BONUS Cracking the autoimmune code "Embrace a new path forward"

Are you struggling with an autoimmune or chronic condition, feeling stuck and unsure of how to move forward?

Living with a chronic illness can be overwhelming, leading to fear, isolation, and uncertainty about the future.

But there is hope!

This is the final day of the 3 day masterclass series "Cracking the autoimmune code" where you'll discover a new path forward that empowers you to take charge of your healing journey and find the relief you deserve.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU'LL DISCOVER:

- The importance of self-compassion, self-care, and community in the healing process
- How to shift from an inner critic mindset to an inner coach mindset for sustainable healing
- The power of a personalized, body-guided approach to managing chronic conditions

You'll come away with a renewed sense of hope and the tools you need to embrace your healing journey with confidence and clarity.

OTHER LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: 

• Book : "The Mindful path to self compassion" by Christopher Germer
• Book : "The art of extreme self care" by Cheryl Richardson
• Website: Dr Amy Myers
• Website : Dr Mark Hyman
• Website: Dr Terry Wahls

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Transcript

Welcome to Embrace Your Healing Journey, a podcast for women with autoimmune and other chronic conditions to help them navigate the illness without fear of isolation and uncertainty and find relief from their symptoms. Your body is your guide and ally in healing. If you are ready to embrace this journey with compassion and awareness, then the show is free. During weekday, as I, a Functional medicine certified health coach, delivered tips and insights that demystify the healing process, guiding you towards the relief you deserve so that you can feel healthy and happy once more. 1s

Welcome to day three of this masterclass series Cracking the Autoimmune Code. I am so happy to, you know, be a part of your journey in this week. The last three two days have been amazing. So you've been waiting for the. If you've been waiting for the final day, then welcome. Yes. So today is day three and I'm bringing it all together as we embrace a new path forward.  So I don't want you to be stuck where you were before, prior to this week, prior to Monday. I want you to be able to move forward. I want you to be able to I mean, I want you to feel empowered and confident that there is a way forward. And it's not something, uh, you know, it's maybe something that you did not know of earlier, but now you do. So, uh, that is, uh, you know, you should be able to implement some of the things that we have talked about, or at the very least, now you have a roadmap that's going to help you to keep moving forward. Right. So. So this is what we're going to cover today. I have talked about, uh, different, uh, you know, uh, different aspects of autoimmunity or human disease progression, autoimmune spectrum.

 But today I'm going to bring it all together. So this is what we had covered yesterday. In fact, I'm going to bring it all together and, uh, you know, cover some things that are not really talked about much. So I'm going to start with something called inner critic versus inner core, which is one of my favorite slides. In this presentation, I'm going to talk about something that's usually missing from most people's healing journeys or, you know, their, uh, toolkit, as I call it, healing Toolkit. And I was also going to, of course, talk about the Healing toolkit, maybe reasons why it's not working for you. You've been trying different things. And of course, the renew model that I briefly spoke about yesterday and, and, uh, because I wanted to leave day three by envisioning a life that goes beyond your illness, that goes beyond your symptoms. Right. So which is filled with growth, wellness and fulfillment and also understand the importance of a personalized approach. That is something that is often missing. And of course community. I'm talking about community.

And then I will bring up, uh, these two amazing women, uh, before we keep moving forward. So I'm going to give our guests time to get, uh, ready to come on, come on the stage. Uh, we're going to have a short but interesting discussion. Uh, and I think an eye opening discussion of what your path forward can also possibly look like. Right. I want to give you a 360 degree overview. I mean, it's, uh, of course, I'm giving you a lot of information. I'm educating you about autoimmunity, chronic illnesses. But I don't think that's often enough. It's you need to also feel and you need to also believe in your body. You need to also hear stories of transformation that they want to share. And you know, that hopefully will give you the courage to decide what your next step should be.

So I'm going to bring Palak and Sonali on stage, and we are just going to have a quick, uh, discussion. Palak, Sonali. welcome back. Good morning. I just wanted to have a before I continue with the conversation. With the presentation for today, I wanted to have a quick, uh, you know, kind of a discussion about, uh, some of the things that, you know, most people ask me about and that I thought that it's best that they hear from some, you know, uh, from a couple of women who have made this journey, uh, with me as their guide. But I think I have made this journey, but I made this journey many, many years ago, like, actually almost I started doing this about ten years ago. And I think hearing from people who have recently gone, uh, undergone this transformation and, you know, uh, have seen changes and are now convinced that their body actually holds a lot of the answers is amazing. And I wish I had somebody like both of you to sort of give me the hope and the courage. Ten years ago, you know, it would have made my life much easier. So I want to make give that to our audience here. And that's exactly why I brought you on board.

Some of you, uh, would have seen them yesterday and day before and day one and day two. Uh, but today, I think I'm just going to quickly sort of discuss a few important aspects. And so let's taste let's start with Palak. So, uh, you know, you've shared your story. So, uh, you know, uh, I think, uh, you've already shared your story, but if you can just share what was your biggest shift or right when you actually started your journey from this world? And after that, what was your biggest shift or, uh, breakthrough.

 What was it that changed for you and what is it that made a huge difference?
 
 It was not just health, but, uh, like, I mean, I don't that you didn't transform my health, but, uh, we will as an individual. So. And it was not just diet or knowledge. It was more than that. 1s Uh, I mean, you guys really overcome my fears and without pushing the limits also. Uh, I mean, um, before, uh, this, uh, audition sessions, I didn't know that, uh, what strength I have. Because while going through the sessions, you, uh, like, ask us to, uh, uh, fill some forms, and we come to know that, yes, we have those strengths. So I knew that, yes, I have these things in me, but I didn't know that, The strengths that I think strengths is one of the things in a healing tool. And actually such that's an important point. We don't really know what strengths. Thanks a lot for sharing that. You would like to also share. What was your biggest shift or break through actually.

 It's complete transformation inside out. It's changing myself as an individual characters. And so I think one of the biggest things when we know ourselves, um, um, it helps us to navigate so many things to our life.  Your willingness and your health. It is completely related to that. Because when you know yourself, you are able to navigate stressful situations. Um, I never knew I had so many inner demons and suddenly joined the program and found exactly as I have come to face that and accept that that is a path of need. And you know, accepting situations the way they are people, the way they are. That reduces your stress level to a very large extent. And believe me, everyone, everything is hinged on stress. You may be having the best of food and the best of supplements. I know I sound like Amanda, but this is what she's told me that you may be doing. Doing it all. May not the best exercise, you know, resistance training, everything. But this will stretch then. Um, uh, you know, then it it topples the whole, uh, you know, the whole thing. So understanding yours, I think what this program does is and it's not just like any other program, which is all about. Okay. Uh, you know, you have a diet chart driven and do this, this, this or that. Think of less checklist to be done. No, it doesn't work. That sort. 2s You've got to know yourself better to be able to deal with everything you know around your soul. It's hard to explain and put on this. You're not the winner of the chance. Both of us have gone through, but it's been tremendous.
 
 Thank you for sharing. I think, uh, you know what? the reason I asked this specific question is this is the difference between knowledge, uh, which is a big part of it, of course, knowledge and awareness, which is the functional medicine part of it. And the coaching. And Palak will appreciate this more because actually, uh, gone through the entire training one year and rigorous training program that I went through to become a health coach. She's also a certified health coach. Now, she's joining the team here. So it's the coaching also that is, you know, that makes a huge difference. It's not enough just to know what you need to be doing. You need to know how to do it. You need to know how to sustain it. You need to know you. And for that, as you mentioned, you need to know yourself. It's not about me giving answers or anybody else giving once. And the answers have to come from you. And that's when the magic happens, right?

And that's what coaching brings about. Answers all come from you. So I keep asking questions. You'll see that. I keep asking questions here as well. It's two questions. And it's not random questions of course. So it's two questions that those answers that you have been looking for come out from within yourselves. That's the power of coaching, right? So I think that's the reason I ask that question. And I think the last thing that I want to ask, uh, again, is what, you know, you already mentioned this, but what is one piece of advice for somebody who's feeling very overwhelmed? And it doesn't have to pertain to the coaching program per se. I mean, so where you were at at the beginning of your journey, what is one thing that you know when you look back that you would have told yourself? So, uh, again, you can start.

 So I think of me just to take a deep breath in. So that is what we have learned in coaching. Also before starting the coaching also. Like the coach also has to take a deep breath, uh, so that we are fully present.
 And that, uh. I mean, are you really getting better? You were really getting better.
 And, uh, link is there is someone who will be leaving me. Or is there someone who will support me,
We don't want. but when I, uh, like when I'm standing here and when I look back. So, uh, that time we used to think that there's no one supporting me.
 But now I know that, yes, there was a support.
 Maybe in some other form, maybe not in the coaching form or, uh, in the diet. Far more so, but in some other form. There was a form. So they did. 1s You don't think that is?

 There is hope. There is hope. So it's only because you are, uh, actually being guided by your own body or going within, rather than getting or trying to get all the answers from outside. Probably. And that's the kind of support. And if you can get additional support, like a community, like a coach, nothing like it. But I think you're right for a lot. You have to support yourself first. So thank you for sharing that.

If you would like to also just talk about that, what is one thing that you tell yourself or on somebody else who's on the cusp or the beginning? 1s Okay.
 
 You know, for me, I think it was very embarrassing to a woman. I wanted the quality of my life to get better when I didn't want to be stuck where I was. And hence, um, you know, taking charge of my health. And I'm glad that I landed. Okay, now. Okay, let's talk beyond the confines of the program. Is if someone looking to, you know, bring about a, uh, you know, turn a corner in their health. And it's important I can repeat that as a woman. As a woman. You know, so much is hinged on you. It affected my professional life, um, my life and my family life. There was nothing else beyond just feeling tired. And I think we we've got to take charge of that. And, uh, you have to take ownership of your health. And always waiting for someone else from outside to come and tell you that, you know, this is this needs to be done. Um, then it gets difficult. Um, one can even ask what what happens beyond the confines of a program? You know, I'll fall off the wagon. That's what this program does. And that's the difference of this program, is that you will not fall off the wagon because you'll know yourself better. You've got the toolkit. So for everyone who's listening here, even I was there a few months ago wondering what's the toolkit all about? But believe me, the toolkit is all about knowing your body and knowing yourself. And generic as this may sound, um, uh, you know, so generalized, I sound like, you know, um, listen to your body and all of that, but your body becomes your best friend and your biggest guide. Uh, I'm 1 or 1 month away from, you know, uh, completely. I mean, I've completed the program one month after that. There were times I would like, you know, getting back to another and telling her things, but I just listened to what my body was telling me. And then you get the get the answers. Where are you going wrong? So you will get the answers. You'll have to make a little tweaks and shift here and there, and then you will. You'll be back on track again. So that's the, uh, that's the, you know, um, advantage, the bonus, either hunt or whatever. This program that what it does it it gives you that it empowers you. Actually, you know, as long as a word that we use, you know, often empower, but it actually empowers you, you will not need anyone else after that.

Yeah, it's always been. And we know that intuitively when we are intuitively when we are small children, babies, toddlers, we forget it. So it's like a reminder. It's like reminding ourselves all over again. It's not that we didn't know this. We knew all of us knew this when we were very small children. But the conditioning and etc. and other things and life experiences, you know, we forget. So it's like remembering, reminding ourselves. So thank you for putting it so beautifully. And, um, this is where, uh, we were stuck. This is, you know, this is a story. This is a story. This is my story. Uh, and, uh, today you see me standing in front of you hosting this masterclass live series, educating you. Uh, you know, I'm considered one of the authorities on our community in India. Uh, I was, uh, you know, on the Indian Association of Functional Medicine summit conference. So I am doing all of this, and I'm amazed by especially I'm amazed by all the heartfelt feedback that I received from all my clients like Sonali. Like you will hear from Naila a bit later on today. Um, she recorded a video for you. So I'm always humble and you know, I'm still amazed by the transformation that my clients see even after all these years. But again, not too long ago, this is not how it was not too long ago.

I remember that, you know, we were struggling, I was confused, I didn't know where to, uh, you know, what to do next. I didn't know, uh, you know, what would happen the next day. So by that time, my daughter was already on oral steroids and immunosuppressive medications for almost a couple of years, she was only seven years old, and life for us was filled with doctor visits. Life for us was filled with antibiotics, you know, uh, medicines, uh, weekly visits. Because and because she was on immunosuppressive medication. She used to have weekly blood draws. Right. Imagine your child having a weekly blood rights, you know. So all this is very well. And it was not too long ago, and I was. Filled with doubt and self worry and worry, self doubt and worry that, you know, uh, this would not get better, right? And I was exhausted because the emotional toll that it took on all of us was, was a lot. Especially when you don't really see you know I right at the beginning the light at the end of the tunnel. But I refuse to give up hope. I refuse to give up hope. Uh, even if it meant that I would have to, you know, look for answers for the rest of my life. Right. That's what I think. You know, having a child who was in pain and suffering does that to you. But I want it to be true for you, too. So for me, it was almost a year of research that I came across Doctor Amy Myers. I still remember those three functional medicine practitioners, Doctor Amy and Doctor Mark Hyman and Doctor Terry Walls. And that's what gives me the courage. That's what gave me some hope, a glimmer of hope. This was way back in 2014 and talking about and, uh, when I heard how Doctor Terry Walls had gone from being in a wheelchair because of a progressive and degenerative multiple sclerosis. Who started walking and running again. That gave me hope. Doctor Mark Hyman story gave me hope and Doctor Amy Myers. And today I don't want you to go away from this.

This week, this masterclass series. Believing in something that is not true, that is, you can't get better. Right. Believing in, believing in something like that. Your body is betraying you. I don't want you to go from this masterclass series with these kind of misconceptions, and I don't certainly don't want to be stuck in a disease. Merry go round, going round and round in circles where so many of us are. You know, at some point in our life your body knows what to do. Your body knows how to heal itself. But it needs your support and your compassion and your love. And that's what we're talking about today. And I hope that these three days will open your eyes to different possibilities, because this is the question that we typically ask ourselves that, uh, you know, uh, will I ever recover from this? How long will it take me? How can I help myself? And that's the reason I brought in Pollock and beginning. Because I want you to hear from them that, yes, you can recover from this. Uh, you can get better. There are ways, you know, for you to. There are parts for you to take. And today I am going to be sharing such a such an opportunity right at the end of the presentation. So make sure that you are there if you're watching this on replay. This opportunity is there for you till Monday 8th of April. So don't worry. Uh, and I'll be sending out mails so you'll have ample time to decide and see what is right for you. Because, uh. Why me? What's wrong with me? I should have known better. All this kind of thinking. This kind of criticism is what keeps us stuck. And I don't want you to remain stuck anymore. Right? If there's nothing. I mean, even if whether you join the program, whether you go for the opportunity or not, I want there to be a shift in your mindset. I want there to be a shift in the way that you think about your health, about your body specifically. Right? Because a lot of times this is where people remain stuck. And, uh, this is what we call in coaching inner critic versus inner coach.

And uh, as coaches, as Palak will, uh, will also testify, we are taught to be coaches for ourselves first. It's like saying that, you know, um, I want to teach somebody swimming when I don't know how to swim. I mean, I can read all the books about swimming, but I unless, you know, physically get into the water and actually start doing laps or swimming, I can't teach somebody else.  So as coaches, we are trained to look for these things, to become coaches for ourselves first. And I think it's this was one of the, you know, biggest benefits of my training that I'm sharing with you because it's helped me personally, right. It's of course helped my clients, but it also helped me. And this is something that, you know, I actually do with all my clients moving from an inner critic mindset to an inner coach mindset, right? And I will be doing such activities inside the program, but it's all about moving from a problem oriented mindset to a solution, moving from a fixed mindset that nothing can change, nothing can get better to a growth mindset, I believe I can change. I you know, it's not over yet. There's a big shift and these shifts make a huge difference in your life, right? Open, uh, afraid of change? That change is going to take place whether you like it or not. Uh, being afraid of it is just keeping you stuck. So an inner coach mindset basically makes you open to change, right? Because typically what is missing from most people's, um, most peoples, I think I moved forward about one second. Yeah. So typically what is missing from most people's and I call it a toolkit for a reason is compassion, self-care and community. Uh, and all three.

So my coaching program had compassion and self-care. My one is to one program that I've been doing for the last seven years. Uh, compassion runs through. And I actually specifically, this is self-compassion, compassion for yourself. Self-care forms one of the three pillars of my three pillar framework that I use. And it is also it also forms a part of the model that I'm going to talk about. Renewal model. But the community angle was missing. And this opportunity that I'm sharing with you, this group program is going to plug that gap. So the community is what I'm bringing in this time because I think as I mentioned and as Ballard mentioned, additionally, just having someone who's listening to you, but also having a community of, you know, like minded people on a similar journey, travelers on the same path can make a huge difference. Like it helps you to stay on track. It helps you to feel inspired. It gives you a lot of insights when you hear other people, right? When you hear other women who are also going through the same thing, you don't feel so alone because there is another way, right?

 And I think by day three, if you've been watching all three days, even if you're on replay this much, you've understood that there is a way to get better. And it starts by listening to yourself, listening to your body. Because this is not the entire toolkit, but this is the toolkit that I was talking about. It's not so much of a physical toolkit as it is a mental and emotional toolkit, but I think that's where we get stuck the most, right. The physical toolkit is much easier to deal with. It's your diet, it's your menu, it's the supplements, the lab testing that's kind of your physical toolkit. And of course that is there. And I provide all of that for my clients. But I think what gets missed out is this toolkit, because this is what's going to keep you and help you stay on track. It's not about getting well for six months or three months and then sliding right back. Where to start it. Right. So self-compassion empathy I talked about positive mindset, growth mindset, self-awareness, calm courage, character strengths and character strengths. So you will hear all my clients talking about all of this. These are the toolkits that I had, because I want you to understand that this is key to actually see the transformation that you want. I think again, by day three, you understood me talking about transformative healing, not just healing, not just getting cured. Right? This is this is how this is a very different way of dealing with chronic conditions. And this is highly effective. And I think this is what is sustainable. So what you like about your body, what you don't like about your body. Right. The common humanity is that all of us have issues. And even the most perfect specimen of human body anatomy, even there is, there will be some issue that is there. It's not constant, it's not static. So give yourself compassion for the difficult emotions that you might be facing. This is just a snapshot of something that is there in my coaching. And that's why I just thought I'd share this slide here, because compassion is often what is really, really missing that you have been doing everything else, right? Right. You've been, uh, doing your diet, right? You have been doing your supplements, right? Your exercise, and you know everything else. But it's about doing. It's not about being. And, uh, there is there is this suffering because, you know, we are here because we have some health issues. Right? So then that compassion has to come in. And I love this, um, quote.

 And there is, uh, this book, The Mindful. I love to just let you know when the book is. It's on self-compassion by the same author, Christopher Germer. The brilliant book on. I think the mindful path to self-compassion is what his book is called, but it really opened my eyes when I read this book several years ago. It opened my eyes. And actually, this was the book that has, you know, that made me, uh, you know, sort of integrate, um, compassion into my coaching program. I did not happen happen on day one. It has happened gradually, but this was the book that opened my eyes and my path. Compassionate. Christopher.Germer So you can check it out. Um, and it can literally change your life, right? Because, uh, again, we get hung up on self-care, uh, because and this is again, something not not spoken about.

Self-care is spoken about separately. It's like a separate thing, activity that you need to do. It's not it has to be a part of your day to day life. Right. That's the first thing. It is not selfish. It is not indulgent. It is not luxury and doesn't need to be time consuming. Uh, self-care can look like this. Many breaks in your day. I had a client who was extremely busy, uh, professional woman, and she had a lot of stress in her life, and she had no time. I mean, she had no time to do, uh, honestly, she really didn't have time to do say, uh, take 45 minutes, uh, you know, yoga session or meditation. And she wasn't willing to do that. It's both lack of time, etc.. She was not ready. But what she had was certainly, you know, five minutes in the day. So we actually brainstormed and she came up, as I said, coaching is about. You finding the answers within yourself. It's not about me telling you. Of course I'm guiding you, but I'm not telling you what to do. And she came up with these ideas that, okay, I can take these mini breaks in the day. So like five minute, five minute, five minute, five minute breaks in the day. Just take a breather, just pause. Maybe just do nothing. You know, just sit there, listen to music. You know, just the the self-care, that self-care. It's not time consuming, right? Because again, um, many of us are conditioned to think that we need to be perfect. We need to do and I, you know, talk a lot about this, not in this presentation, but we need to be perfect. We need to do everything. We need to do all of it. I have been there. I think, uh, I think, uh, you will also be able to relate to it. Um, and we don't want to ask for help. Help is might might be seen as weakness. And maybe we've asked for help and support from the wrong person. And sometimes, you know, we've got rejected. That does not mean that we should not be asking for help and support. And as women, we have a specifically I mean, it may be for men as well, of course, but, you know, we have a problem or I at least I had a problem asking for help. And, uh, it's, you know, that also contributes to our, uh, issues because, um. Honestly, you are the most important investment that you will make in your life. We talk about other investments, financial investments. We forget about the most important investment that is ourselves. And I'm talking about not only our physical body, but our mental, emotional and spiritual parts of ourselves as well. You know, you have this I don't know about, uh, future lifetimes, etc. or not, whether that works or not. But I certainly know that this is the life that we have on this planet, and it's a limited time that we have. So, you know, I would invest in myself, my mental health, physical health, emotional and spiritual health, all of it, because this is the biggest investment. You know, it's I find it to be very, um, ironic, uh, that many of us end up actually splurging on these designer handbags. I mean, I also have, uh, but splurging on designer handbags, uh, you know, big cars and luxury cars and very, very, you know, highly priced objects. But the food that we put in our body, you know, it can be almost I know it can be as as, uh, probably highly processed crap food.  A lot of times we do that and we and I've had I've spoken to people who are not willing to spend that extra money on their food, maybe do a bit of organic stuff, maybe more veggies or high quality products. But they have these fancy cars. They have these fancy clothes, designer clothes, designer bags. But the one body that they have in this lifetime, that that one body that is their home and the only one that they will have in this lifetime they are not taking care of.

 I mean, I find it very ironic and unfortunate because, you know, we take it for granted. So anyway, so I'm just going to come back on track, um, because self-care is connected to your health, right? It, uh, you know, your health requires consistent self-care practice. It's not about doing something on the weekend. I mentioned, I think on day one that, you know, we talk about exercise. We think it's going to the gym. No, it's about moving your body constantly. I mean, in the sense our body is designed to move. It's not designed to sit still for seven, eight hours and then suddenly be exercising in the night just before going to bed. I mean, that's the worst time to exercise because it raises your cortisol levels and you don't get proper sleep at night. Uh, you know, better time is to do it, you know, in the first half of the day. So anyway, so all of that and then so this is consistent. It has to be consistent. And there are certain things that, you know, we I talk about rituals, morning rituals, evening rituals that actually brings that consistency in a beautiful way. . Without having to make it into another to do list for you. And it's against healthy activities, but you need to prioritize it. It's not going to happen on its own. It has to be on your calendar, just like you, uh, put in your child's appointment with the doctor. Your appointment with the doctor. It's the same thing. You have to put on these things in your calendar. It's not going to happen otherwise. And it means making different and healthier choices. Right. So that's what health self-care means.

And I'm going to talk about the RENEW model in a bit. That model actually, you know, one of the uh, aspects of that model is actually about self-care. And there is a book and I think it's called The Extreme Self-care. And that is where I came across this term, extraordinary mothering. And I love that word. You know, how we take care of like, how I took care of my child. And I'm sure if you are a mother, you you've done that. You are doing that. Rather, it's about extraordinary mothering, right? It's about being there for your child no matter what. No, you know, whatever your child needs, I want you to think about, like, you know, do that for yourself now, for your body, for your mental health, for your emotional and for your spiritual health. You know, whatever ways that you need to support yourself. So because, you know, in a world that we live in, which is so fast paced, which is filled with so much of distractions and dizziness, uh, you know, I think even though, you know, we need to be a bit more radical than we had to be maybe 100 years ago, 50 years ago, our brains have actually not caught up with the developments, with the technology that has actually, you know, developed at such a fast pace. And we are sort of there's an evolutionary mismatch and we are struggling to their bodies are struggling. Our brains are struggling with the kind of information overload that is there. So anyway, I will not digress from this topic, but I think sometimes we need to go against the conventional norms of health, right? So what is healthy for somebody else? Uh, you know, lack of sleep. So I am known to basically, uh, go to bed early on most days. And, you know, I have heard a lot of jokes about that or, you know, she's just acting like, uh, right. My,  pet name is Tina. So actually, my friends online joke and say, well, I said I don't want to, you know, come out or go out on today, Friday night or this weekend because I've had a very hectic week and it's been quite stressful. And then I say, you know, I just want to stay at home. I want to go to bed by ten, 1030, uh, or read a book or something. And I'll be, you know, jokingly told, oh, now you're just acting like Tina, right? That's my big name. Uh, because I'm going against the conventional health norms, right? We should be partying. We should be going out. We should not listen to our bodies. That we are tired when we are stressed doesn't matter. We need to be out there, right? That's not true. So that's why I talk about extraordinary mothering. And that's why I talk about radical self-care and going against the conventional norms.

 I want to talk about the approach that is, uh, that, you know, sort of I've been leading to this slide, actually, all this while. It's an approach where you're guided by your own bonds. So I call it the body guided approach, where your body is your friend I talked about it. You've increased your level of awareness about your own body. And you've now started to support your body's healing process, because this is what I want you to stop doing. And I hope by now you have sort of got an idea that, you know, uh, a lot of times, especially in the case of opportunity, what happens is that the message that we get from the media, uh, you know, because we don't know what's going on. We don't really know why our communities happen. So of course then we are confused and we start thinking that, you know, we need to be at war with our bodies. They're suppressing the immune system. We are killing off cancer cells. You know, it's like fighting infection. So while the words, you know, we need to survive, that's okay. But I think sometimes these words can mislead us. And then we start thinking that it's a war that's going on, but you can't really be. Peace. If you are fighting with your own self, right? Which is which is the only home and, uh. And you have a choice. You have a choice to stop being at war, and you have a choice to listen to your body's whispers, because before your symptoms becomes a scream, like I talked about yesterday and before that, symptoms on a message from your body that something is wrong. Pay attention and you don't want it to become a scream. But the first thing is that you need to stop being at war with your body. So this is where, uh, you know, I want to, again, focus on. I keep talking about it again and again. because what I want you to get from today's session is clarity.

Clarity about also the way that you need to think about your health, like your healing journey, uh, the way that you need to think about your healing journey is what does your body need to feel nourished, not nurtured and healthy. Right. And it's not maybe something that you thought about earlier. What is something that you can do to support your body?  This I wanted to change the approach that you have been taking so far. And even the language that you use with your body. I don't want to get into the details here. You know, we don't have enough time to cover that. But the language that we wrote, the way we talk to ourselves is very important. The way we think about our own bodies is very important. Everything affects everything is our thoughts, affect our emotions, affect our body at a physical level, at an emotion. They are all interconnected, like it's the mind body approach. That's why you are here, right? If medications are the only solution, then you know chronic illnesses would really go away. That's not how it works. We and that's not how our body works. And the other thing that happens is that using a very genetic approach also doesn't really work because the it's not really personalized for you.  And the reason that it does not work is because it does not really address the root causes.  Because it's so generic. I mean, it's it's not customized enough for you. It's, you know, you're not taking into account the dietary and lifestyle change changes that you need to make based on your own requirements, your own deficiencies. And what are your triggers like? Your triggers in the sense of food intolerances, etc., may be different from somebody else's,

 So if it's not personalized enough, then that becomes a problem. It actually becomes a stumbling block. So and because it is not personalized, you've not been able to lay a strong foundation for healing as well.  So I have had clients who have worked with other functional medicine practitioners and then come to me and they figured out that, okay, it was not personal. So I had a client, she's still in touch with me after three years. She worked with me for six months and she was falling and died. Just mostly raw, lot of healthy smoothies and juices. And that was really bad for her digestion because the digestion was in a very bad shape. After years of antibiotics, years of oral steroids to manage her chronic diarrhea, and the the last thing that her body needed was more stress in the term in terms of raw foods, because it was not able to digest cooked foods. And then in her case, it has to be it had to be personalized, and I had to switch her completely to cooked foods, like in specifically blended foods. To begin with. The diarrhea was so bad. And that's whether that's the power of personalization, right? So because then you can actually start laying the foundation that is right for you, for your unique body's requirements. And it looks like this. So it can be eating hygiene. It is mindful eating, so it will see me talking a lot about the foundation because without the foundation, the building can certainly not be very strong. It is the first and the most critical step for getting better. And this is often the place that we tend to overlook the most. So customizing your diet, nourishing beyond food. It's not just food, it's also savoring rituals. It's about daily routines. I've talked about movement, but also morning routines. It can be meditation. It can be yoga, you know. So these are part of your healing foundation. And, because the body cannot heal when it is in chronic survival mode. You know, I have touched upon this briefly, but you need to understand how to create an environment in which your body's healing properties are in full gear. It cannot be in survival mode and being repair and healing mode at the same time. It is just there are two different nervous system modes, the sympathetic and the parasympathetic. So it cannot be in both modes at the same time. You will consciously have to make an effort to switch your body and your nervous system from the fight or flight mode to what we call as the rest and digest mode or the relaxation mode, right? So you have to do that. Otherwise it doesn't really work. And um, and it's what happens is that there is a big emotional and mental toll that any kind of chronic condition takes, uh, you know, um, takes on us. this is something that I learned, I mean, how to deal with when I was under so much of stress trying to deal with my daughters and tissues, all, you know, all of you would be going through this. There is a toll that it takes. And our thoughts, our emotions, our body, feelings. Like there are these, um, you know, there are these clues that tells you so if you actually do a short body scan, when you're feeling very stressed and you, you know, you start, then, you know, figuring out, okay, there is that heaviness on my chest right there is that, you know, there's my heart is feeling very heavy. That's that's kind of a clue for you to understand. Okay. There is something going on. Let me do that. Let me let me relax. Let me take some deep breaths.

So there's so many clothes that are available to you, uh, your thoughts, your emotions. And that's why it makes up your inner guidance system. You have to pay attention to that and to pay attention to that. You have to make time for stillness. That's why meditation is so valuable. But even if you're not able to meditate per se, you can actually, uh, bring in moments of stillness that where self-care can also comes in. It can be something that you enjoy doing. It can be running, uh, while that's not stillness, but something that you enjoy also gives you some calm, some courage.  So that's here because you can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf, right? So this again is a part of your workbook. Well, I want you to now start thinking about your journey beyond your physical health issues. I want you to envision what is truly possible for you. You. You need to believe that it is possible before you can actually do something about it. So it starts with owning your healing journey. Your illness does not define right. That's not your diagnosis, does not define it's not your identity. And you can lead a meaningful life in spite of your illness.  That's what I want you to understand. And I think this slide is a beautiful way of bringing it all together. What I just mentioned, being sick is not your fault. But if you want to get better, it has to be your responsibility. I love this quote. It's a it's a beautiful way of putting across what I've been trying to share with you for the last 49 minutes, uh, Amy shared. I think she has an autoimmune condition. If I'm not mistaken. She's,I think she's an actress, and she probably has multiple sclerosis. I'm not very sure I actually forget, but I think it's a beautiful way of, you know, about talking about owning your healing journey. And this is something that I want to share. Uh, this is, uh, Naila who is who just was still working with me. Actually, she's been working with me for a year or so because I think my name is Naila. And, uh, let me know if you can hear this. This is her story. I just want to share, just to give you some, you know, inspiration.
 
 And, I have from various ailments and most recently with an autoimmune, uh, with which I was struggling and, my daughter found an in the door and introduced me to her. And previously, I had worked with, uh, natural paths in New York City. And, uh, I was working with a, uh, functional medicine doctor in London. And so I was already, uh, gluten free. I was already doing the, uh, the things that I thought were right, but I just didn't feel that it was, uh, complete. I still, uh, was lost at times and, uh, finding and ended, uh, was, um, uh, put me in a path where, um, she worked, uh, within my own dietary preferences, within my own, uh, cultural dietary patterns and within what is available in the city that I live in and how to manage my food and diet. And she, um, never pushed me and, uh, worked with me slowly till I was convinced that I needed to do certain things. And, um, and even though I've had lapses, she has always been encouraging and has worked like a friend and, um. Things were not going great, and at this point I feel that she has given me the tools and to work with. She has taught me a lifestyle, uh, to. Work within an, uh, autoimmune, uh, situation and, um, uh, and has given me things that I can work with is not overwhelming. It is an it's a very slow progression. And, uh, it's, uh, I've come at this point, I feel that I am so much better equipped. And I'm really thankful to her, uh, for being there.
 
 I just it's, uh. I think you will hear the same, um, same kind of, uh, you know, I'm sharing this not just to, you know, boast about myself and how great I am and how amazing the coaching program, which it is, but more importantly, because I want you to actually hear I want you to visualize, envision what is truly possible for you and what kind of transformation is possible for you no matter where you are in, uh, you know, in your life, in your health issue. So this possibility is what this picture is, what I'm trying to paint, uh, for you. Because I want you to think about where you will be in nine months, right at the end of this year. Like, you know, um, you've already heard from Nyla, you've heard from Palak, you've heard from Sonali in the last few days. And Naila's disease, she has issues going on. She has a couple of other conditions. There's a lot going on in her life, but her disease no longer controls her life. That's that's a success.

 It's not as you know, as you've probably understood by now, chronic illnesses may not always go away, may not be completely reversible.  That's true for many people. For others they do. It depends on the situation. It depends on the damage. So many things.  But it no longer controls her life. So she is better now. Palak believes in herself, she accepts herself and she's working towards a goal. So she's become a health coach in the process. Now she's, you know, join my team and we're working together. That's her success story. And Sonali has transformed Sonali. Also you've heard about she has transformed to become a vibrant, empowered version of herself. She calls herself Sonali version 2.2. And I love that right. And one day in the future, I want to share and I will share your future success story.

But the question I want you to ask yourself is, where will you be at the end of this year and where will you be? And I want you to think about it, um, because I want to share your success, too. It's not just for today. Finally, I want to leave you with this beautiful poem by Donna Ashworth.

But there are many choices available to us women in this life. But when it comes to your body, there are only two. Accept it. Or don't you see? If you choose to accept your body, you will soon start to love it, admire it, look after it. These things all follow in the wake of your acceptance. When you realize that this vessel for your soul, for your spirit, is an instrument of such high design and fine tuning that it boggles the mind to even think about. You will enter a phase into a phase which I like to call peace. At last you will care nothing of spare fat, gray hairs, new skin. You will realize eventually that the body's purpose is not to look good, to attract friends, partners, successes. It is in fact your spirit within which does all those things. If you would only allow it to shine through and work its magic. Your body, my friends, has but one job to see you safely through this adventure of life. That is it. If you're on the path of not accepting your body, you are in for a very long battle against an enemy you have no power to defeat. Nature, time, biology, fate. You don't have the weapons to fight those powers. Wave the fight. White flag given accept. It is then that your life will truly begin.