Before there was a Light House...
This past Saturday marked six years since we opened the doors to the Light House.
As I found myself reflecting on that milestone, I realized something.
Most people see the Light House and assume that's where the story began.
It wasn't.
For more than ten years before there was a Light House, there was no building.
No pond.
No team.
No education center.
No dozens of certifications.
There was simply one person asking questions.
At the time, I wasn't trying to build SHINE.
I was simply trying to understand why I felt different.
For the first thirty years of my life, anxiety and panic attacks were a regular part of my experience.
Then I found Reiki.
Not as a business opportunity.
Not as a career path.
As a doorway.
And what fascinated me wasn't the modality itself.
It was the question it left me with:
Why did this make me feel better?
That question led me down a path of exploring yoga, meditation, sound healing, nature, breathwork, frequency medicine, and dozens of other approaches.
Not because I was collecting modalities.
Because I was searching for answers.
Looking back now, I realize every meaningful journey begins the same way.
A nudge.
A pull.
A sense that there might be something more.
Most people don't feel ready when the opportunity appears.
They don't feel worthy.
They tell themselves they'll do it later.
But every once in a while, someone says yes to the call.
And everything changes.
Six years later, SHINE has grown into something I never could have imagined.
Because of you and your boldness to say yes.
But what brings me the most joy isn't the growth.
It's the ripple effect.
Recently, a member of our community shared something that caught my attention.
While navigating cancer treatment, she began noticing a pattern in her lab work. After participating in multiple Shinrin Yoku experiences and trainings at SHINE, her immune markers consistently increased in the days that followed.
Stories like that never stop amazing me.
Because they remind me that small yeses often create bigger ripples than we realize.
And that's really what SHINE has always been about.
Helping others create ripples.
One conversation.
One experience.
One person at a time.
If there's one thing I've learned over the past six years, it's this:
You don't need the building.
You don't need to see the whole staircase.
You only need the courage to take the next step.
I see your potential.
Even when you don't.
And I believe your dream life is closer than you think.
xo,
🤍 Cortney
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