When you are used to numbing, feeling your feelings can be scary, but will free your heart and mind. If you are a regular reader of my essays, you might know that I am a Type A recovering perfectionist who has a history of numbing my feelings. That might be why you are here. You
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Hi, I’m Janine. I began my recovery from perfectionism in 2012, when I was 40. For most of my life I carried what Brene Brown calls the 20 ton shield of perfectionism. It kept everyone at arm’s length so that they didn’t see my myriad imperfections. I didn’t let anyone see my true self, because
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Stop lying about your age! One When I was a kid, my maternal grandmother would lie about her age. I never knew how old she actually was until she turned 100. She ended up living until 106, but for most of her life, I could only guess. She was always very coy about it. This
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Ardha Chandrasana: Half Moon pose It’s been awhile since I’ve written about poses, and Ardha Chandrasana, or Half Moon, is such a good one. This pose uses all the wisdom of Trikonasana/Triangle pose but you move the floor to stand on one leg. Balance is hard enough when you are vertical, there is. whole new
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No need to fix or change anything While our fat-shaming, anti-aging society would have us believing that only perfectly fit, young people should love their body, I am here to offer an alternative view. You can love your body even when: You can love your body just as it is. We create our own suffering
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Yoga props can be incredibly useful on the yoga mat, especially as you age. Props support your practice, making the floor closer when you can’t reach, creating ease in your muscles when you stretch, and more. However, when you are just starting out, using props can seem like a crutch, and not something that an
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This post was inspired by a Substack subscriber’s question. If you have a question that you’d like me to answer or a topic that you would like me to cover about yoga on or off the mat, feel free to reach out! I’ll do my best to answer you. This essay is a bit rambling,
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You might need to pause and let your feelings flow CW: Mention of disordered eating. If this is triggering to you, feel free to skip this essay. I feel a gnawing inside so I go to the cabinet. I find popcorn or chips and start eating, mindlessly putting my hand into the bag and shoving
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As a Type A recovering perfectionist, “rest” wasn’t always in my vocabulary. If I wasn’t moving or doing something “productive,” I was asleep. In my 20s I used to have every moment of my day scheduled and I was always on the go. I was living in New York City at the time and bought
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And not everyone is capable of seeing you for who you are Feeling seen and heard by your loved ones creates deep validation on a core level, but the vulnerability that this requires can be terrifying. I spent decades of my life feeling unseen and unheard by parents and friends, but a percentage of that
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