What happens when you find that you aren’t actually living your own life? When you’re there, but not there? When the perfect Molotov cocktail of stress, ambition, and an ego-infused corporate culture drive you to physical breakdown.

Because, it happens more than you might think.

In this episode of the OneMind Meditation podcast, we explore the story of chronic stress with author and transformational life coach, Erin Owen. She works with clients who suffer from the same symptoms of stress and overwhelm that compelled her to leave the corporate world over a decade ago.

Thirteen years ago, Erin Owen was a corporate consultant in a big firm with a big future. She earned her MBA in the evenings while holding down a full time job. Erin was climbing the corporate ladder. But something was not quite right.

The signs were there but she didn’t recognize them at first. She was driven to a high level of achievement. Her perfectionism, ambition, and reliability had earned her a reputation as a team leader.

Then at work she started to feel foggy all the time. She missed meetings she had scheduled. She was falling asleep while sitting up. As a people pleaser and a perfectionist, these things just didn’t happen!

In her intimate relationships, she was there but somewhere else. Together…but not together. Slowly but surely, things were slipping out of her control. And she couldn’t understand why. She was taking all the right medications and doing everything her doctor directed.

But it kept getting worse. The stress was bringing her to the edge of a physical breakdown.

That’s when Erin knew she had to make a change. And so began a transformational period that saw Erin abandon the corporate grind and turn her voracious appetite for learning in a more contemplative direction.

First she learned yoga and became a certified yoga teacher and then she moved on and practiced Vipassana meditation. Next she immersed herself in Taoist teachings and after that she learned the Japanese healing art of Reiki and became a certified Reiki master.

Finally, she spent time on the Southeast Asian island of Bali learning the spiritual and animism practices native to that land.

Today, Erin shares the story of that transformation and how she blends her business acumen with Eastern meditative and yogic influences to work with clients who suffer from the same symptoms of stress and overwhelm that compelled her to leave the corporate world over a decade ago.

Erin has developed a completely unique approach which is encapsulated in these six pillars of transformation. If you want to learn more about Erin’s work or contact her directly, please follow the links below.

The post OM048: The Journey From Chronic Stress To Mindful Presence appeared first on About Meditation.