In the fall of 2020, even though my health was quite good overall, a quiet voice of wisdom inside whispered: “You need to take a couple of months off in the new year to fully recover your health on all levels.”
At first, I brushed it off. The thought of stepping away from my work for that long felt daunting. I’m a single parent, the sole provider for my son, and an entrepreneur with clients who count on me. Not to mention the social pressures, people often question, judge, or project their own fears when they see someone prioritizing rest and renewal. Still, the voice persisted. I knew in my bones that if I didn’t listen now, my body would eventually force me to.
So I chose to listen to my gut’s wisdom.
In January, I took time off and went to Austin and Mexico with my son and some friends. I gave myself permission to slow down, to receive healing sessions, and to spend weeks playing on the beach and sinking my hands into warm sand. Mornings often began with runs down the street under bright skies; afternoons were for swimming and surfing in the ocean; evenings for fresh food straight from the sea, vibrant juices, poetry, prayer, meditation, and listening deeply to Spirit.
By early March, when I returned to offering sessions, my health was almost completely back on track. Some issues I had carried for years, things I wasn’t even sure how to heal, resolved themselves simply because I had given my body, mind, and spirit what they needed: rest, nature, movement, nourishment, joy, and connection.
I share this because I know the temptation is to say: “That’s nice for her, but I could never do that because…” Believe me, I understand. I’m a full-time single mom, self-employed, with every reason to talk myself out of taking a leap like this. But I chose to do it anyway. Not because it was convenient, but because it was necessary. It was what my body’s wisdom was telling me to do.
My health and happiness are central to the life I want to live, and to the well I want to draw from as I support others. That’s true for all of us. When we tend to our deepest needs, we don’t just restore ourselves—we become more resourced, more alive, and more available to those we love.
So if there’s a wise voice inside you whispering something, maybe to rest, to slow down, to seek support, to move, to change—please know you can trust it. The truth is, we can do the things we’re called to, even when it feels impossible. It simply takes courage. Courage to listen, courage to act, and courage to believe that our well-being is worth it.
And I promise you: it is.
To read another blog on how to trust your gut instinct and intuition (and separate it from old trauma responses), click here!
