Do you yearn for wholeness and freedom?

Is there a gnawing in your gut that something isn’t right?

Has anyone told you lately that you’re NOT broken?

What if Wholeness was possible sooner rather than later?

What if I told you that your heart is good?

What if you could say ‘it is well with my soul’ and believe it.

What if you found the words that describe your essence, your very being. And lived with a renewed sense of purpose, without using things or activities to describe it.

What if you asked more open-ended questions and embraced the wilderness not as a place of punishment, but as a spacious place, embracing the wildness & integrity of your true self within.

What if you could unlock treasures from within to heal yourself? Heal on, Healer.

What is an integrated soul? This concept was taken from the words of Dallas Willard, philosopher and respected professor from USC who wrote on Christian spiritual formation.

“A healthy soul is an integrated soul.”

At a time when I could not say “it is well with my soul,” this quote unlocked something for me that was missing and created a huge shift in the way I viewed my relationship with my self and my spirit.

It meant that if one part of my  heart / mind / spirit /  body was unwell, it affected the others, in part or in whole. There was dis-integration. It took some time, deep digging and I finally found the ‘something’ of “Something Is Not Right” that my gut was telling me.

Devotions, prayer, asana; they weren’t enough. It didn’t matter how much self-care and soul care I was doing. I was in the middle of a highly toxic environment, religious group, and toxic relationship with authority. (The first three episodes of my podcast tell this story).

“You can’t heal in the same environment that made you sick.”

I took courses. Read books. Read blog posts and articles. Listened to podcast episodes. Followed thought leaders on various subjects, dug deeper and deeper and finally, I left, after four years of spiritual abuse.

Some of the things I have researched: Spiritual Abuse, Spiritual Sobriety, Spiritual Health, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, Religious Trauma & Religious Addiction, Deconstructing, Breath Prayer, Yoga, the Desert Mothers and Fathers, Celtic Christian Spirituality, Contemplative Practices, Theology, Original Blessing.

The work of Sobriety Writer, author of “We Are the Luckiest,” Laura McKowen says,  “Love doesn’t ask you to stay when staying means you have to leave yourself.”

I already had a lifetime of experience with biblical studies, spiritual growth & formation, spiritual disciplines, soul-care, rhythms, cross-cultural and missions experience as an MK/TCK (third culture kid), and an undergraduate and graduate level grasp on theology, spiritual formation, countless small group leadership and worship leading experiences. One of my grad school classes was taught by a contemplative Henri Nouwen scholar, a fascinating subject on spiritual formation.

After leaving, I detoxed from the religious poison by practicing spiritual sobriety, self-compassion, and my home yoga practice. I spent over a year detoxing and didn’t step into a church until late in the summer of 2017, after much researching and a very short and specific list of requirements, that easily narrowed my options. (feels safe, room to breathe, egalitarian, & progressive) I found three out of four… which was I needed to begin.

If any of this concerns you, first of all…please pause, and before you criticize my methods, please understand that it takes a significant mental, emotional, and even physical toll on your body to undergo and experience trauma. I needed the time and space away–a sabatical– from church of any kind, to hear my own thoughts, connect with the voice of the Spirit within and trust myself after years of second-guessing myself. Leaving church for a year doesn’t erase the lifetime of knowledge and treasured hope-infused verses, that are indeed stored in your memory and “in your heart”. 😉

A year after completing my yoga certification,  in 2017 and as a practitioner for the past 6 years, this sacred calling has unearthed, through much soul searching and refining. The Integrated Soul podcast arose out of this, and as my best friend and I were texting back and forth she said something that lit me up. I rephrased what she said and Integrated Soul Mentoring was born. The word ‘mentor‘ has been drawing my attention since early February a year ago or before and it felt like a natural pairing with teaching. Once I had the phrase and title of my podcast, alongside the quote that has unlocked everything, it all makes sense.

In a weird age of celebrity status and idolizing leaders and people weaponizing scripture to abuse others… I now have a finely tuned BS meter  and awareness of the power dynamics when it comes to indoctrination, religious addiction, legalism, and spiritual abuse and trauma. Worst of all, being done in god’s name. Whether you think you are in the middle of this or are doing the hard work of untangling, unraveling, unlearning and deconstruction, I’d love to help. It can be absolutely a lonely path to forge on your own.

*Disclaimer, mentoring is not a substitute for the important and sometimes necessary professional therapeutic work needed. I highly recommend therapy 100%. 

What does it look like to do Integrated Soul Mentoring with Lori?

Think of me as your spiritual, no spiritual BS, contemplative friend. Simply reaching back to help you rise up and begin to claim ownership and power over your own healing and your life. To show you that this mountain can be climbed, this valley can be crossed, and where to look for water and nourishment along the way. 

The best way to reach out to me is by email or Instagram: @lori_joanne

Here’s a sneak peek at what’s included
in Your Flesh is a Poem:

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My promise to you:

To swing wide open the doors, to a life of spaciousness, to listen and provide tailor-made resources & practices to help you discover your inner wholeness.