Joining Patrina on this week’s episode is Althea Lawton-Thompson, President of ‘Aerobics, Yoga and More’ (AYM). Once an executive for GE Capital, Althea decided to pursue her passion in life and, through the creation of her organization, has gone on to become a best selling author, a holistic mind and body expert, and, as you will hear, an all around amazing human. Under her leadership, AYM currently enlists a roster of doctors, nurses, and certified mind-body instructors to provide health education and fitness classes to a powerhouse corporate client list including PNC, Cigna, United Way, Oglethorpe Power, and Publicis. Althea has also certified almost 100 instructors as Meditation Instructors; Reiki Levels I, II, and III practitioners; and Yoga and Pilates instructors through AYM teacher training. She is truly a gifted and giving individual who has so very much to share with listeners today.The conversation begins with a brief discussion regarding Naomi Osaka’s recent withdrawal from the French Open, and proceeds to focus upon mental health, the impact of the quarantine, and Althea’s advice for everyone as the world begins to open up again. She then explains the nature of energy, the practice of Reiki, and the moving story of her inspiration for her retreats as well as the impact they have upon participants. Althea also provides a thorough analysis of entanglement, physical connection and the importance of being intentional in this area, and finishes by sharing what brings her joy these days. As you listen in, you will understand precisely why Patrina holds Althea in such high regard – a kindred spirit whose knowledge, wisdom and innate ability to spread peace and joy shine brilliantly in this very special episode.Episode Highlights:

• Naomi Osaka’s recent withdrawal from the French Open
• The impact of the quarantine
• Althea’s advice for people as the world opens up again
• Defining energy
• Reiki, its levels, and how to find a practitioner
• The inspiration for Althea’s ‘Living Life Limitlessly’ retreats and their takeaways
• Entanglement and physical connection and the importance of being intentional about it
• What’s bringing Althea joy these days
• The Diamond Sutra and the Clubhouse Room dedicated to its reading

Quotes:“It can be very difficult for us, particularly I think, as women of color, to establish boundaries for ourselves and lovingly and gently, I think, reinforce those boundaries.”“What was lovely about the quarantine, in 2020, was having a mandated boundary between external interference and some of our internal lives.”“She won't receive the criticism, it can be out there, but we don't have to receive it. We always have a choice.”“There's always time for me.”“Something about that quiet downtime with just me allows me to decompress or to prepare, one or the other.”“As a Chopra certified meditation instructor, you know, we certainly follow that twice a day meditation practice. You start out in the morning, and you begin with this inward journey, and you do the same thing in the evening.”“We have to continue to make time for ourselves, take time for ourselves, and in doing so, create opportunities to have great clarity.”“When we're talking about Reiki, we're talking about a universal energy force moving through the body.”“That's what Reiki is, it's basically moving the hand over the body, finding areas where there is discomfort or disease and helping an individual move their own energy so that it can flow for peace, joy and health.”“We are always enough.”“I thought about what she said and she really wanted to live her life limitlessly without any boundaries.”“I decided right then I'm just going to be joyful all the time. And I'm going to live my life limitlessly.”“That's what the retreats are - it's magic. It's seeing things outside of what's normal for us. It's stepping outside of all of our obligations, all the critiques, self critiques and things from other people. It's outside of all of our responsibilities and these titles that we give ourselves…and it's just exploring places beyond the norm.”“We heal, and we come back recognizing really the divinity of who we each are, and we all are.”“Our longings are supposed to feel good to us.”“We can't unlearn the old tricks, but we absolutely can learn new tricks...we have to find that personal motivation, inspiration to be a forever learner, and be willing to reprogram ourselves so that we can live life limitlessly and have joy more abundantly.”“We need to be very careful about whose energy we allow to come into our being, into our energy space around us, and then into our physical being.”“I protect my physical, emotional, mental and spiritual body from any energy that does not serve my highest good. And I protect the individual that I'm working with, physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually for any energy that is not theirs, and does not protect or lift up their highest good.”“That's what grounding and earthing is, like releasing and receiving the reciprocity of it, and then maybe also giving some good energy to the earth. I dig my fingers down into the dirt, and I'm connecting with the grid of all that's living.”“What you can choose to intentionally do is not perpetuate an energetic vibration that's not serving both of your highest good.”“I'm going to put out what I'd like to get back and trust that, in the giving, the receiving takes care of itself.”“Living limitlessly is also living ‘labellessly’.”“And we can unintentionally oppress our fellow brothers and sisters in ways that we would never want to if we were really operating in this heart space.”“Living life limitlessly, finding your joy all the time, and knowing that God lives within, and we are all one in the same, and equal and able to manifest.”Links:Joyfully You Life homepageJoyfully You Life InstagramJoyfully You Life FacebookJoyfully You Life TwitterJoyfully You Life linktreeAlthea's HomepageAlthea's StoreAlthea's FacebookAlthea's InstagramAlthea's Biolinky