Worthy Women, 9th Edition: Alexi Panos

Who: Alexi Panos  www.alexipanos.com, IG: @alexipanos

Location: Digital Nomad

Occupation: Conscious Creator

Alexi: she is a sweetie; she is strong; she is present; she is committed; she is soft; she is kind…she is everything she seems to be on the outside and much more. I met her through a friend that introduced us because she was interested in getting some Functional Diagnostic testing and she became a client. The more I talked to her and got to know her, the more I liked her. She is one of those people that gets more and more beautiful the more you know her.

The most obvious and lasting quality about Alexi is her P R E S E N C E. You feel it for the rest of the day after talking or seeing her. She is totally with you when you are around her.  She is not looking around, at her phone, or multi-tasking. This is my favorite quality to find in people, especially those with extremely full lives like her. She is not only in the moment but also empowered by it …and that translates to full engagement and no excuses. For anything.

She is the co-founder of a non-profit called E.P.I.C. that has been in action for 12 years, which focuses on bringing clean water and community development to those in need in rural Africa. You will hear more about this in her audio share below, and I highly encourage you to play around on her website as there is much to offer.

She has been through a lot but she is not a victim.  She has done a lot but she is not a martyr.

I am excited to provide the answers to her questions as an audio file because so much of Alexi you might not get from written word.  She is so energetic and dynamic, and I am filled with joy that you will get to hear her voice and feel her vibrance as she answers the 3 questions. I know you will honor her as the Worthy Woman that I do.

Sat nam,

Elise

(I would be grateful for you to let me know by comment below or on social media what you think of the audio format.)

Press play to hear her answers (below):

Worthy Women, 7th Edition: Dr. Somer Nicole

Who: Dr. Somer Nicole (IG: @yogadoctors.tv)

Occupation: Founder of YogaDoctors.TV, Doctor of Physical Therapy, Kundalini and Hatha Yoga               Teacher (yogadoctors.tv)

Location: shares time between Kauai and Encinitas

This entry really excites me to share with you all because a) she’s one of my very best friends and b) this girl seriously has the best advice and is one of the most clear-headed and unaffected people I have ever met.  Somer is highly intelligent and naturally left-brained, yet innocent and pure like almost only a child can be. That might only make sense if you know her. But add in the wisdom of someone who has worked out a lot of trauma and hardship and the peace of someone who has put in the time and energy to get there, and you have a small idea of what this embodied woman is all about.

The first time I met her, about 5 years ago she was walking out of yoga and I was walking in. I thought, “Wow that looks so much like my mom when she was young.” And although she is nothing like my mother, we have gotten so close she might as well be a member of my family.

I do not like talking on the phone, yet Somer and I talk every week, sometimes more than that and sometimes for hours. She has this uncanny ability to cut directly through any fluff or distortion or distraction and get right to the truth of the matter.

She is my teacher in self-care, and has absolutely mastered nurturing herself as first priority, no matter what. We often take classes, workshops and travel together and she is a consistent role model for me to take it easy and not do too much. Even when I’m purposely trying to slow down and cut back, she is my mirror…showing me that I still have work in that area.

We have been asked if we are sisters more times than I can add up, mistaken for each other many times, and she actually got called up on stage on my birthday (instead of me!) in India for Kundalini teacher training.   I’m not sure what that’s all about but I know we met to become Soul Sisters and I thank the Universe for her every single day.

Sat nam,

Elise

1)  Who are you?

It’s an interesting time in my life to be asked this question, as I have distanced myself internally from my old identities more and more over the last year or two. Somer as the Physical Therapist. Somer as the Yoga Teacher, the CranialSacral Therapist, the SomatoEmotional Release practitioner, the Reiki Teacher, the meditator, etc…. Those are all things that I do.

Who am I? I am the pure consciousness that observes it all. I am a Spirit having a human experience. I am someone who stands in my Light, so others can find their way out of the Dark. I strive to be a blessing to those I meet.

And in this life, I am someone who dives deeply into my body to experience the full spectrum of my emotions. I seek to bring the unconscious into my conscious awareness. I explore belief systems instilled in me by family and society, so that I can unravel what is not True for me. I am a Truth seeker. I am a director of my own energy. I am an explorer of my inner landscape.

And in my experience, the only True constants are Love and change. I am Love. And I embrace change to the best of my ability.

2)  What is the greatest challenge you have overcome/are overcoming?

I am currently recovering from a lower back injury, where my L1 and L5 nerves are involved. It’s been a total change in perspective for me, especially a Physical Therapist because I was treating it wrong for many years. It never felt “nervy” to me, so I was treating it like a muscle strain and didn’t realize the repetitive hip flexor and hamstrings strains I’d had (A LOT of them!) were related to my spine. It wasn’t until I had someone objectively look at me and I got my own biases out of the way that I could see the bigger picture.

It’s been challenging on many levels, one being it’s the most physical pain I’ve ever experienced. I was asked to avoid forward bending of any kind and do only passive extension (backbending) exercises, until I could experience 7-10 days without referred pain into my sacro-iliac (SI) joint. After which, I could them begin forward bending again. This has been more challenging than it sounds.

I am inherently a mover, I get up and practice 1-2 hours of Yoga every morning, I hike, I swim and I am used to feeling strong and flexible in my body. And as my body has been asked to be more still, the louder my mind has gotten. I see now that it has been the perfect storm to allow many unconscious patterns to come to the surface.

And as when I’ve experienced any injury in the past, I go into exploring what energetic imbalance and suppressed emotions may have manifested this physical pain into my reality. I know at the highest level, I’ve created it for a reason. So many emotions have come up with not being able to move my body the way I am used to. Wanting to get pregnant this year, I freaked out thinking I was heading into pregnancy and a natural labor with this injury. To me, that’d be a worst case scenario. I had so much fear come up that I wouldn’t be able to handle both of those things together. In addition, many emotions that are related to the root chakra, which also governs the spine. I’ve felt it all deeply.

Fear that I’m not safe in my body.

Fear that I’m not safe in the world.

Fear of being hurt more.

Fear of not being supported.

Fear of not being nourished the way that I need.

3)  What have you learned?

I’ve learned if I don’t stand in my own power and speak my own Truth, it physically makes me sick. I’ve learned that my body will feel safe when I always choose to do what is in my Highest and stop responding to what other people want first or what they think is best for me.

I’m learning to listen to the intuitive intelligence of my body 100% of the time. Not just 99% of the time. Even when I get an initial gut instinct, my mind has the tendency to give me all the reasons why it would make sense to do something different. I have learned to stop reacting to the mental pressure. I realized the mental pressure is not ever going to stop, so the only thing to change is my reaction to it.

I have learned I am a highly emotional being. I’ve learned I have emotional intelligence and when I listen deeply and navigate it fully, I make better decisions. I’m learning to be more patient and to WAIT TO RESPOND until I am emotionally clear about any personal or business decision. I’m learning to remain still and practice a calm state of BEing, instead of doing more in reaction to the mental pressure. I’ve learned the feeling of needing to DO more, create more, strive more, contribute more and be useful more comes from a societal conditioning. I’ve learned everyone’s path isn’t to reach millions of people and put themselves out there publicly. For some, it’s simply to be a mother or just being absolutely present and kind with every person who crosses their path.

I’ve learned it’s less about what I DO and more about my state of BEing. I’ve learned that being in a feminine, receptive state attracts my desires to me like a magnet. I used to think I could do it all on my own, I’ve learned to reach out more. And I’ve learned that BEing my own medicine sometimes means listening deeply to my own intuition and other times it means asking for support.

Worthy Women, Sixth Edition: Heather Lindemenn

Who: Heather Lindemenn

Occupation: Spiritual Guide and Bullshit Slayer

Location: Vista, CA

The first time I remember meeting Heather, it was about 7 years ago with a good friend in Lotus Cafe and she(pretty randomly) said to me that I had dark circles under my eyes and that I probably had a thyroid issue. If that happened to me now, I think I would be more intrigued than anything and (hopefully) say, ‘Cool, thanks…I will have that tested.”

At the time it really threw me off, (who knows, maybe it was the pendulum on her necklace she seemed to be referring to for answers?!) …and I was so astounded I don’t think I said anything!

I ended up having some things tested about a year later, totally unrelated to her comment, and low and behold…my thyroid was off. My first thought was of her and the courage it must have taken to think that and then say it to someone you barely know.

So…as much as I’m sure she’s not using the pendulum anymore…this is Heather in a nutshell.  She is pretty much always right. Not in the “I told you so” way. Don’t get me wrong, you might not(think you) want to hear it; but she is not so concerned with that.  What she IS concerned with is truth and healing and breaking through the well, err…bull shit(those would be her words, and frankly there is no better way to say it). And it’s normally with ourselves.

What you see is what you get; she’s a straight-shooter, and will tell you every embarrassing story in her life in an effort for us all to laugh and grow from it.  She is what I would say almost every single one of us needs, especially women! I felt close to her since I sat in one of her Women’s Circles long ago. I loved that she cussed and was sometimes loud and not always on time or “perfect,” it made me relax and feel welcome and relax enough to absorb what she had to say.  And you always want to hear what she has to say…TRUST ME.  She has the gems!  And she always shares!!!

I credit Heather for the beginning of me opening up to the Feminine, Women’s Groups and the power of women in general when we bond together. I credit Heather for a lot of things, and you will surely see why in the interview…by the way, you might want to take notes on this one!

Sat nam,

Elise

1) Who are you?

I am bullshit slayer.

I am a beach born baby, raised on VG donuts from Cardiff By The Sea, Ca.

I am a crusader for the voice of the HEART.

I am a wife to the kindest man alive.

I am a daughter of a beautiful mamma who died from cancer when I was 23.

I am a sherpa to women who are being called HOME to themselves.

I am a stepmom to a brave young Goddess.

I am a devoted servant to the FIRE of real deal, life changing, HOLY SHIFTING, Transformation. (Mine and yours)

I am a fiercely loving and protective friend.

I am a Seducer of TRUTH. I use humor, love and maybe a few curse words to call women into a sacred SEEING of themselves that transforms their lives from the inside out.

I am a doggie mamma of two yummy rescued fur babies.

I am available to SEE myself fully. (and that means ALL parts not just the fun beach baby, donut eating, fierce sherpa, seducer of truth, good friend, happy doggie mamma parts.

2) What is the greatest challenge you have overcome/are overcoming?

SEEING that “I” burden LIFE with carrying the face of my wounds.

Experiencing the TRUTH of this statement was and IS a total game changer for me.

SEEING that my unresolved stuff is actually playing itself out in my life delivers me back into the driver’s seat, INSTANTLY!

No it’s not easy, and YES it’s worth it…

You see, I’m not much into wasting time and money and I like my “medicine” STRONG. So when my life started to completely crumble (divorce, failed business, total lack of faith in The Divine and myself) I realized that the core of my BIG repeating issues might just be in me…

At that pivotal point in my life I screamed to the universe, “I’m fucked and I need to get un~fucked… NOW”.

That’s when my first teacher arrived in my life and fast, fast, forward I was initiated into this POTENT way of experiencing myself. I was quickly SOLD on this navigation because not only did “LIFE” start showing up differently, my relationship with myself started to heal + my intuition was ignited and MOST important of all, my difficult, exhausting, repeating patterns began to disappear.

Now the challenge of this is that I will always have something inside I can’t see or feel, so when “stuff” arises ultimately I MUST arrive back in ME. (This IS my constant “walk my talk” practice)

And THIS is the foundation of the work I do with other women. No it isn’t a self blame game. This is a return to oneself where we experience a deep intimacy within… Dare I say Oneness within ourselves.

And from this place of oneness those well sought after experiences TRULY arise… You know those ones we affirm ourselves to death with, those experiences we “practice” ourselves into a dither about: like, Forgiveness, acceptance, gratitude, authenticity and the ability to be PRESENT. These experiences begin to “happen” without effort or practice…

3) What have you learned?

I have learned that an intimate relationship with “Life” (money, partnership, God etc.) starts with an intimate relationship with myself.

If “He’s not there for me” If “they won’t listen to me”, If They don’t love me” then I go directly to ME..

I am I there for me?

Am I listening to ME?

Do I LOVE ME?

It all starts and ends with me…

I have learned that Forgiveness, Gratitude, Acceptance of self and others and true Compassion, are all Grace filled, hand of The Divine style “happenings”, that start with me SEEING that I DON’T, Forgive, that I lack Gratitude, that I CAN’T  Accept myself or others…

It’s a “start where you are, not where you want to be conversation”.

THEN the fullness of the experience we desire can arise. (key word FULLNESS)

I have learned that RESISTANCE will rear it’s ugly head whenever I set out to do anything that that results in me living my dreams.

The bigger the dream the bigger the resistance! Like writing this Blog for example. I’m living my life with a passion to help women wake up and finally live life instead of merely existing… Elise invited me into the Worthy Women series and it IS A HUGE honor for me and an amazing platform to share my gifts AND I have resisted sitting my ass down to write for WEEKS!!!!

Having you here with me right now IS a huge GIFT! Thank you Elise for this amazing opportunity!

Amen, and a fanny spank…

Worthy Women, Fifth Edition: Stephanie Khalil AlGhani

Who: Stephanie Khalil AlGhani (IG: @khalilhijabi, @covertimemagazine)

Occupation: Founder/Editor of Covertime Magazine (www.covertimemagazine.com)

Location: Connecticut, USA

Stephanie Khalil AlGhani is an American Muslim, and she wants to put a face to a name. I am really happy about her sentiments, as I feel that Muslims have gotten a really bad rap in the media in recent years.  I prefer to judge each person on an individual basis, but if I were to generalize all the Muslims I know personally, for the sake of making a point, I would say that they are humble, grateful, giving and compassionate.

Stephanie stole my heart when I found her on Instagram. I actually do not know her in person, but I like who she is and what she stands for. She is a mother that puts family first, is highly intelligent, deep, sensitive, confident, and ready to speak to the entire world(when the time is right).

She says, “I think people should have the right to practice their own beliefs and religions as long as it doesn’t hurt other people. So I am against ISIS killing innocent people and using hate propaganda. But it goes both ways because the media has used hate propaganda since 9/11 against Muslims.”

She speaks of topics many of us can relate to and understand but don’t have the courage to bring up.  She is definitely not hiding anything or holding back; her message is clear and pretty simple: this world and everybody in it has some work to do. That means you, me, and she definitely includes herself.

Stephanie is raising her children to be the kind of people you would want your children to marry someday.  She is the kind of person you would want as your neighbor. She believes that just because you don’t understand something, doesn’t mean it is wrong.

Sat Nam,

Elise

1) Who are you?

I am a 32 year old married mother of 2 (boy and girl). I have been involved in Fashion since I was a young girl sewing my own clothes then going to the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC. After working in the industry for over 10 years and moving to Connecticut for my husband’s job I started an online and digital magazine Covertime for Modest Fashion and Pop Culture. As a woman of faith, I like many others are looking for less revealing clothes than mainstream brands have to offer.

My maternal grandfather was Cherokee Native American, my maternal grandmother was French, my paternal grandfather was British, and my paternal grandmother was Austrian. At 21 years old I found Islam by reading the Quran. I have always believed in one God not associating him with another being. My parents did not raise us any particular religion… telling us that we could decide for ourselves. After reading the Quran and taking my Shahada (my testimony of declaring belief in one God and that Muhammed was the Seal of God’s Prophet’s). I still keep ownership of my faith and will not blindly follow another human being without making my own conclusions and doing my own research. Recently I found out by watching “Spiritual Waters Running Deep” that I was like an Indigo Child. This was a major learning curve for me and I was better able to put together my life puzzle. It explained why I could not relate to most people even as a young child and also why I am extremely sensitive with my body and emotional feelings.

2) What is the greatest challenge you have overcome/are overcoming?

There are a few major purposes I feel like I have been training for my whole life:

– Covertime Magazine was a very passionate project for me after giving birth to my daughter. I was looking at society and imagining my daughter growing up where women are treated with emphasis on sexuality. At 19 years old I was in the modeling industry, signed with Women Model Management, one of the top in the world. From my experience it is a very dangerous industry with some illegal activities happening. And the outcome of the images from this industry our society praises as having that high level of success. I do not think people realize what kind of things go on behind the scenes. It will take someone with a lot of guts and the right opportunities to speak out against this industry. I feel like I am this person insha’Allah (god willing). There are other women ex-models as well trying to speak out.

– With all these divisions of people being created right now, I do not feel like I belong to one group, but I feel like all humanity is supposed to unite. Good VS Evil, but the important thing is for people to realize that we are all capable of creating evil thoughts and actions so it starts with ourselves and dealing with these issues. You cannot help others until you have helped yourself. Everyone is at a different part or level of their spiritual awakening so it will take time. I will start and try to do some speaking in communities to help people see things in different perspectives and break some of the fears. We all need to learn to think for ourselves because otherwise we are in a way brainwashed so easily by what media and others opinions are. A good example of this is the Muslim Women. Muslim literally translates to “submitted to God”. We are very misunderstood because of how media talks about us. Muslims are only humans, and you can not judge Islam by Muslims because everyone has a different interpretation or level of their faith. All religions teach basically the same thing of worshiping God, having self control and the peace of mankind. The differences come from the hand of man adding their parts or interpretation.

3) What have you learned?

I have learned that you have to become what you are seeking! Sometimes we wander so much looking for that person to help us or guide us, but in reality that person is our self.

I have learned that you have to choose to be happy and focus on all your blessings. This is hard when you are trying to make societal changes. You can only shed your light in the darkness for a bit of time, but you need to go back to the light so that you don’t lose your own light. It is a balancing act that I am still trying to get right.

Your vibe attracts your tribe. We all give off vibes and energy and are affected by others energy.  So we have to be aware of that energy we give off. I also learned to save my deepest thoughts and conversations for people that appreciate it. We lose energy when speaking, so energy conservation is important if you do not want to burn out.

Also, Expectations are Resentments waiting to happen. I am constantly trying to submit to God’s will as much as possible. You still have to patiently persevere, but at the same time pay attention to the signs. Some things are not meant to happen no matter how hard you try.

Asalamulaikum (Peace be upon you)

Worthy Women, Fourth Edition: Christa Orecchio

Who: Christa Orecchio

Occupation: Clinical and Holistic nutritionist; entrepreneur ( http://www.thewholejourney.com) (IG@thewholejourney)

Location: Encinitas, CA

Christa is a breath of fresh air. She is one of those people that you almost can’t believe is for real in the beginning- she is just that amazing. But tried and true, this woman is legit.  She is intelligent, fun, extremely motivated, shiny, happy, witty, deep, investigative, clear and most of all….compassionate.

If you can’t tell, I both love and admire Christa. We share many of the same interests, passions and beliefs. There is a funny story to how I first “met”  her. When I first graduated from IIN(Institute of Integrative Nutrition) about 5 years ago, it was part of the program to go to local grocery stores and hold tours, teaching people how to identify and pick the healthiest food.  This was fresh and forward at that time. Well… every single store I went in, Christa’s bright and beautiful face was posted everywhere…she already clearly had the monopoly on Grocery Tours.  I thought, “Who is this lady?  And how the heck is she everywhere already?!”

Little did I know that was just the beginning…she has created an amazing program called Gut Thrive, that I have actually participated in and highly recommend, is regularly on Fox New delivering holistic tips, and recently co-authored a book, “How to Conceive Naturally and Have a Healthy Pregnancy Over 30”.   She was and IS everywhere, and I am personally so happy about it.

We desperately need people like her in the world. She is one step ahead at all times, naturally. She carves the way for us, all of us-nutritional practitioners and also just health conscious people in general-using “food as medicine” to heal ourselves and others.  She is a leader, a clear communicator, a path forger, a hacker of theories and programs…and if it’s not obvious already…she is my (self-appointed) mentor.  I believe it is important to have role models in life, and she is one of my big ones. She lives consciously not in one area of life, but in all areas of life.

I hope you enjoy her answers as much as I did, as the questions she said herself caused her to “dig deeper that she normally does in public’.

Sat nam,

Elise

 1) Who are you?

I am a functional and holistic nutritionist and an entrepreneur; a healer with a passionate drive to use my life force for the highest good during my short time here on earth.

I’m an Italian girl from New Jersey who loves and needs yoga, meditation, and spiritual exploration. I love the ocean, nature, wide-open spaces, art and design, organic food (and wine), science, traveling, my friends and my family.

I am a light worker and instrument of God, disguised as a TV personality who spreads the message of how real food heals.

I’m a Vespa-riding free spirit with wanderlust and a recovering perfectionist.

I’m calm and grounded and also frenetic.

I’m decisive and also mercurial.

I am a dichotomy, depending on the day.

Passionate about helping others and as my company grows; I’m becoming more passionate about vigilant self-care because no one will do it for you and you’re not as valuable to others when you show up with an empty tank.

I am an authentic, highly sensitive, imperfect person who wants to surround herself with genuine, heart-centered people who strive to be present, make the world a better place, and better themselves.

2) What is the greatest challenge you have overcome/are overcoming?

Pacing my personal growth with the growth of my business.

It’s been a necessary component for entrepreneurial success and at times almost crippling when the company grows before you do.

I think when you do the work of your soul, there’s a requirement of extreme personal accountability and responsibility that forces you to face yourself again and again so that you are able to get out of your own way and unabashedly give your gifts to the world with self-assurance.

As my business has grown, it has demanded more and more of me, including aspects of myself that had not yet been nurtured or developed. It’s forced me to find strength and resolve and to consistently pick myself up when things “don’t work out or go as planned”.

Helping thousands of others heal in deep health processes requires strength, compassion, intuition, empathy, a certain degree of neutrality, and extremely clear boundaries.

It’s required me to temper my natural people-pleasing tendencies in favor of the greater good of the collective and my own personal peace and happiness.

Work-life balance is something I have always struggled with, but I’m now beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel, not necessarily because of the external things like the creation of turnkey systems, documenting processes, improving marketing, and leveraging technology, but rather as a reflection of the inner work and expanded partnership with life and spirit.

3) What have you learned?

The Top 10 Life Lesson’s I’ve learned thus far are:

1. Patience is a virtue (and one I may always aspire to and chase ;). Aim for progress not perfection.
2. Doing things right is better than doing them fast.
3. Vulnerability is an incredible strength, not a weakness.
4. Clear boundaries are healthy and essential in all relationships. However, they should not come from old wounds but rather from personal power.
5. The human spirit is amazingly resilient.
6. Being kind is more important than being right.
7. When you judge others, it leaves no space to love them –this includes yourself.
8. Every external situation, no matter how challenging is an opportunity for growth and evolution.
9. Everyone is fighting their own battle and whether they are kind and gracious or angry and stubborn, they deserve compassion –which is the greatest healing force on the planet.
10.  Acceptance of self, of others, and of “what is” is the ultimate freedom.

Worthy Women, Third Edition: Chelsea M. Casey

Who: Chelsea McLean Casey (@chelsea_rising)

Occupation: Mother, Yoga Instructor

Location:  San Diego

I met Chelsea when we both had very different lives. She was the co-owner and editor of Nostika, a Latin lifestyle and fashion magazine, and I owned JEP, an upscale fashion boutique in La Jolla.  I had her as a model in several of my fashion shows, because Chelsea is absolutely stunning to look at…but the more I got to know her the more I couldn’t stop staring.  She is one of those people that keeps getting more beautiful the more you know her.  And let’s be real: she started out as a model. So now that I have known her for about 10 years…her beauty is pretty much stellar.

We are special friends.  We don’t hang out all the time, but have always kept in touch and when we do… we get right to the good stuff. The waitress hates us because we talk so much that we take forever to order. Chelsea’s outlook on life has always been right on point, no matter what happens in her life… she is going to rise above it. She is the kind of woman that handles a challenge. If something almost devastates her, she is going to see why it didn’t and concentrate on that. And build upon that.  And keep it as a reminder to rise above. That actually happened. It’s a huge, absolutely stunning color tattoo of a phoenix rising on her entire back.

This is Chelsea, and I haven’t even begun to tell her story…because she is going to tell it herself here, and many many other times in the future across many pages, audios, and videos.

Please, join her fan club with me. Search her out on social media(details above), take her yoga class, follow her story of love and perseverance…you won’t be sorry but will be fork-lifted up with nothing other than inspiration and light.

Thank you Chelsea. Bless you, Chels. We are with you, C.

Thank you for all that you have done, do today, and especially what you are going to do with what you have been through. I already see you transmuting the ashes and flying high like the phoenix on your back.  I just can’t wait to see how high you go!

Sat nam,

Elise

Who are you?

I am a Wife, Mother, Sister, Daughter, Grand-Daughter, Niece, Step-Mom, Dog-Mom, Soul-Sister, Friend

I am a truth seeker, curious explorer, survivor and thriver, force of nature.

I am passionate. I am opinionated. I am interested in almost everything.

I seek and thrive on intensity. I crave raw, real experiences and relationships.

I love and revere beauty.

I feel the most connected in nature.

I think music is the language of the divine.

I treasure each of my scars. They tell the stories of my adventures.

I indulge lovingly in culinary arts.

I teach and practice yoga.

I am married to a Warrior King.

With my husband by my side, I gave birth to a prince at home on March 1st, 2014. Lachlan is his name. He is peaceful and robust. I love being his mother more than anything in the world.

I adore my life and treasure my blessings. I have purpose, connection, support, tons of love, a mission, and cancer.

I am a Queen, I just needed to discover my kingdom. I am a Warrior, I just needed a battle worth fighting. I am a Priestess, I just needed a reason to use my powers.

What is the greatest challenge you have overcome/are overcoming?

Stage IV Lung Cancer with metastases to the brain, lymphatic system, spine, kidneys, pelvis and colon – diagnosed July 2015, at age 35. Current status: my body is free and clear of cancer, although it remains in numerous small spots on the surface of my brain. But I am ready to let go of these now too. Cancer has led me home and reawakened me to myself. I am ready to take it from here. We proceed with treatment very soon, and with love and gratitude I will bid cancer a fond farewell.

From the beginning I knew that to fight this battle I could not get stuck on the weight of the words that describe it. Simple words cannot hurt me unless I allow them to make me fearful. They are just words. Instead I choose to focus on truer communications with my soul. My soul will not label itself. I am not a fixed creature, incapable of changing again. I can heal, I can shift. I can grow stronger.

This cancer experience is making me feel both more human, and more exquisitely infinite. There is an interesting satisfaction I feel from experiencing firsthand the very human struggle/hardship/fear of illness. At the same time I feel like it is so insignificant because I now know that the “me” I identify with is my soul, not my physical body, and my soul is made up of the same unexplainable infinite energy as Love and the rest of the divine cosmos. Simultaneously I’m feeling both hugely expansive and totally puny. This is such an interesting sensation! There’s so much richness and beauty in experiencing this duality firsthand. It’s helping me realize that I was allowing my mind to vastly limit me before this experience. Therefore, how can I be anything but grateful for the expansion that cancer is gifting me?

What have you learned?

Lung cancer can occur in perfectly healthy non-smokers as a result of random genetic mutations that occur during our lifetime.

Healing starts with the question: Am I willing to see this differently?

Devastating events are often blessings in disguise.

We have the power to choose where we pour our energy, and where we pour our energy is where growth occurs.

Wholehearted living promotes healing.

The biggest delusion/illusion we all live with is that tomorrow is guaranteed.

I am not sick. I am opening up. It is exciting and awe-inspiring. I am in reverence of the process. I have been awakened and handed my mission: to heal, to teach and to lead.

By connecting through meditation, devotional yoga, prayer, listening and paying attention, I have been awakened to the energetic force that is my soul and God. All I had to do to access it was ask for it sincerely. The challenging part is to fully trust this force that is of me and around me, and surrender to it. It’s one thing to get a glimpse of the divine and then to return to old patterns that shut off connection. It’s quite another to stay permanently connected. This is what I now practice. Fear seeps in at the most unlikely times and tries to pull me away from this light and clarity. It is daily work and commitment, but worth it because now I know I am deeply loved, I am supported, I am guided, and so is everyone else if they choose to be.

A relationship with God is a loving relationship with all that is around us. God is a source with which to give and receive love.

Prayer is an act of surrender.

Be kind. You never know how much someone else is struggling/suffering.

“Vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, courage, empathy, and creativity. It is the source of hope, empathy, accountability, and authenticity.” -Brown, Brené, Daring Greatly. She defines vulnerability as uncertainty, risk and emotional exposure. It’s not about eliminating fear. It’s not about eliminating darkness. It’s about breaking it apart and using the parts to assemble something different. Something useful and productive. In this way we use our fear to fuel our fire.

Humans are built for challenge. We are hard-wired for courage. We are hard-wired for purpose and meaning. We are hard-wired for community and belonging. We are never alone and we are never stuck.

Worthy Women, Second Edition: Ginger Che

We knew absolutely everything about each other, and I knew her well through many of the events you will read about…taking care of Marvin on her own, meeting Andy in Vegas, then having two children with him and going to their birthdays when they moved to Malibu. But we lost touch a bit with life transitions such as children and moving several locations. I knew of her health struggle and she knew of mine, but I unfortunately only saw her once or twice during these most difficult years. I don’t regret many things in life, but this is one of them.  But I can vouch for this:  when I did see her, she was still wearing red lipstick, looking stunning and being hilarious as ever. She might have been a frailer version, but she was still a radiant Goddess. You see, there are just some people that situations, people, even tragedy can’t take down. One of them is my friend Ginger. I am deeply honored to learn and share to all of you her full story…although she truly doesn’t need an introduction, and never has. You will see what I mean…

Sat nam,

Elise

Worthy Women, First Edition: Jessica Cure

I met Jessica on the, ah-hem… throat clear, internet.  It’s not what it sounds like, but it is true.  And we are now real friends. Social media gets a bad rap for too many selfies, superficiality, comparison, and many other things. But just like everything else, it is what you make it.  I see it as a conduit to share whatever is important to you, and that means different things to different people. Over the summer, I had a conversation with my good friend Cyrus who helped me get really clear about what my intention and purpose was on social media. I want to help, inspire, comfort, and be authentic.  Ever since then,  I have discovered some of the most dynamic and encouraging people I have ever “met”  on the internet and made countless meaningful connections. Jessica is one of them. In fact, I had my idea of Worthy Women for awhile, but when one of us starting following the other on Instagram and then connected through DM and then a phone conversation… I knew I had to start the blog. She was my Worthy Women muse, if you will 😉

So thank you Jessica; you are a Warrior Princess… kind, graceful and creative- yet unafraid and raw…everything a woman inspires to be 🙂

Sat nam,

Elise

Who: Jessica Cure

Occupation: (Cure Design) creating healing spaces

Location: California/Colorado

1) Who are you?

I am perfectly flawed – in my perfection I have the power to succeed and in my flaws I have the power the inspire.

2) What is the greatest challenge you have overcome/are overcoming?

This is a tough one because I feel like there have been multiple challenges that all have seemingly intertwined themselves into one. I believe it started with the idea that I needed to strive for the version of success I was told I was headed for. I was a perfectionist to the T, growing up with the sub-conscious beliefs that these collection of perfect skills somehow made me good and valuable. Although learning and setting goals for myself have been great for my life, it was the goals I had that were off course. These needs I had were disillusioned by the world of consumerism, media and the “perfect” looking woman.

I had my first flare with Ulcerative Colitis when I was 15 years old. I remember taking my AP World History Final while running between the bathroom and lying on the classroom floor. I struggled with pain early on and thought I just would learn to live with it, not putting much thought into what was making this pain worse. Fast forward ten years where I was living a life towards these “ultimate” goals, with the beautiful home, fancy car, regiment workout and eating schedule to keep myself looking a certain way, which would facilitate more success in a very dissatisfying lifestyle. I began to get sicker and sicker both mentally and physically. I was so sick with Ulcerative Colitis that I ended up passing out making my bed, and was rushed to the hospital where I was pumped with drugs and sent home only to get worse. I was flown back to California, where I am from, to be admitted to a hospital with a severe C-difficile infection screaming in pain. Looking back on this it almost doesn’t seem real, but this moment changed me forever.

Deep down I had always known I wasn’t meant for that sort of living. I loved nature, art and travel. I wanted to help others and share. I wanted to follow a path with deeper purpose and connection to the earth. I was looking around me stuck in a hospital bed in isolation feeling like a science project gone wrong. How could this be what life was meant for? It wasn’t! I started researching and reaching out to anyone I knew with guidance and answers. I suddenly realized the people that had come into my life, who I had always felt a deep connection with, were the healers… and then went to them for support. I looked to the internet and found some great mentors such as Christine Roseberry, Just Glowing with Health, who sent me the book The Live Food Factor. I started to chip away at my life and began releasing what wasn’t good for me and trusting that the answers would come. I remember crying in yoga class every day, as I told myself to let go of this or let go of that. Asking for guidance of what to do next and feeling very alone. THIS WAS THE HARDEST THING I EVER DID AND AM STILL WORKING ON. TRUSTING. Trusting that letting go and following my intuitions was going to be ok, was major work for me. I had a lot of toxic relationships that needed walking away from, but one day I left it all behind. I didn’t know where I was going, but I knew everything in my life had to change.

I moved to Colorado alone, very sick and very tired. I ended up in the hospital again on steroids because I was so scared of losing my colon, not making it out of bed, not being able to live or meet someone who could love this broken version of me. It was all so fear-based, just writing this brings tears to my eyes. After the hospital I began this new journey of self-love and self-care. I was walking to the park just to take off my shoes and wiggle my toes into the earth, I was creating the most wonderful sacred space just for me, where I would make healing and healthy meals, take long nighttime baths, diffuse calming scents and play music where I could just be me. Fully present. Fully letting go. Shedding the layers of an old belief system and connecting with ME.

This doesn’t mean it wasn’t or isn’t still hard, but I now have so many tools I can use. I remember being in a yoga class while on steroids, looking in the mirror and feeling very horrified by the face staring back at me. The effects of yet another drug making me feel so unbelievably sad and alone. These dark and sad moments changed me, they made me more gentle, more caring for others and more understanding that we all have these moments. They need to be felt, they need to be released and they need to be shared.

3) What have you learned?

I have learned that I will never be done learning. Life is beautiful in this way. I’ve learned to wake up every day and choose love and happiness, while releasing fear. I’ve learned that this isn’t always easy and it takes work. I have learned to trust what the universe is giving me and how this has been the thing that has set my soul free. I have learned that trusting in nature and natural healing practices are a better choice for me. I have learned that I can create my own sacred spaces and create the energy I need to feel connected. I have learned that this makes me happier and healthier. I have learned that there are waves of ups and downs, but that is part of life’s beauty. Everyday I am learning from relationships, trying new ideas, working with my passion, Cure Designs (www.curedesigns.com), and connecting a web of loving souls along this journey.