About your guide, Jessa Brooke

 

Hello, goddess!

Firstly, I want to thank you sincerely for your interest,

and for exploring the Embodhi Feminine Wellness website

to learn more about who I am, what I offer

and my vision for my women's holistic wellness boutique studio.

 

Next, I want to congratulate you

on taking these first steps towards

connecting more deeply with yourself,

your pelvic floor and your feminine essence.

 

By nurturing and nourishing your innate energy and power

you will bloom and thrive in unexpected ways,

discovering the deep connection you have always yearned for.

 

Do you sense a deep longing within,

yet remain uncertain of its nature or how to fulfill it?

It could very well be the call of your Sacred Feminine

reaching out to you.

 

I have firsthand experience with this!

 

I went from immobility due to pain

which left me unable to commit to a workplace

and completely disconnected from my body,

hating my body and what I saw in the mirror,

overdrinking daily due to pain,

stress and anxiety disorder,

feeling angry ALL the time,

watching my relationship fall apart,

and suicide ideation

*to*

waking up every morning excited about my day

of creating and guiding sessions,

losing over THIRTY pounds in less than a year (the healthy way),

loving my toned, fit, healthy body and who I am as a person,

happily sober for two years and counting

(even though my partner is a musician and plays in lots of bars),

feeling calm and relaxed (for the most part),

and enjoying serene and supportive relationships with

my partner, family and friends.

 

No longer do I desire to end my life.

Constant panic attacks are a distant memory.

 

I feel POWERFUL

and deeply connected to myself and my soul purpose.

How did I get from there to here?

 

Here is my story.

 

After a career in dance throughout my twenties, I dedicated a decade to a Licensed Massage Therapist career in private practice. When I relocated to Bocas del Toro, Panama, I embraced the life of an island massage therapist amidst the jungle for four years. The indigenous people called me 'Chica Sonadora' (Healer Girl).

Realizing that separating from my then-husband would be mutually beneficial, I moved back to Austin in 2012 to reestablish my practice and financially support the Panama project from afar, and we divorced in 2013.

In 2016, the cumulative stress on my hands and wrists from over a decade-long career in massage therapy, coupled with a physically traumatic miscarriage and the onset of Fibromyalgia, necessitated my retirement from the profession.

As a yoga practitioner for over twenty years, I earned a distinguished 500-hour Yoga Instructor certification and began teaching small group and private Yin and Restorative yoga classes, Thai Massage, and embodied movement in my home studio.

In 2018, my partner and I bought a house in Kyle, Texas, moving away from my yoga clients in northwest Austin. This move was beneficial as I was dealing with worsening chronic pain following the miscarriage, which, at that time, made it challenging to accommodate my clients~ not to mention, it was hard to instruct my clients to connect with their body when I was so disconnected from mine due to the severe pain.

I took a part-time position as the Office Manager for an amazing acupuncturist's clinic in south Austin for more than a year before transitioning to co-manage a CBD wellness shop, Sacred Leaf, located at the entrance of Plum Creek.

When COVID-19 led to business shutdowns, I left my job at the CBD shop to manage the increasing pain that made daily activities nearly unbearable. During my menstrual cycle, I was immobilized, and I struggled to function the rest of the time too. For the first time in years, I obtained health insurance through the ACA's expansion during the pandemic and embarked on a quest to find and treat the source of my persistent pain. Numerous doctors later, a laparoscopy revealed my uterus had enlarged to the size of a cantaloupe because of Adenomyosis and required removal. In late March 2022, we proceeded with the surgery. Following the procedure, we honored my uterus by planting her under a Santa Rosa Plum tree in our garden, marking the occasion with a farewell ceremony.

Weeks after the procedure, I remained in severe pain, disheartened and dejected that the hysterectomy had not alleviated my suffering as we had expected.

Instead, the pain had intensified.

I self-medicated with daily drinking. Panic attacks were coming on strong, on a daily basis. My psychiatrist prescribed Valium which, along with pain medications, I mixed with alcohol~ knowing I shouldn't. 

Mentally and emotionally, I truly didn't want to continue living.

The pain was too much, the world was too sad.

The tipping point came during Mother's Day weekend in 2022, just eight weeks after my hysterectomy. After years of missing my partner's band performances due to health issues and the pandemic, I finally attended one. To ease my social anxiety about reuniting with friends I hadn't seen since before the pandemic and my medical procedures, I took a Valium with a pre-show drink, followed by more alcohol at the event. Later, an argument with my partner over a trivial matter escalated into the most intense panic attack I had ever experienced. That night, my partner found me in the bathtub with a razor blade and (non-lethal) cuts on my wrists, and called 911. The Kyle police transported me to the ER, and the next morning I was transferred to a behavioral health center for suicide ideation.

 

This turned out to be the best thing that could have happened.

 

Once the initial shock subsided, I settled into a rhythm as the effects of alcohol dissipated. I initiated yoga practice in the outdoor courtyard during "smoke breaks", which attracted other participants. Although group therapy sessions were not mandatory, I attended each one, eagerly learning all that was offered. My inherently sweet disposition reemerged, allowing me to quickly connect with fellow patients and therapists alike. The therapists even suggested I pursue a career in therapy, citing my natural aptitude, which sparked a new interest in me.

I was discharged after just four days, despite the usual minimum of seven. The staff psychologist concluded that my issues stemmed from enduring severe chronic pain, traumatic adverse experiences in childhood and adulthood, intense stress with a family member and a problematic neighbor, hormonal shifts post-hysterectomy, and the combined effects of alcohol and medication. He advised me to persist with my yoga practice and healing, and to serve as a beacon for others, guiding them through the kind of darkness I had faced.

 

Upon my return home, I resolved to restore my strength and rekindle my femininity, stifled by miscarriages, years of painful cycles, numerous traumas, and ultimately, the removal of my uterus. In conjunction with my yoga practice, I re-embraced belly dancing and embarked on a journey that began to heal my

body, mind, feminine spirit and energy, and pelvic floor.

 

My practices awoke my Divine Feminine essence.

As She began to flourish and grow stronger,

I felt a sense of COMPLETENESS.

Despite the persistent full-body pain

(now known to stem from Fibromyalgia),

the movement and connection

made it far more bearable.

My desire for alcohol,

and any other harmful substances,

vanished entirely.

 

My heart and soul committed to guiding all women to

discovering, nurturing and embodying their Sacred Femininity.

I found my purpose in blending 

the beautiful, feminine, sensuous movement of Belly dance

with fitness, yoga, and embodied movement.

 

My journey took me to a clinic specializing in women's pelvic health physical therapy, where I conducted both individual and group fitness classes for patients. Concurrently, I instructed sessions at numerous women-oriented boutique studios in Austin, as well as in luxury residential communities and corporate settings. The clinic's owner requested my part-time assistance as the Care Coordinator and Client Liaison, prompting me to relinquish my commitments at other locations to concentrate on and direct my focus solely to the clinic.

 

I spoke daily with dozens of women

about their pelvic floor issues

and collaborated closely with the specialists.

The insights and training gained from them

combined with my daily practices

of movement, yoga, Belly dance fitness,

breathwork and meditation

helped me overcome

my own leakage and pelvic pain,

which stemmed from an

inability to relax my pelvic floor~

a victory over childhood trauma, chronic stress, and anxiety!

 

Heartrendingly, I witnessed too many women missing out on the benefits of self-pay physical therapy programs, which included my fitness sessions, due to cost. Despite its extremely high value, it remains out of reach for many, particularly as women often naturally prioritize others before themselves.

 

This deeply hurt my heart and soul, and I longed for the opportunity to share these gifts with more women.

 

As I designed a process to best relieve my Fibromyalgia

with minimal pharmaceuticals,

a significant aspect of which is movement,

I envisioned the transformational tools

I had to offer to so many women.

 

I had a POWERFUL vision of 

EMPOWERED women

surrounded by freedom and feminine energy

dancing, glowing, RADIATING,

loving their sacred bodies

and tapping into their highest potential

TOGETHER.

 

I was urged to bring this vision to life.

An urge that grew stronger and more powerful each day.

Everything aligned to make it happen.

Ignoring it was not an option.

 

And so, Embodhi Feminine Wellness was born,

my dream of uniting Belly dance with the modalities of

Pilates, Barre and Yoga with a strong focus

on mind-body-spirit-pelvic connection,

within a stunningly feminine atmosphere

in a financially sustainable model 

for the incredible women I'm called to serve.

 

I stepped down from the clinic in November 2023

and launched Embodhi Feminine Wellness in January 2024.

Embodhi was established to be accessible to all women,

aiming to holistically enhance their health while

honoring and nurturing their sacred feminine energy.

 

I'm NOT a doctor of pelvic health.

Sessions are not a replacement for 

Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy

or medical intervention when you need it,

and I cannot treat you for pelvic floor dysfunction

or any other health disorders.

 

But, working closely with top experts

in the pelvic floor therapy field

to create fitness and wellness programs

for the clinic clientele has provided me with

invaluable experience and knowledge

in enhancing general pelvic floor health.

This proactive approach helps prevent future issues

or the exacerbation of mild symptoms that do not yet require

physical therapy intervention or surgery,

potentially helping you avoid that need.

I am committed to continually educating myself

and conducting research on this crucial subject, 

and I can personally, professionally and confidently recommend 

the best pelvic floor health specialists in the area.

 

As a credentialed

Women's Fitness Specialist and Women's Empowerment Coach

certified to instruct Belly dance, Yoga, Barre and Pilates,

supporting women in their holistic health journey

is my passion and my purpose.

 

I will meet you where you are and

help you get where you want to be.

 

I invite you to the Embodhi Feminine Wellness studio

to unleash your own sacred divine feminine essence and power,

connect with and nourish your pelvic floor and feel

*Strong *Sensual* Sacred*

 

Tap the lotus to explore practice sessions

and book your 1st session with a discount!

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