My Healing Journey: How I Reclaimed My Health Through Holistic Living

My Healing Journe

y: Rooting Back Into Wholeness Through Holistic Living

For a long time, my body felt like a place I no longer recognized. I was only fifteen when I started to be sick. I was bedbound, weak, sleeping eighteen hours a day, and losing an impressive amount of weight. My medical journey then began. Going from doctor to doctor, passing multiple tests, and even being hospitalized numerous times. No real answers, just some vague diagnosis. The doctor told me that I might get better over time. Ten years later, my health has improved. I had my first child, got married, bought and renovated our first house, moved in, and had a second child. All of that in just 5 years. I thought I was healed for good. But a massive black mold exposure made me sicker than ever before. I reached my rock bottom. A part of me longed for more, for something ancient and true.

That longing became the seed of my healing journey. I stood at a crossroad where conventional medicine had no answer. The gentle whisper of my own body was calling me home. Returning to the Language of My Body

Healing began when I chose to listen. My body whispered in sensations—tiredness, tension, restlessness, pain—and when I finally slowed down, I realized it was speaking a language I had forgotten. He was not the enemy; he was the guide, the messenger. I stopped fighting against, and I started noticing which foods left me light and nourished, which moments of stress carved valleys of exhaustion, and how my emotions lived in my body as much as in my mind. My journey asked me to dive deeper into every part of myself.

This was the doorway into holistic living: understanding that healing is not just about treating symptoms, but about honoring the beautiful, complex connection between body, mind, spirit, and his environment.

The Nature Became My Refuge

When I could not find answers in sterile rooms, I turned to the living world outside. Nature welcomed me back. Its silence was a balm, its cycles a reminder that nothing stays stuck forever—seasons shift, and so do we. I planted my feet in the grass as often as I could. I got outside every day, harmonizing myself with the cycles of the day.

I discovered the gentle medicine of plants: herbs that soothed my digestion, teas that quieted my nervous system, roots and leaves that reminded me that healing is slow, steady, and deeply alive, dirty hands planted deep into the soil. Nature became not only my healer, but also my teacher.

Through herbal remedies, seasonal nourishment, and mindful connection with the earth, I began to rebuild my strength—not overnight, but one quiet, grounded step at a time. I learned more about holistic nutrition, the impact of diet on my well-being, and how to deeply nourish myself with whole foods.

Moving Meditation – Rediscovering My Body Through Gentle Movement

When my health struggles began, I was afraid to move, fearing that even the smallest effort might make things worse. Yet I eventually learned that movement is healing—without it, the body and spirit fall into stagnation. What I needed was not intensity, but gentle movement for healing—a way to rediscover my body with compassion.

I quickly fell in love with yoga, especially trauma-informed yoga, which allowed me to reconnect with my body without fear. Breathwork practices became a gateway to nervous system healing, helping me shift from survival mode into calm presence. Qigong offered me the wisdom of energy flow and balance, while dance and expressive movement became powerful tools for emotional release.

Over time, I created a sustainable movement practice that honors my body’s needs. This rhythm—gentle, grounding, and joyful—is something I still carry with me every single day.

The Sacred Pause – Cultivating Inner Stillness and Mental Clarity

Just as my body needed mindful movement, my spirit longed for stillness. Meditation practices for healing became a turning point. In the quiet, beneath all the noise of the world, I discovered that I could finally hear myself again. It was there that I reconnected with my intuition—the inner knowing that never lies.

Journaling became another modality of healing: a practice of self-discovery, emotional processing, and anchoring myself in the present moment. Through daily mindfulness practices, I learned to transform the mundane into ritual, creating sacred space for my life to unfold.

I realized that this holistic healing journey is not about dramatic change but about the smallest, most meaningful shifts—tiny pauses and gentle movements that, over time, transform everything. Embracing Natural Living – Creating a Non-Toxic Home

As my healing deepened, I realized it wasn’t only my body that needed care—it was also the environment I lived in. I began embracing natural living and a non-toxic lifestyle, creating a home that truly supported my well-being.

Step by step, I let go of harsh chemicals and chose simple, natural alternatives: herbal cleaners, essential oils, and products that honored both my health and the earth. My home slowly transformed into a sanctuary—a place where the air felt lighter, the energy calmer, and my body could rest fully.

This journey taught me that true healing extends beyond the self. It is also about crafting surroundings that nurture, sustain, and align with the rhythms of life. A home that is gentle on the body, kind to the planet, and supportive of your wellness becomes a powerful ally on your holistic healing path. Midlife as a Threshold

As I stepped into midlife, I found myself walking another threshold. Hormonal shifts stirred new waves of change—sometimes unsettling, sometimes illuminating. In these moments, I realized that midlife is not an ending, but a passage. It is the forest path where we shed what no longer serves us and gather what we truly need. It can be deeply spiritual. The connection with who you are meant to be.

Healing in midlife is about more than physical health—it is about wholeness. It is learning to rest in the body you have, to nurture it with compassion, and to trust that this season of life holds its own medicine. It is profoundly sacred and transformative. I lean into the acceptance of what is, and I am still learning along this path.

Seasons of Transformation: Navigating Setbacks and Breakthroughs

Healing has never been a straight road for me, and it’s the case for everybody. It has felt more like walking a spiral path—sometimes moving forward, circling back, yet always deepening. I used to think setbacks meant failure, but over time I’ve come to understand: healing isn’t linear. Each twist in the spiral carries a lesson, an invitation to grow closer to myself.

Working Through Healing Crises

There were times when my body felt worse before it felt better. Detoxification and healing crises can be frightening if we don’t understand them—waves of fatigue, emotions rising to the surface, old patterns releasing. I came to see these moments not as punishment, but as proof that something within me was shifting. My body was clearing space for the new.

Celebrating Small Victories

In between the storms came moments of light: a day with more energy, a peaceful night’s sleep, the joy of eating without discomfort. These small milestones became my markers of progress. They reminded me that transformation isn’t always dramatic—it’s often found in quiet, ordinary victories that signal real change.

Learning Patience and Compassion

Perhaps the hardest lesson was learning patience with myself. I wanted quick results, but my body asked for gentleness and time. Through tears and frustration, I discovered the power of self-compassion—to hold myself tenderly in the hard days, and to trust that slow healing is still healing.

The Wisdom of Seasonal Rhythms

Nature taught me so much about this process. Just as winter rests and spring blooms, my body, too, needed cycles of stillness and renewal. By aligning with seasonal rhythms, I gave myself permission to ebb and flow. Setbacks became like winter—quiet periods that allowed deeper roots to grow. Breakthroughs were my springtime, full of fresh energy and hope.

Setbacks as Teachers

Looking back, I see how my setbacks carried wisdom. Each challenge opened a doorway to deeper understanding—of my body, my emotions, and the unhealed parts of my story. What once felt like obstacles became teachers guiding me closer to wholeness.

Integration and Embodiment: Living My New Truth Daily

Healing is not only about transformation—it’s about integration. The breakthroughs only matter if I can embody them in daily life.

Sustainable Daily Rituals

I created small, sustainable rituals to support my wellness: morning herbal tea, mindful breathing before meals, grounding walks in nature. These practices aren’t rigid rules; they’re gentle anchors that remind me of my commitment to wholeness.

Balancing Holistic Living and Modern Life

Of course, life is still busy. Responsibilities, work, family—all continue. But instead of seeing them as interruptions, I now weave my holistic practices into modern life. Healing isn’t separate from daily living; it’s found in how I show up for each moment.

Transformation Beyond My Body

My healing journey touched more than my health. It transformed my relationships, teaching me to communicate with honesty and compassion. It reshaped my career, guiding me toward paths that align with my values. It taught me that when we heal ourselves, we shift the way we connect with the world.

Becoming My Own Advocate

One of the most empowering parts of this journey has been becoming an advocate for my own well-being. I learned to trust my intuition, to ask questions, and to honor what my body tells me. This confidence is now one of my greatest sources of strength.

Sharing the Path

As I’ve grown, I’ve felt called to share what I’ve learned—not as rigid instructions, but as inspiration. Each person’s healing journey is unique, yet we can support one another by walking alongside with empathy and respect.

A Path of Lifelong Growth

I continue to study, to learn, and to expand in holistic health practices. Healing, after all, is not an endpoint but a lifelong unfolding. Each day, I choose to live rooted in rhythms of balance, compassion, and trust in the body’s wisdom.

Rooted in Rhythms

Out of this journey, Rooted in Rhythms was born. After I studied to become a holistic nutritionist and a clinical herbalist, I desired to help others be the healthiest version of themselves. This space is my offering: a place where I share holistic wisdom, herbal remedies, and seasonal practices that supported me and may guide you, too.

I believe that when we return to the earth’s rhythms, we return to ourselves. Healing is not about perfection. It is about remembering that we belong to the cycles of nature—the blossoming and the resting, the growing and the letting go.

Here, I hope you find encouragement, nourishment, and gentle reminders that you are not alone.

A Journey Without End

My healing journey is not finished. Healing, I have learned, is not a straight path but a spiral. Some days I feel rooted and strong, other days I am invited back into softness and surrender.

But today, I carry a deeper truth: that our bodies are wise, that nature holds us, and that midlife can be a time of renewal.

If you are standing at the edge of your own healing path, know this—every small step matters. You, too, can root back into balance, into wholeness, into the steady rhythm of your own becoming. I cannot thank you enough to be here with me.

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"Nancy is the heart behind Rooted in Rhythms, sharing ways to live in harmony with nature and inner rhythms. Through mindful practices, nourishing foods, and seasonal living, she inspires a life rooted in the earth and attuned to its quiet wisdom."