hip replacement

Post-Hip Replacement Rehab Part 4 | Gentle Stretching & Mobility for Healing

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Post-Hip Replacement Rehab Part 4 | Gentle Stretching & Mobility for Healing

If you’re in the midst of your hip surgery recovery journey and looking for a supportive way to restore flexibility and mobility—without getting down on the floor—this session is for you.

In Part 4 of the Post-Hip Replacement Rehab Series, we explore gentle, yoga-inspired movements using a chair for support. These mindful stretches are designed to promote functional movement, ease muscle tension, and encourage breath awareness for a grounded, healing experience.

What to Expect in This Video:

  • Seated and standing stretches to gently open and lengthen the body
  • Breath-led movement to calm your nervous system and invite awareness
  • Supportive transitions that build trust in your body’s strength
  • A compassionate pace for mid-to-late stage recovery

Whether you’re returning to movement after surgery or integrating a long-term recovery plan, this session invites you to move mindfully and with kindness.

Inspired by my own healing journey through multiple hip surgeries, I offer this practice as a tool for encouragement, stability, and deeper connection to yourself.

Follow the Full Rehab Series:
 YouTube Playlist Link

Let’s continue healing, one breath and one stretch at a time. Thank you so much for your continued support of me and my healing and work.

Much love, Stacie

If you love my content and want more tools for mindfulness & movement, check out my digital products on Buy Me a Coffee! Your support helps me continue creating. 

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Post-Hip Replacement Rehab Series Part 3 | Seated Balance & Tree Pose Prep for Hip Stability

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Post-Hip Replacement Rehab Series Part 3 | Seated Balance & Tree Pose Prep for Hip Stability

In Part 3 of the Post-Hip Replacement Rehab Series, we focus on seated balance and gentle tree pose preparation—a beautiful combination for building confidence, strength, and coordination during your healing process.

This practice is designed for those who may not yet feel ready to stand but are eager to engage their hip flexors, improve postural awareness, and activate stabilizing muscles—all while seated.

In This Class You’ll Explore:

  • Hip flexor activation for stability
  • Controlled leg movements to build strength
  • Tree pose-inspired motions to promote neuromuscular connection
  • Breath-led awareness for calm and focus
  • Supportive cues for posture and alignment

Whether you’re in early recovery or looking for seated practices to supplement your healing, this class offers accessible yet powerful movement with compassion at its core.

Start Your Journey Today

 • Watch Part 1 on YouTube: https://youtu.be/NCSvw0_cogU
 • Subscribe for the full series: Click here
• Support this work: Buy Me a Coffee
• Watch the full Rehab Playlist: View Playlist

Let this gentle practice guide you into deeper strength and steadiness—right from your chair.

With love and support,
 Stacie

If you love my content and want more tools for mindfulness & movement, check out my digital products on Buy Me a Coffee! Your support helps me continue creating. 

Looking for the tools and products I swear by? Visit my Amazon storefront for a handpicked collection of my favorite finds—from kitchen gadgets to wellness essentials. Click here to explore and shop my must-haves.

Hip Replacement Rehab Part 2 | Standing Strength & Stability with Chair Support

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Post-Hip Replacement Rehab Series Part 2 | Standing Strength & Stability with Chair Support

As we continue the Post-Hip Replacement Rehab Series, I’m excited to share Part 2, a gentle yet powerful practice focused on standing strength and stability.

After hip surgery, transitioning back into standing movements can feel intimidating. That’s why this session is designed to offer supportive, low-impact strength training—all with the help of a sturdy chair.

In This Session, You’ll Practice:

  • Chair-supported hip extensions to engage the glutes
  • Gentle squats to build foundational leg strength
  • Open-chain leg mobility work for increased range
  • Balance and coordination drills for safety and confidence
  • Breath-centered cues to calm your nervous system

This session is perfect whether you’re newly cleared to stand or working on gradually progressing your recovery. Move at your own pace, listen to your body, and remember—every small step is progress.

Start Your Journey Today

 • Watch Part 1 on YouTube: https://youtu.be/NCSvw0_cogU
 • Subscribe for the full series: Click here
• Support this work: Buy Me a Coffee
• Watch the full Rehab Playlist: View Playlist

Let’s continue this journey together, standing strong with grace and care. With warmth,
Stacie

If you love my content and want more tools for mindfulness & movement, check out my digital products on Buy Me a Coffee! Your support helps me continue creating. 

Looking for the tools and products I swear by? Visit my Amazon storefront for a handpicked collection of my favorite finds—from kitchen gadgets to wellness essentials. Click here to explore and shop my must-haves.

Adapting Yoga for Recovery: My Post-Surgery Practice

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When the Mat Meets the Moment: How My Yoga Practice Is Evolving Through Surgery and Recovery

For years, yoga was my sanctuary—a sacred space where I found strength, flexibility, and healing. My mat traveled with me through seasons of growth, loss, celebration, and quiet introspection. But recently, that relationship has shifted. After multiple hip surgeries (with two more on the horizon), my yoga practice is no longer about pushing boundaries or mastering poses. It’s about listening, softening, and surrendering.

These days, my practice looks very different. It’s slower. It’s quieter. It often begins in a chair or even in bed. There are times when I simply breathe with intention or gently move my arms while seated. And you know what? It’s still yoga. In fact, it’s some of the most profound yoga I’ve ever experienced. The essence of the practice—presence, compassion, and connection—has only deepened.

This shift has humbled me in the most beautiful way. I’ve let go of what I thought yoga “should” look like and embraced what it needs to be for my body right now. Some days it’s breathwork. Other days, it’s lying in stillness and offering gratitude for what my body can do. It’s become a dialogue between me and my healing—not a performance.

In my new YouTube video, I’m sharing a glimpse into this evolving journey—how I’m adapting my practice to meet my body where it is and finding peace in the process. Whether you’re healing, aging, or simply rethinking what yoga means to you, I hope this encourages you to honor your practice in whatever form it takes.

If you love my content and want more tools for mindfulness & movement, check out my digital products on Buy Me a Coffee! Your support helps me continue creating. 

From “I Can” to “I Can’t”—And Learning to Be Okay with That

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For most of my life, I have been an “I can” person. I can push through. I can figure it out. I can keep going, no matter what. That mindset carried me through challenges, fueled my passions, and shaped the way I moved through the world. But this past year—facing three hip surgeries, constant pain, and now preparing for yet another grueling surgery—has taught me a lesson I never expected: it’s okay to say “I can’t.”

At first, those words felt foreign, almost like giving up. I resisted them, believing that if I just tried harder, pushed a little more, I could still do everything I used to. But the reality of my healing journey forced me to pause.

I began to recognize that saying “I can’t” wasn’t about weakness—it was about truth.

It was about listening to my body instead of fighting against it. It was about setting boundaries, asking for help, and honoring what I needed, not just what I wanted to be able to do.

Learning to accept “I can’t” has brought an unexpected sense of peace. It has opened the door to self-compassion, allowing me to focus on what I can do in this season of life—whether that’s gentle movement, meaningful connection, or simply resting without guilt. It has shown me that strength isn’t measured by how much we push through, but by how well we adapt, accept, and allow ourselves to be human.

The Benefits of Accepting Limitations

Accepting our limitations doesn’t mean giving up—it means making space for a different kind of growth. Here are a few ways this shift has been a gift in my life:

  1. Less Pressure, More Peace – Releasing the need to always push forward has allowed me to be more present. Instead of feeling like I’m falling short, I’m learning to embrace where I am.
  2. Deeper Self-Compassion – Saying “I can’t” doesn’t mean I’m failing; it means I’m honoring my needs. This mindset shift has allowed me to treat myself with the same kindness I would offer a loved one.
  3. More Meaningful Connections – When I let go of the need to do everything on my own, I opened myself up to receiving help and support from others. That vulnerability has deepened my relationships in ways I never expected.
  4. Redefining Strength – True strength isn’t about endurance at all costs; it’s about knowing when to pause, when to ask for help, and when to let go.
  5. Finding New Possibilities – While I may not be able to do certain things the way I used to, I’ve discovered new ways to move, teach, and connect. Accepting my limitations has made room for fresh opportunities.

If you’re struggling with your own limitations—whether physical, emotional, or something else entirely—know that “I can’t” is not the end of your story. It’s an invitation to shift, to soften, and to embrace life as it is, rather than how we think it should be. And sometimes, that shift brings more healing than any amount of pushing ever could.

For me, I have even learned that saying “I can’t” to mowing the lawn or doing heavier house work has brought so much freedom into my life. I never thought I would be okay with handing over the reigns of the lawn mower to a paid yard boy but it is truly amazing!

Have you ever had to learn to be okay with saying “I can’t”? I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences. ?

If you love my content and want more tools for mindfulness & movement, check out my digital products on Buy Me a Coffee! Your support helps me continue creating. 

How to Make the Best of Life’s Challenges: A Guide to Resilience and Growth

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Making the Best of the Way Things Turn Out

Life has a way of unfolding in unexpected ways. No matter how carefully we plan, how much effort we put in, or how much we wish for a certain outcome, things don’t always go as we hoped. But there’s a beautiful truth in the words of John Wooden:

“Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.”

This quote is a powerful reminder that our experience of life isn’t just shaped by what happens to us—it’s shaped by how we respond to it. Challenges, setbacks, and disappointments are inevitable, but our perspective and attitude determine whether we feel defeated or find opportunities for growth.

Shifting Perspective

When life takes an unexpected turn, our initial reaction might be frustration or sadness. It’s natural to feel this way, but after the initial emotions settle, we have a choice: we can resist what is or we can embrace it and find a way forward. The people who thrive aren’t necessarily the ones with the easiest path; they’re the ones who adapt, learn, and grow from whatever comes their way.

This doesn’t mean ignoring difficult feelings or pretending everything is perfect. Instead, it’s about acknowledging reality while choosing to focus on solutions, lessons, and possibilities.

Finding Gratitude in the Unexpected

Some of life’s greatest blessings come disguised as disappointments. A missed job opportunity might lead to a better one. A difficult breakup might create space for personal growth and a deeper relationship in the future. Even in the midst of hardship, there are often hidden gifts waiting to be uncovered.

One way to shift our mindset is through gratitude. When we take time to appreciate what we still have, even in challenging moments, we cultivate resilience. Gratitude doesn’t erase difficulties, but it changes how we experience them.

Turning Obstacles into Opportunities

History is full of stories of people who turned setbacks into success simply by shifting their perspective. J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter after experiencing financial hardship and rejection. Oprah Winfrey overcame early career failures to become one of the most influential voices in media. These individuals didn’t let obstacles define them; they used them as stepping stones.

I’ve been reflecting on this a lot lately as I prepare for my seventh hip surgery—my fourth in just the past 12 months. Having my total hip replacement removed is not a journey I ever expected to take, and there have been moments of deep frustration, grief, and uncertainty. But through this experience, I’ve also found incredible lessons in resilience, patience, and self-compassion. While I wouldn’t have chosen this path, I’m choosing to embrace it, finding strength in small victories and gratitude in the support around me.

We can do the same in our own lives. The next time life takes an unexpected turn, ask:

  • What can I learn from this?
  • How can I grow through this experience?
  • Where is the hidden opportunity?

By making the best of how things turn out, we open ourselves up to new paths, deeper wisdom, and a greater sense of peace.

Embracing Life as It Comes

Life isn’t about having everything go according to plan. It’s about navigating the twists and turns with an open heart and a resilient spirit. When we learn to accept, adapt, and find meaning in every experience, we realize that things really do turn out best—because we make the best of them.

What’s a time in your life when things didn’t go as planned but turned out better in the end? Share in the comments—I’d love to hear your story!

If you love my content and want more tools for mindfulness & movement, check out my digital products on Buy Me a Coffee! Your support helps me continue creating. 

Hip Replacement Recovery

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As I approach the one-year mark since my hip replacement surgery, I find myself reflecting on the journey.. This past year of hip replacement recovery has been a profound teacher, showing me the power of patience, resilience, and self-compassion. I’ve learned that healing isn’t linear; some days feel like giant leaps forward, while others require grace for the setbacks.

Strength doesn’t just come from physical therapy but also from the mindset we cultivate. What has been most helpful is staying consistent with gratitude, listening to my body’s cues, and surrounding myself with support—whether from professionals, loved ones, or fellow warriors on a similar path. On the other hand, what hasn’t been helpful is the pressure to “bounce back” quickly or compare my progress to others. Healing happens in its own time, and learning to honor that has been one of the greatest lessons of all.

I believe that beyond the practical advice we are given for recovering from a total hip replacement, if we learned to add mindfulness into the process we will embrace whatever comes our way. Mindful recovery means we look deeply at our thoughts, words and actions everyday.

Through reflection and mindfulness I have looked back at this year and created what I have found to be helpful and not helpful, and the lessons I have learned.

What is Helpful

I have spent the last year learning what is helpful in my recovery. In addition to a daily gratitude practice, here are my top perspective take-aways:

  • Hearing the words “I am sorry” goes a long, long way when you are in a challenging situation
  • Being asked “how can I help” feels so supportive
  • Having someone ask questions like “how are you doing emotionally” can be game changers

What is NOT Helpful

On the other side of what is helpful, I found things completely not helpful. Here is my quick list:

  • Blaming the doctor, the hospital or the patient serves no good
  • Suggesting that I sue the surgeon or the hospital is a waste of time
  • Comparing my experience with anyone else’s
  • Being exposed to negativity and toxic energy
  • Hearing “you’ll be fine” or “tomorrow will be better”

Life’s challenges often serve as our greatest teachers, offering lessons that shape our resilience, perspective, and inner strength. Difficult experiences push us beyond our comfort zones, forcing us to adapt, grow, and find meaning in hardship. While struggles can feel overwhelming in the moment, they often reveal our capacity for perseverance and self-discovery.

Through these trials, we learn the importance of patience, self-compassion, and the support of others. Every setback carries a hidden lesson, whether it’s the value of slowing down, the power of gratitude, or the realization that we are stronger than we ever imagined. In the end, challenges don’t define us—they refine us.

Lessons Learned

I was able to reflect on the last year and compile my top lessons that I have learned. Here they are:

  • Every single day you MUST find joy
  • Learning to ask for help can be the greatest gift you can give yourself
  • Accepting help from others can be good for you and others
  • Practicing the great pause

In this video I capture the details of the helpful and not helpful thoughts as well as the lessons learned. I also give the much anticipated update and next steps for my recovery. Sadly, another surgery is around the corner.

To see the entire journey, click here and you will see my entire playlist devoted to the total hip replacement journey.

Hip Replacement Revision

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Part Two.

Earlier this year in February I had a total hip replacement. In April, there was signs something was wrong so we did a revision and washed it out, had a series of unfortunate complications, and then just this past week, another hip surgery. That makes three this year alone and six total on my left hip. I have a whole series of vlog videos walking through the journey in a mindful way here.

First of all, thank you to everyone who has texted or messaged me this last week. It has been a whirlwind of preparation and then reality.

The surgery was done late Thursday. The surgeon said the entire joint capsule around my hip had “erupted” and was torn to bits. He said it was completely open and torn, causing the large amount of pain and swelling.

The infectious disease doctor also shared how horrific it was from his standpoint. He said he had never seen so much shredded tissue and he had no idea how I functioned. He walked in and said before we talk germs I have to say you are one “strong woman because I can’t imagine being able to function with that much shredding inside” ? He said the capsule had literally exploded.

The surgeon replaced the ball and cup liner as the liner was already showing wear with an irregular contact with ball as if something slipped. He got it functional and feels that caused the capsule to fill and pop. Thankfully I never dislocated which is shocking given I had minimal tissue around the joint itself. Thankfully my surgeon who installed the hip in February did an amazing job.

Next we wait on cultures but everything thus far looks good as far as bacteria.

The pain is unbelievable. So much more than the actual joint replacement and sadly the use of my chronic pain meds limits the options for adding anything stronger. So I am icing. Resting. And doing what I can.

I am grateful to be home so I can manage my pain and be as comfortable as possible. Sitting and laying on the ol buns hurts so much so navigating on my side and belly with the wedge in my legs is quite a sight.

The restrictions as pretty intense and the mindfulness required with walking and moving is crazy. It will get easier.

We are all optimist the joint will function and also extremely cautious with the tissue and surrounding area, as well as all the sutures used to rebuild a capsule.

Once again, so grateful for all the love and support in my life.

Hip Replacement Update

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Many have asked and wondered how the ol’ hip replacement is healing. The hip is eh…the arm is not.

I have gone back to work and mostly doing what I want to be doing….however the pain is still very prominent. I adjust things constantly and have adapted almost everything in my life so that I can carry on. It still takes great effort to do everyday things. I stopped using a cane awhile ago because it was aggravating my arm…more on that.

I will see the infectious disease doctor later this month to check status of the infection.

When the infection arose I had a picc line (IV) placed and that caused a blood clot in my arm. Then my body made more clots. The blood clots in my arm have taken up space and seem to like living there rent free. Sadly, after a recent ultrasound it shows the veins are chronically inflamed and damaged from the DVT and superficial clots. The solution is finding comfort and not aggravating it. She suggested not lifting anything heavy or doing heavy work and minimize stretching it.

She also said this is permanent damage that rarely resolves.

So there is that.

It seems my adult life has been one opportunity after another to show up, to be strong and forge through challenges.

I am so so so grateful that I have the strength I do.

Onward.

Being Authentic

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Authenticity has been on my mind for the last few weeks. I often ask myself how authencity shows up in my daily choices, especially lately.

Am I trying hard to be something I am not? Am I revealing the honest parts of myself?

Truth is I have been emotionally absent to many for quite some time. I haven’t taught my special students with dementia since January. I have been unable to host yoga in my studio and feel that human connection until just very recently.

I find myself overwhelmed with the demands of each day while simply trying to heal. The healing process has been so challenging and energetically consuming.

You might see that I am doing work, or creating things, and continuing on “as if”.

Truth is, the “as if” is what helps me cope. The major lifestyle change and everyday pain I experience overcomes me. The effects of the surgeries and medications are grueling. Every little task takes so much effort.

Each day I choose to function as best I can and put in a solid amount of time “working “ on other areas of my business and finding things that bring me joy.

By 2pm everyday I am shutting down. I don’t engage much with the world as I am trying my hardest to simple exist without agony.

From the outside looking in, I appear that I am doing so well. The inside however is grieving and scared.

Each invite is an emotional negotiation. If I say yes, I am risking overwhelm. If I say no, I am risking loss.

I want you to know I am sorry.
I am simple acknowledging it and not justifying it.

I am truly doing my best. I am being my true self.

Having Hope

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Hope is a function of struggle—we develop hope not during the easy or comfortable times, but through adversity and discomfort. Hope is forged when our goals, pathways, and agency are tested and when change is actually possible. ~Brené Brown

Hope is a wish for things to change for the better and sadly we have to be uncomfortable in order to have hope. Hope really doesn’t cultivate during times of ease and pleasure. Whether we hope our vacation is relaxing because our lives are stressful, or we hope we get better because we have fallen sick. Hope is hope and typically only comes when we are in a less than desired situation.

I have given it my all when it comes to looking this hip replacement recovery square in the eye and challenging it to knock me down. Each and every day I wake with hope and an attitude to go about as if.

As if my body will begin her sweet steps towards healing. Also as if the discomfort of constant pain will dissipate. And, we can’t forget the living as if everything is fine and dandy.

Elements of Hope

According to Dr. Randy Ross, hope is wildy misunderstood. It’s not wishful thinking or simply having a positive attitude. He has also isolated four elements of hope including positivity, responsibility, agility, and reality. These for elements have made up every day of my life long before the hip saga.

Raising three humans alone and navigating multiple disabilities in my daughter forced me for the last 30 years to remain positive, responsible, agile and have a great fortitude for the reality of my situation. Currently, my days are spent navigating the spectrum of reality and welcoming in the idea that my pain and recovery simply sucks. That is the reality.

So, as my BFF Brené says, I have been tested and I have changed. I believe in the end it will all be for the better because who wants to be the same person they were a year ago anyway?

Funny how the adversities of life can bring about the most pivotal changes in one’s life.

I have a little more to say about hope and you can watch it here.

Lessons Learned

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They say we often learn the most during the hardest times. Having a total hip replacement earlier this year has definitely been packed with lessons. I have grown so much in the last couple months and despite the challenges, I am in some ways very grateful for this opportunity. It is my greatest hope that I will heal and continue to evolve into the best version I can, and also help others along the way.

My top lessons I have learned are:

  • Letting go of the “numbers” and instead listening to my body. For decades I have tracked my steps and calories to point of obsession. Since I am not walking as much, I have realized that the numbers are not a reflection of my worthiness or goodness. I have instead learned that tuning into my body and listening to how she feels instead of relying on an outcome or goal is way more joyful.
  • It is okay to receive. My whole life I have been one that relies solely on myself for success, accomplishment, comfort and most basic needs. I have learned the allowing others to give to me is not an indication of weakness. Instead, I have learned that receiving from others empowers both the giver and the receiver. How blessed I have been to be shown so much love.
  • Living equanimity is attainable. I chose the word equanimity this year and my intention was to remain steady no matter what life handed me. Despite infection, blood clots and many trips to the emergency room I was challenged greatly to remain steady and strong. Having daily gratitude is what has kept me steady. The intention that I set in the beginning of the year remains possible based on how I respond or react to the challenges I face. Remembering that I am in control of my thoughts is what grounds me.
  • Being more balanced. I have a tendency to give 100% to my work. I thrive in being productive and prior to hip replacement had very little time or energy outside of work. I have learned that I can work AND be balanced in other things that bring me joy.

Taking proactive steps every day to remain grateful is the key. The humbling this has taught me will propel me into something great. I encourage you to reflect on your own challenges and the lessons you may have learned through whatever life challenge you go through.

And for the millionth time–never dismiss what someone is going through because of their strength or project your experience onto someone else.

Maybe the greatest lesson is that my life may be different post hip replacement, and that is okay.