Finally At Home In My Body

I have so many wonderful things to share about this journey, it’s difficult to know where to begin. Prior to finding Reform Wellness, I felt like a complete and total mess—not typical for a seemingly-healthy 22-year-old. I was exhausted and frustrated with myself and my body, from years of great effort and few results.

At a young age, I developed a health-conscious lifestyle, driven by nutrition and exercise. I ate healthy meals and worked out ALL the time. I did cleanse after cleanse, but never achieved the desired results. Instead, the opposite occurred: I gained weight, felt bloated, and was irritable, groggy, and exhausted from the moment I woke up till the moment I went to bed. I thought this was “normal” and how everyone felt. I frequently visited my family practitioner, but left the office each time with many prescriptions and no answers. 

I finally hit a breaking point and turned to God with desperation for guidance. I was so tired of feeling this way, tired of fighting with my body. It seemed that the more effort I put in, the fewer results I got back. During prayer, I had a vision of the Reform Wellness logo. I had known Jackie for a few years and knew that she was a holistic practitioner who worked one-on-one with people. I knew she helped people optimize their health not just physically, but also spiritually. This appealed to me, as I knew both were necessary for the body to achieve true wellness.

After my first consultation with Traci from Reform, I knew I was in the right place. Finally, someone understood. I felt heard for the first time; my frustrations were not dismissed. I was ready to do ANYTHING to feel better and was open to whatever recommendations were made. 

Within a month of implementing the “gut healing” protocol, I began to feel relief in my body as inflammation drastically decreased and I began shedding the weight I had been holding onto for years. Traci also taught me how to assess the best way to move my body each day, or if rest would be better. I went from daily high-intensity exercise that I didn’t have the energy for to restorative movements like yoga and long walks that supported my healing body. I began to feel what it was like to be connected with my body. I was supporting it the way it needed and as a result it began working again! I was losing weight and feeling better and better each day! I realized that for as long as I could remember, I had forced my body to what I wanted and never once asked what it needed.

Further along my journey, I decided to find out specifically what was happening inside my gut through lab testing. I was in total shock upon receiving the results. For the first time ever, I understood that there was nothing wrong with what I was doing, but instead that my body was sick and not functioning properly. That was why I felt the way I did. I realized that the hours of killing myself at the gym and restricting my food was never beneficial, since my body was so sick. What my body needed was for me to slow down, to listen to it, and to support it with love, wholesome food, rest, gentle movement, and supplements. 

Throughout my health journey, I consistently caught myself forcing my body to go along with the busyness of life, instead of listening for signs and cues that were telling me to slow things down. Slowly, I became better at identifying the cues and adjusting life to support my body instead of my body trying to support my busy life! Soon, I knew when to hit the gas, pump the brake, and park it. This is how I began to fall in sync with this beautiful temple God provided me with, and it felt so good and so right!

Aside from the physical results (full energy, normal digestion, amazing sleep), this journey blessed me with more self-love, self-care, and reverence toward this body God created for me with the capacity to heal beautifully. I learned to partner with God and view my body through His eyes. I learned that my body was talking to me, telling me that it needed help and attention (though I did not choose to listen until the pain and discomfort got louder and louder). It wasn’t until I sought guidance that I was able to look inward and upward to heal my body from the inside out. I have learned so much and grown in my relationship with God in recognizing what complex and powerful beings we are.

I walk away from this experience with many wonderful and valuable tools that will remain with me throughout my life. I have so much confidence in who I am, literally having forgotten the last time I looked in the mirror and felt unattractive. I feel rested and at peace with my body. I feel connected to my physical self and have a deep sense of assurance in knowing that I have all the tools and support I need to move forward into a healthy rest of my life.

A healing point that I didn’t expect is that I feel compassionate towards my younger self in all her striving to be thinner and look better, when what she was truly seeking was alignment in her body and her true self. One of the most powerful moments for me throughout this whole journey was deciding to be fully at peace with who I was and recognize who I am in God’s image and then allow for Him to do the rest. It was through Him that I could heal from the inside out and I am so grateful to the Reform team for helping me to recognize this!

—Gaby Armas

San Diego, CA