Redefining Healing: A Trauma Nurse’s Journey

Exploring the shift from medical care to mindful, holistic healing. 

Healing, mindfulness, wellness, balance, and self-care have always been at the heart of my journey. As a former emergency room nurse turned yoga and meditation teacher, I’ve seen firsthand how stress and burnout affect the body—and how mindful movement can restore harmony. My story isn’t just about changing careers; it’s about transforming how I understand health and healing from the inside out.

This week, two people asked me what got me into teaching chair yoga—and why I choose to specifically help women over 50 with balance, mobility, and mindfulness. Those questions sent me down a little rabbit hole of self-inquiry. Why doI do this work, and how has my path shifted over the years?

My first taste of mindfulness began way back in 2007. At 19, I was a naïve sophomore in college, sitting in Nursing 101. At the time, I wasn’t sure what this world of nursing was really about. I’d enrolled because that’s what the women in my family did—my mom, my grandma, several aunts, and later, a few cousins followed suit. But what was nursing, really? Could I truly see myself as a nurse?

On day one, wise and seasoned Dr. Kensington asked us to sit with our eyes closed and direct our awareness inward—not to the external, but to the space within. “What do you see here?” she asked. Forty bright-eyed, would-be nurses sat quietly as she guided us through a short meditation—bringing attention to the crown of the head, the space between the eyebrows, each finger, our breath, the tips of our toes. It lasted maybe four minutes.

When we opened our eyes, we all looked around as if to say, What just happened?
That was the first time I ever meditated—and I thought, I don’t have a clue what this nursing thing is really about, but I’m ALL IN. Could I possibly someday guide someone else to that same sense of peace and calm? Nursing was freakin’ AWESOME.

That day, I vowed to be the best nurse ever. I poured over my textbooks, cared deeply for my patients during clinicals, and learned so much about the resilience and preciousness of human life—how messy, beautiful, heartbreaking, and exhilarating this short moment on Earth can be.

Fast forward to 2022. We’ve just performed a thoracotomy in Trauma Bay 6. I’m hands-deep in a human chest as the patient takes their final breath. Behind the curtain, their family cries. My hands are bloody, my heart is calloused, and I walk out of the room—it’s just another Tuesday night in the Emergency Department.

By then, I’d been a trauma nurse for seven years. I’d seen and done things you’ll never see on TV. Between code reds and code browns, there’s no time for guided meditations. Each night shift, I’d walk seven to ten miles, looping from triage to CAT scan to trauma bays and back again. There was barely time to process the loss in Bay 6, let alone practice breathwork.

When I got home in the morning, my head was fuzzy. I’d collapse into bed as the sun came up, set my alarm for 6 p.m., and do it all over again. I hadn’t seen Mr. Daugherty in days. My life was a blur. I remember thinking, What would Dr. Kensington say now?

Here we are today. While I loved every wild, heart-pounding moment in the ER, my life looks completely different. I’ve hung up my stethoscope—for now—and turned my attention toward deep healing, the kind I once longed for myself.

These days, I help others heal in a different way. Or rather, I guide my students in learning how to heal themselves.Together, we’re building a space for healing that goes beyond the medical model—one rooted in mindfulness, movement, and community connection. I teach women how to advocate for themselves, explore holistic health, and rediscover balance through nutrition, stress relief, and fitness. And yes, I still offer plenty of guided meditations.

If you’d like to join our supportive community of women, I’d love to invite you to one of my in-person classes or events here in Marshall County (you can check the schedule here).

Or, join us online in Emily’s Wellness Academy, where I offer group health coaching, fitness and yoga classes, and an incredible community of women creating positive change all around the world.

With love and gratitude,
Emily

Today, I help women over 50 find strength, balance, and peace through mindfulness, movement, and community connection. Whether it’s a simple chair yoga session or a guided meditation, each practice is a reminder that healing is possible—at any age and in any season of life. If my story resonates with you, I’d love to invite you to join me in Emily’s Wellness Academy or at one of my in-person classes, where we’re creating a community centered on self-care and empowered living.

Start your own healing journey inside Emily's Wellness Academy. 💕