Radiating Awesome Energy and Changing Lives!

This week was such an incredibly powerful one!  I am in the middle of yet another spiritual shift, and there are so many profound things happening in my life.  I have really been connecting to Reiki and meditation.  For those of you who are not familiar with Reiki, it is a Japanese word used to describe a system of healing that is based on energy. 

Rei - is the term used to describe the creative mind and the creative expression of "God."  Everything is Rei; all that you see, smell, taste, touch, feel and hear.  Rei is creation and simultaneously you know within your heart you are part of it.

Ki - is the  vital energy that fuels creation, Life Force Energy.  Ki powers the motion of the universe. It is the force that animates everything from a field mouse to an exploding star.  It is also known in other traditions as prana or chi.  Ki flows through our channels in our electromagnetic bodies supplying us, literally, with our life force energy. 

In essence, Reiki is love.  It can be highly effective in treating:  Stress, anxiety, issues from the past, releasing pain, connecting with yourself, eliminating disease, and so much more. 

I have known for a number of years that I was put on this planet to be a healer.  I became a certified massage therapist after I received the message I was a healer in Maui, while receiving a massage on the beach.  This was no ordinary massage though, he used a didgeridoo to send healing vibrations all over my body, which put me into a profound state of relaxation.  I left that session knowing I was supposed to heal people on some level.  After I received my certification, I went on to work at a few spas but that was never my calling.  I loved the connection I made with my clients and especially loved performing reflexology. 
I moved on from doing massage as a career because it was exhausting and hard to make a living from.  It started to drain my passion and I knew it was time to move on. 
I am currently a health coach with a mind, body, spirit approach.  I love to help my clients really thrive on all levels and that includes work in many areas of their life.  I have found my way into this new modality of healing, and it has opening so many doors for me.  It has also put me on the path to being the healthiest I've ever been physically and mentally. 
I have now known for some time that something else was going to present itself to me ... I could just feel it!!  I knew there was still something I was supposed to be doing and again I have received the message loud and clear!!  I have now been called to become a Reiki instructor and I couldn't be more excited.
I will be taking Reiki One next month with my Reiki mentor, Loretta Brown in Seattle.  I have no doubt that this will open so many spiritual doors for me and I just can't wait to see where this takes me.  Stay tuned for updates on my spiritual journey :)

Because of this powerful shift, I'm noticing so many blessings in my business too.  My clients are really pumped and charging their health!  There is an awesome energy going on right now and people are just straight up kicking butt!!!  This week I could not select just one Challenger of the Week because so many of them are rocking.  I want to give a shout out to 4 very special people this week:

* Christine Spies - Just kicked off April with the 3 Day Refresh and dropped 3.8lbs and fit into an old pair of jeans ... how exciting is that!! I know we all have an old pair of jeans we'd love to fit into!
* April - Just flew out of the gates and week one with her new health plan, lost 6lbs!!  She even had a birthday this week!!  Girl I'm so proud of you - keep up the amazing work!!
* Tianna - Not to be outdone, Tianna rocked week one of her plan too, losing 6.7 lbs!!  Wow girl :)!!  Tianna just had a baby in Oct and is really dedicated to feeling like herself again.  I admire your determination and know you are going to crush your goals!!
* Carlos - He is just my hero :)  Carlos has a really huge goal of losing 100lbs and I'm so pumped to say he's just about half way there!  He is so motivating and inspiring it fills my heart weekly!  We talk every week and every week I'm just so proud of his determination!! 

Nothing compares to seeing these amazing people conquer their excuses and their goals!!  Is it always easy? No!  But they all have and amazing fitness plan, nutritional plan and support!!

Do you want to create YOUR success story?  Don't wait a second more!!  Start taking one step at a time today - you don't have to do it alone!  Reach out to me at heatherchristine312@gmail.com

The Word of the Day is Progress!!

Yes that's right, my word for today is progress!  Despite this cold still lingering on and on, I can feel myself starting to turn a corner.  I am still really congested and go through periods where I have very little energy.  Today was a little different though, today was special.  Despite my cold, I heard that little voice in the back of my mind saying, "It's time, today should be your first workout day!"  I knew my body would tell me when it was time to start easing back into it and today I got the message.

I wasn't sure which workout was going to call me first and it was one of my all time favs, PiYo!  For those of you who have never tried it before, it's a fun and dynamic combination of yoga and Pilates.  You're in constant movement and Chalene Johnson totally kicks your but.  I have been feeling the need to stretch and strengthen, so I figured this would be a good place to start.  I also really like that there is a great modifier that you can follow to meet your level, which was heaven sent and boy did I need it.  I modified just about everything and even made up a little on my own to compensate what I couldn't do.  I kept reminding myself that this is step one of what will be a whole lot of steps.  Just take one day at a time!  I also managed to get in 30 squats for a challenge my accountability groups are doing.  It felt really great to get back in with my groups and accomplish my first workout post surgery - no matter how modified the workout was!

 

I know I have to go slow and take baby steps to get back to where I was physically.  This journey is really going to force me to grow in the patience department.  It's also going to force me to learn a new speed, slow.  I am looking for all of the positive lessons I will learn from this journey and I'm looking forward to growing in those areas.  It was clear after todays workout that this phase of my journey is going to be slow going.  Today starts day one of my training to strengthen my body in many ways.  Today I start the physical journey ... I can do this!

 

 



 

EPIC Day .... WOW!!!

As I promised, here is my blog post to describe my totally epic day yesterday!  I just couldn't put it into an Instagram or Facebook post because the emotions and breakthroughs were just too big to sum up in a few sentences. 

Yesterday I experienced massive emotional shifts that were very profound and overwhelming.  My day started with the most powerful Reiki session I've ever had.  An old friend of mine, Katherine, came over to give me some of that awesome energy healing.  It was a profound and emotional experience for both of us that left us emotional and just blown away.  I felt so much being released and moved .... it was just so incredible.  After my session I truly felt my channels flowing and I could just tell it was going to be a really important transitional day for me.

My sister came over and we had such a great day together.  We had an awesome talk and, of course, she did some pampering!  I got my feet and my back rubbed - I'm a lucky girl :) 
This experience has had such a positive impact on my family, it's pretty incredible!  It's brought all of us closer together and it's inspiring people (in and out of the family) to want to change their lives for the better.

 

When I came home, I expected to save my dad's life.  What I didn't count on was impacting SO many others and having a this many people reach out to me just to tell me how I've impacted their life.  It's so humbling and at times overwhelming!

The emotional release continued well into dinner where I had a great talk and another release with my aunt.  My Reiki session allowed me to release a lot of things I've been storing in my body and I felt such a HUGE shift in my healing! 

Never did I dream that this surgery would change my outlook on life so much and impact others to the level it has.  I feel beyond blessed and full of gratitude that I was chosen to do this! I tell you one thing ... it tells me I must be doing something right :)

I capped off the day with a totally epic moment in my business and on our team.  Our guest speaker last night was none other than Beachbody's CEO, leader and visionary ... Carl Daikeler.  I mean it was like the cherry on top of the best sundae I've ever had! 

Yesterday was just the most awesome, amazing day ever and I can't wait to see the doors this continues to open for me and the people I have yet to meet and help!  I want to help as many people as possible live the best lives they possibly can.  I can already tell that this life changing event is going to allow me to help more people than I would have ever imagined!

Hospital orientation day - 5 days and counting!

Well things continue to get more real!  Today I had my orientation at Henry Ford Hospital to prepare me for the big day on Monday (and of course get more blood drawn).  First I met with my surgeon Dr. Abouljoud, who went over everything with me in regards to what I can expect.  He also showed me a super cool 3-D image they had made of my liver.  They sent my scans to Germany and they produce a 3-D image of my liver, complete with different colors to mark all the different veins and what not.  This way when he gets in there, there are no surprises.  He already has his road map and knows where to cut!  It was great to connect with him again because the last time I saw him was the day I was tested to see if I was a match, and that was a whirlwind!  I also met with my transplant coordinator, Nemie, who has been completely awesome during this entire process.  She went over my pre-op ... fun stuff routine (let's just leave it at that lol!) and also gave me a tour of the hospital.  Being a person who likes details, today made me feel much better.  I know what to expect and the different areas of the hospital I'll be in.  Here is a picture of me, Dr. Abouljoud and Nemie.

 

 

I also got to meet with a pharmacist and nutritionist.  The nutritionist walked in and said, "well I've looked at your chart and talked with Dr. Abouljoud and this is going to be a very short meeting!"  It's so reassuring to hear from all of the Dr.s that my health is awesome and so is my routine.  In fact, all of the Dr.s I've met with have said they wish they could clone me because I'm so healthy and happy :)  They told me to not change any of my habits post surgery .... well except for one  ... and it's a HUGE one!  I have to wait to drink Shakeology again until my liver regenerates  (app. 2 months) talk about the bummer of the century!!!  I have been drinking it everyday, sometimes twice per day, for 3 years now!  It's such a HUGE part of my healthy routine and it's going to be SO  hard to go without it for that long.  People have asked me, "well yeah but I thought Shakeology was supposed to be so good for you!"  That's the thing ... it IS so incredibly good for you!  However, it's a super dense and concentrate dose of nutrition that is completely all natural.  So it's made up of herbs, vitamins, super foods, etc.  There are some potent herbs that you should not have post surgery because they can thin your blood or cause clotting.  Also, since I will only have half a liver, that is a lot of herbs and vitamins to process which could over tax my already taxed organ.  Going without Shakeology could actually be more challenging for me then the actual surgery lol!

 

Marching onward to the big day on the 26th .... please send me lots of love and positivity :)



Pre-op Visit Scheduled!

You know the day is definitely getting close, when you receive your pre-op schedule in the mail!  I fly home to Michigan this Sunday and then the 1 week countdown begins!  On the 21st I will be at Henry Ford for my pre-op visit and I'm actually looking forward too it.  I think this will answer some of the questions I'm having, allow me to tour the facilities I'll be staying at, as well as connect with my surgeon again.  I only met him on the day we were doing all of the testing to determine if I was a match.  That day was such a whirlwind filled with lots of information, meeting with different departments and lots of people.  I'll definitely be looking forward to connecting with him again.  I'll also get to meet with my transplant coordinator, who is totally awesome, along with a nutritionist and pharmacist. 

 

 

I made a request to have my picture taken with the surgical staff  before we get started.  I told them this was important to me for a few different reasons.  One,  I'm documenting this journey for myself and my family to have forever.  I want to always be able to look back and share this with others and to remind me that I made the ultimate sacrifice to save a life and to continue to live the best life I possibly can!  I also want to shed a positive light on live organ donations because there are so many others out there who are in need and who are waiting!  There are so many people out there who are really sick and are waiting for a miracle.  By making the choice to donate, I'm not only saving the life of someone I care about, but I'm also giving someone else on the list, the chance at life too! 

The other reason I wanted to get a picture before hand was because I am a big believer in energy!  I do a lot of meditating, yoga, breath work, etc.  I also attend things to help me balance my energy like sound baths and Reiki sessions.  I believe that the better the energy in the operating room, the more smoothly things will go during and post surgery.  I want to share a moment prior to surgery with everyone that will have my life in their hands.  I want there to be a good, positive vibe in the operating room before they cut me open. 

 

Per usual, Henry Ford has been awesome and my coordinator said, "Heather, I'm going to make that happen!"

 

The countdown begins ...... 

Totally Epic Weekend

Last weekend was nothing short of epic!  We had our quarterly Super Saturday event, but this event was different for me.  Let me give you a little background ... Super Saturday is an event held by coaches on the same weekend across the country, 4 times per year.  Events range in size from as little as 5 people to 1,200+ people.  The events are filled with motivation, inspiration and lots of great information.  Not only that, but it's a great way to meet members of your local coaching family and I have met the most amazing people by attending these events.  Every time I leave, I'm just so inspired to want to live the best life I possibly can and help others do the same!

I remember back in July of 2012, when I had just moved to Seattle from Michigan.  I went to my first Super Saturday and I didn't know anyone.  The day before I moved, I had been in Vegas at our annual Summit conference.  Talk about motivation .... I left on fire to want to do more!  So when I was sitting there by myself at that first Super Saturday in Seattle, I made a promise to myself.  I promised myself that I was going to push myself outside of my comfort zone and start getting involved.  I made a goal right then and there to join the Seattle Market Council that puts on all of Super Saturday events.  The coaches on Market Council are really successful and known in the community.  I had no idea how I was going to make this happen, all I knew is I was going to.  This was the event that inspired me to want to get involved!

 

At each event after that, I got involved on some level whether it be to:  Donate items to the Shakeology booth, get there early to help set up, introduce myself to as many people as possible (especially market council members and corporate),helping run the Shakeology booth, posting my story on a board and at the last event even sharing my story via video.  After that event, I felt it was time to ask to join market council, so I emailed our corporate rep and asked to join.  I even sent her a visual resume if you will, of everything I had taken part of.  It took awhile to hear back, but she finally announced that I was officially being welcomed to the Market Council.  Just about 1 year to the date of when I set this goal.

 

 

This last event I played a big role in organizing.  I helped organize the volunteers and as a group we got a great head start.  Up until this time, we had been losing money on the events so our goal was to at least break even but of course would love to come out on top as well!  By working as a team and being organized, we were able to put together our biggest and best event yet!!  And yes we even came out $1,000 on top!  I am so proud to know that I am a big part of that turn around and know this can only help me in becoming a better leader for my organization!

 

There are 2 massive highlights I would like to share from this weekend!

 

1)  Attending my first Market Council dinner.  We all met for dinner Friday night to talk about the event and entertain our very special guests.  We brought in two extremely successful coaches to make this a really awesome event!  At dinner, they shared so much of their knowledge with us, it was amazing!  I came home full of ideas and so inspired I couldn't sleep!  I had a moment at the table where I had to look around and just soak up how far I've come in my business.  It's been hard work but it's moments like this that tell me I'm definitely on the right path!

 

2) The second moment came in the form of my sharing my story live in front of 350-400 people.  This moment for me was the cherry on the cake!  I have so much passion for what I do and it's been, what has often times felt like, an uphill battle.  These are the moments that make it all worth it!  When you can touch a room full of that many people and impact them .... there is nothing like it! 

I'll be setting some new EPIC goals for 2015 but first I'll be flying home to donate a portion of my liver and save a life ;)  Right after that i'll be back to take on the world!!