May is mental health awareness month. Coincidentally, it is this month 14 years ago that I was diagnosed with depression. So too, was this the month that I first took the steps that ultimately changed my life. In honour of Mental Health and Awareness Month, for the first time ever, I am sharing my story. It includes an out of body experience, pursuing a career and then leaving it, and learning how to go from feeling like there was no hope in any day to loving being here.
My Story
Flash back to May 2008. I was not this version of myself at all. Back then, I was 22 years old and was out in the world pursuing my dreams. I had recently survived cancer, was doing a Masters degree on full scholarship, and was really experiencing everything I had worked hard to achieve. This was supposed to be one of the happiest times of my life. Yet, every single day I was struggling to get out of bed. I was negative. I could not find the good in the world. I could not think straight. I was constantly tired. I knew something was terribly wrong but could not figure out what.
May 2008, I hit my personal rock bottom. I had slowly been losing friends and finding myself alone more often. My zest for life was depleting by the minute. Even going to class, my first love, was feeling almost impossible. I was losing hope. Within the span of two days, two people who were close to me stepped out of my life. As they left, they let me know that they thought I had depression and that maybe I needed to do something about it.
Depression. I had honestly never even thought about it before. I looked up the term and saw that I exhibited all the key behaviours. In that moment, I realized that I had a choice. Now I have an idea what is going on which means I can do something about it. So, I booked a session with a school psychologist. The date of their first available appointment? My 23rd birthday.
On my 23rd birthday, I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety. As fate would have it, in that session the psychologist recommended that I try out meditation and yoga. In this moment of seeking help, I was reintroduced to energy which ultimately changed my life. It was from this humble rock bottom moment that I realized I could work with my body, energy, and mind to manage the way I felt.
Press play below to hear my story. (Check below that if working with energy management may be something you are interested as part of yours.)
This talk was originally delivered to an online community that I act as a spiritual mentor in called ‘Wisdom’. It was hosted as a ‘talk radio’ style show and thus is delivered in a pretty laid back, personal style. * If you do not want to hear the legal disclaimers and little introduction of who I am to the community, you can skip right through to minute #2. It is a little awkward, but it also has some good information that is worth hearing. Just know that the tone changes to story telling very quickly! *
*Note the program I mention is ready to go. See below! I have completed the update to it AND added some brand-new material that is oriented toward being energy sensitive. Click here to get started right now:
Breathe, Ground, Connect: https://indicrowacademy.learnworlds.com/course/breathe. I just finished updating the materials yesterday with brand new videos and a more simplified format for quick and easy engagement.
These Are Some of the Moments that Shaped Me
The life events I talk about in this story shaped me more than any personal story I have probably ever told our community. The radical difference between who I was and how I experience life now that was (is) my mental health and wellness journey inspired me so much I eventually left academia to teach about the principles I learned through all of this, full time. (Even though I have had to take the last few years off of private session because the planet my ceremonial focus. I happily to announce that my school is open! You can learn how to do anything you want me to do for you for yourself. I believe this.)
As I say in the story, for me, learning that I had a ‘soul’ and that there was this thing called ‘energy’ were KEY to managing how I felt. Realizing what a vibration was, learning to lift and manage mine and fixing my auric field are crucial to my well-being strategy. This is why I highlight things like processing and taking moments to shift our harmonic in my courses, podcasts, and writings. It all comes back to managing the various layers of who we are in ways that work for us.
Thank you for listening to my story. I hope it inspires you to embrace yours. Whatever it is.
There is nothing to be ashamed of, here.
What Works for You?
What are some of your key ‘must do’ self-care wellness strategies? I would love to hear what works for you!
BIG LOVE,
Katie IndiCrow
Is this a topic you would like to hear more about?
Check out the ‘energy management’ tab of this blog.