Empowered Ease
Welcome to Empowered Ease, hosted by Jenn Ohlinger—a holistic coach,
& founder of The Moonflower Collective. Join us each week as we delve into the transformative stories of healers, health practitioners, and everyday women like you, challenging the patriarchal framework through empowerment and holistic healing. Through engaging storytelling, our podcast highlights each woman's unique journey toward embracing their feminine gifts, trusting their body, and prioritizing their mind, body, and soul. Discover how by empowering ourselves, we can pave the way for stronger relationships and a more balanced world. Women heal in community come find yours.
Empowered Ease
Iron Focus: Kiana Reedy’s Journey back to Herself
Hi!! I would love to hear from you!
What happens when a nurse decides to heal herself first? Kiana Reedy's story will stop you in your tracks.
After graduating nursing school in 2021, Kiana found herself caught in a cycle that might sound familiar – overworked, undernourished, and stuck in patterns that weren't serving her. Within two years, she completely transformed her reality – shedding 30 pounds, healing a condition doctors had labeled "chronic," and finding the courage to leave an eight-year toxic relationship that began when she was just 16.
The secret? An unwavering focus on personal wellbeing that flies in the face of nursing's self-sacrifice culture. "If it's not benefiting me, it's taking away from me," Kiana shares with refreshing directness. This mindset shift allowed her to pursue long-held dreams of acting, modeling, and entrepreneurship while maintaining her nursing career.
Particularly fascinating is Kiana's journey with gut health and plant medicine. After struggling with chronic allergic conjunctivitis that conventional treatments couldn't resolve, she discovered the root cause through holistic exploration. "Everything goes back to the gut," she explains, detailing how addressing this foundation transformed multiple aspects of her health simultaneously. Her thoughtful approach to psilocybin mushroom microdosing offers a nuanced perspective on intentional plant medicine use.
What strikes me most about Kiana's approach is her balance of ambition and self-compassion. She maintains laser focus on her goals while honoring both masculine (doing) and feminine (resting) energies. For anyone feeling stuck, her advice is disarmingly simple: journal your dream life without limitations, set three small daily goals, and build momentum through consistent action.
Ready to transform your own health journey? Connect with Kiana on Instagram @elevate_divinely and discover how her blend of nursing knowledge and holistic coaching might be exactly what you've been searching for.
Contact Kiana
https://linktr.ee/balancedbykiana
https://elevatedivinely.clientsecure.me
https://www.instagram.com/elevatedivinely_
https://www.instagram.com/kianaforever/
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Hello, you're listening to Empowered Ease, the show that puts a spotlight on women who not only overcome adversity, but use their experience to lift others. Today, we welcome Kiana Reedy. She's a registered nurse who's made a powerful pivot from the modern Western medicine to a holistic path of healing and empowerment Western medicine to a holistic path of healing and empowerment. Since graduating nursing school in 2021, kiana has been on a personal and professional transformation. She, in 2023, lost more than 30 pounds, healed from what doctors labeled a chronic condition, and found the courage to leave an eight-year toxic relationship. Along the way, she finally pursued her long-held dreams of acting, modeling and owning her own business.
Speaker 1:Kiana blends nursing knowledge with holistic coaching to help people heal from the inside out. Whether you're looking to evolve physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually, she partners with you to set goals, create real, sustainable change. Today, we'll talk to her about her healing journey, the tools she uses with her clients and how she balances clinical training with a whole person approach to well-being. It is such a pleasure to have you on Empowered Ease. Welcome, kiana. Pleasure to have you on Empowered Ease.
Speaker 2:Welcome Kiana. Welcome, kiana. I'm so excited to have you on. How are you? I'm doing great. Thank you for having me. Super excited to chat today.
Speaker 1:Where are you located? You live somewhere beautiful, don't you?
Speaker 2:I live now in Covina, california. I just recently moved, yeah.
Speaker 1:Okay, I was like. I know you live somewhere beautiful with like a beach. I always see your pictures looking pretty.
Speaker 2:Yes, I do my best to travel to the beach. I'm a cancer, so I love the water. Oh, I love that.
Speaker 1:I love that. So Kiana and I were actually in the same holistic nurse coaching program is how we initially met, and since then she's kind of been off on her own building her business. So can you tell me a little bit about what you've been up to, how you've been coaching your personal life? I know you're like dabbling in so many things.
Speaker 2:Yes, I'm doing my best. Juggling is what I what I call it juggling the careers multi passionate entrepreneur. So I started my business a few months after we finished in 2024. Was that last year? Yeah, I guess it was. Yeah, oh my gosh. Okay, it feels like a lifetime ago. But yeah, I started my business last year and have been coaching clients since, but I also did get a nursing job at a skilled nursing facility. So I've been doing that Wow.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we could do a whole episode on your perspective there too. Oh my gosh.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there's so many stories there, so many stories there. But just to continue to get experience and then also stability, because you know when you're starting out a business, it's not as stable. So I wanted to have you know stable income as I. Also, at that same time of starting my business, I started acting and modeling, so I started pursuing my dreams as well in that area. So yeah, just kind of juggling everything, coaching clients while also taking care of my own health and encouraging others to do the same.
Speaker 1:I love that. It's so exciting to see you going for it, because I think you can understand this and many of the guests who have been on this podcast. But, like, stepping into the spotlight in any way is difficult. It's like a process. It's not something that well, I mean, maybe some people are born with it but I feel like it's a process of learning to let yourself be seen in different lights, and we we can't you can't usually just like open that door fully. You know it's like I'm going to let them see this, I'm going to let them see this, and even as an entrepreneur, I mean we've only been doing this for a year.
Speaker 1:I love that you highlight that, because I'm like, oh my God, the things that I've had to learn and know that I didn't know I needed to know since then have been so big. But to step into it, to let yourself be seen in an acting way, in a modeling way, I mean that just is even I can't even imagine, because I know what it feels like to want to shrink from that light, even in the things I'm really proud and feel secure of. So tell me a little bit about that struggle and how you've been getting through it because it's. I mean, it doesn't look like you're struggling from the outside, so I'm just knowing that process. Being like Kiana, tell us your secrets, tell us your secrets.
Speaker 2:Well, I do struggle, I am human. But yeah, I think last year 2024, it was the same time that I started my business. I started pursuing acting and modeling. I didn't have my nursing job yet and I was just living paycheck to paycheck, gig to gig or client to client, and I was just barely making ends meet. I was very much, I would say in my mind, broke and so that's what pushed me. I was like, okay, I was dealing with a lot of rejection, like you know, clients not onboarding and then also having so many auditions but then not getting booked for the gig. It was, oh my gosh, like I really was depressed, honestly, for a while. And then I was like, okay, I got to get back to the drawing board and I know I don't want to give up on my dreams, but maybe I need to take a different step. So that's when I got my nursing job, to have that stability and since having that stability and having you know something to financially back me, and like, okay, I'm secure, I'm good, I don't have to worry and be in survival mode, now I can get back to performing. I think it's just breaking through fears.
Speaker 2:And this year, now I'm pursuing business and acting and modeling very differently. I take rejection just as redirection, you know, because it's like okay, it's just not meant for me and that's okay. But it's experience. And they say also I keep this at the forefront of my mind is they say it takes 10,000 hours to become a professional at something. And for me I'm like okay, if it's a consultation or if it's an audition and it doesn't get booked, it's okay, that's an hour I spent learning, that's an hour towards the goal. And success is a numbers game, honestly. So it's like okay, if it's going to take 10 consultations for me to get a client, great, let's just keep checking it off. How many consultations can we get? How many auditions can we get? And I think, as far as being seen, I'm like you know what? Who cares?
Speaker 2:I think last year was like my dark night of the soul because also my great grandma died, my dad died, my first client that I worked for. He was my patient for a year. I lived with him full time in his house, took care of him. He passed away. This year Like just going through so much loss and grief and then also rejection at the same time. It really taught me like nobody else is paying your bills. Nobody else can do this for you. You have to step into that. Nobody else is going to do it for you and nobody else is going to believe in you until you believe in yourself. And that's what last year taught me, because I was like what you know? It's really dark night at the soul. So this year I'm just approaching it as like I don't care who cares. You're learning this is. You know, this is your first time being Keanu Reedy and this is your first time pursuing a nurse coaching business and being an actor and a model.
Speaker 2:Maybe in a different lifetime I did something similar, I don't know, but this lifetime I'm discovering it and I think failing is a part of the process. Jessie Reyes she's a music artist. She said in an interview fail faster to any artists out there. Fail faster, because the faster you fail, the faster you learn. So the more mistakes you learn, the more you're going to learn what works and what doesn't, and then you can apply and implement that into whatever you're doing. So I think, just putting myself out there, being seen, not being afraid to make a mistake, that's what I'm doing this year and I'm like, whatever happens, happens. I just have faith that I'm going to make it happen. That's how I like the baseline. I'm going to make it happen. That's like the baseline. I'm going to make it happen. I don't fuck the hell, I'm going to make it happen. I don't know how. That's not my responsibility. You know that's God's plan for me, but I'm just going to do what I can and let God handle the rest, and that's it. I love that.
Speaker 1:I love that. Two of the hardest things, I think, for people right there being seen and like getting past failure, like failure is a tool If you look at it the right way. It's all about perspective, and you've mastered that perspective. How beautiful. I love that. So who? If you had to pick someone that you admire or that you look up to, or that's like someone, a role model, who would you say are the inspirations in your world?
Speaker 2:Oh, I feel like I have some in each category of my life, but a big one would be Chrissy Chella, I think that's how you say her last name. She's the, I think, co-founder of Honor Active. It's a woman's athletic clothing wear brand. She's a business owner. She's a mom now she's engaged. She is a health and fitness enthusiast and she just empowers women to lift weights, do yoga, do move your body in whatever way makes you happy. Be strong, you know, be flexible, do whatever you want to do. That makes you feel good. But honor yourself and step into whatever space you're going to be in with confidence and courage. And also, I think working out is a big part of my journey as well. That's built a lot of confidence for me, because I think that confidence comes from doing what you told yourself you were going to do and showing up day after day.
Speaker 2:That's I feel like I've built respect for myself in that way of like I don't want to go to the gym, but you know what I told myself, this is a part of the plan, so I'm going to, and then after the workout, I feel so much better and I'm like, yeah, I'm more confident and I have more trust with myself because I'm like I'm showing up for myself and doing what I said I would. So she's definitely an inspiration in that way. What's her name again? Chrissy Chela. Ooh, I love that. Okay, yeah, another like fitness enthusiast that, I would say, inspires me. She's also a content creator as well. So you know, it's just juggling everything. Like I think women who can juggle so much and they do it with grace and they're not afraid to make mistakes, those people inspire me. Brenda Anton she's also a content creator, works with Honor Active. Yeah, just really, she's young too, and the fact that she's figuring all these things out at a young age, I'm like, okay, what's possible for other people is possible for me. What's possible for me is possible for you. What's possible for you is possible for me. Like it's just an example of like this could happen for any of us. We just got to make a decision, make a goal and stick to it.
Speaker 2:I really love Robin Sharma. He's a motivational speaker and health enthusiast. He wrote a book called 5am club and that's one of like the first books I read in adulthood. That really impacted me in a positive way because he focused on all areas of health, not just physical, not just mental, but all areas. He said heart set, soul set, mindset, health set like physical, not just mental, but all areas. He said heart set, soul set, mindset, health set like physical, you know, spiritual, mental, emotional. So he tackled all those. I really like his books. Also. Robert Kiyosaki for financial yeah, for financial education, business, all that. I recently read his book Rich Dad, poor Dad. That taught me a lot because growing up I didn't have financial intelligence and I was like you know what, if I'm going to be a business owner and in the industry which acting and modeling, it's a business in itself I was like I need to hear the product, I'm the product.
Speaker 2:I need to know how to sell myself and I need to know how to. You know, like, make a profit. And you know, keep my money and have it, expand and build assets. So he reading his book really changed my life. I'm like, okay, I want to read all of his books now. So financial literacy is important as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah. I read that one too. That was one of like. So many people recommended that one Like because I, as nursing it's like you know nothing about that stuff is required to be a nurse. So just the whole mindset shift that you read was what I read. I was like, oh okay.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, a hundred percent of like okay, you really need to work on your skills and if you're going to become so like narrow unionize, that was like huge to me. I was like, okay, you know, because with acting and modeling I'm like, okay, well, how do I apply that to this? But anyways, that's a great book. He's a great. He's inspiring to me in that way as far as like actors, zendaya, I love Zendaya, I love Zendaya.
Speaker 1:I think I mean she does it, and if you don't love her like you're, the problem.
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly, she's just so herself on and off the camera, exactly.
Speaker 1:That's what I mean by that, like she's triggering you because she's so comfortable.
Speaker 2:She is so authentic in herself and I love that.
Speaker 1:Jessica Chastain. She is, I think, an amazing actor. Viola Davis, oh God I love. I want to read her book so bad.
Speaker 2:Her memoir. I'm so like it's on my list.
Speaker 1:Viola Davis says I haven't read it yet, but I want to because she's on my list too.
Speaker 2:Yeah, she's amazing. I didn't know she had a memoir, but yeah, on my list now as well. She said a quote in an interview that stuck with me too is she's like it's your job to make sure you disappoint everyone else so that you never disappoint yourself own first love and like beautiful stuff that's such powerful, powerful stuff.
Speaker 1:I love that. One thing I love about talking to you that is like so encouraging to me is and it's something we talk about I've talked about a lot with other coaches that have come on the show, particularly nurses, because there's something about nursing or maybe the people drawn to it, I don't know. You know we've made a lot of those speculations on this show too, but about nurses kind of overall are kind of hard population to treat and work with. I feel like sometimes we can be like the most unhealthy population too. I mean we I don't know about nowadays, but back in the day like we were one of the highest smokers, even when we knew that was bad, and I think we have this like victim mentality almost, and I don't want to say that in an insulting way because I feel like we've earned it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, of course we've been victimized by a lot of things, but the truth of the matter is, regardless of what we're owed, what's happening is no one is going to come to save you but yourself, and you know that can be a hard shift to make in your head over like I've given so much, I do so much for others. Yes, and where you need to be putting that energy is yourself first, and that's such a hard shift and I feel like you're not in that victim place at all. It's like, okay, resiliency all the way, and I love it because it's such a powerful place to be. I mean, just hearing you talk, the lightness, the difference in hearing someone who is weighed down by that feeling, owed feeling. You know there's just such a difference in your energy and so, yeah, just your thoughts on that, yeah well, thank you for that.
Speaker 2:I think a part of that comes from Well. Honestly, I went through a lot growing up moving around different family members, lots of, lots of childhood trauma.
Speaker 1:That's a topic for another time, but I think I say a lot, though that that is where a lot of nurses come from. That that's part of why some of the shit we see is so easy, because we've already learned to compartmentalize a long time ago.
Speaker 2:Exactly exactly, and I think that resilience was built throughout my childhood. But I think in my adulthood, the relationship that I was in, I felt like I was giving, giving, giving, giving, giving so much. He was pursuing his dreams and I kind of put mine on the back burner because I think I was so focused I want a partner, I want to be in love, I want to be. You know, it wasn't even like, oh, I want kids or I want to get married. It was just like I just want to be wanted or I want to feel loved, or I want to be with somebody, I want to be seen. And so, after that ended, I was just like I'm done holding back and I'm done holding back and losing weight, and just like committing myself to my health. That was what got me through that breakup, because I was super depressed at that point too. I was with him since I was 16 years old and we broke up when I was, what I think, 24. So it was a big chunk of my life and I had to rediscover who I was and I was like I didn't know who I was and I was like, okay, I just I'm gonna go to the gym, even if it's twice a day, six days a week. I'm gonna just figure it out, I'm gonna journal, I'm gonna. I just started.
Speaker 2:One good choice just led to another good choice and then the snowball effect and my life started changing and I think I started showing up more for myself, building that confidence. It became to the point where I was like, if it it's not benefiting me, it's taking away from me, and I don't want that. And I mean the trade-off with at nursing, at my nursing job, because I won't say that a lot. It's my dream. You know it's not exactly, but it's the trade-off is I'm there, I'm still helping patients, I still get that fulfilling feeling and then also I'm getting financially compensated for it. And that financial compensation I can use for stability but also use to pursue my dreams, to pour back into my health. It's just using our resources better.
Speaker 2:So not just working ourselves to the bone and then going and lounging on the couch and eating chips and just binging. It's like, okay, if you're going to work yourself to the bone, you might as well take care of yourself to the bone too. Go get a massage, go get a lymphatic drainage massage. Go to the beach, you know, go do something, not just for, like, your physical body, do that, go get a workout but also do something for your spirit, do something for your soul, you know. So I think that's how I balance like work hard, play hard. For me, it's like work hard, recover harder, because as a nurse, you have to. If not, I mean, I don't want to end up as another statistic of another nurse that is just, you know, overweight and now has all these diagnoses because she or he is not taking care of themselves but taking care of everyone else. Oh yeah, great advice.
Speaker 1:I work with the new nurses where I'm at now. That's kind of like what the most of what I take. I just stepped into leadership for the first time in my career and I'm kind of focusing on all of our brand new grads and the two things I'm always like trying to like tell them is like you have to put you first, like you have to take care of you, don't kill yourself to come in here because you won't last very long and they don't care.
Speaker 1:And boundaries is the other thing. Like speak it's okay to speak up for yourself, like it is more than okay. You will last so much longer if you just speak up for yourself yeah.
Speaker 1:So I love, I love that that's such good advice and you have such an iron like focus on your goals right now, like everything you talk, it's like if it's not focused on where I'm going, it falls away, it's insignificant. I can like see it in the way you talk, which is also very impressive, and I think, the way we achieve what we want to achieve. So it's great, great role modeling. Yeah, thank you. Yes, thank, thank you. I'm so excited that you came on to share this. I know we just touched a little bit on your story. I kind of went over it in the intro a little bit, but you had like a very life-shifting couple couple years in there. We um anything more you want to share? Tell us about that, since it's I feel like we talked about it, but we didn't really talk about it. So I know you lost like a significant amount of weight, left an unhealthy relationship, you experienced a lot of death. So I'm guessing like tell us how that inspired you to where you're at now.
Speaker 2:Well, okay, to go back even a little bit further. I am a first generation, so my mom was born in Mexico and my grandpa and my grandma came over with my aunt's uncle's mom and they migrated here and I think my mom is a single mom of seven. So watching her try and take care of seven kids and raise us in different ways, that has also given me that iron sharpness of like. I have, you know, a legacy to build here. I'm blessed with an opportunity and especially with facing fears. I'm like my grandpa faced the fear of him and his whole family probably being killed trying to migrate to America.
Speaker 1:So you're like these aren't real fears being killed trying to migrate to America.
Speaker 2:So you're like these aren't real fears. I'm like I can face my fears of getting on a stage or getting behind in front of a camera, so that also helps with like-.
Speaker 1:Your family's legacy of fear facing is huge. It sounds like I love that. I never even thought about that. But I'm wondering for, like, just immigrant children in general, like because you know, I feel like there's a lot of success stories, Like if you look at people that are doing really well, they are a lot of second generation like immigrants, and I wonder, if that's it Like, how can this be scary if I lived my whole life with the stories of like real scary things?
Speaker 1:Sorry to interrupt, but I just think that's such a powerful thing?
Speaker 2:No, it is, and I I truly I'm a big believer. This is a spiritual part of me that our ancestors passed down, like strengths and weaknesses and emotions and trauma, but also, like I said, strength, you know, and courage, and I think that's something my grandpa had for sure. I never got to meet him, but I think that he had that for sure. So I'm like I think that's part of plays a part in why I am the way I am. But also because I grew up mostly with my dad's side of the family, my grandparents and I'm so blessed. I like forever thank God for blessing me with the opportunity to grow up with my grandparents, because I think that's why I'm also a little bit more of an old soul.
Speaker 2:I grew up with them. My great-grandma lived with us during high school and college, so she passed away last year at 104. So super wise, super loving, everybody loved her. So I just have had really great role models in my own family and life. But I've got to see a little contrast because on my mom's side it's like we're first generation, still getting developed here in this country. On my dad's side we're a little bit more developed. So I really am motivated to just I'm like I want to see all my family, no matter dad's or mom's side. I want us to see us flourish. I want to see us, you know, be abundant. I want to see us traveling the world together. I want to see us doing these crazy big things that only maybe like 5% of the world do. I want to do them and I'm like, and I want to do them with the people that I love and that, you know, brought me up and that's a big, that's a big motivator for me, for sure. Yeah.
Speaker 1:I love that, so I was. This is a question I had written down because I've followed you on social sense and one of the things you talk about is like eliminating distractions, which talking to you like that's kind of one of the things but you talk about like, instead of going out, you know like, I'm in the gym, I'm reading a book, and I know you know this, but and I, my listeners know this, but I'm going to just say it like part of health and being well rounded is having a community or a people you can count on your support system. So who is your support system? Because it seems like you know you're very driven right now. So who do you use for that?
Speaker 2:That's definitely an area I can work on. I will be 100% honest, but it's my family.
Speaker 2:That's perfect, though, yeah you can trust them, right yeah yeah, I've made, I've become a pretty independent person, which is a great strength of mine, but then also, yeah, I can be a weakness because I'm like, okay, oh, you know, like who's here when I'm like, okay, I'm at a peaceful moment. But I've found peace within myself and I'm grateful for where I'm at, but definitely my family. If I ever need anything or if I ever want anything, they're there to hang out with or to, you know, help me with something. And yeah, and I'm doing it for myself, but for them, for humanity, so it's like they're who I share most of that right now with. I've had some like romantic little things, you know, since the big breakup, but it just didn't stick and it wasn't exactly aligned and I mean I was like, okay, if it's not, if he's not my dream man, I got to keep going. I like that. I got to keep going because I am going to attract my dream man when I am my dream woman.
Speaker 1:And it's not going to take away from any of this right now. This path you're on, it can't.
Speaker 2:A hundred percent, a hundred percent. So that's kept me like locked in. And then also I got my fair share of partying and going out in college Nursing school did that to me. I had to. I was like to stay focused, you have to, I had to. I'm not going to say anyone else has to, but I got that out of my system and now I'm just very focused.
Speaker 2:I'm like, okay, I'm always asking myself is this helping me progress in my careers or my health, or is this taking away from my careers and my health? And if it's taking away, I'm like all right, next, you know. Or I let myself for a little. If it's like watching Netflix or something, I'm like, okay, let's set a timer. You know, let's be still stay focused, let's still commit to your goals and what you set out to do today. But also, you're a human being and we can all use a mental break and use a moment to get inspired, especially as an artist. Like we have to take that time to be in nature and have rest and take time to be bored so you can get inspired again.
Speaker 2:But yeah, I think it's just like I ask myself, like what's the point? Why would I drink, why would I do that? That just deteriorates my mental health. It messes up my metabolism. I'm trying to what? Lose body fat for, you know, different gigs or for different roles, whatever my own health goals. Why would I be doing that, you know? Yeah, that's just where I'm at. I'm just pretty right now strict, but not to say that that's where I started. But I just I had my fair share and I was like it's not really serving me anymore and I can relate to that.
Speaker 1:I I feel like I was much wilder in my high school. My well, my first. I went to college a couple times, several times.
Speaker 1:I think several majors. But uh, before I went for nursing my first undergraduate, like I was wild. So I, that's not something I feel like. Like I, I feel like some people are grow up a little more stricter and go straight into having families. They feel like they miss out on that and I'm like I don't feel like I missed out on that at all. I'm I haven't drank. I mean, I socially drink every now and then, but I don't drink drink. I haven't.
Speaker 1:In like probably three years now my husband and I both kind of quit drinking together because our childhood trauma just didn't play well together and we're like this is so not worth it. So now we both just realize all the other effects of how good we feel. And even now when we're like, let's get a little tipsy, let's do this, we both will have like a beer or like a drink or two and I'm like, oh, and he's like me too. Enough, we never actually end up going for it because we're like, oh, I don't feel good, I don't want to not feel good tomorrow, because the truth is it just makes it well for me. It made me feel like shit a lot and I'm happy to not be doing that anymore. Now what we do is like kava drinks, like all those fancy things. Everyone's um the alternatives, like the magnesium drinks and all that people are advertising. We do that all the time, like in the pool or getting the hot tubs, like.
Speaker 2:For us it's so much better love that I know I've been wanting to try, like the magnesium cocktail of like before bed cocktail.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I love them. They've been nice like nice little relaxers of like that, just nice little aid in that at night.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I love that. One thing about that is I started asking myself like because alcohol after college? It was not like something. I was like, oh, I want to do that, like it was just like whatever, I would do it because socially right. But for me it was plant medicine, it was smoking, that was my thing, and I started.
Speaker 2:I was listening to Danny Morrell he's another person who inspires me the Higher Self podcast. He's a spiritual healer. He talks about plant medicine, a lot in which I in this past year, this has been a huge part of my journey psilocybin mushrooms, microdosing, and I think we're now shifting from oh, that's drugs to no, actually that's from Mother Earth. It's plant medicine and it should be used as medicine. Because you don't want to take. You don't take too much of medicine, right? You know that there's side effects if you take too much, so it's the same thing with psilocybin mushrooms. They should be used intentionally. That's how medicine should be used intentionally, and so I started using psilocybin-mesh-reduced microdosing in 2023.
Speaker 2:After the breakup it was like during the summer, and it was after I was diagnosed with chronic allergic conjunctivitis. Like my left eye was just like red for like three months straight and I tried everything in the book. At first I thought it was like bacterial conjunctivitis or viral. So I was trying everything in the book for my immune system and I yeah. But it was allergy related and I later discovered that it's due to gut health poor gut health.
Speaker 1:Oh, I see that. Yeah, I feel like everything goes back to the gut, doesn't it? Everything goes back to the gut.
Speaker 2:And it's crazy because my first dose, my first micro dose, I set my intention of the dose because I am very intentional. Flow dose is where I ordered it from. So if any listeners out there are interested, do your research. Of course, not for anyone under 18. And I'm not promoting this for you. I'm just simply sharing my experience.
Speaker 1:So the first episode, we have Micah on to talk about it, which I know. You know Micah does microdosing coaching, so we talked about it. I can't wait to hear your experience.
Speaker 2:Yay, okay, I need to. I need to go back and listen to that. Yes, so the first time I like I didn't feel anything like right away I went for a walk, but I was just super happy and I was like, okay, I'm like I like this. My second time dosing I think it was like 30 minutes in I was like like like it hit my gut and I was like huge, like cramping, like throbbing, like stomach pains out of nowhere, and I was like what is going on? Like I'm like okay, I did ask for you to speak to me. I'm like I didn't. I still didn't know what was going on, but that was my experience and I was like, okay, and also my left arm started throbbing and I was like, okay, this is, you know, like just my body speaking to me, and the left side of the body is the feminine side of the body. You know, the right side is our masculine side. So I knew that. So I started kind of diving into some research with that and I was like, okay, I also learned that. So let me backtrack.
Speaker 2:So after that dose, I kind of journaled, took note of my experience and then I continued down this chapter of discovering what was wrong. I went to a lymphatic drainage masseuse because I was like, okay, it has something to do with my lymphatic system. The doctor's trying to prescribe me steroids, so clearly I have inflammation, so let me start with my lymphatic system and see if that helps. I went there and she was like feeling massaging my stomach and my liver, my organs, and she was like oh, this is why your eye is red. And I was like what?
Speaker 2:And she was like you have poor gut health. She was like your gut is super tight, intense. Even your liver too. She was like you need to drink water and you need to have more fruits and you need to do like a little flush. And so I ended up doing a smoothie detox for seven days and after that, like I was, my gut started improving like rapidly. My eye, like the redness went away, I was able to like lose weight even better and faster. It was my skin was clearing up. It was like, okay, 180. Like I just focused on gut health and yeah, but I love that.
Speaker 1:I've heard that, though, about a lot of things like eczema, and I honestly, like I get like my tears get really salty. It's a condition I've never been diagnosed, I can't remember what it's called and it'll literally like eat my skin raw, but I have totally noticed that it is also related to what I'm eating at the time.
Speaker 2:So if I'm eating healthy?
Speaker 1:it doesn't happen. My tears are. I think it's the salt content that makes it do that, but they're not as salty. And when I'm eating bad, that's when I will get like super irritated, even sweating. I'll get like rashes. But it all has to do with my diet, Like so much goes back to gut health. Like this is where this functional medicine people are like totally killing it because prevention, there's so much prevention If you can figure your gut out ahead of time.
Speaker 2:Yes, 100%. And like then I started analyzing. I was like, oh my gosh, that's what the mushrooms were telling me. During that dose they like slammed my stomach and they were telling me dude, you need to work on your gut health. But then not only that, part of why my gut health was so bad was because at that point this was I was like going through the depression and just like trying to pour myself into the gym, get my body physically right, I was having like two liquid protein shakes a day, just protein powder and water Terrible for the gut, super inflammatory, like super terrible. And it's not to say you can't ever have a protein shake. But it's just like I was literally having protein shakes and then I did like a dirty bulk too. So I was having protein shakes and then donuts and like it was just not, it just wasn't good. And then I was just working out really, really hard and working out and lifting weights, doing sprints. That's very much masculine energy.
Speaker 1:Your whole body's in, like inflamed, like stressed out.
Speaker 2:Fight or flight all the time I was not in rest and digest. And resting is feminine energy and so part of like my I realized part of my left arm being like throbbing and stuff was I was not pouring enough into my feminine energy and resting and relaxing enough and when I had dosed those times I wanted to do nothing but just be in nature or lay down in nature and it was like my body was the mushrooms were telling me go outside go outside.
Speaker 1:I love that. I've never heard the right versus left male feminine thing, but it totally makes sense. And now I'm like want to pay more attention to things moving forward. That you say that I'm like, oh, how interesting, just another piece of the layer, I'm excited to learn more about that.
Speaker 2:A hundred percent, yeah, Listen to your body of like. Okay, if you have something hurting, like what side of the body it is? Because also different parts of our body hold different emotions, Like our back holds our upper back and shoulders. Like people with really like tense shoulders and back are holding on to anger from others and like trauma or anger from themselves that they never released.
Speaker 1:So we're a lot of nurses. This is all our resentment towards health care and our shoulders.
Speaker 2:A hundred percent. That's why I say go get your massages, because when we get massages we're releasing those emotions and that tension out. So yeah, I love that.
Speaker 1:Tiana, what is your go-to self-nurture practice when things get rough?
Speaker 2:I love my yoga, I truly love yoga. But it's really being in nature, like making time to be in nature and if I can microdose and like if I don't have any plans I don't need to drive or anything, I'm like all right if I can just sit outside and be on my yoga mat and journal and dose and really like do some internal healing because that's it, that's all it is. You know, any issues we're experiencing, like let's figure it out. You're not going to figure it out by drinking. You're not going to figure out your problems by partying, by doing all these external things, your numbing activities.
Speaker 1:Your numbing the only way through is through, it's through. Yeah, you got to feel your feels.
Speaker 2:Yes, feel to heal and journal it out. Go inwards and figure out what's going on internally that's causing it to happen externally, because our physical reality is just a reflection of our internal reality. So that's it. Just figure out what's going on inside. Your outside will change.
Speaker 1:I love that. So how do you work with people? One-on-one, kiana, what kind of women do you work with and how do you work with them? I specialize in Both men, men or women. Sorry, I say women, because that's me.
Speaker 2:Both, but I do specialize in gut health coaching. So one-to-one virtual Makes sense. Yeah, just with my experience, yeah, one-to-one Virtual or in-person, depending on location. If they're in Southern California and if the drive makes sense for either of us, then we'll do in-person. But also nutrition plans, workout plans, so yeah, and then also women's health is an area of focus, of course as well.
Speaker 1:Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, so yeah, menstrual, a growing area that we're finally getting some attention on. I can't even wait to see what the next 10 years unfold, because we've highlighted the lack of knowledge in this area so much. So many people are diving in. It's like man. The next 10 years for women's health, hopefully, will be amazing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, just using our menstrual cycle alone and just tracking. So many women don't track and I'm like that's a start. Let's just let's start there. Just track your cycle First of all. See how you feel throughout the phases of your cycle, learn the phases of your cycle and then now let's start seeing what foods you want to be tracking in general, just looking for patterns, pattern recognition in when you like.
Speaker 1:For me, me, one thing we talk about a lot, because my specialty is burnout, but when we're ending the program, when we're talking about like leaving and how to set ourselves up, it's about finding that pattern recognition of like. When do I, how am I gonna know when I start to spiral? Because half the time we like wake up, we're in the hole we've fallen in and we're like oh, shit, shit, I didn't even know I got here. So, finding that pattern of like, I stopped brushing my teeth first, which for me, that's what I'm. Also, I start avoiding journaling, like avoiding writing things down. It's like if I'm avoiding those two things, I need to spend more time doing them, because there's something going on that I'm avoiding. That's what it is. So learning that pattern is so powerful.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's really good. I like that pattern recognition. But, yeah, what we avoid, there's like there's a gateway to growth in whatever we avoid. Oh yes, but that's a great reminder for me too. It's like journaling is one of those things that is so powerfully healing for me and I've recognized that and I've experienced that and sometimes I'm like, okay, come on, just do it, Just do it.
Speaker 1:I'm like you know.
Speaker 2:I push yourself to do it, but it's just so beneficial.
Speaker 1:Me too. I am so much more organized and on track too. I don't know what it is. It's like I get that out of the way, but it really is like for me, at least right now. Where I'm at in my life, right now, journaling is the thing I have to make myself do, because there's something I'm avoiding up here. I'll figure it out eventually.
Speaker 2:You'll figure it out, I'm sure, by journaling. That's one thing. When we see our words written down and we can read back our emotions, it helps bring clarity. For whatever reason, it just hits differently when you're reading it versus when you're just thinking it.
Speaker 1:If people are listening to you and kind of relating with what you're saying, I guess what kind of advice would you give people at home on, like, where to start? I would like if they are like feeling a little lost, you know, like they're kind of, because I feel like, so your, your focus is like, like I said, like ironclad. But I feel like for a lot of women and some other coaches have expressed this as well when you start with someone, you're like what is your goal? Where do you want to go? What do you want out of this? And for some people it's like whoa, I haven't thought about that in years. You know like that's the hardest part is like shit, do I even know where I'm going anymore? Because I set a goal years ago and I've been just doing for a long time. So just pause, realign. Like maybe I would you give them at home on like what steps to take first, because it sounds I could see like your shift in this conversation from this to this. So where would you tell people to start?
Speaker 2:Honestly journaling, like what we were just talking about. I would literally say the first thing write out your dream life. If money is not, don't even question money. You have unlimited. You have abundance, unlimited amount of resource. What does your dream life look like?
Speaker 2:I love that the moment you wake up. You wake up. What do you smell, what do you feel? What do you see? Are you with somebody next to you? Are you by yourself in a king-sized bed? Are you by the beach? Do you see the mountains? What does that look? Are there kids running and jumping in bed with you? Do you smell cookies baking or do you smell, you know, like pancakes? What does that look like for you? Do you have a private chef? Like? Money is not an issue. Money is not an issue. Just what is your dream life? I?
Speaker 1:love that. I call that my perfect day and I tell that's one of the things I do with my clients too is like and it's hard for people to like do the no limit thing. Sometimes they want to like limit themselves. It's like no, literally, like reach for the stars. Nothing got in your way. From the moment you wake up with as much detail and using all your five senses yes, incorporate all your senses write out your perfect day, what you would do from start to finish. I love this. I love doing it myself. It's just time consuming, but that's a great, great advice.
Speaker 2:It is. But that's the feminine energy, right? That's the making, time for creativity and imagination. Getting back to our inner child, right? Because you ask a child what they want to do. If you ask me what I want to do when I was five years old, I want to be a star. That's what I said. Now I'm tapping into my inner child and I'm trying to make her a star. Okay, I love that.
Speaker 1:I love that. I wanted to help people and that's what I'm doing too.
Speaker 2:No-transcript. Start with three simple things. You don't want to overwhelm yourself with too much. Just start with three simple things, because each time you accomplish one little goal every day, you're going to start building momentum. You start building momentum, then you want to make another healthier choice. Then you want to make another healthier choice. Then you're making like, before you know it, you're making 10 healthy choices a day and you're attracting better and better paying opportunities. Your life changes. As soon as I started focusing on my health boom, I attracted my first acting gig One grand, Just like that. I was like and they like straight.
Speaker 2:Like I didn't go out searching for it, I literally got a text message to my phone hey, are you available and can you send us a video of yourself in 30 minutes saying these lines?
Speaker 2:I was like, yes, I can do that, but part of it came from was I was ready. I was ready health-wise. I looked the part already Like I was working out, I was eating good. I was the person I think it's Danny Morrell that says be do have you have to embody first, then you do the thing, then you'll have what you want.
Speaker 1:Oh, I love that. That makes me think of the other quote like that success doesn't happen overnight. Quote, like but it does, it happens overnight. Like but it does, it happens overnight, like it really does. But the what you don't see is like the years of work that were put into that one night, like, sure, it does happen really quickly, but people have built, been building the foundation for that to land on for a long, long time. And that's what this reminds me.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, 100. So generally I would say first part get your dream life figured out. What does that look like for you? And then just set a few goals they don't need to be complicated Whatever's realistic for you. Stick to those for at least a week, get the momentum and then, from there, start setting new goals. And if you want more accountability, hire a coach, because really that is what we do, that's what we do as health coaches, that's what I do as a health coach is like okay, I help you to see your dream life and then now we look at where you're at health-wise, not just mentally, not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually as well. We're going to look at you all in all, and now I'm going to coach you through the gap. Now I'm going to get you to where you want to go a lot faster than you would do it on your own.
Speaker 2:And help you stay focused, yeah, and help you stay focused. That's the benefit of having a coach. Like I hire coaches for every area of my life, whether it's business, acting, modeling. I'm like, no, I want mentorship, because speed, you know, like I can do it on my own, but I'll get there faster if I have somebody who's already done what I'm trying to do, or at least something similar. So I would say accountability, mentorship is another great place. But start on your own, see what you can do and then, if you, you know, can accomplish some stuff and you want some help, reach out, you know.
Speaker 1:I love that. I love that. Another thing I love and this is what I'm going to say to you, kiana is that, like surrounding yourself with people who are in that same mindset, like for me, this podcast has been huge because I get to interact with people like you, who are like in that growth mindset, abundance mindset, you're want to help people, like you're focused, and so I see that I get to talk to you Like we talked a little bit before you know, catch up, and all these women like that's what keeps me also motivated, because in my personal life I will now I'm actually starting to meet more and more entrepreneurs that are in my area, but when I started like my.
Speaker 1:The people closest to me didn't get it. They're like and I feel like that's it's very transferable to people's health journeys people you like serve a role where you are and sometimes change can be difficult for people because you're you know, whatever relationship you were in, that's going to shift regardless as you make changes for yourself. And some people people are a little resistant to that. So you need people that are motivated, that are working on the things you are, that you can talk about what you're working on together. So if that's making it as an actor or a model, like I would have nothing to. I'd be like yeah, I don't know how to relate to that, but, yes, I support you 100%. I don't even know how to do that, but, yes, you know what I mean. So it's so important to have people that are like no, no, no, I've been there, I get it. Like your struggles are valid, like because we just need to be understood and heard by people that truly get it too. That's like another piece of healing 100%.
Speaker 1:Thanks for coming to my show and talking to me and sharing your story.
Speaker 2:I'm like I could literally talk forever. One of the things I was going to say, based on that, is we are a product of our environment. So who you surround yourself, you're the average of the five people you're closest to. And the five people you're closest to doesn't have to be in person. It's the authors of the books you're reading, the people of the podcasts. You're listening to, the accounts that you follow on Instagram the five people you're closest to. Who are the five people you're closest to? And that's the trajectory of your life, of where you're going to go. You're the average.
Speaker 1:Yes, I love it. That's what's great about saying about socials too, because I guess a couple years ago I really went through and like took everything out that wasn't like mental health or neuroscience focus, because that's the things I'm interested in and from then I feel like my soul don't worry, I still go down a rabbit hole, but I feel like my socials are better used in that way, and then I meet more people to collaborate with, too, 100%. Yeah, well, before we go, kiana, is there anything else you want to, oh, first of all tell? And is there anything else you want to, oh, first of all tell us how people can find you. If they're like, listening to this and they're like, yes, I want that iron focus, I want a little piece of what she's got, I want to work with you. How do they find you?
Speaker 2:Yes, elevate Divinely on Instagram. Elevate Divinely. Underscore on Instagram that you can find my business website on there as well, and my link tree. Well, and my link tree. So, if you want nutrition plans, workout plans, coaching or a bundle and future PDFs and digital products coming soon, yeah, there, or Kiana Forever, is my personal Instagram, more acting and modeling focused on that one, but also health and wellness tips as well. Either any of those, either of those. I have links to everything.
Speaker 1:So Instagram is a great place to start and yeah, Yay, do you want to leave us with anything before we go?
Speaker 2:Let's see. Yes, you are worthy of your dream health and your dream life. Don't question it. You are worthy. You don't have to do anything to become worthy. You were born worthy. Abundance is your birthright and you can achieve anything. You put your mind to do anything to become worthy. You were born worthy. Abundance is your birthright and you can achieve anything you put your mind to so. Believe in yourself.
Speaker 1:Beautiful. Thank you so much.
Speaker 2:Of course. Thank you for having me.
