EP14 // How to Hit the Pause Button on the Hamster Wheel in Your Head with Maria McKeon

An Interview with Health & Wellness Expert, Maria McKeon.

Gentle, inspiring and jam packed with practical tips!  Maria McKeon, Founder of Maria McKeon Wellness, shares her journey through eating disorder to physical, and spiritual, health & wellness.  We discuss

*Giving yourself grace
*Quieting the inner critic
*Two steps forward, one step back
*The power of sharing your story
*How to take yoga off the yoga mat
*Stepping outside your comfort zone
*Sitting with the pain is NOT going to decimate you
*What are you running from?  

...and, most importantly,
*How to hit the pause button on the hamster wheel in your brain!

She is a true Finally Effing Happy Warrior!

********************
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT:

Shannon Klenk   0:00 

Hey beautiful and welcome to Finally Effin Happy. A podcasting community for kick ass can do women living with chronic illness. I am happiness coach and self care strategist Shannon Klenk. And I will share with you some of my personal journey to joy with chronic illness while hosting some amazing guest speakers, sharing tons of happiness hacks and self care strategies, so you too, can live in joy and happiness. Despite whatever chronic illness you may be living with day to day. I am absolutely thrilled that you were here for today's episode.

Today's episode just fills my soul. I can't wait to share with you, Maria McKeon. She is a health and wellness coach, a yoga and pilates instructor. This is Part sisterhood story part toolbox talk, she shares about her own personal journey through eating disorders to health and wellness. And that fitness is as important for our mental health as it is for our physical health, in addition to the fact that she is this bright, beautiful, peaceful soul. And so with no further ado, I bring you Maria McKeon. Why don't we start with you we start with today. Like, tell me about what you're doing today? Well, I started out with coffee in the morning with my husband and my children today. Yes, I am in today. And I taught my, my avid nine o'clock yoga class I've been since a pandemic, I put myself online on Facebook Live.

Maria McKeon 1:51 

You know, back in March of 2019, I guess that was, you know, is 2020. Right. And I put myself on Facebook Live to continue my practice and to share with my community that I already had at various gyms, different locations on one personal training. And, and then in January of this year, 2021. I said, You know what, those people, I need to see if I could bring them into my community. So I have three days a week through zoom. And it is Maria McKeon wellness, or Maria mckeon.com, on my website. And I'm also the same time was asked to work for a local gym that I've worked with for 25 years. And I'm teaching yoga and pilates for them online, because they have a lot online platform. And they just brought back instructors a couple, two months ago. And now I'll go back actually tomorrow, because the role of masks has been changed. So it was very difficult to teach with a mask on for me, for me with breathing. And so I set out all through virtual for you guys until we get back into our routines. So I'm excited to start back tomorrow and see all my friends that you know, that have followed me and stayed on Facebook Live. It's called jersey strong live, and anyone can go to it. And they've been a very huge blessing for me. Because when I had started having children, I had no family that was local, and I needed an outlet. And so I was at that time, still working in the fitness industry, and then boom, they had a nursery and I said, Oh my gosh, thank you. And they were the first person that bought me my a running stroller, so I'm forever that's a theme for myself is loyalty. So I'm still in fitness and still in wellness and for kids later and different types of careers. And it has been the key to me being effing happy. Because this health and wellness and fit absolute.

Shannon Klenk 4:28

So I wanted to take one step back and say so tell my listeners when you talk about your practice, you mentioned both yoga and pilates. So talk a little bit about your journey into yoga and pilates or I guess your journey into through and now you're an instructor and Yes, a little bit about that.

Maria McKeon 4:32

Sure. Well, you know, it really started years and years ago, to backtrack into you know, having an eating disorder at age 10. Really, I started it didn't really go into any kind of, you know, bingeing and purging until I was in college. So, at that point before I'm in therapy, I started running and I started to recognize that, hey, it's an inside job. And I needed to use some tools that I didn't have. And that was therapy groups that was going to Al anon. And, you know, children of alcoholics. And my dad is, both my parents pretty much are alcoholics. And my mom passed away from lung cancer. But they were pretty much in that way. And I didn't get those great coping skills. Recognizing that I have to take care of myself, and I have to take responsibility and accountability for my life. And at 18, I started meeting with a friend, we would run. And then, and then at the same time, I realized I didn't know how to get out of my own way with the eating disorder. And I joined a gym. And then I started sales for the gym, and I started teaching for the gym, it was Elaine powers. And back in the day, that was a power size girls. I was one of those girls. Yeah, yeah. And so that helps me in terms of community in terms of keeping healthy, also in, you know, not so healthy way, because you're restricting. But it also gave me financially, some money in order to go to therapy, continue to go to college. Yeah, at that point, running, nutrition was still a part of me, and I was doing therapy at that time. And then from there, you know, I'm in college. And unfortunately, you need your food and nutrition for your brain to work very well, I during this first year, I recognize that you can't run away from yourself.

I had a very, I would say a mother that I started my undergrad as special education in psychology. So I was, I was working for a family. And that family had three children, their third was a gift in the sense that she had cerebral palsy, and at that time, they call it profoundly retarded. And so I was her assistant, helping her ot PT, and then I was the babysitter, and the mother was really a mentor to me, in so many ways, and she was the person that, you know, you need those people in your life. And she was one of those people to say, what's wrong? What's up? You know, and just love how the universe puts that in our pack. Lee when we're ready. Exactly, exactly. And it was someone who, you know, it wasn't my mom, it was someone that I could talk to, I didn't go into detail that much with her. But, you know, because I was so in denial and didn't really know myself well enough at that point. And so she brought me to one of her internist. And that internist said, Hey, what's wrong? And I said, well, because I was throwing up my stomach hurt, you know, and, and so they called in my parents, and from there, they're like, Maria, we have to make some changes. I finished my first year there and came home, and then finished out my next years of college by but commuting. And that was a very, you know, like in anything you really, it's two steps forward, one back, keep going, as long as you're moving forward. I just want to pause there for Yeah, and if we can, because that is such an important message for my kick ass community of women who live with chronic illness. It is such a journey of one step forward, two steps forward, one step back, I mean, I find that it's sometimes a journey of two steps forward four steps to have one step forward, two steps back, but if I look at it over a trajectory of time, I am consistently moving in a forward healthier direction. But it can be such a challenging journey, the journey of wellness, both physical and emotional, spiritual, and so I'm just so glad that you mentioned that and wanted to mark Yes, because it's such an important nugget for this community and give Yeah, giving yourself grace that, you know, that it's as long as there's moving forward, pick yourself up then and keep, you know, seeing that and I believe you know, like, I've often said when

So, you know, I'll finish up with college so I do finish. But it did take me a little bit longer than most people. I was working full time I was in sales and marketing and I was at that point working on in a field I would never have thought of seeing myself it was electronics and it was a sales rep. So that that gave me a lot of confidence. And I would say to myself, you know,

you'd have to walk in and speak to men that were engineers, I was an engineer, you have to do things that put you out of your comfort zone. And I would take a deep breath and walk, you know, not realizing now today from Cathy Heller, like, that was 30 seconds of courage. I kept doing and contributing every day. And being a sales rep on my own, you know, you're talking,

you know, late 80s. And I'm driving around, there was one cell phone, it was huge. Right, you know, and you had a map, you didn't have Google, you didn't have. So looking back now just talking to you. I'm like, geez, I was doing pretty well. You had to get your Rand McNally. Big Book. Because I was and I was traveling. I was traveling. Yeah, I grew up in Los Angeles, and we had Thomas guides. And they're these gigantic, and I have the six of them in my car. Because LA is so huge. You just never know where you're going to end up. I had these six books in my car, and I'd be flipping through them. That's what you know, on my f seven. Where's the street in the square of F seven? Yeah. So great. Yeah. And I am and then I finally had an aha moment, you know, they started to have those wellness centers, and I would pull off in Maryland and I get Wellness Center, go ask them, they would direct they would give me I go How about this company? Do you know where this is? That and then I was like, wow, they were mine. I was like, that was great smart Riot boom that saved so much. So I did that. But I always kept fitness a part of it. And for instance, when I worked for Elaine powers, then became spa lady. Okay, and then I worked for another company called spa at the end and they all had memberships but they were duly accepted at different gyms. So I took myself on the road and every day that I was on the road, I knew a different location than I get hit a gym. So you could get an exercise though I couldn't get it. Yes, it was important to a it was at the end of the day. And I had something to do because you're your own sales rep. You're by yourself. So it gave me a sense of community. Right and, and then someone's still I remember being at a spa lady in Falls Church, Virginia, and I couldn't believe it. Someone stole my dress. I said, Oh, that Liz Claiborne's dress. I couldn't believe it. I was like that. Got it extra clothes. Oh, y'all remember that Liz Claiborne dress for forever? Yes. Because I because I went to the outlets, you know, back there, they used to them warehouse food. So you know, I'm a sales rep. And, you know, I knew how important your physical is Diageo and the door, but also help its vitality. But it's not just that it's what's inside. And I, I think growing up as, you know, one to five and Catholic households, you know, God, it's there. And you have that faith, and I love your sign behind it. Oh, yes. So yeah, it can be really and it's part for the, you know, when I am coaching or working with somebody that it's there, but to be honest, I can see it in my rearview mirror all day long when I'm on zoom, too. And it's just important as important for me, is it for the women that I serve? Yeah, yeah, you can girl. Yes, you can? Yes, yes. Yeah. Sometimes you have to dig deeper for that. Yes, you can share buttons to see it. Speaking of which, you were just talking about faith, yes, and faith in but ultimately, I think, you know, you might be given faith through books and knowledge and going to school, but you have to cultivate that from within. And you have to have faith and I've always had faith in something. Even when I was going through my eating disorder, you know, I'd aunts that would do no vinas for me. I can remember going to church and praying and asking God so much because it was it was a you know, it was a challenging time in one's life. And to know that I've learned that, you know, it is a slow suicide. It is like, you know, not caring enough about yourself not loving yourself enough to feel like you're even worthy of a morsel of food or or just life and so, it's taken me back this year because of the pandemic and this year of, of kind of going into another program with me to do this and looking at some shadow work and doing things that you realize like wow, I have how far I've come. But yet that person is still is still there and still needs to have some compassion and you can still learn from that piece of oneself. And I think it's some pretty fascinating, it's just gives you a whole perspective of yourself and in ways it, it, it helps me to not be that, you know, critical eye all the time on myself or the browbeating person with the, you know, running after yourself. Well, and it is it's such an important piece. And, you know, that self critic that being hard on ourselves, you know, as you know, part of my story is I wasn't properly diagnosed until I was 40. Which means that the first 40 years of my life, I was sick so much, and was really not intentionally or maliciously, but was really led to believe at some level, and I really internalized it just down to the deepest levels of my soul, that it was my fault. Right? It was because I wasn't eating right, or I wasn't sleeping, right, or I wasn't exercising, right, or I wasn't drinking enough water or, and truly, if I had one more person say to me, Well, you know, it's really stressed, you just don't manage stress. Well, I was gonna pull one of those Charlie's their own moments and go call me crazy. One more time. Tell me one more time, I don't manage stress. Well, and I'm going to rip your head off. Yes. Right. Because it was like, Yes, it was my fault. And so that inner critic, became my closest companion became a friend, it was everywhere all the time. 3am in the morning, three o'clock in the afternoon, at a business meeting in the bathroom, I mean, everywhere. And I'm doing that I here has been as critical a part of my health journey as same as getting my idg infusions. And then both have had to go hand in hand.

And I agree, yeah, I heard a funny example talking about how the inner critic or like, you know, just like you put those to voicemail, put the inner critic to voicemail saying that I don't know time for you go to voicemail, because you don't need it, or delete it. And so I recognize, but how that can play a part in your life for so long, if you don't recognize even habit. And that's the awareness piece. You know, and I have come to recognize, you know, I had the physical aspect, very bright doctor, I was in a course of my husband, we first got married or night 1992. And you had to do a lot of personal process work. It was like an 18 month course. And it was life changing in ways. And one time we were on a trip with this course. And the doctor, I was out running, and I was running in Sedona It was very hot. And he, you know, waved because he was on this car going to his home. The next day in class. He goes, huh, what are you running from? What are you running from? And I go interesting, never thought about it that way. And often, and it has played as a theme, what are you running from Marion, you're running from the feelings you're running from, you know, but and the gift has been the pause for myself of this year, to sit with it. And the benefits of continuing to be patient and sit with it. Sitting with the uncomfortable pain. And recognizing I'm not going to be it's not going to decimate me, you know, I can breathe through it. Like the only way through it. And only through you know is through it and things don't happen for us. They happen to us sometimes to wake us up. And I mean, I really feel like the eating disorder in the moments I would never have thought of it as anything I would ever be grateful for. And I've often said the gratitude piece a compassionate, I'm empathetic.

I wasn't having four children at home, I was a gift because a I didn't know if I would ever have children because I was messing up my body so poorly. And that was grace. God gave those to me and then to take care of them to the best of my ability and then to also realize I two girls and two boys and girls, you know the words kindness, like you know, the word fat Didn't we didn't talk. We didn't use those words. You know, I laugh at my second son. I'll never forget my second is a boy. He goes Oh mom, because she's overweighted because we never said he didn't even like we never use so was conscious of like, mind body connection. without, you know, now today it's like, you know, it's it's in every every book you're reading, but it wasn't in my life and I recognize how much the body and the mind were together. And knowing that a, what affected me was not eating because your brain needs 600 calories. So I had to teach myself, you need the so this brain, it's important, it's gonna, you need it to let everything else work. So, you know, fast forward, you know, therapy was key art therapy was key, so many things people were key talking about it was I believe, being a part of a support group. And then then starting to talk and be more participating in all the to all the support groups, that was life changing. And then I was able to go out into the community. You know, University of Penn, I did a talk when I was through it was called, at that time was called the anorexia and bulimia Association. And I was out of Philadelphia, so I traveled and did some things all volunteer basis. And, and it was great to be able to share your story and to, to who knows, who knew if it would impact somebody, and they got help, you know, and right, well, and I think that is a piece and it actually came up in a recent interview as well. This, about pretty much every condition that's out there. There is some organization nonprofit, usually not always, but often a nonprofit organization that can help either provide you community and connection, or can point you in a direction of where to find that community and connection. And it's true that some are more robust and sophisticated, they've been around longer, and we may be able to connect you with more resources more effortlessly and may not be. But even if the particular condition that you have doesn't have its own designated Foundation, or one that just isn't quite your jam, you know, there's a whole community, whether it's addiction recovery, whether it's

I know, I don't look sick, you know, that sort of invisible illness awareness, is also very much growing and becoming much more robust and available for people. And so as scary as it might seem to start reaching out, start reaching out.

Shannon Klenk 22:27

Right, absolutely. And that sounds like that was a really pivotal piece of talk for you.

Maria McKeon 22:30

Absolutely. And I think that in any in any life transition. Or if you're taught in your family dynamics, you know, to keep it underneath the carpet, don't say don't share who you truly are, then, of course, you're just perpetuating the shame and being, you know, gosh, I can't be vulnerable and share this. And it's power, you don't realize that there's power in that sharing. And sharing is caring. You know that, and I have that piece will forever be life changing. And the people I'm still very good friends with, which was kind of cute is the woman that I took care of her daughter, you know, came to my wedding. She also will be here going to come for the summer with her children. And I'll see Korean I've been able to see her over the years. And so Oh, it's an you know, she is 75 years old. And she's as fit and fabulous as she was then and you know, just life changes. So but that you never know what God has in store, you know? Or Yeah, yeah. And where your life to be happy. And to that you deserve that, you know? And yeah, so on that journey. Where did yoga and pilates come in? And yeah, how yoga and pilates in particular really supported both a your physical health along with your mental health because both of those are so such integrated practices. Yes. Well, I've still continue to teach into personal training. So I became an instructor as well as a personal trainer, which I still am and then my husband at the time was doing yoga when we first met and I was like, What is this so I went to a couple classes with him.

And I liked it. And I thought, well, let me just check this out. And so I started taking it and it became like, I didn't realize how tight and stressed I was. But I didn't even recognize that I couldn't turn off my mind. And the, you know, hamster wheel. And it gave me a way to, you know, hit that pause right in your, in your old tape player and, and your breathing and recognize that how, if you, you know, it's a gift to breathe, and we as people don't breathe well, and how, you know, visualizing that your lungs and your capacity and I wanted to, I knew that you had to continue to keep this body strong. I've done marathons, I'm a runner. And in the last couple of years, I've stopped running so much as walking, but fast walking, and so that competitive element, but it also

Yoga is a practice I could do walking in and walking meditation it, you need to stretch the muscles. I wanted people to see a teacher that I have followed and taken class, her name is Sean Corne, and she's took yoga off her mat. So that was kind of my philosophy as well, like, how do you take what you're learning here on your mat or even out into the world. And so that I feel like I can take the experiences in a room and experiences on my own, whether it's a meditation, guided meditation, or it's just doing my own flow practice, and taking it to my children, taking it to a person that I meet. Even I gave a friend coach of mine, her name is Jeannie Coober and Jeannie, when her children were young, she came over one day and she was like Maria, like there's kind of Bedlam kids were yelling and playing and just like how are you keeping it all together? And we just worked out and I was like, because I might have a listening ear that they're okay, they're playing. They're loud. And they're, they're working it out. And, you know, I can I know I can only do so much so. And that taught me presence. And to be with someone and how important it is. Right? Well, and to you mentioned the word flow. And that word I really heard this piece about. You know, you could take your flow yoga, and then the principle of taking it off the mat and a crazy house with four kids. And I have four kids two, they're all  okay, so they're right, and I had a dog to do the same. Sure.

Shannon Klenk 28:39 

That's what I've recognized that, you know, Fitness, Health, everything. It's a lifestyle. It's not one thing. It's all these different things correct. And it's a lifestyle. It's taking it off the mat. Like how can I help someone that and I worked in tent for 10 years, I started a nonprofit that was with women with cancer and recognizing that that love tap of on the shoulder is doesn't define a person. It's like anything doesn't define you shine and you have this. I have this, but it doesn't encapsulate you. That is a piece that I talk about all the time is not my illness. I am not primary deficiency disorder. I'm not nine I am this beautiful soul. Yes, primary immunodeficiency is a part of my journey. Part of my story.

Maria McKeon 29:49 

Yes, not who I am Exactly. My illness and it's just such an important journey place to get to

Shannon Klenk 30:00 

I think it's so challenging for so many of us because it does consume a lot of time and energy. Absolutely right. As you know, I get 90 gene fusion every two weeks, there are side effects and circumstances around it. So it consumes quite a bit of time is quite a bit of a logistic energy, quite a bit of emotional energy. It still is not who I am, even though it takes up this chunk of time in my life. And I just love that you raised that point, because it's so so important. So great. Jen, you mentioned earlier about how to hit the pause button on your mind. And so I don't want to put you on the spot, but I'm going to put you on the spot. So if you are going to share with this community of kick ass women who live with chronic illness, who absolutely identify with the hamster wheel in their head, if you are going to give them one or two really quick suggestions on how to push the pause button on their minds. What are some of your go twos and go to suggestions, close your eyes, and palms up index finger to thumb and just move through your fingers with your breath and just move through the fingers. And that actually, from your hands, the meridians on your hands. That Moravian when you press it is like a pressure point, like you're going to the acupuncturist. And that energy moves all the way up from your arm from your hands to your arms to your brain. So if you had an MRI, you could see that, like I always visualize where in my, my brain is, am I hitting with that pressure point, and just picturing the brain and then I always go to my heart. And I picture my heart expanding with beautiful green healing heart energy, and then letting it go out. And then just feeling my feet, just closing your eyes. And even if you can't close your eyes, because you're driving by just tuning into the breath, just staying centered back straight, tummy tight. And that is something I use all the time, right? And then you can do anywhere. And no one knows you can do it in a business meeting when you're in your zoo. You can do it at 3am when you're

when you're driving, and exactly times when I'm driving, and I noticed that I'm clever.

Maria McKeon 32:29 

And you and I both very love meditation focused people and I can laugh. I can envision the flow of love through my system. And then I imagine the inside of my car filled with whatever color of love is speaking to me on that day. And sometimes it's green. And sometimes it's this yellowish, orangish, pinkish, and yeah, it's a lavender like, Yes, I see my car, I'm such a goofball. I see my car as this, like just little ball of love green or this ball of love lavender just driving down the road, the lovebug.

Shannon Klenk 33:11 

I can Yeah! I can just relax a little bit enough to just let some space in there. So thank you, you're welcome. And that's a great idea. And then also,

Maria McKeon 33:24 

to backtrack into how do we, I've learned that, you know, I'm not my eating disorder, I'm not these things, these are just pieces of me. And then when you have situations that like getting terminated, divorce, you have to still go through the emotions, but the key to me and the healing is that when I can hold them into hands, and they and they feel pretty even though they're not like, not like oh my god, I'm not weighted down or I'm not in, if you bring it to my attention, I'm not going to start crying. I can hold it a little differently. And I can share that, you know, with being terminated there was a time I couldn't think of it and feel it and now I realize there's a silver lining and a third door and that there's an understanding that I you know, and a gift of the things that I want to worry about that then I'm focusing on that and and then I miss everything else that has that has come into my world because of that experience in closing. I love that visual I can actually yeah, imagine holding my hand like I'm holding to. Yes, I'm gonna seal up Yes, exactly the same. Exactly. And can I hold the wondrous beautiful so things weighted evenly with the intensity of Whether it's my chronic illness or what's going on with my family or Yes, son or whatever, right? Yes, feel those heavy things. Just hold them. Yes. Because finally F and happy in particular is not about being sort of Pollyanna Happy Birthday Happy. Yeah, it is about seeing, acknowledging, honoring those challenging moments, those challenging times, those challenging realities as equally as honoring the joy and the beauty that is there to which is realistic, and it's a balance. And recognizing, I think that how important I don't think we are I know I don't give myself grace, for the wisdom that has occurred over my life, you know, you tend to go to that critic. But the wisdom is really just pulling on it and saying, gosh, I have some tools, what tools Am I going to use, and that's why with realizing, when I shared with doing, I am a graduate of the it's called the Institute for integrative nutrition, and in their premises bio individuality, and you're, we're all different, our bodies are all different, and what works best for you. And I also when I'm teaching in health coaching, I really believe that you, Shannon, me, Maria, we know what is best for us.

And I might give you tools that I think might help. But you have to feel what's best for you and your body as the vehicle, what you put into it fuel mind, with what you're listening to, and reading to what you're putting in the meat. You know what foods you're feeding yourself that you can be an efficient machine for this life that you're leading? And how well do you and leave it? You know, next question, because you and I are I just really believe that we know our bodies best. And that it really does become about I've got to integrate it myself, see what works, what doesn't work.

Shannon Klenk 37:19 

tweak it? And keep trying? Absolutely keep moving forward. And so that next question, I would have sort of similar to the mindset question, but now it's a body question. So oftentimes, I connect with women who say, either they don't like exercise, or they have many legitimate reasons why their body really can't do X, Y, and Z movements. And oftentimes I start with, okay, so your goal is going to be Do you have to walk to the mailbox, you're like, that's not exercise, I'm like, it's movement. And I, I don't even really use the word exercise, I use the word movement, same. And so their goal for that week is going to be they're going to walk to the mailbox, five days, that week, even if the mailbox is just out. movement. And so what might be your go to, or one or two suggestions that you might have for someone that is really sort of locked in this place that because of their condition, they really can't move or movement is exceptionally hard for them.

Maria McKeon 38:37 

Well, I would also reframe, because I think that we have an expectation when we say we can't do something. So I might say maybe they example of going to the post office or your mailbox, maybe it's your walk around your block, maybe encourage you to reach out to your friend and do to with her or your husband how movement will help you it's been trained within 20 minutes, actually in 10 minutes, you can change your brain chemistry just 10 minutes even putting music on and dancing. Which is my personal Yeah, you know and we don't do it enough and so that getting outside getting on the bike that's in your that's your stationary bike, I often you know laugh because my mom had one for years and it's just sad and it was a close horse, you know, it was close on it. And like mommy's supposed to get on that and sweat for a little bit, you know? And, and so it's and getting your heart rate up 10 minutes you'll start to feel better about you get a different perspective, and it's consistency doing something. And that's one of the things that I will incorporate it's, you know, it's consistency finding one thing, add more to Add more to your toolbox and then take out things that are just not working for you. You know, like you, maybe it's a person that just brings you down. Maybe that's the, you know, that's someone I'm taking out of my toolbox. I'm not walking with that one or not calling that person, you know, just starting to shift. And just the awareness to even recognize that you need to move your don't turn the TV off, you know, don't use the clicker get up and do it right now. Yeah. And the good old days when we had to actually turn the dial. Yeah, technically, I'd say my, I really do I have it on my wall here. That motion is lotion, whether I'm dancing, whether I'm walking around the block, whether I'm actually getting on my little elliptical, which does end up being a clothes horse. Yeah. Or throwing the Frisbee for the dog. Just moving. Motion is lotion, and that it feeds my body, it feeds my mind. I definitely have an old story in my head about. I'm not a fitness fanatic. I hate exercise. I and truly, as long as I tell myself that story, it makes movement harder. Yes, yes. Yes. And the more I can transition into motion is lotion. I'm just lotioning my joints, right, just lotion in my brain, just lotioning then it makes my movement, so much easier to start. And then once I start, I'm pretty good, you're good.

Shannon Klenk 41:36 

And we need to do something. you need to move your body. And I have a visual for myself a couple of years ago, there was a personal trainer was training her mother and took a picture of the mom at this, you know, table at the, I think it was a diner, and she was overweight. And she was with her friends were just eating. And she had a one on one talk with her and said, Mom, I want you to be around for your kids, the grandkids and suchlike you got to try and change this. And her mom did because something hidden her now her mother, you can google her it's called train with Joan 75. And she is fitter than, you know, then it's anxious. But she talks about nutrition, she talks about mindset so because we don't have not that you have to have, you know, great definition and your Your Body Sculpting, but you just need to feel good in the physical body. And, do something, we need it. Right? a sedentary lifestyle. I just realized I was listening to a doctor yesterday on a podcast, you know, which I knew. He said obesity is the number one in the world and that's causing different chronic illnesses.

Maria McKeon 43:18 

Correct. So if we and it is it does start with what we put in our mouth, but all we say, and we got to do something so and I try not to we got this one life, and I have to take care of it and live it to my fullest.

Shannon Klenk 43:33 

And really agree with you. I did an episode not too long ago about you know the three ways to shush your shoulds. And it is an interesting thing. The two things that come up over and over and over again in my interviews are grace. And no shooting is a constant theme. Right? So if we just hold on to two things, let's give ourselves some grace.

Maria McKeon 44:00 

And let's as lovingly Shas, the sheds as we can and so alright, so you know my community you Yes, women who live with chronic illness, you have lived work served in that community for quite some time. And if you could share one thing with them through this podcast, what would be that one thing that you'd like to say to them? on terms of nutrition, I would say water, we don't drink enough water. Hydration is so key. Utilize your breath, maybe journal and connect in with yourself because you are your own inner healer and your body.

Shannon Klenk 44:44 

I also have for myself, my gut.

Maria McKeon 44:50 

Talk to me back those years ago when the eating disorder also don't talk to me again when I was in this position that was not going so well. I wasn't listening. So when the body talks, we need to listen. And it's a gift that your body is talking to you. And you know, we need to take care of it and love it. Because it's, it's, it's this vehicle and how are you? I often use the analogy of even driving your car and putting in is I had the grace of driving my mother-in-law had given me an old Mercedes, it was a diesel. And I would say, guys, if I was putting regular in the diesel engine, it would be cranking out right when I drive it. Yeah, exactly. So great, and housing, using those type of things. And I really feel like the body follows the mind by the visual of someone like I gave you that with, train with, with Joan, you know, Joe, no, Don, I believe her name is and just lovely on Instagram, and she's just motivating, but there are those people in your life and choose to have someone that can help you aspire to something that you want. And I have all those people and I reach to them, but I also have people that are just like yourself and say, Hey, Shan I could use a little virtual hug or you know, like I like what would you do listen, and that it's, it's, you know, I think of it as a hand me up in a uplift because we need those are soul sisters, for sure. And truly, some of my soul sisters are in our men as well that have to be women. Now, those soul connections for sure are out there. And so yeah, tell my peeps down where they can find you. You've mentioned so many other wonderful things. But I also really want to encourage people to know where to find you. Yes, I have a private Facebook page. It's called yoga and pilates with Maria McKeon. They can also find me at Maria McKeon. On Facebook, also, it's Maria McKeon at on Instagram is there for anything, so yes, it's under Maria McKeon permanent My website is Maria mckeon.com.

Shannon Klenk 45:55

Thank you.

Maria McKeon 45:55

Thank you so much.