My healing journey began in 2014 while I struggled to balance it all. I joined a Crossfit gym to help me cope with my stress and improve my physical health. In 2016 while at work, I experienced my second panic attack of my life. The pressure I felt from society and myself generated a break in my light. I experienced high blood pressure, trouble breathing, an overwhelming feeling of impending doom. I didn’t understand why I was questioning my purpose when I knew in my heart, I truly enjoyed my family and my Nursing career. I appeared healthy on the outside yet felt heavy with layers that were weighing me down. I felt broken and my energy felt scattered and without direction. I realized that for many years I had unconsciously been pushing away that necessary connection to myself by keeping busy… serving, working, pushing past life struggles and past patient emergencies. I was compartmentalizing so much, simply because I didn’t have any tools to help me handle the ongoing stress. I was not allowing myself to feel emotions, or let them flow through me, so unknowingly- I harbored and trapped everything in my body. I have endured many symptoms over time, as I basically ran away from my emotions and feelings. I experienced energy crashes throughout my long shifts, missed meals and bathroom breaks, my weight was up and down for years. My symptoms included abdominal bloating, mood swings, skin rashes on my scalp and legs, and food cravings.

Through it all I kept a smile on and continued to cheer and encourage everyone. I continued with autopilot habits, pushing through without any rejuvenation break or pause. Aside from an occasional night out with friends and weekend recreational drinking. I call this the “rinse and repeat cycle of stress and trauma from the fear of feeling.” A wise individual taught me “it’s not PTSD” it’s now “PTG,” (Post traumatic growth).

The next wave hit me in 2018, this time I decided I was going to do the work. I came across Reiki (a Japanese stress reduction modality) in 2019, introduced by my Soul sister Cari. A fellow Nursing colleague and dear friend. I have never been more grateful for my steady and continual growth in my faith (GOD), and the gift of these beautiful stress reduction tools I’ve learned about and implemented in my life. My self care toolbox was literally my ‘go to’ during the 2020 pandemic.

The utter fear of that time still has the power to haunt me, if I choose. I felt the panic along with society as we looked outward for a quick fix pill or shot to help us feel safe. At the beginning, the precautions and what was happening made sense. Over time, I realized that camping out with fear, and making fear a part of my every waking moment was not serving my health.

Instead of partnering up with the confusing fear and overwhelming contradictory information, I decided to go inward and create this healing peace that my mind, body, and soul needed. In this space of peace, I was given clarity. Clarity showed me the yearning within to change the way I nurture my family… through REAL health. We focused on balancing our diet, getting good sleep, practicing grounding, participating in daily exercise, consciously creating stress reduction, taking supplements and creating necessary and healthy boundaries.

As I dove deeper into holistic healing, I was guided to pursue and complete my certification as a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner (FDN-P) in 2023.