The Wellness Method with Rachel Albo

10/01/2024

Hey PNW friends! I’m hosting a women’s wellness mini-retreat on Friday, October 25 at a cozy cabin here in North Bend, WA (35 min east from downtown Seattle, nestled among mountains & rivers)! You can join us just for the evening or stay overnight for the full experience. 🌙

Message me for more details—I’d love to have you there to experience a tiny taste of what my wellness retreats have to offer! 🥰

& Please feel free to share with friends who you think may be interested

08/16/2023

I feel completely violated. There has been a fake profile galavanting around pretending to be me, messaging people and asking for money for a ‘reading.’ This profile has been at it for a week and despite countless followers reporting & blocking, IG won’t remove the profile… It feels really icky.

But it’s also given me the space to take inventory of my energetic boundaries. I’ve been removing followers that seem sketchy or misaligned. Numbers don’t matter when half those people aren’t even seeing my content. I’m here to talk to you, to get to know you, to be here for you!

Calling in all the good vibes to make up for the ickiness that I can’t control…

I’ve been pouring even more into what feels good within my business & content. I’ve been trusting my body & mind’s calls for rest and intentional isolation.

I’m so grateful for all of you who are here in this space and have taken the time to get to know me. I’m grateful for the beautiful friendships that have blossomed from social media. I’m grateful to be able to share my journey authentically every day and to be grounded in my values & intention. I’m grateful for those of you who have taken the leap to work with me behind the scenes in our sacred Soul Flow Collective container.

More than anything, I’m proud of the expansion I’ve found throughout my journey; of the frankly s**tty experiences I’ve overcome; of the hard pivotal decisions I’ve made in order to keep growing every day.

& I’m excited to witness even more of you expand in your own journey as part of our Soul Flow Collective. This is my soul’s work, my passion, my favorite thing I’ve ever done, and I’m so excited for you to experience the magic within this beautiful space. 💫

Keep fu***ng going. It’s all worth it.
🤍 your soul embodiment guide, Rach.

11/27/2022

Asking “why” or “how” about anything in your life is basically you just racking your brain for how to undermine your intuition…

Instead

Just LISTEN to your intuition
Stop asking why

Give your soul credit - it knows the way.

Focus on the feeling you want

then decide on the action steps

and trust the process,
knowing it may unfold differently than you envision (but will always be the way it’s supposed to)

✨

& don’t doubt yourself
you can do this. you ARE doing this. 🤍

—

📸:

11/23/2022

01/13/2022

This is a reality of having this disease that I honestly don’t have to face very often. Pulling out my retired wrist brace that I haven’t worn in years, getting blood drawn to check inflammation markers, taking NSAIDs (which I usually avoid), and forcing extra rest (like the 2 hour nap I took this evening).

🙏🏽 I feel so incredibly blessed to have built such a deep connection with my mind, body, and soul in order to manage my RA symptoms. I get to do things every day that I could have never dreamed of 5 years ago when I was first diagnosed…

However, there is no cure and there will always be setbacks that come up. And those can really hit hard physically, mentally & emotionally.

I have not dealt with a flare up that has felt this intense or lasted this long in YEARS. I’m going on 2 weeks of this post-Covid flare up. 🥴 To put it into perspective, thanks to my consistent holistic routines & mindset, my flare ups only last 1-3 days on average and are very mild and infrequent compared to my first ever flare ups. I’m usually able to pinpoint the reason (90% of the time, it is due to something I ate or an increase in stress) and then I course-correct to feel better quickly.

This time is different. It just flat out sucks. I’m still my outgoing energetic self, and if you saw me in person you probably wouldn’t know the pain I’m in. But mentally, it has been a struggle.

I WANT to be moving more, pushing fitness limits, be back to climbing…but right now I have to honor where my body is at. That doesn’t mean I’ll stop moving or give up. It just means that there has to be a little adjustment for now because I don’t know how long this flare will last (some of you have said you’ve had post-Covid flare ups for as long as 6 months). And I’m still wrapping my mind around that.

I am leaning on my close friends more than ever right now (thank you all for hearing me out and not making me feel like I’m complaining). I’m needing extra love and support and I’m grateful to have so many amazing people in my corner, both in real life and all of you reaching out in my DM’s and comments. 💖

Also, I have talked about this on my IG story a couple times but I guess this is a good time to mention that I recently started Plaquenil again. It was an extremely hard decision because I worked so hard to wean off a year and a half ago. I got back on in the hopes that it would allow me to continue the fast-paced work life that I truly enjoy and compliment my holistic anti-inflammatory lifestyle. But to be honest, I have experienced some side effects and no notable positive changes to the way that I feel. So I’m feeling quite discouraged…like I was better off without these chemicals in my body and now may have to wean back off.

*Quick side note: Please excuse any typos or grammatical errors. This was a long train of thought and I just let my feeling flow. If you have made it this far, thank you for holding space for me & reading. I really appreciate you.*

I don’t share posts like this as a “woe as me” but rather to remind you that you are not alone. We all have ups and downs with this autoimmune journey.

My journey is not all fun videos, positivity, and smiles. (Okay yes, MOST of it is 😇 I like to find joy!) But sometimes it looks like this photo/long caption…

But through it all, I am ALWAYS grateful. Because although I am in a lot of pain and discomfort and this is very mentally tolling, I am always in awe of the resilience of my body. And I know this will pass eventually. ✨

It would be so nice to be able to put life on hold during a flare up to just focus solely on healing. But that just isn’t an option for most of us in the autoimmune community (gotta pay the bills 💸 ).

So we keep pushing on. Through the pain. Continuing to find joy. Practicing gratitude. Having compassion for ourselves. Embracing our inner strength to keep going. 🌟

Don’t ever forget - you are a warrior. You have the power to change your narrative, even when you’re dealing with really tough s**t.

xx
-Coach Rach

07/30/2021

Contrary to popular belief…

It is possible to feel better WITHOUT a restrictive lifestyle.

It all starts with your mindset.

YOU decide whether you CAN or CAN’T!

As a coach, my number one priority is helping you tune into your own mind and body. There is plenty of noise out there telling you “DO THIS, NOT THAT” and sometimes we just have to tune it out because YOU know what’s best for YOU, deep down. It just takes some fine tuning and learning skills to connect within. [Hence the name of my 12-week autoimmune coaching program: Connect Within 🙃] ⁣
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I don’t ever give clients hard & fast rules because rules are made to be broken. 😝 The second you give yourself a rule, your brain will literally want to do the opposite (it’s science, look it up). Instead, we empower you to be your own best advocate, learn balance, and navigate life with an autoimmune disease with self-compassion, community support and accountability! ( & most of all, you get me as your one-on-one hype girl telling you - YOU GOT THIS 💖 every step of the way. )⁣
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🎉 SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:⁣
I planned on taking a break from enrolling new clients, however after seeing the progress from the first round of clients to complete my brand new program, I decided to open up enrollment for August because I’m AMPED!!!⁣ 💥⁣
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Spots are VERY limited as I’m only accepting 3 clients. Consult calls will only be accepted through August 6. No obligations to enroll, just you & I chatting for a bit to see if this is right for you! 🙌🏽⁣
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📌 Link in bio to schedule or message me if you have questions.

07/04/2021

“Treat yourself like someone you loved…⁣
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I couldn't believe that I had been letting myself keep forgetting that I was who I've been looking for.⁣
& Deep in my core I knew it was time to stop looking for more until I could look through all my fear, look into a mirror and see clearly that the person looking back at me was the ONLY one who can make me happy…⁣
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& I am already enough.⁣
& I am not any more special or unique than you.⁣
That is why I am here to speak to you: ⁣
✨ You are already enough.⁣
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& When you start to see that, you will start to BE that. Your world will get brighter, your load will get lighter and you see that with life you can be a lover and not a fighter.⁣
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And THAT life... ⁣
You deserve it.⁣
Because you are worth it.⁣
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& There is no point in letting yourself keep forgetting because no matter what you say or do…⁣
✨ You are perfect.⁣
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As of today I hope I leave you with a direction correction away from the flaws you see in our reflection. They aren't flaws to me they are simply protection against all the doubts you have of your perfection.⁣
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So start today. ⁣
Take a good long look in the mirror and say:⁣
I AM WHO I’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR.” ⁣
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🎶 Words from: - You Are Who You’ve Been Looking For⁣
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💖⁣
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I felt an intuitive pull to share these words with you. I listened to this track on repeat while I allowed my mind to just be; not reframing thoughts but allowing them to flow. There is something so freeing about just allowing your mind to wander in darkness for a bit; it amplifies the positive contrasts when you re-center. ⁣
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Today, even if just for a moment, allow your mind to just BE. All the thoughts and feelings are valid. You are more than enough. You are love and you are everything you need. 🥰

07/02/2021

Today, I biked 5.5 miles to a fitness studio, did a 60 minute group HIIT workout, and then biked 5.5 miles back home. And the whole time biking home today I’m thinking…. WHO IS SHEEEEE!? 🤩⁣
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4 1/2 years ago, I would have laughed in your face (HARD) at the thought of that… You rarely get to see where I started out so let me paint a picture:⁣
• 23 years old⁣ & newly diagnosed with RA⁣
• Knees & wrists swelled to 2x their size (swipe for visual aid 💀) ⁣
• Doing physical therapy in a pool because my joints couldn’t handle the exercises on land⁣
• On 3 prescription medications + steroid shots⁣
• Excited when I was able to walk more than 1/4 mile without resting⁣
• Out of work for 2 months and living off credit cards (in LA which = $$$)⁣
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I was questioning literally everything about my life, my body and my identity…⁣
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I know exactly what it feels like to not know what comes next…to feel hopeless, lonely and confused. I don’t want that for you! It doesn’t have to be that way.⁣
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👊🏽 LAST CHANCE to schedule a consult call with me to enroll in my 12-week Connect Within autoimmune coaching program. (This is the last round for a while so go click the link in my bio!)⁣
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My program is designed after how I got from where I was right after I was diagnosed to where I am today. I’m addition to the program itself, you’ll get 1:1 calls with me, access to my support group & calls, and an entire library of resources I’ve created for clients. This is about you re-connecting to your mind + body to create the happiest, healthiest version of yourself! ✨ Reclaim your life and change your narrative because you are worthy of a great life regardless of your diagnosis!

06/24/2021

Reminder that daily movement looks different for everyone. Some days, we have energy to attack a hardcore workout and other days a 20-minute walk seems like a lot… ⁣
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& That’s okay! ⁣
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Meet yourself where you’re at but make sure you are mindfully moving your body in some way every single day. 💪🏽⁣
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Move it or you’ll lose it. Movement is essential for a balanced mind and body. Exercise improves mood, decrease your body’s stress response, improves overall health, decreases risk of many diseases and can even improve digestion/gut health. Every little bit helps! ⁣
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☀️ It’s summertime! If you’re just not feeling a traditional workout, try one of these fun alternate movement ideas:⁣
• Kayaking⁣
• Yoga flow⁣
• Hiking⁣
• Tennis⁣
• Rock climbing⁣
• Walking outdoors⁣
• Light stretching⁣
• Bicycling⁣
• Paddle boarding⁣
• Basketball⁣
• Running⁣
• Swimming⁣
• Rollerblading⁣
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How did you get your movement in today?! Comment below! 👇🏽

06/21/2021

I want to remind you of something really powerful…⁣
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You can do whatever the F you want. 👊🏽⁣
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Sometimes, people will try to convince you otherwise.⁣
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Sometimes, circumstances in your life will make you think otherwise.⁣
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Sometimes, your mind will come up with a false narrative because it feels safe. ⁣
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But YOU control your future. ⁣
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YOU control the outcome of your life.⁣
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YOU are keeping yourself stuck. 👀⁣
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Literally NOTHING is permanent. ⁣
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Life is supposed to ebb & flow. Are you allowing it to or are you sitting in stagnation? ⁣
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It may seem impossible but I promise you can make changes and manifest the life of your dreams. ⁣
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The first step is identifying what you want to change and working through your excuses one at a time; prove to yourself why they’re actually BS. (This can be hard sometimes but you can problem solve through any obstacle if you try hard enough 🙃). ⁣
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Take it from me…the girl who used to live life in a safety bubble of a comfortable job, relationship & living situation. ⁣
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Then I realized I wasn’t actually happy or comfortable and that I deserved so much more. ⁣
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I didn’t recognize myself. I was allowing my situation to dim my light. I had lost parts of myself… ⁣
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So I made changes. ⁣
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Like…ALL the changes. 😳⁣
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🚙 I moved to a new city, quit my day job, and ended an 11-year relationship/marriage all within one month. ⁣
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& ya know what?⁣
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I have never felt more aligned, full of life, or optimistic about my journey on this Earth. ⁣
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It’s a really freaking beautiful thing and I want every single one of you to experience living in full alignment with your highest self. ✨ ⁣
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You are NOT stuck.⁣
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You are powerful and capable! Chase those dreams. 😘

06/18/2021

Yesterday, one of my autoimmune clients told me she thought I was crazy. 😳⁣
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When we first got on our 1:1 call, I could tell something was different. She seemed happier & more upbeat; she was literally glowing. ⁣
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And then she dropped the bomb…⁣
She said that it had all just CLICKED! ⁣
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See, during the first 8 weeks with me, she made huge strides in changing eating habits/food mindset. She has been more consistent with movement practices and drinking water. She sees major changes in her symptoms and her sleep! But the one thing she couldn’t get behind was meditation..⁣
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During our first few calls, I coached her on different types of meditation & mindfulness practices because she was convinced meditation wouldn’t work. (It doesn’t always have to look like sitting 🧘🏻‍♀️ & humming *oommmm* 😜)⁣
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She literally said to me:⁣
💣 “You suggested meditation to me and I thought you were crazy. I was like yeah, I’m not gonna do that; sounds pretty hippie. Rachel is crazy.” ⁣
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And then last week, she decided to just try it out. Just 5 minutes a day followed by gratitude journaling. And in less than two weeks, she already notices a HUGE shift in her mindset. She is feeling less triggered, more mindful, and filled with gratitude. All because of a passive, non-invasive, FREE daily practice! ⁣Crazy what happens when you trust the process (and me). 😉⁣
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You may be thinking “yeah but I’m just bad at it, I can’t meditate.” Listen, that’s what this client thought too! But NO ONE is ‘bad’ at meditating. Promise. ⁣I have TONS of tools in my program to help guide you.⁣ ✨⁣
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It is honestly impossible to really change your mindset without some form of meditation. It ALL starts with your mind. That’s the missing link in the majority of autoimmune programs out there! ⁣
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I pour my heart & soul into my Connect Within program because I get to see these beautiful changes in my clients’ quality of life. THEY are why I do what I do. I never had someone to guide me through my autoimmune journey and I love knowing that I get to be that person for my clients. 💖⁣
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06/13/2021

We literally manifested each other into our lives…⁣
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For those of you who don’t know, Erika is my podcast co-host. 🎙 & We met right here on IG. She lives in SoCal; we met virtually right after I moved away from LA (ironic that it happened AFTER I left, right? 😅). ⁣
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We did one IG Live together and immediately talked on the phone after, saying “we could totally have a podcast!” We had both been wanting to dive into the podcast space for a long time but had no idea where to start. So we WENT FOR IT & teamed up to start brainstorming that very week! ⁣
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[side note/more proof that people align in your life when they’re supposed to: I was introduced to that same week and he helped us with production to get our podcast up and running! He literally taught us everything we know about podcasting and I wouldn’t have met him if he wasn’t at the wine bar the same day I was back in November! ] ⁣
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We started with a hope of reaching people who feel lost/lonely and to talk about real life topics that most people in the autoimmune community avoid. And just 6 months after launching, we have over 6,000 downloads and we are growing every day!!! To say we are humbled & grateful is a huge understatement…we are BLOWN AWAY. 💖⁣
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Erika has quickly become one of my close friends and we have formed such a strong bond because our journeys with RA are very similar, we are both health coaches, and have the same values and lifestyle. ⁣
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She came here to visit me in Portland this weekend and although we spend hours each week on Zoom (recording/editing episodes, laughing until we cry, making fun of ourselves 🤣), this was our first time meeting in real life! ⁣
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It was so surreal to have her here in PERSON when we are so used to seeing each other through a screen for the past 8 months! We didn’t miss a beat - so many deep connected conversations, laughing, cooking, grooving, hiking, exploring, eating (like, constantly 😆) and alllll the fun. ⁣
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I am forever grateful that she came into my life and this is just the beginning of our impact on the autoimmune community! We are calling it now - BIG THINGS are on the horizon! ✨

06/12/2021

Heyyy fam!⁣
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It’s crazy that it’s been so long since I posted on my feed! I hope you’ve been following along on my stories the last couple weeks because I have still been sharing there daily. ☺️⁣
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There is a whole lot going on in my world right now so I wanted to share a bit..⁣
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👏🏽 Things I’m excited about:⁣
• Teaching in-person circuit fitness classes next month! (Details TBA) 🤸🏻‍♀️ ⁣
• My newest round of clients going through my 12-week autoimmune coaching program⁣
• Finishing up my NASM nutrition coaching certification⁣
• My support group growing every month! ⁣
• Summer in Portland 😎 (EVERYONE tells me ‘just wait til summer it’s beautiful!’ I got a taste of it for a couple weeks and I’m SOLD. Bring on the adventures!)⁣
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🙏🏽 Things I’m grateful for:⁣
• Our podcast reaching THOUSANDS of people every month! ⁣
• Lots of friends coming to Portland to visit me (quality time is my love language 🥰) ⁣
• How my mindset has evolved over the years; I handle stress SO much more gracefully now. ⁣
• Living a life of passion, purpose, love, and fun. 💖⁣
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👉🏽 Things to look out for: ⁣
• Brand spankin’ new podcast episode releases on Wednesday! ⁣
• Enrollment for the next round of my autoimmune program opens later this month. ⁣
• My next cookbook ‘Fresh Take’ releases later this year. (100% plant-based & gluten-free COMFORT FOOD 😋)⁣
• New wellness-focused articles featured in and ⁣
• Virtual wellness workshop collaborations with some of my dear friends.⁣
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Life was knocking me down quite a bit for a while there but through it all, I have my health, my mindset, and an incredible community. Healing isn’t linear…all we can do is keep moving forward with hope and find joy along the way. I focus on what I CAN control and come at every day with a grateful heart & humble mind. ⁣
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Thanks for being along on this journey with me. Remember, we are in this together and you are never alone! ✨

06/03/2021

Some days, I wonder what it would feel like to wake up without any degree of discomfort. ⁣
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Some days, I fear that people judge because I ‘look’ like I should be able to do things but I don’t because I’m scared of causing a flare up.⁣
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Some days, I wish I could just eat any meal I want without having to overthink if it will end up hurting my body.⁣
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Some days, I wonder what my life would look like if I didn’t deal with these daily challenges and self-limiting thoughts.⁣
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✋🏽 BUT… (you know I gotta bring in the positive here 🙃)⁣
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MOST days, I wake up full of life, grateful for this journey and proud of who I am. I am reminded every day of my power, resilience, strength, and purpose. I wake up every day knowing that if this was my last, that would be okay. ⁣
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Because I live every day as ME. I do not allow my diagnosis to define me. I harness the joy and love that is forever flowing through the universe and use it to spark my life force, my higher self, my peace. ✨⁣
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It’s a really special thing and I want you to be in this flow with me too... 💖

05/02/2021

Normalize checking in on your strong friends. 🌈⁣
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It is easy to assume that because someone carries stress well, they’re fine. But depression, anxiety, overwhelm, etc. look different on everyone; sometimes those who *look* fine need just as much support. ⁣
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It’s really hard to get out of low vibe mental cycles without proper support in place. Sometimes, we need someone to just check in and genuinely ask “How are you?” and be ready to actively listen. ⁣
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A good friend of mine said to me the other day “I am so proud of you. You are probably my strongest friend.” Those simple words (along with so many other amazing friends reaching out) helped me to step back into my power after days of depression. Those little reminders of our innate strength make all the difference in healing. ⁣
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📲 Let’s collectively create a flow of supportive energy: 𝗧𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝗻. ⁣
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And also, if you are the strong friend, don’t be afraid to ask for support! Go on a walk with a friend, talk to a family member you trust, or seek out a therapist. There is no shame in admitting that you need an extra boost; it doesn’t make you any less strong. 💖⁣
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& please know, I am ALWAYS here for you if you need a friend to listen. My inbox is a safe, judgement-free zone. Mental health is a vital part of true wellness. Take care of yourself. 🌞

04/19/2021

It all happened so quickly...⁣
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One day I was out hiking and the next, I was getting 200cc’s of fluid drained out of each knee. ⁣
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My joints swelled to twice their size and were numb, stiff and tender. ⁣
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I was 23 years old and felt like life as I knew it was suddenly ripped out from under me. ⁣
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It took 4 doctors and lots of tests before I was diagnosed. ⁣
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My body couldn’t handle physical therapy on land so I had to do exercises in a pool. ⁣
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I was on 3 medications; 2 of which I was told I’d be on long term to manage RA. ⁣
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I was scared to shower because I couldn’t stand for long and had a hard time lifting my legs over the tub. ⁣
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I was living off credit cards for 2 months because I couldn’t work. ⁣
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👀 But although I often felt hopeless and alone, I still did anything I could to take control of the situation. ⁣
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I stayed independent in daily tasks, even if it took longer. I committed to a home workout program so I could get stronger, even though I had to modify almost every move. I learned about all things holistic autoimmune healing, even though it was overwhelming.⁣
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I have so much gratitude in my heart for the person I was when I was diagnosed because I never gave up. I questioned doctors, did my own research, kept my mind positive, and created intention behind every step of my journey. I knew that in order to thrive, I had to commit to my healing. I made a decision to make long term lifestyle changes, step by step. 🏃🏻‍♀️⁣
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When I think back, I am reminded of how hard I worked to get to where I am today. Because I committed to my intention & goal, I can now do things that I thought I’d never be able to do again and I am the healthiest I’ve ever been. ⁣
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My journey over the last four years is what inspired my brand new 12-week Connect Within autoimmune program. I am so humbled to be able to pay it forward. Clients enrolled in my program get to adopt my principles and strategies to their own lives to create their happiest, healthiest lives! 🎊 This month’s enrollment is full but set up a consult call for next month through the link in my bio! 🤙🏽