Rhythm / Devotion is a series of interviews intended to illuminate the connection to ritual & rhythm in our daily lives. This series explores the intimacy of routine, the magic of the ordinary, & how these small acts of devotion set the stage for larger workings in the world ~
What is your name & where are you in the world?
Hi, I’m Lexi and I live in a cozy little cottage in Connecticut with my kitty kat, a spotted dog and my best friend / partner, Alex.
How do you define yourself & your work?
I help women reconnect with their bodies through nourishing, plant-forward eating and simple, sustainable lifestyle shifts. I love and respect the female form but its narrative has been largely shaped by the male gaze.
There is so much emphasis on the way it is meant to look, and not enough emphasis on the way it is meant to feel. I help women tap into the latter so they can feel confident and comfortable within the confines of their skin. In my experience, that begins with food and nourishment which then spills out into other areas of life.
Will you walk us through what a day in your life looks like? Begin with how you greet the morning & guide us until you close off the day in the eve ~
I love the early morning. It’s so quiet and cool with the night still shaking itself off. I usually stretch in bed, greet my animals and get things flowing with some water. Coffee is one ritual I really treasure. It wakes up all my senses… the smell of fresh ground beans, the hiss of boiling water, that first sip… it's a vibe. I try and get outside within 20 minutes of waking so I can get some sun in my eyes and help set my circadian rhythm. Screens can really throw this off and I’m a sensitive sleeper so it’s important for me. After that it’s off to feed myself and others.
It’s almost August so my body is craving cool, hydrating foods like mango smoothies, crisp veggies and whatever is in my CSA box. I like to make a big batch of zucchini soup and drink it cold, it's creamy and refreshing and a great way to use up all those zucchinis. Depending on the day I might be testing recipes, which means I'm making a mess in my tiny kitchen. I love to cook. I love making food and feeding people. It’s such an intimate experience and it really helps ground me in the notion that we are all, at the end of the day, in need of love and nourishment. If I'm not in the kitchen I'm usually in front of a bunch of screens connecting with clients, checking social media, etc. I have a big, raw salad for lunch with either a grain or a protein and then it’s time for some movement and back in the kitchen for dinner.
In the summer I try to eat outside as much as possible and dinner usually coincides with a good sunset, which helps fade my day into night. After dinner I'm usually watching something with my partner, Alex. We just got into a Japanese show called Cowboy Bepop. It’s hand drawn, which is blowing our minds. It completely changes how we watch / interact with what’s happening. To know that each second of each scene was drawn by hand… it’s special. It also has an incredible jazz soundtrack.
You are an Integrative Nutrition Health Guide & writer ~ how do you prepare yourself &/or your space to enter into these practices?
I start with nourishing myself so I can show up for everyone else. I’m just starting my practice so there are a lot of moving parts - networking, outreach, showing up, and supporting likeminded practitioners - so I always keep myself well hydrated and fueled.
I also carve out time to sit with my thoughts, breathe and realign. If I have a discovery call or am meeting with a new client I like to use essential oils to help ground me. Our senses have the ability to bypass our thinking brains and go straight to our nervous systems. So I use scents to interact with and signal safety and calm to my overly anxious brain / body connection. I love lemon, rose and bergamot. I rub the oils on my hands, cup them over my nose and take a moment to breathe. It’s a very simple, kind gesture that my body and mind appreciate.
Someone I really admire once told me “if it’s important to you, make time for it.” Simple, but powerful. I like to remind myself of that when I'm feeling overwhelmed or like I can’t do something. It also resonates with my clients. There’s time. You just have to want to find it.
What do you do/not do if you are feeling stuck around your work?
I try and zoom out. I am very good at getting caught up in the small stuff so I am always working to gain perspective, to shift my understanding and to accept the natural ebb and flow of all things. Tuning in and raising my awareness has allowed me to approach stagnancy with a sense of curiosity and in curiosity I encounter playfulness.
Sometimes all you need is a good laugh or a loving hug to shift your headspace and dislodge whatever you’re letting hold yourself back.
Do you have a movement practice?
Yes! Movement quiets my inner whispers so I make time to move every single day. My mind is noisy and sometimes not very nice so I really enjoy high intensity, cardio heavy movement. It drains me in a way that is very calming and supportive of my nature. I also love to stretch, I do a lot of yoga poses, but not in any particular order. I like to feel my body's limits and bring attention to places that are tender or tight or stuck in some way. What’s happening there? What am I carrying there? What emotion is trapped in that space and how can I release it? Movement has so much power when you tap into it. It is very cathartic for me. Sometimes I cry during my workouts - not because they’re strenuous - because they’re moving things around and allowing me to grapple with what I have buried.
What does structure mean to you, or what is your philosophy around ritual/routine?
Structure keeps me flowing, though I’m not very strict with it. I have a general idea of what each day will look like but I also try and remain open. Things change, plans fall through, people don’t show up… it is what it is. I do have a lot of rituals that help guide me through each day. Coffee in the morning, and my skincare at night. They’re little reminders to take care of and catch up with myself.
What are you listening to, reading, or watching these days?
I’m watching Fantastic Fungi on YouTube… it is beyond, also Cowboy Bepop. I’m re-reading The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion because loss is circling around me and I’m curious to view it under a different lens. I’m listening to a lot of podcasts--Huberman Labs is a favorite if you wan to geek out on Neuroscience and learn some worthwhile brain hacking tools. I also really like The Rich Roll Podcast. He is a fantastic interviewer and knows how to pivot a conversation in a way that is very rewarding for the listeners.
Any last words of wisdom?
Be patient. Find calm. Accept whatever you are not. And never stop learning. Also, grow a vegetable garden… your body will thank you ;-)
How can we find your work?
I’m mainly on:
Instagram @yolk.wellness
or at www.yolkwellness.com
Thank you so much, Lexi, for your beautiful work in this world & for sharing your rhythm devotion with us ~
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I connect the mineral essence of Citrine as a beautiful companion to Lexi Bergeron & her work in the world.
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I made my Citrine essence in Savannah, GA in the afternoon, while the new moon was in Aries on 18.April, 2015. This essence was made with a small chunk of Citrine lovingly gifted to me from an old friend.
Citrine is a golden hued quartz family member. With colors ranging from a subtle, almost imperceptible yellow to a tawny golden brown, Citrine is a mineral which seems to hold almost every shade & mood of the vibrant sun.
This is an essence that fills us with sunlight returning to the earth, imbuing the earth with its warmth & its glow. The sun seemingly rises from the depths of the earth each morning in the east, stretching higher into the sky, crossing the horizon towards where it sets & slumbers back in the earth in the west. Then it all repeats again, day in & day out. Sometimes the length of the sun's earth slumbering is long (like in Winter) & other times it is short, as it is in Summer. Citrine essence grounds us into this natural solar rhythm of world, it helps us to embody this ourselves. As such, it is a mineral that tends to, nourishes, & brings our own solar plexus into rhythmic balance.
The solar plexus is like the yolk of our bellies: it is the warm, glowing center of our torso from which our will power, vivacity, & potential is kept snug. This is also where we illuminate & discern the information we receive on a daily basis & thus we take self-directed action from this place. The solar plexus is the place of "gut feelings" it is where we take in the world outside--interpret it--respond.
Citrine is an essence of initiation/beginnings, but also of restoration. It gives us the motivation to put things in motion, but it also helps us to rest when we seemingly can't slow down or tend to our own needs. While it is energizing, invigorating, & helps us to build our personal strength & vitality--it also helps us to know when to rest & recede. Citrine helps us see that if we don't take the time to take of ourselves, then nothing will really get done. It asks us to protect our reserves so that we are able to give to others, to shine our light upon them. This essence feeds our reserves, bolsters our confidence, & instills courage. It reminds us that sometimes it does take courage to slow things down, to rest & other times it takes courage to put ourselves out in the world & shimmer. Citrine essence is this inspiration & pause; inhale & exhale. It shows us the fine line between creative force & running one's self into the ground.
This is the message of Citrine: you are already abundant & have everything you need. Honor that, cultivate that, share that--discern who & when to share with, close yourself off when you need to, trust in your gut. Thus it is an essence that truly lives up to its fame as being a mineral that can summon abundance, treasure, & wealth.
Call on Citrine essence to sync up with solar rituals & movements in the world at large & also within your own body; to keep your fire in check, so that it doesn't all go out at once, but rather burns steady; to be self-attentive, to recharge; to remember that action is born from rest & vice versa.
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Find a bottle of Citrine mineral essence for yourself or a loved one here ~