what we do now.

Hi.

This is not normally anything I would ever write on here. IF you are not interested in chatting about the results of the 2024 United States election, feel free to click around elsewhere! I have a ton of prenatal and postpartum info, recipes, workouts, and other categories on this blog. Please check them out and share.

Now. I don't ever like to get political at all during my sessions. I have a wide variety of clients all over the globe with many different realities. I love all of them equally. Also, exercise is a major dopamine hit and I want all of my classes and workouts to be a release for my people. My goal is to keep the mood light, positive, and productive.

However, I am still processing my feelings about what happened on Tuesday. I'm still in shock. I'm incredibly disappointed. Many of my friends are hurting and scared. Many of my clients are members of the LGBTQ+ community. Many of my clients who have undergone IVF or rely on reproductive services to make their families are scared. My clients with biological females are fearful of what a national abortion ban could do for their families, as am I. Same goes for my peers and fellow trainers who have been working in the birth world for years. It's a very awful time. We are grieving what we expect to be the loss of our rights as an American. We are afraid for our families.

This is a difficult subject and I don't expect many to share my values on this, but I can honestly say that nothing has confirmed me as pro-choice than having my own children. I love my kids. I wanted to have kids my entire life. But I would not wish an unwanted pregnancy on my worst enemy. I would never get an abortion in my current circumstance. I have had many friends who have had to make the difficult choice to terminate a pregnancy. I'm not going to go into detail to protect their privacy, but there have been many who have been desperate to have this biological child, but the fetus was non-viable.

There's a million other reasons why I am sad about the outcome of the election and fearful of the upcoming administration. I am also very aware of my privilege. If you are also feeling down, I respect your space to grieve and I say this as an ally that I love you and I will always be on your side. Your fear is valid but you are not alone.

Grief and stress and dread will take a massive toll on your mental and physical health. Please do not poison yourself in spite of this. Please keep love and hope in your heart. Please take care of yourself. This is not some toxic positivity bs here, I mean that you are loved and this is hard.

Here is what I am doing for right now:

Daily yoga and meditation (I can usually sneak in 20 + 5 minutes in the morning before the kids wake up)

Daily exercise - walking, weight lifting, etc. Right now the HIIT workouts have been feeling awesome because it reminds me that I can handle the hard things.

Taking all my magnesium and melatonin for sleep

Drinking water or tea all day long.

Working in a window so I can get some sun on my face.

Reaching out to my friends and loved ones and checking in often

Rage cleaning, rage gardening, listening to comedy podcasts

Going to bed early (sometimes)

Guys I honestly do not want to do this again. But I'm going to. I know what we are up against. I'm exhausted. But I owe it to my children to fight as hard as I can. So right now I am taking brief moments in my day to rest and prepare for what's ahead. I truly have hope for our future not just to protect my headspace. I do strongly believe that most of us are united in our values.  I refuse to accept that we live in a hateful world. Yes, there are awful people out there, but that's not most of us. We want our kids to be safe, healthy, and live fulfilling lives. My anxiety is very, very real, but I cannot just dwell on it when I can use my privilege to take action within my community.

So if you are feeling the feelings, or wondering why many of us are, please reach out. We need each other.

xo

SA