I've Always Wanted to Run Away… As a child, the woods were my sanctuary. I would spend hours foraging for mushrooms and blackberries, splashing in the creek, and playing with crawdads. Being alone felt safe, and nature was pure magic.

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As I grew older, running away turned into my escape—an addiction, really. As an ultrarunner, I found solace on forest trails, far from the chaos of Dallas’s concrete jungle. For hours on end, I’d lose myself in the rhythm of my footsteps and the embrace of the trees.

But one day, everything changed. In the final mile of an Ironman race, I tore my meniscus. My running career—and the life I had built around it—came to an abrupt end. With no outlet for my energy, my body began to rebel. At first, the jerking started at night, leaving me sleep-deprived and weak. But soon, the involuntary movements crept into my days, happening whenever I tried to be still. It was maddening.

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In my desperation, I stumbled into my first Reiki session—and it changed everything. I learned that everything is energy and discovered something profound about myself: I am a highly sensitive person (HSP) and an empath. I wasn’t just running away; I was running from the overwhelming energy I absorbed from everyone around me.

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Looking back, this sensitivity had been with me all along, manifesting in headaches, digestive issues, fertility struggles, rashes, and myoclonic jerking. I began to understand how deeply the nervous system influences health and well-being. With time, patience, and dedicated work on my body, mind, and energy, I started to heal.

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Bessel van der Kolk writes in The Body Keeps the Score: "Beneath the surface of the protective parts of trauma survivors, there exists an undamaged essence—a confident, curious, and calm Self that has been sheltered from destruction by various protectors that emerged to ensure survival."

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I’ve found that Self. Today, I embrace my empathetic nature as a gift, not a curse. It allows me to deeply connect with others, to feel their pain, and to guide them toward healing and wholeness. Each session I offer is uniquely tailored, helping clients reconnect with their authentic, undamaged essence. I still find peace in nature, but now I walk with mindful intention.

 

Feeling deeply has become my superpower. What’s your superpower? Let’s uncover it together.