I survived years of infertility, miscarriages, anxiety, panic attacks and chronic pain…
I know what it feels like to crawl through the trenches of unexplained health issues. Feeling as if you will never get to a place of good health, or never feel happy ever again because of the fear and anxiety and darkness. I totally get it. And as lonely as it feels, I can assure you that you are not alone. You can absolutely find joy as well as a healthier lifestyle. I am living proof of that.
I know firsthand the importance of learning how to restore your body to optimal health. After dabbling in natural health and nutrition for years, I finally took the plunge and completed my training with the Nutritional Therapy Association so I can counsel and educate people to find their own best health. Being a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner is such a gift! It is a wonderful thing to equip people with the tools to take charge of their health by learning the power of a real food diet.
Along my journey of healing, I spent about three years switching over all of our personal care products to be as clean and toxic-free as possible. After so much trial and error (and a ton of money!), I finally found a company that has done most of the work for me.
beautycounter
Beautycounter is a B Corps which has chosen to eliminate over 1500 possibly harmful chemicals, batch tests all their products for heavy metals, and is working hard to get safer products into the hands of everyone.
Since the mission aligns so much with what I do as a nutritional therapist, I teamed up with Beautycounter so I can educate more people about the need for products which are not harmful and detrimental to the health our bodies.
And that has opened doors to work with dozens of other companies that are dedicated to making wonderful products that are safer for all of our bodies and environments. If I can help people understand the importance of choosing safer products for themselves and their families, I will consider it a huge success.
Pilates restored my body and my life.
When I was a new military spouse, I quickly realized the importance of having a career I could take with me to every new assignment. So I moved to Santa Fe NM for a few months to obtain my first Pilates certification (my own TDY for you military folks!) and have since relied on it to give me a job, a community, and a purpose every where the Air Force moves us.
From helping me recover from chronic back pain to renewing my spirit while emerging from the darkness of infertility and mental health struggles, Pilates has always been a true life force for me. I am now a Pilates Master Trainer, and that means I get to educate people about this amazing bodywork as well as train others to be instructors of the Pilates method.
My Pilates career looks different everywhere I go, so you can find me teaching classes at studios or gyms, instructing private clients, leading instructor trainings and workshops, owning my own studios, and always looking to further my own education.
I have 18 years of teaching under my belt, but there is always more to learn. If you want specifics, I am a Master Trainer of Pilates and Barre for the Pilates Sports Center, I completed my original training with the PhysicalMind Institute, and I am a Nationally Certified Pilates Teacher (NCPT).
My most recent endeavor was flying into the aerial world as an Aerial Fitness Trainer for AIR®. So yes, I can flip around on aerial silks! Who says you can’t take on crazy new adventures when you’re in your forties?
I believe that God created these bodies of ours and gave us every resource we need to be happy, healthy and well.
I know that every hardship I’ve endured, every mountain I’ve climbed, and every river I’ve crossed has made me better in every single way. And through all that junk He has led me to this passion of mine – finding balance in our bodies through real food, healthy movement, and safer products.
I’m just like you. Crazy busy and trying to do the best I can for myself and my family. The only difference is I’ve completed many certifications and specialized trainings so I can make it work for real people like you and me. If you’re looking for perfection, you’re in the wrong place. But if you’re looking to eat better, move better, and live better, let’s hang out. Stick around and see if all that time and money I have invested into my education and training can help you find a well balanced life of your own. You deserve it!
Fun Facts About Me
Hi! I’m Amanda, founder of My Well Balanced Life.
I’m a Pilates Master Trainer, Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, Managing Director with Beautycounter, recently retired Air Force wife, and boy mom. I am a Texas born and raised girl (or 40-something woman) who survived almost 20 years of military life (the last 4 in Alaska!), and we just moved back to my hometown. I LOVE really strong coffee with a splash of cream and maple syrup. My lifelong dream used to be hitting the stage as a back up dancer for Janet Jackson … but I’ve learned to be a little more realistic in life these days.
Now it’s Bruno Mars. Have you seen that boy dance???
Anyway, this whole blog and website thing is just me trying to keep the important stuff balanced and real. And it’s always a work in progress. Because my life is crazy. Just like yours.
I am married to an amazing man who happens to be a retired Air Force fighter pilot, and that means that we spent the last 20 years packing up our lives and starting over in a new place every 2-3 years. Now we have settled in Texas and are trying to figure out how to stay in one place. Y’all, it’s hard! I can’t even fathom not being this nomad at the mercy of Uncle Sam. We’ll see how it goes. Stay tuned …
Military life has been fun and exciting and overwhelming and tiring and never boring and pretty much any other adjective you can think of. As any military wife will tell you, we are used to sacrifice and are so proud to be a part of the United States military family, present or past tense. But it’s tough, and I’ve learned how to work really hard to find balance in my life — not just for me but my family as well. Normal to me has always been about being on my own a lot without any family around, just doing my best to keep us all happy and healthy. Now I’m learning the opposite — that I don’t have to do it all myself because family is right around the corner. And you guys, that’s SO weird. I’m working on asking for and accepting help, even if I feel like I don’t need it.
I have two beautiful boys, and that means I am constantly on the go and trying to keep up with their schedules, activities, and overall exhausting boy energy. It might be why I love coffee a tad too much. Having kids makes my life a little more hectic and forces me to be a lot less selfish, so I try to just focus on the big things and not sweat the small stuff. They are occasionally going to eat some processed junk, and that’s okay. I can’t do all the Pinterest things, and I’ve come to realize my boys don’t care. But I can plan a boy’s birthday party and decorate a themed cupcake like nobody’s business. Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Harry Potter are my specialties! And I totally use real sugar and white flour on those special occasions.
After everything I’ve been through, I just don’t sweat the small stuff. And that, my friends, is a glorious way to live.
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