My Self Care Service Providers

Last night I had the sudden realization that I have not been sick, not even a sniffle, since last March. That is almost one entire year of never having to cancel a shoot due to sickness or miss out on a fun event because my body was dragging me down. I also realized that is was last February when I threw my back out so badly that I needed assistance getting my shirt on and off. It was in this moment, while my dear friend Lucy was lovingly helping me pull my shirt over my head and delicately arrange three heating packs over my broken body, that I made a command decision to put myself first.

Shooting at the rate and pace I do takes it’s toll. I’m often standing, squatting, and bending in awkward positions for hours at a time, usually out in the elements, sweating or freezing. Yes. This is the glamor of my chosen profession. I knew if I was going to continue at my chosen pace, I had to put some routines in place and allocate my financial resources to ensuring my body was well taken care of. So here we go, my list of self care providers that keep me going in every aspect of my life.

Shine Chiropractic - Dr. Rebecca Lake

I’ve got to start where it started. Dr. Rebecca Lake has been with me for the past two years of my health journey. She has been my doctor, consistent guide, the person thats lifted me off her table when I was in too much pain to lift myself and answered my urgent calls when I couldn’t move. With her consistent care and adjustment, I am now not only able to get on and off her table by myself, but I’m experiencing a relief from pain I’d felt for years. I can now sleep my shooting shoulder, which had been out of commission for at least a year prior to meeting her.

While the adjustments are now a necessity in my life, seeing Dr. Becca is more then just alignment, it is the impetuous to the holistic care I’ve sought on behalf of my body. She’s inspired almost every single one of the other health care practices on this list and she is responsible for gently forcing me to go by some supportive shoes. If you are looking for a guide on your journey to wellness, look no further than this brilliant gal.

Skin Body Soul - Angela Carter

Skin care is an obsession of mine. For years, I battled rashy, super sensitive skin that controlled my life. As I’ve progressed on my healthcare journey, I resolved so many of my internal issues causing my chronic hives (as it turns out i have epically bad allergies) but years of abuse left my skin worn out, sad and broken.

Meeting Angela was a blessing. I am now someone who people actively stop and comment on the quality of my skin and this makes me SO happy. I’m not one to mess around with superfluous beauty treatments. I don’t dye my hair or paint my nails, but I do lean into anything that is going to make my skin glow without makeup application. I’ve been seeing the ladies at Skin Body Soul for hydrafacials, micro-needling and good, old fashioned laser hair removal. I’ve also been diligently using their Miracle Mask in between visits. And guys, my skin looks phenomenal, I think we can all agree.

Also because I’m obsessed and like to share, click here to get an AMAZING deal on a hydrafacial. Add derma-planing on to this and you will not regret your life choices.

The Grateful Chef - Brandy Lueders and John Cornish

Discovering The Grateful Chef and their pre-prepare frig and freezer meals was a game changer. Brandy, John and their beautiful business are why I’m able to get as much done as I do. I don’t cook. Ever. I’m not joking. Their shop is one mile from my house. The food is delicious, healthy, there is tons of variety and I never have to go to the grocery store. In fact, there are now entire month spans where I don’t step foot inside a Hy-Vee and this brings me great joy.

If you need a capacity builder in your life, check out The Grateful Chef. These people are my super heros.

Adamantine Yoga - James Miller

In September of 2018, I joined Adamantine Yoga at the suggestion of my dear friends, Dr. Rebecca and Kelly Marble. These two ladies are long time members and I had actively observed their passion for this practice. I’d been searching for a yoga home for ever since moving to DSM but hadn’t found anything that fit me. I used to practice 5 days a week back in Rochester, but finding the right vibe and making class times became increasingly challenging.

Adamantine was the answer to so many problems I wasn’t even seeing. The practice is structured and I move through the same flow every day, allowing me to truly settle into my body, stretch my abilities and watch my progress, while also challenging me to grow. I can show up anytime I want in the morning or afternoon. I’m usually there between 5:30am and 6:30 am but sometimes, I may go at 8:07am. I arrive to peaceful room with humans deep in their practice, breathing to the beat of a metronome. Everyone is moving along a similar path at their own pace, being assisted and guided by the teachers who move about the room.

This place is my sanctuary. It is my space to stretch and sweat, reflect and recharge. It starts my days off with the knowledge that I come first, and that every person who enters my orbit will benefit from the peace I found on my mat.

Massage Heights - Owner Trisha McFadden and Massage Therapist Forrest

My bi-monthly massage is a necessity, although my tax accountant has informed me that it’s not an expense. I’ve been visiting Massage Heights on Ingersoll for well over two years and my massage therapist Forrest has been by my side through so many of my work related injuries. The team at Massage Heights takes amazing care of me and I love knowing I get to support a fellow female business owner and friend, Trisha McFadden.

Cyclebar - Calleen Hodges

My first Cyclebar ride was with our Hummingbird charm, and I can’t imagine a better introduction to a workout. I went mainly in my capacity as charm leader, but instantly fell in love with the pace and the rhythm of the workout. The instructors are energetic, uplifting and just the right amount of pushers. This workout is the perfect cardio addition to my routine. It’s so good that I’m completely willing to make the 25 minute drive to my house 2/3 times a week to sweat it out in a dark room with relative strangers. If you are looking for group cardio that’s easy on the joints (yes, I think about these things), look no further and let me know if you’d like to join me! It’s always best to try a new workout with a friend!

So there is is friends, these are the people and places that keep this body functioning at optimum level. I can’t explain why I haven’t been sick for the past year. There is no one reason. But there is a culmination of self care practices that have resulted in overall better health, and for that, I am so proud of myself.

About Those Thoughts Your Mind Has "On Behalf" of Your Body...

You know that moment when you give someone a compliment and their immediate reaction is to tell you how fat they're feeling that day? Or when you're eating an amazing meal and the person across from you is eating the same thing but talking about how they should have gotten a salad? Or when someone smiles at you in that way that makes you feel special, only to have them say that they are so disgusted by their yellowing teeth?

How do you feel when absorbing these words spoken by someone else? I feel...dampened. I feel sad. I feel like the wind was let out of my tires. And if I let myself spiral, I feel incredibly insecure in that person's presence. Because you know what? Whenever anyone makes negative comments about their own body in my presence, I have to try so darn hard not to let myself criticize my own body, too. I definitely fall victim to this kind of self-depreciation frequently, but it's almost worse when it's brought on by someone else. It's as if the other person's lens of criticism is a communicable disease, and they just sneezed into my coffee.

And folks, this happens. All. The. Time. I photograph people (and their perfectly imperfect bodies) for a living. I see every type of person, at every level of fitness, at every degree of self-acceptance. And let me be the first to tell you: Body acceptance and body excellence are rarely aligned. I have photographed beautiful (and I mean this is in the objective, THE WORLD MUST AGREE THAT THEY ARE GORGEOUS kind of way) people who have the lowest opinions of their physical appearance.

I truly hope that through my job I can make an impact on people's impressions of themselves. I hope that holding a standard of positivity in my studio helps increase positive mental anecdotes, even for just the short time  we’re together. But the truth is, that's not my work to do. That work happens before people arrive and after they leave the studio, and when they see the photos, and whether they choose to tear themselves apart or affirm their beauty and value.

That said, I take a lot of pride in being able to have a small but very real effect on the self-image of the people who walk through my doors. The majority of my clients walk in willing to love themselves. They walk into my space ready to feel good and take that chance and be vulnerable in front of the camera. We are all on the path to self-acceptance. No one is perfect. I just ask that people show up willing to try. I am so lucky to have so many people show up for this challenge and affirm that I’m on the right path. But dammit, I’d be lying if I said I wasn't exhausted by the few people who choose to be so unnecessarily hard on themselves.

If we’re being honest, when I’m in the presence of a critical person, I’m ten times harder on myself. All my body insecurities light up and I spiral down into my list of things I wish I had the time, the motivation, and the budget to change. I begin to obsess about my failures, my daily struggles and my bad moments in front of the mirror. It's like choosing to stand in front of a bully and get punched in the gut over and over again. And I don’t want to live there.

I am far from perfect, I have so much to work toward, but I refuse to think less of myself in the meantime. I refuse to think of myself as a project, as something not yet complete and whole and worthwhile. Because, newsflash, that will never happen to me. (And I believe that it rarely happens to anyone.) I don’t have time for perfect. I am many more important things than a dress size or a number on a scale: I am a business owner, a boss, a best friend, a daughter, and a leader. I don’t have the time to also be perfect. What I can do is be my best. I can hold myself accountable. I can be kind to myself every day. Because if I am kind to myself, the world will follow my lead.