We had the good fortune of connecting with Shivam Kohls and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shivam, if you had to put a million dollars to work immediately, how would you go about investing it?
I would use $1 million capital to invest in and create Kindred Spirits Healing Sanctuary. Imagine the dynamic transformational potential of a healing sanctuary for people and animals that combines the restorative powers of being in nature, with personal growth and development programs for people, combined with participants being actively involved in the loving care of rescued animals.

The Kindred Spirits Healing Sanctuary would include; thoughtfully crafted green housing, an organic vegetable garden, integrative healing therapies, personal growth workshops, animal adoption and educational explorations of the human/animal bond including Equine Assisted Therapy. The human animal connection is a powerful healing tool that is reciprocal for both people and animals; creating the soothing balm of unconditional love, uplifting the spirit, calming frayed nerves, healing wounded hearts and opening doorways, which rejuvenate the soul.

I am dedicated to making the dream of kindred spirits healing sanctuary come true, knowing that we’ve only just begun to discover the innumerable blessings and benefits of such interspecies communion.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Ever since I was a young adult, I have followed the impulses of my heart and intuition rather than logic and have tended to live more in the moment rather than spending much time planning for the future. That has had it’s benefits and pitfalls for sure! I am a creative innovator and easily design unique programs for workshops, classes and practices for my clients that allow them to explore their inner landscape and discover the wisdom inside them that essentially has all the answers. I have an uncanny ability to distill the pearls of wisdom from a variety of practices and combine them to create the unique and innovative programs I facilitate.

My challenges have been in the area of staying consistent with my marketing, adjusting to fit the current market and climate, getting out of my comfort zone and expanding my reach to a more corporate environment as well as moving from live in person programs to online events. My focus continues to be helping stressed out overwhelmed women get their life back on track with my 4 Pillars of Health and Wellbeing Program. You can read my story of stress and how I got my life back here: https://www.strategies4wellbeing.com/story-stress-got-life-back/

I had a very stressful tumultuous period where I felt that my life was completely unraveling. And not in a good way! I share my story of how I got my life back on track and designed a program based on many of the practices I used that brought me back from the living dead to where my life is now thriving and full of joy and deep inner peace.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I live in Carlsbad and grew up in Encinitas and Pt. Loma so I am familiar with the beauty and eclectic environment of both North County and San Diego. My favorite beaches in North County are Beacons and Grandview in Leucadia. One of the reasons I love going there is that most tourists either haven’t heard of them or prefer beaches with amenites like bathrooms and snack bars. Which means that a short walk down the beach and you have it all to yourself!

My favorite spots to eat, being a gluten free health enthusiast and off and on vegan are: Healthy Creations in Encinitas, Nectarine Grove in Leucadia, Lofty Bean in Encinitas which is really a coffee bar but they have the best small menu of farm to table items, my favorite is their Acai Bowl and Chai Tea. My husband, being full blooded Italian finds us at Vigilucci’s in Leucadia, which besides having awesome authentic Italian food had the best gluten free pizzas. And for Asian food that is delicious and healthy, nothing beats Birdseye Kitchen in Leucadia. And one place we would go for sure is Balboa Park in San Diego.

There is so much to see and do there, besides walking around and seeing the gardens, we could visit some of the 17 museums and cultural institutions. We would definitely eat at Casa Del Rey Moro which overlooks the gardens. Another place in Balboa Park I would want my friend to experience is the World Beat Cultural Center which preserves and promotes all indigenous cultures through music, dance, art, education and culture.

A visit to San Diego would have to include a drive to Coronado. Just a drive over the bridge and seeing the San Diego skyline disappear behind you is well worth the trip. If it was a nice warm sunny day we could head to the beach by the Hotel del Coronado and then afterwards take a stroll through the amazing historic hotel that has hosted an abundance of motion pictures including; Some Like it Hot, The Stunt Man, Wicked Wicked $, Loving Couples, K-9, and My Blue Heaven – just to name a few! My other two favorite places to visit in San Diego are Little Italy and the wide variety of Italian restaurants and cute shops. Including the Italian deli and grocery store, Filippi’s Pizza Grotto. And right around the corner is my favorite vegan 5 star restaurant, Café Gratitude. Your waiter or waitress will greet you with a word or phrase to ponder and discuss during your meal such as Love, Peace, Gratitude, Beauty or Presence. This will initiate your experience with a conscious exploration and conversation pertaining to the word you were given.

And a visit to San Diego wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Old Town and my favorite Mexican restaurant – Casa de Pico. Which is really an excuse to go to the freshly made Churro shop! Being a nature lover and outdoor enthusiast I would want to take my friend to Julian and the Cuyamaca Rancho State Park area to hike and then get some Julian Pie and Hard Apple Cider. And if timing allowed on my friends visit I would bring her to my friends ranch in Bonsall where I lead the mindfulness meditation for her Healing Horse events. Completing my friend’s week long visit at Healing Horse would be a perfect opportunity to experience the healing, peacefulness and calm that envelopes people when they experience meditating with a herd of horses.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have received love, support and encouragement from a variety of people and organizations. It will be challenging to name just one. My early beginnings studying personal and spiritual growth and immersing myself in meditation practices started iin my early 20’s with Osho – an enlightened Indian spiritual teacher. I spent time in his Ashram in India as well as the famous spiritual community in Oregon. I then studied and trained in Eriksonian hypnosis, Dance Movement with Gabrielle Roth and Feng Shui at the Western School of Feng Shui with Terah Kathryn Collins.

I completed the teaching practicum at UCSD’s Mindfulness Institute to become an MBSR – (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) teacher. I am also continuing to explore Equine Assisted Therapy and the amazing therapeutic benefits being around horses has on our emotional and physical wellbeing. I currently lead the Mindfulness Meditation for Healing Horse events in Bonsall CA. A few books stand out that have supported my life’s work in Health, Wellbeing and Transformation: Any books by Osho. All of Terah Kathryn Collins books on Feng Shui. Wherever You Go, There You Are and Full Catastrophe Living – by Jon Kabat-Zinn The Presence Process by Michael Brown The Tao of Equus by Linda Kohanov

Website: https://www.strategies4wellbeing.com
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