With the season of love upon us, I felt compelled to share my own personal love story-a condensed version.

14 years ago I was sick, depressed, obese (close to 300 pounds), just relocated to Colorado from Indiana after a failed long-term relationship, and was starting a new life for myself. After a few years of living here, wanting to be slimmer, more healthy, have the ability to climb the mountains without huffing and puffing, and to heal my heart, I decided it was time to do *something* for myself, treat myself kindly, lose the weight, and look good!! I had also wanted to fall in love with a man who would really love me for me. But, what I didn’t realize at that time, was deep down inside, all I wanted was to receive love…and really, to love myself.

As the new year rung 2006, my resolution was to find *something* I could do for myself to lose the weight, and cure the Diabetes II I had been diagnosed with. I started practicing yoga, learning and practicing proper diet and nutrition, and began a regimen of acupuncture and qi gong.

I fell in LOVE with yoga! Yoga made me get in touch with who I am at my core, and really helped me connect with my mental, spiritual and emotional parts of myself –beyond the physical. I started to understand that in order to evolve the physical, that these other layers needed attention and healing as well.

As I started down this road, I realized, I had to hit the reset button of my life, and have spent the last 11 years focusing on my passions of agriculture, civil rights, environmental justice, astrology, herbal medicine, Reiki, writing & yoga.

In 2016, my intention for the year was ‘Authentic Connection’. The focus on this intention really helped me to see who I truly was at my core, and helped me realize my self-worth. I knew it was time to let the old go…people, things, jobs, STUFF…that didn’t resonate with who I am right now.

Through my purging process this past week, I came across these old pictures of who I was when I first moved here to Colorado. It’s a wonder how far I’ve come on this journey. It’s a wonder how many things I’ve let go of over the years, things no longer serving that old life…that old way of being. Not that it was a bad thing, it just wasn’t in alignment with my TRUTH…nor with my authentic nature.

Now, I vow to always be there, fully in line with my HEART and the LOVE for myself. And if it feels like it doesn’t align, it doesn’t belong. This is what it feels like to truly fall in love. Rather than feeling the butterflies, I *AM* the butterfly! I realize as I open my wings and fly, that this is true LOVE!

As I step further into 2017, my intention of Re-Create brings a whole new meaning and glimmer into the heart of true, self-love. I realize I’ve really accomplished the goals I set out to do 14 years ago–losing a lot of weight, curing the Diabetes, listening to my body and fully embracing who I am, and truly learning to love myself. And even inspiring who I’m meant to be as a healer and medicine womyn, to inspire others to do the same for themselves. And these pictures are but just a glimpse of the journey

The truth about love: Find it in yourself first. Only then, will you ever find it in the other. <3