About
The Life Story that Founded Awakening Wellness Retreats
Hi, I'm Jess, the founder of Awakening Wellness Retreats. I see life as a beautiful journey of self-discovery. Just like most people, the "me" who I thought I was for most of my life, was created by external and internal conditioning. I was raised in a religious household in a small town in the Midwest of the United States. Although I learned some good lessons and values, being raised Christian also came with some unwanted consequences and many detrimental beliefs.
Throughout my entire life I have always had a deep inner drive towards exploration and expansion. Amidst the internal struggles I was facing around feelings of worthlessness, guilt, shame, and a lack of self-love, I always knew that there was another way of living and being that wasn't so painful and heavy.
A year after leaving my hometown, and half way through my 18th year, I had my first awakening. I had an experience where, for the first time ever, I had felt true joy and peace in my heart. Not just a feeling of "happiness," but actually feeling a deep sensation of stillness and joy in my heart. Once I felt this and knew it was possible to feel so light and at peace, I was determined to live that way from that moment on. However, sometimes it takes more than just one moment to really change. It wasn't until 7 years later that I had my second awakening when I started going to yoga and meditation classes. I was at one of my lowest moments when I came to yoga and meditation, I was so disconnected from my body and heart. I was longing for that feeling of joy and peace in my heart again. Two beautiful years I had a very dedicated practice on the mat and sitting multiple times a day and was able to break free from a lot of conditioning. By the 3rd year, I wasn't on the mat or sitting everyday anymore, I decided to turn every waking moment into my practice.
In March of 2020, two weeks before my 28th birthday I had another awakening. This was a big one because until this moment I "knew" that I was worthy, that I didn't need to carry around all the guilt, the shame and the stress, and I "knew" that I was perfectly imperfect just as I was. However, this awakening brought on the "inner knowing," the "embodiment." It was no longer just in my mind, it was in my entire being, deep in my heart. I felt free! I felt bliss! I felt so abundant, loved, and supported by life itself. Thankfully this feeling, this inner knowing, has not wavered since then. I wake up everyday in pure bliss. And life isn't "perfect," I still have days that aren't considered awesome, but my bliss and joy never wavers.
This is why I have created Awakening Wellness Retreats. I want everyone to feel this freedom, bliss, joy, and peace. I want to offer a space where individuals feel safe to release the conditioning that is holding them back from living every moment in pure bliss and connecting deeply with their true self. I want to create a supportive world-wide community of people who know that life doesn't have to be hard, painful, and stressful, and instead can be beautiful, free, and blissful!
Other Offerings
I am also a Self-Discovery & Alignment Coach. I help people discover their true Self, love themselves unconditionally, and then unlock their inner freedom and bliss by showing up in radical authenticity and alignment.
1:1 Coaching
Online Course
Finding Freedom through
Finding Yourself
Human Design Readings