Hello there,  my name is Sophia. I have recently joined the wonderful team at Our Botanicals, and I am excited to be sharing some of my personal journey and health knowledge with you here. I know many of you who are subscribed to this newsletter are on a unique wellness path. My hope is to be a source of knowledge and inspiration for you to continue healing with more confidence and self compassion.

I started on my own health crusade over five years ago when I realized I wasn’t feeling so good in my own body. I was unhappy in my relationship, playing out addictive patterns with substances, eating a lot of rich and fatty foods, and weighing the most I ever had in my life. I felt uninspired and depressed at times, and started having weird symptoms like small rashes pop up on my skin. I knew everything I was experiencing was ultimately signs of me being out of balance, not only with my food, but several areas of my life. I had hit that tipping point where I was not only desiring change, but I was ready for change–a great place to be when I look back at it.

I watched this movie which you may have heard of called ‘Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead.’ I myself, wasn’t near death, but just to be clear, I felt that If I didn’t make drastic changes in my lifestyle, a part of me would die. Sometimes things FEEL that desperate. This movie made me aware of the power of juice feasting, WOW. I was inspired! I kindly asked my partner at the time if he could take that camping trip he had been talking about and give me some time to focus on my first juice cleanse. Sometimes you need to do things on your own.

Beginning My Healthy Living Journey

I remember going to the farmers market and loading up on fruits and veggies. I took my Jack LaLanne Juicer out from under the cabinet, and for the next 7 days only drank juices…one day I had a banana smoothie (I was struggling.) I should mention that 3 days before this cleanse, I did my very best to eat a light and healthy diet to prepare my body for such a change.

I remember it was around day three when I felt a fog lift from my mind; I had a sense of clarity I hadn’t experienced in my life before. I started writing. I made a list of all the changes in my life I was ready to make, all the things in my life I was ready to manifest. This list was pointing me in a new direction, the path I knew deep down I was meant to be on. I finished my seven day cleanse ten pounds lighter, with a new set of taste buds desiring healthy foods, and a  new sense of purpose and direction for my life. Soon after, I ended up leaving the relationship I was in, moving out of my apartment, and creating a new way of life from a higher awareness. *** Side note- You don’t have to leave the ones you love, the place you live, or your job to create transformation in your life; this was just what I needed at the time.

It was after making this list that people and things started showing up in my life. It certainly felt like a higher power began to put people in my world that would lead me down a path of learning that I never could have expected. I began to study and experiment with plant based foods, raw veganism, detoxification, and natural medicine.  I discovered a community of friends who loved living a healthy lifestyle and wanted to bring out their own highest potential. I’ve had the privilege to know and study under many incredible health teachers, and to be inspired first hand by their passion for what they do. In 2012 I studied with Dr. Robert Morse, which introduced me to the power of natural medicine and the bodies innate ability to regenerate itself given the right circumstances.  It was through this path of detoxification that I experienced loads of emotional baggage fall away from me. I saw so clearly how the physical body was truly connected to our emotional and energetic bodies.

Finding Balance In My Life

To this day I am still learning and finding my own personal balance with it all. In the past 5 years I have had many close friends and family come to me with health challenges, some situations more serious than others. I’ve been able to take what I have learned and help guide others.  I would never claim to be an expert, as I believe we are all students.  I do what I can when I can, and it has brought me a lot of joy to be of help. Throughout my whole journey, one thing has become increasingly clear–in our day and age we can all benefit from learning how to take better care of our bodies. Detoxification isn’t something just for those who are experiencing dis-ease symptoms in the body. We are truly overloaded with more toxic chemicals in our environment than ever before. It’s time that detoxification methods are learned and shared amongst our families and friends so we don’t wake up one day and feel the way I did several years ago–out of balance with my true self and not feeling good at all.

The great news is that there is an increasing awareness around eating in a way that heals the body and doesn’t harm. There are more practitioners learning about holistic medicine then in the recent past, and if you put your intention out there you will find many individuals eager to help you achieve your goals and find the answers to meet any health challenges. At Our Botanicals we hope to be a guiding light as often as possible, and supply those who are suffering with the herbal supplements and knowledge around food that will assist in bringing our incredible bodies to a place of wellness and vitality.

Q: How can we live out our divine purpose and follow our passion if we don’t have the energy or the health in our bodies to do so?

Well, I have left out many details as I imagine you may not be ready to know me inside and out. But I hope to continue to share as time goes on. I would love to hear from you. Where are you at? What are you up to? How does it feel? What changes can be made? What can you appreciate about this moment?

Thank you for taking the time to read this and please connect with me when you can. I will do my best to respond to each of you.

All my love,

Sophia