Hi, I'm Lara!

 

For some background, I was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, went to college at UT Austin for journalism, and then moved to NYC. It wasn't until I was there and in my first adult longterm relationship that I realized how anxious I was and that I didn’t know how to healthily process emotions.

 

Growing up, I tended to repress and bottle up emotions like anger or sadness until they would burst out, and this carried into adulthood – picture some not-so-pretty fights with said boyfriend – or they would come out in passive aggressive ways toward friends and family.

 

Then there was stress and anxiety caused by fear. For instance, after fainting once in high school, I developed a fear of fainting while at concerts or on long drives. One time in college I had to pull over multiple times during a 75-minute drive because I was having a panic attack and thought I was going to faint. And of course, there was more. From anger at reading the news to fear about relationships ending to shame about my body, I was holding onto a lot of negativity.

 

Then meditation came into my life.

 

I started with short meditations and everyday mindfulness practices like just paying more attention to what I was doing in the present moment. It very quickly reduced the stress and anxiety I was feeling on a daily basis. Then I completed a 10-day silent meditation retreat in 2016 – no talking, no phones, no books, nothing – and witnessed just how distracted and worried our mind can be, constantly living in the past or the future. I began to seriously train my brain to choose presence and positivity.

 

Then I had a devastating breakup in 2019.

 

Knowing I had tools to support me, I leaned into the pain. With the help of meditation, coaching/therapy, spiritual books, yoga, support from loved ones, and a whole lot of crying, I was able to let go of immense fear, grief, anger, guilt, and other difficult emotions. (Watch the video on this page to hear more about how enlightening that breakup was for me.) All of that freed up space was replaced with love, gratitude, acceptance, and compassion. I experienced firsthand how powerful healing your mind, body, and soul can be, and the immense peace and joy it can bring into your life.

 

The following year, after 6 years of working as an editor for a travel website (where I got to photograph/review hotels around the world - a legit dream job!), COVID-19 effectively paused the travel industry and I was laid off from my job. It was the push I needed to make my passion and hobbies become my career. So I earned my mindfulness and meditation teacher certification, my yoga teacher certification, and my coaching certification from a year-long program.

 

Mind Body Soul Travel combines all the things I love in one. It's a place to book coaching sessions, apply for my three-month customized transformation program, sign up for my 21-day meditation/journaling programs, and a resource for books, articles, spiritual teachers, etc. that may prove beneficial to you. And soon enough, it'll be a place to sign up for wellness retreats held in beautiful places around the world.

I'm deeply passionate about all things that nourish your mind, body, and soul, and I hope I can share some of it with you. Trust me, it can and will change your life.

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xo Lara