Trigger Awareness & Nurture Self-Connection: My story may be triggering for you. Know that being triggered is okay and allows us the opportunity to see where we need to tend to ourselves more. Please check in with yourself before moving forward. If you are triggered, please stop reading and take care of yourself. Try taking 7 grounding breaths – inhaling deeply through your nose into your womb/ lower abdomen and exhaling out through your mouth audibly. Witnessing your body, relaxing and unclenching where tightened. If you are in a safe space to do so, allow the emotions that you are feeling to come up – scream if you need to scream, cry if you need to cry. I invite you to write out what’s coming up for you to discover the WHY behind the trigger, the root, and give yourself the biggest hug. If you are still feeling deeply triggered, please reach out to your immediate support system. Also, feel free to email me at connect@shinewithrachel.com for additional resources and support. Sending you comfort & love!

I spent most of my 20s & early 30s doubting my magical gifts…

FILLED WITH UNCERTAINTY AND LACK OF SELF-ASSURANCE

I was going through life searching to be fulfilled by the external world and still feeling so alone and empty. I was surrounded by people who said they loved me or admired me, but I didn’t believe them.

I’d constantly over give in work, relationships, and friendships with it not being reciprocated to the point I felt used and drained. This pattern just kept repeating no matter what company, state, partnership, or environment I was in. A life of being unseen, misunderstood, and unheard.

I was disconnected from my body abusing alcohol, drugs, and sexual experiences to make me feel something. I thought that’s how life was to be enjoyed and lived. Again, the feeling of loneliness never went away. I was surrounded by people from all over the world in this party lifestyle with money, drugs, and sex. Never feeling like I was ENOUGH – not pretty enough, skinny enough, sexy enough, girly enough, and the list went on. I felt my body was never mine, especially with sex. This was amplified when I started experiencing sexual trauma around 15 years old in varying degrees, such as assaults, rapes, and abuse, taking place over 15 years until days before my 31st birthday.

I didn’t love and respect myself and that was reflected to me most in my experiences with men. They consisted of cycling between one-night stands, situationships, friends with benefits, the “other” woman, and cheated on when in committed relationships. My longest term committed relationship (approximately 5 years) was toxic from the beginning and led to me experiencing domestic violence with abuse physically, emotionally, psychologically, financially, and sexually. That’s what I thought I deserved. My connections with women weren’t much better… typically very shallow as I never truly trusted women based off backstabbing experiences and feeling used by them.

I craved outside validation. Based on fear, I didn’t trust my intuition and inner guidance to listen and stand in my power with following through in my truest desires. I was always under someone else’s control and told what to do with my life, so I would want to run away from it. There were even moments where I felt suicide would be the answer. Then maybe people in my life would actually love me. Then I would be free from this dark deep hole I couldn’t seem to get out of. Again, stuck in feeling alone and empty.

Every job, relationship, and friendship were only temporarily covering up my wounds that were deeply rooted in ancestral, generational, childhood and sexual trauma along with the shame and guilt that came with it all.

On the morning of November 26, 2018, I was on the receiving end of another physically abusive incident by my partner at the time in our Las Vegas apartment. I was covered in bruises and alcohol-filled tears (yes, actually alcohol as my partner poured his drink into my eyes). The sheriffs were called by my family in California because he wouldn’t let me leave. After they documented my body and the incident, they waited for me to pack up my life there into my car and head back to California.

That 1st week back in California was the most essential week for when my healing journey started. I had the space for my body to heal from the physical pain. I was also aligned with an angel who directed me to services for women experiencing domestic violence. I met with the organization and started group therapy mid-December with individual therapy and sound healing to follow in January. From what I learned in these spaces, I knew I needed to change, and I took aligned action.

Since then, I have been committed to my growth and healing through experiencing therapy, coaching, group programs, retreats, workshops, trainings, various healing modalities, and life experiences. My life has transformed from feeling empty, alone, unheard, unseen, disconnected from my body, power and voice – to being deeply in love with myself, connecting to my womb and nature, expressing my voice in a range of outlets, feeling empowered to take aligned action on my desires, experiencing healthier relationships, and being surrounded by intentional supportive women.  

How was SHINE Empowerment & Healing born?

In December 2022, I decided to continue with taking aligned action by closing out the last chapter of my corporate career in the HIV/AIDS field and transition to entrepreneurship. The whispers grew louder and louder after a cumulation of 6 weeks exploring Europe and myself that Fall-Winter. I knew I needed to take the leap and bet on myself. It was time. I never felt more empowered in a life decision. Senses of security, confidence, and alignment overcame me even in the face of uncertainty. Yes… my good ol’ friend FEAR came to say hi, but I turned to my support and focused on my WHY. I embraced this moment and was ready to completely surrender to what the universe had in store for me!

I finally birthed SHINE Empowerment & Healing in January 2023 from a vision that came to me in Spring 2019 during a meditation. This vision came to light from all the deep healing and trauma work that I went through over the past years and continue.

When working with coaches and healers, I noticed that women who look like me and what I have been through were missing in this industry. I didn’t see many coaches that were also working with energetics in a holistic approach. They were referring out to healers and vice-versa. This leads to clients having to repeating their traumatic experiences and challenges, which can be damaging. I went through this and desired to hold spaces for women where this didn’t have to happen.

I received certification in and continue my training in the healing modalities that have most impacted my journey – Usui Holy Fire III Reiki, Sound Healing with crystal alchemized sound bowls, Transmutation Meditation/ Hypnosis, and Womb Healing. I also use them in my daily practice along with connecting to nature’s elements to support myself.

Looking back at my childhood, there have been many whispers throughout my life that guided me to becoming a Women’s Coach & Healing Guide. I’ve answered the call to connect, empower, and heal with women who are ready and willing to receive.