I believe that everyone deserves to feel good.

The next step in my journey was my junior year of college– after 4 blissful months studying abroad in Australia, I returned to my home university ready to put my best foot forward on the field and in the classroom. The universe had other plans– almost overnight I had a 104 fever and no voice. After recovering or so I thought from that, I woke up at 5am with excruciating nerve pain in one arm and swelling and achiness in every single joint in my body. I could feel every articulation of my spine creak as I rolled over in bed– I felt like I went from 20 years old to 90 years old in the blink of an eye. Endless blood tests, multiple doctors, months of spiking a fever every time I Walked outside and endless days in bed in pain, and suddenly, almost as quickly as it started, I began to feel better. I was passed around from one doctor to the next, given nothing to handle the pain and no answers. The Mystery Illness was eventually labelled as “post strep arthritis” and oh I probably had mono at some point in my life and that was that.  I was lost, disconnected from my body and still in pain. I felt raw and vulnerable from the constant questioning and blaming from doctors and I didn’t know who to trust– definitely not my body and definitely not the doctors who were supposed to help me.

I was banned from doing high impact exercise and anything that might put pressure on my joints.  Finally, I was cleared for more movement and somehow yoga fell into my lap.  I started going weekly and fell in love. It was the first time I felt good in a long, long time.  At the same time, I started seriously looking at what food I put into my system. As a lifelong picky eater, I literally didn’t eat anything green for 15 years, I started exploring fruits and vegetables I had never given a second thought before. I think my mom and dad almost passed out in shock when I told them. The combo of mindful movement and mindful eating helped me slowly but surely come back to myself.

I entered my senior year of college ready to blaze a new path.  I envisioned myself strong, powerful and capable– a leader on the field and a role model off the field. The next step in my journey, I would never see coming. It was the Spring of my Senior year of college. A college tradition of watching the Boston Marathon after practice turned dark fast. The year was 2013, I was close enough to the second bomb to the vibrations move through my body and knock me to the ground. I remember screaming, being pinned between a table and a wall and then my instincts kicked in. Split second decisions led me to safety when a wrong turn could have led me to worse. The aftermath of that series of events introduced anxiety, panic attacks and PTSD to my life. All I wanted was to finish my lacrosse season and graduate in peace.  I used alcohol and binge eating as coping mechanisms, not really understanding that I wasn’t solving anything by numbing myself. The next 6 or so months were filled with a lot of anxiety, a lot of keeping busy and a lot of not dealing with the pain. I moved home for a few months which helped me with stability and gave me a support system and then I headed off on the adventure of a lifetime– living and working in Ireland followed by backpacking. My anxiety was still there but the daily walks to work, exploring a new country and finding yoga again (plus the support of some new and old friends) helped me get through.

The anxiety, panic attacks and PTSD all came crashing back when I moved back to Boston and tried to start my career. Except this time I knew drinking and binge eating weren’t the answer.

I dove headfirst into learning everything about yoga, found meditation and was first introduced to therapy.  It shifted my perspective, the way I moved in the world and how I handled stress.  After being rejected from Physical therapy school the first time I applied, I used my extra time to pursue my 200 hour Yoga Teaching Certification. That changed the perspective and direction of my career permanently.

I entered Physical Therapy School looking for a more holistic and mindful approach to the human body and mind. I came with the perspective of my patient experience in the back of my mind and a deep knowing that our healthcare system could do better. I was different from my classmates. Equally as excited but itching for something more, something deeper, something that looked at the whole person, not just the injury.

After Physical Therapy School, I headed straight into my first big girl job and within 6 months, burnt out.  I stayed at the job for another 6 months, long enough to develop severe gut health issues, chronic pain, extreme levels of fatigue and anger I didn't know what to do with.  I almost lost a lot of people close to me and I really turned into someone I didn’t know. I felt like a failure and like I wasted my 20s pursuing a dream I actually hated instead.  I wanted to be a Physical Therapist since I was 16 and my first job out of school crushed me.  I kept asking myself “What is wrong with me? Why can’t I hack it?” I quit because I had no other choice, I didn't like who I was anymore but I didn’t have a plan.

 I started toying with the idea of starting my own business but was afraid and unsure if the next few years would keep me in Boston. Then my Aunt Patti died suddenly. At the age of 59, she went to bed and never woke up again.  Again, it felt like my world was crashing down around me.  I didn’t believe it. I couldn’t accept it. One thought that was on constant repeat in my head was “but, she had so many plans for her life.” It was in that grief process that I realized that nothing is guaranteed. We can spend our whole life waiting for that one day or that one moment that will change our life or we can go out and find it.  I didn’t want to wait for when I was more settled or more ready. I decided that it was now or never. I was starting my own business.

It was then that Live Good, Feel Good was born.

In the midst of the worst of my burnout days: in pain, bloated, barely being able to eat, angry beyond words all I could wish for was to “FEEL GOOD.” I would grumble about it in frustration to my partner, Chris. 

I.JUST.WANT.TO.FEEL.GOOD.

And now, I just want to help others feel good. 

That was July of 2019.

Since then, I have grieved a lot, I have busted my ass and I have learned to heal myself.  I have practiced yoga, studied new modalities, found meditation again and learned what it really meant to own a business. I also experienced my first pandemic and once again, had the rug ripped out from underneath me. Except this time, I had my health and I had my partner, Chris. This time I had a dream that was bigger than myself. A dream to help people feel good. To help them become their own healers.

A dream to bring people back home to their bodies.

That dream fueled me and that dream brought me right here, to today. 

I joke that a series of unfortunate events brought me here. And it’s true. It wasn’t a smooth journey and sometimes I just want to shout “UNIVERSE, I get it.” but damn, am I grateful. Because I get to work with people like you.