My Journey to Integrative Health
I am a residency trained, board certified clinical pharmacist specialist. I have worked in the field of pharmacy for 13 years. 3 years ago, I started down the path of energy medicine after reading Caroline Myss’ Anatomy of the Spirit, feeling disillusioned and frustrated at work, and subsequently taking my first reiki class. Today, I am master trained in both Usui & Angelic Reiki, and am 2 months shy of being a certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach.
The transition from western medicine to integrative nutrition and reiki practice has been the result of many small right actions. Each time I helped a patient without the using medication at work, each person that opened my eyes to another realm of healing, past live regressions, soul readings, reiki, etc. brought me closer to true healing, and brought me in the right direction. These small right actions have culminated into my passion to help teaching others to heal themselves without the crutches of western medicine.
By the time I got into pharmacy school I had chronic, uncontrolled migraines, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic allergies, an extra 30 pounds on my body, and I wouldn’t call my moods happy. I was looking for answers for myself, just as much as I was looking for ways to help others. Being in my mid-twenties, I was already amassing a small personal pharmacy to “control” all my health issues, but still considered myself a healthy person. As a former collegiate athlete, exercise was a regular part of my life, although the whole calories-in-calories-out theory didn’t seem to be keeping my weight at bay. By the time I completed my residency training I had developed an irregular heart beat from the daily energy drink habit I developed, while trying to function through long days and nights at the hospital. All of this came to a head 3 years ago and I finally started to look beyond the pharmacy shelf for solutions.
My journey to healing started with eliminating gluten from my diet, then dairy, then eggs & corn. I added in gut healing supplements. And low & behold, I started to feel better! While cleaning up my diet, I also started cultivating a regular spiritual practice. Between Caroline Myss and Gabrielle Bernstein, my world as I knew it changed forever. I began to meditate, practice yoga & reiki, and look inward for answers. My entire approach to not only my health, but those around me, was irrevocably altered. I started to look beyond symptoms toward the internal condition. Along the way also, the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) kept popping up across the web, Facebook, emails etc., so I took the hint from the universe. This past year of study with IIN has blown the top off of what I thought I knew about nutrition. I have been exposed to, and studied over 100 nutritional theories, and experimented a lot on myself.
It is now my mission to change how we approach our health. Instead of looking for a symptom to mask with a drug, we need to examine our internal condition and relationship dynamics. Find the imbalance to correct emotionally, spiritually, energetically, and add in some real, nutrient dense, whole food. Eliminate the crap and fill our lives with joy, love, compassion, and kindness. These are the ways, I believe, to whole health. I am excited for the challenge, the awakening, and the future. I hope you will join me on this crazy trip!
