What is The Sunday Stretch?
In The Sunday Stretch, I share evidence-based movements, techniques, research, rituals, and conversations that nourish, replenish, and stretch us for the week ahead.
Growing up, I would sit in a hard church pew and hope for the seed of something to think about during the week—something that would make me be or do better. As an adult, a lot of my journalism career has been spent covering health and fitness—researching, reporting, and writing about ways to be or do better. The promise of being or doing better was so appealing, but what sprouted was constant striving, judgment, and that I’m-not-good-enough feeling.
Both my breakup with the church and a very particular type of health writing are fodder for a whole other kind of newsletter (and a therapist), but once I weeded through both experiences they led to this belief: We are perfect as we are. And so is our desire to grow.
The Sunday Stretch explores topics I want to think through with you. It is my invitation to ditch the idea that health and wellness are the absence of disease, recognize the dis-ease too many of us inhabit, and create a space of promise and possibility so we can cultivate something beautiful.
Each Sunday, I’ll share one nutrient-dense kernel to help us reestablish harmony, encourage presence, and spark the spirit. This might be a series of movements to reduce physical tension or improve mobility in the body. It may be a breathing exercise, meditation practice, or other technique to connect and engage with ourselves and the world around us in a meaningful way. It may be a conversation that fosters awareness, creativity, or deeper understanding. My goal is to nourish, replenish, and stretch us to see more clearly, to see what is possible. My hope is to inspire joy.
Why should I subscribe?
No matter how you choose to engage, I’m so glad you’re here. The majority of this newsletter is, and will remain, free for anyone to read.
I’m also offering paid subscriptions. For $5 a month (less than that fancy coffee drink before tip—yes, you’ve heard it before, but it’s true) you’ll get full access to the archives, audio classes and guides, and more as we grow.
We all love perks, but being a paid subscriber acknowledges and supports the work put into this. Research, reporting, writing, and editing is work and many hours go into it. We’re so grateful to everyone who supports this newsletter.
If $5 a month or $50 a year is out of reach and you still want to be part of this community, please email me for a complimentary subscription, no questions asked. If you’d like to donate or gift a subscription to someone, that’s also an option
Hi, I’m Kelly
I am a journalist, author, yogi, and small-business owner. I love dogs, travel, cooking, and conspiring with friends over wine. As a journalist with more than 20 years experience, I dig into and examine the research, ask the questions, and work to explain and contextualize the information in a way that makes sense for readers' daily lives. As a yogi and aspiring good witch, I am open to the as-yet unknowns and intangibles that bring magic, spirit, and expansiveness to our lives.
My work has appeared in The New York Times, National Geographic, O: The Oprah Magazine, and more. I am the author of several books, most recently Living the Sutras: A Guide to Yoga Wisdom Beyond the Mat and the Live Your Yoga companion deck. You can see more of my writing here and follow me on Instagram.
Michele Hatty Fritz, a former editor with USA Weekend magazine and The Washington Post, works with me on nearly every aspect of this newsletter. She is also a professional calligrapher, surface pattern designer, and the creator of The Sunday Stretch wordmark.
