Hello SteemWorld (my belated introduction!)

Two months into Steemit, and finally doing the thing!

Hi SteemWorld, I am @thetreeoflife. I found Steemit through a friend a couple months ago, and decided to give it a try, since I had just deactivated my Facebook account (haven't once looked back!) and decided to start writing again. I am so glad I did!

A little about me. I am a life journeyer who has been on a path toward "waking up" to the world since I was young. In my early 20s, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder type 1, and although I did struggle horribly with anxiety and depression, I never really bought into the idea that I would be medicated for the rest of my life (as I had been told by many professionals in the mental health field), so I dove headfirst into mental wellness and exploration of self instead. It has been a very long journey, and I would be foolish to think that I'm anywhere near the end of my self explorations, as it seems like the more I learn about myself, the more there IS to learn.

I believe we are given challenges in life as opportunities to grow and bloom. To me, this is the essence of humanity, as well as a mindset toward self awareness, and awakening to our inner core, and our own divinity

I work as a veterinary surgical nurse, and really enjoy medicine, but I am also a yoga practitioner who is working toward a teaching certification. I also have practiced Chen style Taijiquan (Tai Chi) for many years and used to teach that as well. I am a huge proponent of "mind medicine", in the sense that I feel that every person has the ability to heal themselves, and already have the tools within. I think our souls have great wisdom and knowledge that we can all draw from, and that one of the best connections to self-healing is through conscious breath work and subsequent self inquiry, which leads to a path of deep self awareness. There are literally no limits to this, as I have taken roads through meditation, breath, pranayama, chi cultivation, sexual exploration for wellness and connection (with self as well as with partners), Yoni exercises, tantric work, and most recently I have been diving into shamanic work, and am learning from a practitioner the ways of relationship to the world around me (and diving into the quantum realms as well!) I have generally felt both a calling toward healing modalities, and the need to share them with others.

I am no longer on traditional pharmaceuticals, and no longer meet the criteria for a person with bipolar disorder. I manage mostly without medication, though sometimes I will use herbs and other natural remedies when I am experiencing anxiety, excitability, or depression. Mostly though, I am able to manage through lifestyle, breath and meditation. It took a long time to get to this place, and for those interested in managing major mental illness naturally, please know that this was not a snap decision, and took a lot of very hard work, many years of therapy, continued vigilance and self awareness, and a huge amount of open mindedness as well as deep self acceptance, all with the mindset that maybe, some day, I may need to be medicated again (though... I don't really think that's the case. My brain truly feels transformed, and I believe that we as human beings absolutely have that ability, to truly and deeply heal from the inside out).

I am not sure where all this healing work is leading me, but I DO know that I need a life that is connected to the earth, to others, and to myself, and that part of this is the world around me also wakening to the connectedness, or to the new spirituality if you will.

About 2 years ago, I also experienced what I believe to be a spontaneous kundalini activation, right around the same time that I met my soul partner, husband and twin flame. Being married to a twin flame is NO JOKE, and for that matter, kundalini activation is NO JOKE either. Both things have tested ALL the strength within me, but have also brought me to a place in life where I am more ready to dive in deep and explore what there is to explore. I have less fear and more awareness, but I also know I am nowhere near done.

My husband and I are also on the verge of taking on a lifestyle change, toward off grid living. We are already in a sense "suburban homesteaders", and learning lots of things to prepare for when we have our bit of land with our homestead. We love foraging for mushrooms and herbs, are currently learning how to compost humanure, and have learned how to dehydrate all kinds of things, as well as other methods of food preservation, especially fermentation. We are both excited and nervous to take the leap to off grid living, but very passionate about it, as we feel that self-sufficiency is the best path for our future, and for the future of those around us (without getting too political in this post!).

Since joining Steemit, I've found an amazing tribe in @naturalmedicine, and just absolutely love the group. I am learning so much, and even started interviewing other members, which is an absolute blast, and an amazing way for me to connect with others. I've also found amazing homesteading groups like @ghscollective as well as @freedomtribe, which are constant inspiration to me. Just really digging this decentralized platform, and all the amazing, talented, brilliant folks that share their knowledge here.

yoga... and a favorite asana, what I like to call "ecstatic camel" :)

Other than that, I am just enthusiastic about life, about learning, and about experiencing and connecting, and have generally too many hobbies. Thanks for reading my belated introduction post, and I look forward to connecting with you all, and sharing and learning as we all move through this thing called life. Steem on!

Xx Tree of Life (because we can only grow as high as we dig our roots in deep!)

All images are my own!