How Embracing Self-Reflection and Holistic Practices Transformed Me into an Insightful Practitioner, Guide, Writer, and advocate for Holistic Well-being and Personal Growth.
Hi. I’m Michelle Johns, MA, TLPC-MHSP, NCC, 200 ERYT/500RYT. My professional journey is rooted in academic knowledge and personal experience. I’m a deep thinker, challenger, researcher, connector, seeker, devoted Christian, certified yoga instructor and mental health therapist.
If you you want to live a more meaningful life with intention, greater purpose, and deeper connection, you’ve come to the right place and I’m here for you.
For me, it started in my twenties. I escaped an abusive marriage and became a single mom with two small children. I knew if we were going to make it, if I was going to offer them the best life had to offer, I was going to have to start with me. I was going to have to do things with discipline, on purpose, and with intention to meet life goals that included giving my children a better life than I had experienced, protecting us all from more trauma, and providing us with the basic necessities to live. I was in my late thirties when my early life experiences began to catch up to me. I started to see how I was doing life and not really experiencing (living) life. I was going through the motions, but I was not fully connected. I needed, no, I wanted to go deeper, explore more meaning, develop a greater purpose, and have more meaning in my life.
My daily routine went something like this:
I began a corporate career at 21 in the transportation industry in Memphis, TN. My career trajectory was pretty amazing. By the time I was twenty-five I had tripled my starting income. At twenty-five, I was offered a job with a company on the other side of the country from my home in the southeast. This new job offered me great opportunity and a lot more income. My two children and I moved, and I bought my first house. Shortly after, I remarried to a great man and moved back to my roots in the southeast. Four years after marriage, I gave birth to another child. Our family was growing. On the surface, it might’ve appeared that I had everything perfectly mapped out. We were a picture of normalcy, embodying mainstream success. My self-care routine expanded to include mindfulness based eating and eventually yoga.
During a yoga class, in my late thirties, I was impacted by the yoga teacher’s comment “how you do anything is how you do everything and how you practice yoga tells me how you do everything.” I was with a desire for more, never satisfied, never feeling good enough. I was pushing myself for more and my body to do more. The internal and external struggle was fierce. I wrestled with the comment for days. Frustrated by the way this comment penetrated my soul and driven to introspection. I realized, I was doing life. I was going through the motions, but without true connection. I was pushing and forcing outcomes. I needed, no, I wanted to go deeper, develop a greater purpose, and experience more meaning in my life.
Despite a regimented routine and external accomplishments, connection eluded me.
The realization sparked a revolution in my soul, and with it, my spirit embarked on a new journey in life. This journey was met with challenges and crushing disruptions. In my mid-forties, I began to understand and embrace the depths of my transformation. I recognized that the quest for a deeper connection and purpose wasn’t just about changing habits or routines; it was about a profound inner transformation, reshaping my entire perspective on life, relationships, and my place in the world.
I have taken my learnings and transformed them into personalized practices for my clients. They are functional ways to integrate the wisdom of ancient teachings with evidence-based therapeutic techniques. By merging the spiritual depth of my personal experiences and academic learnings, I’ve created a system of approaches that are both deeply meaningful and practically effective.
My clients learn to navigate the complexities of their emotions, relationships, and personal aspirations, not just as tasks to accomplish, but as integral parts of their holistic well-being. Through tailored exercises, reflective practices, and guided introspection, they begin to unlock the boundless potential within their own souls and spirits, aligning their inner transformations with their external realities.
My mission is to help people develop tools and understanding they need to flourish in their personal and professional live and community.
Purchase a Mindfulness Guide: Begin or deepen your mindfulness practice with a structured approach.
In light and gratitude,
Michelle R. Johns, MA, TLPC-MHSP, NCC, 200 ERYT/500RYT
Photography: Bonner Morgan Photography https://www.bonnermorgan.com