I'm Answering My Five Most Frequently Asked Questions
hello! i just came back from the most amazing retreat in Nicaragua and haven’t written a blog post in a while so I’m going to answer my most-asked questions. here we go:
what do you actually do for work? that’s a great question! a few things:
i’m an author • my book The Art of Sacred Smoke was published by Penguin Random House and is available via hardcover, audiobook, or ebook, at your favorite bookseller. it’s a beautifully illustrated guide to aligning and calibrating your energy. if you are searching for mindful solutions to the chaos of modern life, my book offers an empowering new way to connect to nature and to your best self.
i’m a buisness owner • my company is called SMUDGED and we create (and source) all kinds of energy-raising tools like sacred smoke wands, intention candles, crystal-infused room sprays, and so much more. you can find our products online, in lots of mom-and-pop shops all over the world, at more than 60 Whole Foods stores, and more than 40 Free People stores in the US.
i’m a breathwork facilitator • i LOVE sharing breathwork with others because it’s the most positively transformational healing modality I’ve ever experienced. i facilitate breathwork circles in person (for large and small groups all over the world) and on zoom. my in-person schedule is updated weekly and will be available through our email list - the next one will be in Paris on Sunday, June 26th at 6pm. you can sign up for emails here.
i also work one-on-one with people in a very limited capacity • whether you need your space cleansed, one-on-one breathwork, if you want to create a special and unique gathering for a special occasion, if you need a personalized morning ritual, mantra process, or a corporate workshop, i can be available if the timing is right. please contact us via email with your inquiry.
how do you travel so much?
i live between two cities • traveling gives me life. it brings me joy and helps me connect to clients all over the world. i’ve created a business where I can work from almost anywhere and I am lucky enough to live between Miami Beach (where my home and SMUDGED HQ is located) and Los Angeles, where I grew up and my family still lives.
wellness events • when i get a lot of requests in one city for a breathwork circle or a sacred smoke workshop - or when a business or hotel invites me to create a retreat or workshop for their patrons, i travel to facilitate.
retreats • the next retreat i have scheduled is in Joshua Tree and it is going to be full of magic - you can get more information about it here.
how important is a morning routine and how do you keep one while you travel?
a proper (albeit simple) morning routine is the key to my sanity. when clients come to me with any kind of issue, my first question is, do you have a morning routine?
our brains are like a sponge. while we sleep the sponge gets emptied as the day’s happenings get filed away into the various parts of our brains. when we wake, we have a clean, empty (ish) sponge and the first thing we introduce into our mind sets the direction/tone of the day. that first bit of information received determines the course of the day.
so, what are you introducing into your mind first thing in the morning? are you getting a hit of social media? a bit of fear and panic via the news? cortisol coursing through the veins? or are you connecting to joy, love, and gratitude through a morning practice? overtime, the way we start our day quite literally, determines the nature of our mood and the quality of our life.
when traveling, i change my morning routine to include just what is absolutely necessary for me to feel grounded and connected - the bare minimum. while in Nicaragua, I was sharing a room with a friend so i was totally off my morning routine and by day four i was feeling really anxious. the next day, i started a routine again and immediately felt better. there are lots of examples of morning routines in my book. if you need help creating a personalized one, you can schedule a one-on-one session with me.
what does “holding space” mean?
i remember when i used to wonder about this same thing because it sounds complicated. but holding space is just an energetic state of being - it’s when someone is fully present with you and whatever you are experiencing. it’s a state of physically, mentally, and emotionally being present for another.
when I hold space for my clients, i get into a mindful and meditative space, where I feel grounded and deeply connected. only then am i able to show up fully - without distractions, without my own agenda, or ego present. it’s a practiced state of being that facilitates deep healing for others and for the self.
how do you take Palo everywhere with you?
my little Palocito is a hearing assist service dog. i have really bad hearing, especially in one ear (recurring ear infections as a kid led to some permanent hearing damage, then exacerbated by loud music as a young adult). so, i am able to travel with him because of the American Disabilities Act. Palo underwent training to be certified and i’m lucky he is a good traveler. in fact, he loves airports!
Palo’s traveled to so many cities - all over Florida and California, Austin, Washington DC, Vancouver, Montreal, Seattle, Denver, NYC, and he’s coming with me to Europe for the first time this summer.