Ep 16 Charla Chatman – Adventures
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MEET CHARLA
I wanted to do something “random & adventurous” once I got my Bachelors in 2008. Off I went to live in Japan for 6 years and once I moved to Kyoto in 2010, I simply didn’t sleep. I was here, there and everywhere and within months I found myself with an extremely suppressed immune system, intense physical exhaustion due to lack of sleep, high levels of stress and relentless, painful acne all while I accumulated intestinal problems due to consuming too much gluten and alcohol.
I felt completely disconnected from the Charla I had always known as being athletic and healthy… the Division I athlete who went off to run her first marathon on the Great Wall of China. However, while living in Japan, I literally became lost in translation… not just physically, but also mentally and emotionally. In the fall of 2010, I was deeply fortunate to have met a very talented bodyworker named Ela Albisser.
After our first shiatsu treatment, Ela and I took a bike ride to attend a Saturday afternoon meditation. This is where I first met Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat from Clear Sky Meditation Center. I found myself in a room decorated with Tibetan thangkas and hearing dharma for the first time. I will never forget this afternoon. A few weeks later, Ela introduced me another member of the meditation group, a yoga teacher named Nicole Porter. These four individuals changed my life drastically by establishing strong foundations, explorations and life lessons through meditation, dharma, monthly massages and practicing yoga (not just asanas).
Now as a Health Coach, Licensed Massage Therapist and Yoga Instructor living in the gorgeous Pacific Northwest, I live with an intentional focus to help others thrive and live a healthy, balanced life.
I am very goal-oriented. Whatever I put my mind to I achieve and it is my utmost pleasure to be of service and know that I am helping others achieve what they want to manifest in their life.
As a Licensed Massage Therapist, I have heard many accounts of the struggle. The struggle to lose weight, “get healthy”, “know what I’m doing” and most important… consistency.
Some of the best moments in my life have come from going after what I really want. What does that look like for you? I thrive by achieving goals and dreams I create for myself and with others.
SHOW NOTES:
ABOUT CHARLA
I went to study a little bit of pre-med at Loyola University of Chicago
- That’s the first time that I am in a big city and I started thinking studying abroad
- And that’s when I really stepped in to my passion for travelling
- I always wanted to do something random after college and I thought of volunteering for 6 months in Africa
- What I ended up is going up to Japan, where I live for 6 years
- I really did not take care of health as I had when I was collegiate track and field athlete
- I decided to explore yoga, meditation and getting massages
- Basically, that really just got me into the natural way to put things in your body that does not irritate your gut
- Just really started to explore to my own healing process and that brought into seeking a massage therapist and yoga instructor
- People on my massage table asked me a lot of question on how to get in shape and that led me to get a health coaching certification
- Now, I totally feel I am living my higher purpose and combining it my desire to continue to travel the world and explore
- I grew up in a military family and every one of them have lived in Europe and I am the only one who have not been out of the country
- In high school I started thinking where can I go and when will I go
- When I went to college, studying abroad was a goal of mine
- To leave the country again after college is the only thing I wanted to do
- When we were standing in line for a chipotle burrito, I asked my friend what she’ll do after this and she said she is doing an info session to teach English in Japan
- And I felt that light bulb above my head and I applied and got accepted
- I stayed to max out the contract
- When I was living in Japan I was in the country side and moved to Kyoto
- And when I moved to Kyoto, I just did not sleep
- It was interesting and so much fun
- I was meeting bunch of foreigners and also exploring this amazing historical new Japanese City
- I was drinking a lot of alcohol
- I developed really bad acne, I had intestinal issues, super bloated and I was not that active, bright, clear skin Charla I once knew
- I always thought of getting a massage
- I had these two friends in Japan that are amazing dancers and I always cross paths with them whenever they are on their way to get this Shiatsu Treatment
- I booked an appointment and my life was changed
- Right after that massage, she introduced me to these amazing teachers
- Then, I met a yoga teacher
- I consistently get massages once a month
- Ella also gave me essential oils and I started to smell those and see how it helps my sleep
- I really started to implement these practices
- One day, Ella told me not to eat apples for a week and then after a week, eat apple again
- That was the first time to pay attention to how I felt when I put something in my stomach
- Massage therapy really changed my life
- Right after Japan, I backed pack Europe for about 3 months and during that time, I got accepted to be a volunteer English teacher
- After that, I went to my meditation teacher retreat center in Canada for 9 months
- And I that’s when I decided that I want to be a massage therapist
- I have been here in Oregon for about a year now
- When I was in the meditation center, I stopped Facebook and started Instagram
- And I did really want to be friends with people, I just want to use it to look at art and things that I like to look at
- And I came across this yoga account and I just noticed there are 5 thousand people looking their yoga and they are doing these retreats around the world, and they are selling out
- I got inspired and I want to do these international retreats myself
- After back packing Europe, it’s like, “the Pacific Northwest is beautiful”
- I love this area. So, what I have been focusing on is taking people to get them outside
- I am just on a mission to where I am at while empowering other people to show up for themselves like I did in order to transform my life
- I like to keep it small, and I want people to have a breakthrough experience
- The biggest retreat that I had was 12
- Because along the way there is mentor, I thought that it is a really cool way for me to combine coaching with travelling
- If you want to travel and feel connected with yourself, do it
- Don’t let money and weather get in your way
- To all the places I have been, I love Papua New Guinea
- I was really debating not getting back on the ship
- I landed in the spot that I have dreamt in making a documentary
- What helped me was tapping into my gut intuition
- I needed to make a change but no one was ever going to tell me that
- Just follow your gut
- I love soaking so much
- I love Epsom salt soak
GUILTY PLEASURE
- I love driving around Spokane Washington and listen to Goo goo dolls
FAVORITE FOOD
- Craw Fish
FAVORITE QUOTE
- Showing up short is a disservice to the world
FAVORITE MOVIE OR NETFLIX
- Chef’s Table
WHERE CAN PEOPLE FIND YOU
- Website: charlachatman.com
- Website: transformandretreat.com
- All social media: Charla Chatman
