"You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the ocean in a drop." -Rumi

This picture was taken 6 years ago. It’s amazing how much my life has changed since then. At that time, I was living in Humboldt County and feeling deeply depressed. Far from friends and family, isolated, living in survival mode while in a toxic relationship. I wasn’t taking good care of myself and had gained weight. I felt no confidence. I remember feeling so distant from myself.

When I got the photos back from this shoot, I remember feeling a glimmer of hope. This photo, in particular, it struck me: the way the rocks and the ocean feel so vast in comparison with my body in the frame. And yet, even in that little blip of ‘me’ in the center of the scene, I could see my own strength. My own energy.

The jolt of the pink color and the way my arms were outstretched… it seemed to match the expansiveness of the horizon line. Even in this dark period of my life, there was inspiration. Hope. A sense of belonging. If I zoomed out far enough, I could see it.

The peaceful feeling of looking up at the sky, breathing in the cool coastal air, listening to the sound of the water crashing on the rocks. This picture captured the okay-ness of it all… I was still at peace in my own body. I still had my yoga practice. I was alive. I was finding a way back to myself.

Sometimes we need that reminder, that there’s always a way back.

‘Lost’ eventually becomes ‘found.’ Darkness finds light. Emotions cycle through.

When you see this picture, I hope it reminds you– things are okay. Maybe a shift in perspective is all that’s required. Even if you can’t feel it at this exact moment, there is so much strength inside of you.