By Julia Chiappetta
Sentinel Columnist
A few weeks ago I flew to Delray Beach, Fla., to meet with my holistic health coach, Jill Ayn Schneider, director of Circle of Life Holistic Programs.
I have known Jill for years and trust her vast experience to help clients heal with a holistic approach that includes juice fasting, cleansing, mind-body exercises, fitness, massage, colonics, beach walks, salt water swimming and peaceful rest.
I was overdue for my biannual cleanse and felt that I needed an extra push, given the long winter months and some added stress I was feeling, so I booked her services and packed my bag of beach, fitness and casual clothes.
Now, cleansing the body, mind and soul is no easy task, especially in new surroundings, but Jill made me feel love and comfort during out time together. She encouraged me and took care of everything one could think of. I have done fasts and cleanses since my breast cancer diagnosis in 2000, but never with the help of a coach who challenged and encouraged me at every step. Jill also taught me so much about the body, reflexology, and supplements, as well as some of her special techniques that came from years of expertise.
April is always a great month to start the flushing out, so-to-speak, and so I found myself at Crane’s Beach House in Delray Beach (cranesbeachhouse.com), a lovely 28-room boutique, luxury property right smack in the middle of downtown, on the barrier island just down the path from the glorious ocean.
Once I parked my rental car, I never saw it again until my departure day, for I walked everywhere; I especially loved my sunrise and sunset beach hikes and my explorations of this small beach community.
I was happy to experience the eclectic small-town vibe of Delray, where everything happens spilling onto sidewalks, flowered alleyways and the spectacular ocean walk.
My villa/apartment was a large space comprised of a king bedroom with bamboo furniture and subtle lighting that created shapes of seashells on the walls, a sitting room where Jill set up her massage table, fully equipped kitchen with dining area and small private terrace.
Jill arrived with fresh produce from the local organic farms—enough to feed me juices and soups for our 72-hour program—all of her equipment and some exotic fruits and herbs to help purge toxins while fueling my body. During a cleanse, one can feel surges of energy, fatigue and flu-like symptoms simultaneously.
After my glorious sunset hikes on the beach, I found myself in bed early with my journal. Journaling became another outlet for me to release emotional “junk” daily, which I did after my swim, my 30-minute vitamin D conversion in the midday sun by the pool, and at bedtime. These writings became another way for me to release things that were stuck in my heart and to give them up to God as a means of surrender.
Jill would spend an hour each day talking with me to help me understanding was happening inside my body and challenging me to think about what I was feeling. I had a vision for healing that I took with me, and when I returned home, I felt that I had achieved all that I had set out to do. It is still difficult to eat three meals a day, because I am just not that hungry. Food for me is necessary fuel, but not a focus—which I believe to be a healthy perspective for all of us. I’m Italian, so I do understand the importance of sitting at a lovely table with friends and enjoying a meal and great conversation, but there is always an opportunity to eat less and share more from your life’s library of stories, where sharing becomes food for the soul.
Thank you, Jill, for a fantastic cleanse and for coaching me through the tough moments, tears and all the essentials of letting go! It was hard work, but I feel lighter and brighter for the new days ahead.
If you would like more information or confer with Jill, please visit: http://circle-of-life.net/index.php.
Jill, like most holistic health coaches, can implement a program for you by phone and follow up daily and her website is a wealth of information and inspiration.
As always, do something good for your body, mind and soul this week. Enjoy a nice organic green juice, volunteer for a cause dear to your heart, smile and say hello to a stranger, show kindness and love to family and friends, and be thankful for the warm weather, the beauty of spring flowers and God’s many blessings.
Julia Chiappetta is the author of “Breast Cancer: The Notebook” (Gemini Media, 2006) and is also the owner of Julia Chiappetta Consulting. She lives in Cos Cob. More information and past columns can be found at JuliaChiappetta.com.
