Peaceful Bodies with Simone

My Journey to ever lasting peace….. and why I am more enlightened than you….

HAHAHAHA just kidding! But sometimes I feel like health gurus make us feel this way… or at least me!

A lot of people in the health world have cultivated these amazing images. Ones were they are never sick, have no body pain or fat and they seem to radiate opulence in all areas of their lives. The good new is they can show you the way to have this experience in yours…. If you follow them, join their classes, workshops or webinars and overall buy their products. A lot of these people I have followed, I have learned from. Their knowledge has helped me feel better in a multitude of ways. People who take the time to study, learn, and curate that knowledge should be paid for their work and expertise. The illusion of perfection and cultivation of superiority within the health realm is my concern.

I live in the health and wellness world, I have chose not to have children, so I have a lot of free time and my life can revolve around wellness and self care practices. Not everyone has this ability, and I want to recognize that. My goal is to meet people where they are, hear their knowledge about their bodies and their struggles and co-create with them in a supportive way so that they can feel empowered in their own health and wellness journeys, otherwise known as our daily lives. I offer online personal coaching, which I termed personal awareness coaching, because I want to support you finding and listening to your own inner knowing, while I offer supportive tools, a sounding board and reflection of key concepts that might come through. I choose to do this after I signed up for what they called a life a life coach. The coach would often question my ideas, as if I did not know my own life and they did. Sometimes they would just google things and say, have you tired this? What I did not need was another person not really listening or understanding my life, my career, my individual circumstances and then making half baked suggestions. I thought, I could do better for people. I know how to really listen, I have tools to help people align with their own inner knowledge of what would support them in thier lives. Help them achieve their own goals. To step out of the hierarchical structure of teacher and student and step into a linear structure of two equal people coming together and giving space to one of them to navigate a situation, a concern, a question and so on.

This hierarchical structure of teacher and student can be incredibly beneficial in some spaces. However, when it comes to health and learning we are all on this journey together, we all have inner knowledge that is right for our own bodies and spirits. Health and wellness is not one size fits all. If you find someone you enjoy to learn from, know that it’s all their point of view, their lived experience and sometimes what they practice may not fit for you. You have to trust yourself on what they are offering and what you would like to take and try and what you want to discard.

The other day I was listening to a podcast of a woman (who will be unnamed) who’s podcast centers around her life program. I have listened to them a lot and have truly enjoyed them. They have helped me find other resources in similar fields of energetic awareness and ability to connect with ones body. She can give great advice! It’s also pretty clear that she is continuously selling her classes and products, which tend to be in the more boutique price range… ok… for me the prices seemed a little high. But she has created a store and her offerings and set her prices at what she believes they are worth. And it is up to her consumers to decided if the prices are worth it for them. As someone who also sets prices for services I know it can be really hard to balance what you believe your time and energy is worth with accessibility. And sometimes it doesn’t align. This is why, on this web page I give free tools along with my paid services. I find a lot of people offer this as well. Including this woman, who gives free you tube videos and a weekly podcast.

Sometimes, people can also be a little out there… The other day I was listening to a podcast she had about what she does to “stay wild”. My inner monologue while listening to her went from, oh this is helpful, that’s a good idea… to well this is all privileged base, ok now she’s just out of touch from reality. Some of her later suggestions where to not live in cities, stare AT the sun (please don’t if you have cataracts), do not listen to the radio, live off grid for weeks at a time and so on. One, the level of control you would continually need over your life and circumstances to achieve her lifestyle was mind blowing. Two, she just seemed incredibly out of touch. Not everyone can live off grid, or wants to. Not everyone can live a nomadic life, or wants to. Some people want to work jobs, own a house, watch TV (another thing on her don’t list) and they should still be able to have health and wellness.

I think this is another problem in the health field, that is often pushed by people who have the privilege of leading alternative lifestyles, is the idea that in order to be healthy you must live in these extremes. I remember when I was working an office job I was watching this Ayurveda video on food and digestion, I was SO into it! Then the narrator said “after lunch take a two hour nap” and I just died laughing! And turned off the video. We live in a society that is often pre-structured for us and we are just trying to fit our health care routines in the free spaces. And that’s amazing, everyday you do even one thing for you, your body or your health, you are doing amazing.

In the book Atomic Habits, the author talked about 2 minutes a day is all it takes to start a new routine. Start small and often, and I could not agree with him more. If you are here looking to change your life, congratulations, you have already started. Seeking education and new knowledge is the first step to change. The second step to change is incorporating something you learned or want to try into your daily life. I suggest taking one thing, and try to incorporate it daily, whether it is a 2 minute mindfulness practice, journaling for 2 minutes a day, eating 1 extra serving of vegetables, or tracking your water intake. Do not get intimidated or compare your self to someone who’s job it is to be healthy or in shape. And if you find yourself, reading, listening or watching someone or something and it veers into the unimaginable, laugh, roll your eyes and find the small things there that resonate with you. And take those, dismiss the rest and know you’re doing it. Just like the rest of us.

Our lives are our own journeys, please enjoy and find health and wellness in beautiful accessible ways everyday.