I've been gone for a minute...
now I'm back with a Substack!
You may be wondering where I’ve been.
Well, the short story is that, after eight years in the southwest (six of those in San Diego, CA), I decided to relocate to my home state. I am back in the D[M]V.
The long story is that this cross-country took a crossbow to the health-focused lifestyle I’d come to be known for.
Despite how incredibly ready I was for a change, I was ill-prepared to move my well-being practices to a new place.
Now I know what you’re thinking - “you just said ‘home state,’ so that’s now new.”
You are both right and wrong. I was too.
Moving myself across the country was a logistically simple endeavor. Moving my business, my brand, and my lifestyle across the country? I was NOT ready. The emotions that came with re-envisioning my brand here were downright debilitating. I moved to the DMV in winter. Do you know what happens to a Vitamin D-deficient person when they go from 65°F and sunny to 35°F and snow?
Hint: it starts with a “de” and ends with “-pression.”
To make this change a little more intense, after 15 months of solopreneurship, I began a full-time role in Higher Ed. In August of this year, I became an Adjunct Faculty member and teach a 1-credit class - Yoga! I commute to D.C. about three times a week. With my new demands and living arrangements, both my well-being and creativity took a backseat.
Thankfully, with the support of my Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatrist, and Chinese Medicine Doctor (all of whom are Black women), I am feeling like a refreshed version of myself. I can’t overstate how critical it has been for me to have providers that look like me! I feel seen and safe. I got my mind and body on the right path, I started to incorporate well-being practices into my ‘new’ life. This has looked like:
Applying skincare treatments during my WFH-days
Listening to healing frequencies and affirmation tracks on my way to work
Taking daily walks without headphones
Prioritizing time in the gym or yoga studio - movement is critical
and whatever else fits into my new way of living.
This, my friends, is where Substack comes in.
As I write this, I’m riding the Metro into D.C. to teach my 8:00 AM class. Inspiration tends to find me in the morning, so this medium feels like the perfect way to make use of my commute and reconnect with you all. I am an educator, a movement practitioner, and a writer.
If I’ve learned anything over this last year, it’s that we need to be proactive in well-being. Our self-preservation depends on it.
In public health, we talk about interventions in stages of primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention.
Primary Prevention involves behaviors and strategies to prevent negative health outcomes
Secondary Prevention involves early detection and treatment of negative health outcomes
Tertiary Prevention involves managing the consequences of untreated and/or aggressive negative health outcomes
My lived experience over the last year is a great example of Secondary Prevention - things got a little crazy, but with the support of my family, friends, and healthcare system, I’ve recovered.
I’m excited to share more of my well-being journey with you, especially as we transition into winter. Over the coming weeks, I’ll be releasing the written iteration of Well, Wild, & Free. Stay tuned for everything from supplements to treatments, books to podcasts, elixirs to… you get the idea.
Until then - stay well, stay wild, stay free ☽
~Bri