Emily Kamala, What Wellness Is
What is wellness? I’ve had a lot of people featured in this blog who speak about it in one form or another, and haven’t really asked the question directly.
As a photographer with a lifestyle blog, I knew it would come up at some point and this is that moment.
I think wellness has a lot to do with family, connecting, being in nature, eating what warms my soul, being the best version of myself, and probably a few other things that aren’t coming directly to mind.
Having Emily support me in writing these blogs has been an interesting ride. She’s all about eating organic, regenerative agriculture, minimal impact, advocating for these pieces, and transforming lives.
Me? Well, I love those things too. AND!!! I give myself some freedoms within it all as well. And that’s what wellness is. By her definition.
Wellness is how you, as an individual, define it. It’s you creating a lifestyle that fits with your values and your beliefs. It’s staying true to yourself, living authentically, and not letting media and marketing tell you that you “should” be something that in your heart you’ve never wanted to be.
So, what is this single mom of two up to these days?
What Wellness Is
This is not a website just yet. At this point, Emily is focusing on supporting individuals in creating a more harmonized life through wellness education and groups.
These are individuals who are seeking to transform their lives, who are tired of fighting an unseen battle, come home exhausted every day only to have to “push through” even more before they can go to sleep (maybe).
She asks the question, “What is a life well lived?” For her, the turning point was when she realized that if she were to die today, her biggest regret would have been that she lived for others and rarely for herself.
What this meant to her was that she recognized that she had been making decisions on what she thought would make others happy, she compromised dreams-or even going full out on them, because of fear.
Sound familiar?
I think a lot of us can relate to that in one way or another.
It’s not like she hasn’t been ambitious with her life. She became a massage therapist in 1998, and is still doing the work today. Through that career path, she studied CranioSacral Therapy in-depth, somatic work, trauma work, and even got her master’s degree in adult education so she could share everything she had learned.
In 2019, she finished her Master Health Coaching Certificate and started bridging together massage, yoga, and coaching in her business. Yes, like many of us, 2020 had an impact.
Emily had decided to close her massage practice right before the pandemic hit and went through a transformative year. Coming out of it, in 2021 she completed a transformational life coaching program with an international coach (Influential Coach with Joel Brown).
Since then, she went through the evolution of defining her market; trauma or no trauma? Shadow or money? Relationships or divorced moms? And has landed back on education and building a course focused around wellness.
Her 10-year-old self would be saying, “What took you so long!”
What Wellness Is is in the building stages. Right now it’s a group on both Facebook and Telegram, has a YouTube channel, and the workshops will be rolling out in November. If you want to know more, join one of the groups, or send her an email.
A little more personal…
“M” gets a little geeky about learning and personal development. (I think she writes my blogs just so she can do the research!) This isn’t a new thing, it’s an always thing.
You may find more than once, her kids saying, “You don’t have to explain it. A yes or no would have been ok, mom.” And while this sounds a bit harsh, there’s always laughter and a bit of wrestling that happens to get everyone out of the seriousness of learning.
These are easily the best moments of the day when the kids are around. Being divorced and splitting time with the kids can pull any dedicated parent into a funk.
To get out of it, Emily focuses on moving her body, or her favorite question taught to her by her own coach, “Who can I impact today?” And taking action on that impact.
There’s always a go-to guilty pleasure, even for a “food nazi” (self-proclaimed!!! I’m not making this up for her!!).
With a 9 and 11-year-old in the house, there will be ice cream. But that’s not her go-to. It’s a square of dark chocolate.
No, that’s not right. COOKIES!! Oh, heck yeah. Now, that’s what I’m talking about.
And a favorite meal? Pfffshhh… That’s got to be dessert. And I know she was thinking this when she wrote about apples this month. Because an apple pie, crumble, or cobbler are no-brainers. You might even add in an apple turnover. Why not?!
While I’m sure she’d want to say that the best part of her workday is writing about desserts...well, maybe that’s a stretch.
Writing, whatever the topic may be, is one of her favorite parts (because it encompasses the BEST-which is hearing about clients who “turn on” and their way becomes clear).
“It’s like getting an opportunity to support someone in their own transformation, on their own time. That’s pretty freaking cool.”
The plethora of books she has surrounded herself with is a testament to this quote. Most are on self-development, others are food-related, and well, there’s not much else! To pin her down on the last book she read is tough because she’s reading three at the moment.
She just finished reading “Eragon” to her kids and they’ve started the next one in the series. For herself, the last one she finished is “The Obstacle is the Way” by Ryan Holiday. She pulled a quote from the book and has it hanging above her computer:
Never in a Hurry
Never Worried
Never Desperate
Never Stopping Short
Keeping herself in a place of integrity with her own core values has been a challenge this year. It’s all coming together now.
Focusing on a business that is true to her heart, trying new sports (archery and kickboxing), and learning to ask for what she needs to support the four tenants above is keeping her aligned to a new belief: To get something new, you must DO something new.
Cheering her on as she grows into this new version of herself!!
If any of this appeals to you, check her out at www.EmilyKamala.com for info on her coaching and any of the links above for What Wellness Is!!
I’m on the lookout for NEW BUSINESSES to FEATURE!!! If you’re a Woman In Business here in Denver, CO I’d love to hear from you and feature you in my next blog. I’m always looking for great entrepreneurs that are willing to share with others what gets them going, fills their cup, and makes them laugh out loud. Fill out this submission form, and I’ll be in touch!
Until next time,
Cheers!
~Kim
This peek into Kim’s world was brought to you by Emily Kamala. Emily is a freelance writer and life coach who loves to share stories, write blogs, and experience life so fully she has to bring it to life on the page. If you’re interested in reading more of her work, you can visit: www.EmilyKamala.com
Kim Morgan has brought her passion for connecting and telling stories through photography to life. Her ability to put you and your family at ease is so palpable you don’t even realize she’s behind the camera getting those precious moments for you to carry with you many years later. She lives in Colorado with her husband, son, and dog, where they enjoy exploring the mountains and laughing at every opportunity. Her website is KWDesignsPhotography.com to see her amazing work and set up your session!