I know what it’s like to not want to look in the mirror because I’m ashamed of how I look.  I was harshly treated and abandoned — so to me, it must be because of my looks, how quirky my personality is, how short I am, how much cellulite I have, or how many wrinkles I have. I’ve believed the lies someone else’s actions said about me, and I have had to fight HARD to gain back any semblance of self-worth again.

I understand Abuse, Abandonment, PTSD, Triggers, Debilitating Fear, Shame, Worthlessness, & Deep Betrayal Trauma. These became regular vocabulary words in my life as I worked through the mentally and emotionally excruciating pain with therapists, mentors, friends, family, & pastors.

I’ve known such deep pain, that this life became overwhelming …

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But, after working through so much of this pain, I also know what it looks like to come through to the other side.

I learned there are periods of time where doing 6-7 hard-core workouts per week isn’t always best. I learned that sometimes, rest is best. I’ve learned (or am learning) how to be at peace with the changes in my body, an ongoing process for me. I’ve dealt with a 10lb weight gain from stress, trauma, & menopausal effects. I’ve come to recognize that not every stage of life means you’re as ripped as you were in the last stage. I’m learning to have grace for myself and to find more peace.

I believe that the mind/body connection is SO STRONG it is undeniable!

So…it feels imperative for me to connect the dots between the mind and body. I have been a fitness buff in the past – I’ve been taught by some of the most renowned fitness and nutrition celebrities, and I’ve been

training others for almost 2 decades. I’ve found that health is NOT just about picking up weights or doing jumping jacks (though I LOVE me some of those!). I’ve always been a very disciplined person to the extreme — then betrayal trauma entered my life and I didn’t even know who I was anymore. So I also understand that feeling of not having the mental stamina to make the body work like it needs to.

I’ve found that it’s just as important to help create a beautiful picture of life by connecting the dots – a dot-to-dot picture of our mind and body coming together in harmony to produce this amazing being that is joyful, grateful, healthy, full of energy and life, and the BEST version of a human being that is possible! THIS is health to me!