And there goes Ms. Theresa Rose!
...Again.
You see, for someone who I barely know, Ms. Theresa Rose has crossed my path more times than a black cat looking to start trouble for the paraskevidekatriaphobics on Friday the 13th. Except, she works in reverse. Instead of bringing fear, she is known as the "bringer of the mojo."
The first time I met her in passing, was at a local health fair, where I entered (and won! And I never win anything!) a free hypnotherapy session at her then holistic center EnergyWorks. Soon after, we were both writers for Positive Change Magazine, contributing to the monthly healthy living magazine, but never meeting. Ran into her once at Four Gees restaurant, where she was sitting on a comfy couch, writing in a notebook while sipping tea. Then, it was hearing about Theresa Rose the massage therapist, and Theresa Rose the Reiki Healer, and Theresa Rose the fellow yogi and motivational speaker who delivered a compelling talk about...
When I arrived at the Snatam Kaur concert, I heard my friend anounce to me, "Oh look. It's Theresa Rose and her husband, Michael."
Well, of course it is...
I knew then that I had to interview the brainy, beautiful, sometimes bashful, and other times ever-so-slightly bawdy brunette, two-time award winning author of Opening the Kimono, keynote speaker, holistic healer and mojo bringer, Ms. Theresa Rose...
Q: Can you tell readers (who may be getting to know you for the first time) a little about the motivation behind writing Opening the Kimono?
In 2006, my mother died of cancer. In order to go through the grieving process as consciously as possible, I felt compelled to write about it. I realized I received a tremendous amount of healing through the act of writing about my inner journey. It felt so good to creatively express my feelings that I decided I wanted to tackle some of the other tough issues that had been plaguing me throughout my life. As a result, I began to write about my lifelong struggle with weight and body acceptance, challenges of love and sex, the strains of raising a child, career ups and downs, and anything else that felt in need of healing. Thus, the book was born out of my own need to transmute those dark places in my life into areas of power, forgiveness, and joy. While the stories started from a place of sadness, I ended up finding a lot of humor in them and peppered it throughout the book. In the end, Opening the Kimono is about finding the hidden gifts in the gunk we all have.
Q: In Opening the Kimono you talk a lot about self image. How has your yoga practice allowed you to truly "honor your body", in spite of insecurity? And, have you noticed physical and/or emotional changes as a result of that practice?
Yoga was a key instrument in helping me unearth my deep, dark uglies. Before every writing session, I would have a slow, mindful yoga practice to "get into" my body. Each asana pushed against my hidden emotional wounds, brought up feelings of low self-worth, and allowed me to address them head-on. Once I felt reconnected to my body, I was able to go into meditation and ask for guidance on what I should be writing. Through the combination of yoga and meditation, I was able to summon the courage to write about those things that frightened me the most. The added benefit, of course, was an increase in self-esteem as well as a stronger, leaner body. Yoga was such a gift during my creative process!
Q: As an emotional exhibitionist myself (I thought I was the only one, and had invented the term!), one of the downsides is that after sharing, I worry, "Oh, maybe I shouldn't have said that!" In your admittedly sassy and sometimes sexy book, are there times when you look back and think, "Oh, I can't believe I put that to print!"
Believe me, I had many moments where I thought to myself, "I can't believe I am writing this!" However, I intuitively knew that the benefit of sharing my raw, authentic stories would dramatically outweigh my personal insecurities about what others would think of me. At the end of the day, the truth is inherently a good thing, and embracing our blissfully imperfect selves is the key to genuine acceptance and ultimate joy (even if it's a little embarrassing from time to time).
Q: Do you have any advice for fellow brainy, bulky and beautiful brunettes (okay, and blonds, to be fair) who are new to reiki, yoga, or meditation, and are looking for a way of developing their own personal power?
There are many outlets for finding one's personal power. Some people find yoga to be their vehicle for empowerment and confidence, while others use other forms of healing that suit them better. My feeling is that people need to do two simple things in order to release victimhood and embrace power: move your body, and connect to the Divine. Whether it's through performing a Sun Salutation, hula hooping, or ecstatic dancing, the act of joyfully, consciously moving your body on a regular basis can transform you into a powerful human being with some Serious Mojo!
For more information about Opening the Kimono and Theresa Rose:
Royal Palm Literary Award Winner
Living Now Book Award Winner
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