Journeys Wellness Coaching

13/11/2025

Posts related to physical strength come through my feed multiple times a day. Typically these are focused on physical appearance guised as strength and often include advice on what to eat to get that lean look or that bulk, before and after pictures that may or may not be real. Rarely do I see genuine reflection on what strength is, the importance of strength training in overall health and healthy aging, or what it means and looks like to feel strong in our daily lives. As a professional coach and health/wellness advocate, I find these posts frustrating at best and potentially damaging at their worst.

Last week Brooke Silva had an opportunity to spend time harvesting squash on an Amish farm as part of local farm to pantry program. The woman in the pink dress standing next to me is a family member of the participating farm. As we neared the end of our harvesting, she picked up a large, sturdy box and held it as we each added our final picks. As I approached her, I noticed the box was already quite full and estimated it likely weighed around 60 pounds. As I added my arm full of squash, I remarked “you’re quite strong” to which she replied “I do this everyday.” I smiled and acknowledged that working the land requires and builds strength.

The next time you’re facing yet another post telling you what strength looks like or what you have to do to build it, think of this young woman, who has likely never set foot in a gym, used a protein powder or other supplements, and is quite unassuming in her physical appearance, and know there is no single definition, appearance, measure of, or path to achieving physical strength.

Note: this Amish woman joined the group for the picture without invitation. I can only speculate that the distance and the emphasis on community according to the norms of her ordnung allowed her to take part in the picture. Please be respectful of different norms when interacting with Amish people and don’t take their picture without permission.

29/09/2025

This morning I saw a post from an associate about how she had shared her growth story with a friend and what unfolded as a result. It reminded me of the importance of sharing our stories and the many ways it can benefit us and those in our lives. Often our growth stories begin from a point of pain or difficulty and in the process of healing or overcoming a challenge, we grow. Depending on the source of that pain or difficulty, we may feel embarrassed to share our stories, worried that others may judge us. But here’s the thing, when we share our growth stories, no matter the impetus, we continue our healing, strengthen our resilience, and shape our new narrative. And for others, our growth stories serve as a point of connection and community that have the power to inspire and empower others in their growth journeys.

13/09/2025

I recently joined the Polka Dot Powerhouse, a community of women committed to connection, collaboration, and celebration. During my first meeting, I shared how grateful I was to join this group, that I didn’t realize I was missing this in my life. As I’ve started to meet more women from this community, this sense of gratitude only deepens. In this community, there is an abundance mindset, the shared sense and belief that there is enough and what is for you will find it’s way if you’re open to it. These women are driven, successful, balanced. They are not perfect but they are at a stage in life, regardless of season of life, where they are no longer compromising. They are defining success on their terms and lifting each other up on the journey to achieving it.

The wellness wheel illustrates the many dimensions of life that contribute to healthy and wellness. For most of us, the wheel isn’t always well rounded. We seldom have energy to put into each of these dimensions equally, which is why it can be a helpful exercise to visualize what is being most neglected and how that might be contributed to health, wellness, and wellbeing.

The science says strong social connections are linked to increased lifespan, reduced disease risk, numerous mental health benefits and enhanced well-being. I hadn’t realized the degree to which I was not attending to this dimension of my health until I walked into the room for that first meeting in August.

What social connections do value most in your life? How do they fill your cup and fuel your happiness?

04/09/2025

As a coach and human on a journey to cultivate the best version of myself, l regularly consume content designed to inform, educate, motivate, and inspire. This podcast was recommended to me yesterday so I listened to it on my run this morning. I was unfamiliar with Lauren and her book, Shatterproof, so I went into the podcast cold, knowing only that it was about overcoming adversity and building resilience. It is about this and so much more…how our past shapes us but needn’t define us, how we define purpose and legacy, the role of affirmation, self and from others, the way to healing through acceptance and truth, and the role of faith, however one defines it.

Podcast Episode · It's a Good Life · 08/26/2025 · 44m

30/08/2025

Sometimes time out is needed. Time to step away from the daily, to be still, reflect, feed the soul and regain clarity. I’m so thankful I’ve not only recognized this need but have come to accept its value and to give myself this gift when I need it. I spent a couple of days at the Stone House hosted by The bobbi becker gallery and her beautiful co-host Murphy journaling, visioning, listening to the birds, soaking a beautiful vintage tub, and sitting in silence with my thoughts. I return restored.

People will often ask me how I could do it - leave my spouse, kids, work, commitments. Sometimes there is a true sense of wonderment. Sometimes there is even a hint of envy. When I first started taking these small personal sojourns, as I’ve come to call them, those questions always made me feel a little guilty, a little doubtful. Was I simply being selfish?

After years of practice, these doubts no longer creep in and when people express surprise or ask how I do it, I simply say it is one of the ways I care for myself in order for me to be the best version of myself. When I am cared for, I am a better spouse, mother, friend, collaborator, coach.

What ways do you take time out? How do you care for yourself?

27/08/2025

Two roads diverged in yellow wood…Robert Frost
On my way to a personal retreat yesterday, I stopped to do some hiking. I pushed past Boiling Springs, a well known spot for picking up the infamous AT as well as the lesser touted but equally invigorating Mason-Dixon Trail, and landed at the Mount Holly Marsh Preserve. In doing so, I found the quiet I was seeking. While the trail markers were well established througout, I found the trails suffered from want of wear, likely a result of being down the road from more prestigious trails. I breathed deeply, letting the sounds of nature wash over me and I felt my mind and body relax. I had a map of the preserve but no plan for which trails I would explore once I hiked into the preserve. After a mile or so, I was faced with my first decision, the red trail or the orange trail. I chose red. Both were well overgrown and I knew nothing about what might lie ahead. About a half mile in, I came across a spot where several old cars appeared to be laid to rest. Why were they here? How did they get here? How long ago were they deserted, left to deterioriate as nature reestablished her foothold? I couldn’t know the answers to these questions. I only knew that by choosing this road, as random as it seemed, brought me to this spot where I could wonder. Did I wonder what I missed by not choosing the orange trail? For a fleeting moment, yes. Then I realized it didn’t matter. I chose red and in that space and time it made all the difference. I snapped a photo of one of the dying cars, breathed deeply and moved on, eager to continue my hike and make my way to my countryside sojourn.
What unexpected roads have you taken? Where have they led you?

08/08/2025

Always grateful for the opportunity to support Lancaster Farmland Trust. Tonight we picked corn at a preserved farm to be distributed through a local food bank.

22/04/2025

No matter what the theme or how we choose to get involved, I find Earth Day to be a beautiful reminder of the positive impact time in nature has on our overall health. Just 15-20 minutes a day in the outdoors can significantly boost mood by lowering cortisol levels and increasing serotonin and dopamine, which regulate important functions like sleep, appetite, and digestion and create feelings of pleasure and motivation. As an added bonus the same amount of time in the midday sun a few times a week boosts vitamin D production. Thank you Mother Earth. May we care for you as deeply as you deserve today and every day.

02/04/2025

The physical and mental benefits of yoga are well documented. So grateful for this morning’s yoga practice with my favorite instructor.

01/04/2025

I had the perfect weekend.

If someone had asked me to describe my perfect weekend, I’m almost certain it would not resemble this past weekend. My imagined weekend would likely begin with time away from home, participating in some activity, exploring a new trail or city, seeing sights, or perhaps lounging by some body of water. In comparison, my actual weekend took me no further than five miles from my house.

In full transparency, I came into the weekend knowing it would be spent at home. After several full weeks and Spring having finally arrived, we agreed this weekend would be dedicated to outdoor projects, namely readying the backyard for the season. To be clear, I love spending time in our backyard and when we moved a year ago, it was my intention to install a couple of gardens but the season got away from us and this never really materialized. I was determined to not miss the window this year and while excited at the prospect of growing some vegetables and attracting more birds, bees, and butterflies to the yard, I very much viewed this as weekend work.

What then created the shift? How was it that a weekend dedicated to backyard projects became my perfect weekend?

It started with awareness and shifted into intentionality. My Friday night began like most Friday nights in our home, convening for aperitivo before dinner, our formal marker that the weekend has come. We enjoyed a drink, listened to some music, and caught each other up on the week’s activities. We hashed out what we wanted to accomplish in the backyard, enjoyed a simple dinner, had our evening stroll, and settled in for a movie.

Journaling that evening before bed, I found myself writing “it was a perfect evening.” Once on the page, I stared at the words, struck by my use of the word perfect. I make a real effort to be positive but perfect isn’t a common word in my vocabulary. Without question, the evening’s cocktail was exceptional, the meal was tasty, and we were excited to begin our backyard projects. We cuddled through the movie, lights turned low, and indulged with a warm chocolate chip cookie and a pot of tea. Even reading the description now, it sounds like a pretty good evening. But perfect?

That’s when it struck me. It wasn’t any one thing or even the combination of them. It was the feelings they evoked. Feelings of love, safety, partnership, gratitude, and deep contentment. I quickly came to realize I had unconsciously invited those feelings by being fully present; and, as this realization settled in, I decided I would consciously approach the remainder of the weekend with presence, intentionality, and wonder.

Saturday rolled around and we worked tirelessly in the backyard, mending fences, pointing the patio, and preparing the garden areas. While we worked, we took time to admire the early blooms and flowering trees and watch the birds ready their nest in the birdhouse we mounted last season. Later we sat in the backyard, admiring our handiwork and planning the next phase of our projects. That evening, following dinner with our son, we walked to a favorite nightlife spot and had a drink while playing some vintage arcade games. Another perfect day.
Sunday came and while it was less full, it was just as fulfilling, just as perfect.

The more I paused to savor moments in the present, even the small ones like holding hands with my husband while we walked, the more wonderful they became. By the end of the weekend, it was clear that having a perfect day (or weekend) isn’t about what you do, it’s about how you do it and the feelings that come from working with purpose, connecting with others, observing with wonder the natural beauty all around, and even letting your inner child out play. And the more I placed emphasis on being present, attentive, and open, the more perfect I perceived each day to be.

25/03/2025

I enjoy having intentional time set aside for physical activity. Whether it’s hitting the gym for strength training, the outdoors for a walk, run, or hike, or dropping in on yoga class, physical activity is an important part of my wellness practice. And while I’ve cultivated a strong sense of personal accountability for my workouts, I’ve recently found my motivation around strength training starting to wane. I simply wasn’t enjoying it.

For a few weeks I pushed through telling myself it would pass. That I needed to recommit, clarify my goals, set a new challenge for myself. Then last week “life happened”, as they say, and I was forced to take a break from my exercise routine for the week. Because it wasn’t my choice, my initial reaction was irritation at having my routine disrupted. Rather quickly, I found my irritation giving way to a sense of relief. I didn’t have to dig deep, find the willpower to get myself into the gym. I enjoyed some outdoor walks when I could fit them in and devoted more time to rest.

Feeling better physically and life back to typical ebbs and flows, I decided to get back to strength training. It felt good when I set the intention but this morning I still wasn’t feeling it. I searched for some willpower and found it just wasn’t there. I start running through the activities I could replace it with - a run, a long, brisk walk, perhaps some yoga - but none were quite right. I realized I wanted to strength train, I just didn’t feel like being on my own. As luck would have it, there was a group strength training class around the time I had already planned.

I don’t do a lot of group exercise outside of yoga/pilates but it turned out it was exactly what I needed. Twelve pound dumbbells were the heaviest weights I lifted but by the time the hour was up, I had hit every major muscle group, worked my core, and raised my heart rate. I left fatigued but energized.

24/03/2025

Discounted produce racks can help stretch your dollars. This produce came from such a rack and totaled $6.03.