"Medicine, Movement, Mindset and Miracles" by Melissa Snowden
My entire life, I felt displaced when it came to having Cystic Fibrosis. It felt like it was meant for someone else, not for me. I was a vibrant, full of life, designed to shine girl, but I had this storm cloud hovering over me, ready to strike at any moment. And strike it would, anytime I stepped into my purpose and followed my dreams, I would become sick. It was beyond discouraging, and eventually, I allowed it to define what I did with my life. Despite knowing I was put on this earth to make an impact, I couldn’t figure out HOW to build momentum without my disease taking me down for weeks.
So, I surrender to being a sick girl. I was hospitalized at least once, if not twice a year. I struggled with my weight and then, in turn, my self-esteem. I began to settle. For life-sucking jobs, for a college diploma in a field, I wasn’t excited about and even had several relationships I settled for. Not knowing the power of the mind and emotions on the way we live a life, I began to see more of what I did NOT want coming into my life. More illness, more settling, more drama and feelings of despair.
It wasn’t until I became pregnant with my son (now 11 years old) that I felt the call to change the trajectory of my entire life. I knew there was more I could do to stay healthy and create the life of my dreams. I knew it was more than clinic appointments and constant medicine pulsing through my body. So, with immense gratitude for Western medicine, I set out to find a balance between medicine, movement, mindset and miracles.
Medicine:
Everyone reading this has had their fair share of it pulsing through their bodies.
Medicine is the only way to keep us alive, right?
This was part of my belief for the majority of my life. My health and well-being were out of my control, and the only way I could survive was by modern-day medicine. There was nothing else that could contribute to keeping me alive. The majority of you reading this feel the same. For those who can be on Trikafta, you feel like you have been given a second chance at life because, without it, you wouldn’t have this level of quality to your life. There is a lot of truth in that, yes.
But, I have discovered there are multiple tools to living a life with chronic illness. If you are unwilling to make time for your wellness, then it will not matter how many miracle medicines come into your hands because you will only be able to make time for your illness.
Movement:
Whether through yoga or sweaty exercise, my journey to this moment started with moving my body. I show up daily for my vessel and increase my heart rate.
Once upon a time, I did this with little air moving in and out of my lungs. I coughed, puked, gasped, and wanted to give up on countless mornings, but I knew that moving my body was crucial in tackling Cystic Fibrosis.
It helps clear the mucus and strengthens your muscles, automatically increasing your weight (muscle weighs more than fat, remember!). The essential part to remember is that it moves stale, stagnant energy in your body.
All your negative emotions flow into your body; unless you have the tools to navigate and eliminate them, they will find a quiet spot there and settle in like an unwelcome guest.
Are you having trouble with your bowels? That is good ol’ fear and rejection hunkering down inside you.
Are you constantly fatigued? Resistance to your calling or boredom with life.
Ear Aches? Anger (about not being heard/seen)
An upset with your Cystic Fibrosis (and this one was a real a-ha moment for me!) “A thick belief that life won’t work out for you “Poor me” syndrome” - Lousie Hay; You Can Heal Your Life.
Moving your body helps to raise endorphins, shift negative feelings and knock them loose from the crevices they are hiding in.
Mindset:
Once I discovered the correlation between my thoughts, feelings and actions, my entire perspective of life changed.
I was always a huge advocate for the phrase “mind over matter” I used this tool every single time I was sick in the hospital; I just had no idea that it was a fundamental tool that everyone could use to manifest the life they desire!
As I mentioned above, our emotions take up space in our body until we ignore them continuously, then, they start to shout at us with physical ailments, but by harnessing your thoughts, you can completely change your life.
Your brain can not decipher the difference between what IS and what is NOT. I used to lay in a hospital bed hooked up to IV and oxygen and pretend I was at our family cottage hiking trails with my family, canoeing with my cousins and swimming in the lake. I used this mind-over-matter tool to escape the reality of what was currently happening in my body. I had no idea that by using the power of imagination and visualization, my body would follow the joy in my brain and be able to bounce back quickly each time.
As adults, we forget how potent an imagination is. It allows us to dream big, achieve more and see ideas form before they appear physically. It is our birth-given talent that we do not tap into near enough. It is one of the traits humans have that separates us from other species. You get to choose. You can be, do or have anything you set your mind to. Regardless of what you may see in the physical right now, at any given moment, you can change that with the power of one simple thought.
Decide how you want to live your life going forward today, play it out in your mind, and watch the magic happen.
Miracles:
Before I go poo-pooing all over miracles, let me just say I believe life is full of them! However, I also believe in the ability to create them by utilizing this final tool.
Everything on this earth is made from energy. All people, animals and objects consist of molecules and atoms circling to create (or destroy) the container they reside. Energy flows at a specific vibrational frequency. Picture a tuning fork for a moment. When you strike a tuning fork, it hums with vibration and will tune to a particular frequency. Tuning forks will mirror their vibrations and create the exact sound near another tuning fork. People are the same; we are magnets for the same sound. Our emotions are the vibration in which we attract a specific sound (frequency). If your emotional state is gloom and doom, chances are you will attract other people who see the world as you do, events that will echo your current emotions and outcomes that support your beliefs.
If you are naturally pessimistic, you will attract negativity into your life.
Such as:
Having riffs with family or co-workers
Items in your home break easily which causes you more upset and frustration
Physical aches, pains and illness cripple your body
Financial Struggles.
By exploiting this energy within us, we can create a life on purpose with purpose. It starts with you. It begins with upgrading your emotions, which will shift your perspective, change your beliefs, finally change the outcomes, and create everyday miracles that you marvel at with gratitude and pride.
What a journey this life has been for me thus far. When you decide to change what no longer serves you in life, all the doors open to bring you harmony; all the people, places, events, conversations, books, and videos you need to grow closer to your purpose will unfold, sometimes very quickly! My journey started with a yoga certification and has now grown into mindset coaching, energy healing and teaching movement to those with chronic illness/disease.
Life is more than your Cystic Fibrosis. So go out and find it.
For more information about Melissa and Melissa Snowden Wellness visit https://www.melissasnowdenwellness.com/