Category: Self Study

Finding Balance: My Journey to Mental Wellness

“Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.” – Carl Jung

As we moved into 2025, I took a much-needed mental health break from blogging. I focused my energy instead on personal reflection and growth. Coming off a difficult injury recovery, I knew that I wasn’t in a good place and needed that time. I had a micro tear in the arch of my foot, which was not responding to PT. Could it be that I was not going to bounce back this time? Was this part of the aging process? Would I no longer be able to engage in the activities I loved? Would I live in constant pain?

Choosing to step away and focus on my wellness was a hard, but necessary decision. I needed to put myself first and ensure that I didn’t give up on the journey to reclaim my health. I had done that when I gave up running, after my last marathon. This led me to the unhealthiest point in my life – overweight, stressed and depressed.

Healing Plan

In January 2025, I went to my doctor frustrated and in tears. I told him candidly that I needed to find something to help me heal this foot. I told him how hard it was not to be able to engage in the activities I loved. I expressed clearly that it was affecting my mental wellness. I needed a plan of action to heal my foot, because I still had pain with gentle walking.

We discussed alternative treatments that I could try and I settled on dry needling and electric stimulation. By February, after painful dry needling, I was able to walk without a limp. The PT gave me the green light to try gentle yoga classes and see how the foot felt. I then added a beginner Barre class, which offered great stretching of the foot. By late February, I walked back on the pickleball court for the first time in months.

Self-Reflection

During the months I was struggling, I engaged in a lot of self-reflection and journaling. Self-reflection can help you get unstuck by giving you a clearer understanding of what’s holding you back. By examining your thoughts and feelings, you can identify patterns or fears that are keeping you from moving forward. It helps you recognize your strengths and areas where you might need improvement. By understanding these aspects, you can set realistic goals and take action to achieve them.

Reflecting on my history, I realized that my identity was strongly tied to my ability to engage in sports. When that was removed, I tended to give up on living a healthy lifestyle. It also affected my mental wellness and confidence. Therefore, my motivation was coming from external sources, not intrinsic sources.

I believed my pursuit of wellness was driven by my commitment to health, but discovered it was fueled by my need to compete. Therefore, rooted under all that was my need to be valued. This understanding has helped me set healthier sports goals as I move forward. It’s definitely a work in progress, but I am making better choices when planning my fitness goals these days.

Begin Your Self-Reflection Journey

As in my case, starting a self-reflection journey can be transformative. Here are three tools that helped me, and can help you, to get started on your journey.

1. Set Aside Regular Time: Dedicate a specific time each day or week for self-reflection. Choose a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted, allowing yourself the space to think clearly and deeply about your experiences and feelings.

This was hard for me, but early morning seems to work best. I need to have the house alone to truly have space to self-reflect without distraction.

2. Start a Reflection Journal: Write down your thoughts, experiences, and emotions in a journal. Reflect on what happened, how you felt, and what you learned from your experiences. This process not only helps in organizing your thoughts but also provides a reference for observing patterns over time.

I purchased journals in bulk to always have on hand. I used a separate journal for self-reflection.

3. Ask Yourself Reflective Questions: Use guiding questions to delve deeper into your thoughts and actions. Questions like “What did I learn today?”, “What am I grateful for?”, or “What could I have done differently?” can help you explore different aspects of your experiences and gain new insights.

In my case, I asked, “When have I felt like this before?”, “What could I have done differently?”.

Reflections on My Journey to Heal

Reflecting on my journey through injury and self-discovery, I’ve come to appreciate the impact of self-reflection on my personal growth. By taking a step back, I’ve set myself on a path toward a more balanced and fulfilling lifestyle. While the journey is ongoing, I am empowered by the self-awareness I’ve gained, which will guide my wellness journey.

Whether you’re facing similar challenges, or starting self-reflection, every step moves you toward a healthier self. Please share your experiences in the comment section to inspire and connect with us all. As always, feel free to reach out to me directly at laurakump@reclaiminghealth.blog.

Understanding the Injury Recovery Cycle: A Personal Journey

I’ve been taking a much needed mental health break these past few weeks, enjoying some down time. I received some bad news from the doctor regarding my injury recovery just prior to Thanksgiving. Hearing the words, degenerative damage, really sent me spiraling. I had been trying to hold on and push through, so hearing those words felt like a gut punch. Ironically, as bad as it was to hear, it was what I needed to move forward.

I’ve really been in a rut this last month. As my recovery time wore on, I became quite frustrated and deflated. I spent a lot of time trying to kick start my motivation and couldn’t quite get anything going. Having been through this before, I recognized that my mental wellness was suffering. While quite common during injury recovery, that should not be underestimated.

My thoughts recently have centered around injury recovery time and mental wellness of athletes. I am not a high level athlete, but I have always enjoyed participating in sporting events and working out. I thrive when I train and engage in these events, physically and mentally. I think it is the structure of training that fuels me. I love to workout for a purpose – i.e., to run longer distances, or run a distance in a shorter time. I strive to lift a heavier weight or to add a set to the lift. Knowing the end goal really pushes me to do the work.

Recently, I had been focused on my performance in pickleball. I’ve been working out at the gym to improve my performance, as well as drilling and playing games. I made steady progress and was truly enjoying the sport. It felt great to be part of the pickleball community. When the injury occurred, I assumed it would be a quick recovery. As the time passed and I still experienced pain, I began to try to navigate my way through.

I’ve come to understand that there is a cycle many athletes go through when recovering from injury. It doesn’t matter what level you are, though I imagine it’s far worse when you are an elite athlete. What matters is that, much grief, there are stages you move through as you work toward recovery. The mental aspect of this process is what I have been focusing on.

I have a competitive personality. I thrive when I am striving to accomplish a goal. I love to figure things out and especially love the learning process of it all. When I was a runner, I wanted to learn everything I could to make me a better runner. Same, in my professional life. I was always striving to learn and grow. My personal identity was strongly tied to my ability to run the distance, or improve my school. With an athlete mindset, I dealt with life through my sport, it is part of who I was. I was a runner, I was a Principal, I was an athlete.

The athletic part of my life became a strong coping mechanism for me, both growing up and as an adult. What a fabulous stress reliever to go out early in the morning for a long run, or workout. I started most of my days with an early morning gym session, run or walk. Therefore, when I get injured, it can feel like a personal threat to my identity. Suddenly, it feels like my life is altered and my routines disrupted. The morning athletic time is no longer an option, leaving me feeling isolated and sad.

I want to share my journey through this injury cycle. I hope it helps anyone else dealing with a similar situation.

Stages of Injury Cycle

Much like grief, there is a cycle people can experience when they experience an injury. Those, like me, who engage in training outside of professional sports, are no exception. The cycles do not necessarily follow a linear order. Instead, we go through them in response to our personal experiences. Here are the stages and my response to each.

1. Denial

The day I sustained the injury, I knew it wasn’t good. But, I thought if I stretched, I would be fine. When stretching did not help, I knew enough to leave the court. I went home and iced my foot, followed by compression and elevation. I thought for sure I’d be fine in the morning. I planned to take the next day off and expected to be ready to play by Saturday. I truly didn’t think it was anything serious. Honestly, I still haven’t canceled my playing commitments. I’m still going week by week, hoping to be back on the court. Denial of the injury is quite common and considered the first step in the recovery process.

2. Anger

As the days went on and turned into weeks, I started to get frustrated. I could barely walk to the corner without feeling pain. I didn’t understand why the pain wasn’t getting better and refused to stop trying to walk. Each day I got angrier about this inconvenience. I was angry at myself for not doing a proper warmup before playing and blamed myself for the injury. I was angry at my body for failing me. I was angry that I was missing so much playing time.

3. Bargaining

At this point, I was desperate to be done with the injury. I decided to rest for a few days and see if that improved my recovery. It was as if I said to my body, I’ll give you a week of rest, then will you heal? I remember thinking I just need to stop exercising entirely. I’ll recover quickly and it’ll be worth it. When that didn’t work out, I’ll admit I was back to anger. That’s what I say the cycles are not experienced in a linear fashion. When my bargain failed, I was right back to being angry. I was thinking, I gave you what you wanted, why are you not doing your part. It is quite frustrating!

4. Depression

Right before Thanksgiving I felt like I was at my lowest. It have been 8 weeks and I still wasn’t feeling better. Every day I had pain and I was ready to just give up. I remember hobbling in to the doctor’s office that morning and telling him I needed help. I shared with him everything I had done to improve and that nothing was working. I said there must be something he could recommend. I was on the verge of tears and said, soon I’ll be chubby and depressed. I will admit he was very patient with me and truly explained things to me. That is when degenerative issues came up. My feet have logged a lot of running miles. Many years of long distance running and training were not kind to my body.

5. Acceptance

This was the lowest point of my journey. I also think it was the moment that slapped sense into me. It felt like there was a moment of clarity for me here. I understood better the timeline and the reality of my injury. I also understood that it was not my fault entirely and I had done nothing wrong. As I drove home from the doctor’s office, I was extremely upset. When I got home, I got my gym bag packed and headed to the gym.

I decided that day, that I had to do something different. I was going down a slippery slope and needed to find something that wouldn’t cause pain. That day, I did something I’d been resisting. I put on my swim suit and got back in the pool to swim laps. I knew that meant I accepted my injury for what it was. I also knew that I still needed something athletic to engage in to improve my mental wellness. Swimming is something I’d done in the past when recovering from tendon repair surgery. I can’t say I love it, but it is very therapeutic and a great workout too.

Next Steps

I am two weeks past the news that this injury is way more than I anticipated. I have created a new schedule for my workouts. I have been able to lift weights throughout the injury, just modifying for anything that puts pressure on the foot. I’ve now added one mile lap swims two days a week. I also tried a Barre class locally and was able to do the class without pain.

My new routine has been so helpful for my mental wellness. I am focused on my recovery and finding ways to engage in movement is an essential component for me. I am now working out again, six days a week with one full day of rest. I started dry needling at the doctor’s recommendation. It is a bit painful, but I do feel it is helping.

My best advice is to find solace in setting new goals and focusing on other areas of your life. Injury recovery is tough, especially when you are used to being highly active. It is hard to accept that you are not able to just push through. Take that energy and use it to fuel your recovery. For me, setting new goals and focusing on other ways to move has been a lifeline.

I would be very interested to hear about your journey with injury. What have you found helped you the most? Please share in the comment section below, via email at laurakump@reclaiminghealth.blog, or on Instagram.

Transform Your Health by Accepting Yourself

As part of any health journey, I believe we need to address our inner critic and make peace with our true self. Removing our masks and accepting ourselves as we are, not striving to be who others say we should be, can be so empowering. For far too long, I was trying to change my outer self, without addressing my inner self. I think this is why I failed, time and again on my health journey. 

Read part two of the post I shared last week, by clicking the box below – Kritajna Hum: I am gratitude. If you missed part one, you can find that here. I hope you feel inspired to reflect on your inner critic and find ways to embrace your self, just as you are right now. It could be the key to moving forward towards wellness, it was for me.

Kritajna Hum: I am gratitude

Looking forward to spending some quality time with my family this week, cooking and hanging out. I hope you have some time off as well. Please do share in the comments any thoughts you have on this two part series. As always, I look forward to hearing your thoughts and feedback. Remember you are perfect just as you are. Feel free to email me at laurakump@reclaiminghealth.blog if you’d like to discuss your wellness journey, or have any questions about my posts.

Transforming Setbacks into Strength: My Weight Loss Story

“Strength doesn’t come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn’t”. – Rikki Rogers

When you are on a weight loss journey, the path is often littered with obstacles, and injuries can feel like major setbacks. I know this first hand, as I’ve had major injuries throughout my journey. I’ve suffered three (3) femoral stress fractures and one (1) peroneal tendon repair surgery during my time as a long distance runner. These repeated injuries were behind my decision to step away from running and contributed to my emotional struggles and significant weight gain. I’ve learned the hard way, that the way you approach these challenges can make all the difference. A resilient mindset not only helps you navigate your physical limitations, but also empowers you to maintain motivation and sustain progress.

Embracing a positive outlook can transform an injury from a roadblock into an opportunity for growth, demonstrating that mental strength is just as vital as physical strength. I am working through this right now, as my recent MRI shows I have peroneal tendinitis in the arch of my right foot. There is also evidence of micro tears. For the past two years, I have been paying pickleball extensively, walking and doing yoga. I have been pain and injury free and thought I was over the hurdle of dealing with these types of injuries.

In the past, I allowed injuries to let me give up, so I know that I have to work hard to keep my focus and maintain a positive mindset. My last injury sent me on a downward spiral and left me 80 pounds heavier. I lost most of that weight and do not want to lose any momentum. I have been reminding myself daily, that this is just a bump in the road, not the end.

I have been doing a lot of reflection on moving through this setback. I focused on finding ways to use resilience. With that in mind, I needed a simplistic definition of what resilience is and how I could use it. I crafted the following plan to maintain motivation and mental strength, as I move toward recovery. What follows is my thought process and the plan I crafted to use moving forward.

What is Resiliency

Resilience is the ability to adapt and recover from setbacks, and it can be applied to both weight loss and overcoming injury.  Resilience is the ability to manage stress in effective ways. It’s not a choice of attitude, or something you’re born with. Rather, it is skills that can be developed by repeating specific behaviors.

This understanding led me to reflect on what skills I could employ as I navigate through my injury downtime.

Using Resilience When Overcoming Injury

With that definition in mind, what resilience skills could I employ when overcoming an injury, while trying to lose weight? Here are a few examples: 

  • Practice self-compassion: Be kind to yourself and prioritize mental and emotional well-being 
  • Shift your perspective: Remind yourself that the injury is temporary. 
  • Continue to move your body: Modify movements to continue moving your body in any way that you can 
  • Follow through with a rehabilitation program: Put in the work to build strength 
  • Maintain a positive attitude: Focusing on the progress you’re making, not just the end goal

With these skills in mind, I made a list of specific actions I would take. I then narrowed it down to those I felt most reflect my personal struggle.

My Resiliency Action Plan

For each of the skills, I developed a specific action. My recovery time is 4-6 weeks and I will adjust this plan as necessary.

  • Practice self-compassion: I will recognize when I engage in negative self talk. I will notice and reframe those thoughts, thinking about what I would say to someone else who was in my shoes.
  • Shift your perspective: I will remind myself daily that this too shall pass. I will engage in reading and other activities I enjoy to pass the time.
  • Continue to move your body: I will pay careful attention to any pain I feel in my foot, as I engage in movement. I am able to continue with weight training routines, modifying anything that would involve that foot. I am able to take short and slow walks, skipping or modifying if I feel any pain during or after.
  • Follow through with a rehabilitation program: I will attend all PT sessions and follow up at home between appointments.
  • Maintain a positive attitude:  I will use the calendar to track my progress and celebrate milestones along the way.

In Conclusion

In conclusion, overcoming obstacles on your weight loss journey requires resilience and a positive mindset.

  • Setbacks are natural, so celebrate small victories and learn from challenges.
  • Stay flexible and adjust your goals as needed, and
  • Don’t hesitate to lean on your support system.

Remember, this journey is about more than just numbers; it’s about becoming a healthier, happier you. Keep pushing forward and embrace every step!

What strategies have you found most helpful in overcoming obstacles on your weight loss journey, and how did they change your perspective on setbacks? Please share in the comment section below, or send me an email at laurakump@reclaiminghealth.blog.

The Impact of Giving Up Running on My Health Journey: A Reflective Journey

“Movement will give you access to joy that will dramatically improve the quality of your life.” – Kelly McGonigal

I’ve been reflecting a lot recently on my current health journey. I feel like I’ve learned so much about myself through this reflection. It’s no secret that this last journey has been by far my hardest. There were many causes that led me to my lowest point, I can not just name one. It was like the perfect storm, a particularly bad or critical state of affairs, arising from a number of negative and unpredictable factors. In isolation, each event that happened was life changing. In combination, they served to wreak havoc on my mental and physical health.

The past four years have been some of the hardest in my life, but as they say, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. I am finally in a space where I can reflect on all I’ve learned through my experience. To share, my perfect storm consisted of the following events coming together, 1) physical injury that caused me to give up running; 2) COVID pandemic; 3) death of my mother.

I’d like to reflect today on the impact giving up running had on my overall wellness, as I believe it was deeper than I ever imagined.

Physical Injury

I was always a runner. I was up and out early mornings with my father as we ran around the neighborhood park. The loop was 1 1/3 miles and we did 3 loops to start our day. Later, I ran track in school and found I wasn’t good at the short, fast events, but I could run long distance. I’ve run 5k, 10k, Half Marathon and Marathon races. Running was a great sport for me, as I loved the time spent outside in nature. It truly is meditative.

During 2017 and 2018, I was training for the NYC Marathon. Both years, I did not make it to the starting line as I sustained a femoral stress fracture up near the hip joint. This injury required 12-16 weeks non weight bearing, followed by physical therapy. In 2018, I also sustained three broken toes. My body was definitely telling me it was time to cut back on running, but I had always wanted to run the NYC Marathon.

In 2019, I knew I wouldn’t be able to cover the training distance needed to get to the starting line, but was determined to get there. I used a different approach that year, cutting back on training run distance and working more on my functional strength, stamina and cardio. I signed up for CrossFit and used that as my main method of training, coupled with shorter runs, no more that 10 miles. That year, I was able to complete my goal and finish the NYC Marathon.

As excited and proud as I am about that goal, I know that I sacrificed my body to achieve it. I finished this race with another femoral stress fracture and this one seemed by far to be the most painful. I was back on crutches and back to the healing process. I knew that would be my last race and promised my family I would give up long runs. What I didn’t realize was how hard it would be to give up running and what role running played in my health journey.

Mental Wellness

When I returned to work, following the marathon, I was back on crutches. I was mad at my body and mad at myself for doing this to myself again. I truly felt that my body had failed me and didn’t understand why. Knowing my training and running days were over, I seemed to have less interest in recovery or maintaining my fitness levels. I had what I describe as a pity party and ate anything I wanted regardless of the fact that I wasn’t moving at all.

Going through COVID shutdowns and the death of my mother a few months later, I had no motivation to heal or do anything. If I couldn’t run, I didn’t want to do anything. I gained so much weight during this time and looked like a different person. When I look back now at the photographs, I don’t even recognize myself.

I didn’t understand that movement, not just running, had played a pivotal role on my wellness and its absence would have a profound impact on me.

Movement

I now realize the role movement played in my life beyond just running races. Movement was critical to my overall wellness, both mentally and physically. If I look back, I was running 4 miles most mornings with my dad around the park before the sun was up. Training for long races, required me to do long distances before work, meaning I was up and running most mornings before the sun was up. I’ve seen so many sun rises out on the road and never realized how important seeing them was to my overall mental health.

When I knew I wouldn’t be running anymore, I gave all that up without realizing it was the glue that held me together. Post-marathon depression may not be a clinical diagnosis, but it’s real. To put it into context, when you accomplish any goal that you worked toward for years, it’s only normal that a letdown occurs when it’s over. Add to this the knowledge that it was your last running event and you can see how deep the loss is.

When I finally pushed myself to get back out there, I was walking. It was different for sure, both in distance covered and effort, but it felt good to lace up my shoes. I like to say walking saved me. I wish I had known just how important movement was to my health. I never acknowledged that, just saw it as training or a work out session.

I’ve learned that, movement is vital for overall wellness as it significantly improves both physical and mental health by reducing the risk of disease, boosting mood, managing stress, and improving cognitive function. Essentially, it contributes to a better quality of life across various aspects of health. My journey can attest to these facts. When I stopped moving, my health declined both physically and mentally. In its absence, I was not well. When I started moving again, my wellness both mentally and physically improved.

Movement can take many forms, and there’s no one-size-fits-all approach.  Movement can include things like, walking your dog, mowing the lawn, sweeping or raking leaves, working out at the gym, swimming, playing pickleball, taking a yoga class. Honestly, the possibilities are endless. The more time we spend moving and not sitting the better we will feel.

Movement in My Day

  1. Walking – I walk outside twice a day, once when I first get out of bed, before the sun rise and once in the afternoon. I do this regardless of the weather, but do have access to a treadmill should I need to stay indoors.
  2. Pickleball – I play pickleball almost every day, either drills or competitive games.
  3. Weight Training – I am currently lifting twice a week, but will be adding in a third session soon.
  4. Yoga – I try to grab a yoga class whenever I have time.

Possible Movement at Work

  1. Walking – Walk around the block after you park your car before entering the building. Walk at lunch.
  2. Walking pad – They now sell walking pads that you can place under your desk to allow you to get your steps in. I haven’t used one to recommend, but here is a an option that looks portable enough – Walking Pad Compact Size
  3. 1 minute Exercise sessions – Set your timer for 60 minutes. When the timer goes off take a short walk, or do some air squats, or wall push ups in your office. Just get up out of the chair.

Conclusion

I find being outdoors walking in the early morning, before sunrise, to be magical. It’s so quiet and still out there and it’s truly unlike any other time of the day. I’ve been starting my day like this for over 50 years now and didn’t realize how critical it was to my health, until I stopped doing it. I am so thankful to be back out there and know that it’s helped heal me. I hope you find time to experience that time of stillness and beauty in your health regime. There are many proven benefits you will get, mentally and physically. For further reading, consider this article:

6 Proven Scientific Benefits of Walks at Sunrise or Sunset

I’d love to hear about your journey. What has helped you along the way? What roadblocks are you facing? Feel free to reach out to me at laurakump@reclaiminghealth.blog, on Instagram or Facebook, or in the comment section below.

Miracle Morning

“Good morning is not just a word. It’s an action and a belief to live the entire day well. Morning is the time when you set the tone for the rest of the day. Set it right!” — Fain Blake

In his book, The Miracle Morning, Hal Elrod argues that everyone is capable of achieving their dreams in every area of life. The answer is found through committing yourself to a morning self care routine, which can empower anyone to transform any area of their life in a surprisingly short time. Mornings have long been my favorite time of day, especially early morning before the sun rise. I just love the quiet and stillness of the morning, before the world has awakened. I’ve witnessed so many beautiful sunrises, especially here at the beach and I’m most productive in the morning.

Hal Elrod, in his book, describes a specific morning routine you can follow each day. I have followed that routine for many years effectively. Lately, I’ve made some tweaks to my morning routine, to reflect my current exploration and learning about health and nutrition. I’m leaning into Ayurvedic teachings and exploring some simple morning routines. The Little Book of Grounding: Seventy-Five Simple Ways to Restore Balance to Your Mind–Body–Spirit Using Ancient Ayurvedic Teachings for Today’s World, by Karen Sibal, is a great place to start if you want simple information and advice about Ayurvedic teachings. It is currently being offered digitally for free on Amazon.

What is Ayurvedic Nutrition

Translated from Sanskrit, Ayurveda means “science of life.” Ayurveda is a complete system of medicine in India, which includes the prevention and treatment of disease. One focus is on nourishing the body through food, eating for balance and harmony with nature and using nutrition to address health concerns, along with conventional care.

Ayurvedic Eating Principles

In her new cookbook, JoyFull: Cook Effortlessly, Eat Freely, Live Radiantly, Radhi Devlukia-Shetty shares in a practical manner, principles of an Ayurvedic lifestyle, with a focus on food and simple morning wellness routines.

Ayurvedic Principles:

  • Eat Seasonally – Nature provides us with food for every season. Eating from these seasonal foods will help balance your energy. When we eat seasonally, we are said to be better nourished.
  • Eating Organic – Buy locally grown foods which are organic. Realistically, this can be challenging depending on your location. Frozen fruit and vegetables, along with no salt canned bean options can fill any gaps. Also, if you cannot afford organic, use guides for the most important produce to spend the extra money on. One such list is known as the Dirty Dozen shopping guide, found for free on EWG’s website.
  • Cycles of Nature – Our bodies follow the circadian rhythms of nature. Eating your meals in alignment with this rhythm is important. Breakfast is the warm up for the day and your digestive fires. A warm breakfast such as stewed apples, or a smoothie are good to get your body moving. Lunch, is the beginning of our highest energy part of the day and we should consume our largest meal at this time. Dinner time finds our body getting ready to transition towards sleep. This meal should be a light meal, so as not to interfere with this transition, or the quality of our sleep.
  • Snacks – It is believed that we get all our nutritional needs from our meals during the day, making snacks unnecessary.

Morning Routine

After reflecting on my morning routine, coupled with these ideas, I made a few changes. The new self-care routine, is based on information provided in the Joyfull Cookbook. Here is my current daily routine:

  • I wake each day at 5:00 A.M.
  • Self-Care & Reflexology Routine :
  • I stand on my Daiwa Felicity Foot Massager Reflexology Mat with Magnetic Therapy Acupressure Disc while I wash my face, brush my teeth, dry brush my skin and apply massage oil. This disc is used for reflexology, which is a therapy that applies gentle pressure to specific points along your feet to help you feel better. The theory is that this will ease stress, and help your body work better. I wear thin socks when doing this and am working towards being barefoot on it.
  • Mouth care – I use a tongue scraper to remove the film from the night off my tongue. It is believed that tongue scraping removes debris and bacteria from the tongue, improving mouth health and bad breath. It may also improve your sense of taste. I then brush my teeth and follow this up with oil pulling, using a perfect blend of oil, vitamins and herbs that leaves my breath, teeth and gums invigorated for hours.
  • Skin & Body Care – I wash my face. I then begin to dry brush my entire body, using upward strokes towards the heart. I make circular motions with the brush on joints and the stomach area. Dry brushing is said to exfoliate and detoxify skin. Once I have dry brushed my entire body, I apply massage oil , working it into the skin, using massaging strokes. This oil moistures your skin and has a warming effect on me. If I am going out early, I shower following dry brushing and apply the oil after my shower.
  • Breakfast – When I enter my kitchen, I light my scented candle on the stove and begin to prepare my food. Most days, I have a smoothie because it’s easy, but I do rotate in some Chai Oatmeal (Recipe found in Joyfull).
  • Morning Movement – I go for an early morning walk, often the sun is just starting to rise. Some days, I go a little bit later after journaling, reading and reflecting. It really depends on the events I have planned for the day. If journaling and reading, I sit in my chair with my scented candle nearby. I plan to add some breath work here, but have not started yet.

This morning routine really is very simple, but powerful, my favorite kind of routine. It helps me enter the day in a great frame of mind and energy. I have been far less stressed, so it definitely is easing stress and anxiety for me. If I didn’t say this already, I do not have the morning news on during any of the routine. I like to sit in the quiet of my home. I’m very excited to see how the new skin routine helps my dry winter skin!

If you’d like to try any of the routines mentioned above, I highly recommend you consider purchasing the Joyfull Cookbook as a great tool. The recipes are fantastic, nourishing and easy to prepare. Radhi’s simplicity in explaining her beliefs and morning routines are an added bonus. The cycle of the body aligned with nature, really made sense to me. I had been eating my main meal at lunch for years, but it was helpful understand why it is important.

If you have any questions about my morning routine, or where to start, please do not hesitate to contact me via email at laurakump@reclaiminghealth.blog, on Instagram or in the comment section below. Let’s make use our morning routines to capture the energy, strength and beauty of the sunrise.

*All items are linked in the post, and as an Amazon Associate, I may receive compensation for any purchase made. I thank you for the support as it helps cover my expenses for running this website.

Growing Wings

“There is freedom waiting for you,

On the breezes of the sky,

And you ask “What if I fall?

Oh but my darling,

What if you fly?”

– Erin Hanson

When I was teaching, I absolutely loved being in the classroom. I was first asked to be an Instructional Coach back in my early years of teaching and didn’t want to leave the classroom. My Principal at the time said to me that within my classroom, I would impact the lives of my students for the year they are with me, maybe beyond. If I stepped outside the classroom and worked with educators, I’d have impact on many more students through this work. In the end, I made the transition and loved it, going on to become a Principal a short time later.

My Principal was right in his advice, sometimes we have to step outside our comfort zone and share our knowledge and learning with others. It has been said, that the knowledge we gain, if not shared or used, is knowledge wasted. That’s one of the reasons I started this blog years ago, as both a source of strength for me on my journey and to engage with others on similar paths. It is through these connections that I both learn and share my learning.

Over the past year, I have engaged in the study of nutrition and wellness. I am now a Certified Wellness Coach. I am finishing up my 200 hour yoga teacher certification to become a Yoga Alliance Certified Yoga Teacher and taking an additional 20 hour course on Somatic Yoga for Therapy. Additionally, I am completing an 8 week deep dive into Whole Food Plant Based Nutrition. I know it sounds like a lot, but I have always been a certified knowledge junkie. I love to learn and would have chosen full time student as my best career! I am now beginning to think of ways I can share my learning with others. I’m developing plans to begin sharing my learning in a more systematic way.

What I believe I can offer to the conversation on health and wellness, is a deeply rooted understanding of what high stress, example, from executive level positions, can do to one’s health and wellness. I have lived through that journey and know that most corporations don’t offer plans, or take into account how to provide continuous systems to address wellness. Merely offering discounts on outside plans, or apps is truly not enough, as most people don’t take advantage of them. I am hesitant to dip my toes in the wellness water, as I feel the imposter syndrome voice raising her voice in my ear, but will push through those doubts.

I’d also like to work with women like me, who have tried many times to get this right and failed. I’ve lived that journey as well, starting over time and again. I have learned so much this past year, that I wish I knew during the past eight years of my health journey. Perhaps I would have had more success along the bumpy road. Perhaps, I was meant to fail over and over to push me to learn more and find my way. Perhaps I am right where I’m supposed to be. Many of you have reached out and shared your connections to my journey and that has fueled me forward. I’d love to get some groups going and will launch one in the coming months on my Instagram page. I will offer fully online groups, as well as in person for local people.

I’d like to deepen the sharing of my personal journey and use that as the vehicle to help others get started. Most of us are afraid to put ourselves out there and ask for help. We fear judgement from others who are in optimal shape and fear we are too far gone to be able to make this journey. I am living proof that it is never too late to try again. I am going to put together some specific content to help others get started on their path to reclaiming their health.

As you know, I am a small steps, big results person. I know full well that if it feels complicated, it likely won’t happen. In the coming months, I’ll be working on building some content and will be sharing information here and on my Instagram page. I hope you’ll take this journey with me in some form. I always learn from your journey and feedback. Even if just one person is helped by something I share, I will consider myself successful.

If you have any questions, feedback, or comments on any of my blogs, reach out to me via email at laurakump@reclaiminghealth.blog, on Instagram or in the comment section below.

Svadhyaya – Study of Self

“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” – Aristotle

The word svadhyaya means to engage in the study of self. It is deep work that seeks to go beyond the mind’s explanation of who we are, to find the true essence of ourselves at our core. It is work that can help us realize who we truly are, through recognizing our habits and thought processes.

Throughout our lives we are guided by voices inside that seem to know right from wrong. Some call this our conscience, others the divine. I call that inner voice our ego as many times we are acting out of a sense of self preservation, proving we are indeed deserving and good enough. I also call it the inner critic, the voice that criticizes, doubts and causes us endless anxiety. We live our entire lives with these conversations going on in our minds, but rarely take the time to study them. It is, however, through engaging in the study of self, we can become more aware of the things we do that harm us, and also those which serve us on our journey to reclaim our health. 

Ways to Engage in Self Study

The practice of svadhyaya requires complete honesty in our reflections when we view ourselves. We need to stand strong throughout this journey, because the work is not always comfortable. We also need to remind ourselves daily to give ourselves grace and not revert to self criticism. As with anything, we are not seeking perfectionism in self study, but rather the freedom that truly knowing ourselves can provide. Here are some basic ways to get started on your study of self:

Being a Witness

This is an important stance to take at the start of our journey. We spend most of our lives reacting to situations without thinking. Being a witness means we take a step outside ourselves, to witness from a nonjudgemental stance. Our work is to notice how we are acting, feeling and what we are thinking. The point right now is just to notice, not judge or seek to change. It helps to write down what you notice so you can begin to see the patterns of you. For example, I noticed that I avoid conflict in my relationships. In looking at how I engage with others, I noticed that when I perceived conflict of any kind, I avoided the relationship. I believe this is done for self preservation, as a way to avoid being hurt, but I am still exploring this pattern.

Reading to Learn

You can choose what you want to read to grow and become more self aware. There is no shortage of great texts to learn from including, scripture, self-help books, websites, podcasts, etc. As you read, or listen, reflect upon how these words and messages resonate with your beliefs and actions. The work is not the reading, but rather the act of reflecting on the messages. The first books I read, back at the beginning of my learning, were The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz and When Things Fall Apart, by Pema Chodron. I also read The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women by Valerie Young. I joined a women’s book club to grow and learn about new books. I read so many great books over the years as part of this online club. You can check it out here – https://www.badasswomensbookclub.com/

On the Yoga Mat

I’ve found I learn the most about myself on the yoga mat. When I engage in a practice, I witness patterns that parallel how I respond to life situations. For example, when I experience discomfort holding a pose I notice my mind races as it seeks to get me out of that pose. Pigeon pose is one that I am most uncomfortable in and one that I avoid in my practice whenever I can. This avoidance mirrors my avoidance of conflict in relationships as I seek to avoid discomfort. Additionally, when I practice yoga and focus on my breathing, I notice how often I hold my breath, leading me to wonder how my breathing works throughout the day. You will notice all the places that your body is holding tension and begin to unravel those.

These are just a few ways to get started on your journey of self study. I am at the beginning myself, though I’ve practiced yoga for years on and off. I have long focused on the exercise aspect of my yoga practice, but now feel ready to dive into the inner work that comes with it. I hope you will consider joining me on this journey to self.

If you have any questions about this post, or how to get started, please do not hesitate to reach out via email at laurakump@reclaiminghealth.blog, Instagram or in the comment section below. Namaste

*As an Amazon Associate I may receive compensation for any affiliate links provided. This helps me offset the cost of running this website, so I thank you for your support.