does your environment support your wellbeing?
notes on reconnecting with our natural rhythms amidst urban stimulus.
I’m writing from a bustling corner cafe in my hometown of Washington, DC after spending time in lush, life-giving Costa Rica. Upon arriving in the jungle I had to shake off the urban stimulus that had naturally accumulated on my nervous system over the winter. After a few days I couldn’t help but notice how nourishing myself felt so easeful in Costa Rica. Electrolytes from fresh coconut water, high prana, fresh, local foods readily available, the sounds of the jungle humming in the background throughout the day… the hurdles to feeling regulated and grounded seemed to be lifted.
I was asked to photograph a women’s retreat with the theme of “rewild” at the center (definitely my new favorite word). A week spent with eleven women who shared the intention of releasing old programs, reconnecting with the natural rhythms of their minds and bodies, and unleashing a more true essence through divine feminine embodiment exercises and movement.
Rewild (v.) - to restore to its natural uncultivated state
It makes sense that a harmonious existence is the way of life in the Nicoya Peninsula, one of the five Blue Zones, where there is a high concentration of people who live to be 100+ years old. It’s easier to drop your shoulders, rise with the sun, and enjoy lunch without wondering if the ingredients are going to leave you feeling bloated and sleepy. I could feel that I was rejuvenating myself on a cellular level, even as I was working and keeping up with the physical demands of being a travel photographer. I’m still getting used to that phrase, “travel photographer.”
Our home for the week was the magical Anamaya Resort. Truly a home away from home, Anamaya is a place I visited in 2021 on a solo trip. It was the first yoga retreat I attended for myself and it contributed to my passion for the power of healing in community.
As I have navigated PCOS for the better half of the last decade (more on that here), I’ve really been able to observe how my environment is one of the foundational influences that will either support or stagnate my healing. Now that I’m back home, I can so clearly observe how much additional effort is required to regulate my body in the midst of urban stimulus. The toxic load we encounter every day accumulates at a higher rate than I think we have fully grasped.
The contrast between my baseline of feeling physically and energetically well in Costa Rica versus how I feel in the city is too drastic not to dissect. I was sitting in traffic the other day for 25 minutes just to go to the sauna to detox my system and promote circulation [insert all the juicy benefits] after a day of sitting at my computer editing photos; whereas, in Costa Rica I was sweating in the humidity daily and I could feel that my body was avoiding stagnancy in my lymphatic system without a heavy lift. It felt like a program running in the background of my body in harmony with the climate rather than an activity I had to seek out and pay money for.
I get it though, we can’t all live in the jungle to balance our hormones, promote cellular renewal, and increase vitality. So what can we do to create an environment that is actually conducive to healing?
a return to the basics.
From morning to night, even as someone like myself who is consciously designing their days to be as nourishing as possible, I find that the current landscape of our modern world makes it really difficult to be well. There’s a sacred rhythm to honor that is in communion with the natural world around us and, to put it simply, we seem to be collectively off beat.
Here are the subtle shifts I’ve made since returning home in order to intentionally cultivate my inner and outer environments.
Regulating my nervous system - I don’t know what I did before learning somatic techniques to downshift my nervous system into a parasympathetic state after it has been activated. During the feminine embodiment workshops, we learned the magic of moving our hips in circular motions. It sounds simple, and it is, but it was groundbreaking in how much more in tune I felt with my nervous system. Our culture has placed such an emphasis on the linear motion of masculine energy in the form of productivity and goal-oriented actions. A couple minutes of hip circles every morning and I have felt myself moving through blockages on an energetic level.
Supporting my blood sugar - I think my next post will be just about this topic. Thanks to PCOS, I’m no newbie when it comes to blood sugar regulation. Once I learned that insulin resistance is the primary root cause of PCOS in most cases, I started focusing on how to consistently support healthy glucose levels and officially get off the roller coaster of spikes and inevitable crashes. For me, it looks like drinking apple cider vinegar diluted in warm water prior to a meal, adding protein/fat/fiber to my plate when enjoying carbs, and walking more (particularly after eating) to decrease blood sugar spikes. If you’re looking for more granular advice, listen to this podcast (shoutout to my good friend Effie for this one) or check out the Glucose Goddess for all of the science-y goodness around this topic.
Feeding my microbiome - I was in awe of how many different fruits, veggies, and herbs I was consuming every day on my trip. When I returned home I decided to switch up my familiar grocery shopping routine at Whole Foods and instead I opted for Mom’s Organic Market to supplement my weekly farmer’s market haul. It was such an exercise in presence to be exposed to new varieties of produce and organic food brands - miso, broccoli sprouts, and kelp noodles have all made their way into rotation.
Fueling my digestive fire - The leader of our retreat, Melissa Maxwell, first taught me about how to support my digestive fire based on my unique Ayurvedic makeup a couple of years ago. It was a game changer for this kapha-pitta who has struggled her entire life with a sluggish digestion. I need more heat (pass the hot sauce, plz), warming spices, hot tea, a smaller dinner, and digestion-supporting herbs in order to cultivate a healthy digestive fire. It goes without saying, but healthy digestion and elimination are so important to cultivating inner harmony in our systems.
Intuitive choosing - There’s an innate wisdom flowing through each of us at all times. A divine intelligence that whispers “This, not that…” when we get quiet enough to listen. Whether I’m deciding if I need a snack or if I have the energy for Pilates on any given day, I’ve been making it a practice to close my eyes and simply ask. The answer is almost always readily available. The challenge is in listening to this wisdom, even when (correction: especially when) it is not what our minds are nudging us to choose.
Plant “medicines” - I’m experiencing a fascination with how to weave the right plants into my day at the right times to support my energetic frequency and cellular activity. This goes hand-in-hand with making choices intuitively in order to arrive at what my four bodies (physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual) need at any given moment. In this case I’m referencing “plant medicines” with the understanding that most plants have medicinal properties when used intentionally. Too often we reach for coffee, one of the most widely accepted drugs, but I’ve observed that it’s often not what we actually need in order to feel more aligned, grounded, and like ourselves (although sometimes coffee is exactly what is needed - again, it goes back to making intuitive choices). I’m intentionally supporting myself with a varying rotation of ceremonial cacao when I want to drop into my heart space, matcha green tea when I need a gentle energy boost or inflammation support, microdoses of psilocybin when I’m moving through resistance or seeking greater presence, and cannabis to drop into my body, all as I feel called to. Conscious consumption is key here. I don’t make any of these routine; rather, I wait until my intuition calls for one of them with the intention of creating harmony in my bodies, which is very different than reaching or numbing. I don’t always get it right but I’m learning myself and which plants are most supportive for me at different times.
Rising with the sun - My circadian rhythm so easily synced up with the sun within a few days of arriving in Costa Rica and it made me realize how erratic my sleep/wake cycles were at home. Blackout curtains are necessary given the amount of light pollution in my corner of DC; however, I’ve been more conscious of timing my body’s rise with sunrise. The first few minutes of sunlight each morning provide us with the red light therapy that people are purchasing in the form of expensive devices.
Soaking up rays without SPF - I know, I know… We’ve been sold on all of the creams and mineral sunscreens to protect our skin, but somewhere in the sea of capitalism the sun got a bad rap. I’ve moved my morning routine to be outdoors on my deck and I’m letting those rays soak into my eyes and skin for at least 15-20 minutes. I’ve decreased my supplement intake and I’m turning to the original sources of essential vitamins, like vitamin D.
Being present with community - This one has been one of the most interesting to observe since being home. In Montezuma I loved how the sunset created a daily gathering of community at the beach. It felt like everyone from the local village made the walk to catch the last rays of the day by the water. I witnessed neighbors connecting and a lot of multi-generational families choosing to spend time together to welcome the evening hours. I felt the absence of this when I got home so I’ve made a point to be more present in my day-to-day interactions. A few extra minutes talking to my neighbor on the sidewalk or the person on the yoga mat next to me at my local studio have been bright spots in my days. Little doses of connection have been feeding me but it takes slowing down and being present to enjoy each interaction for what it is.
A journey like this one shines a bright light on how much additional energy and resources have been spent in an urban setting to maintain the hard work I’ve invested in the ever-evolving adventure of feeling well in my body. I’m grateful to have the resources to prioritize my health in the ways that I do, but I can’t help but wonder how much better I would feel living somewhere that is conducive to not just maintaining but thriving.
This experience has been a reminder of the inherent abundance of life on Earth. The land provides everything needed for us to heal, as long as we are willing to receive and reciprocate.
My intention in writing this is to bring awareness to the subtleties in your everyday life that could be impacting your body’s innate desire to balance itself and thus create an internal environment that is conducive to your wellbeing. The outer world can overload us with more to process if we’re not consciously choosing that which we consume. The little shifts become the big shifts.
Be well, friends, and let me know if there’s anything I can do to support you.
Did any particular practice call to you as you were reading? Trust that intuitive ping and let me know which shift you're feeling called to integrate into your own rhythm. I’d love to hear from you.
Feeling super inspired by some of these practices as I’ve had a difficult few weeks and have felt deregulated. Thank you for sharing ✨
WOW! What a special retreat to be a part of! It sounds amaaaazing.