

On the other hand, I was always aware that potential dangers lurked all around.
#ERIKA D DOUBLE SHOT OF LOVE PROFESSIONAL#
On one hand, this small neighborhood boasted beautiful homes filled with professional African-American families in fact the house behind our family home across the alley took up about 1/4 of the block and had an elevator in it! I have fond memories of playing double dutch, walking to the neighborhood store and riding bikes with my sister and friends. I was raised as a 1970's child in a middle class neighborhood called, Pill Hill, known for the many doctors that lived and also worked at a nearby hospital in the 60s. My husband and I both grew up in Chicago.

And while creating space is significant for change, unless we actively and intentionally do the work toward peace we ultimately end up putting our mental health on hold until something triggers the traumas of our past. It is in each experience that we build our best life and promote moments designed to renewand restore. We each have a purpose-driven opportunity to be the change we want to see. What we're left with in the meantime is us. Healthcare is changing and it's up to us to continue committing to the education and implementation efforts for change. It's through this interdependent merger that optimal health can be more fully realized. The goal of creating various complementary and alternative medicine initiatives (CAM) using various holistic views continues. It is in the journey toward wellness that's so desperately missing from our healthcare system.

#ERIKA D DOUBLE SHOT OF LOVE HOW TO#
What I've learned over the years (and still learning) is how to listen to my body through embracing a daily "perfectly imperfect" wellness practice step by step. In fact, my health challenges as an Allied Health Professional at the start of my career led me to create CORE Fitness LLC. I ultimately speak from a position of experience. The unrecognized voice inside strives to keep us whole as we navigate the ever-changing struggles of our daily existence. It also could be considered that we trend toward pleasures versus pain. However, over time, ignoring the most basic of human needs such as proper nutrition, rest and exercise can yield detrimental consequences. We also know that we, as humans, go to great lengths to hide, cover and conceal discomfort as well as train ourselves to push past our limits to get the job done. We all know that how we feel is significant to the choices we make each day. While this may not obstruct the ability to carry out what health professionals are trained to do regarding patient care, it does speak to the example set in living a lifestyle of health. A significant number of healthcare workers are dealing day-to-day with disease, pain and mental health issues. At the risk of sounding judgmental, I'd like to take on the challenge of addressing a very visible dichotomy in our current healthcare system.
