Tag Archives: wellness

    Categories Advice, autoimmune, autoimmune crisis, Biohacking, Chronic Pain, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Emotional pain, Fibromyalgia, flare up, Health, hope, Inflammation, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, pain, Physical Pain

    Manifest Wellness

    What is wellness? How do you know you have achieved wellness? Is it the same for everyone?

    Can I go from feeling crappy to happy? Can I stop the cycle of feeling sick and tired all the time?

    Does my medical history have to be my fate?

    Wellness is a state of wellbeing and good health.  Wellness is achieved progressively as we develop our own supportive routine and lifestyle.  Wellness includes a variety of activities, choices and lifestyle shifts throughout our life span.  We can each experience our own unique wellness regardless of life’s challenges and obstacles.  Your medical history doesn’t have to be your fate.  It took me 7 years to find my Wellness because I lacked the understanding of the importance of tackling life’s challenges with a synergistic approach.  My journey was difficult and traitorous because when my health crisis happened I was stuck in the scientific and conventional world of medicine.  Conventional medicine is amazing for life saving approaches but it is lacking insight in health promotion and prevention.  Prescriptions are designed to cover up one problem and new symptoms emerge.  Going outside the box of conventional medicine is the way to truly tackle to root of your illness, disease and symptoms to heal the body.  It took me years of suffering through meltdowns, rock bottom moments and illness because I was unaware of the importance of tackling the emotional and physical root of illness and disease simultaneously. The gift I learned in the process is that the journey doesn’t have to be so difficult or torturous.  You deserve to find your unique wellness.  Everyone deserves to feel better.

    My name is Diane and I have a genetic condition called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome type III (EDS III).  This condition impacts the entire body requiring many prescriptions, treatments and surgeries to deal with the overwhelming symptoms. I went to see a geneticist because I knew as a nurse that something wasn’t right.  It wasn’t normal for a 35 years old to be taking more than 13 prescriptions and spend most of her life in doctor’s offices.  By the time I was diagnosed I had more than 6 surgeries and more to come.  I also spent months in physical therapy for frequent injuries.  The health issues caused me to spend my life at neurologist, allergists, endocrinologists, gynecologist, pain clinics, rheumatologists and gastroenterologist’s offices to deal with the expanse list of symptoms.  Trust me that is not a happy or healthy way to live.  But after suffering for so long, I realized prescriptions, surgeries, injections and physical therapy were not my answer.  I was in search of a true solution and desperate to feel healthy and free inside my body.  I had felt trapped and helpless for so long that I was desperate for a solution.  And I chose my health and myself for the first time in my life.

    I began my journey outside the box of conventional medicine to truly tackle my illness once and for all.  In the beginning I had tunnel vision that blinded me of the full picture.  I started with nutrition, fitness and supplementation to heal and repair the severe damage my body had undergone since childhood.  By the age of 35, I was taking 13 prescriptions and injections for pain were a monthly must.  I was diagnosed with EDS III after several years of focusing on nutrition, fitness and supplementation.  I went to the genetics simply to prove that my hypothesis was correct and the doctor’s that had treated me were clueless.  My hypothesis was “Nutrient malabsorption, poor diet, lack of exercise and genetics was causing my expanse list of symptoms.”  My visit to genetics was proof for myself that I was on the right track.  When I was diagnoses I was already 60% better but there was a missing element I hadn’t realized yet.  Nonetheless the geneticist and my specialists were all astonished at the transformation I had already achieved.  I was on only two prn prescriptions (as needed), pain was under control without prescriptions and I was living a healthier lifestyle.

    Nutrition, fitness and supplementation worked on the physical root of my illness and disease.  This is the physical stress we experience when life stress and diet create inflammation, toxins and damage in the body.  I had that under control with supplementation, nutrition and fitness but injuries, pain flare ups and irritable bowel symptoms still occurred frequently.  My worst symptoms to control were indigestion, heart burn, bloating, fatigue and chronic pain.  My digestive flare ups would trigger the muscle pain and fatigue to return.  And my gastroenterologist decided a psychiatrist was the answer to calm my anxiety and reduce stress with a prescription.  I started on Celexa to help control my symptoms and finally had to face the fact that my symptoms had an emotional component.  I didn’t want to accept that my emotions were triggering my symptoms but after they diminished the truth was clear.  The quest then became to tackle that emotional pain without a prescription and truly overcome my symptoms. I did not want to be on anti-anxiety medications my whole life.  It was a difficult journey but worth the fight because I knew I wasn’t alone in this struggle.  I am not the only person that is sick and tired of being sick and tired all the time.  I am not the only one who is sick of all the prescriptions that wreak havoc on the body and cause more problems than good.  I am not the only person that feels trapped inside their body. I am not the only person that wants to find a solution to all their symptoms.

    Fast forward to 2018, the missing element, emotional pain, would prove to be my most difficult obstacle to face and overcome.  I realized that there was an emotional root to my symptoms that stemmed from my childhood.  By this time, I was trying to overcome a new fear and my physical symptoms were back with a vengeance.  My fear of being seen and being heard.  I desperately wanted to share my story and create videos on social media but my emotions kept getting in my way.  I underwent hypnosis to tackle the subconscious blocks and self-limiting beliefs from my childhood.  And suddenly, the symptoms were less frequent and I was making great progress with my fears.

    We all have experienced negative thoughts, self-limiting beliefs and emotional pain.  This occurs due to unprocessed emotions from our childhood.  We experience events, circumstances and situations in our childhood that are difficult for us to understand and process because we were never taught ways to process and release our emotions.  This vicious pattern continues throughout our lives as we re-experience these emotions and feelings.  The simple truth is that we all have a negative voice inside our heads.  And this little negative character controls are actions and reactions to everything we perceive in our lives.  I call these negative voices, Negative Nancy and Negative norm.  My Negative Nancy was a dominant voice in my head that controlled all my actions in life causing me to feel frozen and stuck.  She was holding me back from my dreams and hypnosis helped me realize that I could regain control of my subconscious mind.

    The simple truth to share with you now is that your physical and emotional symptoms are connected.  You may be skeptical as I was in the beginning but it a very powerful truth.  To achieve your own unique wellness there needs to be a shift in the physical and emotional realms to truly create a lasting effect.  And once that is introduced into your lifestyle, you can absolutely go from feeling crappy to happy.  You can prove to yourself and others that your medical history doesn’t have to be your fate.  It will end the cycle of feeling sick and tired all the time.  It will help you thrive and create the life you dream.  So the question is… Do you want to Thrive?  Do you want to find Your Unique Wellness?

    Categories dancing, emotional release, motivation, Physical Pain, positivity, stress relief

    Dance Release

    Have you ever felt stressed out and overwhelmed?  Have you ever felt anxious? Have your feelings made you feel stuck, unmotivated and unproductive? Have you ever felt trapped in your body? Have you ever felt trapped in your life?

    I have felt every one of those stressful situations above.  If you answered yes to one or all, know that you are not alone.  I have been there many times in my life.  Challenges and obstacles place added stress into our lives and often make those feelings and emotions arise.  The problem lies when those intense emotions stay for prolonged periods and keep you feeling hopeless, helpless and alone.  My journey to healing was not easy and it took me 7 years to figure out the true ways to Manifest health, happiness and joy.  But the beautiful secret that I unveiled is that it doesn’t have to be that difficult or complex.  Finding your own unique self-loving routine can expedite and facilitate that journey.  And dance is one of my little secrets that I know many people resonate with.  Trust me I am not a professional dancer.  I don’t follow choreography well or know much about professional dance at all.  This is not about professional dance but rather following the rhythm of your own emotions and body to release the pain within you.

    Energetic release is one of the little secrets I share in my programs and books.  And it all begins with music, dancing and vocals.  And it can easily happen anytime and anywhere.  And you have everything you need to do this right now.  You have your body, your voice and music.  And that is all it takes to release negative emotions from your body with the power of music.  I have always loved to dance.  Feeling the vibrations inside my body is a phenomenal experience that flows through me like fire.  Swaying my hips to the beat is relaxing as I listen to the music and process the powerful words and beats within my body.  Connecting with the message in the words is cathartic as you tap into your own pain and use the flow to let go of those emotions that don’t serve you. And the sound of the music melts my stress away as I use my body to flow releasing the tension and stress from my muscles.  But simple process and realization didn’t come easy.  I had lost my connection to my passion for music and dancing long ago. It was phenomenal to see the shifts in my body as the stress melted away.  But like most amazing things in our life we get caught in the hustle and bustle forgetting the things that bring us joy.  And that is exactly what happened with me over the years as chronic illness developed. And slowly but surely we lose the habits and activities that bring us joy because commitments, stress, responsibilities and excuses get in the way.  Then suddenly you have stopped all your fun and nurturing activities getting stuck in the mundane life of responsibilities. It creeps up on you and suddenly you stopped exercising, you no longer go out with friends, and you get stuck in a new pattern and way of life that doesn’t nurture your sould.

    This realization didn’t come easy.  And it took me to a painful place I know all too well, rock bottom.  I am sure you have been there too.  Many of us have hit rock bottom at different times in our lives.  Rock bottom is a place I have lingered at many times with emotional shifts and chronic illness.  I went through a really stressful and difficult experience in November 2019 that made me tumble and fall hard into past trauma.  I experienced pain, exhaustion, headaches, stress and intense emotional shifts.  Much like the stress everyone is experiencing right now during this pandemic, I felt trapped and overwhelmed.  That internal stress experience reemerged during this pandemic as confinement progressed.  The external stressors we experience create havoc inside our bodies as inflammation and stress accumulates inside our bodies.  And this pandemic has proven that the stress can be debilitating and overwhelming for many.

    Back in November the stressful experience caused me to feel trapped and helpless inside my own body.  I had experienced a situation at work that triggered past trauma and torment my life.  The stress caused me to lose sight of all the mindfulness practices I share with others and I was unable to practice what I preach.  It made me fearful, scared and lonely.  As I reflect now, on the events that transpired that day I know it was my perception that caused my downfall.  The situation itself was not life threatening or life altering.  The situation truly shouldn’t have taken over my life but it did. And it happened because my perception of the situation made me think and feel it was a life or death situation.  My body went into fight or flight and the stress response stuck around for months.  It was a torturous journey over the past few months to get back into my rhythm slowly incorporating strategies to reduce stress and calm my nervous system.  The event actually made me completely lose track of all the easy stress relief strategies I teach, like dancing.  And I completely forgot all about myself in the process.  I had to slowly pick up the pieces and tackle that trauma at the root. It took me months of slow progress, patience and perseverance to dig myself out of the hole.   Thankfully the torturous process brought me to an enlightenment and realization that self-care and self-love needs to be a priority.  And this is true for everyone no matter what circumstances are around you. One of the little tricks I use in my arsenal of alternative therapies is dance.  And I use it often, sometimes multiple times a day to shift my energy, vibrations and emotional state.

    Music and dance are healing modalities that I use often transform the way I feel in stressful situations.  And the beauty of music, dance and singing is free.  You can turn on the radio and dance anytime you feel the beat inside you.  You can pop in your ear buds and dance anywhere.  And I actually do that all the time.  I am the mom that sways to her own beat and dances while her kids play.  I don’t sit at the sidelines while the kids practice, I take advantage of my extra time and use it wisely.  But if I could lose sight of the things that bring me joy into my life anyone can.  Music brings freedom as you connect with the beat and powerful words throughout your body.  It is so easy to find songs on the web now with you-tube, pandora, spotify and other stations.  There are so many variations of music that people can explore to find songs and genres they truly enjoy.  So I invite you to turn on that special song.  Don’t worry who is looking or what they are thinking.  Don’t let fear get in your way of having fun and releasing stress.  Use your body and let the music flow through you.

    Music and dance are powerful tools and you can truly reduce stress and emotions when you use it.  Just feel the music as you sway to the beat.  Listen to the words and feel them in your body.  Tap into your bodies healing potential as you process and release those emotions.  This amazing healing tool happens with all types of music.  Use the music to release the stress from your body as you sway to the beat. Use the power of dance slowly swaying to the beat alone or with a partner.  Feel the deep connection that arises within you as you sway back and forth following the flow of your body.  Make dancing more fun and healing by creating a community.  Have a virtual or live dance party with your friends or family.  Music is healing and transformative for all generations.  Everyone can enjoy the power of healing through music anytime and anywhere.  So the next time your favorite song comes on embrace it and go for it.  You don’t need to be in the privacy of your home to enjoy the beat deeply within your body.  Pump up the volume at the next stop light and dance to the beat as you wait.  Pop in your ear buds and jiggle to the beat as you wait for your kids at practice.  Take a bathroom break at work and dance the stress away on your break.  The beauty of energetic release is that you can do it anytime and anywhere using the music you love.  So use it and don’t lose sight of the music that brings you joy.  And if you ever feel stressed out, overwhelmed or anxious take a break, pump up the music and feel that beat.  I guarantee the music will melt your stress away.   You might need a few songs to feel it but just go with the flow and let your body guide you.  You have the power within you to release your stress and music just makes it fun and invigoration.