Growing up in the outback of Alaska, Tris Thorp, author of the book Healing Your Heart: Rewrite your Story with Awareness and Intention, never would have imagined that one day she would be ‘living the dream’ with houses in Hawaii and San Diego, an annual trip to Italy with her amazing family, and a fulfilling career teaching others how to gain emotional freedom and more happiness. But that’s how the Universe works—when you know how to leverage its power.

         After leaving her Alaskan town at age 15, Thorp gravitated toward a vocation in the music industry where she stayed for over two decades. “It was typical rock and roll debauchery,” she recalls. “At some point, I realized that if I continued that lifestyle, it would eventually kill me. It became clear that I needed a healthier path.” Thorp took a leap of faith to change her life, and admits it was challenging. “I lost most of my friends and became homeless three different times.”

         Regardless of the obstacles, Thorp kept plugging on. “It was very lonely at times,” she affirms. “But I knew there was a better life for me. The Universe gives back what we are willing to put into it. I had to be willing to risk losing everything to be who I knew I could become.”

         Thorp’s healing journey eventually led her to the ideal people and circumstances to help heal her life, including a mentorship with Chopra Center co-founder, the late David Simon. “He was an amazing mentor to me,” shares this Vedic Master Educator and Reiki Master, who taught classes on Healing the Heart and Emotional Freedom with Simon. “He knew way before me that I’m meant to be a teacher. He said it was my dharma. But I wondered, ‘How can I lead others through something that I’m not sure I’ve led myself through?’ David saw my hesitation and suggested I do shadow work with Debbie Ford.” Eventually, Thorp became one of Ford’s certified breakthrough shadow coaches. “It’s funny that I had so much resistance to becoming a coach. Now I can’t imagine it any other way.”

         Thorp attributes the emotional healing she experienced to the tools she shares in her book. “Healing our heart is one of the hardest journeys we can embark on, and also the most rewarding. In this book, you’ll learn how to process emotions from past experiences in a safe way so that you can make peace with the past, release what no longer serves you, and gain emotional freedom while creating a happier, more fulfilling life.”

         One of the tenets of Thorp’s style is practicing mindfulness. “We’re always striving for the next level. What’s the next big thing? We forget there is so much power in simplicity,” she says. “That’s where I did the work; it was in the slowing down, and it’s been an incredible journey.”

        Healing your Heart, a compassionate guide for self-inquiry, allows readers an opportunity to rewrite their life stories, so they are no longer a victim to their past. “This book is all about emotions, what triggers them, and how holding them creates limiting beliefs,” explains Thorp, who shares that in her book, readers are guided through a process where they select an event from the past and unpack it. “Something happened in your past and your psyche turned it into a story which affects who you are today. You find out that it’s not really about what happened—it’s about what it made you believe about yourself,” she explains . “With compassionate inquiry, we explore what we created out of the experience, and more importantly, what wisdom can be gleaned.” 

         Thorp shares that major life experiences—such as a breakup or death—are also major opportunities for transformation. “It’s like the story of the phoenix. Everything comes crashing down. You’re desperate to find your breath. Your center of gravity is spinning out of control. When you rise back up from that, you have a choice. Do I try to get even? Do I stay angry? Or do I go the path of leaning into love and finding compassion for myself and others?” She asserts that the healing process doesn’t mean we need to try to make sense of what happened to us. “It’s all about how we move through the process of healing. Whatever happened has happened. Now it’s time to rid ourselves of any emotional baggage that came with it. With awareness and self-compassion, we can take back control of our emotional state.” 

         With the daily practices illustrated in the book, Thorp assures us that we can reframe our stories and grow from our past experiences. “There are so many benefits to shaking off the heavy baggage. You’ll feel more alive, more inspired, and learn to take on life in a more positive way.”

 

For more information, visit TrisThorp.com/healing-your-heart. Book purchasers will also receive a 3-part online mini-course in addition to joining a closed Healing Your Heart Facebook group.

Erin Lehn is a frequent contributor to Natural Awakenings magazine.