Hello SteemWorld (my belated introduction!)

in #introduceyourself6 years ago (edited)

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.

IMG_3691.JPG
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!

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Nice to meet you.... 😆

We love you, and I love your wisdom and am totally inspired by it.

😊🙏🏽☯️💜💚🌿

Meta brotha, you are brilliant and I look forward to many more nice conversations with you. 😊 🙏

Hi @thetreeoflife, your post has been upvoted by @bdcommunity and the trail!

If you want to support us, please consider following our curation trail on Steemauto.com or delegating STEEM POWER to us.

JOIN US ON

Welcome to Steem! Glad you have already connected with a community, Steem can be notoriously difficult without some support! That's one serious yoga pose there... I think I would suffer greatly if I tried it...

I have visited as you were featured by @porters for @pifc.

Thanks @bengy! It's one of my favorites, a great heart opener. Thank you for the support, I will have to check out this "pay it forward" initiative!

Xx ToL

Hey @thetreeoflife, it was so great to get to know more of your story. Thanks for sharing!! I am also a Tai Chi practicer, but only for about 1 1/2 years now. I feel fortunate to have had over 5 tai chi teachers due to traveling previously and got to practice Chen, Yang and a form called Tree of Life (coincidence?) but now I am have been with the same teacher for close to a year and practicing Yang. I really enjoy it for all the reasons you mentioned! So excited for your journey toward offgrid and preparing for your future homestead .. it must be so rewarding! Keep up the good work :)

Yeah, how did we not know this?!? Would love to rap with you about that!

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@sagescrub I didn't know you were into tai chi..which of you is this? Did you ever catch the interview session on two chi and yoga been myself and @thetreeoflife? And on a previous radio chat @metametheus and @thetreeoflife talked about the forms so now I even know what you are talking about!!

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Hey riverflows :) this is sagescrub the he (not idyllwild - she is more into yoga). No unfortunately I did not hear the interview but I would love to. I have not been listening to many radio shows on account of my limited satellite bandwidth but i found out that discord audio idoesn't take as much bandwidth as I thought. Do you have a link?

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Oh I'd love to see what Tree of Life tai chi is all about! 😊

Oops I just looked it up and realized I got it wrong. It's called longevity tree form. My memory got the best of me! It is a nice form, but I didn't practice it very long.

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I'll be looking it up! It sounds beautiful and right up my alley.

Welcome welcome welcome! I know we’ve already had great discussions, but it’s wonderful to have learned a little bit more about yourself. I have a very strong proponent of mind medicine myself as I work very closely with my mind through meditation and mindfulness in order to work towards treating schizophrenia without pharmaceutical drugs. That’s awesome that you practice and taught Chen Tai Chi! I have personally been thinking about trying to find a good practitioner in my area, I took one college class on it and it was great. Anyway, thanks for the awesome introduction keep up the great work especially with the interviews!!


Bravo for managing illness naturally. In western culture mental illness (especially BP, schizophrenia) is so often treated as an illness... I mean that vs. the way its treated in other cultures, where a person with schizophrenia would be "adopted" by the whole village, and seen as an awakening soul who just needs a little help and guidance. They turn out to be the great natural healers of the world sometimes, and I think that maybe it holds true for some in western society, who have the open-mindedness to see it as a stepping stone rather than a death sentence.
Thanks for sharing, and gratitude for your presence! On steemit and also for showing up as yourself in the world. I can tell, you practice that well! 😊🙏That's awesome @alchemage, I used to teach at a local college in Denver a night a week, it was so cool to see young people learning tai chi... And the people who would get really excited about it! Teaching is always worth it, but I'm not sad to be taking a break from it for a while.

You are welcome! Nice to have such interesting people here like you. Self-sufficiency is a very good thing, I think. We all should be able to look after oneself. Have much fun here on steemit! :-)

Thank you @steemflower, I like your name 😊🙏

Welcome to Steem thetreeoflife! Partiko is officially the fastest and most popular mobile app for Steem. Unlike other Steem apps, we take 0% cut of your earnings! You can also be rewarded with Partiko Points while using Partiko and exchange Partiko Points for upvotes!

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Thank you so much for your interest!

WE ADORE YOU.. YOU ARE THE BESTEST!

You guys are the best, I'm constantly inspired by every person in the group. I forever appreciate your existence on steemit!

Congratulations on deactivating Facebook!! Since I joined steemit, I never used it. Great of you to make this post even if it is a couple of months late hihi so "welcome" 💚

Golly I don't even miss it. I've considered posting some steemit blogs on Facebook (which is part of how I found it) but my mental health really is so much better without it. Haha I feel the ads as soon as I log on and I die a little inside. 😂 Dramatic, but a little true. 😂 Thanks for the warm welcome!

Hey @thetreeoflife, Welcome to Steemit, This is a great platform. If you find anything about this platform difficult to understand please contact me and I will gladly help you. I am here to help. I wrote a piece on how Steemit operates a couple of months back which explains how it all works, it is in my blog. If you like please give me a follow. I write about tech/blockchain regularly, I also plan to do more on photography which is one of my passions. I will keep an eye out for and support your posts going forward!.

Well. I will certainly be taking you up on this offer, as the techy and decentralized nature of it is a learning curve for me for sure 😂
Following your flow! Thanks, I do appreciate it! 🙏

Glad to hear it. Do check out some of my reviews- i tend to dive into a lot of detail when discussing projects- You can pick up quite a lot from it! any other questions just shout!

Will do @cryptoguru1 thanks a bunch! 😊🙏

No worries, I am here to help

Wilkommen, mein frau! Sorry, no idea why I went with Deutsch... I'm just in a silly mood.

Having read your intro post, I have a feeling that you and I are gonna be great friends, check out my intro and you'll see why, lol. We have much in common, as the blessing/curse of bipolar has a tendency to transform a human beastie into a certain "type"... and I know that you know what I mean by this. <3

Welcome Sister, to Steemit, I would say that you're gonna love it, but you've made it pretty clear that you already do...

Thank you kind sir! I am presently on my way there 😊🙏 human beastie haha how true that is, but how lucky that some of us embrace the beastie and transform to something new 🐉 😊

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LOVED reading your intro post @thetreeoflife... what a journey you've been on and continue to be on... an inspiration for all of us to look deep within to find our answers and our own healing. My partner and I have just moved into our off-grid home in Spain... that's a whole other journey... but so worth it. We don't have running water yet but we have solar power and a strong sense of humour... and a trust (mostly!) in the Universal flow of life. Really looking forward to your posts and to sharing the amazing, crazy earthly life! :) xx

That is so exciting for you guys, congrats and keep up the good work and good humor 😁 we are just beginning the process, and have already had to make some challenging choices, so that you guys are also experiencing the long off-grid "birthing" process is very inspiring. What made you pick Spain? Just curious.
Thanks for your reply. And in reference to your other comment, I agree, it's both in the feet and the heart ♥ 🙏
Looking forward to connecting more!

Hola @treeoflife! I totally understand the challenging choices! Ufa! There's a long story behind us being in Spain... the short version is that my closest friend who is super psychic and tuned in... kept telling us to go there! Even when we were living the Hong Kong highlife over 4 years ago she said we should go there but we didn't really 'listen.' We had a really rough time after Hong Kong came to an end and I basically told my partner that we had to go visit the area last year... I instantly fell in love with it and told him we were moving there! We moved last November and it's been a crazy ride but finally moved into our wee hoose about 6 weeks ago. We're basically winging it! :D So, that wasn't much of a short version after all! By the way... I'm totally up for being interviewed! Here's to living the off grid dream! xx

That's so exciting! Yes I'd love to do an interview! Are you on our discord chat? 😊

Yay! That's wonderful @treeoflife! I'm on the natural medicine server.... still finding my way around discord but I'm there as @namastethis#3611 ... exciting! xx

Terrific I'll find ya! 😊🙏
.... OK tried to search for you but you weren't coming up, look for me and send me a pm!
@thetreeoflife#6610

🙏

It's so good to hear more about you, my LOVELY @thetreeoflife. I didn't know you had bipolar but then it certainly doesn't define you. What an amazing journey you have been on and your natural curiosity must have really been an important tool of inquiry.

Here is an intro post where I don't have to suggest an invite to Natural Medicine... you are already in it as one of our most TREASURED members! Such a wise, caring and beautiful soul!

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Thanks for everything you do! It's amazing. 🙏😍Thanks @riverflows tho do you ever watch doctor who... I am forever wanting to call you River Song 😂... Best character in the show.

Oh you amazing gorgeous woman. Of course I watch Doctor Who all the best people watch Doctor Who are you crazy

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In fact we have a running family joke about this. When we found out that river was Amy's daughter comma I was so excited that I accidentally told my son before he had watched it. He could have killed me. So now whenever I get super excited and have a secret to tell I just shout that river is Amy's daughter and everyone knows I have a secret without me actually saying what it is.

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😂 😂 That's awesome. We literally just watched that episode the other day and Drew fell asleep halfway through it and I was freaking out hahaha and now it's taking everything I have to not spill the beans!

Oh phew!!!! Gosh lucky you watched it! Otherwise I would have given it away haha!!!

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So happy to get to know you better and that you found Steemit and @naturalmedicine - such wonderful community and a great place for sharing your information! That you have come such a distance in self awareness, such a wealth of knowledge, and you are willing to share! Welcome! Welcome! Welcome!

Thanks @porters! It's been a great experience so far and I am looking forward to reading more of your sharings as well!


pay it forward Estas invitada cordialmente a participar.¡Hola @thetreeoflife! Me gusto y disfrute tu publicación. Llegue a su publicación a través de la entrada de @porters, te presento en el concurso

Thank you! I will come by and take a look! 😊🙏

Glad to See you like the steemisfere

Hello Tree and welcome to Steemit.
You are a Steemian now! And your first blog is online. Better late than never, and I'm sure one day we will say those were the very early days of Steemit, so congrats! Whats essential here is regular posting off good quality blogs.
So start writing ! Tell us about your life, passion, animals or your work.
That Will attract possible followers.
Do be carefull with your passwords, they are yours and yours only.
Look up the free Steemify app in the Appstore Thats helpfull too.
Hope this helps for now. Good luck, and Full Steem Ahead!
Love from the Netherlands
Britt

Thanks so much @brittandjosie, I appreciate all the help I can get on this platform! 😊🙏

Awesome.. You inspired me, I want more ❤️
Start following you!

Wow, I must admit that I never read an introductory post of that quality!
I also made my intro post after two months as I think that people can better understand who you are and what you do that way.

Welcome to Steemit!
It's a little belated welcome but ...

Thank you @modern-trojan for the warm welcome! 😊🙏

Welcome to Steemit, @thetreeoflife! My story is similar to yours and I find your words so beautiful, inspiring and close to my soul. I'm on the same road to healing and self-awareness and I'm glad that you are here. I would love to learn and here more from you!

Thanks for the warm welcome @isabellemonisse, I'm so glad you commented, I love learning how others follow different paths of healing and wellness. Looking forward to sharing and learning from you as well 😊🙏

First of all Welcome to Steemit 😊 It's nice to hear someone who was able to work through mental health issues without medicines. I fought taking them for years. Didn't know anyone back then that could or would help out in a natural way. After 20 yr of fighting it I gave in. It isn't a cure all either. In fact, I hate when I miss a dose, I feel horrible. I have gotten into meditation and mindfulness to help me through, but sometimes that doesn't help. I keep working at it though.

You were featured for week 32 of @pifc's Pay It Forward Curation Contest by @porters.

I just wanted to let you know I read some of your content and so much of it is very beautiful. I hope I don't come across as condescending in my last comment as you seem to already have plenty of your things together :-) it was well-meaning I promise! Also, a fellow Coloradoan, that's exciting :-) have a great day.

Thank you :) It's nice to hear. I didn't think you were condescending at all. I took it more as a compliment that with the work things are coming together and yes it takes a long time.
YAY !! more Coloradans!!


If I may mention a couple things that came to mind as I read your comment...
I totally get where you are coming from! I was on medications for a long time (about 15 years on and off) and I ended up deciding that it was really about quality of life. Like, on meds or off, what kind of life do I want? What kind of relationships do I want? With myself, with others? It was the biggest thing actually that kept me ON medications initially, because at least on meds I could have reasonably normal relationships with people.Hi @tryskele 😊 thanks for the warm welcome! 😊 And thanks so much for sharing.

I always kept practicing mindfulness tho, meditation, tai chi (a huge part of healing for me), yoga, tons of therapy (especially CBT) but all these things I realized were doing one thing for me... Connecting me to the source, to my source, my core of who I am. I started peeling back the layers of self, feeling out where there is resistance and transforming it in to spaciousness. It's a long path, it's hard. It's a lot of practice, and takes (still takes!) two things above all, courage and self love.

The fact that you take meds now is not bad. Quite the opposite. Just because you choose to take them now, for the sake of why you choose to take them (whatever that may be) shows me that you are actually super strong. It's not caving in, to accept help in any way, even if it's from pharmaceuticals. Especially from pharmaceuticals, as there is always that love/hate relationship there... Appreciating the relief while wondering where we'd be without them.
That takes strength, on a daily basis.
I started writing about mental wellness not to show people they can get off their meds (though I am happy to be off them, my goal was to be happy, not unmedicated). I started writing to help guide people who want more out of life than the usual convention. There is a big wide world inside of you that is waiting for you to dig in and explore it. 😊 You already have paths to your source, that's the best place to start.

Whatever path inspires you to find your way to truth of self, that's the path to wellness. Just my humble opinion.
My suggestion to you... Keep diving in, never give up hope that the core of who you are contains the greatest wisdom, keep practicing.
What they don't tell us in western medicine is that we are our own best healers, but we absolutely are. You know You better than anyone else does, stay strong in that. 😊
Thanks so much for checking out this post and your support. I would love to hear more about your journey.

Xx ToL

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 love that ☝@thetreeoflife ... so glad to have you here on Steemit too. Found your post through @porters entry post in the pay it forward contest this week.

We're all have roots and the root has supported us to grow and keep growing. Really enjoy to read your post, so many good messages I found. We can be a fruitful tree if we know what we are or who we are. You've shown us how you managed your life so well .. Thanks for sharing this with us and keep steeming😉

Agree very much with your fruitful tree! That's it right there.
Thank you for reading and for your support. Have an amazing weekend!

I'm so happy I saw this. Well met! We have much in common, and I love hearing about people who find natural ways to manage the intensity of life and mental wellness.

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

^^ This. So glad to find you here.


I look forward to connecting more. It's nice to reach out and find not only a warm welcome but also some folks who resonate. So refreshing. 😊
Have a great weekend!Same same @katrina-ariel 😊🙏