Profiles of Power is a series of deep dives into the lives of six individuals who we believe embody the energies of Courage, Love, Intuition, Purpose, Opportunity, Calm and more. These badass ambassadors of a new version of spiritual wellness prove, beautifully and magically, that wellness is not one-size-fits-all, but is available and accessible to everybody who dares to harness their own one-of-a-kind strength.
Shonna Chiles makes magic. She leads online movement (dance/yoga) & mindfulness workshops often. This weekend she will be leading a Smudge Session with Selenite and Self Love. We will make a Crystal Grid and Shonna will lead us in yoga. When was asked Shonna what word she wanted to claim as her energy, she selected Gratitude and shared that, "Gratitude is something that radiates beyond just the moment you’re in. It has given me such a profound appreciation for my life and all that I have in it. Gratitude gives us the power to choose the lens by which we view our lives. It’s a beautiful gift."
Shonna wasn’t always a cup-half-full gal. From age 16-22, she was someone who combatted severe anxiety that lead to both hospitalization and medication. At age 22, she started to try additional measures to take care of not just her body, but also her mind. Gratitude became a huge part of her daily routine. Somewhere on her journey, she started to play a game with herself called “gratitude jam” where she would list things on the fly that she was grateful for. Then she started calling friends or family and inviting them to play too. What she learned using this exercise of in-the-moment Gratitude was that her feeling of anxiety? It was just a feeling. She could escape a constant worry about the future by giving thanks for all that she had surrounding me already. "I could breath my blessings in. Gratitude became a powerful self-regulation tool for me by which I now guide my life."
Words are her jam. She keeps a gratitude journal and makes sure that Gratitude is at the forefront of her mind daily. She writes at least 10 different things each morning that she is grateful for and then she writes another 10 qualities about herself that she is grateful for. It’s a beautiful way to ground her energy in Gratitude and reminds her of how amazing life really is.
"I find with all things it is easiest if I lead by being the example. Our spiritual journey is not an easy task and it’s a journey that’s never ending. I am forever the student, trying to absorb as much as I can from the world around me. We have a gift here in that we get to co-create this life with something greater than ourselves. We get to choose to let go of fear or worry. We get to choose 'more than enough' over 'there’s never enough.' We get to choose what we consume and take in. We get to choose to pick love over hate. We get to choose how we view challenges and we get to choose how we respond. I find Gratitude in all things. Because from where I stand now I can see clearly that life is less sweet without it."
Shonna will also be launching a 30 Days of Crystal Connection course in February. You can find all the details on Cosmic Flora Crystals.
Looking to amplify your own power of Gratitude? Smudge Wellness suggests the following:
