Hello everyone!

It’s been a while since I had the chance to update the blog, but here we are. I’ve been busy with public health consulting and medical writing work, but I’ve also been busy with my Causes or Cures health podcast. I’ve been so blessed to have amazing people on as guests, Elsha being one of them.

So who is Elsha Stockseth?

Elsha is a 37 year old woman and award-winning artist who lives in Utah. Several years ago, ZENBands were advertised on a local TV show in UTAH, Elsha saw the ad and decided to order one. She later posted a picture of her wearing the ZENBand on Facebook, tagged me and that was how we first met. Lucky for me and Blooming Wellness, she liked the ZENBands. But there’s much more.

Elsha was born with Werdnig-Hoffman Disease, a form of Muscular Dystrophy and progressive muscle weakness. The doctors told her parents that she wouldn’t be able to do anything, and although she has never been able to walk, she has accomplished so much! She graduated from high school with honors, is an avid racer and is an award-winning artist. Her website features a lot of her art. I’m not sure if she is still doing it, but she used to create and sell really unique and colorful holiday cards. I got some for my family and they loved them.

At some point, my ZENBand customers wrote me and requested new designs. I was happy about this, because I LOVE colors and designs, but my sales records indicated that most customers preferred the solid colors. Still, the ZENBand is about relaxation and the connection between mind, body and spirit…and it’s also about imagination. When people put it on and listen to affirmations, binaural beats or hypnotic scripts, I want them to use their imaginations to help them “zen out” and visit that magical, calm place they want to go. I want the ZENBand to be a prop that helps them do that. It’s strange. Adults always encourage kids to use their imaginations, but that encouragement dwindles away as kids get older and eventually become adults themselves…almost like it’s “silly” or “immature” for adults to exercise their imaginations. It’s not. If anything, it’s life-enhancing, and for me personally, it’s been life-saving.

Hence, I asked Elsha to use her imagination and talents to design some ZENBands. And that’s what she did, and you can see her designs in our shop. While we’re in the throes of COVID-19 right now, Elsha plans to design more, and I can’t wait. She already sent me an orange design that is so cool. I asked for Orange since so many people use the color orange to help cope with pain, and I have a lot of ZENBand users with some kind of pain: nerve pain, chronic pain, sensitivity issues, or pregnancy pains. I’m a proponent of color therapy, and working with Elsha has allowed for us to incorporate lots of different colors in the ZENBands in fun ways.

Anyhow, I hope you guys listen to this podcast, because she’s one of the most inspiring people I know. In this podcast, she talks about how she started in art, and then how she continued to create art when she lost the use of both her arms and legs, due to progressive muscle weakness. There is no obstacle this woman can’t overcome, and in a world full of negativity and shallowness, I’m just so grateful that I have someone like Elsha in my life to inspire me. I hope she inspires you too.

You can listen to my podcast with Elsha here.  Please consider subscribing to Causes or Cures too!  The more the merrier, and I’m always open to requests in terms of guests.

If you haven’t yet, please check out my parody on the wellness industry and the Big Pharma industry! Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling. It’s short, with drawings, but my art is more in the sarcastic category than the talented category. Still, the book is timely. I even predicted a pandemic in the book, though I didn’t know one would happen in the same month it was first published. Please leave a review too, as I love your feedback. Oh, it’s also available as an audiobook. :)

Other podcasts to consider:

When to Wear a Face Mask: A conversation with an Epidemiologist currently in Hong Kong

Coronavirus and Strokes: Who is really at risk and why? With a top lung doc!