Having the honor of introducing my colleagues to readers this month in our local feature story presented an opportunity to reflect on my own 11-year tenure with Natural Awakenings and how much of my life has been shaped by this work and the valued relationships that result.

As the senior staff writer for our nationwide franchise family of magazines and editor of the Naples edition, I’ve interviewed more than 2,000 professional health practitioners and spiritual thinkers. Cherished memories of these conversations with some of the most brilliant minds and vibrant spirits of our era come to mind each time I can share with others what I’ve learned from them, whether in person or print. They are all pioneering experts in the fields of healthy living, personal growth, spirituality or natural medicine, with much to teach us.

As the manager of editorial training and the company’s national director of community outreach, I enjoy connecting one-on-one with our network of publishers around the country. When I visit with them in their hometowns, they often introduce me to local area practitioners.

My awakening journey began in 1989 while reading Barbara Brennan’s Hands of Light when I realized that the body is capable of healing itself. Deepak Chopra’s Quantum Healing: Exploring the Frontiers of Mind/Body Medicine later stirred my interest in the science of it all and years later, I was awed by the opportunity to interview Dr. Chopra, whom I consider a “book mentor”.

I wish there were a richer spiritual vocabulary to express how my paradigm of living as a spiritual being having a human experience has been shaped by interviews with authors such as Jill Bolte Taylor (My Stroke of Insight), Dr. Eben Alexander (Proof of Heaven), Anita Moorjani (Dying to be Me) and Dr. Raymond Moody (Life After Life) plus, most recently, Dr. David Perlmutter (Brain Maker) and his wife, Leize De Mara Perlmutter.

I am thankful for the invisible life path that opened up 26 years ago and led me to this place of deep learning, profound relationships and the opportunity to share my gift of storytelling with our readers every month. Being showered with blessings beyond my wildest imaginings stirs my heart and brings tears of gratitude. Thank you all for gifting me with a thoughtful window into a better world.

Cheers,
Linda Sechrist, Editor