Healing your Mind, Body & Soul + Sobercuriosity with Kristi Simons
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[00:00:00] Welcome to the Empowered Essence podcast, where we liberate you and empower you to let your soul lead the way in life and business. I'm your host, Laura Lorentz, sharing my thoughts and intimate conversations with featured guests on spirituality, business, and making courageous moves in the spirit of following your soul.
[00:00:23] I want to provide you with the tools you need to tap into your highest self. I am here to empower you to walk away, feeling ready to live your most expansive and purposeful life. Let's dive in.
[00:00:41] All right. Welcome back to another episode of Empowered Essence. I am so excited to be doing another guest episode. I've been doing a lot of solo episodes lately and they have been lighting me up, but now I am back into a few guest episodes. Today with me, I've got Christy Simmons, and I'm so excited to welcome her to the podcast.
[00:01:01] I'm going to introduce you by just sharing your bio quick. So Christy is a wife, a mom of two, Hendrix and Beatrix. After the birth of her son in 2020, she began imperfectly creating change in her life. These changes, although for a better life, were met with many challenges along the way.
[00:01:19] Looking back, it is clear that the breakdowns she faced were necessary to reveal the breakthroughs that continue to help her on her journey towards living in alignment with what her soul truly desires and to inspire others to do the same. As a certified bilingual teacher for the last 12 years, she is beginning to truly embody what she is really passionate about teaching and sharing, healing our body, mind, and soul with practices that allow us to truly come home to our most authentic self.
[00:01:50] I love that. So welcome Kristi to the podcast.
[00:01:54] Thank you so much for having me. I was just thinking in my head, even just being a podcast host. I think that for me has been the most rewarding part this past year. I was telling you, I've been podcasting for just about a year now and it's those connections.
[00:02:07] It's the connections that I have been able to make with other people that have just truly lit my soul on fire this past year. You learn so much from others and from the lessons that they are thankfully so open to sharing. So anyways, I appreciate you having me here. Yeah, of course. We often have these feelings of change or transformation in our lives, and it's like that soul awakening feeling, and to know that there are other people that are going through similar things, having similar thoughts.
[00:02:38] Building businesses or having these passion projects or whatever it is that we're feeling called to do. It's just so beautiful to be able to talk to people that are doing the same things. This is great. I feel this is actually the first conversation we've had. Kristi had reached out to me about being on the podcast and just hearing her voice, I was like, yeah, she's aligned.
[00:02:59] This is perfect. I'm so excited to have her on. Reading your bio and knowing what I do know about you, it feels like motherhood was like a real springboard for you in terms of this self discovery, this really finding your passions. Tell us a little bit about your story and your journey to getting here now.
[00:03:18] Yes, absolutely. Honestly, I've become so passionate about sharing it, which wasn't necessarily the case in the beginning. I feel like it was something that I was still, I still felt a lot of shame around, and I think the most important lesson that I have learned over the last three years is just how much I have been able to heal myself just by showing up for the things, that really light my soul on fire. So constantly asking myself, what is it that I truly desire for myself in my life? I believe that was truly what was holding me back before I became a mom. I had this tendency to follow other people and the things that I thought that I should be doing to please others.
[00:04:01] Ultimately, I was living in this same, cyclical pattern that just wasn't sustainable anymore and that just also wasn't helping me to be the best version of myself that I could possibly be. So to go back three years ago, before I had my son Hendrix in the year 2020, I've been a teacher for 12 years now, so I was teaching every day, and basically not taking the best care of myself and my body, after work I was always feeling overwhelmed, stressed, burnt out, I wasn't super happy with myself or the way that my life was going, and I did consume quite a bit of alcohol, I definitely had some addictive patterns, back then.
[00:04:38] Once I finally met my husband, my life started to shift. So when I say breakdown to breakthrough, it wasn't like it necessarily happened to me all at once. This was over the course of three years. So when we got pregnant with my son, I felt like that first small shift. Like something needed to change in my life, and I knew that something was me.
[00:04:58] I didn't even know where to start, like [00:05:00] where to begin. It felt like kind of everything was crumbling around me, and then I became a mom for the first time, and I just, I felt like that overwhelming, joy and love, and I just knew I wanted to show up better in my life for him. So I slowly started to create change in my life imperfect...
[00:05:18] I always talk about imperfectly creating change because I really believe it's that imperfect consistency that really gets us to where we want to be. It started more like externally based. I was really focused on my nutrition, walking every day, just, embodying somebody who physically from the exterior would look healthy, fit all the things and so I got to a point where I was truly proud of all the goals that I had accomplished. So already I was starting to build that confidence, but there was still like this ache that was coming from within and then I got pregnant again for the second time with my daughter in 22 and that is when everything really started to come to the surface because through those two pregnancies, obviously I wasn't able to drink or I didn't have any of those other addictive patterns in my life that I had been so dependent on.
[00:06:01] So I ended up having a mental health breakdown six months into that pregnancy and that's probably when the biggest shift came for me. I knew that I really needed to start healing myself from the inside out. There was a lot of inner work that I had done and slowly but surely as I started to come back home to myself with practices that were just so restorative to my being, I feel like all of those old patterns just slowly started to fall away and then I became so passionate about sharing my journey.
[00:06:30] So that's where the podcast started and now moving forward, I feel like this is the work that I am so passionate about teaching. transitioning from teaching in the traditional sense to more of a holistic educator for teens and really helping support them along their journey. Because that's really truly what I feel like I needed back then. So that's a little background.
[00:06:50] That's so beautiful. I remember before I even got pregnant with my daughter, we had a miscarriage and that in itself is like a pregnancy, a birth of some sort within yourself, because I was at a point, very similar to you, where I was completely burnt out.
[00:07:08] I had very similar tendencies and patterns to cope and many of us do. We all, have some sort of ways, whether it's alcohol, drugs, shopping, eating. There's things that we do that, these external things just to, Make us feel better in the moment, but actually aren't sustainable, or they don't support us in the longer term and so going through like situations like that, get us to slow down and to stop and it rewires ourselves like we're rewiring like.
[00:07:36] We have a physical being in our bodies like our DNA is changing there's so much going on when we do that and then when they're birthed into the world, then we're forced to change like our day to day patterns I truly believe that becoming a mom or being pregnant just in itself, changes you at a physical and, cellular level that you can't Describe it is a beautiful and miraculous magical thing that women go through
[00:08:02] Yeah, I 100 percent can resonate with that and I also want to add that, with that and how beautiful it is, it also has been really important for me this past year to just truly, allow those emotions and that grieving process to really take place because I feel to In the beginning, when I first became a mom, like with my son Hendrix, I never really truly took the time to grieve who I was.
[00:08:26] I just feel I started this process, I got the ball rolling, my journey was, I was growing, and I was changing, and I was transforming, and I was stepping into the person that I always knew that I could be. But there was also An importance, I feel like I forgot to put an importance on, just really taking the time, to just let go and to release who I used to be, and to really, honour that and the lessons that I learned along the way. I feel the self doubt, and the shame that I had around a lot of those stories, it was because I never took the time to, let it go.
[00:08:54] Yeah, that's so that's beautiful and profound at the same time because you're right. There are a lot of people that don't take the time. They're like, okay, let's move on. let's do the things. Let's, and then there's this gap or this period where you know, internally, things are shifting, things are moving, and things haven't settled. So when we're like pushing ourselves to keep going, we end up in like burnout states or, in, in depression or anxiety, all of those things start coming up.
[00:09:23] So how, like, how has your sober journey now impacted Your mental health. and how does life look like you've talked a little bit about how life looks differently now for you, but what are some of the most profound shifts that you've seen? Oh, my goodness. So first of all, it's actually taking the time to slow down.
[00:09:44] As you said, and then just be super proud of myself for how far I have come. I feel like that was one thing that I didn't do. I don't, I still don't do this enough. I often do not take the time to just celebrate, how big of an accomplishment that is for me personally. [00:10:00] It honestly, truly for my mental health has just impacted my life for the better in absolutely every area, like in every bucket, my relationship, my career, my family, just myself in general, everything, right?
[00:10:12] Everything got better for me. Once I made that transition once I made that decision, and you know what actually came into my life in replacement of that I feel was running. So I feel like I always had this connection and I always felt I wanted to be a runner, whenever I would see a runner I was like, I wish I could run like that or I wish I was a runner.
[00:10:30] I really wanted to identify myself as a runner, not that I think that we need to put anything any labels on ourselves but I wanted to be identified as a runner. I felt that way often but also, waking up feeling hungover and or also not waking up, till later in the afternoon like it's just, it's not a lifestyle that you can sustain if you want to to run. So when I had my two children, I feel like that was something that really helped me mentally was shifting from walking into running. I started running races, with my daughter and my son, I would push them in the stroller in some of these races, which was really cool that I was able to experience that and do that with them.
[00:11:08] Actually, fun fact, I ran until I was 38 and three weeks pregnant, I =think with my daughter. So that was pretty cool accomplishment as well. But honestly, I feel like I said, running came into the picture because I released something else. I still run, I feel like that has been the key to me to, sustaining the success that I've been able to have by staying sober.
[00:11:30] yeah, running saved me. Running keeps me mentally clear and it just keeps me mentally happy. I don't feel at all like I ever will need any alcohol ever again to, just to make my way through every day.
[00:11:43] Yeah. that's incredible. I say that a lot to my clients as well is anytime you're doing some sort of healing work, whether it's energetic healing, emotional healing, anything in your life, you are removing something, you're shedding something even your identity that you are talking about, you are shedding an identity.
[00:11:59] So when you're going through those processes, we need to replace them with something because if you don't replace it with something, if you don't fill it with something, then either that same thing comes back or other bad patterns or behaviors or thoughts or whatever like comes in that place.
[00:12:17] So I love that you were able to replace it with running. That's such a powerful message to people. A lot more people are becoming sober curious these days, and maybe I'm just surrounded a lot by it because,I'm in my 30s and a lot of my friends are moms and, the idea of going out drinking and then being hungover the next day is not fun with little kids. I think it's something that a lot more people are starting to explore and I think that this is a very empowering story for other people to hear and to understand. I know it's something that I've personally been, on a journey with myself. I did not have a great relationship with alcohol in my late teens, early 20s, and motherhood was that break from it, to see that I can be fun. What were some of the stories that you told yourself, before making that decision to cut out alcohol, because I know I have stories around not being fun, and, what would my husband and I do if... We couldn't go to craft breweries together, that kind of stuff.
[00:13:16] Oh my gosh, 100%. To be honest with you, I do feel like, there have been some shifts in some of the people maybe that I spend time with, but also when you start to focus on the things that really light you up and the things that you want to call into your life to really like level up and be the best version of yourself that you can be.
[00:13:34] Those changes are obviously going to change other areas too, right? It's just an extension and obviously things are going to, yeah, just move in the same direction as you, but that was definitely a huge story that I was telling myself that I would be extremely isolated and that, there wouldn't be anybody else like me and I just I wouldn't be a part of the group.
[00:13:56] I wouldn't be like, how would I even go to, a wedding or how would I actually probably the biggest one was what would I say to people? How would I explain why? I wasn't drinking anymore, or why I didn't want to have one. I was so worried about the other person and that really, truly shifted my focus as well, right?
[00:14:14] Why am I so worried about other people? I should be worried about myself. The fact that I needed to make this decision for myself, that's enough of an answer. I don't need to give anybody an answer. It's just simply, I don't drink. Yeah. And if they do, that's okay too. There's no judgment there because I don't know your story. Not everybody, has a problem with alcohol.
[00:14:35] I find for me, even today, I feel like it's not necessarily like a problem. there are people that are choosing it just for mental clarity or, noticing that they were just telling themselves these stories and I've never even enjoyed alcohol in the first place, like those sorts of things.
[00:14:51] I think the social situations too, and I know that there's a lot of people that are listening to this podcast who are sensitive, empathic, very, [00:15:00] bring on a lot of, and feel so deeply the energy around them and we do it. Because we can talk easier to other people, or we do it because we think that it's going to better, have better conversations.
[00:15:13] But the thing that I've personally been toying with, is something that's very valuable to me, or something that's very important to me, is building authentic relationships with the people that I surround myself with. I was thinking about this. It's if I'm drinking all the time when I'm in these social situations, how authentic? is that relationship that I'm having with that person because I'm not really me, like fully me because I'm like standing behind something. I'm standing behind a mask of some sort is what I was thinking about it. If that is so important to me, then why do I need to drink?
[00:15:48] if I really truly wanted someone to know me for me versus me while I'm drinking and the life of the party or whatever. I truly just, I landed myself in so many situations. That I wish I could go back and change, right? But at the same time, those, those challenges that I face were also lessons that brought me to where I am today, speaking about, what I am speaking about and sharing the things that I'm passionate about.
[00:16:14] It's not to say that, drinking necessarily is the problem. I feel like there's a lack of education around the things that we can do to best support ourselves. I feel like these messages, the things that you share on your podcast, the things that I listen to on other podcasts that are similar, that are like minded, those are the things that I feel like I needed so badly when I was a teen.
[00:16:35] I just wonder sometimes how... How much differently, my life could have turned out, although I'm so very grateful for the way it has,it's just, you get curious about that, you start to question, you start to ask yourself, you start to wonder, and then you start to think, if I could be that person for somebody else, imagine the freaking magic and the change that we would be able to create in the world, and I see so many people around me doing it.So many women that are so inspiring. Christine showed up to Christine quick, just even the work that she's doing, she's starting a joy project, a community to bring more joy into the world, right? I just, I feel like there are so many things. There are so many people that have so many gifts and really, truly connecting with yourself to be able to tap into that to cultivate that. There are people that need you and that need the work that you do. So I feel like I know that is what I'm here to share. That, there's just, there's a different way and choosing you is so very important.
[00:17:30] I love that. So tell us a little bit more about the work that you are doing. I know we talked a little bit about your work evolving and pivoting. what is the vision for the work that you are here bringing into the world?
[00:17:42] So my journey, my goodness, it's been a wild ride. Started three years ago. I've been a teacher for the past 12 years. So coming back from these two maternity leaves, and we were on like virtual there for a little bit because of COVID. So I really, truly haven't been back to a school setting in almost three years. So This September was my first time back at my school, but I actually made the decision this year to only go back part time because I am currently growing my side business, which is teach with love.
[00:18:12] I like to, call myself a holistic educator for teams. What I do is I offer group tutoring services, but I also offer one on one programs for teens that are either needing to finish their high school credits are working to finish high school or needing support through high school and beyond that are looking to, really cultivate just that confidence and step into their true potential.
[00:18:36] I feel like there's just, they need somebody on their team. When they have somebody on their team that believes in them and that offers them that support. I feel like it's just a game changer, especially if they're struggling. That is the person that I want to be for them.
[00:18:49] No, that's powerful. I feel the teachers. in the traditional school setting do their absolute best to support every single child, but we know that there are multiple kids in a class and there's only one teacher and having that person that can be that support person on a, daily, weekly basis that is really beautiful and powerful and it's really setting the stage for the rest of their lives in terms of their decisions that they're making it's such a pivotal and emotional and, a lot of decisions that need to be made at that point in their lives and that's stressful. That is so stressful for a lot of kids.
[00:19:28] 100%. I can remember, I can put myself back into the shoes of, my 18 year old self. Feel those feelings of just, really not knowing what to do, but just following what everybody else said that you should and now coming full circle...
[00:19:43] It's okay. I was always meant to be a teacher. I know that there's a passion there. There's a love for teaching, but maybe there's just a shift in the way that I'm doing it. it's been really cool actually this year to be part time at the school and then part time at home, working with the students that I have currently [00:20:00] and watching their progress and seeing their growth.
[00:20:01] It's been really incredible and super rewarding. Yeah, pivoting, trying to pivot at the same time and trying to figure out by next year where I will land. So I'm really excited to see what happens.
[00:20:12] That's letting your soul lead the way in life and business and all of the things, everybody has this idea that, okay, my purpose, it's this one thing, and it's this one path, and this is the way it goes. But business, navigating life, all of it is messy. It's imperfect and seeing the change and the transformation and listening to those nudges, like it sounds like you really, truly are listening to that nudge.
[00:20:41] What does it mean to you? I actually think this is going to be my question on my podcast when I start the podcast with everyone. So what does it mean to you to let your soul lead the way in life and business? Oh, I love this. So the first thing that's coming to mind. is to
[00:20:57] () embrace the unknown.
[00:21:00] You really have to get still and quiet with yourself and listen for that tiny whisper. So it's not like a loud voice that's yelling at you. It's literally a whisper, but you also have to be able to really anchor and hold center to be able to hear it. Once you really honestly connect with that and you start following those breadcrumbs, it's just incredible the places that it will lead you,.
[00:21:21] I'm probably going off on a bit of a tangent here, but also one thing that I have learned that has been super powerful for me over the last year, especially as I'm transitioning from, as I said, the traditional school setting into growing my own business when I have absolutely no clue what I'm doing.
[00:21:36] I've never grown a business before. I just know that I'm good at what I do. So I'm trying to put that out into the world. Honestly for me about recognizing that if you don't try, if you don't put yourself out there, if you don't ask the question, the answer is always going to be a no.
[00:21:52] If you step up to do the thing that you need to do for yourself, if you show up for yourself, whether, that's a perceived failure or it's a success, I feel like both are so important in life. That's the way that I see it now and that's the lesson that I also want to teach to my students.
[00:22:08] There are so many perceived failures that I have about my past. Looking back at that and looking at where I am now, those lessons have all got me to where I am, so they were all also super important, and so were the successes I had ultimately as well, There's no failure in life, it's only lessons. It's so true. Oftentimes when we get these nudges or these intuitive hits or however you want to describe it, however it feels for you, we don't know. We never have certainty that it's going to work out, but if you trust that whatever happens, happens for a lesson, a purpose, a reason, then there's no wrong choice ever there really isn't because it's all guiding us and leading us, I truly believe that like we can't screw up in this lifetime.
[00:22:57] We can't,if you have this failure. quote unquote, it's always leading you to something different, it just wasn't meant to be. It wasn't meant to be that way, it's always this and something better is always coming your way. I wonder if you think too that just by having that perspective and shifting your perspective that way, your life feels more expansive.
[00:23:17] It doesn't feel as terrifying, fear still shows up, so does resistance. That's just part of being human, but you really do feel like you are capable of just accomplishing anything you set your mind to. You just gotta go at it nice and slow, listen to your body, just listen to that voice.
[00:23:33] Those rest super important. I totally agree the two biggest things that shifted everything for me on my journey because I too am building my business alongside a corporate job. and I've I started my business while I was on maternity leave, and so I feel everything that you're going through and experiencing.
[00:23:50] I've been on this journey the last three years as well. The biggest thing for me, two things. So one is nothing is ever a failure. I'm always learning. I'm always growing. I'm always gaining something from it. The other thing is time. Everybody has this pressure on time.
[00:24:06] it's gotta happen now, or in this instance, or by this time period. We create these like time bound structures around when things will happen, but the thing that's like really released a lot of that pressure that you were talking about for me is just saying, it's not about time.
[00:24:21] It's about timing and the more that we can just sink into the things that we love, the things that we enjoy the things that just. Light our soul on fire. It doesn't matter how much time it takes to reach the goals or do the things it's really all about just enjoying the journey along the way, because we can't enjoy the journey, then, our lives are for loss. I feel like because that's the part of it. 100%. Oh, that was so beautiful. You're so right. It's so true. It's something that I need to be reminded of every day, which is why I wake up every morning with just a little bit of grounding. I usually like to sit for at least five minutes, just quietly if my kids will let [00:25:00] me and just reflect on that
[00:25:02] Wake up and be grateful first thing in the morning. Try to, be aware of the things, that pop into your head that we often, want to complain about or whatever it is, Trying to be more present and more compassionate with yourself and then showing up in the way that makes you feel your absolute best.
[00:25:19] Yeah, that's all we can do. That's really what it is because there's always going to be the days that our kids have temper tantrums and, we, our self confidence dwindles or, things just don't go our way or whatever. There's always like the ups and downs and all arounds.
[00:25:35] But if we can anchor ourselves. in just this knowing that I'm doing the right thing or I'm following the breadcrumbs along the way. That's all that matters. It's just all adding up. it's a really, it's a really grounding and beautiful way of looking at it. At least that's helped me personally too.
[00:25:53] I love that. Awesome. thank you so much for being on the podcast. And I actually forgot to mention at the beginning of this, we're gonna put this podcast So we're going to be on the empowered essence podcast, but we're also going to be putting it on, Christie's podcast as well.
[00:26:08] And so currently it's called Imperfect Creatrix, but she's going through a brand transitioning, but I'm excited for this podcast to be on her podcast as well. so that you can hear it from multiple sources because I love sharing these stories and these journeys for everyone. Absolutely. I can't wait to you have to just to share this message.
[00:26:33] I'll say it again. Yeah, I just feel like connecting is just so important. Having these meaningful conversations and sharing them with the people that need to find them. And I just really appreciate your time and for having me on today. It really means a lot to me. That's awesome. So how can people reach out to you?
[00:26:50] So probably the best way to connect with me would just be either through the podcast or through Instagram. So my Instagram handle is @ mama tohandb, so H as in Hendrix for my son, and B as in Beatrix for my daughter and Imperfect Creatrix, wherever you listen to your podcast again, there'll be a rebrand happening soon, but that's okay.
[00:27:11] You'll still be able to find me even if you just type in my name. Christie, Simons. Awesome. thank you so much. I hope you have a lovely day and we'll talk soon. Thank you.
[00:27:20] Thank you for tuning in to today's episode of Empowered Essence. If you loved this episode, don't forget to leave a rating and review on your favorite platform. And until next time, keep shining your light.
