Hope and Healing Start from Within-April BMetro Article

Greetings, beautiful people of Birmingham. I am pleased to introduce myself to you as the new voice of health and wellness for B-Metro magazine. When people ask “What do you do?” I find I most often refer to myself as a “healing artist,” but “awareness consultant,” “prayer warrior” or “empowerment coach” would suffice, too. Due to the many arts I enjoy and the broad range of healing arts I practice and teach, I have found this simplicity incites greater interest than if I were to recite all of my titles. But since we are getting to know one another, allow me to take a moment to introduce myself.



I have the privilege of running a facility called Silver Linings LLC, a healing arts center where hope and healing truly unite. I am a licensed massage and neuromuscular therapist, a master medical massage practitioner, a Vedic Thai Yoga therapist, a Level 1 Qi Gong Instructor and one of Birmingham’s pioneer Yoga instructors. I have been a licensed therapist for 10 years, a yoga instructor for 14 and an artist for a lifetime. I draw. I paint. I am a photographer, a dancer, a singer, a jewelry maker. I love art of all kinds. I take the title of shaman quite seriously and believe my ordained calling is to challenge, create, console, uplift, encourage, inspire, educate and empower others as they travel the road of healing



I have always been drawn to nature, the Earth, the Divine Spirit, the wounded and the broken-hearted. I was never one to take anything at face value and always researched and read to fully understand anything I was interested in. I was the girl who brought home yoga books from the library, bought herb books at book fairs and mulled over creative visualization books while listening to Enya as a teen. I began practicing yoga at the age of 13 with the only book available to me at the time, titled Yoga. I know. Deep, right? As an insomnia–ridden teen, I would scour over the book filled with images of a leotard-clad woman in these positions I was already naturally doing and was astounded to learn they actually had names, aka “asanas.”



You could say I’ve always been of the “Earth muffin” persuasion, which I now embrace, and that bent has served me well. For not only have those interests continued to grow, but so has my passion and knowledge, to which I have dedicated my life and career. I am asked all kinds of questions regarding medical intervention and referrals, nutrition, supplements, herbs, fitness, spiritual enlightenment, emotional healing and other topics. Please note — I am not a physician, nor do I claim to be a medical authority. I don’t even play one on TV. But I am a medical professional. With a lifetime interest and investment in health and wellness, along with personal research and study, ranging from anatomy and physiology, to food, psychology, herbs and exercise, I believe myself equipped to direct and provide valuable information that can enlighten and empower. I feel education is the greatest vehicle to awareness, and awareness is what can lead to the empowerment necessary to heal.



I fear I must warn you, however, that the journey to wellness does not always wind down paths filled with sunshine and rainbows. I may step on a few toes, push your comfort level, dissect many of the “unmentionables,” challenge your beliefs and insist you take responsibility and be proactive. I will share what I know and seek answers for the things I don’t know. I am not known to tip-toe or hold back for the sake of easing the blow. But I’m also not known for tearing you down without full intentions of building you up. Ideas must often be challenged before they can be cultivated. Bodies must often be taxed in order to be strengthened. And spirits must be examined and sifted of debris in order to liberate the dark corners of the heart and mind. I look forward to many an opportunity to share and challenge you in the broad world of health, wellness and spiritual awareness by bringing you enlightening and educational information. Please know your comments and questions are always welcome. I invite you to engage and challenge me with your thoughts, ideas, questions or concerns. I believe honesty is most honoring to us all. I don’t claim to have it all together, but I love to learn and share on the journey. May you find my words a fountain of refreshment, a blessing and delight, like “golden apples in a silver basket!” Namaste, ya’ll.•

To view the original piece, please visit: http://b-metro.com/let%e2%80%99s-take-a-journey-together/5605/