Are you one who gazes at the moon and hopes for a brighter future or seeks meaning? I most certainly do. Monday night we ushered in the first full moon of 2025. The Wolf full moon in the sign of Cancer. How appropriate.
The Wolf Moon (my moon lol), the first full moon of the year, embodies the primal energy of the wolf: strength, intuition, and connection to nature’s rhythms. The wolf teaches us loyalty, leadership, and the balance between independence and community. I deeply relate to many of these characteristics and some are my core values. As the Wolf Moon shines its light, I encourage us to reflect: Where am I being called to lead? How can I honor my own needs? Where do I need to strengthen relationships?
Yesterday marked one week since the start of the fires. Let’s face it this past week has been devastating for everyone! I don’t think this was the start of the new year any of us had planned. In fact, while I enjoyed the holidays, things have been quite off for the past 4 weeks, and with the destruction of the fires it threw me over the edge mentally, physically and emotionally.
I have been overwhelmed with heartbreak and sadness processing and reprocessing the entire event's occurrence and days that have proceeded. You see as an empath we feel everything so deeply and want to fill the void for myself, my family, my coaching clients and frankly all people. It's who I am and one of my gifts. My family lives in the Mandeville Canyon area of Los Angeles - the Westridge trail that our firefighters fought so hard to save. I am there almost every morning early to ground down in nature and meditate. We are safe and so is our home, thank God, but we are still displaced and have been evacuated since Tuesday. It’s conceivable to think that I know more people in my area impacted that have lost their home than not. Every day that passes I learn of a new friend in my community who has lost everything. It leaves us in such deep grief and we will need to embrace and relearn a whole new world. Our community as we know it is not the same nor will it be.
This is where the full moon comes in, it invites us to start the process of letting go. I’m not suggesting you “get over it”, never! “We are still in it”, but it’s an invitation to gain a deeper understanding. This is not a short-term experience, it is a time where we grieve the loss, and look to lead ways to rebuild and join together in connection to find ways to support one another.
A dear friend and therapist (and so much more) Elizabeth Winkler posted about learning to walk during these uncertain times and it really resonated with me. Here I had been judging myself for not jumping into action and being paralyzed by processing and this helped me remember I too am grieving and experiencing all of these stages as well. The sheer magnitude is overwhelming.
We all need self care at this time, it has been very difficult for me, one who is a structure monger, to not be on schedule this past week. I have been practicing ease and grace. That being said, I recommitted to myself by finding a local yoga and fitness studio where we have relocated to join in community and sweat out some worries. It’s important to regain some sort of routine. I have started to place my footing in a new community meeting the most supportive people. There have been so many angels who surround us during in these uncertain times. I was so touched to meet this beautiful soul and gifted yoga teacher who gave me a gigantic hug and shared this beautiful poem that brought me to tears called When Things Feel Hard by Hannah Ro - scroll in to read it here.
Many of you had signed up for our FREE Community Breathwork session to kick off the year this Thursday, January 16 at Unplug meditation at 6 PM. Due to the evacuation and being relocated, I will not be able to facilitate this week. I have rescheduled our Community Breathwork session to next Wednesday, January 22 at Unplug at 6 PM. This is a free community Breathwork session and an opportunity for us to grieve together and to implement or reinstate our habits and rituals that will help us destress during this unfathomable time. Please feel free to sign up for that here.
A full moon has lasting impact days before and after while our Wolf moon was a few nights ago one thing that is important to incorporate at this time is a self care routine, myself included. It is easy to get caught up in the fear and frenzy and abandon your routine. Here are some tips to of self care you can incorporate during this time.
Find your way to self care:
Reflect - reflect on the past and practice forgiving yourself and others - remove judgement.
Journal/Manifest - Create a vision or if you feel call a vision board and journal your intentions.
Meditate - Visualize the Wolf Moon’s energy clearing away fears and doubts.
Attend a breathwork class, workout class, or perform a cleansing ritual - all of these can help you let go of the past with intention.
Listen - to what you intuitively want to let go of
Release Ceremony - Write down what you wish to let go of and make space for new beginnings and release it in a flowing stream of water or the ocean.
FREE COACHING FOR THE NEXT MONTH I recognize that there is a profound need for support during these challenging times. While it may feel small in the face of the devastation and trauma many are experiencing, I would like to be in service by offering free coaching through Friday, February 14. I know how important it is to have a support system in times like these. We know how helpful coaching and wellness practices were through 9/11 and the pandemic, and coaching and somatic practices can guide us through the weeks and months ahead. If you or someone you know could benefit, please reach out—no context needed, just a willingness to show up for yourself. Sign up here.
During this time I do believe we need to join together in community and share resources to help one another connect and rebuild. In my reflection, from my podcast alone, there are 4 dear friends and women that need our support to rebuild. They are mothers, business owners, and friends that are dear to me. Please see their Go Fund Me here to support them directly.
Tanya Memme was a guest on the Opportunity Knocks Podcast Episode 85, and is a wonderful example of showing up as your authentic self! Donate here.
Natasha Sizlo is an incredible storyteller, mom, author, and real estate broker, and shared her journey to Paris and writing her book in Episode 73 of the Opportunity Knocks podcast. Donate here.
Shayna Hiller is a yoga and meditation teacher and certified health coach and was on Opportunity Knocks episode 36 Donate here.
Grace Flowers - Grace is a beautiful human and friend. She is a gift facilitator of women's gatherings and tea ceremonies.
In addition you may know I grew up in the Pasadena area and I also want to support some families near to my heart…
Catherine Alfaro - A friend from high school and her kids have lost everything they own in the Eaton fire. She is a special needs mom of twins. Her son has cerebral palsy and lost all of his adaptive equipment, accessories, and they have to rebuild.
There are two other women in the Pasadena area I would like to highlight to support their Go Fund Me Wygene Taylor and Maggie Moran.
There are countless ways to support even further, I have compiled a google doc here that combines people and small business owners that are in need.
I have been informed by a few different firefighters of an organization that helps widows of firefighters. Firefighters are one of the highest percentage of suicides rate. Check out the Widow's, Orphans, and Disabled Firefighters Fund here.
There are also organizations that are concerned about the air quality in and around the fire area given the number of things that melted and can now become airborne in the ash and dust. There are so many questions about returning to homes still standing, schools and other areas adjacent to the fires; what will happen during the clean-up; and a lot more. The Coalition for Clean Air is hosting a FREE 90-minute webinar on today Wednesday, February 15 at 3pm that will have several air quality and public health experts to talk about these issues. The webinar is free and open to all, so please feel free to pass this along to anyone that would benefit from this information and may be interested in attending. The list of speakers and the registration link are below.
Friends, as we move through these uncertain times this crisis feels oddly familiar, a bit like Covid, with our children out of school and out of our routines, I have been heart-warmed by the outpouring of love and support as I build community (of course it's me) in our relocated area. I was blessed enough to participate in breathwork session here on the full moon - trying to find my own way to release and receive some nourishment and self-care. Together, we will rebuild and move forward. One thing is certain we are a united community here to support one another, and as Ram Dass says "We're all just walking each other home."
Be Well. Do Well.
All my best,
NOTE - I've had a few people reach out to confirm whether or not I am still hosting the Hawaii retreat. We are moving forward with it, please stay tuned for more information this week. For those who have already signed up, rest assured we are committed to you receiving this nourishing gift. If you feel called and want to participate we welcome you with open arms. It will be a gift to your soul - a reset to 2025. Read more here
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