Caring for care-ers
Building bridges from caring for others to self-care to community care to collective care
Calling all “caregivers”, parents, activists, Earth-tenders, healers, lovers, first-responders, teachers! Humans who deeply care for others. Thank YOU! I know you are tired, burnt-out, overwhelmed. Resentful at times? Grieving? Do you ever feel like you are holding up the sky all on your own? This is a space for you to embody rest, heal, and lighten your load! Share resources with other care-ers who are living under these systems that keep us running on a perpetual hamster wheel. Enough! There is an endless resource of compassion, care, and love to nurture all of humanity. It starts here. With you. Your loved one’s. Your community. Our collective.
Calling all “caregivers”, parents, activists, Earth-tenders, healers, lovers, first-responders, teachers! Humans who deeply care for others. Thank YOU! I know you are tired, burnt-out, overwhelmed. Resentful at times? Grieving? Do you ever feel like you are holding up the sky all on your own? This is a space for you to embody rest, heal, and lighten your load! Share resources with other care-ers who are living under these systems that keep us running on a perpetual hamster wheel. Enough! There is an endless resource of compassion, care, and love to nurture all of humanity. It starts here. With you. Your loved one’s. Your community. Our collective.
“Years ago, anthropologist Margaret Mead was asked by a student what she considered to be the first sign of civilization in a culture. The student expected Mead to talk about fishhooks or clay pots or grinding stones.
But no. Mead said that the first sign of civilization in an ancient culture was a femur (thighbone) that had been broken and then healed.
…A broken femur that has healed is evidence that someone has taken time to stay with the one who fell, has bound up the wound, has carried the person to safety and has tended the person through recovery. Helping someone else through difficulty is where civilization starts, Mead said.“ -from Ira Byock
Welcome!
I’m Ray (she/her/they), a nature lover, dog mom, yoga therapist, herbalist, and forever student.
It is of our nature to care.
I love care-ers. Whether you are a caregiver in a literal sense, a parent/guardian, therapist, nurse, shift worker, activist, etc… You are the balm of this planet. One of the most remarkable qualities of a great care-er is your empathetic heart, a trait that can be both your superpower and what depletes you. Your ability to get in tune with others' feelings and needs is a precious gift, but without rest, boundaries, and collective care it will leave your cup empty. The opposite is possible. Abundance and sustainably are obtainable.
It’s time to break out of individualistic boxes and create communities of care. That’s my dream.
Will you join me?
Embrace the journey
Why yoga therapy for boundaries?
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Your practice provides a daily container for you to connect to your core-self. Your core being has eternal overflowing energy. The more you can connect to this source of truth, the more you will naturally exude boundaries and find ways to express them in a way that is authentic to you. This foundational self understanding allows you to genuinely explore your relationship to the land, loved one’s, community, and the collective with ease.
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Turn your empathy inward. Through practice and intentional exploration, you can steadily increase your ability to perceive and understand your internal sensations. As your interoceptive awareness deepens, it will become impossible to ignore your limits and internal compass.
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Nervous system regulation seems to be trending right now in wellness circles. But it’s often misunderstood. It doesn’t mean being happy all the time. You can be sad, mad, annoyed, (insert emotion), AND be regulated at the same time. With increased interoceptive awareness and a full toolbox, you will begin to adapt and respond and instead of react or shut down. And, you will have more compassion for yourself when you slip and stumble.
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Your practices acts as anchor points. Places to come back to time and time again in order to tap into your internal well of safety. This is NOT a normal time to be alive. We are living through a polycrisis of ecocide and genocide. We shouldn’t have to be so resilient. These practices help build us up so that we can take action wherever we live to dismantle harmful oppressive systems and strive for collective liberation.
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This work is a rewiring of neural pathways that are deeply ingrained. It requires a constant practice of self inquiry, or svādhyāya. Ancient wisdom offers perspective, guidelines, and clarity as you navigate your internal and external relationships.
What to expect
What you can expect
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As an outdoor educator for over 11 seasons in National Parks I’ve always turned to Nature as my teacher. Nature accepts you as you arrive. It doesn’t care what you look like, how you dress, or how you show up. YOU are nature. Welcome to a judgement-free space where you’ll be supported to do this work as nature intended, unapologetic, unashamed, and authentically you.
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This practice will challenge you and at the same time it will feel like coming home. You can count on me for compassionate communication, warmth, and validation - nothing less than you deserve. Yoga in the West has a long way to go in order to be inclusive. I pledge to continue to be a student of yoga in addition to learning from leaders and voices in accessibility, BIPOC, queer folks, fat-liberators, and new world thinkers.
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Yoga therapy can involve one-on-one work but you can trust that you are part of a much larger community of survivors, caregivers, and healing arts activists who are working to bring more awareness to mental health and collective care. I promise to do my best to connect you to any additional resources you may need on your journey. Welcome home.
