I am deeply drawn to the mysteries of life, the journey of the soul, the big Self and the small self, the interplay of the spirit and ego. I have always been one to question, to challenge the ways of our life’s existence: our beliefs, our culture, our habits and patterns, our purpose.

I have also been awakened to the importance and relevance of healing on this journey; how it is an inherent part of everyone’s journey, yet it looks different for everyone.

One of the greatest mysteries which continues to unfold in my lifetime has been that of health and well-being: what it means, how to achieve it, what is needed by whom, how to navigate the sea of knowledge, wisdom, and information… I honor and appreciate allopathic, Western medicine for saving my life, and acknowledge that it has a very useful, specific role to play in the larger picture of healthcare. Yet, when I look at someone, my curiosity naturally and instinctively takes me to their (soul’s) life journey, their energy systems & aura, their ancestral and karmic blueprint. I’m curious to understand what’s happened at the soul, bliss, mental/emotional, or pranic body that is contributing to this event showing up in the physical body? What aspect of their journey has been interrupted, dampened, abandoned, or beaten? What karmic or ancestral baggage are they carrying in this lifetime that is playing itself out? How much of the current dis-ease is due to a lack of expression or actualization of their intended soul’s journey, due to ancestral or karmic baggage, or due to consequential cultivated detrimental, ill-serving habits from the lack of awareness of the above?

To me, the first question is always more spiritual than physical in nature. What, in the energetic and spiritual realm, is causing this physical manifestation of dis-ease? What is underneath the physical symptoms and signs?

I feel that the spiritual questions are overall grossly ignored in our current society’s norms or standard of care. We look at the body so mechanically. We try to “integrate” health care, and acknowledge that we are one large intricate system made up of many aspects (not just physical), but do we really address the non-physical? Especially that beyond physical, mental, and emotional? From my experience, it seems that the lack of knowledge, the lack of studies, the lack of understanding keeps this from being confidently understood and explored during treatment. This is where alternative therapies quite often come into play, though often lacking the “evidence”, support, or personal funding for these types of treatments.

Isn’t it funny that we know that allopathic medicine does not treat the entire “being” nor facilitate true wellness, yet we still choose jobs that provide health insurance, are required to have health insurance, or feel obligated (or imprisoned) to utilize the health care insurance we pay for even though it’s woefully limited in its overall scope and effectiveness? What matrix is this that we are living in, why, and who is actually benefitting?

My quest for trying to somehow understand “health” and well-being started at a young age. Allopathic medicine saved my life at seven years old when I was run over by a school bus. Acute care for an immediate response to a life-threatening event. Without it and a miracle from the Divine, I would most certainly not be here today. But it didn’t take long to recognize that while I am and was grateful to be alive, I was certainly far from “well”. My health journey brought me to chiropractic, counseling, chiro-neurology and the like, and also a variety of atypical methods, like naturopathy, homeopathy, trauma work, shadow work, yoga and ayurveda , Reiki, quantum healing, ancestral trauma release, and so much more. As I continued to endure health challenges, lack of answers or real solutions, I was pushed to explore beyond the “norm”, to continue questioning the status-quo. In truth, in time, we are learning that there is an explanation or validity to many of these alternative types of care; it’s only that, for a long time, these have and continue to be under-studied and not completely understood. It’s possible that some never will be understood or scientifically proven. How does one scientifically explain a miracle?

Health was always something on my mind and in my heart, so much so that I had originally intended to become a doctor. I wanted to help people, and somehow my idea of “helping people” meant helping them live, helping them be well with vitality, health, joy, ease of living; and to diminish suffering caused by dis-ease. I felt the genuine care and concern from some of the many doctors and nurses who cared for me during my recovery. I was amazed that a woman could be a doctor and a man could be a nurse – hey, I was young! Growing up in a rural town, with little exposure of the vast array of options that existed and continue to be discovered, my naturally caring, empathetic, and nurturing spirit thought “doctor” would be a perfect fit. That was, until volunteering in hospitals helped me see that something was missing. I didn’t understand what or why, I just knew that that path was not the right one. As my journey continued, this awareness has continued to grow and expand. So many times, I or others have been failed by the allopathic system – sometimes overtly and other times blatantly. I do not believe it was ever the intention of any of the individual care providers; rather a much larger force and system at play.

Somehow, this path has led me to the Yogic and Ayurvedic systems, with continued influences and connections to Chinese traditional medicine. Since beginning my yogic studies, I have come to learn so much about the soul, the Self and self, the many layers of our Being, the role of energy. Since finding yoga, the true, deeper parts of yoga beyond yogasana, I have finally found a container that naturally aligns with my curious nature, one that questions our thoughts, questions our beliefs, builds our awareness of our patterns and habits, helps to develop greater consciousness in life, and a system which helps me inquire from the spiritual realm: why is this happening? What does it mean? What, beyond the physical, is at play in this moment/event/situation?

Reiki energy healing has continued to challenge my understanding of energy, the energy bodies, the chakras, quantum physics, and how true integrative care must include this layer or aspect of dis-ese in order to facilitate true, deep and long-term healing. It has also empowered and inspired me, knowing that there are tools and ways to address this facet of our well-being, to address the dis-ease in these deeper layers of our Being. Sacred healing circles, rituals, crystals, sound therapy, aromatherapy and coaching along with all of the above have challenged me to understand the many, many modalities and opportunities to facilitate healing in ourselves and others that can also address the deeper layers of our Being. They also supplement our Being with much needed clarity, support, effective, and powerful energetic shifts to help us come back into balance, realign with our spirit and Soul’s journey, and empower us to step into our wholeness.

I now combine my ever-growing studies of yoga, ayurveda, Reiki, health coaching, and other practices such as sacred healing circles and sound therapy to apply this vast world of wisdom to the same life questions: for myself, my friends, my family, and my clients. When you get beyond the asana and start to embrace the wisdom that these practices open up for us all, there is a deep, welcomed, beautiful shift in how one sees life. In reality, we have many options at our fingertips and they all have something to offer us. We also all have our own unique healing and Soul journey, and thus require our own recipe of experiences, lessons, treatments, and care in accordance with our own needs. There are, truly, many paths to wellness. I have chosen to start mine with raising consciousness, which gifts me with an entire new, larger world; one which seems to be where I’ve belonged since I arrived.

What does your path look like? What is your soul’s journey? How do you choose to step into your true wholeness and well-being?

Much love,

Jess

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Upcoming Events:

· Honor Yoga Open House – Saturday Oct 15th! Stop by for some free classes, chai, samosas, and lots of friendly people  Sign up: www.roswell.honoryoga.com/openhouse

· Yin Yoga at Many Paths Wellness Private studio is back! Only about twice a month, so be on the lookout! Next class is THIS SUNDAY! 4:30-6pm, October 16th. Sign up: www.manypathswellness.com

· November 6th – One Day Retreat in Dahlonega. I am honored to be leading our fall one-day retreat, with Honor Yoga Roswell. We’ll have a 90 minute movement session in the morning, boxed lunch, then another 90 minute session for meditation, journaling, etc. The resort is also offering a discounted wine tasting after the retreat is done, so you can take advantage of that, too. Sign up: www.roswell.honoryoga.com/retreat

· November 12th & 13th – Reiki I and II training at Many Paths Wellness studio!! I’m so excited to be offering this for the first time at my own studio! Attendees will become certified to perform Reiki on themselves and others as a Reiki Level 2 Practitioner, receiving a certificate from the International Center for Reiki Training. This is a wonderful beginners-level energy healing training and practice, and we’ll be sure to cover additional fun tips such as how to read and balance chakras. Sign up: www.manypathswellness.com/schedule

· Lots of new classes being added to my weekly schedule:

o Mondays 9am @A Mindful Movement: Vinyasa

o Wednesdays 6:30am @ A Mindful Movement: Vinyasa

o Wednesdays 9am @ Honor Yoga Roswell: Slow Flow

o Wednesdays 3pm @ A Mindful Movement: Children’s Yoga

o Wednesdays 7:15pm @ A Mindful Movement: Kundalini

o Thursdays 6pm @ Crunch Fitness East Cobb: Yoga Body Sculpt

o Fridays 11:30am @Honor Yoga Roswell: Yoga HIIT Core Conditioning

o Alternate Fridays 6:30pm @Honor Yoga Roswell: Gentle & Restore

o Alternate Sundays 5:30pm @Honor Yoga Roswell: Yin

o Alternate Sundays 4:30-6pm @Many Paths Wellness: Yin

o Starting Nov 7th @ A Mindful Movement: 6 week series on Monday nights 5:30-6:30pm Teen yoga

· Input requested: Is there another time/day/class you’d like me to add at the Many Paths Wellness studio? Let me know!

· Lastly: calling in my tribe of strong, powerful women! Trying to get these women’s circles back into rotation – healing, movement, support and more. They are extremely powerful, and very much needed. Please let me know if you’re interested, or even just curious. I want to find a better day of the week for the November circle, so your input and interest is needed!