I remember being a new mom. Exhausted. Anxious. Drained. The heaviest I had ever been. I HAD to pull myself out of that dark place I was in. It took me almost 2 full years of patience, sweat, tears, and personal growth, but I finally lost weight. I lost 80 lbs! And I found my voice to share my story. The messages started flooding in from women all over the world who were lost too. I was in tears every night while I read story after story of women who needed help, who didn’t know where to turn. Although mental and spiritual growth can occur during one’s fitness journey, for me, those aspects of my health weren’t put to the test until I moved to Utah. I was safe in Idaho, I was protected in a small and simple town. I didn’t have companies asking for me to model or news stations asking me to tell my story. Once I moved to the city and had so many opportunities come my way, I soon learned that I was not prepared for that kind of pressure. I looked in the mirror and saw a heavier person. I didn’t see the “skinny” person. I developed a disorder called body dysmorphia disorder and started using medication and starvation to keep the weight off. I was an impatient mother and a disconnected wife. I was lost. I had no idea that the scale wasn’t where I was going to find my worth. I discovered hypnotherapy and it changed my life. I was able to communicate with myself. My conscious mind communicated with my subconscious. And it allowed me to heal myself. I had always been curious about yoga, so I gave that a try too. And it changed my life. I am not saying that lightly. It transformed my awareness and opened channels within my mind and body that had never been accessed. I remembered why I started sharing my journey in the first place. My goal was to HEAL and HELP women, to act as I did as a labor nurse and lift and support them. The journey to self-love has no end. It’s an everyday struggle, blessing, and fight. I share it all, and I am grateful for it all.