Tag: organicsolutions

BOOK, Harmonious Health 4 Life, Write Pray Recover

I Am Not Invisible – Love, Wendy

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The “invisible” nature of lupus flares can make it hard for others to understand the severity of the illness, leading to misinterpretations and lack of support. 

“Lupus is a disease where the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissues and organs, including causing “Lupus Fog/Brain Fog.” It can affect any part of the body. When lupus affects the spine, the immune response attacks normal proteins, leading to joint and nerve destruction, bone loss, inflammation, and swelling. As damage occurs, your spinal discs are less able to absorb shock, which can lead to the pain associated with DDD.” (Degenerative Disc Disease).

And this is my diagnosis…Lupus (SLE), and DDD.

Due to a surgery in July, 2025, Lupus was activated, and I have been unable to recover thus far. Prior to that surgery, I was footloose and fancy free. 😊

Recently I read about a woman experiencing a flare who wrote: “For me, I may see a rash appear on my face and I know this is the beginning of a flare. Friends, family, and co-workers often can’t begin to understand that the rash is the beginning of what is taking place on the inside. You appear okay, aside from the rash, but fatigue and pain can be an overwhelming challenge.“

Recently, I went to an event and I looked like the healthiest version of wellness with my hair, nails, and makeup done flawlessly, and smiling and greeting other attendees. I was experiencing a tremendous amount of pain, and I could literally feel my legs beginning to swell, in fact, you could see my knee swelling through my pants. The burning and sharp pain shooting down my legs and in my back, in addition to my hands beginning to stiffen and swell was obvious. After about 15 minutes, a friend walked over and asked if I was okay as she noticed my demeanor had changed from when I had arrived. I told her that I really needed to go home, and I quietly made my exit, making this disease even more invisible. I always feel that I am making others uncomfortable when I am experiencing pain. I am often told by friends and family that they would have never know I was in pain because “you look so healthy.”

Lupus IS invisible. If I am not limping, one would never guess that every joint, from my arms, hands, fingers, and legs, are so swollen and in pain. I think the lupus community as a whole experiences this invisible pain.

Yesterday I arrived to work at 7:15 am, and felt confident that my Lupus was going back into remission, but by noon, after I had walked excessively, sat, stood, bent down, twisted, (all the things I was told by my doctors NOT to do), I could barely stand up. The pain was so intense, it caused me to feel sick to my stomach. When it was time to leave at 3:15pm, I was completely swollen and could only slide my left leg as I walked to my car because the swelling would not allow me to bend/step…

The great news?…

Today, I begin a new treatment…I pray that my body responds favorably.

I love my work as a Reading Specialist, a Mental Health and Wellness Educator and Coach, and love spending time with loved ones, so I am praying that the excruciating pain and profuse swelling is alleviated with this new treatment. My treatment consists of an integrative approach which is what my book, Write Pray Recover:A Journety To Wellness Through Spiritual Solutions and Self Care, encourages.

The marriage of holistic solutions and traditional medicine offers a variety of treatment tailored to my health and wellness goals.

And please know that Lupus flares ARE invisible. Your smile and empathy encourage me to keep going.

Love and blessings,

Wendy

For more information on Lupus, go to https://www.lupus.org

BOOK, Harmonious Health 4 Life, Soul Notes, Write Pray Recover

Living with Lupus And Thriving in Recovery – Love, Wendy

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Living with lupus requires a great deal of determination and patience and willingness to listen to what your body needs and what it’s asking for…especially when you are an otherwise active person and your body just…S-T-O-P-S…

And if that isn’t enough to embrace…when you are living in recovery from prescription drug addiction, as I am, it is even more of a mindful experience where I must choose only what will promote my wellness, as I do not accept any prescriptions that contain codeine and the like as that was my addiction…

So in the past 13 years of my “Wellness In Recovery…” I have learned many alternative solutions to soothe chronic pain and anxiety which I choose every time…and I am open to an integrative approach, as I write about in my book, Write Pray Recover:A Journey To Wellness Through Spiritual Solutions and Self Care.

For me, as I continue to heal from a serious Lupus flare, I am choosing non-narcotic prescription meds that my rheumatologist has prescribed including steroids, in conjunction with my holistic practices such as gentle stretching, yoga poses, gentle walking, and of late, learning a little bit about Qi-Gong. One of my mantra’s is “Mindset over Movement…Movement over Medication.”

In addition, I do a significant amount of breath work to literally breathe in, or lean into the pain rather than tense up my joints and muscles where my body is able to relax as I use my mantra, “With each breath and step I take, I am healing.”

Organic foods, hydration, meditation/prayer, and surrounding myself with loved ones are just as important in promoting my own wellness.

My ongoing recovery from addiction and my desire for thriving in wellness is my most important intention and purpose. It is the foundation of my life.

Lupus is so unpredictable and this flare was triggered by a disc herniation and nerve impingement. Lupus invaded all of my joints and muscles, and halted any movement of my body…and in the moment that I realized that I could no longer move freely…I surrendered. (Read Chapter 13-“Surrender:The Peace of Knowing”) in my book.

I am moving slowly these days with purpose. Lupus is slowly subsiding…I am regaining my strength…And through the stiffness and heaviness, I choose to move. I am able to move. I set an intention to move and to be cognizant of how much my body is able to sustain…and then I rest accordingly.

I use deliberate breath work, and I listen and feel what my body has the ability to do each day…and sometimes it changes throughout the day…and I honor whatever that looks like.

For someone else, the right balance of care may look different, and I encourage you to find what resonates with you under the “umbrella” of healing, and implement it into your daily practices.

My wellness is my most important tool…through self care of healthy practices and a mindset of “With each breath and step I take, I am healing.”

From my book, Chapter 4:Self Care…“Think of it as you would your bank account. You must continue to replenish your bank account as your bills come in each month, otherwise your account becomes depleted, or even bankrupt. You must think of your wellness account in the same way! We have so many demands on our time and energy each day. If we do not replenish our wellness account, and we continue to “give out” our energy to all of the demands, we will go into debt, energetically, and become physically, mentally and spiritually bankrupt.”

“We must make the time for ourselves, through healthy practices, to experience wellness.” Wellness is ALWAYS a choice. My choice is to always live each day through healthy practices that support my health and wellness goals year round so that my body remembers exactly how to heal when I experience a flare. The brain remembers the rhythm of resilience, and it signals the body to return to balance, peace, and healing.

“Self care is the actions that we take to achieve wellness, and wellness is where we stand in our power!”

“With each breath and step I take, I am healing.”

Love and blessings,

Wendy

Author Bio

Wendy Blanchard, M.S., INHC is an author, speaker, and Integrative Nutrition Health Coach specializing in holistic wellness and recovery. She is the author of Write Pray Recover: A Journey To Wellness Through Spiritual Solutions and Self Care and is currently writing her second book, Soul Notes. Wendy is passionate about guiding others to sustainable wellness through spiritual solutions, self-care, and integrative practices.

BOOK, Soul Notes, Write Pray Recover

Turning Trauma Into Tender Triumph – Soul Notes – Love, Wendy

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No matter how much goodness we build or beauty we experience, past trauma doesn’t simply disappear. It remains—a quiet imprint, a reminder. But our trauma is not meant to define us. It is meant to be recognized, validated, and integrated.
In this sacred space of healing, it becomes not a weight we carry, but a tool we can use to make wiser, more compassionate choices as we move forward.
We can live with caution born of wisdom, not fear born of pain.

Allow yourself to accept your traumatic experience and allow it to become a tool as you move forward. We have a choice to live again while simultaneously acknowledging our experience.

Ask yourself,
“What trauma have you allowed to bleed (no pun intended) into a new relationship or situation that has tainted the outcome? What tools can you apply in order to stop the bleeding and to heal?”

Mantra: “I acknowledge my experience of trauma, and I still choose to live, love, laugh, and learn.”

Love and blessings,

Wendy

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S.P.E.A.R. STOP PAUSE EMOTE ALLOW REST – LOVE, WENDY

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We all have feelings and emotions. Some days they may stop us in our steps and say, “Hello, I need to be acknowledged!” Sometimes this may be a delayed trauma response, or it may be a culmination of chronic stressors where we feel overwhelmed.

Give your feelings a voice. Honor your emotions.

“STOP. PAUSE. EMOTE. ALLOW. REST. – S.P.E.A.R.“

S.P.E.A.R. and S.W.I.M. Into Wellness! (You can read about this in my book, Write Pray Recover:A Journey To Wellness Through Spiritual Solutions and Self Care https://a.co/d/a8lzF4O

When you feel triggered, or you feel your symptoms escalating…S.P.E.A.R.

This is a non-linear recovery plan that is specific to your health and wellness goals.

STOP where you are.

PAUSE TO BE PRESENT. PATIENTLY PROCESS. Take one slow deep breath through your nose, and exhale slowly through your mouth.

Repeat three times. Your breath is your most accessible tool to intervene with your physiology in real time. Focus on your breath to align with the present moment.

EMOTE safely anything that you are feeling. You are allowed to feel whatever you feel!

Try the Alternate Nostril Breathing below to self soothe as you release your feelings/emotions.

Allow yourself to feel, and take whatever time you need. Practice extra self care.

ACCEPT your emotions and feelings. Take as long as you need to practice acceptance and validate what you are feeling in a safe space without self judgement. Acceptance promotes peace.

REST and RE-ALIGN, and allow yourself time to process. Hydrate!

Write about it! Take your time with this step. Then, RE-FRAME using a healthy mindset and being open to new perspectives to re-frame the experience as you move forward. Ask yourself, “In moving forward, how can I use my self awareness of this trigger/ stressor in conjunction with my self regulation skills in order to navigate constructively? (Daily self care to stay ahead of the stressor? Take a “time out?” Etc.)

For those who mean well by telling you to “Focus on your blessings! Be positive,” give yourself permission and power to realize when others do not know how to support us appropriately, and do not have the skill, or the experience and words that we may need at the time, and know that they mean well. And, some may be uncomfortable observing as we experience emotions and feelings because it may force them to go within where they may be suppressing their own feelings and emotions that also need validation.

We ALL have mental health.

When we are feeling mentally unwell, we do not need to “focus on our blessings and all the positives in our lives.“ What we need is a safe space, and the time, however long that is for us, to experience the experience.

S.P.E.A.R. yourself into the experience. Ask for support if you feel you need support. This begins the healing process.

Whatever healthy practices you need to heal, do it…and take your time.”

To read more about my S.P.E.A.R. and S.W.I.M. Into Wellness component of my “Integrative Approach to Wellness” program, read my book, Write Pray Recover:A Journey To Wellness Through Spiritual Solutions and Self Care. https://a.co/d/a8lzF4O

Love and blessings,

Wendy

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Spiritual Experiences- Love, Wendy

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As a spiritual student and teacher, I have learned that once I release any expectations, and I trust in my spiritual connection, I experience the experiences I have dreamed about.

These spiritual experiences have been awe inspiring and captivating.

I choose to allow Spirit to lead me to, and through the magnificence of these spiritually aligned experiences.

Through inner introspection and an open heart…I hear “the calling.”

I am a believer, an explorer and a survivor.

Love, Wendy

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Addiction and Recovery – Love, Wendy

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Addiction is a brain disorder that can slowly kill one who lives with this fatal disease. Addiction is a mental health disorder.

Recovery is the solution that can restore your mind, rebuild your life, and offer a path to lasting healing and hope when you commit yourself to wellness through specific self care strategies.

Self care is the actions that we take to achieve wellness, and wellness is where we stand in our power.

I’m about to celebrate 13 years of living in wellness in recovery from substanceuse disorder. It’s a lot of hard work and certainly the journey has many winding roads and ups and downs. I was one of the lucky ones to have found recovery through a holistic approach and became a holistic coach and practitioner to serve others. Most recently, I decided to listen to my voice within to do even deeper inner work that has been so necessary for quite some time in order to enhance my life/recovery. 

Feelings of severe anxiety, guilt, anger, and deep sadness have plagued me for some time so I thought I would attend SMART RECOVERY meetings (something I rejected in the past) and work the steps of this recovery community. 

It is never too late to add tools to your recovery plan and in fact, I am finding that this is what I have needed for so long. I no longer feel so alone, and I feel like I am doing constructive work to become an even better version of myself for myself and for my family and friends.

And no doubt, I will be able to share this experience along with all of my holistic practices with my clients and even our community.

I felt the universe guiding me towards this for quite some time.

Listen to your voice within. Inherently, we know what we need for healing.

To read more about my journey, you can read my book, Write Pray Recover: A Journey to Wellness Through Spiritual Solutions and Self Care available on Amazon and online bookstores worldwide.

The little girl in this picture experienced severe trauma & neglect at a very young age into middle age, ongoing. It is a miracle that I have grown into a new woman in adulthood at all, alive and well, and still open to learning, growing and evolving. 

I have humbled myself in order to understand new perspectives because I want to be the example for my children and grandchildren that no matter what you experience in your life, it is always a choice to turn it around. To LIVE. To be well and happy. To love and to be loved.

We can recover. We do recover. It is a lifelong commitment.

Love and blessings,

Wendy

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Breathe Into It – Love, Wendy

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When I begin to feel my emotions causing a physical sensation in my body, rather than resist what I am feeling, I BREATHE INTO IT.

I inhale one slow deep breath through my nose to the count of 4, hold for the count of 6, exhale slowly and purposefully to the count of 8. I continue this breathing pattern until I feel the uncomfortable physical sensation loosen its grip and until my heart rate begins to slow down.

As I breathe, I remind myself that I am safe, or I can find a safe space or a “safe person” to support me as I experience symptoms of heightened anxiety, (anger, fear, etc…whatever you are feeling that is causing you to feel “unwell”).

Our breath is our most accessible tool to intervene with our physiology in real time. It is my organic strategy for resetting my nervous system.

“Breathing into it sends oxygen to your body, helping to calm your nervous system, clear your mind, and nourish your cells. It’s a reminder to slow down, center yourself, and embrace the present moment with each inhale and exhale.” Remember that you always have a choice as to how you respond to external stimuli. Choose a constructive response that promotes wellness, inner peace and personal growth. Use this experience to practice resilience.

Happy Friday. Happy Weekend.

Love and blessings,

Wendy

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Reset with your breath – Love, Wendy

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Regulate your nervous system.

Stay in control of your personal agency, naturally. Keep your mind sharply on your breath which is the most challenging part of using deliberate breathing.

Deliberate breathing brings the body and mind into a state of calm and focus.

Reset…

Take in two sharp inhales. Exhale long and slowly.

When you find yourself triggered, or your emotions are causing you physical symptoms of anxiety, use your breath.

It is your most accessible tool to intervene with your physiology in real time.

When you make mindful breathing/deliberate breathing a regular practice which becomes part of your lifestyle, it is easier to implement, and to be successful during times of high stress and anxiety.

Go to a quiet place and keep your mind on your breath. 
Using substances are only a temporary fix. We always have our breath and it is our most accessible tool to intervene with our nervous system in real time.

I have 13 years of sobriety now and breathing is one of my go to’s when I feel panic or anxiety. 

I had to use this on Friday night and even though I’ve practiced mindful breathing for over a decade, it took me almost an hour to re-center and recover. And afterwards, your body can feel exhausted. This is normal as you guide your brain to center.

It takes a lot of mental strength to stay focused on your breath and not the symptoms of the anxiety episode that you are experiencing. This is why it is so vital to make this a daily practice. 

Your brain then recognizes immediately the pattern of focus and calm. It strengthens the neural pathways over time that support relaxation and focus. It creates an automatic response to stress that promotes emotional regulation and resilience!


To work with me one on one in my coaching program, call 845–263–4094.

Love, Wendy

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Chemical Countdown – Love, Wendy

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“Chemical Countdown” is a way of regulating our nervous system through a deliberate breathing technique when we feel provoked or triggered.

There is power in exercising restraint, which builds resilience and character…otherwise known as emotional regulation. In this space, we pause to ask ourselves if what we are feeling is related to a past trauma, or a real present moment threat.

Staying in the present moment to discern if there is a real threat allows us to stay in control and remain calm, as well as disarms the other person or situation. It allows us to focus on our breathing, and to redirect our thoughts. A “Wise Mind” strategy.

Releasing our emotions through healthy practices is more productive than engaging in unnecessary banter.

Love and blessings,

Wendy