My Story
"My mind is what made me sick, but it is also what allowed me to heal myself from the incurable."
Whilst finishing my dual degree at the University of Minnesota, I was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease, leaving me frightened and uncertain about my future. Having been an international swimmer for most of my life, I was shocked at how my body was now attacking itself. Staying calm quickly became a challenge. As the days turned into weeks, doctors couldn’t answer my questions. They couldn't tell me why my body was malfunctioning, yet they still insisted I take their expensive medication, which was far from a cure.
As weeks turned into months, my body and spirit grew weak. The pain I experienced, minute by minute, prevented me from having basic conversations and performing simple physical activities. From having been an athlete, I had now lost 12 kg (26lbs) in 10 months and even tying my shoelaces would cause me to nearly black out. I was on the verge of giving up - until I heard a story that changed everything. Someone had actually cured themselves of this “incurable” disease.
Radically, I changed course and began my journey toward self-healing. I thought that if someone else had done it, why couldn't I? For months, I dedicated myself to searching for a “natural” cure. I tried everything I could afford, desperately hoping something would offer relief from the constant torture. After 10 agonizing months, I had exhausted all my options and ran out of money. I did not know who to turn to.
That is when, by divine intervention, I was introduced to this little old lady - Maria - who would become my life coach. It was clear to me that during her life she had learned to master her mind and use it to heal herself and others. When she spoke to me, she spoke with conviction. She told me that I had been searching in all the wrong places. The healer I was looking for would only be found within. Beneath all my layers.
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She told me what I needed to do and gave me a Qigong (pronounced Chi-Gong) routine that I would need to start immediately. I had no idea what Qigong was but I trusted this little lady. Her words had inspired me and I decided to fully commit. I was now on a mission to find my true self, the healer within.
To do this, I retreated to a basement for 2-weeks, removing myself completely from the outside world. During this time, there were no distractions - no music, no writing, no people or external influences - I either slept, sat, or did Qigong. I needed to strip away my layers and fully let go of all the thoughts, beliefs, memories and desires that I was holding onto so tightly.
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As the days slowly passed, I began to lose my mind and my personal identity. I found myself slipping into a state that existed beyond space and time which allowed me to, for the first time in my life, enter the present moment. At 11 p.m. on the 10th day, I went on to have a mystical experience that would change my life forever.
While doing Qi Gong under a full moon, I finally managed to let go of everything I thought I owned—my body, my mind, my beliefs—and allowed myself to dissolve into nothingness - simultaneously becoming everything. Just as a river becomes the sea, in that moment, I had become life itself. Filled with ecstasy and awareness flooding through every cell of my being, I stood up straight in my spine and expanded my awareness into the cosmos, allowing me temporary access to a state of all-knowingness. It was in this state that I understood the meaning of life, why we were here and why we create so much suffering. With that clarity, in one moment, I was completely released from my suffering.
4 years later, I now spend my days in the tropics of South Africa. Life is filled with peace and vitality as I experience the joy of being able to move pain free. Qi Gong still plays a major role in my life and I do it daily, accompanied by my beautiful wife, Lauren.
This journey through pain, suffering and liberation showed me how the mind creates and perpetuates its own suffering. We are more powerful than we think and we have the ability to co-create our realities - and that includes all areas of life, not just healing the physical body.
Now, as a certified life coach, I help people on their journey of self transformation by giving them the key to unlock their own doors. It sounds simple, but simple isn't always easy. That's why The How 2 Love Life program was created as a way to exchange this knowledge and empower you with a support system that allows you to step into your potential and create the life you were born to live.