My Journey to

Wellness

Wellness is never a destination. It is an ongoing, lifelong process that is always full of change. It is not something that happens to us, but rather a part of who we are. Whether our wellness is in a state that we love or not, it is ever-present.

My wellness journey has been such a wild and beautiful road of self discovery and coming face-to-face with my faith, myself, my past and who I want to be.

Years ago, I began a journey of healing that turned my life in a completely new direction. When I least expected it, my world came to a screeching halt and I realized that I spent years running from God, even as I was standing in the church. That’s when my life began to change in the best of ways, and I truly began to understand wellness for the first time.

I finally knew what it felt like to experience true joy rather than covering up a life of depression and anxiety with a fake smile. I began to fuel my body out of love and respect rather than hate and abuse it for not being what I thought it should be. I learned how to move my body in a way that I loved and therefore, could sustain. I discovered how to face difficult times with a positive mindset. I then grew two babies all while staying active and fueling myself well. I felt so empowered in what my body could do through the whole process. Pregnancy, birth, and motherhood were exhilarating for me and I felt unstoppable.

Then, after the birth of my second baby, my body experienced an unwelcome change. Not in the, “I can’t lose the baby weight” kind of way, but rather with a horrible onset of autoimmune symptoms. I quickly learned that, around 6 months postpartum, it is common for women to experience the start or flare of autoimmune conditions.

I began to battle extreme fatigue, brain fog, joint pain, psoriasis and food sensitivities. I felt like my body was not my own. It seemed to be rebelling against me in an already vulnerable state. After years of doing so much to care for my body, I suddenly felt as if it was betraying me.

In the thick of this season I felt hopeless, thinking that this was just my new normal. Autoimmune conditions run in my family, and this seemed like a sad life sentence. One day I woke up and realized that this was not good enough for me. I was not okay with sitting back and feeling as if I had no say in how I felt. I decided that things needed to change. I removed some things that were no longer serving me well, and I was able to focus on what was at the root cause of my flares and how get them under control. I began to understand my body in a new way and tune in with what made it feel its best. I was thriving again, this time with a deeper respect for my body and what it was capable of.

Through this process I have learned, even more, that wellness is a whole-life, whole-body experience and is so much more than yoga and green juices. I learned that taking time to focus on your health is never selfish. I learned that, no matter what someone else may try to tell you, there is nothing in life that is important than your faith, your family, your health and your happiness.