Leia at the Wudang Temple
For me it is all about finding a balance in a world that has lost its equilibrium.
As a child I loved to exercise. I was a competitive figure skater. I swam, taught swimming, danced and walked a LOT. You would think that with all of that movement I would burn through any excess emotion…. Sadly I inherited a very emotional monthly cycle from my Mother. She used to say that she only had one good week in a month and for many years, I thought that would always be my fate as well.
This hormonal imbalance that the women in my family suffer from, is what fueled the passion to seek and restore balance in my life.
I kept trying to outrun my emotions, to exorcise them. Finally, at the age of 37 my body gave up, I broke it. Tremendous pain invaded my being and I no longer could get so emotional without it hurting too much.
I started small. My first firm decision on the road to transformation was quitting coffee. Even that small gesture had a deep effect in keeping me calm.
I continued to reach deeper.
In 2006 I discovered Tai Chi and suddenly years of pain and resentment began to fade. I started with the traditional 64 Yang style movement form. I practiced with a teacher three times a week and at home, every second day to start.
As I watched the knots in my body and in my mind unravel I realized this was a tool that could help thousands of people. I saw how quickly I released things I held onto for many years. I wanted to see if I can learn this practice so deeply that I can teach the people around me how to do this for themselves. I knew that learning this practice would make a world of difference in the lives of my children. They benefited right away and would forever have this tool in their toolbox as they moved on with their lives and away from my protection. I moved my family to a Chinese Kung Fu school in Wudang China. We spent two years there training, homeschooling and sharing memorable moments with the foreigners and the Chinese who trained side by side with us. It gave me the tools I needed to finally heal and truly transform into a healthy happy version of myself. I freed myself from my pain and I found balance through movement especially but not only from Tai Chi, and Qigong.In 2017 I graduated from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition where I learned how foods affect our bodies and our emotions. I learned to cut out foods that could be considered healthy but were triggers for my difficult emotional states and from there I found the final piece to the puzzle to living in a peaceful emotionally balanced state... most of the time
Overall, China was life-changing
In China, I learned that when things aren't feeling right if I practice Tai Chi then everything settles back into place. I learned to work and communicate with people from every possible walk of life and background. I understood the benefits of collaboration.