The Real Housewives franchise first aired on March 21, 2006 on Bravo. It is an American reality television franchise and a cultural phenomenon.The shows document the lives of several affluent housewives residing in various regions across the United States.
If you have never heard of TRHO… or Keeping Up With The Kardashians, I will assume you have been living a very full life filled with nature, books and lots of actual sex. I may be wrong but I have a feeling I’m not.
I, on the other hand, was not living a full life for many years. From the moment these shows and all of their spin offs aired, I was hooked. Watching the women with their designer drama and stylish homes became my respite from dealing with my own issues. This innocuous entertainment afforded me another way to escape my less than satisfying existence. I knew every single housewife in every single city like they were my family. They were my closest friends that didn’t know me and I spent more time with them than the people in my actual life. Thank you BRAVO and Fuck You too for making it even easier to disappear! Night after night there was something I could run toward after putting my kids to bed. Sometimes at night I’d be so anxious to watch that I would put my innocent little kiddos in bed with me, rather than reading to them. I am certainly not proud of this but now that I have moved beyond this particular behavior of escapism I find it important to share. I wasted too much of my precious time.
As I begin to own up to the ways I’ve avoided life I realize how harmful this behavior can be. We talk about binge watching Netflix and Hulu with whimsical reverence but isn’t damage being done here that we don’t address? Do not get me wrong! I LOVE great films, I grew up on TV…. I love comedies, dramas and documentaries. But did I need a TV in my bedroom growing up? And until 3 years ago I fell asleep with it on every night of my life. I am totally aware of how I used this to avoid being with myself and my thoughts. I am not bashing being inspired, informed and entertained in this way. I am exploring and questioning what we get out of our habits. In regard to my own life it has proven extremely poignant to check in with my excessive and habitual practices of bingeing things from food to television, shopping and social media.
As a teacher and practitioner of yoga for decades now, I've often struggled with imposter syndrome and being my authentic self. My daily practices did not support my teaching. I was in denial and lacked the discipline and drive to make necessary changes. There was so much I felt I couldn’t share with the world. So much I felt I needed to hide. I see now what bullshit that really is. I am 52 now and years of my life have evaporated without my full participation. If any of this resonates with you, I am here. Your community is here. We are all living the same but different situations alongside one another. We must remember this fact. It is of the utmost importance to our well being. We are all the same. At some point in time each of us has felt the need to escape our own reality. How we choose to do it may vary. Many of us have felt so and joy. For the news junkies out there your Bravo may look a lot like CNN. Your Bethenny may be Wolf Blitzer.
Yoga philosophy continues my drive me to look inward. Constantly committing and recommitting to knowing my behaviors and what fills my soul. Walking, reading, writing, moving, meditating, preparing and eating good food, connecting over all of the aforementioned is what gets me going these days. These are my things. My things bring me joy and deep contentment. What is it for you? Have you given any thought to the things you do daily? Weekly? Monthly? It is quite revealing when we take action and observe ourselves. If your curiosity has been piqued our second workshop on HABITS is only 2 weeks away and there is still space though limited. It is a great launching pad to dive deeper into this topic. As always, I am here on this journey with you, learning and unlearning together and figuring it out as we move forward on the path. Feel free to reach out with questions or comments.
With so much love and gratitude,
Sam