Ocean Phoenix
@oceanphoenix.bsky.social
What if awareness is the key to your next life chapter? Walk with me toward the light. substack.com/@oceanphoenix
There’s another way to live. Even small acts—music, public art, shared moments—can make a neighborhood feel alive. My latest essay is about what I’m learning in Mérida, Mexico.
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/walking-in...
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/walking-in...
Walking Into Belonging: Community In Mérida
There is a small, almost imperceptible ritual that happens every time I step outside in Mérida.
oceanphoenix.substack.com
January 10, 2026 at 2:59 PM
There’s another way to live. Even small acts—music, public art, shared moments—can make a neighborhood feel alive. My latest essay is about what I’m learning in Mérida, Mexico.
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/walking-in...
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/walking-in...
In Mexico, Christmas begins on the night of December 24th, centered on family, shared food, and staying together late.
I wrote about this tradition and what it made me reflect on about the holidays. Would love to hear how you celebrate.
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/christmas-...
I wrote about this tradition and what it made me reflect on about the holidays. Would love to hear how you celebrate.
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/christmas-...
Christmas Begins on the 24th
In Mexico, Christmas does not wait for the morning of the 25th.
oceanphoenix.substack.com
December 25, 2025 at 9:47 PM
In Mexico, Christmas begins on the night of December 24th, centered on family, shared food, and staying together late.
I wrote about this tradition and what it made me reflect on about the holidays. Would love to hear how you celebrate.
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/christmas-...
I wrote about this tradition and what it made me reflect on about the holidays. Would love to hear how you celebrate.
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/christmas-...
My health insurance premium more than doubled next year. A dental issue pushed me to look outside the U.S. for care, and what I found in Mexico surprised me. I wrote about it here.
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/why-i-went...
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/why-i-went...
Why I Went to Mexico for Medical Care and What It Says About Healthcare in the United States
My health insurance premium for next year more than doubled.
oceanphoenix.substack.com
December 18, 2025 at 2:50 PM
My health insurance premium more than doubled next year. A dental issue pushed me to look outside the U.S. for care, and what I found in Mexico surprised me. I wrote about it here.
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/why-i-went...
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/why-i-went...
Everyone asked me if Mexico was safe. What I found in Mérida changed everything I thought I knew about danger, culture, and the stories we’re raised on. A piece about fear, truth, and choosing to see with your own eyes.
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/is-it-safe...
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/is-it-safe...
Is It Safe? A Story About Fear, Truth, and the Life I Found in Mexico
When I first told friends and family I would spend a few months in Mérida, the question I heard most often was not “Are you excited?” or “What are you looking forward to?” Instead, it was “Is it safe?...
oceanphoenix.substack.com
December 8, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Everyone asked me if Mexico was safe. What I found in Mérida changed everything I thought I knew about danger, culture, and the stories we’re raised on. A piece about fear, truth, and choosing to see with your own eyes.
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/is-it-safe...
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/is-it-safe...
Mérida transformed my December: less consumerism, more connection, joy everywhere. One week here rewired what the holidays mean to me.
Read my latest article: oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/my-first-w...
Read my latest article: oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/my-first-w...
My First Week in Mérida: A Different Kind of December
I have been in Mérida for only a week, yet the city has already begun to breathe its rhythm into me.
oceanphoenix.substack.com
December 4, 2025 at 9:04 PM
Mérida transformed my December: less consumerism, more connection, joy everywhere. One week here rewired what the holidays mean to me.
Read my latest article: oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/my-first-w...
Read my latest article: oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/my-first-w...
New piece up about the two visitors before any big life change: excitement and fear. If you’re navigating a transition, this one might land.
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/the-visito...
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/the-visito...
The Visitors at the Door: Excitement, Fear, and Saying Yes to a New Life
In eleven days, I went from landing back home from Mexico to preparing to return—this time not for a vacation, but to live there for a few months.
oceanphoenix.substack.com
November 26, 2025 at 4:06 PM
New piece up about the two visitors before any big life change: excitement and fear. If you’re navigating a transition, this one might land.
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/the-visito...
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/the-visito...
Maybe the real costume isn’t what we wear on Halloween—it’s what we hide every day.
Beyond the Mask: Rethinking the Traditions We Inherit
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/beyond-the...
Beyond the Mask: Rethinking the Traditions We Inherit
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/beyond-the...
Beyond the Mask: Rethinking the Traditions We Inherit
Growing up, I enjoyed Halloween, but I never loved it.
oceanphoenix.substack.com
October 27, 2025 at 1:47 PM
Maybe the real costume isn’t what we wear on Halloween—it’s what we hide every day.
Beyond the Mask: Rethinking the Traditions We Inherit
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/beyond-the...
Beyond the Mask: Rethinking the Traditions We Inherit
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/beyond-the...
Every day we leave behind a trail of energy — in our tone, our words, our choices.
This essay asks: What do you want your energy to say when you’re no longer in the room?
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/embodying-...
This essay asks: What do you want your energy to say when you’re no longer in the room?
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/embodying-...
Embodying Love: The Legacy We Leave Behind
Recently, life has been testing me in ways I didn’t expect.
oceanphoenix.substack.com
October 23, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Every day we leave behind a trail of energy — in our tone, our words, our choices.
This essay asks: What do you want your energy to say when you’re no longer in the room?
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/embodying-...
This essay asks: What do you want your energy to say when you’re no longer in the room?
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/embodying-...
Sometimes becoming means burning everything you know.
New poem — Ashes of the Self — about surrender, renewal, and the quiet power of starting again
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/ashes-of-t...
New poem — Ashes of the Self — about surrender, renewal, and the quiet power of starting again
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/ashes-of-t...
Ashes of the Self
I have buried myself a thousand times
oceanphoenix.substack.com
October 13, 2025 at 12:29 PM
Sometimes becoming means burning everything you know.
New poem — Ashes of the Self — about surrender, renewal, and the quiet power of starting again
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/ashes-of-t...
New poem — Ashes of the Self — about surrender, renewal, and the quiet power of starting again
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/ashes-of-t...
To receive is to let life move through you.
“The rain falls not because the earth is worthy, but because the clouds open.”
Part 2 of Let the River Flow: The Art of Receiving Fully — on giving, openness, and the quiet alchemy of belonging.
Read: oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/let-the-ri...
“The rain falls not because the earth is worthy, but because the clouds open.”
Part 2 of Let the River Flow: The Art of Receiving Fully — on giving, openness, and the quiet alchemy of belonging.
Read: oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/let-the-ri...
Let the River Flow: The Art of Receiving Fully
Part 2
oceanphoenix.substack.com
October 9, 2025 at 2:32 PM
To receive is to let life move through you.
“The rain falls not because the earth is worthy, but because the clouds open.”
Part 2 of Let the River Flow: The Art of Receiving Fully — on giving, openness, and the quiet alchemy of belonging.
Read: oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/let-the-ri...
“The rain falls not because the earth is worthy, but because the clouds open.”
Part 2 of Let the River Flow: The Art of Receiving Fully — on giving, openness, and the quiet alchemy of belonging.
Read: oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/let-the-ri...
Why is it so hard to truly receive? Some take without wonder. Some overperform their gratitude. Some shrink from grace.
These are the shadows of receiving — thief, performer, denier — and they live in all of us.
Read Part 1 → oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/the-shadow...
These are the shadows of receiving — thief, performer, denier — and they live in all of us.
Read Part 1 → oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/the-shadow...
The Shadows of Receiving: When Gifts Hover Outside the Heart
Part 1
oceanphoenix.substack.com
October 6, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Why is it so hard to truly receive? Some take without wonder. Some overperform their gratitude. Some shrink from grace.
These are the shadows of receiving — thief, performer, denier — and they live in all of us.
Read Part 1 → oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/the-shadow...
These are the shadows of receiving — thief, performer, denier — and they live in all of us.
Read Part 1 → oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/the-shadow...
Ever had a thought that felt like it wasn’t yours—a quiet whisper, a sudden sign, or a full-body knowing? My latest piece explores how intuition speaks, how to test it, and how to build trust in it.
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/how-intuit...
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/how-intuit...
How Intuition Speaks — and How to Listen When It Does
There’s a voice I’ve learned to recognize , not the loud, pushy kind of thought that argues or rehearses, but a quieter whisper.
oceanphoenix.substack.com
September 29, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Ever had a thought that felt like it wasn’t yours—a quiet whisper, a sudden sign, or a full-body knowing? My latest piece explores how intuition speaks, how to test it, and how to build trust in it.
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/how-intuit...
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/how-intuit...
⚡ The Disruptor of Stagnant Energy 🌊
A poem about shaking loose what no longer breathes and trusting the current of love.
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/the-disrup...
A poem about shaking loose what no longer breathes and trusting the current of love.
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/the-disrup...
The Disruptor of Stagnant Energy
I arrive like a storm
oceanphoenix.substack.com
September 25, 2025 at 3:35 PM
⚡ The Disruptor of Stagnant Energy 🌊
A poem about shaking loose what no longer breathes and trusting the current of love.
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/the-disrup...
A poem about shaking loose what no longer breathes and trusting the current of love.
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/the-disrup...
Ever meet someone who feels like déjà vu for the soul? That happened to me at my reunion. Brief, karmic, undeniable. Full story here:
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/a-reunion-...
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/a-reunion-...
A Reunion of Souls
I arrived at my college reunion event earlier than planned, nerves humming beneath my skin.
oceanphoenix.substack.com
September 22, 2025 at 8:34 PM
Ever meet someone who feels like déjà vu for the soul? That happened to me at my reunion. Brief, karmic, undeniable. Full story here:
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/a-reunion-...
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/a-reunion-...
Progress isn’t linear—it’s layered.
September 16, 2025 at 9:39 PM
Progress isn’t linear—it’s layered.
What happens when you feel more at home with strangers than with old classmates? At my reunion, I discovered the answer–and whispered a message of strength to the younger me who once walked that campus.
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/when-time-...
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/when-time-...
When Time Folds In On Itself: Lessons from a College Reunion
When I decided to attend my college reunion, I wasn’t sure what to expect.
oceanphoenix.substack.com
September 15, 2025 at 3:33 PM
What happens when you feel more at home with strangers than with old classmates? At my reunion, I discovered the answer–and whispered a message of strength to the younger me who once walked that campus.
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/when-time-...
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/when-time-...
Ever wonder why small things can trigger big reactions? Old patterns from earlier experiences still shape how we show up today. Noticing and caring for these parts of ourselves opens the door to more freedom + ease.
🔗 oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/the-inner-...
🔗 oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/the-inner-...
The Inner Child as the Gateway to Healing
Becoming Your Own Safe Place — Week 9
oceanphoenix.substack.com
September 11, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Ever wonder why small things can trigger big reactions? Old patterns from earlier experiences still shape how we show up today. Noticing and caring for these parts of ourselves opens the door to more freedom + ease.
🔗 oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/the-inner-...
🔗 oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/the-inner-...
Healing your family wounds doesn’t mean betrayal. It means choosing yourself—and transforming pain into purpose.
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/when-heali...
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/when-heali...
When Healing Feels Like Betrayal: Transforming Family Pain Into Purpose
Family is supposed to be where we find unconditional love and safety.
oceanphoenix.substack.com
September 8, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Healing your family wounds doesn’t mean betrayal. It means choosing yourself—and transforming pain into purpose.
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/when-heali...
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/when-heali...
Even the smallest presence can shift a moment. A smile, a soft gaze, a quiet thought of care—it ripples outward.
New essay is up.
New essay is up.
The Subtle Power of Presence in Everyday Moments
The cashier’s eyes were downcast, their shoulders tight.
oceanphoenix.substack.com
September 2, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Even the smallest presence can shift a moment. A smile, a soft gaze, a quiet thought of care—it ripples outward.
New essay is up.
New essay is up.
Life isn’t just events—it’s energy moving through us. ✨
Every spark, tension, or ease is a lesson in how to work with it.
New post: Learning to Work with Energy
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/learning-t...
Every spark, tension, or ease is a lesson in how to work with it.
New post: Learning to Work with Energy
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/learning-t...
Learning to Work with Energy
Beneath all the noise of life,
oceanphoenix.substack.com
August 29, 2025 at 2:27 PM
Life isn’t just events—it’s energy moving through us. ✨
Every spark, tension, or ease is a lesson in how to work with it.
New post: Learning to Work with Energy
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/learning-t...
Every spark, tension, or ease is a lesson in how to work with it.
New post: Learning to Work with Energy
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/learning-t...
This week’s essay is about becoming your own safe place. Self-trust isn’t lost, it waits beneath the noise for small acts of care to bring it back.
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/showing-up...
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/showing-up...
August 26, 2025 at 4:02 PM
This week’s essay is about becoming your own safe place. Self-trust isn’t lost, it waits beneath the noise for small acts of care to bring it back.
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/showing-up...
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/showing-up...
The wind will not wait for us to be ready.
We have to be ready anyway.
The Storms Are Getting Stronger, and So Must We
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/the-storms...
We have to be ready anyway.
The Storms Are Getting Stronger, and So Must We
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/the-storms...
The Storms Are Getting Stronger, and So Must We
We are learning, again and again, that the earth is no longer steady beneath us.
oceanphoenix.substack.com
August 14, 2025 at 2:01 PM
The wind will not wait for us to be ready.
We have to be ready anyway.
The Storms Are Getting Stronger, and So Must We
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/the-storms...
We have to be ready anyway.
The Storms Are Getting Stronger, and So Must We
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/the-storms...
I thought the harsh voice in my head was me.
It wasn’t — it was an echo of fear, perfectionism, and old rules I’d inherited.
This week, I wrote about meeting your inner critic with curiosity instead of combat:
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/rewrite-th...
It wasn’t — it was an echo of fear, perfectionism, and old rules I’d inherited.
This week, I wrote about meeting your inner critic with curiosity instead of combat:
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/rewrite-th...
oceanphoenix.substack.com
August 11, 2025 at 2:05 PM
I thought the harsh voice in my head was me.
It wasn’t — it was an echo of fear, perfectionism, and old rules I’d inherited.
This week, I wrote about meeting your inner critic with curiosity instead of combat:
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/rewrite-th...
It wasn’t — it was an echo of fear, perfectionism, and old rules I’d inherited.
This week, I wrote about meeting your inner critic with curiosity instead of combat:
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/rewrite-th...
Some patterns don’t look like abuse at first. They look like protectiveness. Like love. Like “being easy to get along with.”
But when your gut feels off and your voice goes quiet, something deeper is happening.
How I’m breaking the cycle:
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/breaking-t...
But when your gut feels off and your voice goes quiet, something deeper is happening.
How I’m breaking the cycle:
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/breaking-t...
Breaking the Cycle: On Control, Compassion, and the Quiet Work of Liberation
I’ve spent most of my life trying to survive inside something I didn’t have language for.
oceanphoenix.substack.com
August 7, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Some patterns don’t look like abuse at first. They look like protectiveness. Like love. Like “being easy to get along with.”
But when your gut feels off and your voice goes quiet, something deeper is happening.
How I’m breaking the cycle:
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/breaking-t...
But when your gut feels off and your voice goes quiet, something deeper is happening.
How I’m breaking the cycle:
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/breaking-t...
Struggle isn’t a badge of honor.
Exhaustion isn’t proof of value.
Ease is not laziness—it’s wisdom.
I wrote about unlearning the hustle to become my own safe place.
🌊 Read or follow:
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/let-it-be-...
Exhaustion isn’t proof of value.
Ease is not laziness—it’s wisdom.
I wrote about unlearning the hustle to become my own safe place.
🌊 Read or follow:
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/let-it-be-...
Let It Be Easy
Becoming Your Own Safe Place — Week 5
oceanphoenix.substack.com
August 4, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Struggle isn’t a badge of honor.
Exhaustion isn’t proof of value.
Ease is not laziness—it’s wisdom.
I wrote about unlearning the hustle to become my own safe place.
🌊 Read or follow:
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/let-it-be-...
Exhaustion isn’t proof of value.
Ease is not laziness—it’s wisdom.
I wrote about unlearning the hustle to become my own safe place.
🌊 Read or follow:
oceanphoenix.substack.com/p/let-it-be-...