FIND A HEALER NEAR YOU
Meet Anastasia. She is a holistic health coach, yoga instructor and mom to three kids. She says yes to trying just about anything on herself as a human experiment and is a pretty incredible person.
What led you to become a holistic health coach?
My body fell apart after my 3rd baby. I had postpartum depression, anxiety, acne, diarrhea, and I hadn’t lost any of my pregnancy weight. I had been getting up 7-8 times a night nursing a newborn with one of my other children having nightly anxiety attacks for months on end. I had had 4 pregnancies, 3 babies, and 3 surgeries in 7 years. My body had been through a lot and it finally broke. I knew I needed help when I had one of those dark moments where I fell to the floor in tears and had that dark scary thought that “This will never get better.” I had a brief moment of clarity and reached out to my doctor, my therapist, and booked a hotel for myself for a couple of nights.
My doctor prescribed depression meds and that really didn’t feel right to me at the time. I asked for blood work, and it turns out I was deficient in vitamin D, and I was chronically exhausted. I had access to all these great resources, but I had to figure it all out on my own and put all the pieces together. It is a great suggestion to get more sleep, but how do I actually do that within my life right now? I just kept thinking that there has to be someone out there that knows how to put this all together. Not quite a doctor, or therapist, or nutritionist, or life coach, but all aspects of your health. Turns out there is! I didn’t know that I was looking for a holistic health coach. I became one to help others not have to struggle and feel so alone on their health journey.
Tell us a healing story that changed a life.
There is this beautiful moment where things start to click with my clients. They realize that they don’t have to be stressed, exhausted, and overwhelmed all the time. That it doesn’t work to show up for everyone but themselves. When they put their health, wellness, and themselves on the priority list then their whole life changes. There is this magic that happens when they realize they can feel joy, and in control, and good in their bodies regardless of the chaos around them – or their pant size. As a woman, there are all these bull sh** messages that are put upon us of who we are supposed to be, the life we are supposed to want, and how many people we have to take care of before ourselves for us to have value. I was shocked by this universal theme, regardless of my clients’ age, that there is an unlearning that needs to be done, not a diet to follow or a cleanse to try.
Who is the most influential person in your life?
My godmother recently died at 50 after 6 months with liver cancer. We had this beautiful conversation about 6 months before she got sick where she just sat and listened to me. I was really struggling and we were really struggling as a family. She bought me lunch, held my baby so I could eat, and listened without trying to fix or solve anything. She held space for me, for what I had to say and to just safely speak without a filter or interruption. I got to have this perfect afternoon with her and then she got sick and died. Life is so precious, unfair, hard, and beautiful. I haven’t had a lot of time to process it all, but I just keep rolling around the idea that if it were all over at 50 what would I want my life story to be? What matters most? It is that balance of being fully present in the tiny moments of my life while also stepping towards my big dreams and goals.
What are you most excited about or optimistic about right now?
If we aren’t will to change, adapt, and create a new inclusive way of being there will be no future for our planet or species. I am most excited about women, LGBTQIA, and BIPOC voices that are forging a new future on this planet and for our children. It gives me great hope.
What are three things people can do to achieve a better state of wellness?
- Get outside without being attached to your phone.
- Your body is wise. Trust it more, it is probably trying to tell you something.
- Go Play. Have fun for no reason other than to have fun. This is just your life. Stop taking it so seriously. You are meant to enjoy at least a moment of it every day.
You can find out more about Anastasia or book a free 30 minute mini coaching session with her HERE.
