The Purpose of Heart 44

Attached is a video describing the purpose of my blog.  It explains why I speak of self care and why it is so important.  Creating the video was a huge learning curve for me.  I learned about green screens and other technology.  I am learning every day!

Getting to Know Me

As promised, I would like to introduce you to my dog pal-Meeka.  We got her 4 years ago on my birthday.  My family adopted her from the local shelter and she has made us very happy.  We had a yellow lab prior to her and I promised myself, when she was gone, I would not get another dog!  I love dogs but they can tie you down sometimes.  My children are grown and I had visions of traveling.  Well, that lasted one year....Our home was too quiet and we missed having an animal in the house.  Meeka's personality is completely different than our last dog.  She is a hunter who patrols our back yard as if it is her duty.  You will be seeing her in future posts.  It is on our walks in nature that I tend to discover new things and ideas.

I am pleased to introduce to you---MEEKA!

This is an older post and I am sad to say that Meeka is no longer with me.  I miss her dearly.

About Me

My name is Cyndi and I am a registered nurse who is certified as a school nurse through the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. I have a Master's Degree in Education and I have been practicing as a school nurse for the last 20 years. As a board certified holistic nurse I understand the interconnectedness of mind, body, emotion and spirit and use nursing theory, expertise and intuition to help guide individuals in self-care to holistic wellness.

I am also trained as a holistic stress management educator. I use my expertise to teach evidence based stress management, taking into consideration the holistic model of health.

My specialty is bringing a Holistic Wellness Model into the school nurse office. My goal is to weave this model into the classroom. My passion is teaching self care and stress management in and out of schools. My purpose in life is to help others create balance in their lives which will lead to finding their passion. This in turn will lead to living a purposeful life.

I love living in an ocean town and only a few hours drive to the mountains.  I am blessed to have the best of both worlds.  I get to smell the wonderful salt air and feel the sand between my toes while listening to the waves crash on the shore. I can drive a few hours to the mountains where I can hike, snow shoe or sit along river beds as rapid streams create smooth river rocks.  Each place has their own special qualities.

I have a dog named Meeka who brings great joy and exercise to my life!  You will see her in various posts.

I love photography and gardening.  I have a long history growing vegetables and I learn more every year about cultivating flowers.

Getting Started

Getting Started-I don’t like New Year’s resolutions but I do like deadlines. I work better “under the gun” and with deadlines. I’ve been contemplating a blog, and I must admit, it is a little intimidating. My deadline was 2016! This is calling it close!

I am a board certified holistic nurse and I work in a school, grades 6-12. Being a holistic nurse means I embrace the Mind-Body-Emotion-Spirit of care. I address the whole person and I act as a facilitator in the healing process.

For me, becoming a Holistic Nurse was transformational. One requirement is that the nurse practices self-care, spirituality and reflection in their lives. This is a huge undertaking since care-givers are all about taking care of others, even at their own expense. Thinking about myself and taking care of myself has been very difficult. I found myself repeating the mantra-“Self care is never selfish.”

Why is this important, you ask? Well, I’ve been a nurse for a long time and it took me a long time to discover what is really important. I’ve found my passion and purpose and I want to share it with everyone. I work really well, one-to-one with clients. Now it is time for me to share my thoughts and ideas with as many people as I can. This blog won’t be for everyone-I know that. Those who are meant to find it, will.

I will write about self care and holistic health. I will speak about passion and purpose. I encourage discussion and sharing of ideas.

Join me in welcoming healthy change in the year 2017!