What happens when the life you planned suddenly disappears?
Transformational Life Coach Dominique Stelling was just 18 years old and pursuing her dream of becoming a professional dancer when chronic illness brought that life to an abrupt stop.
What followed was a decades-long journey through pain, Lyme disease, loss, spirituality, mindfulness and ultimately a very different understanding of what it means to heal.
In Part One of our conversation, Dominique and I talk about what happens when illness becomes part of your identity — and how you begin to separate who you are from what you're going through.
Dominique shares the philosophy she calls “riding the dragon”: learning to meet the difficult and unpredictable parts of life differently rather than allowing them to define you.
And this is only Part One.
If this conversation resonates with you, please subscribe to The Tapestry of Connection so you don't miss Part Two!
CHAPTERS:
00:00 Meet Dominique Stelling
00:50 A journey through chronic illness
02:55 When a lifelong dream suddenly ended
05:29 Lyme disease and the “kiss of awakening”
06:08 When our greatest challenges become teachers
08:02 Discovering mindfulness and the mind-body connection
11:01 Rethinking what it means to heal
12:31 You are not your illness
14:09 Changing our relationship with pain
15:30 Finding light after years of illness
17:19 When illness becomes an identity
18:35 Learning to “ride the dragon”
20:17 Medicine, resilience and reclaiming your power
22:32 The inner journey of healing
23:31 The Hero's Journey
25:34 Finding opportunity inside life's challenges
26:20 Gena on fear after a health crisis
27:41 Trusting yourself enough to live
28:47 Faith, resilience and trusting the journey
30:59 When loss becomes a blessing in disguise
32:05 What recovery taught Gena about compassion
33:50 “Why is this happening for me?”
35:30 Dominique's relationship with pain
36:58 Finding stillness in the middle of the storm
40:10 The darkest years of chronic illness
42:33 Isolation, friendship and finding support
43:51 The book Dominique always knew she'd write
44:17 If the desire is on your heart...
CONNECT WITH DOMINIQUE STELLING:
Website: https://www.dominiquestelling.com
Instagram: @dominique_stelling_lifecoach
Dominique is a transformational life coach and speaker based in Zürich, offering both in-person and online sessions to clients worldwide. Her work focuses on the mind-body connection and energy field dynamics to support emotional, physical and spiritual wellbeing.
CONNECT WITH GENA FRANCES:
Website:
https://www.spirituallightwisdom.com
YouTube:
@Spirituallightwisdomofficial
Instagram:
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Facebook:
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TikTok:
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Book a Tarot, Reiki or Coaching Session:
https://www.spirituallightwisdom.com/bookasession
DISCLAIMER:
The information and personal experiences shared in this episode are for educational, informational and entertainment purposes only and are not intended as medical, psychological or other professional advice.
The views and experiences expressed by guests are their own. Discussions of chronic illness, healing practices, spirituality, mindfulness or other complementary approaches should not be interpreted as a substitute for diagnosis, treatment or care from a qualified healthcare professional.
Never discontinue or change prescribed medications or medical treatment without consulting an appropriate healthcare professional. Individual experiences and results vary.
COPYRIGHT:
© 2026 Gena Frances / Spiritual Light Wisdom. All rights reserved.
The Tapestry of Connection and its original video, audio, graphics and other original content may not be reproduced, republished, distributed or used in whole or in part without prior written permission, except as permitted by applicable copyright law.
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