How Nicole rebuilt her life after burning out in the medical field - and finally found relief from chronic pain
"Even if I only last 5 minutes and make a lot of modifications, it's so healing to just move and see if you're just a little bit stronger than yesterday.”
After years in the medical field, Nicole burned out so completely she had to walk away and start over. She'd been dealing with chronic pain for years, and every treatment she tried only made things worse. We chatted to her about how she finally found something that worked - and why moving her body ended up being the key to everything.
I am currently unemployed after having to quit my physically demanding job in the medical field. It burned me out so thoroughly that I decided to make a career change. Now I am working towards being a dog trainer and my days are much slower.
Before starting Kaya, my mornings were really hard on my health. It took my stomach a couple hours to wake up and ready to eat (but somehow also still hungry and dizzy). I was dragging physically and emotionally all day (on top of the chronic pain I deal with).
What was the final straw that made you decide things had to change?
Quitting my job in the medical field made me rethink my approach to life. After 8 years of severe chronic pain, trying different medications and surgeries that only made it worse, I decided to try Eastern medicine. I was lucky I stumbled on Hips Like Honey which led me to Kaya.
Now, Kaya is part of my morning routine (sometimes nightly) and it’s the best way to start the day on the right foot. It helps me connect my mind and body so I have a good mindset and some energy to carry me through the day. I still struggle with pain, but now I know how much of it is related to trapped emotions and I’m able to use the tools Manu teaches (the anger management tools have been the best).
This shift has significantly improved my energy levels, being confident in exercising my body, and being more patient when I’m triggered. I especially love the “spiciness” level each program has (1-3 chili peppers) so I can choose something that fits my capacity for the day. I have been terrified to move my body since everything seemed to flare up my pain, but this approach has worked so well.
The best advice I have is to not limit yourself without even trying. I avoided the higher intensity workouts in Kaya at first because I thought there was no way I could do it. After I ran out of the lower intensity sessions, I gave it a try. I was surprised how long I could keep up. Even if I only last 5 minutes and make a lot of modifications, it’s so healing to just move and see if you’re just a little bit stronger than yesterday.
Core Therapy is the best! My pain is in the core so I especially like it, but I think a lot of issues stem from the core so it’s a good foundation to have.
