Connecting the Thoughts Podcast

Healing the Spine & Spirit: A Journey with Anna Allen

• Megan Canell RN, NC-BC • Season 1 • Episode 9

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In this episode of Connecting the Thoughts, host Megan, RN, sits down with Anna Allen, founder of Body Mind Spirit Connected. Anna shares her powerful story of navigating a challenging divorce while raising three young children, and how the physical "breaking" of her back—three herniated discs—became a catalyst for a deep, natural healing journey. 

We dive into:

  • The Emotional-Physical Connection: How a lack of emotional support manifested as spinal issues. 
  • Natural Healing Modalities: Anna’s experience with acupuncture, the Eden Energy Method, and intuitive massage. 
  • The Power of "Health Work": Why listening to your body and taking care of yourself is the best advertisement for your business and life. 
  • Leading by Example: How choosing self-care teaches our children to do the same. 

Connect with Anna Allen:


Episode Chapters

  • 01:15 – Meet Anna Allen: What is "Body, Mind, Spirit"?  
  • 02:15 – The Breaking Point: Divorce, Herniated Discs, and No Insurance  
  • 04:30 – Starting a Business with "Not a Penny to My Name"  
  • 07:00 – Finding the Eden Energy Method & Natural Healing  
  • 10:42 – Intuitive Massage: "My Hands Just Know What to Do"  
  • 13:00 – Educating Clients: Looking Beyond Physical Symptoms  
  • 15:00 – Understanding Auras and Distance Healing  
  • 17:11 – Eastern Modalities & Clearing Energy Blockages  
  • 21:27 – The Spine as Support: Connecting Emotions to Physical Pain  
  • 24:00 – Finding Strength in Vulnerability and Humility  
  • 28:17 – The Miracle of Working Without Pain  
  • 32:39 – Lessons for Mothers: Choosing Yourself to Teach Your Children  
  • 37:16 – Diversifying a Purpose-Driven Business  
  • 39:23 – Overcoming "Head Chatter" and Negative Self-Talk 
  •  39:23 – Overcoming "Head Chatter" and Negative Self-Talk 
  •  41:43 – Lessons from the "Dark Night of the Soul": Finding Joy in the Struggle 
  •  43:00 – Keeping Your Own Cup Full: How Caregivers Give Their Power Away 
  • 44:09 – Finding and Losing True Love: Processing Grief and Ongoing Connection 
  •  45:30 – Facing Stage 3 Colon Cancer: Listening to the Body When There Are No Signs 
  •  47:00 – Post-Surgery Recovery: Using Light Therapy and Natural Healing to Return to Work
  •   49:00 – Understanding Boundaries: Learning What You Can and Cannot Give
  •   51:07 – Practical Techniques: Using Facial Points to Affect the Full Body 
  •  54:00 – The "Board Meeting" With Yourself: Looking at Business from a Leadership Aspect 
  •  56:15 – Celebrating 30+ Years in Business: Retirement vs. Staying on Purpose 
  •  58:00 – Creative Outlets: The Healing Power of Quilting, Gardening, and Fresh Herbs 
  •  01:00:30 – The Importance of Grounding: Why We Need to Feel Supported 
  •  01:03:00 – Final Thoughts: Choosing What Lights You Up and Finding Peace 
SPEAKER_01

Okay, perfect. This is Connecting the Thoughts, a place where women in health and leadership come to reconnect to their body, their truth, and their story. I'm your host, Megan, RN, somatic conditioning coach and founder of Rhythm Wellness. This podcast is a place to explore the stories behind strong women, the stressors they've carried, the pivots they've made, the ways their bodies have spoken to them, and the somatic practices that have brought them back into rhythm again. Today, I am joined by Anna Allen. She is the founder of Body Mind Spirit Connected. Welcome. Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_00

It's a pleasure to be here.

SPEAKER_01

Yes, thank you for being here. I'm so excited for this conversation today. We're gonna dive into a lot of different things. But first, what I would love to dive into is let's tell the audience a little bit more for those that don't understand. What is body mind spirit to you?

SPEAKER_00

Body, mind, spirit to me is learning to listen to what's going on inside of me, but realizing in order to heal, you have to address all different areas. I went through my own healing journey, is how I discovered that and came up with the name of my business through that journey.

SPEAKER_01

That's beautiful. It's such a perfect name. So it resonated a lot with you, and it has so much meaning in you creating this practice that you have so beautifully established here. How long have you had Body Mind Spirit for?

SPEAKER_00

I have um been in business for, well, actually the both ends of it. I actually opened up my practice in um 1994 with um aesthetics by Anna. Uh started out with um just doing facials. And then I added massage to it, and that's when I changed the name to Body, Mind, Spirit, because at that transition point I also had gone through my own healing journey many years ago.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, that's beautiful. Thank you for sharing that. I want to know a little bit more about when you say healing journey, whatever you would like to share, right? What were some things that you were dealing with in healing from?

SPEAKER_00

Well, I had at that time had just gone through a divorce. I had three young kids, and my back decided to to break when I say that. I actually ended up with three herniated discs. I could barely walk, and um at that time was basically alone. I had no health insurance, and I was like, okay, how am I gonna get through this? But God is always so good. He had given me a life coach just the week before all this happened. So I had that set up, and I was like, when I first got the life coach, I was like going, not really sure because I know I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing, but you know, what is this gonna well? I soon found out she kept me focused through this healing journey because it would have been very easy to lose focus and lose everything that I had worked for.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. So when you hired her, what were some things that you were like, if you can think back, you know, to this time, what were some things you were experiencing in your body that you were kind of like, okay, I need to reach out to someone. What were some of those things that were coming up for you, if you remember?

SPEAKER_00

Not so much in my body at that time. I actually thought life was going pretty good. I had just completed my divorce and I was like, Well, this is a good thing. I had gone through massage school, so I knew I was gonna add that to it, and I thought things were going pretty good. It was amazing because the divorce was really hard, and I was like, Okay, how am I gonna I do remember thinking about how am I gonna support these kids because at that time I basically started my business without a penny to my name. I worked like six part-time jobs, earning enough money to be able to put my business together and and support it while I was working. And at that time, I think I was barely making a hundred dollars a week. And I'm like, okay, when I started the divorce, it was like, okay, I know I'm not gonna be getting any money here. How am I gonna get through this? But I did. It was amazing, it was amazing how things happened. I could see God's hand in supporting me through this. He may not like divorce, but evidently I was on the right path because I did see his hand supporting me through all the challenges that I went through. And it wasn't until that was in '97. And 98 was when my back went out. So I had about a year going through that. Every the divorce was final in '97. And then in '98, I just actually what had happened was I actually prayed and asked God to line my life up with his will and not necessarily mine. And watched my life go through a lot of changes. I was doing a lot of good things, but I realized through that journey that just because it's a good thing to do doesn't mean it's what God wants you to do. So I had to learn to ask. I had at that time, I was like, when I was going through the healing part of it, I was like, okay, severe back pain. I used to, at one point, I used to say, having three kids was easy compared to this back issue. It was very, very painful. And it was a three and a half year process of healing naturally. But I looked at it in the sense of, okay, if I had surgery, I'd still have to do all the things I gotta do if I don't have surgery. And since I don't have insurance, why not just do what I need to do to heal? Is what I was thinking. And then I learned about Eden Energy Method at that time. Actually, I think it was called Eden Energy Medicine at that time. They've now changed it to Eden Energy Method. And so I started doing movements that would help and was blessed with a coat or someone that was willing to work with me exercise-wise, because even though the doctors suggested that I not do anything, my body kept telling me I needed to exercise. And when I say exercise, no, I wasn't out running and doing that, but I was stretching and moving that, and that was so helpful through the healing journey, which is one of the things that I learned from this is to help people on that natural healing journey. And so have brought that into my current practice because there's a lot of things that nobody talks about. And I'm like, So I started on the healing journey, stretching, and as I was doing things, I did some natural things like I did acupuncture and chiropractic, and then my own exercise stretching. I knew to listen to my body. Okay, if it hurts, don't do it. Simple rule here, and but my body wanted more. So as I was going through the healing journey, there were times the pain would get even worse. And what I learned, I was like, am I making myself worse by all the things? But then I go, No, what are you doing? You're working on things to help you heal. And I learned it was like a three-day thing. When it got worse, if it lasted longer than three days, I knew I needed to do something more, but it never did. Every time through that, each day of the three days, it would get better and better. And so because I was stretching, what I learned was, oh wow, I could barely get to my knees, and now I can reach my knees. And so I'm like, my body's healing. So I didn't realize that at first and didn't have anybody to guide me through it. So I was like, wow, that's really interesting to know. And learned a lot about what's going on in my head. Um acupuncture. It's like, okay, I hear all this stuff going on in my head. Um, I learned how to meditate through this in order to focus on helping the pain heal. So and since then I've learned many different types of meditation, but and still to this day continue meditation. Realize that when I worked, I actually meditate. Didn't know that. Uh I go into this trance, it's kind of neat because I don't talk a lot, but I can talk while I'm, you know, and I'm like, but it's a way when I work, I actually connect with the body and really feel what's going on. Learned I was an empath back then. And I was like, and as I healed and didn't have any pain when I worked on people, I go, Well, gee, that's interesting. I didn't have that pain coming in here. And eventually I realized, oh, it was their pain. So the cool thing about it was, okay, then I'd work when the pain was gone in me. I'm like, oh, they're doing good. Okay, I move on.

SPEAKER_01

Good way to work. Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_00

I've added that to, I mean, so when I when I work, I always tell people I don't work alone. God works with me and guides me to what I need to do. And it's so interesting. It's like not a thought. My hands just know what to do. And sometimes I go to different parts and I have no idea why. And people always respond with, How'd you know that's where I was hurting? I'm like, Well, I didn't, but my hands do. They're amazing.

SPEAKER_01

They are amazing.

SPEAKER_00

It's hard to believe that they they know what to do, but they do.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, they do. We're so fascinating. The human body, I always say this. It's so cool, isn't it? And it's they know what to do because you are innately listening to your body, right? Like you're listening to yourself.

SPEAKER_00

Right. And so it's like sometimes I mean it it's not I have what I call more knowings. It's not I don't hear a voice in my head, oh, you should go here, you should do that. It's just no, yeah, I just kind of go where my hands lead me. It always seems to work. And there's times when I do techniques that I don't think I've ever learned. And then I'll be working on them and and they'll go, and the client will usually tell me something that it's like, oh, that was exactly what they needed. That's pretty cool.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, it's so cool. I love you sharing this because very similar and same same, and like your experiences have helped you to tune in to listen to what they need. So like you connect dot right here, connect dots, right? Like you connect dots. Exactly.

SPEAKER_00

And so a lot of times it's a you know, especially when I have a new client, it's like I try to get them to talk to me about it. You know, what's going on? What's and and I'm like, I really don't want to hear what doctors have told you. I want to hear from your perspective what's going on. And it's amazing how that gives me so many clues as to what I need to do and how I need to work on them.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, you get the full picture, you listen to their story and what's actually going on with them, right? Because we go to the doctors and we're just focused on those physical attributes, right? Physical symptoms.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, the symptoms, and it's not always the symptoms. I yeah, I keep charts up in my office to educate people.

SPEAKER_01

There's a lot of those charts, you have a lot of good ones in there, yes I do.

SPEAKER_00

Because it's like so many times it's like, oh, my back hurts, and I'm working on their front of their body, and they're like, but my back hurts. I'm like, I know, watch this. And I and I then I show them because I have the charts there. I go, these points in front of your body actually affect the back of your body. And I mean, and that's one of the things I like about um the Eastern methods, and I work a lot with the meridians, the chakras, the aura, a lot of it. And I it's like it's not that I see people go, do you see auras? And I'm like, not necessarily, but I can sense things. And then I've also because I actually did go through the full Eden Energy Method certification program, which was a two-year program that was amazing. I mean, you learn so many things about the energy around a person's body and how it affects their their I mean, even when we did uh when we had the coronavirus, when that was a time it was amazing to a lot of the people that I learned from, I learned how to do distance healing during that time. And uh one of the things that she was saying was the aura is where a lot of it, you know, and just helping to teach people how to strengthen their aura, especially if you're dealing with immune systems, because the aura is actually like the energy, like our skin, but it's the energy around our full body. And interesting enough, I always thought it actually extends out if you put arm to arm. It's like that's the space where they tell you to keep your distance. It's because you're in people's aura. And so when I'm actually doing massage, which they have done with curlin photography, I believe is what it's called. You can actually see where the massage therapist and the client their energies merge. Yes, it's pretty cool.

SPEAKER_01

It's so fascinating, isn't it? Like we are so cool, we're such cool human beings. And to be able to do this work is something so grateful for. I know you're so grateful to be able to do it. I love it.

SPEAKER_00

It's like I've been doing it now for over 30 years, and just I mean, it gives me purpose to get up and come to work.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

I go the great thing about it, I don't care how bad your day is, you're always glad to see me. Yeah. Because you know you'll feel better when you leave, no matter, you know, no matter what. And and of course, I did use massage for my own healing purpose too. Yeah, well, that means and that, you know, I want to know more about that for sure.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I am like, tell me how you kind of got into like you learned about the meridian lines and all of these different facets of the work that you do, but what were you kind of like before you got into it? What opened your eye to it and how did you kind of experiment with it yourself, right? Like it doesn't have to be cookie cutter, everyone learns in their own way. So, what were some of your experiences working with it for yourself that gave you the ability to apply it to others, right?

SPEAKER_00

So actually, when I was in massage school, I took Eastern modalities, so that introduced me to a lot of the meridians and the acupuncture points. And I had an acupuncture teacher um at that time, he was wonderful and taught me a lot. He was a dear friend too, but he's passed on.

SPEAKER_01

Uh oh, yeah, of course.

SPEAKER_00

But I always think of him watching out over me.

SPEAKER_01

Absolutely. Right now in this, yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_00

And um so he taught me a lot, so I learned I took extra hours in that when I first got out of school, and then when my back went out, like a year and a half later, um, I was introduced to a process called um East M at that time. I think now it's actually called the dolphin, but it's uh like electrical stimulation on acupuncture points. And I basically have different protocols that I can't diagnose anything, but I can treat a lot of things and help them to because the body does the healing. I don't do the healing, all I do is clear the blockage, and that's basically the main thing that I learned is learning to see where the blockages were through muscle testing, and there's different ways to test the different energy patterns in our body, which I think is so cool. Because our body tells us so much, and I mean, even down to what you should eat, or you can ask your body. Do we always want to ask our body? No, because maybe we want that ice cream.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, right, exactly.

SPEAKER_00

But but if we did ask, our body would tell us whether it's good for us or not, and whether it's giving us the nutrition, including water. Not all water is great for us.

SPEAKER_01

I owe so I'm such a big preacher on water, but I also say there's a limit to like what your threshold to have water is, right? And it doesn't mean that every water is good for your body, it doesn't mean that everyone needs the same, but it is in its own essence. And so to be able to do this work again is just it's cool to even make those connections, right? Like listening, learning to listen, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Learning to educate, educate my clients is one of the biggest things. Um, I call it homework, but I guess I should call it health work.

SPEAKER_01

Health work.

SPEAKER_00

It is health work, also instead of homework, but yeah, um because it's like who can c afford to come get a massage every day other than maybe, you know, a billionaire or something. Yeah, right. You know, and and I always tell people, and I don't want to work every day. I mean, I like the work that I do, but I need some time off. I have to keep my own body in that healing state. Of course, which most people don't know how to even shut down to heal.

SPEAKER_01

Yes, the power of the paws is what I very much say. Yeah, power of the paws. Because integration, that's where I wanted to bring this to is like they wouldn't want to get a massage every day, anyways, right? Because all the stuff that you just brought up in the session, yes, you're doing healing, but now that's circulating, right? They have to naturally get rid of that through these habits that they have in their daily life.

SPEAKER_00

I mean, I've had people come to me and go, I love the work when you do it, but I ended up feeling like I had the flu afterwards. Yeah. And I'm like, oh, you didn't drink enough water. The aftercamin. And they and they don't, yeah. If you don't drink that water and flush it out, and it's like, even if you feel like you're healthy, I mean, I've gone and gotten massage, which I do. If I teach it, I do it. And think, oh man, I feel fabulous today. And go in there and go, oh, well, I wasn't aware of that ache and pain there. And I wasn't aware, you know, our body tells us so much. And even when we feel great, there are other things going on. And and then and then our emotional being plays a lot into it too.

SPEAKER_01

It does. And this is a perfect point that I do want you to touch on and your experiences, you know, you went through a divorce and then you're back, you had all these issues with your spine afterwards. What were some of the things that you were learning about yourself in just that period of time, right? And what were some of the, I know you did a little bit of like your own stretching and stuff, but I want to dive a little bit deeper into like, you know, where that realization happened and how you kind of started to just like educate yourself, right? Like how you started to look into what I can do for my body and apply it.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. Well, let's start out with the emotional aspect. At that time, I had gone through the divorce, had three kids. I did not go through a divorce because I had somebody else there. I just I it wasn't a time I felt what I learned from that was I deserved to be treated lovingly and caringly. And that wasn't the experience I was getting in that relationship. And so through that process, I also, once I was divorced, I was like, I didn't feel the support. Well, what's our support? Our spine. And so I felt very unsupported, broken, and that's exactly what happened. And so Louise Hay is a book that is amazing. It tells you a lot about what your body is telling you through different illnesses and diseases and how to shift your mindset into a more positive aspect. Again, I had three kids. I was motherfucking. I think under the age of 10, I think. Because I had twin girls and a boy. Yeah. And so I had a few years where it was like, okay, work, home balance, taking care of them, and undoing a lot of what I call negative impact that they had from being in a in an unhealthy relationship. So my commitment was to raising my kids at that time and in doing that. Fortunately, I did divorce my husband, but his family still loved me. And we're very helpful.

SPEAKER_01

That's good. No, that's pretty cool.

SPEAKER_00

So my mother-in-law would still come over and help me with the kids. That's beautiful. That's great. Yeah. It was, it was at least a good thing. And so that I had someone to watch the kids so I could get to work and do the work after that.

SPEAKER_01

Absolutely. Um, but even speaking on that, that's still like, even though you're they love you and there's still a connection with them, right? That's still something a little challenging to work through, also, as you're divorced and you're already almost like you want to move on, right? Like you're trying to move past that poor of your part of your life, but there's still attachments there because of your children, right? And now it's like his mom is the one that, you know, is supporting you, which is wonderful. You're so grateful. Grateful for that, I can imagine. Right. But that's the thing.

SPEAKER_00

At that time I didn't understand that, you know. And, you know, she was willing to help out and just you know, but also I didn't feel that support. I had to learn what that meant. And I learned that even at that time, it was a big spiritual journey for me. And I learned a lot of things that way. Learned to be humble at one point. I couldn't pay my bills. I had the money in the account, but I literally couldn't write out the check because I was in so much pain. And I actually ended up calling my ex-husband over to come over and help out. That was a very humbling point. Yeah, that's huge. I mean, there were a lot of spiritual aspects that I learned from it. But as far as, you know, the healing process again, um, at that point, I actually would literally go to work, amazed. This is how I found out that I was meditating. I'm like, how can I work and not be in pain? So when I was actually physically doing the massage, I wasn't in pain. It was like the client would leave and then it was like, okay, I broke right back down. Sometimes it would take me, I'm not really good with distances, but here out to the parking lot to where my car was, it would take me 30 minutes just to walk there, and it wasn't all that far.

SPEAKER_01

I trust, I do definitely get what you're saying.

SPEAKER_00

Because I was in so much pain. And I would get home and then I would go directly to bed and I would just talk my kids through fixing dinner or whatever else they had to do to get ready. I mean, I used to be a mom that got up and got them all ready for school. I couldn't even do that. I slept as much as possible, was thankful for the clients that I had that stuck with me, that didn't realize what really what kind of pain I was in. And I attribute that to God because I needed the income in order to support the kids. And so but it all ended up working out.

SPEAKER_01

I'm so grateful that it did for you.

SPEAKER_00

And you know, and I had that coach that kept me focused on what is it that you need to do. I had to focus on healing.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

And it was amazing as I healed, my business grew, and you know, and so sometimes and sometimes I remind myself of that. Focus on what you need to do to take care of you. And the business comes in.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

And it's the the best advertisement I can do is taking care of me.

SPEAKER_01

It is. It's like the thought of filling your cup, right? If you can give to others when your cup is full. And I love, I do want to touch a little bit about your clients, just coming back to your story here, is how that was the one moment that you were in pain. And it's like, even though you were doing the physical labor right, they in their own way were serving you on so many levels, right? Like, yes, they were supporting your income, but now that dives into like your survival mode of your family, right? Like how you're taking care of your family. And so that's a huge burden and weight, right? But when you show up there, you almost feel like a weight is kind of lifted off of you. So you kind of feel that relief of it a little bit in the moment, and you are able to connect with them. This is where everyone, we're all holding each other's hand here, right? And as we I hope that we are, and we should be supporting each other. And even though that's not necessarily didn't come in and there's you were providing the service, right? They innately were still providing a service. Right.

SPEAKER_00

They had to still come and you know, and get the service. And it was, I mean, to me, this was amazing. I don't think I missed more than five days of work where I literally had to call out, I couldn't get out of bed, I was in so much pain.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

But five days out of three years was not bad at all. No, that's like and healing naturally, other than over-the-counter medicines, I didn't have anything else to to get me through. And then as I was in the healing process, I also realized that the meds weren't even doing anything. So why am I taking it? So unfortunately, I had weaned myself off of caffeine and I didn't realize pills have caffeine in them. And so as I weaned myself off of that, realized that I had to wean myself back off of caffeine and get and work on that. So it's amazing what's in everything leading from one thing to another. I mean, I was blessed with having an MRI, so I actually knew what was going on with my body. Um, my acupuncturist was incredible. That was one of the times when I got that that I literally felt, because I had a herniated disc, I felt the disc actually shift back in place through one of his treatments. And in that process, it was like that was one of the days where it felt worse. And as I went through the, you know, okay, got better, and then I realized I had more movement and and through the whole thing and more range of motion and more range of motion. And so was really glad that I was at least stretching because then I could realize those things were going on as I was going through that healing process. Yeah. And and then realizing what is it was in my head, you know, what is it do I need to let go of? What is it that I need to actions that so in that process I learned about not only your thoughts, but your thoughts, your words, and your actions all have to line up in order to make sure you're on that right path.

SPEAKER_01

Alignment is something you definitely have touched on a lot here in feeling the shifts up, you know. We could even go back before you were divorced too, right? And like just noticing where something doesn't feel like it's in the right place for you and choosing yourself. I think that is something so huge that you're touching on without saying it innately, but like you do have to choose yourself. It's no different than filling your cup before you can give to someone else, right?

SPEAKER_00

Exactly. And I didn't know that at that time. That was a big lesson that I had to learn. And I try so hard to teach, especially young mothers with kids, please take care of yourself.

SPEAKER_01

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00

I know it's hard to take time out for that massage. It's hard to find those times. Yeah. Yeah. Because especially if you're a caregiver, which obviously I and you always seem to sacrifice yourself first. And so I've learned, okay, what are my basics that I have to do? Am I getting sleep? Am I drinking my water? Am I eating healthy? Yeah. Um, am I creating movement beyond what I'm doing for work? Because I gotta counter the work that I do in in in movement.

SPEAKER_01

It's huge, and I do, I love this because I also love talking about mothers. That's been a huge resonance for me as of lately, is leadership, right? But like mothers are also leaders to their children and like how they're guiding them to become the adults that we see out in the world now. And so, how do you feel like this journey? Your relationship with your kids, you still see your kids, right? And you yeah, like so. You guys are still in each other's lives, and it's still like, I don't know that necessarily a context. I hope good right now. That's how it comes off as yeah, it's all good. Um, but I can imagine there were times where that wasn't an easy decision either to choose yourself, right? And so, how did that dynamic kind of look while raising your kids? How did that impact your relationship with your children? Again, whatever you should choose to speak on, but like this is huge for moms. Let all the mothers listen to this.

SPEAKER_00

The most amazing thing that I learned from it was okay, if I took the time to exercise and stretch, they learn it too. They learn to take care of them. And I'm like, oh my gosh, why couldn't I see this and know this beforehand? You know, it's like how I would have done things differently.

SPEAKER_01

You were learning though. You're also human. That's I think something to remind yourself.

SPEAKER_00

I didn't have anybody here to guide me. I moved, I actually grew up in Delaware and then moved to Florida. Yeah. And so I didn't have any family here. Um to to watch over to help out and just support us. And even though I had the support of my mother-in-law and and father-in-law, they weren't, they were different. They were not, it wasn't, they were because it was their grandkids and they were happy that I wasn't one of those that pushed them away. Pushed them away. I was glad to have their help. And I'm like, just because I divorced your son didn't mean you should unlike my life. These are you're still your grandkids, and of course, and it's in the world.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, that's so powerful because again, these are choices that not everyone, you know, everyone has their own experience and everyone has their own life. And to make that decision, again, it's not that you didn't like them, but also as you're trying to heal and grow from something from your past with their son, right? Like that still is a place where you could have asked for some space for a little bit, right? You could have said, like, hey, I need to just be away from this, right? You know, because they did they raise him? Um I would imagine yes, right. So it's like though that's kind of stems down. And so that is a powerful place to be in. That right there, you were making decisions that were not easy. It might have seemed surface level easy, but in a deeper layer of your own healing, right? Did that kind of did it bring some more surface like things up that you kind of needed to go through?

SPEAKER_00

And you know, just and just trying to get them to help because they weren't they weren't parents or grand yeah, they weren't parents that wanted to take their grandkids all the time. Matter of fact, it was like I had to ask them to take their grandkids. And it wasn't because they weren't loving, but I guess everybody has their own lives and you know, and they don't think about it. And so it was that was an interesting process of going through that. But also it's like, you know, I'm in my own world too, as I'm thinking about healing and going through all this and and making major life changes and and like I said, it wasn't it wasn't a get well you know, snap. It took me three and a half years to go through that process.

SPEAKER_01

Right. And you were when you were going through this healing process, did you have your own massage business at this time? Or were you you had your own massage business that you were running? Yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_00

So I wasn't relying on somebody else. Yeah, it was my own massage practice. Okay. Which which I had started without actually with no money and just opportunities, praying about it, working at one point six different jobs to part-time jobs so that I could build up my practice and get more clients. And but I loved what I was doing. I knew I was working on purpose on what I was supposed to be doing in life. And I remember the first time because it was all done through prayer as I built and grow. And and although I do have some college education, I don't have a college degree. I never knew how I was gonna run a business. I just kept asking, okay, what do I do next? And what and it it was amazing how God helped me put it together.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Um He really helped me at one point create a very diversified business and which is needed in today today's world. I did some work and still do work for chiropractors, where I do 1099 work, subcontract. I have my own practice, and then I had different um different places where I went that created money. I used to work for an assistant living facility. And I loved working with the elders. Best days, because all the hugs you get from them, they need them as much as as I did. So it was wonderful.

SPEAKER_01

That's beautiful. I'm this entire like conversation, thank you for sharing all of this with me because everything has been so amazing. And just the way that you have shown up through all this time, and it does seem so positive how your energy is now. Do you feel like there was a time I want to talk a little bit about the head chatter? Because that is something I know many of us face. I myself has had to calm it down, right? And bring it back in a little bit and get out of that mindset that we're in, or whatever is talking to us. And a lot of time that is coming from experience, right? And so, do you think that there was anyone that doubted you while you were creating your massage business where you were noticing head chatter was coming up more? Or do you think more personal life that was where those experiences were starting?

SPEAKER_00

A little bit of both, and a a major shift happened in that in that healing process. But let's I'm gonna go back to that head chatter. I when my son was born, and like he's 36 now, so a long time ago. I started a Bible study, it was an international Bible study, and that was very powerful in helping me to move forward and go through all the things that I've gone through. I personally believe the Bible is a living Bible, and it teaches you different things on how to handle different situations. It's an amazing book. Um, and so you learn a lot from it in every aspect. And so through the healing process, I just lost where I was.

SPEAKER_01

Having your group kind of having the Bible study helped help through.

SPEAKER_00

So when I went through that healing process of those three years, the main thing was the head chatter, a lot of negative talk. I mean, but one of the things, even in building my business, people would say, Oh, you need to focus on your business and not on your family. I'm like, uh, my family's only here once. So that's not what God says. God says for me to take care of my family first. And so that's what I did. And I always had enough. It may not have been abundance, but I always had enough to take care of them. And even when I ended up financially on my own, my kids never things, opportunities happened, my kids never went without a meal. That was just so amazing to me. Where there were times it was iffy when I was in the relationship. So, you know, it's it's that was amazing to see that. But the head chatter, as I healed through that, one of the things that was amazing to me was they talk about when you die that you actually have like this life review. Well, I went through it alive. As my healing went through, I learned all that, learning how to get rid of I mean, uh clearing out all the negative head chatter.

SPEAKER_01

Limiting beliefs.

SPEAKER_00

And just I mean, it was amazing to just let go of it to where I really don't have them anymore. And it's like I'm like, okay, I know that's different because people are talking about it, but I'm like, it was like through that process, I I just got rid of it. I don't know how exactly, but I just a lot of letting go, learning to I mean, now it's like I dealt with depression, but one of my favorite things that that I learned through depression is is I literally embrace it and go, okay, I really feel like crap today. Yeah. And as I kept doing that, one of the things that I also learned was that God's getting ready to teach me something new. So every time I had that experience, I actually was joyful inside because I go, I'm gonna learn a new aspect of something today. There's a lot soon through that. And so every time it was like whether they say the the darkest hours, dark night of the soil, and then and then you know the light is on the other end and just keep looking for that light.

SPEAKER_01

It's a rising of a phoenix, right?

SPEAKER_00

And yes, yeah, and so that was exciting to me. And I still deal with it once in a while, very seldom anymore. But I watched it go from days to the more I embraced it, to where now, if I have the experience, a lot of times it doesn't last more than maybe a couple hours.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

And I can push it right through and and I see the new the new lesson in the deal.

SPEAKER_01

You see the lesson. I that's a very powerful way to say that because I've also same, same but different, right? My own experiences. But what resonated with me and you saying this is like you wake up again and again like that, you almost you don't want to feel like that anymore. Like you don't want to feel like that. And so what is in my power? Since because I kind of have given my power away, right? You know, like I'm not feeling like uh it's like where am I giving my power away?

SPEAKER_00

And as a caregiver, we do it. I mean, it could be to the dog, it could be it could be everywhere. You're giving it every person you touch and and an aid, you're giving away and learning how to keep your yourself filled, yeah, so that you have, because you can't give what you don't have. And and including, I mean, and I actually heard one of my daughters say this, which I loved it. She goes, I taught her that you have to learn to love yourself first before you can actually find true love out there. So the nice thing about it is, is now that I've learned to love myself, I actually get along great with my ex-husband because he is the father of my kids, and we do things together to support the kids. But also through that process, I have had the opportunity to to fall in love with somebody absolutely wonderful. I'm still single only because we actually got engaged and he passed away shortly after we got engaged before we got to got married. But I still feel him helping me and he made a big impact in my life.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, a huge impact in your life, and he is absolutely still here with you, absolutely still here with you, and all the better for these experiences too, right? Even though we can't see that in the moment and we never would wish for those things. Those are our biggest lessons and our biggest teachers, like you said, and man, the strength that you have and you know brought yourself to the trials that you have endured to get to where you are, not easy at all. Not easy at all.

SPEAKER_00

Nope. So now the kids are raised and and and that. And shortly after I lost my true love, yeah, I was diagnosed with colon cancer through regular health checkups. So I do encourage people to go get that health checkup.

SPEAKER_01

Absolutely, absolutely. Um I'm sorry about that also.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, so that's important because I didn't have any signs, even though I am pretty aware of my body and what's going on. Yeah, I didn't have any signs that would have told me that I had colon cancer. Yeah. So I still see the oncologist was so excited because I actually just got past that two and a half year mark, and now I only have to go get my checkup to make sure everything's good.

SPEAKER_01

To make sure it's all good.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, now you're healing naturally as well for this. I did well, I did have surgery for that. Which was good because it had actually already gone uh it was stage three something, something else. Um, but it had broken the colon lining. Okay. And um so but it came back out of 47 lymph nodes that they had pulled, only one came back showing any signs of cancer. And I chose not to do any chemotherapy. I used some natural methods that I knew were helping one is is a light therapy. Okay, yeah, no, please.

SPEAKER_01

I'm like, because this is healing, you know. This is and this also impacts your business that you were dealing with this now, having a business, you know. Like you've had a lot of major life things that have happened.

SPEAKER_00

So again, I mean, COVID caused me to lock down my business for for two months.

SPEAKER_02

Okay.

SPEAKER_00

And I remember going, okay, God, I can't wait to see how you get me through this one. And he did. And then then after that, I had the um the surgery. So again, I was out for about six weeks. Okay. And um actually I was supposed to be out for six weeks, but actually with the light therapy, it's patches that I use that actually caused my own body to heal itself. And um that actually I was able to be back after major surgery in three weeks, light work, but I still could do do some work and and felt good and came home from the hospital without ever taking any additional pain medicine. So I think that was only in there three days.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. Wow, that is a lot to go through for one. Colon cancer is it's a very scary thing if you get it. It's so it's just not I don't want to. Yeah, and I think it is serious, it's more serious as well.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, and I actually had a dear friend of mine that that died from it.

SPEAKER_01

So So to be able to heal from that from one, to go through that, and now you came back to work three weeks later, tell me I do want. To dive a little bit about this one like more key area that I want to touch on on this episode is boundaries and what you've learned through your experiences and how that showed up for you, even in your healing process and how you came back to work, right? Because you said you came back three weeks later, but it was light work, right? So you were upholding a boundary where I can't give fully of myself right now because I'm trying to heal myself, right? So tell me a little bit how that showed up in that season of your life and where that came from learning to have those boundaries.

SPEAKER_00

Well, the learning of to listen to my body and what I can do. I wasn't in any pain. And you know, and still going to the doctor and and I had um I mean their work has even gotten to be amazing. I mean, it was like robotic surgery instead of having, you know, a whole but I was able to they were able to reattach the colon and went in through my left side, even though all the things that they took out were on my right side of my body. I mean, I have like three little teeny skins. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

And and you know, I've worked in a lot of those surgeries. I'd be the nurse that goes back with you and is in the room. Yeah, I did a little while.

SPEAKER_00

So that was amazing to go through that and and then because I had never had surgery before, technically.

SPEAKER_01

So scary also to just even be fascinating because you're in this world and you're just curious.

SPEAKER_00

I had no limitations of you know, nobody would tell me how long it would take to heal. So I'm like, okay, well, I'm gonna heal fast because I gotta get back to work. And so, you know, but realizing, okay, I can't. I mean, my work is physically hard, so it's like, what can I do?

SPEAKER_01

And what are your abilities in the moment to do?

SPEAKER_00

And so, um, so I have some techniques where it's not as physically exerting. I have this wonderful machine called it a Vasier machine, which I basically can go down the back and all I have to do and you feel incredible because it actually works the full body because it's working on the nervous system all the way down the spine.

SPEAKER_02

Yes.

SPEAKER_00

And you get super relaxed and it it just it helps kick the body into a healing.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Every technique that I do actually works at uh helping the body to heal itself.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Um, that's one of the things what I you know, it's like, okay, when I'm setting boundaries, what do I I mean, because there's a lot of amazing things out there. So what is it that I that I pick and choose how? Um mentioned earlier I was also an aesthetician. So it's like, okay, when I get something or bring something new into my practice, it's like it's gotta meet two criteria. It's gotta be able to work in my facial business and my massage business. And so a lot of the machines and things that I do do work on both. And realized one of the last conventions that I went to, amazing, not realizing this myself, but we did like, okay, hopefully not too much information, but when I travel, my bowel movement don't move as well as they should. And I that's quite common to a lot of people, but I realized you can work these points around the mouth, and it actually helps you to go.

SPEAKER_01

This is crazy. I just watched a video on this last night. I was watching a video about where to massage and the because I'm always trying to learn, right? And I was watching someone where the manual points are to manipulate inside your cheek to really this is so crazy that you're talking about this right now.

SPEAKER_00

And so I just have like this one, and you do all these points around here, and then it's like and and it's not, it's not like you gotta get up and run out of the table, but it's stimulating. I mean it's about it. It worked out great because I was at a convention and I'm like, okay, I'm feeling pretty miserable. And by that afternoon, I was like, Life is good again. Yeah, you got that flow going again, you're feeling good. Yeah, but that's cool to see that and to be able to realize so realizing even what I do in my facial room can affect the body, and you know, yeah. And so a lot of times, you know, if depending on what's going on with a person, I make sure that I include facial points when I'm working their full body. They get a full body literally from head to toe.

SPEAKER_01

Head to toe. But that's what I was about to say is you're including the entire body. Like they both those areas do talk to each other, as you just said. You're talking about your face up here, but that's talking to your bowels, and you know, where you're about to go to the restroom. Exactly all communicating. And you have learned through your own body and the way your body communicates and so much of your own life experiences, right? On top of the education, right? But life experience impacts so much of what we learn. Like that's just a plot, you know, it's the application of it, the integration of it.

SPEAKER_00

And it does, yeah, it does impact because when you know something works, because you've done it yourself.

SPEAKER_01

Because you've actually, yes.

SPEAKER_00

You know, it's like, okay, I've had that experience. It does work.

SPEAKER_01

So yeah, the power in what you're saying in the message is so much almost clearer because you can hear, you know, you can feel that energy that someone has been through it and has actually like done it. And I also think this is so cool that you find modalities that work um simultaneously, right? You have a business here and you have a business there. And this is also for, you know, women in leadership and healthcare, right? So it's a little bit of both. And that's something as a leader that you do is you find what you like and what interests you, right? Because that is going to be where you're gonna retain all the most knowledge and information because it does light you up, it does excite you. You've applied it to yourself now, and now you're like, how do these things, how can I make one thing work for both things, right? And you have so many other this gives you almost more of a range of what you can do for clients because you're using that tool in different avenues of their life, right? Or different parts of their body if you're doing it.

SPEAKER_00

You do, and in leadership wise, I mean, one of the things I learned through through my coach was I actually I used to have a board meeting, and I used to go, and I had this paper that I created to ask myself certain questions and fill them out when I had this because the board meeting was with me, myself, and I. I didn't have somebody else there to it's like, what's going on? So I learned to ask interesting questions too, and it's like, well, what's working, what's not working, what's going on, how do I? I had to look at my business from a business aspect, not just the physical aspect of doing the work. Incorporating both of it is yeah. And and to hear my acupuncturist friend, he would, you know, and listen to somebody else talk about my business was like, Yeah, she goes, he described me as she has a thriving massage business. And I was like, I never thought about it that way. So we're always trying to do more, and yeah, yeah. And and keeping a look at it and and the way I looked at different things and and learning all those aspects.

SPEAKER_01

It's so and it's come to what it is now in 30. Is it 30 or 31 years? I'm like, I think I'm doing you a disservice in the 30s.

SPEAKER_00

Well, actually from originally starting my business was in ninety-four. So it's now what 36 or no, it'd be 31.

SPEAKER_01

I was like, I'm a 93 baby, so it's 30.

SPEAKER_00

Oh no. Okay. Then and then um I added massage in 96, so this is 22, so it's 30 years for that. Um to to add that to it. So yeah, this this year is my anniversary, and it's like, okay. Not to give away my age too much, but yeah, I'm able to retire as far as age-wise goes, but I'm like, I love getting up and doing this. I was about to say you're not done yet, are you? No, I I figure I got at least another good ten years in me, if not more. Absolutely, you do. Absolutely you do. So yeah, and I love getting up and and coming to work and doing this. I know. I have I have incorporated a few of my little hobby things that I enjoy doing. Yeah. Um, such as I like to quilt and sew. And I love gardening. Last year I took my my adventure into growing herbs.

SPEAKER_01

Cool.

SPEAKER_00

Which was wonderful. I mean, and they weren't, you know, too hard to grow either. I love those. Yeah, and cooking with fresh herbs is incredible. It's beautiful. Yeah, brings the dish to life. Worked great for my health and being able to use natural herbs to to cook with and 1,000 person.

SPEAKER_01

You got like a full, I again love that you're sharing this. I've always wanted a garden. I used to beg my mom to do like the huge vegetable gardens, but my neighbor had all of that. So I'm like, we got all of our vegetables from the neighbor. But I've always wanted to have a garden because exactly what you just said, we have the power to heal ourselves, right? And we do you cooked your, you know, you grew it first. You give it life, and then you're able to harvest it, right? You're able to cook your meal now for yourself. There are all ways that you're serving yourself, right? Like you're getting you, as much as you give it to your children, to your husband, whoever it is, right, in your life, you're also allowed to give that back to yourself. And it has served you in such a powerful, you know, it has. I love it so rewarding.

SPEAKER_00

So healthy for you, and it tastes so much better. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

The fresh. Oh, you can't even touch it, you can't even match it. I definitely thank you for the inspoke. I've definitely told my boyfriend, I'm like, I want a garden. I do. I'm like, when we're in uh, you know, a spoken.

SPEAKER_00

And the nice thing about herbs and stuff, I mean, I just grew them in pots. Yeah. So you can keep them in the house, and yeah, and especially here in Florida. It's a little different than being up north. I mean, it's like where we would not grow in the wintertime, we gotta grow it inside in the summertime here because our summer is so deadly.

SPEAKER_01

But it is so wonderful though to be able to do that right. And I like that you said quilting too. And I'm like, this and pot, I want to try pottery, but like art, creative. They're creative outlets that you get to express. And I think that's a huge, excuse me, huge piece of the healing journey also is to express that creativity because you're giving energy a place to move. That is something too, like energy get gets so stagnant. It wants to be free, it wants to move, right? We're in a vessel that contains it a little, but we got to move the energy within the vessel. And so to be able to have things like that, did you do that when you were going through your whole healing process with your back and everything?

SPEAKER_00

When my back was so bad, it was very limiting as to what I could do. All the things that I wished I could do, I couldn't do because I literally was in so much pain. But I have incorporated those things into my life now that I can move. I'm like, now that I have created all the time because I can't do anything else, I physically can't do the things I enjoy doing because I never took the time to enjoy them. So another lesson learned. Do it now. So do it while you I may not do as much as I would like to do, but I have committed to doing some of it every month.

SPEAKER_01

Showing up to your forer self. It doesn't have to be there's not a limit, there's not uh this much, there's no amount. So that's what I'm saying.

SPEAKER_00

Well, yeah, I might have a full garden that I eat up. Yeah, but right now I'm enjoying the herbs. And and every now and then I'll throw in a couple vegetables. Um, I love green peppers and and um I think I actually had some tomatoes last year. Um and and they taste so much better fresh.

SPEAKER_01

There's nothing like it. Absolutely. I miss that part about growing up where I'm from very much. Miss that the farmers' markets everywhere there are here, but it's still the same to any bit, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, but yeah, this is been learning the different seasons of how it's different here.

SPEAKER_01

And and I know that's something coming from yeah, from to a different state. You do have to learn all that stuff.

SPEAKER_00

I'm like, it really, but it's one of the what I reasons I'm gonna give it versus excuses is being grounded. Yeah. And that is plays a big part in the healing process. Yes, it does. And so getting out and being in that garden is actually important because it's what grounds you. So one of the keys is like you were talking about the head stuff. When that gets to be too much, it's like I'm not grounded. The other thing that I learned in the in the grounding process because when I realized in that healing process, that was one of the things that was going on. I didn't want to be here. It was too much. I felt, you know, didn't feel the support, didn't feel, so I had to learn to what is supporting? Okay, I have a chair, it has legs, it's supporting my sitting here. So this is, you know, and really working into learning what does support look like for me and being able to see that. And then as I've gone through one of the things, the amazing when I went through the calling cancer process, seeing the love that was shared with me was amazing. I didn't realize I had touched so many people's lives.

SPEAKER_01

I believe you did. Absolutely. I believe you did. I know that you did, but that is I always in nursing school that was one of my favorite rotations, and I ended up taking a travel assignment at a cancer institute for a year, and I went back to it actually because I did enjoy the facility so much. Nothing there like love is the answer at the end of the day. It is, it is absolutely the answer at the end of the day. That was one of my most fulfilling assignments, though, is because that is what brings me life, right? To be able to like lift some it's love, it's all love, you know, like and you just want the best things for people. And so no, they're never alone. Like we are here to connect, we are here to be here for each other, you know, and so so beautiful. This is fantastic.

SPEAKER_00

And then yeah, and that's what's so interesting. You know, it's like sometimes uh people that are people pleasers, it's like all people really want is for you to do what's best for you. And if when they really love you, that's all they really want. And you realizing that. I mean, a lot of it is your own journey, realizing what is it that fills you with that love and how you can, you know, just by being you and sharing that with the world. I know, isn't that wonderful?

SPEAKER_01

That's a great way to say that too, because I think so many people want to be like someone else or what they see, or what you know, it's like what lights you up, what brings you joy, what brings you fulfillment, what brings you peace and that grounding, you know, what makes you feel like you want to get up and enjoy this day today. That is the life to live. And you have done such a beautiful, just your journey is so amazing seeing all of this and listening to all of this. You are a wonderful, wonderful, excuse me, person to know. Oh, thank you. Yeah, and I've loved I've loved this conversation. I've loved every second of it. I'm like, I know that we're gonna have more conversations. I want you to come back on for sure. I would love that, and I'm sure our guests would love it as well. Where can they find you at? Where are you on social media? What would be like a good tag that they can find you on social media?

SPEAKER_00

Body, mind, spirit connected. I always tell people it's in alphabetical order, and it's literally all connected, like one word. Um, so I'm on YouTube and I'm getting ready to hopefully go live and do some healthy teachings on there. I have some little short ones on there for you to learn from and usually say make sure you watch them to the end, because I don't give you the technique till the end, even though even though they're short, short little videos, grounding and different activities that you do. Uh there's one that I love and I share with just about everybody because everybody deals with grief at some point. It's uh a five-minute video of movements that take you from grief to joy, and you would be amazed at how well you feel. It's free, it's on YouTube. You can go in there and watch that, subscribe as I bring you more.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

I'm also on Facebook and and Instagram.

SPEAKER_01

Fabulous.

SPEAKER_00

And then I have my location. Yes. Body mind spirit connected off of Armenia Avenue. Um so I do have a website that you can go into my website and check it out again, body, mind, spiritconnected.com. And to do that. And my phone number. Yeah, I'm like 215-5050, a really easy number to remember. I do suggest because I don't have someone that answers my phone, that you either text me a message and I will get back to you, or usually if you do call, I usually come back at the end of the day. But I also do I'm also the president of the massage association here in the Tampa Bay area. So I have four counties that I work with there and helping to educate and um new massage therapists coming into the practice and and do that. So wonderful. And then running meetings for the local association.

SPEAKER_01

Awesome, beautiful. I'm like I stay busy. Yes, you do. I'm like, girl, I know you do, and those hands stay busy too. Absolutely. Oh, and they love to touch people. So they're so so grateful for you. So grateful for this conversation. And we definitely am gonna tag you in all of these videos. I'm gonna share with everyone. And thank you for listening to this episode. If you would like to find the full version of this episode, besides on YouTube, you can find it on all platforms. And if you know someone or you are someone that resonates with this episode, you can find more conversations like this on Connecting the Thoughts. We'll see you next time.