What If Your Health Journey Could be Joyful?
Does it sometimes seem like the words health and joy could never be connected?
If you answered yes, then boy can I relate!
I have struggled with my body for as long as I can remember. From my early teens I was always comparing, yearning for a body that was different from my own. Looking back I wish I could tell my teenage self to celebrate my body for all of the things it was able to do instead of being frustrated with what I thought it should do.
Celebration examples include being able to easily bike 8 miles into town and back. While in town playing tennis and swimming and hanging out with friends, I was able to do every activity I wanted from dance to playing music. I honestly had no limitations. Do you remember a time when your body felt free?
As I grew older and my body has started to change, I have noticed my thoughts changing too. I have placed a little distance between my emotions and my physical self. I am better able to have perspective over my health and what my body is capable of. As a former teacher, my desire and passion for learning helped me to release patterns of thinking that reinforced comparison traps that led me to overwhelm. I learned to approach my health with a mindset of curiosity which led to my change in careers from education in the classroom to Director of Education at ANMC Holistic Health Center.
The journey from stressed out educator to health practitioner didn’t happen over night. I had a lot of learning and healing to do on my health journey. I started by getting my health coach certification from the International Association of Wellness Professionals which led me to pursue my Masters of Health Coaching and eventually joining their staff.
As I began meeting with clients, I discovered common themes. Some of these themes were time management, low self-esteem, overwhelm, fear, and perfectionism. Once time was prioritized to process these themes, the body would start to respond in ways the client hadn’t seen before. Health concerns didn’t seem to take up the mental energy or space like it used to, which allowed clients to have more energy to focus on their nutrition, movement, and other lifestyle changes.
I began to dig deeper into how the body responds to food and how it relates to our moods and stress levels. I began pursing a Functional Nutrition and Lifestyle Counselor certification which led to becoming a Functional Nutrition and Lifestyle Practitioner. The connections I kept making around stress and overall health and happiness were astounding.
Being authentic has always been an important value to me and I decided it was time to do some hard processing myself. I started to dig through some of the concepts I had about my body. I started to celebrate all that my body was doing right. I started to approach my health with a mindset of curiosity and what feels good to my body, mind, and soul. I started to feel true joy and happiness on my journey again.
While I am still working through some health issues, I find myself laughing more and being able to be truly present. I am letting go of past thoughts of needing to “have it all figured out,” because if /when I do reach that state, life most likely won’t be worth living any more! The point of this beautiful crazy life is to enjoy it and LIVE IT, not mourn over what you are lacking. Celebrate what you are able to do and design a life around joyful health.
This is my desire for you. This is what I feel my calling is. If you are reading this and want to discover more joy in your own health journey, I want to connect with you. Let’s walk side by side and celebrate what it is you want out of life.
Next Steps
I would be honored to meet with you and have a Strategy Session. This is a free 30 minute session where we get clear on what your health challenges are and how you wanted to move forward. The main goals of our time together is to look at how your nutrition is playing a role in your current health conditions and help your body’s reserve levels so you can handle life’s stressors without causing more pain or symptoms. I LOVE partnerships and would encourage you to bring this information to your health care providers. We view our support as key health strategy so you continue to stay healthy and reach your goals. It is what you do in between your preventive health care appointments and that is where we come into play.
Ready to Get Started?
Just click here to schedule a time to meet. I can’t wait to support you on your health journey and to get to know you better. Let’s get ready to find the joy in your journey.
