Dr. Robyn Alley-Hay

01/31/2026

This week our hearts are heavy. The killing of Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis this past weekend—the second such killing of a U.S. citizen this month—has left our country (and the world) reeling. Alex was an ICU nurse, a healer, someone who dedicated his life to caring for others in their most vulnerable moments.

The circumstances of his death, captured on video and contradicting official accounts, are deeply disturbing. Our hearts go out to Alex’s family, friends, and all who knew him, and to the family of Renee Good, killed just weeks earlier.

We share this not to add to the weight of what you may already be carrying, but to acknowledge it. We are awake. We are witnessing. We see what is happening in our community and in the wider world. And we believe that in times like these, the work we do together—exploring how to stay present, how to understand our bodies’ responses, how to hold both grief and hope—is not a retreat from reality. It is essential to engage with it.

This week’s piece from Goddess Guide and iLumn8 Partner Robyn Alley-Hay feels especially resonant right now. Following up on our recent exploration of hope as a nervous system skill, Robyn takes us deeper into understanding despair—not as something to overcome or fix, but as an intelligent response from our bodies that deserves our attention and compassion.

In a world that constantly demands we “stay positive,” Robyn offers us permission to be real. To feel what we feel. To understand that despair, anger, and grief aren’t signs of weakness—they’re signs that we’re paying attention to what matters.

Our work here—offering tools for emotional, spiritual, and physical health—is not about bypassing the reality of violence, injustice, and loss. It’s about developing the capacity to stay present with it, to respond rather than collapse, to maintain our humanity in the face of inhumanity. This is how we survive. This is how we resist. This is how we care for ourselves and each other so we can continue to show up for the world that needs us.

READ Robyns full piece here https://ilumn8.life/library/when-despair-makes-sense/
or in IG click link in BIO go to the Library.

10/13/2025

Something to remember from Story People!
“We come from the same place, siblings of the soft earth.”

07/28/2025

This article really speaks to me; as a woman, a physician, mom, and a wellness/ burnout coach. I hear the pain of a life of sacrifice with many clients. Have worked tbrough the damage to my psyche and soul to the other side of what has been a mountain of growth to overcome, repair damage, find myself again. This is the work…

Women live longer than men. That’s a well-established fact across all sectors of society — except, it turns out, in the profession of medicine. A 2025 study from Harvard Medical...

11/01/2024

You know, I don’t like political posts. AND,
I had a 16 week fetal demise back in 1987 and had a termination procedure. I googled “would I qualify for a termination of my preganancy in Texas.?” The answer is basically “probably”. See below.

Please vote for Kamala Harris and your local statewide initiative

to legalize abortion so we can have the same life saving procedures we had back in the 1980s. I cannot imagine the scariness and suffering that would have been added to my grief of the loss of my very wanted baby.

“According to current Texas law, if you experience a fetal demise at 16 weeks, you would likely qualify for a medical procedure to terminate the pregnancy, as the law only allows abortions in situations where the pregnant person's life is in danger due to a "life-threatening physical condition" arising from the pregnancy; this generally includes cases of fetal demise, but it's crucial to consult a healthcare provider to confirm your specific situation and legal options.

Key points to remember:
Strict abortion laws:
Texas currently has very restrictive abortion laws, effectively banning abortions at all stages of pregnancy except in cases where the pregnant person's life is at serious risk.” #

11/01/2024

You know, I don’t like political posts.

AND

I had a 16 week fetal demise back in 1987 and had a termination procedure. I googled “would I qualify for a termination of my preganancy in Texas.?” The answer is basically “probably”. See below.

Please consider voting for Kamala Harris and your local statewide initiative -

to legalize abortion so we can have the same LIFE SAVING procedures we had back in the 1980s.

I cannot imagine the scariness and suffering that would have been added to my grief of the loss of my very wanted baby.

“According to current Texas law, if you experience a fetal demise at 16 weeks, you would likely qualify for a medical procedure to terminate the pregnancy, as the law only allows abortions in situations where the pregnant person's life is in danger due to a "life-threatening physical condition" arising from the pregnancy; this generally includes cases of fetal demise, but it's crucial to consult a healthcare provider to confirm your specific situation and legal options.

Key points to remember:
Strict abortion laws:
Texas currently has very restrictive abortion laws, effectively banning abortions at all stages of pregnancy except in cases where the pregnant person's life is at serious risk.”

10/24/2024

Just thinking about this quote and how much control (with practice) we actually have in life. It's neuroscience.

“For all our brain and body know, our world is as we envision it. If we go through our days seeing ourselves as powerless and alone, and the world as a life-or-death struggle for scarce resources, we are effectively setting our brains and bodies on guard and enhancing the threat seemingly posed by each and every event.

If, on the other hand, we see ourselves as capable and effective, and the world as a basically safe space for living and learning, we are setting our brains and bodies at ease…Crafting a positive vision of life that prepares us to act…can help us realize our highest aims for ourselves and the world.”

Dr. Joe Loizzo, Sustainable Happiness

09/20/2024

Attn: Med students and residents and the people who love them. Dr Kara Pepper, MD has been through it or educated herself about it. DM me if you want further info..

09/18/2024

Sharing from AMWA American Medical Women’s Association. It could have been me.

08/29/2024

Back in Texas! Will be home tomorrow. Lulu really really wants to play fetch X 100

08/19/2024

“The art of life is not controlling what happens to us but using what happens to us.” Gloria Steinem

Meditations for Women pg. 109

08/19/2024

“The art of life is not controlling what happens to us but using what happens to us.” Gloria Steinem