Reclaiming Your Health

Ep #202 -  Reclaiming Your Health - An Interview with Author and Wellness Coach, Jovanka Ciares. Jovanka Ciares' latest book, “Reclaiming Wellness,” is not just about reclaiming wellness but it’s also about claiming yourself and becoming an empowered individual. One who owns their body and understands how their body functions. Jovanka’s personal journey began in Puerto Rico, where she was raised. She and her family lived alongside the land, the rainforest, and her family’s food did not travel far from its origin to reach their table. Eating the foods from the land and having them home cooked was common for Jovanka in her early years. Then she moved to New York City to pursue her education. And that’s when her body gave her what she calls “a smack down.” Chronic sickness soon became part of her daily life. By her mid-twenties she was told by Western medicine that they could do nothing for her. And that she would have to learn to live in pain and discomfort for the rest of her life. Can you imagine being told that by your trusted doctor(s)? Well, that was not acceptable to Jovanka so she began to explore other options. She began by reclaiming her heritage and the foods she grew up with. She also incorporated other healing practices such as, traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Herbalism. Jovanka's journey involved doing a deep dive both for her personal wellness and her spiritual growth. In her book, “Reclaiming Wellness,” she gives her readers many tools for how to heal your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual bodies. Some of the tools Jovanka touches on in her book include, meditation, hypnosis, journaling, acupuncture and so much more. And as we have both learned through life experience, not everything works for everybody. The important lesson here is to be open to the possibilities and be willing to try different modalities until you find what works for you. We also talked about the importance of seeing your doctor(s) as partners in your journey to heal. You are the authority of your body and the doctor may be the expert in a specific field of medicine but that does not make the doctor an expert on your body. It’s all about working together so you can reach understanding and become knowledgeable in the quest to heal your body. To learn more about Jovanka Ciares please visit her website: JovankaCiares.com To purchase her book, “Reclaiming Wellness” go to: amazon.com To learn more about how I show up in the world please visit my website at: SusanBurrell.com