I am just going to say it.  I am overwhelmed by what I experienced this weekend at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition - MegaIIN conference in Long Beach.   Where do I even begin?

Still wondering how I got here. But, I am here and I am loving it.

The word around town is that IIN changes lives. Would it change mine?  To be honest…I wasn’t sure.  I started the program in January, 3 months ago,  and sure enough….

Five days before the conference a family crisis emerged and three days before MegaIIN I severed a relationship, for the 98th time, with a guy I have known since 1997.  Yes, that is FIFTEEN YEARS. It was on again off again and so unhealthy that I knew it didn’t stand a chance once I took the leap into this program. His utter lack of respect and support for my decision to go back to school and in this family crisis sealed the deal.  No room for that here.  Done.

I have always had strong intuition. Have I always followed it? Obviously not.  Did I hear that little voice inside my head, that feeling in my bones, that strong urge in my gut?  YES!! I heard it often and so loudly it began to echo in my ears and I even caught myself talking to my self out loud about it…even on a good day.  What was it inside of me that let this guy, a legend in his own mind, say such awful and hurtful things to me to the point that I allowed myself to participate in the same game to the point of being unrecognizable to myself.  The moment he turned his venom on this family situation it was a lightbulb…oh no you didn’t….realization.

Cora Poage really helped confirm many of these things I have been feeling FOR YEARS in a handful of minutes on stage at MegaIIN. This is what I needed to hear and the message would not have been the same if he were still at my place. I would have had to go home, do the dirty work that had already been done and sincerely wonder if it really would have happened at all.

Our health and wellbeing does not just revolve around food. It revolves around our relationships, our spiritual connection to the earth, our physical activity and our  mind and body connections.  Out of whack, you end up sick, stressed and a watered down version of who you are meant to be.

Cora talked about not forcing words, how silence really is golden, how beneficial it is to spend time alone and to really trust those nudges we feel inside.  To listen to our intuitive and authentic self and let go of that feeling so many of us have to fix things and people beyond our control.

Joshua Rosenthal, the founder and director of IIN®, stated something that resonated throughout the weekend.  This school teaches you HOW to think. Not WHAT to think.  We are studying hundreds of different dietary theories and preaching biodivesity. No two people are the same.  There is not one diet that is good for everyone. If you are interested in hearing more about it feel free to contact me.  I’m pretty sure I have a scholarship or two to give away.

You know what they say… Behind every great man is a great woman.  Joshua’s beautiful mother, the woman behind the man, in the crowd 80+ years young.

I hear ya Mrs. Rosenthal…..We too love the Institute of Integrative Nutrition…this much….

xo,

amy

Here I am…led by my gut once again….enrolled in school.

The phrase hitting the ground running comes to mind after being invited to participate as a VIP live blogger for the Institute if Integrative Nutrition®  MegaIIN convention that runs March 3-5, 2012 at the Long Beach Convention Center where I’ll be bringing  you the new student perspective.  I am clearly an amateur in the field of nutrition compared to many of you….but hey, I eat chia seeds, make my own kale chips and soak my beans. So, we’re cool right?

In all seriousness, in the short time that I have been here I am floored by the things that are being accomplished by so many of you. I’m looking forward to meeting people that are facilitating change in their own lives as well as the lives of others.  It’s inspiring.  I will be there with camera in hand.

Who is this girl?

• I’m just me. amy boring.
• Trying to make positive changes.
• This is Shryner
• I’m a 4th generation Californian.
• ceramicist, painter, jewelry maker , and athlete in hibernation.
• Totally amazed at how fit some of you really are. I met He-man and She-ra on twitter last week.
• New fan of the beet right here! After years of opposition…and now I crave it.  huh? I’m still in shock.
• Mucho grande appreciation for  the stillness of food photography
• Love hate relationship with climbing hills.
• In love with my vitamix.
• Photographer
• Proficient in sitting at my computer for too many hours.
• Institute of Integrative Nutrition® class of 2012.

In an effort  to keep it as real as possible around here  I am coming clean that  I am not well versed in the workings of the speakers that are so highly regarded. Gasp! I am that green.  Between designing this blog, starting school, and running a boring photo I am finding myself pretty busy.  Other than Joshua’s class posts most of the information I have received about the speakers has been delivered via twitter headline. Tidbits really.  I did stumble  into  a Deepak Chopra tweet that confirmed that I have  in fact, stop the presses,  read David Wolfe’s The Sunfood Diet on a camping trip in 2001.  That  was enough info for me to know I’m where I should be and everything I have learned prior to this has led me here.

I can feel the energy building in the community much like the vibes that come with the big photography industry conventions.  Always a good time to be had and invaluable information to be absorbed.  I am excited to be involved at this level right out of the gate.  It’s got me tucked so nicely into that uncomfortable spot just outside my comfort zone. I like it.  I have no idea where this road will take me.  I am in for the ride and I can honestly say it has already changed my life in ways that I didn’t really even consider.

I feel very lucky to be a part of this community and getting thrown into the ring with this diverse  group of  bloggers at the sound of the gun.

The IIN team of live bloggers:

• Sarah Kay Hoffman 
• Jenny Sansouci
• Clare Brady
• Jen Mullen
• Chad Hamilton
• Emily Levenson
• Sarah Moore
• Amanda Cook
• Irina Gonzalez
• Natalie Duhamel
• Ashley Craft
• Kelly Cornell

the speakers:

Joshua Rosenthal, the founder of The Institute for Integrative Nutrition, will bring his nutritional magic to this unprecedented weekend. Known for encouraging people to take action towards lofty goals, Joshua will rev your healthy engines so that you leave the conference excited to do the work you love, earn major income, and live a life of passion and prosperity!

David Wolfe, world authority on raw foods; author of best-selling books Superfoods, Naked Chocolate and Eating for Beauty.

Geneen Roth is a pioneer in distinguishing the link between our emotions and hunger. She has appeared as an expert in her field on Oprah, NBC and 20/20 and is an author of eight books including When Food Is Love and Breaking Free from Emotional Eating.

Julia Ross, pioneer in nutritional psychotherapy, food/mood expert and author of The Diet Cure and The Mood Cure.

Gary Taubes, investigative American science writer known for exposing controversial beliefs in nutrition and health. He is the author of Why We Get Fat and Good Calories, Bad Calories.

Seane Corn, internationally celebrated yoga teacher known for her impassioned activism, unique self-expression, and inspirational style of teaching.

Read more about the Mega IIN conference and other IIN live events here.

See you soon on the coast of California!

Amy