Hi friends,

Meet Nitika. Prism Posse member since late 2022. (is this what we should call ourselves? It was suggested we name ourselves, just for fun - any suggestions?)

When Nitika and I first met, she was navigating multiple chronic illnesses and searching for the next step on her journey. She had already done much of the work—doctors, therapists, self-help books, and more. I imagine her list, like many of yours by the time you find me, was long and exhaustive.

What set her apart was a willingness to acknowledge that her illness wasn’t random. She was able to see that her thoughts, behaviors, and emotional patterns were intricately woven into her wellness path. But that path? It’s anything but simple or fast.

True wellness calls us to examine our survival patterns. Nearly every healing modality and psychological framework touches on this in some way. Amina AlTai refers to it in The Ambition Trap as core wounds & shadows—yes, that’s a shameless plug (I’m mentioned in the book, and Amina beautifully articulates how this impacts our relationship with work & ambition). Support your local bookstore and grab a copy.

In the Fajardo Method, survival patterns are... well, let’s just say they demand vulnerability. Really seeing the parts of ourselves we don't like and rather keep hidden. Getting to know oneself is a messy process—unlearning, confusion, frustration, weird bodily sensations, and more TMI moments than you’d expect. Letting go of what once helped you survive can feel terrifying. But to move forward, you have to step into the unknown and trust you’ll know what to do when the moment arrives.

We explored how her nervous system influenced most everything—her relationships with humans, with money, with work, with creativity. Not sure what stone we’ve left unturned, but we’ll find out.

While chronic illness is very much a body thing, it's also not the same thing as hip problems or a shoulder issue. So doing the body mapping and movement also takes a leap of faith. You’re lying on the floor (Nitika’s “favorite” part) contemplating your xiphoid process, wondering what that has to do with anything. And what do presentation patterns have to do with chronic illness anyways? Connecting the dots sometimes makes for an ah-ha moment, but that's usually after lots of I don't get it moments. But eventually, the clarity clicks.

Nitika placed an incredible amount of trust in me, and I’m truly humbled by that. She also wanted reassurances I couldn’t provide (if you’ve read my closing statement, you already know about the magic 8 ball). Because here’s the thing—I’m just the teacher. The choice to act on what we explore together? That’s hers.

Fast forward to today: the primary chronic illness she was seeking support for is in remission.

Congratulations, Nitika. YOU did this.

Tune in for a chat between me and Nitika—she opens up about how this work has impacted her, while I, true to form, geek out about the stages of the sympathetic nervous system response.

Onwards, Amy