LESSONS I LEARNED IN THE DESERT LAST WEEK
I didn't look in a mirror for almost two weeks.
No makeup. Barely any cell service. Just red rock, open sky, a full moon and a group of people who were not going to let me take the easy way out. We were in the desert – the landscape I grew up in, the one that lives in my bones and shows up in my dreams — with friends, my husband, and my 10 year old son.
Most mornings it was the same conversation. "Where are we riding today?" Not hiking – my usual comfort zone – but mountain biking. I LOVE being outside and I LOVE hiking, walking through a landscape slowly or quickly is my favorite place to be. Biking feels scarier, harder, less predictable than feet on the ground.
Every morning I had a choice. The version of me who finds a perfectly reasonable excuse to dial it back — showed up faithfully, right on schedule. And every morning, the people I love looked at me like we see you, and we also see what you're capable of — so I'd put on my helmet and shoes and go, despite my discomfort and anxiety about what I was getting myself into.
My husband was nursing an injury, so he walked the trails while we rode. But he was there, literally cheering us on from the path. He reminded me that being present for the people you love, even when you can't join in on the fun, is its own kind of strength.
And then there was my son.
Ten years old, legs pumping, going for every climb like I've never seen him do before. There were challenges that made me want to stop and pretend I'd meant to so I could admire the view. He just... rode up them. No drama. No negotiation. Just pure, uncomplicated belief that his body could do it – so it did. And if he didn't make it up the rock the first time, he simply walked back and tried it over and over until he succeeded. Watching this transformation in him was one of those moments where you realize what your own body is capable of by witnessing what another is demonstrating, in particular, your child. Any parent who rides bikes with 9/10 year olds knows, climbing is not always the fun part and in our case has often been accompanied by major meltdowns until the next snack break or downhill section of trail. We turned a corner on this trip.
Here's what I didn't expect from any of it: it had nothing to do with fitness (well maybe a little). It had everything to do with the story I was telling myself about what I could still do.
Last summer I turned 50. And if I'm honest, I'd been absorbing a culture that treats a woman's life after 50 like it's somehow all downhill (or uphill? I never really understand that metaphor) from here. The message is loud — in the products, the marketing, the self talk — and it seeps in. Even for someone who's always been focused on natural, graceful aging.
The desert doesn't care, it is indifferent to you. It just offers heat, wind, space, silence, and canyons that make you feel small in the most amazing way.
One of the last days of our trip, red-faced, dusty and out of breath on a trail I would normally talk myself out of (and almost did), something shifted. The landscape I grew up in held me the way it always has – and the people around me held me too, in the way that only people who believe in you more than you believe in yourself can.
The gift I came home with was a recalibration.
This spring, I invite you to let this season show you what my crew did out there, more is available to you than you think. More warmth. More light. More magic. More health. More energy in your body than you think you have. And you are enough, right now, in this moment. Try not to rush past it, already planning for summer, already optimizing the calendar, already choosing the path of least resistance.
What if instead, we let someone – or something – gently call us forward – to show up a little more? Not in the way of competition but so we can realize what we are truly capable of and what a miracle this life is.
Slow down enough to feel the season shifting. Move in ways that remind you what your body can do. Let the people who love you challenge you, walk beside you, and sometimes show you the way from ten paces ahead on a hill they're conquering without a second thought.
Because here's what the desert reminded me – it's not downhill from here. That's just a story. And you get to choose a different one. Everyday you get to choose. Every moment, every breath, you can start again.
I came home with dusty shoes, not a trace of mascara on my face, and lungs that are full. The desert gave it to me free – the same way it always has since I was a little girl under that wide, wide sky.
This month's invitation:
Before summer rushes in — find your people who believe in you more than you believe in yourself right now. Then say yes to the harder thing, whatever that looks like for you. Notice what's waiting on the other side of it.
Where have you been choosing the easier route – and who around you is ready to ride alongside you when you don't?
Jessica & the Healthy Beings
PEACE ON EARTH LATTE
Our adaptogenic Latte of the Month! Indulge in a moment of calm, beauty and intention. This stunning color-shifting latte blends Earl Grey with vibrant Butterfly Pea Flower from Anima Mundi Herbals. A creative, floral version of the classic London Fog with added benefits.
Every sip is more than self-care....it's collective care. Healthy Being will donate $1 from every purchase this month to Protect our Waters JH and their mission to protect our most vital resource.
Crafted to support the nervous system and rich in antioxidants, Peace on Earth, is our new daily ritual for balance, glow and gentle energy.
CELEBRATE EARTH DAY WITH US!
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22ND
ALL DAY 22% OFF - Stock up on all your Sustainable Living Goods in the HB Market with 22% OFF All Retail, All Day
5-6 PM COMMUNITY PEACE MEDIATION: on the Greenspace with Jes Neuhaus. Rain or Shine. Bring a Camp Chair, Cushion or Blanket and a Mug. Complimentary Blissed Out Tea to follow meditation.
JH HEALTH CHALLENGE IS BACK - MAY 1 - MAY 21
Feeling like your stuck in a rut with your food and fitness? This might be something fun to try. Nurse Georgie is bringing back her JH Health Challenge and Healthy Being is a sponsor. A fun way to join in with other like-minded locals to receive great discounts at health focused businesses in town, expert guidance and win some cash while giving yourself a little spring reset! Check out the flyer and email Georgie to sign up!
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