Melificent

Work|Life Balance

I don’t usually blur the line between my hobby (blogging) and my career (behavior analysis), but I feel like this particular topic can benefit us all in this crazy culture that we are living in. For those of you that don’t know, I have another instagram (@behaviormagictherapy) where I share ABA tips + tricks, and I posed the question of sharing my thoughts on work/life balance and everyone replied with a resounding yes. So here I am.

My field (amongst others I’m sure) is renown for blurring boundaries and having severe burn out within the community. Working so closely with families day in and day out can cause you to always be “on,” and I was able to manage this pressure with relative ease for years…until I started a family. The second I became a mom and came back after maternity leave, I felt an insane amount of stress and anxiety with the task of balancing my child, my husband, my hobbies AND still being a kick ass analyst. And yes, although at times I feel bogged down and let my negative thoughts consume me, I know I am still good at my job. But that is because, although I learned to say no to others some time ago, I am just recently learning to say no to myself. And that by saying no to my overachieving, over anxious mind, I can still manage to do a good job without negatively effecting myself and other (honestly more important) areas of my life.

[Read more…]

Witchy Woman

img_1964

A lot of you ask me about my spirituality and practices when you see some of my social media posts. Crystals became a pretty important part of my life about two years ago. I know I often cite this time as being a hard one, but well, it was. I felt very anxious, uncertain and lonely. It wasn’t easy.

A friend of mine suggested going to the “local witch store” (also known as metaphysical), and I’ve been hooked ever since. For those of you not in the know, crystals are said to have properties that can help with different areas, such as anxiety, success, fertility, etc. When there’s a full moon, you charge them under the moonlight and sage them regularly to make sure their energy is clear. I think of them as my little totems, and I definitely have favorites. 

img_1969

[Read more…]

Miami’s SaberCraft

IMG_7153

As a new mom, I’m always looking for new ways to exercise and work on my fitness. Right now, I’m attending a spinning class every weekend but it’s really far (but so affordable!). That’s why I was so happy when I found out that Miami had its own Jedi Academy (amongst other reasons, of course). South Florida doesn’t tend to be very fandom-friendly, so I was floored. The owners of SaberCraft, Alfred and Santiago, are a total joy and wanted to make sure that they brought quality combat techniques to Miami’s chapter after training with San Francisco’s Golden Gate Knights. The classes are more choreography-based, so they teach you the moves you loved to watch on screen. There is also a little Hatha Yoga incorporated since there is a definite overlap with those teachings of The Force.

IMG_7182

I had the opportunity to take a class along with my chapter of Geek Girl Brunch last month and I can say that it was the most fun I’ve had in a long time. We initially started the class with a quick (but peaceful) meditation and then got to start learning moves with a foam saber. This way, everything was as safe as possible while we got used to maneuvering with our peers. The masters level students were also in attendance to help us, and we would often split into partners where they would instruct us 1:1. It was beyond amazing, and surprisingly empowering. When I would flow through the 6 moves in succession successfully, it was such a rush!

[Read more…]

The Barre Code: Miami

IMG_7754 copy

As you all know, I’m on my fitness journey to lose the baby weight gained during my pregnancy. I managed to tack on 41 lbs during those 9 months, and although I’ve managed to lose 27 of those pounds, I’m hitting the hardest wall to climb. The closer I get to my pre-baby weight, the harder it is to shed those pesky pounds. I have to be more strict with my diet (which I hate), and of course, exercise more. That’s why I jumped at the chance to try out Miami’s newest Barre class, The Barre Code, thanks to The Blogger Union.

I used to dance ballet, and was really passionate about it. I even wanted to pursue it professionally at one point! It wasn’t until I hit high school and thought I was “over it,” that I quit. It’s one of the few regrets I have, so the opportunity to stand at a barre again was way too tempting. Granted, I think I totally underestimated the level of butt-kicking I would experience at a Barre class. I haven’t taken a fitness class led by an instructor in years, much less to this degree. Guys, it’s 3 days since my class at the time I’m writing this post and I still can’t walk properly, sit down without holding on to something, and I can’t even think of bending down. This was some serious stuff. But it was amazing!

collage

The Barre Code has a beautiful and zen-inducing space in Biscayne that includes a gorgeous (and spacious) LED-lit studio, lockers, and even post-workout freshening stations. It is so inviting and relaxing in there, plus staff is a complete joy. Our instructor, Jo, was amazing. She is the kind of instructor that I enjoy when I’m taking a class – supportive, encouraging and energetic. I personally cannot stand attending fitness classes where you are being shouted at and made to feel inferior – I go to these classes not only to workout, but also to disconnect from the daily stress of my life. Jo was the complete opposite. She was constantly praising our abilities and how hard we were working. The encouragement only made me want to push myself harder (even though it was really, really tough for this out of shape mama).

[Read more…]

World Autism Awareness Day

Quite a few someones actually….

April 2nd is World Autism Awareness Day, but what we need more than anything is acceptance. When telling people what I do and the population I work with, I am often greeted with sympathetic expressions, generally paired with an ignorant statement, such as “Oh those poor children. They can barely do anything.” I’m not calling out friends, family and acquaintances as being ignorant, just not informed about these amazing children and all they are capable of doing. And I see it all the time. Ultimately, it is not their fault.

Unfortunately, what is being presented to people via the media is to blame. Our culture is inundated by propaganda stating that children have been kidnapped by autism or robbed of their lives. It makes it seem like these children are lost, never to be found. This cannot be farther from the truth. Every single day I am blown away by all the children I work with, and their abilities to grow and learn. It may not be in the traditional way their peers do, but they are more than capable of achieving goals just as their peers.

This is not a death sentence, and I think that is what I would like people to understand more than anything on a day like today. These are very special children that deserve love, acceptance and opportunity. We are the ones robbing them of that, not autism.

If you are not familiar with autism, educate yourself here.