A Journey of Self Study

Almost two years ago, I was diagnosed with a functioning adrenal adenoma – a sizable tumor that sent cortisol flooding through my body at levels more than 15 times beyond the upper limit. My nervous system was in overdrive. My body was in survival mode. Most days, my primary task – the one thing I could hold space for – was making sure my son got to and from school. That was it. That was enough.

As my body struggled through this imbalance, my mind attempted to make sense of what was happening; I had already been on a deep journey of slowing down, stepping away from the fast pace of corporate life, and spending years unwinding from the constant doing, learning to listen, reconnect, and rest. But life had more to reveal.

For several months after my diagnosis, I dropped into stillness in a way I never had before. Meditation and breath were no longer luxuries or rituals – they were necessary medicine.

And in that space—bare, honest, stripped of all pretenses – I began to see more clearly. To hear more truthfully.

What was left when I couldn’t do, or produce, or care for others in the way I was used to?

What remained was me – and an invitation to meet myself, fully.

In yogic philosophy, this kind of inward turning is called Svadhyaya—self-study. It’s not about fixing or improving. It’s about listening. Witnessing. Softening into the truth of who we are beneath the roles, the pace, the expectations. It’s about loving ourselves enough to stay with what arises—especially the parts we’ve been taught to hide or outrun.

I’m honoring that path—and excited to return to it as a student. On Monday, July 7th, our weekday mindful breath practice will kick off a four-week exploration of Svadhyaya, led by Wild Minnow co-founder Jessica Lang on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Through breath, reflection, and timeless teachings, she’ll guide us inward – toward greater awareness, compassion, and alignment.