A quick hello — and a proper introduction

Because transformation is never just one moment — it’s a way of living.

Hi friends,

Some of you know me from my cookbooks Good and Cheap and Good Enough. That work — making joyful, nourishing food accessible to everyone — will always be part of me. But today, I want to share what I’m most passionate about now, and why it’s both deeply personal and a little bit of a love story.

When I met my now-husband, Rameen, I was winding down my cookbook career, feeling ready for a new chapter. He had recently wrapped up running his yoga and meditation center after two decades of teaching — leading thousands of people and training hundreds of yoga teachers. We didn’t know each other during those earlier chapters, but when we met, we immediately recognized how much our paths, values, and visions for life aligned.

We married last year and began building Somatic Living together. This isn’t just a business — it’s the life we’re choosing to live, and to model. My background in accessible, joyful nourishment and his deep expertise in movement and meditation came together naturally — and now Somatic Living is the space where those worlds meet.

Living somatically is countercultural in our fast paces capitalist driven world. It means slowing down. Feeding yourself well. Noticing your energy. Valuing yourself. Fostering your inner world. It means honoring our full humanness — body, mind, and spirit — and helping others do the same.

Somatic Living is our living library — a space to explore practices like breathwork, movement, meditation, and more. It’s designed to meet you wherever you are, because everyone’s path is different, but we all need guidance! Just like when I realized not everyone knew how to cook good food cheaply and wanted to make it accessible to anyone, I feel the same urgency here.

This work is a constant evolution. I’ll be honest — when we first announced Somatic Living, it felt a little flat. We were still finding our feet. But now, we’re clearer than ever. When we know something that can help, we can’t keep it to ourselves. If you’ve ever known us in real life, you’ve probably experienced that — we can’t help but offer whatever we have, whether it’s a posture that eases your back pain or a breathing practice that helps you sleep.

So this Substack will be a place where I share stories, practices, reflections, and the behind-the-scenes of this lifestyle we’re building. I’m not going to hammer you with “join the membership” posts — but you’ll hear about what we’re creating, and you’ll get to know not just me, but us.

I’d love for it to be a two-way street. If you have stories about food, embodiment, creativity, or healing, or if there’s something you’re struggling with that you’d like us to explore, please reply. I read every message.

Here’s to slowing down, valuing ourselves, and living fully — together.

With love,

Leanne

P.S. You can reply directly to this email — I read every message. If you’re comfortable, let me know if I can share your story in a future post so others can learn from it too. And if you’d like to connect beyond these letters, you can find us sharing more stories, practices, and behind-the-scenes moments on Instagram at somatic.living and TikTok at @somaticliving.