The Lumi Letter

“There is a stillness beneath the noise, a knowing beneath the ache. That’s where the truth lives. That’s where you meet yourself again.”

– Elizabeth Arias

The Self-Wellness Shift: Returning to Yourself

by: Elizabeth Arias, Founder of Lumiveá

You don’t have to abandon your life to reconnect with yourself. Real self-wellness begins in the small, quiet choices you make every day.

There was a season when I did everything I was “supposed” to do.
I showed up. I smiled. I kept going.

But inside, I was nowhere to be found.

I wasn’t falling apart, just…fading.
Not in one big collapse, but in the quiet ways we learn to disappear from ourselves:

It’s not just scrolling, it’s the hollow pull of searching for something to soothe what you haven’t had time to name.
It’s laughing with friends, but feeling like you’re watching your own life from the outside.
It’s not just forgetting why you walked into the kitchen, it’s the quiet ache of moving through your life on autopilot, wondering when you stopped feeling it.
It’s caring for everyone else, and realizing you haven’t had a full breath in weeks.

That’s when I knew something had to change.

Self-wellness isn’t about escaping your life.
It’s about returning to it with steadiness, presence, and a deeper kind of care.
It’s not a reward for burnout.
It’s a rhythm you create, one breath, one moment at a time.

What Self-Wellness Truly Means

Self-wellness is the practice of noticing when you’ve left yourself, and choosing to come back, without shame. It’s not just physical. It’s emotional. Spiritual. Energetic.
It’s asking:

~ What am I holding right now that no one sees?
~ What have I pushed aside because it felt too inconvenient to feel?
~ What parts of me are quietly asking for attention?

For me, the shift began one quiet afternoon in an empty yoga class. Afterward, I saw the teacher holding The Universe Has Your Back by Gabrielle Bernstein. I remembered meeting Gabby eight years earlier through a work assignment, and that moment brought her work back into my awareness.

Her meditations, reflections, and tools gave me language for what I’d been carrying.

They gave me a place to begin again.

Since then, I’ve learned to recognize the small doors back to myself:

A deep inhale before the next ask.

A kind word toward myself when I forget something.

A few minutes of silence between errands.

These aren’t luxuries. They’re lifelines.

Begin Where You Are
Self-wellness doesn’t have to be a full day away from everything (though I do have something beautiful planned if you’re craving that kind of deeper reset).
But even before you step into a retreat space, you can start tending to your well-being today. Here are a few simple ways:

✧ Pause before you pour your coffee.
✧ Let your breath catch up with your body.
✧Speak gently to yourself when you feel overwhelmed.
✧ Set a 3-minute timer to sit in silence, eyes closed, hand on heart.
✧ Ask, “What do I need right now?” and listen like it matters.
✧ Let the sun touch your face before you open your inbox.

You have the power to choose yourself, even in the smallest moments.

And those choices? They ripple outward.

They transform not just your day, but the energy you carry into every room, every relationship.

You’re Not Alone in This

You’re not the only one who feels this way.

So many of us have been taught to override our needs in the name of strength, care, service, or survival.

But we can rewrite that story.
And many of us already are.

You don’t have to do it alone.
Imagine what might shift if we each chose one small door today-
A breath. A pause. A moment of grace.
What if that’s how we begin to ripple self-wellness... together?

If this speaks to you, share this with a friend who might need the reminder.

Ask someone you trust:
What does self-wellness mean to you?

Start the conversation. Let connection be part of your healing.

One Small Door

What’s one small door you can open today?

Write it down. Commit to it.

Let it be your return to yourself.

Not someday.

Not when life slows down.

But now- in the life you’re already living.

You are not a task to be managed.
You are a soul to be nurtured.

And the world needs you... whole, present, and alive.

P.S.
If you’re craving a deeper pause- time to truly step away, reflect, and reconnect...
I’ve created a something sacred for you:

Unbound: A Sacred Journey Within Women's Retreat

Join us in NYC for a retreat that’s rooted in presence, reflection, and real transformation.

Check out my offering

Let’s Stay Connected– ✨ Rooted in real life, love, and light.

I'd love to stay connected beyond this space.

Join me on social media for honest reflections, gentle reminders, and glimpses into my own journey of motherhood, healing, faith, and everything in between. ✨