I have an admission to make. It’s really not that big of a deal, but I gotta come clean.

I accidentally took a FIVE month break from the podcast. 

I’ll be honest, because that’s how I roll, the first half of 2024 nearly took me down. And like…I’ve seen some sh!t; it takes a lot to take me down. If you’re on my email list you know what I’m talking about 😉 If you’re not already subscribed to my emails, do that right now! You can subscribe at the banner on the top OR bottom of this page! So easy!

Anyway, back to my near demise. I didn’t even realize how much physical and emotional energy this spring cost me until I just had to stop. 

So if you subscribe to the podcast and were like “Ummmm. Alissa, where are you???” 1) subscribe to my emails because I’m there each week for sure and 2) I need you to know this hiatus wasn’t because of you or anything you did. It’s ME! Hi, I’m the problem, it’s me. Not you.

And I want to share with you five things I learned during this five month podcast hiatus. 

My pattern of turning into the road runner

My stress response leans more toward “Fight” than anything else. So when I’m in a stressful space I SHOW UP! I show up too much and I don’t know how to stop.

I felt the road runner starting to show up and I shut it down. 

Which is why there wasn’t a podcast episode saying “I’m going to take a break…” I just took it. I didn’t know which steps to take next, I just knew which steps I wasn’t taking next.

This leads me to the next thing that came up for me during this break…

I don’t have perspective WHILE processing

I can’t reflect, see, explain, process things while they are going on. That part happens when the dust settles. This is why my first one woman show happened two years after my divorce. My motherhood one woman show happened three years after my first baby while I was pregnant with the second baby! 

The downtime this time around is a bit shorter as I feel like I’m back sooner. Maybe it’s because I have more tools to process big events and a support team helping me from all directions. 

And I’m excited to see what sort of creative project comes out of all of this…

Growing is ALWAYS uncomfortable

Which is really annoying. A lot of things in life get easier the more you do them. But when it comes to growth, when you are leveling up, when you are breaking cycles and creating new patterns, it hurts. Every. Single. Time.

And knowing this fact doesn’t let you skip it. Which is also REALLY annoying.

And because it’s uncomfortable, because there is pain and discomfort, it’s hard to keep showing up. It feels easier to back down and take a nap. This takes me to my next point which is…

Consistency wins

While I’ve been inconsistent with podcast episodes, I have been ruthlessly consistent taking care of myself. Getting enough sleep, meditating (what???), movement, nutrition, the real sh!t. 

And that’s ok! Sometimes you have to shift focus, you have to let some balls drop in order to survive. 

This is why I talk about knowing what YOU need. We are each a unique snowflake and our needs are different! What helps YOU get centered? What helps YOU recharge? What drains you? 

It’s imperative that you know which balls are doing what. This way you will always know which balls you can put down and which balls you need to hold onto.

Speaking of balls…

I can’t put out ALL of the time

The roadrunner inside me is STRONG. She is smart, she is efficient, she gets shit done while taking names. 

And I’ll say that again. I cannot put out all the time.

Sometimes I need to receive.

Yes, I mean this in the bedroom too ← see what I did there?

But for real. I needed this break from the show because I really needed to receive. To receive support, inspiration, nourishment, rest, love, all of it. I just…couldn’t put out. And maybe I should have published a short episode letting you know “I have a headache” or tell you “I’m on my period” even though I wasn’t, but instead I just rolled onto my side and fell asleep. 

As I moved through this break we ended up at the elections. 

I read that after the election there were 500,000 – that’s half a million – google searches for more information about the south korean movement called 4B where cis het women are abstaining from sex, dating, marriage, and children with cis het men as a result of an increase in violence against women. 

They’ve powerfully, publicly declared “No! I do not put out all the time!”

Something to ponder literally. But also in terms of intention and energy. 

Where can you stop putting out? How can you condense your intentions and energetic output to invest the things most important to you? What areas are you able to receive as much as you give?

I asked myself these questions and I know which balls I’m leaving on the ground for now and which ones I’m picking up and holding onto. 

🎙️ The podcast is back! I’ll have a mix of solo episodes and interviews with intentionally chosen guests to join us and share their experiences, wisdom, and insight. 

🫂 I’m spending more time in and with my local community. Teaching in person and creating events for us to be together. I still offer virtual sessions and groups AND I feel drawn to building my local community.

🎭 We need art more than ever. I am going to be creating more, not content, art. I don’t know if it’s another one woman show, a dance performance, another book, we will find out, but something’s coming. I don’t know what it is, but it is, gonna be greeeaaaat ← That’s from West Side Story.

❤️‍🔥 THE FIRE IN MY LOINS to support and educate women. It has never been so political to be a woman and we need to be educated so we can advocate for ourselves and each other. 

If you’re looking to start learning about and connecting to your body in a meaningful and impactful way, download your FREE workout here!

As always, I’ve got your back. I’ve got your front. And I’ve got your undercarriage.

Xo, Alissa