Dance Your Heart: Mindful Love for Women Physicians
Editor’s Note (February 2026): This post was updated with a few new reflections and current links.
My husband gave me a necklace almost 20 years ago as an anniversary gift. It said, “Dance your heart.”
At the time, I was a busy pediatrician, a doctor mom with two small sons, a physician leader—doing all the things I thought I was supposed to do to keep literally everyone healthy and happy.
I’m seeing this gift in a new light today.
My husband saw me when I couldn’t see myself.
At that time, I was not dancing my heart.
I was missing the moments—and missing out on my best self.
I did not pause. I was not often truly present.
And I was not often listening to my heart’s desires and wisdom.
Sometimes we need someone to help us see what’s already inside of us.
To believe in us more than we believe in ourselves.
To hold a steadier vision of who we are becoming—especially when we’re exhausted and overfunctioning and living in “should.”
Being Seen Is a Form of Love
I’m wearing this necklace proudly today to honor:
his vision and belief in me
my own work and journey to get here
the messy, human, imperfect road it took to become more myself
It’s a reminder to keep dancing my heart. And to keep delighting in helping other women physicians do the same.
“Dance Your Heart” Looks Different in Every Season
We all dance our hearts in different ways.
It looks different in different seasons of our lives.
It’s never too late to start dancing your heart. It’s also never too early.
Children innately know how to do this. And then—without meaning to—we train it out of them.
We reward productivity over presence. We reward achievement over aliveness. We reward coping over listening.
Women physicians become exceptionally good at functioning… while quietly forgetting how to feel.
I have re-figured out how to dance my heart. And I love guiding others to do the same.
Not because it’s indulgent. Because it’s responsible.
It’s what love would do.
It’s what compassion would do.
It’s what connection would do.
It’s even what productivity would do.
From a space of lightness, ease, and kindness to self, contribution and connection multiply.
Mindful Love Is the Practice
Mindful yoga is, in many ways, practicing how to dance your heart.
Mindful coaching helps you do it in the rest of your life—at home, at work, in the moments you usually rush through.
And when you show up dancing your heart, you give other people permission to do the same.
What would love do?
Dance your heart.
If you need support learning how—especially if your relationships are where you feel most depleted, resentful, or disconnected—start here:
Mindful Love Relationship Coaching
Retreats (if you want an immersive reset):