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Carpentry...Out of My Mind... Into My Body
The first bold step I took off the well-trodden path was becoming a carpenter. Fresh out of college with a BS in Biology, I called myself an “intellectual idiot”—living too much in my head and too little in the present. Then one day, while walking on a beach in the Virgin Islands, inspiration struck: I wanted to help people make their homes better places to be. When I returned home, I picked up a hammer and became a carpenter.
Carpentry brought me out of my mind and into my body. Through the act of creating with my hands, I discovered a different kind of wisdom—the knowing that resides deep in the belly. I learned that the quality of our work reflects the quality of our being. A hammer blow landing on your thumb instead of the nail is a message from yourself to yourself. To achieve true Quality—as Robert Pirsig described it—one must be grounded, centered, and fully present in the unfolding process of creation.
Yoga: Unblocking the Body’s Wisdom
Years later, my journey led me to the practice of Iyengar Yoga, guided by an extraordinary teacher. Through yoga, I discovered how the body shields us by storing trauma and emotions until we’re ready to confront them. By opening my body, I unlocked hidden energies and emotions long buried.
- Twists released anger.
- Backbends brought waves of joy.
- Standing poses revealed strength of will.
- Inversions shifted my perspective.
- Supported poses unearthed forgotten traumas and opened the floodgates to healing.
The body speaks when the mind quiets. Yoga taught me to channel energy and access the deep wisdom stored within.
From Hammer to Healing
My journey of self-discovery began the moment I strapped on a tool belt and learned to hit a nail square on the head. By stepping away from the confines of intellect and embracing the knowledge of my body, I found a path to healing and wholeness.
What started with carpentry grew into a practice of living in alignment—through my work, my body, and the energetic flow of life itself.
The Journey to This Moment
Looking back, the signs were always there—I just wasn’t paying attention.
At 20, I began to see and converse with the spirits of wild places and realized I could communicate with plants. Around that same time, I started my Iyengar Yoga practice, which deepened over the past two decades. In the last five years, I’ve been blessed by the guidance of powerful women healers. They helped me find my true self amidst trauma and anguish by teaching me how to:
- Speak with my ancestors.
- Channel kundalini energy.
- Delve deeply into my energetic field.
- Embrace my inner feminine to support and balance my masculine.
- Dance with life’s energy.
- Choose to truly be well.
These practices opened doors to a greater understanding of myself and the energy that connects us all.
Unlearning and Reclaiming Wellness
One of the unexpected lessons of this journey has been uncovering the depth of the cultural cosmology imprinted in me—the beliefs and judgments taught by society that undermine the value of this work.
These ingrained beliefs whisper that this healing isn’t real, isn’t enough, isn’t worthy. Their insidious influence impacts not only my sense of self but also my well-being. To heal, I’ve had to consciously reject these ideas and choose a different path.
Healing, for me, is a process of cleansing these beliefs from my body and soul, allowing myself to embrace wellness fully. With every step, I choose to honor my truth over the expectations of a world that often doesn’t understand this work. I choose to be well.
"How I Discovered Healing" Podcast with Chakra Checkups
Click on the photo to listen and explore my journey into healing.
In this podcast, Angela and Marie sit down with special guest Chris—a lifelong carpenter who uncovered his gift for remote healing. With guidance from Marie, Chris transitioned from carpentry to healing practices, transforming his health and vitality along the way. In this insightful conversation, Chris reflects on his journey, sharing memories from ayahuasca ceremonies that revealed his true calling as a healer. Tune in for an inspiring story of self-discovery, empowerment, and the profound connection between craft and healing.
The only Zen you find on the tops of mountains is the Zen you bring up there.
Robert M. Pirsig
