Going IRL
what if social media disappeared tomorrow?
Who or what influences you?
Why not your closest beloveds?
Why not yourself?
If social media were a plant or a drug, it would be scheduled by the DEA. Because what we are effectively doing is spending hours and hours each day mainlining dopamine.
Why is this normal and accepted in our society?
If I did the same thing but used cocaine or heroin for the dopamine reward instead, you’d call me a junkie. A crack head. You’d organize an intervention and beg me to go to rehab.
I listened to a sermon by Tricia Hersey of The Nap Ministry last week, and she said she would be delighted if she woke up tomorrow and all social media had completely disappeared. That she would still spread her message in many different ways. An example she gave was simply talking to her neighbors. When I was off social media this is exactly what I did. And it was just as, if not far more fruitful than any of the time I spend on Instagram or Facebook.
I literally talked to one of my neighbors, and now have a connection that may lead to an incredible collaboration that I’ve been dreaming of for a long time!
There are things I cherish about being on social media. But those things are strongly outweighed by the negative impact of these tools.
It took me years to acknowledge this and to actually look at the data. Now that I’ve done that, there is no going back. I am going off of social media permanently by my birthday this year, if not sooner. Because,
Social media is harmful to our health and well-being. Especially to the mental health of children and teens. This is why Lush Cosmetics went off social media in 2021.
Social media changes our brains, messing with our memory, our attention span and our ability to focus.
Social media is designed to be addictive. The algorithms are constantly changing to keep us chasing the dragon.
Social media is making us more stressed, depressed and anxious.
Marketing on social media is not free when it comes at the cost of hours per day of our attention and all of the above. We are grinding for tech giants, and they are banking on us working for free and staying on their apps spending money.
For many small businesses marketing/selling on social media is not actually generating sales, but we still feel the need to constantly produce content to stay relevant. Caught in this loop of content creation, we neglect the business practices that actually make us money like sales calls and talking to people IRL about our products and services.
I have been back on social media since March 21st. I already feel the negative impact in my life - picking up my phone and mindlessly scrolling mid-conversation with my partner, unhealthy body image habits creeping back in, skipping meditation, not reading or writing as much.
If my intention in life is to be of service and help people feel more grounded, embodied, and energetically balanced by sharing music, meditation, reiki and plant wisdom - and it is. I have a responsibility to walk my talk.
If I have a burning desire to address and dismantle hierarchies, oppressive systems, and flatten unhealthy power dynamics; especially in wellness and spiritual spaces - and I do. Then, I am not in integrity if I keep engaging with these platforms which are so misaligned with my personal ethics and morals.
Social media is hierarchies allllll the way down.
I am looking forward to building sacred community and making big magic with kindred spirits. To cultivating power WITH each other. To building an impactful healing business that thrives through word of mouth and relational grassroots marketing. To spending more of my time in nature, making music, going to concerts/shows, dancing, writing, reading books and connecting with beautiful humans over yummy meals or around a fire.
I hope you’ll be there, IRL, with me. As my dearest
has been saying lately -We all Rise Together!
Alchemia Sound Healing
Back at West Side Yoga this month for a 2 hour session -
Sunday 4/30 5:30p-7:30p.
To sign up download the Mind Body App from your phone, find West Side Yoga, and then you can select April 30th from the calendar to sign up! If you have any issues with this please let me know and we find a way to get you registered.
Last month I shared a mini-Alchemia Sound Healing at a Rhode Island Fashion week event, with Hush Providence. Photos by HUSH founder, Karen Rowland, who is starting a new podcast very soon, by the by.
I want to thank Karen and Yemi Sekoni, founder of Rhode Island Fashion Week, for having us. And to all the panelists and presenters for all the insights, and lively discussion around fashion, health, and wellness; I was so inspired and uplifted after this event!
Get in touch to book me for a 1:1, your next special event or corporate wellness session for your office.
Reyna Collective
Meditation is the foundation for it all. Reyna Collective is a meditation accountability community for kindred spirits, existing at the intersection of self love, group support and community care. We encourage each other, through our gratitude and loving-kindness check-ins, to sit for meditation daily. We also allow for fluidity - the ebb and flow, just like the rhythms of Nature. Our meditation practice is not at the patriarchal, capitalist pace of constant productivity and busyness. Just 3 minutes per day can be revolutionary!
Reiki
Reiki is a hands on energy healing modality that is powerfully, yet gently supportive of mind, body and spirit well-being. Your session will be tailored to your personal needs and goals and can be everything from deeply relaxing and rejuvenating, to illuminating and insightful. In person and distance (video/phone) available.
Plant Wisdom
Learn how to use essential oils to support healing and transformation of toxic habits and patterns, cultivate healthy energetic boundaries, deepen your connection to the plant spirits, support your meditation and magical practices, complimentary support for deep work with plant medicines and psychedelics; prep and integration. Or book me for a cacao meditation for your music festival, group gathering, yoga studio, corporate wellness or private event. Cacao meditations pair beautiful with Alchemia Sound Healing, and vocal toning.
I do find Facebook Events handy. This has brought people together in person for me very well over the years. Some of the group posts I find are very informative but there is also the unhappy people in Facebook groups giving out.
I am finding Substack very enjoyable, including the new Notes service.
Echoing a lot of what I feel. I like nothing better than afternoon tea, snacks and conversations with neighbours. Fortunately, I’ve never lost that.