facilitate, and guide... because EVERY SINGLE TIME women show up and gather, something shifts. My offerings are not just "yoga" - they guide you how to LIVE your yoga. Embody your life. SHOW UP for yourself. Remember who you are and why meaning matters. Sometimes we don't know what we need, we just need to trust that showing up will mean something and shift something.

So I'm still showing up.

And I'm so grateful I didn't cancel, because last night, when Janet spoke about her story at Soul Speaks: Her Stories -- about her catalyst moments, her wounds, her healing, her becoming and her returning to self, something shifted in ME. To hear and witness the wisdom, the vulnerability and the soul of another woman, in another season of life, who has overcome so much and who is still living her life fully, it gives me hope. And other women in the room have similar experiences. So I know it matters.

If you have been craving exhale, real conversation, grounding, creativity, movement or simply being around humans who don't need you to perform, message me. I have multiple offerings, classes and sessions (in person and virtually) that will help you remember ... no perfect version of you is required - just the version who's ready to step in and remember who the f she is. Completely UNBOUND and free, powerful and beautiful...

Reach out if this resonates, and let’s make beautiful meaning as you remember and return to your beautiful, powerful self.

Sending you so much love,
Amy / The Unbound Mama

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I’ve been sitting with these thoughts for a long while - so much so that I have begun to feel a bubbling and buzzing in my body. Like if I don’t share these thoughts and feelings, I will implode. Not in an angry or negative way, but the way that is just a knowing and knowing that it is time.

In the past when I've shared things, I've stopped myself from fully sharing. Almost like I'm leaving things on a cliffhanger. I realize now that I felt judged, not well received, misunderstood, or all of the above. And at one point in my life, I attached to those feelings of inadequacy. But honestly, it was just me judging myself — those feelings were my own limiting beliefs that I have now named, worked through, and healed. The rest were simply projections of people who did judge, misunderstand, or didn't receive me.

And I’m finally okay with that.

For most of my life, I was a chameleon. Being whoever I needed to be in the moment. Saying yes when my whole body was screaming no. Saying no when I really wanted something. Dismissing my own needs and wants as if they weren't valid or worthy of time and consideration. Don't get me wrong — I'm not fake by any means. But I can mold and shrink like it was my job. And sometimes it was.

Today, as I write this, I realize I am free - free from judgment. Free from needing to be chosen. Free from perceptions and expectations. And it was that freedom I carried with me when I found myself standing at the foot of Catawba Falls in Asheville, NC this past March.

I took one of the most peaceful and full breaths I’d taken in a very long time …and I teach and practice yoga and breath work. But in that moment, something in me cracked open.

I was sifting through the water, in awe of the beautiful rocks and pebbles that had been weathered by the elements over an infinite amount of time. Yet they remained. Each one different from the other, completely individual. Beautiful. Not judging, not performing… just being. They are inanimate objects, yes, but they still hold energy. And nature speaks truth to me.

At one point, I threw a tiny pebble into the water, and it reminded me how life and faith and humanity are like that pebble.

When it hit the water, it caused a gentle ripple. That ripple reminded me of how everything that is anything begins with a single moment. And for me, it begins within.

I live from in the inside out, not outside in.

Throughout my life, I have often felt out of place, or like I don’t belong. In SO many places and spaces. And to be honest, I still feel that at times. But standing at those falls, I felt something different. I felt like myself. And just like nature always makes me feel.. a part of something way bigger than myself.

I have always connected with my higher power out in nature, not inside four walls. I believe our journeys are personal — and while gathering in community is important, it never felt like the whole picture for me. My relationship with God is in nature. It has always been nature. The inhales, the exhales, reminding me how incredible it is to be here …living, breathing, formed intricately on purpose. Noticing the beauty, the miracles, the magic that surrounds us. Being in the present moment.

I grew up along the beaches in Northwest Florida and lakeside. Most of my childhood memories are out in nature somewhere - the beach, the bay, the lake, trails, the woods, the North Georgia mountains we visited… always in the dirt and water and breathing in the sunlight and fresh air.

I don’t claim to follow a religion. I don’t resonate with organized religion at all. In my experience, our relationship with our higher power is just that… ours. Like that pebble, formed over time. Some jagged edges, some smooth. Water flowing, sunlight hitting. But everlasting. Just like the water flowing over the falls… each path is different, individual and ours.

Everyone holds a different perspective, and that is so beautiful. It’s what makes us human. I believe the truth…our truth, our connection…resides within. I firmly and strongly believe that we are meant to live the sermon and not just listen to one. My mom told me that when I was very young, and I feel it in my bones.

Be a good human. That’s what I tell my daughters. Then we live it to the best of our ability. Because if we can't tend to our own beliefs, own our stories, take responsibility, lean into our own faith journey, self love and serenity…if we can’t find contentment within ourselves, in our own body, our own breath.. how can we possibly pour into others? In my experience, we can’t. I went many years trying to prove myself, perform, pray through and mask when I should have been putting my hand on my heart, finding stillness, asking for guidance and making moves, rather than living outside in.

Living the sermon means being like the ripple. The ripple doesn’t begin on the outside, it begins where the pebble hits the water — within. From there, it extends outward: to our families, our communities, our regions, our country, our world.

At the end of the day, love is the remedy. The medicine. The answer. Nature even shows us this… I love finding hearts in the wild. (see photo below) They’re everywhere, if you’re looking. Perspective, experience, individuality, our own paths, purposes, and sermons… lead us to love and lead us home.

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As a yoga teacher, facilitator, energy healer and embodiment guide, I have often said “notice where your energy feels stuck,” or “notice physically where are you holding tension”… which is legitimate, but when I heard the above quote, something clicked.

Perhaps nothing is “stuck,” but simply taking up space.

So how do we move it out?

We notice it first.

But how do we do that when our nervous systems are so wired and tired? When we’re utterly exhausted and may not even recognize it….or feel paralyzed by life itself?

If you’re reading this and feel like it could be you, let that be your sign.

I wanted to share a few things that help me when something is taking up too much space. I have felt that energy more often than I care to admit (and when I don’t admit it, I spiral.) So I’m sharing it here.

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Here’s what I reach for when I need to reset:

• Get outside - out in nature - feet on the ground… this is the quickest way to reset - no matter where you are. We are nature - and returning to it is the fastest way to remind us of our highest power and energy.

• Grab an ice pack and place it on your chest - this activates the vagus nerve and triggers the body's dive reflex — two pathways that signal the nervous system to slow down, soften, and return to safety. It's one of the fastest ways to interrupt a stress spiral from the inside out.

• Try box breathing 4-4-4-4 - Inhale slowly for 4 counts, hold for 4, exhale for 4 counts. Pause for 4. Repeat until you can feel the shift. As always, honor where you are and if it feels uncomfortable, don’t do it.

• Stomp your feet, shake your body, dance or clap your hands - move the energy out. Put on some music and move.

• Go for a walk - even a few minutes can reframe your day and mind.

• Legs up the wall - even five minutes with your legs up the wall can reset you. Our nervous systems read posture as information — horizontal, still, and inverted, your body receives the signal that the threat has passed. Blood returns to the heart, the psoas begins to release its grip, and the breath naturally deepens into the belly, pulling you out of survival mode and back into yourself.

  

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• If you want to go a little deeper, sit with these prompts or free write - let the pen flow:

  1. Where in my body am I carrying something that isn’t mine to carry anymore — and what would it feel like to set it down?

  2. What has been taking up space in me lately — and what do I think it’s trying to tell me before it goes?

  3. What would my life feel like if I stopped waiting to feel ready and simply began moving the energy?

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  REMEMBER: You don’t have to figure it all out today. You just have to notice. That’s where it starts.

Sending you love,

Amy - The Unbound Mama

Holding outdoor full moon circles is one of my favorites..however, last night it was raining so we were indoors. It was still beautiful and I’m so grateful for the souls who showed up. We discussed how tuning into the cycles of nature, the moon, menstrual, seasons… etc… are so important in living our lives. When we begin to tune in, bring awareness and notice, we realize just how much all of them (and us humans) are intertwined and connected. When we can attune to our natural rhythms, life seems to flow easier. The moon cycles are no different. Full moons are typically a time of release. New moons are for calling in.

Yesterday’s full flower moon in Scorpio felt like a doozy to me personally and I know many who felt it just as deeply.

It may have led to a breaking point…enough is enough. And the energy of once you see it, you can’t unsee it. Maybe you were taking care of things on your to-do list that you’ve been putting off out of fear. Maybe you’re leaning in to what you’re building and what’s blooming now. It shows up differently for everyone; based on your own natal chart and season.

The overall energy of this full flower moon asked us to look at what we have been afraid to see.

Scorpio doesn’t do surface (ask me how I know … Scorpio sun sign here as well as so many placements in Scorpio) Scorpio moves in the undercurrents, the depths, in the tender and true…in everything we have kept hidden from ourselves and possibly others.

The question of this moon to sit with because of where Venus and Saturn are sitting in this energy, is "what are you willing to show up for, truly and over time?”

Whatever is blooming in your life right now has roots and this lunation wants you to tend to them. Release what has outgrown its season. Receive what you’ve been afraid to ask for. The flowers don’t bloom because they’re certain. They bloom because the season arrived and they answered.

The meditation below can help you feel through what that is, or lean in more if you already know. It’s wild to me how collective energy works and I’d love to hear your thoughts. Take a few minutes and journal afterward on the prompts in the meditation and below.

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Journaling Prompts:

• What is in full bloom in my life right now? What am I ready to let go of to make room for more?

• Where have I been over giving without receiving? What would honest balance look like?

• What do I need to release to step into the next version of myself?

• What conditions do I need to fully open like a flower?

• What has been keeping me closed?

• Write a letter to a future version of yourself - the one who bloomed fully. What do you want her to know?