“And I said to my body softly. I want to be your friend. It took a deep exhale and whispered, ‘I’ve been waiting for this my whole life.” – Nayyirah Waheed

This is the quote that helped inspire the tagline of my business “Befriend Your Body. Move Confidently in Your Life”.

I spent years believing that the only avenue towards optimal health and happiness was to lose weight. I literally risked my health in order to get myself physically in that shape. You can read more about my metabolic story in the blog “Metabolic Damage You’re Not Alone”.

I had to relearn how to work with my body and develop the confidence to “rebel” against the traditional fitness mentality (ex. “No Pain. No Gain”). It wasn’t easy. I had repeated conversations circling back to “am I doing the right thing?”. Periods of self doubt, followed by more periods of self doubt.

But, I knew, I just knew there had to be another way.

We all have a story. Some of us choose to share it publicly or privately in a journal. We all have one. I had the opportunity to work with Michael Libuano over the last few months on developing a branding video to help compile and express my story.

My message to you is this:

1. You DO NOT have to do what everyone else is doing. I did and it wasn’t the answer I was looking for.

2. Health and happiness are self defined. Explore that for yourself and allow yourself to go through reiterations as you evolve and grow.

3. You have a story

I am a believer of wellness through intentional and sometimes subtle movements. I’m a proponent of rest days. I am a huge fan of food enjoyment and nourishment.

I don’t post or talk about what’s popular in the fitness world, but discuss the things that I feel are necessary (ex. glorifying the slow down and listening to your body).

The video is a compilation of my evolution away from the “No Pain. No Gain” mentality and my drive to share this with others. I want to help put you and your body back in the driver’s seat. To help you understand your brain and body. To support you while you embark on a journey many don’t or maybe don’t know exist.

A huge thank you to Michael. Thank you for reminding me that my story and message was worth hours of driving, filming, recording, editing, and now sharing. Thank you for the hours you spent learning more about me before we met. Thank you for your investment, professionalism, and creativity. The video was a bonus to the experience of my story being captured.