Sabbatical Behind-The-Scenes: Embodying Self-Care
A sneak peek into my sabbatical.
My business has had many iterations since I first became a coach in 2018.
The current and (until recently) most aligned version has been The Grounded Empath and the Sacred Self-Care Community. You likely know me as a person who works with people-pleasers on boundary setting. I also do Reiki and EFT and lead meditations. And I run a membership community with weekly calls.
If you watch my IG stories, you may also know I compete as a strength athlete. And you may know that I’m a certified group fitness instructor who teaches a few classes a week.
Well, something happened last year as I taught more group fitness.
I started seeing the glow of women using a barbell for the first time, and got to see them grow week after week. I learned about parts of my knowledge and interests that were entirely untouched. I found this passion, and felt a pull to lean in more.
I started getting more involved behind-the-scenes at the gym, and as of earlier this year, stepped in as their Accountability Coach.
As I was making these shifts in the background, I wasn’t sure how to hold that role and my business at once. I showed up for my membership community, but admittedly didn’t do much more.
However, I’m finding my balance and am returning to The Grounded Empath with renewed energy and expanded expertise. As I’ve done a deep dive on how humans approach self-care, I'm excited to share the behind the scenes of what I've been learning and how this impacts my membership going forward.
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We know we should….
The biggest take-away I’ve had is two-fold.
People know what they “should” be doing
They get in their own way about doing it
In accountability check ins with people, the most common thing I hear is: “I know I need to...”.
You know you need to... exercise, eat more protein, make time for yourself, lower your stress. You know it’s good for you. You know it makes you feel better. You “know”... but you don’t “do.”
I believe the reason you don’t “do” is because you’re approaching it with unhelpful energy.
Let’s look at the phrase a little closer.
“I know I need to make time for myself” → this feels kind of shamey.
You’re implying that you’re letting yourself down, or willfully choosing not to do something you feel you should be doing. And if you feel like you should be doing it, your brain probably thinks of it as the “right” thing or the “good” thing to do.
So then when you don’t do it, your brain probably serves up all sorts of other unhelpful thoughts like: “I’m just too lazy” “I’m not disciplined enough” “I’m not a person who takes care of themself like that”...
The thing is... making yourself feel bad about not doing it isn’t going to help. In fact, it will likely just make it worse.
Your issue isn’t with knowing what to do, it’s with currently, actively doing it.
So, what if instead of saying “I know I should make more time for myself” you said something like:
“I’m learning to make more time for myself” or “I’m working on making more time for myself” or “I desire to make more time for myself”.
All of those feel much kinder and they also feel more accurate.
The Embodiment Problem
Self-care requires embodiment. If you put “lunch” on your schedule but you don’t stop to eat... you’re still hungry. The nourishment needs to physically happen for it to impact you. The same is true with self-care.
And the kicker is, as we’ve established, you know self-care is important and makes you feel better. For some reason it just falls down the priority list.
There are a lot of reasons this happens - busy schedules, helping others, a lack of balance...
There are also a few internal/mindset reasons self-care doesn’t get prioritized.
It doesn’t require other people so it’s easy to “reschedule”
Society has told you putting others first is honorable
It can feel frivolous and uncomfortable to do things just for yourself
The problem is...
—> Constant rescheduling gives yourself the message that it’s not important.
—> Putting everyone else first gives you the message that you don’t matter as much as them.
—> Believing that it’s frivolous weakens your trust in yourself to give you what you need.
A few weeks ago I was downtown having lunch with my cousin who said something that really stuck out to me. (They are in their mid-20s and have done so much incredible work on standing up for themself and letting go of people-pleasing).
They shared that they were putting others wants before their own needs.
Think about that.
Do you do that?
If you do, you’re probably aware that over time, it feels like garbage.
This is likely because your tender inner self (your ego, inner child, and shadow) feel completely ignored and may likely have a reaction.
You might lash out at the person you’re “helping”, start crying, or get super resentful toward them.
You might internalize it into your thoughts with really harsh self-talk that you don’t deserve care and attention.
You might learn that you don’t meet your own needs and it’s not safe to express them.
None of those feel like desirable outcomes.
That’s why it’s critical to learn how to care for yourself without feeling guilty.
This bring us to the shifts within my membership community!
The Sacred Self-Care Community --->
The Embodied Self-Care Collective
As we’ve established, you don’t have a self-care knowledge problem, you have a self-care embodiment problem.
So the Sacred Self-Care Community is getting an “embodiment makeover” and is now The Embodied Self-Care Collective!
You know exactly what self-care looks like.
You've read the books, saved the Instagram posts, and have a Pinterest board full of ideas. You understand the importance of making time for yourself, setting boundaries, and honoring your needs. But week after week, your self-care remains theoretical—something you'll get to "when things calm down."
Except things never calm down.
Your calendar fills up with obligations to others. Work demands pile higher. Family needs come first.
And somehow, you always end up at the
bottom
of
the
pile.
It's not that you don't value self-care—you absolutely do.
But knowing what to do and actually embodying it are worlds apart.
You've tried:
The fancy planner with dedicated "me time" blocks
The meditation app subscription (used exactly twice)
The self-care challenge that felt like one more thing on your to-do list
Each attempt leaving you feeling more frustrated and guilty than before.
The #1 mistake people make with self-care is believing it's about perfect routines or expensive indulgences when what you really need is consistent, accessible support to integrate it into your actual life.
It's like having a gym membership but no coach—the tools are there, but the guidance and accountability are missing.
That's why I created the Embodied Self-Care Community.
This isn't about adding more to your plate—it's about creating a container where self-care becomes non-negotiable, supported, and celebrated.
We will continue to gather twice weekly for 30 minutes of guided Reiki and meditation. No preparation needed. No perfectionism allowed. Just show up as you are, and let yourself be held.
In our community, you'll:
Start your week grounded and intentional with Monday morning sessions
Recharge midweek on Wednesday when energy typically dips
Connect monthly with like-minded individuals who value growth
Access the Embodied Self-Care Framework and resource library for practical integration
Finally bridge the gap between knowing and doing
Tired of putting yourself last and wishing self-care wasn't just another thing on your someday list?
Join us on one of our weekly calls. Get the schedule and links here.
Your well-being can't wait for "someday." It needs attention now.
