“Is your social media representative of your real life?” That was the question asked by a friend last week. I thought it was a compelling question worth answering in a blog. I figure if she had that question then others who follow my social media probably do too. Instead of write about it I did my first video blog! It’s my first so I’m a work in progress, but tonight was the perfect time to tackle this question. Almost everything that I post is real life because I’m out in the world taking on my commitment to create empowering experiences
How to Advocate for Yourself
October 10, 2019 | Written by: | Filed Under: Anna's Blog, Inspiring Articles, Mindset
Do better. That’s what I wrote to the organizers. They had removed me from the speaker schedule without communicating. For a very brief moment I considered resigning myself to the fact that I would no longer be presenting. I have a long history of advocating for myself in the world of paddlesports. It’s uncomfortable, vulnerable and can be frustrating. The truth is when I don’t speak up nothing happens. My career as a sponsored athlete and my work empowering women wouldn’t exist if I didn’t advocate for myself. After a phone call with the organizer I was put back on
What Makes You Feel Vulnerable?
October 3, 2019 | Written by: | Filed Under: Anna's Blog, Inspiring Articles, Mindset
This is what I was afraid of. I’d put myself out there just to look stupid. It. Was. Terrifying. What makes you feel vulnerable? You know, that sinking feeling of resistance in your gut, followed by a drawing in and shutting down? At least that’s the feeling I got when my business coach asked me to do vlogs. When I responded that I had been thinking about doing then for awhile, she said, OK then do one today. Even though I was experiencing resistance throughout my whole being, I knew that I had to take on the challenge. Within a
3 Ways to Comfort Without Sweet Treats
September 26, 2019 | Written by: | Filed Under: Anna's Blog, Health and Wellness
Ever notice the abundance of sweet treats in airport stores? That’s no coincidence. Sweat treats pacify our feelings of stress and anxiety. According to Ayurveda, sweet taste is grounding and heavy, and food companies know this! They know that sugar triggers the reward center in the brain, releasing opioids and dopamine. It makes us feel great… in the short term. Another perspective is that the sweetness of breast milk is the first thing we taste as humans. If we’re fortunate enough, we drink it from the safety and comfort of our mother’s arms. In Ayurveda we call this a samskara,
Is Your All or Nothing Attitude Affecting Your Health?
September 19, 2019 | Written by: | Filed Under: Anna's Blog, Health and Wellness
Is your all or nothing attitude negatively affecting your health? Do you believe that if you don’t have an hour to do a workout it’s not worth even trying? Does the excuse of not having ‘the right’ clothes or venue to do a yoga practice or workout keep you phone scrolling instead of taking care of your body? Some of my Ayurveda clients tell me that they feel like failures for not making all of the changes they wanted to even though they’re very successful with 1 or 2. But guess what. Successfully incorporating 1 or 2 healthy habits and
Grief, Connection and Joy on the River
September 15, 2019 | Written by: | Filed Under: Anna's Blog, Inspiring Articles, Trip/Tour Reports
“It doesn’t get any easier,” she said as tears streamed down her face and she spread the ashes in the water. “He would have loved this place.” “I acknowledge you for being here,” I said, tears welling up in my eyes as well. Wishing I could do something to ease her pain, and knowing that the best I could do was hold space. It was her first river experience ever, and 6 days in the Idaho wilderness was a big adventure to take on. Nina was my best friend in grade school. We grew up in a small, bilingual and
Why Are You So You Angry?!
September 4, 2019 | Written by: | Filed Under: Anna's Blog, Inspiring Articles, Trip/Tour Reports
I felt so angry! I had asked him to get my favorite chocolate cake at the local market. When he came back, he said he couldn’t find it and brought me back a chocolate bar instead. The heat was rising in my face because I knew he hadn’t actually bothered to ask the clerk if they had the cakes. I had seen them there earlier that day. He admitted that he didn’t ask and exclaimed: “Why are you so angry?!” The answer had nothing to do with chocolate cake. Which, by the way, is my trusted strategy for pacifying my
How I Got Myself Unstuck
August 30, 2019 | Written by: | Filed Under: Anna's Blog, Inspiring Articles, Mindset
Here I am sitting at my computer with a feeling of fear of being judged, and it’s paralyzing me today. “You’re so fearless!” The comments poured in on social media after I posted this photo (taken by Daniel Brasuell) I’m definitely not fearless, is what I replied. I get nervous every time I paddle this rapid! I think of myself as courageous – being afraid and taking action anyway. BUT I’ve set a new goal for myself to write a blog and send it out on Fridays. Yet I’m fearful of putting it out there. What if it’s too much
3 Things I Ask Myself to Recover from Disappointment
August 22, 2019 | Written by: | Filed Under: Anna's Blog, Inspiring Articles, Kayaking Tips, Mindset
I’ve been wedged underneath rocks in the river, been trashed in the impact zone in the surf, and as a solopreneur, wondered how I was going to pay my bills. You know, that feeling of being crushed by doubt, fear or things not working out the way you’d hoped? Whitewater kayaking has been a phenomenal teacher for me in learning how to make big comebacks. How to not let one incident send me into a downward spiral. Like the one time I got stuck in a hydraulic, swam out of my kayak, bawled my eyes out, then got back in
Someday or Day One?
July 23, 2019 | Written by: | Filed Under: Health and Wellness, Inspiring Articles, Mindset
When you schedule time on your calendar how often do you pencil in activities on Someday? Never heard of Someday being on the calendar? That’s because Someday doesn’t exist in reality. There’s a saying that goes: “There are 7 days in a week and Someday isn’t one of them.” Saying you’ll do something Someday is saying that what you want is just a pipe dream. As uninspiring as this is, it’s also easy and doesn’t involve risk. On the other hand, taking steps towards what you really want feels scary, risky and hard. I get it. I’ve been there over
