Author: Vanessa Lamothe
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Materialists (2025) Film Review
Materialists finally hit HBO Max yesterday, so I decided to give it a watch. I didn’t go in with high expectations, but it ended up being one of the more thoughtful films I’ve seen in a while. Materialists follows a successful New York City matchmaker whose career revolves around pairing people based on compatibility, status, and long-term…
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Your Body Loves Predictability (Even If Your Mind Doesn’t)
We love freedom. Eating when we feel like it.Skipping meals because we’re busy.Snacking impulsively because something sounded good. The mind thrives on flexibility. But the body?The body is not wired for chaos, it’s wired for rhythm. Your body actually likes knowing what’s coming next. When meals happen around the same time each day, digestion works…
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Ego 101: The Hidden Engine Behind Human Behavior
I majored in Psychology before switching to filmmaking, so human behavior has always fascinated me. It’s something I think about often. Most people don’t realize this, but ego runs the show far more than personality ever does. The ego is behind almost every reaction, conflict, obsession, attachment, and emotional spiral humans experience. We like to believe we’re…
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The Five Types of People In The Holistic Wellness Space
I’ve been in the holistic wellness space for about five years now, and I can confidently say this work will humble you, stretch you, and reshape you, if you let it. When I first started my wellness journey, I was so enthusiastic, so curious, and so passionate… But also, if I’m being honest, I was…
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There is Something That I Refuse to Explain About Myself Anymore
I’m not trying to be overly social. This one really bothers people. I don’t dislike humans.I don’t think I’m better than anyone.I’m not antisocial. I’m selective. I don’t want surface-level conversations just to fill silence.I don’t want to perform friendliness as a personality trait.I don’t want to be “on” all the time.Social energy costs me…
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Loving Music and Choosing Islam: A Tension I Still Live With
Islam discourages music not because sound itself is evil, but because of what it can do to the heart. In Islamic tradition, anything that distracts from remembrance of Allah, inflames desire, or pulls a person away from presence and accountability is treated with caution. Music, especially when it becomes constant stimulation or emotional escape, has…
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When BPD Isn’t BPD: The Quiet Crisis of Misdiagnosed C-PTSD
For a long time, I genuinely believed I had Borderline Personality Disorder. Not because I resonated deeply with the diagnosis, but because a therapist handed it to me when I was raw, confused, heartbroken, and trying to make sense of emotions that felt too big for my body. It was right after a complicated relationship that…
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So… Do I Have “Fun” as a Muslim Woman?
This question always makes me pause, not because it’s offensive, but because it reveals how narrowly fun has been defined. Somewhere along the way, fun became synonymous with drinking, partying, staying out late, and losing control just enough to feel something. So when someone opts out of that, especially visibly, people assume something must be…
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My Honest Experience of Wellness and Holistic Medicine Schools
Over the last few years, I’ve enrolled in three very different wellness and holistic medical education programs: A lot of people ask me what schools they should attend to become a holistic practitioner. I wish I had an easy answer, but to be honest, in the holistic world, one school just doesn’t cut it. One…
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A Simple Way to Understand How the Body Falls Out of Balance
For most of human history, medicine wasn’t about naming diseases first, it was about noticing patterns in the body. Is the body running hot or cold?Dry or overly damp?Tense or weak?Heavy and sluggish or light and restless? This way of understanding health exists in the traditional systems of medicine such as Ayurveda, Unani, Greek medicine,…
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When Death Scares Me More Than I’m Willing to Admit
I don’t talk about this often, because it feels uncomfortable to say out loud, especially as a Muslim, but the concept of death terrifies me. Not in a casual, abstract way. In a deep, chest-tightening, spiral-inducing way. And I know what people expect me to say. I know the theology. I know about the Akhirah,…
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Blink Twice (2024) – Film Review
It’s been a while since a movie really caught my attention, but Blink Twice (2024) is one of the few recent releases that genuinely stands out. In a year full of remakes and predictable thrillers, Blink Twice actually has a pulse. It has intention. It has something to say. And most importantly, it sticks with you. The…
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The Slow Death of Movie Theaters (and Why It Hurts So Much)
Even though I have a movie room at home with a projector, high-definition rumbling surround sound, popcorn machine, comfy seats, the whole experience, but nothing will ever replace the feeling of going to the cinema. For as long as I can remember, movie theaters have been one of my favorite pastimes. Not just for the…
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When Faith Is Used to Control, Not Guide (Trigger Warning)
Spiritual harm does not always come from abandoning faith.Sometimes it comes from faith being used improperly. Spiritual abuse typically involves sustained control, isolation, and the use of God or religious authority to shame, silence, or threaten. In some Islamic contexts, spiritual abuse does not always take the form of forcing religion onto someone. Sometimes it appears…
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Beauty Sick Book Review
In Beauty Sick, Renee Engeln explores how modern society’s fixation on physical appearance quietly erodes self-worth, mental health, and focus. From magazine covers to social media influencers, we are constantly exposed to idealized bodies and faces that are often unrealistic, heavily edited, surgically altered, or otherwise medically manipulated. This constant exposure reinforces the message that a…
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If Your Faith Makes You Cruel, You Missed the Point
People love to argue about religion. Not to understand it. Not to live it. But to win. Most religious debates I’ve witnessed have nothing to do with God. They’re ego contests dressed up as morality plays. Whoever talks louder, quotes more, or sounds more certain gets to feel superior for a moment. And somehow, that’s supposed to be…
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Abuse Isn’t About the Woman
I’m writing this because I’m angry… Recently, my stepdaughter admitted something awful that her mother said about me: that because I was abused in a previous relationship, I must be the type of woman (quiet and subservient) who tolerates abuse because I choose to stay with her ex husband that she claims has been abusing her…
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Why Sunnah Is Often Misunderstood When It Comes to Health
One of the most common mistakes I see, especially in wellness spaces that overlap with Islam, is the belief that sunnah equals a universal health prescription. That misunderstanding creates confusion, guilt, and sometimes even harm. Sunnah is not a biohacking protocol. It was never meant to replace medical discernment, nor was it designed to optimize every…
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What It’s Like Being a Stepmother and Coparenting with a High-Conflict Bio Mom
I became a stepmother when the kids were 9, 10, and 12, old enough to remember life before me, but young enough to still need stability, guidance, and love. Now they’re 12, 13, and 15, and I’ve watched them grow into teenagers right in front of my eyes, all while raising my own 3 year…
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Exploring Costa Rica as a Herbalist: A Day at El Arca Jardín Botánico
If you ever find yourself in Costa Rica and you’re into herbal medicine, El Arca Jardín Botánico is a must-visit spot that beautifully blends nature, healing, good food, and breathtaking views. El Arca Jardín Botánico is a beautiful botanical garden tucked away in Santa Bárbara de Heredia, home to a wide variety of medicinal plants, themed terraces,…
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Mad Hatters Kava Bar Review
As a revert Muslim, I’m obviously not looking for a nightclub vibe. Loud chaos, alcohol-centered spaces, and drunk energy just aren’t aligned with where I’m at anymore. I still enjoy music, community, and being out around people, just without alcohol being the focal point. That’s why Mad Hatters Kava Lounge in St. Petersburg really stood out to me.…
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Zola (2020) Film Review
These two girls were perfectly cast. Like, disturbingly perfect. I finally got around to watching Zola. It’s been on my watch list for quite some time now. Zola is based on a real story first told in a viral Twitter thread, following a Hooters waitress who impulsively joins a stripper she barely knows on a trip to Tampa…
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Getting Beyond the Baby Blues
I remember the day I found out I was pregnant. I had been dealing with painful cramps for days and, like I often do, my mind jumped straight to worst-case scenarios. I was convinced it was something serious, maybe pelvic inflammatory disease. When I went to the doctor, the nurse casually handed me a pregnancy…
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Different Bodies, Different Movement
Not every body is built for the same kind of movement, and that’s not a flaw, it’s biology. Some people feel alive after a hard, sweaty workout. Others feel wrecked for days. Some bodies crave strength and resistance. Others soften, open, and heal through slower, gentler movement. None of this is random, and none of…
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Husna Vacations Muslim Workation in the Bahamas: Review
I finally got the chance to experience a Husna Vacations retreat in the Bahamas for the Global Muslim Workation at the Breezes Superclub and honestly, it was exactly the kind of trip I didn’t know I needed. I’ve traveled a lot, but there’s something different about being surrounded by people who share your values, your…
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What to Pack in Your Airport Travel Bag: The Essentials
We just got back from Saudi Arabia, which meant a very long journey with multiple flights, long hours in airports, and a lot of physical and emotional energy being used. On trips like this, having the right essentials isn’t about convenience, it’s about staying regulated. If I don’t have these things with me, long travel…
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The Small Habit That Changed How My Body Handles Life (and Digestion)
I started belly breathing because I learned it in Ayurvedic school. Belly breathing is when you inhale slowly through your nose and let your belly expand, then exhale fully and let it soften so the belly should be moving, not the chest. What I didn’t realize at the time was how shallow my breathing had become day to day. Everything…
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Is Ayurveda Compatible With Muslim Life?
This is a question I get often. And the short answer is yes, they can coexist, as long as Ayurveda is approached as a health framework, not a belief system. Ayurveda, at its core, is not a religion. It doesn’t ask for worship, devotion, or spiritual allegiance. It’s an observational system, one that looks at how the…
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Ramy (2019-2022) TV Show Review
When I first watched the first season of Ramy, I wasn’t Muslim.I didn’t know I would become one a few months later either. I watched it as an outsider. Curious, observant, but emotionally detached, or so I thought. Looking back, I wasn’t detached at all. I just didn’t have the language yet for what was…
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To Ice or Not to Ice?
I run cold.Not in the personality sense, but in the body sense. My terrain runs on the colder side. Cold hands. Cold feet. Slow mornings. Low appetite first thing in the day. Stiff joints when I wake up. A tendency toward sluggish digestion, bloating, or feeling better once I’ve eaten something warm. I do better…
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Beginner Gardening Tips I Wish I Knew Sooner
Gardening looks simple until you actually try it. You buy the plants, water them faithfully, and somehow… they still struggle. If you’re new to gardening, you’re not doing anything wrong. Most beginner mistakes come from misunderstanding what plants actually need. Here are the tips I wish someone had told me from the start.When I first…
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Are Essential Oils Safe to Ingest? And How Should Essential Oils Be Used Safely?
Essential oils aren’t harmless. They’re highly concentrated chemical extracts. That’s not a bad thing, it’s just reality. And when something is powerful, it deserves boundaries. One single drop can equal the volatile content of dozens of cups of herbal tea, far beyond what digestion is designed to handle. Because of this extreme concentration, essential oils…
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What the Health (Netflix 2017) Documentary Review
What the Health wants you to believe it’s exposing hidden truths about nutrition. It isn’t. It’s pure vegan propaganda, wrapped in a documentary format. The film starts with a conclusion and works backward to justify it. Meat is bad. Eggs are bad. Dairy is bad. Animal foods are positioned as the villain behind nearly every…
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The Beach (2003) Film Review
The Beach follows Richard, a young American backpacker traveling through Thailand who stumbles upon a secret island community living off the grid, untouched by tourists, money, or modern life. What begins as a dream of freedom and belonging slowly reveals itself to be something far darker, a closed system where idealism, denial, and fear quietly replace…
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The Best Books to Learn Herbal Medicine (Without Superficial Knowledge)
If you want to get into learning true holistic herbal medicine and feel overwhelmed by the laundry lists of herbs, what’s it good for gargon, and Latin names, you’re not alone. Along the way, I’ve noticed that a lot of popular herbal books give you information, but very little understanding. True herbal medicine isn’t about…
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How My Love for Film Started
My love for film started when I was a child, long before I ever understood what filmmaking even was. Growing up, we had movie nights every Friday. It was a whole ritual, the popcorn, VHS rentals, the excitement of picking something new at Blockbuster. My parents worked a lot and I never got to spend…
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Elite Season 1 Watched Through a Muslim Lens
Let’s be honest, Elite is chaotic, morally unhinged, and clearly written by people who think shock value equals depth. And yet… it works. I genuinely enjoyed watching it. Elite is a Spanish thriller-drama about three working-class teens who enter an ultra-wealthy private school after a scholarship program throws them into a world of privilege, power, and…
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When Women Attack Other Women Instead of the Men And What It Really Costs Us
Something I keep noticing in every corner of life and and something I reflected on heavily in a therapy session the other day is how quickly women will turn against other women, while the man in the situation walks away unscathed. It’s so wild to me how automatic it is. A man will lie, cheat,…
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Inglourious Basterds (2009) Film Review
Inglourious Basterds is not a war film. It doesn’t pretend to be responsible, educational, or historically faithful. And that’s exactly why it works. Quentin Tarantino isn’t interested in accuracy, he’s interested in emotional revenge. His favorite trope. This is a film about power, humiliation, storytelling, and what it feels like to watch evil finally lose control.…
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The Messy, Beautiful, and Confusing First Year of Becoming Muslim
For my one-year anniversary of becoming Muslim, I figured I’d finally sit down and write about what this first year has actually been like. I’m currently bored out of my mind in a cabin in the mountains of South Carolina, pregnant and feeling like this baby in my belly is about to arrive at any…
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Bedridden and Playing One of My Comfort Games: The Sims
I’m home all day. I’m a SAHW who doesn’t work. I’m alone most of the day, stuck in bed, puking my brains out and trying to pass time between waves of nausea. There really wasn’t much else I could do. I even binged the entire Marvel Universe in just a few days💀 I couldn’t go…
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What Led Me to Islam: Trauma, Solitude, and a Turning Point
I came to Islam during one of the lowest points in my life. During the COVID lockdown, everything slowed down. I didn’t realize how much I had been distracting myself until I couldn’t anymore. Having more time on your hands can make you think about your past more than you want to. All the trauma…
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Sisters, Growing Pains, and Finding Our Own Homes
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about sisterhood, and how strange it feels when the people you once shared every corner of your life with suddenly aren’t under the same roof anymore. Three sisters, all creatives, all with the same slightly dramatic, slightly introverted, deeply imaginative personalities. Growing up in a home where our relationship…
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The Message (1976) Film Review
I just finished watching The Message earlier this morning, and I wasn’t expecting it to hit me the way it did. I’m currently up in the woods in North Carolina at a cabin with my husband and he recommended we watch it together since I’ve never seen it. He recommends it to me, and I…
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The Hidden Hierarchies of Workplace Favoritism
From the outside, Spectra Baby USA looked like a dream workplace. The owner was insanely wealthy and incredibly generous on paper, she handed out brand-new cars for “Employee of the Year,” hosted holiday parties in and outside of work, gave out free VIP concert tickets, and sponsored fun runs and social events. To anyone looking…
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Honestly, Vanessa 