Helping others be their healthiest version of themselves is what I’ve done as a holistic health coach and bodyworker for over 23 years. That doesn’t mean I haven’t had to learn my own lessons about what it means to transform your health—on all levels—and continue to do so.

A little while back things got very dark when a virus ran through my kidney, causing complications, and even a heart embolism scare. And on top of that, the severe back and leg pain I had been managing already for many years, got much worse. I was so sick that every doctor I met said they couldn’t believe I didn’t die.

Some people who knew me said, “How could this happen to a health practitioner? You’re so healthy!” Well, it happens, and for all sorts of reasons.

Coming home from the hospital and letting people help me was really challenging for me. I was ashamed, embarrassed, and beyond lost. Part of me thought I had somehow failed.

I knew I couldn’t spend much time stuck in self-blame or my sickness would drag on. And I knew that I couldn’t just go back to my previous state—I had to use this experience to learn a whole other realm of “self-care”. Because I didn't just need the immediate medical care; I had to seek out a full-on recovery path! And I couldn’t do a big thing like that alone. We never can do these things alone.

I realized that even though I put (what I thought was) healthy food in my body, looked fit, and exercised, there was an underlying issue... I had a habit for choosing unhealthy relationships with people who didn’t treat me well, and downplaying my own worth and value along with self-destructive thought patterns.

I decided that I couldn’t settle for anything less than self-love and care (just like I wouldn’t want my friends or clients to settle for either!). I was waking up to a whole other level of awareness about myself, the messages of my body, mind and spirit.

Website: https://www.jessicaruthshepard.com