For me the last couple of weeks have felt a bit like an emotional roller coaster. On the high days, I am appreciating a slower pace, more time with my family, time for self-development and neglected projects. I feel grateful and calm. On the low days, I feel anxious, overwhelmed, irritable, annoyed, stressed and confined.
This uncertain time has offered me a moment to check in and figure out what I need to stay sane, especially being 6 months pregnant and having hormones that amplify everything!
The other day I went hiking in the hills above Montecito in an area that had been devastated by the Thomas Fire of late 2017, and then released as the harrowing Montecito mudslide that followed in January 2018. I hadn’t been up there since, and for some reason I was drawn there with Napper that day. Walking on the incredibly green and lush trail with wildflowers blooming all around us, we began to notice the blackened tree trunks that dotted the landscape.
Most of us are familiar with PTSD- post traumatic stress disorder, a diagnosis that is given for some in the aftermath of a traumatic event. Trauma can range from abuse of any kind, the loss of a relationship through death, divorce or breaking up, a severe illness, essentially any situation where on some level you fear you or someone you love, will not survive. More than half of the population has reported experiencing a traumatic event.
We’re still basking in the glow of our latest Wild Precious Life Retreat! Hosted at the sublime Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay perched above the Pacific Ocean on cliffs that look like Scotland but are really just 45 minutes from San Francisco, the Ritz was the perfect luxurious cocoon for our retreat.
Even though this was our 10th retreat (!!), and we know that magic will happen as it always does, we are still in awe of how the perfect people come together to create it. This retreat was focused on manifesting — clearing what isn’t working to make space for creating all that we desire.
As I have shared on social media, the early morning hours of January 9, 2018 forever changed my life. Surviving the Montecito mudslide was a miracle - and let's be clear, mudslide is so not an accurate description of what really happened. Landslide, mountain falling, boulder dumping... The extreme nature of what happened was unimaginable. The sheer force and speed at which the mountain literally fell and closed in on us. Six weeks later the shock is wearing off and the aftermath of the trauma is manifesting.
Our three night getaway to Miraval was a magical bubble of time where we were able to tune out the minutae of life and really focus on the big picture and ourselves. Although many may think of a spa as a place to diet and bust your ass working out, we found Miraval to be more of a spiritual and emotional recalibration. Sure, you may absolutely come to Miraval for the healthy cuisine, juice bar, exercise classes, nutrition talks and massages, but you would be so missing out to not go deeper!
