June 2018 Alpha Maiden: Leanne Townsend
My name is Leanne and I am a lawyer, advocate and life coach. I have a particular passion for working with women who have been in abusive relationships and helping empower them to move forward confidently in their lives. I know first hand what it is like to be in an unhealthy relationship where you are constantly told you aren’t good enough, why it is challenging to leave a bad relationship despite this treatment, and how it feels to have almost no self worth. I also know what it is like to self medicate the pain away by emotional eating and having an unhealthy relationship with alcohol. I know what it is like to smile on the outside and look pretty, while inside everything is a mess. I also know what is like to feel so much shame that you are afraid to reach out to anyone for fear of judgment and loss of respect. Through my own journey, I learned the tools to heal and recover from having no self esteem to become a confident, empowered woman, and it is my mission to help other women do the same. As a lawyer I practise in the areas of family and criminal law, and I have particular expertise in domestic [...]
April 2018 Alpha Maiden
Dr. Hillary Lampers My name is Dr. Hillary Lampers and I am a Naturopathic doctor who has spent the last 24 years dedicating myself to the natural health sciences and the study of the human body.Food, movement, relationships, and a connection with nature are very important to me, and empowering women to take wonderful care of themselves has always been a great love of mine. I am the founder of Sky Valley Healing Arts in Snohomish, WA, and co-creator of the Hunt Harvest Health Podcast with my husband of 21 years, Ryan. Together we advocate for knowing where your food comes from , working together in life, love, and family. Our brand, The StHealthy Hunter, revolves around self sufficiency, backcountry adventures, and our love for food. When not seeing patients, you will find me in the garden, cooking, practicing archery, yoga, and being Mom to our two daughters. To me, an Alpha Maiden is a woman who is living her potential, no matter her past. She forgives herself and strives for a healthier mind, body, and spirit. I never gave up on my dreams- I faced my faults- and continually ask for grace in all life’s lessons- this is what makes me an Alpha Maiden.-Hillary. . . . .Make sure to follow Hillary and [...]
February 2018 Alpha Maiden
Jacquelyn D. I am a mother to a spunky almost 5 year old boy. I’m newly engaged and am gaining a bonus 4 year old daughter.I just graduated law school and am studying to take the bar exam so I can practice.I work part time as a teller and a health coach. I am also a survivor.Statistically, I'm one of the lucky ones.This was the deal that I accepted--In the beginning, for several months or so, he was pretending to be everything I ever wanted. Showered me with attention, affection, gifts, and all the stuff to make me feel special.Then, once he knew I was committed, he quit pretending and slowly showed who he really was.It started with insensitive words and name calling. Then jealousy. Lies. Isolation from my friends and family. Humiliation in public. Cruel words followed immediately with compliments and insincere apologies.And then I was choked.A knife threatened my skin.I was pushed down the stairs.Bruised. Bloody-nosed with permanent damage.Different incidents. Same vicious cycle.I guess I "started all of it." Or it "never happened." "It was an accident." "I don't remember." Or I'm "crazy." Or I'm "mental" and I "needed help." "Nobody else would ever love me or put up with me."I spent countless hours trying to figure out what happened. [...]
January 2018 Alpha Maiden
Michelle Rycroft I am a wife, mom, grandma, business owner, and former professional “diet and exercise hopper" who understands the challenges of being 40lb overweight after giving birth and the damage repeated sense of failure could cause in your confidence and self-esteem.I was never much of a “fitness” person as a child or an adult. I was actually the chubby kid in school and for many years, I was bullied because of it. I never played sports unless forced to. PE was the worst, no?I have battled with my weight and body image for years. I hated going to the gym because people would judge me. I've been on numerous diets from diet pills as a teen to Jenny Craig as an adult.Believe me when I say I know how you feel. CAUSE I DO. The fitness industry was failing me. It's failing all of us. Unless your goal is to be supermodel thin with diets and extreme measures, there isn't much out there for the average Jane.And by no means are you average. But I'm sure you want to: - Feel really good about yourself and your health - Be able to keep up with your kids - Have more energy - Not stress about clothes shopping - And eat gelato without someone giving you the "a [...]
Why ‘Positive Quotes’ can actually be dangerous
There are so many quotes out there that talk about body positivity, self love, confidence, etc. I saw one today that said, “Stop trying so hard.” I get the message. Stop trying so hard to be perfect. Stop trying so hard to meet others unrealistic expectations. The message can be useful to those who always feel like they're trying to live a perfect life and appear like everything is perfect too. This can lead to a cycle of pretending, comparing your bad times to others Instagram highlight reels. And that can lead to feelings of inadequacy. Learning confidence and self acceptance is huge. Learning to hold value in yourself without the need to "prove yourself to anyone," is also huge. But in our society today we’re all about that mentality of “everyone gets a trophy for existing” because we’re so worried about shattering peoples self esteem. Self confidence is important. Valuing ourselves is important. But it’s also something that comes from within, not how many participation trophies you got when you were 5. In our society we have so many destructive coping behaviors like drugs, opiate addiction, alcohol, food and even relationships that we know aren’t good for us. They make use feel terrible, but we get addicted and don’t know how to deal with life [...]
Mindset versus Mental Toughness
We hear both of these words a lot and often lump them together in the same category. Especially now days when we see so much online about self love, acceptance, having a positive mindset and so forth. But these two words actually mean different things and aren't mutually exclusive. Let’s break it down. Mindset is your interpretation of the world, your perception behind events and other life situations. We've all heard the line, "Do you see your glass as half empty or half full?" This is a representation of mindset and whether or not we interpret things in a positive or negative way. Do you believe that you are set in your ways and 'you are who you are’ and there’s no changing it, even your shortcomings and weaknesses? Or, do you perceive things in a way where you see opportunity, where it’s always possible to grow and become a better person? This is a fixed versus a growth mindset. Mindset also plays a role in how we perceive events. Are you in a victim mindset where the world and bad things always happens to you? Where there is constantly drama in your life and you are always thrown under the bus by someone else? Where someone else is always out to get [...]