Gifting myself room to breathe and space for joy

Tulum with my besties consisted of F I V E days of me giving myself permission to feel good and enjoy things that are actually enjoyable. I gifted myself room to breathe, space for joy, pleasure and peace.

Grief, especially around my birthday keeps mn touch with negative emotions: disappointment, frustration, sadness and anger. I often feel guilty for continuing on and living my life, missing the goodness around me. During my trip I actively resisted and rebelled against guilt and leaned into my ability engage in positive emotions. Reseillence. Laughing with them is an insanely therapeutic experience, helping me release what has built up inside over time.

Giving myself space allowed grief to calmly ebb and flow. Not smacking me in the face and getting lost under the tide. Still lots of tears, happy tears. I felt my parents presence through the warmth of the beaming sun. Especially when I looked up into the sky. The morning of my birthday, the sun was out the earliest and brightest it had been the entire trip.

The ability to ground // earth myself (walking barefoot, submersing in water) when negative emotions tried to creep back in, were great ways to recharge, get movement and reconnect with the earth. I spent most of my days barefoot and dipped in lots of water (outdoor shower was invigorating). Benefits that I experienced includes: improved my sleep quality, I felt less anxious, my ability to be present increased and there was a significant reduction in my chronic grief pains. My favorite benefit was the increase in my appetite and the ability for me to feel hungry, and not sick. Everything was fresh and you could taste the difference.

XO, AF