I’M ILANA REA, founder of Bodhi By Design
As the Embodhied Awareness Mentor, I work with overextended women, who have realized that they have lost connection with something deep within themselves.
After years of pouring themselves into job, spouse, family, and life obligations, they feel sick, depleted, overwhelmed and alone. But something, often a health challenge or a loss, triggers them to WAKE UP and LIVE. Not in the way they had before, but to live fully, with awareness and in alignment with their true self and purpose.
I know this story well, because I have lived it.
My Story
For most of my adult life, I lived with low-grade, chronic stress - pushing myself too hard and overthinking even “good” goals like eating “clean,” exercise, and work/family balance. My body sent warning signs, physical symptoms of burnout, and my doctors advised me to “manage my stress.” However, I was living the “right” way, so why was I still so “wired and tired”?
The first turning point was the day I was back in a doctor’s office with escalating stress symptoms of adrenal dysfunction, fatigue, and anxiety. By her facial expression, I knew that she had given up on me. There was nothing more, medically, she could do for me.
The second turning point was progression into a gut dysbiosis that literally forced me to stop, reset my digestion, and rest for six months. It was the one time in my life I believe I nearly died.
And dying is a powerful wake-up call and motivator.
These health challenges set me on a journey of deep, sometimes painful, self-discovery. I understood that my imbalances had a powerful root, overlooked by medical doctors - undigested, unexpressed emotion and fear, which came from grief, loss, and other peoples’ expectations for my life (real or projected).
During this time, I also underwent a powerful spiritual reawakening, and I felt again the connection to all things. I found my centered, joyful Self, a part of me that I was well aware of as a child, but to which I had lost my connection in a rapid succession of life events - back-to-back corporate job promotions, marriage, giving birth, leaving the corporate world to be a full-time mom, separation, family deaths.
I leaned into the practices of Ayurveda, energy work and Reiki, yoga nidra, classical meditation, mindfulness, and permaculture, all of which came easily to me like a memory. In the stillness of practicing these wisdom traditions, I found my health, purpose, and the space to digest emotions and experiences. I gained the courage to slow down.. a LOT. In stillness, I learned to be fully aware of the joy that thrums in my body and all creation, in spite of life’s challenges.
Today, I practice Awareness or Presence - moment-to-moment listening to my Higher Self and being fully aware without attachment to outcomes. My practice is lifelong. My effort is not perfect, just consistent. Daily, I experience growing joy and peace in this Presence, which is the loving companion I have sought my whole life. And I find answers, guidance and resilience in the face of challenging losses and circumstances.
Names I Go By
Some of the titles people have given me:
Mama
My daughter is part of my purpose: to learn, embody, and demonstrate unconditional love. I do my best every day to raise her to be a confident, yet caring, woman who honors her intuition and innate gifts in spite of life’s circumstances.
Healer
I am an Ayurvedic Wellness Counselor and Nutritionist, Reiki Master, Meditation Teacher, Spiritual Counselor, and writer. Since I was a child, I have helped others feel better.
Mentor
I have been a leader in business, mentoring my teams to strive for their personal potential, even if it meant leaving the company. And in my community, I have led volunteers in productive school gardens that fed food-insecure families.
Figure Skater
I picked up my first pair of ice skates at age 52. I conquer fear every single time I step on the ice. Each session is an act of gratitude for the strength I have regained after years of fatigue and burnout.
Permaculture Designer
a.k.a. grower, urban wildlife habitat manager, food forest advocate, nature’s observer. It is my joy to create spaces that mimic nature’s intelligence and to learn from my plant and animal friends.
Knitter
I knit love into my wearable creations. Knitting teaches me about patience, perseverance and non-attachment to outcomes, especially when I make a mistake and then have to unravel and re-do weeks or months of work.
My Values and Mission
Honesty and integrity are the foundation of Bodhi By Design and my life. I share with you what is possible as you work towards awareness and wellness, based on personal experience and what I have learned from mentors, clinical studies, and classical texts.
But there are no guarantees to my services since each person’s experience, desire for change, and journey is unique.
Read about my values, vision, mission, and qualifications for more information about what the practice of Bodhi By Design is to me.
Additionally, see my Services & Safety Disclosure to clarify what awareness mentoring is and is not.
Now…Tell Me About You
Tell me about your struggles and your vision for your life. Schedule a free initial 45-min conversation, the first step towards a life of purpose and renewed well-being.