Before Holobody I didn’t have a great relationship with my body. You could say we weren’t even on talking terms. Because of my sensitivity and the many ups and downs I had with my health, I kind of broke off that connection with my body. I was angry at all the limitations it put on me, especially my stomach. I was obsessed with my diet and health in an unhealthy way. I had an unconscious fear of food running in the background of my life. Because of this fear I wanted to control my body, in hopes that it wouldn’t cause me problems. Apart from my gut, I never liked the way my body looked. I could give a list of things I didn’t like and it was very hard for me to tell you what I did like about my body.
Honestly there were many reasons for joining Holobody for me: the desire to become a Holobody coach, learning as much as I could so I could improve the health of my husband and family, a deep desire to be in a community of like-minded individuals… but the overall reason I joined was to get into the best shape I could before a much anticipated trip to Japan that was right after the course. I had this vision of having a supermodel body enjoying myself, taking multiple selfies and pictures, because I would finally be happy with my body.
Boy was I in for a surprise…the ride of my life! What I experienced and gained through this Holobody journey was so much deeper on a soul level. There was a point in the program where I had almost lost all hope. I had a virus during the second month, which literally knocked the wind out of me. Right after I started to feel a little better, I tried to push my body to do certain things and she was not having it. She wanted to rest. I became so angry with my body, I started to curse her silently, especially my stomach, which I would blame all the problems in my life for. She responded by shutting down. In hindsight, it felt like a friend hanging up the phone. One night, I woke up in a severely constipated state and couldn’t go back to sleep. After a futile trip to the bathroom, I broke down completely crying on my bedroom floor. I was in so much pain, nothing was moving, and I could now really feel how angry my body was at me. I decided to meditate in that moment, and attempt some sort of connection with my body. Surprisingly for about 1 minute I was able to feel no pain. That’s the moment I used the opportunity to talk to my stomach intentionally. I told her “I’m so sorry for the way I treated you. I’m so sorry for being angry with you. What do you need from me? I am here now and I am ready to listen.” And to my surprise, she responded with one sentence, “Give me an army.” After coming out of meditation, somehow I knew what she meant. You see, I had just come off of a bad viral infection and a very intense menstrual period, which together probably depleted most of my stores of good bacteria. She was telling me to take probiotics, something I had avoided up till that point in fear of feeling uncomfortable. That was one of the most spiritual and emotional interactions I’ve had with my body to date. The next morning I listened and took a probiotic that was sitting in my refrigerator. The following day I felt like a different person! My mood was better. I felt hopeful again. I had a sense of confidence that I would be okay no matter what came my way. After many days, I was enjoying music while cleaning my house, something I had put off. All of this was the result of a simple act of just LISTENING TO MY BODY. In that moment I learned that it's the simple and most basic things that create big results.
Areas of my life where I noticed the biggest changes in my life: Fear of food is much less. I actually look forward to eating food! I thoroughly enjoyed eating in Japan, eating locally and even indulging in some treats thanks to my newfound partnership with my gut. Thanks to a deep conversation with a friend and fellow Holobody coach, I have developed the practice of talking to and reassuring my gut before having different foods. I am more conscious and intentional about my sleep patterns and walking everyday. It's a work in progress, and I am okay with that. I talk to my body now and I listen intentionally. We have gone from not talking to getting to know each other and enjoying each other’s company. It’s the start of a beautiful friendship, something I feel is priceless. I also have deep love and acceptance for my body. I am no longer waiting for the perfect body to enjoy my life. I am now enjoying my life while at the same time letting my body evolve into the best version she can be. And that to me now is super sexy. If you’re wondering, yes, I took many selfies and pics on my trip ;)
The community was another part of Holobody that set it apart from others. Everyone was everyone’s cheerleader. I got inspired on every call by the experiences of my fellow students and all our mentors and coaches. The coaching labs were my favorite. And my mentor Coach Nancy was so supportive of my journey, encouraging me every step of the way. Everyone had their own journey with Holobody and that was the beauty of this program. You come into it thinking it’s a set path but you end up taking your own beautiful authentic individual path and discovering more than you hoped for. For it was simply learning how to listen to my body and developing the start of a deep relationship with my body, one in which we walk together.
If you’re thinking about joining Holobody, just sign up. I promise you, it will give you the most beautiful journey ever with like-minded souls to cheer you along the way!