Amie Valpone

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I've been receiving a bunch of questions on how yo

I've been receiving a bunch of questions on how you can gently start to pull your body out of survival mode (fight-or-flight) during this time of the Corona virus so I wanted to share a few suggestions here as well as in a NEW article + audio segment of Dear Amie walking you through an exercise to help regulate your nervous system on our website (link in our bio to read + listen).
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I've talked a lot about survival mode throughout the last decade of my healing because it was a state I lived in for 12 years of chronic health issues running on adrenaline with a constant flood of fear, anxiety + overwhelm every second from anything in my internal or external environment that triggered me (even if it was just seeing an email I didn't want to open or actually having to go outside).
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It took me well into my 30's to realize I had childhood trauma + other painful experiences in my 20's that caused PTSD that I never registered as trauma so survival mode was really all I ever knew my entire life...I didn't know anything else. Perhaps you can relate.
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To help guide you through the awakening of becoming conscious to what's going on inside of you, I've also included a bunch of links in today's featured article to previous features I've written on regulating your nervous system, trauma and pulling yourself out of survival mode so you have everything in one place to enjoy and support yourself.
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My hope is that this information supports you + your loved ones during this time. Remember, the feeling of safety comes from WITHIN you, not from outside of you from another person, thing, etc. Healing is an internal job and if I can do all of this by myself and figure out what no one else could help me piece together, so can YOU! This is a journey and it does not happen overnight but you can do this!
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I'm sending you all lots of love + hugs during this time + please leave any questions you may have below + I'll help as best I can. There is a lot more info in today's article + I'm walking you through everything in today's audio segment on our website, so hop over there to listen.

Wise words from the 1800's. How are you feeling?

Wise words from the 1800's. How are you feeling?

Since we're all going to be indoors for awhile, I

Since we're all going to be indoors for awhile, I wanted to share an easy broth recipe that can be made with leftover veggie scraps from what you're cooking the next few weeks. Simply store the scraps in your freezer in a sealed container and when the container fills up, it's time to make broth. As I mention in this video, store-bought broths are filled with refined sugar and often other fillers and flours, which are highly inflammatory so you can make your own that's clean and easy to toss together in only 10 minutes of prep time and 1 hour of cooking on the stovetop.
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You can use this broth for poaching wild salmon, organic chicken or steaming vegetables or to make your own soup.
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Makes 8 cups
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Ingredients
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1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 bulb garlic, roughly chopped (with skins)
2 large white onions, quartered (with skins)
8-10 cups filtered water
5 stalks celery, thinly sliced
2 small heads Swiss chard (or any leafy green vegetable)
3 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 tsp. sea salt
1 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh oregano
2 bay leaves
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Directions
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Heat a large pot over medium heat on the stovetop. When the pot is hot, add the oil, garlic, and onions. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring often, or until golden brown.
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Add remaining ingredients, cover, and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 1 hour. The flavor will be stronger the longer the broth simmers.
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Strain the vegetables and herbs and use them in the next 2 days in a recipe (stir-fry, soup, salad). For the broth, store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
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Any questions? Leave them below.

Your eyes do not see. Your mind sees. Start to bec

Your eyes do not see. Your mind sees. Start to become aware of what is being reflected back to you throughout your day.
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This is one of the most profound ways to become more conscious of the unconscious chitty chat that's looping in your mind all day long. If you haven't yet noticed, it's this chit chat that's putting pressure on you, keeping you stuck + in your own way.
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I've said this before + I'll say it again bc when you grasp this, it's life changing: Life becomes a heck of a lot more fluid + seamless when you pull yourself out of the fight-or-flight reoccurring thoughts + beliefs that have been on repeat since your childhood (often how our parents spoke to us or to themselves) and from past traumas (any painful event that's too overwhelming for our nervous system to handle).
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When you start to become conscious that you've been unaware this chitty chat has been going on for decades, your life shifts for the better bc the more you observe what's going on in that mind of yours (ex: judging others), the more self-aware you become. The more you let go of relationships that no longer serve you. The more you move away from what no longer feels good. The more you start being selfish with how you spend your energy.
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This is the start of a whole new way of living + it's quite delicious bc if you've learned anything from moi, it's that EVERYTHING is energy so you ATTRACT what you're broadcasting. If you're no longer broadcasting judgement, gossip, lying + so forth, you'll start to see the people who are still doing those things start to fall away. New people will step in who match the vibration (energy) you're broadcasting.
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This may sound all airy fairy but I assure you...do this + WATCH how quick your life shifts, how synchronicity starts to pop up throughout your day, how you start to align with more of your true self + most of all, how you no longer need to prove this or anything to anyone else bc this is YOUR life.
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Now, you don't need me to tell you to go out there today + start shifting what you're broadcasting. That's not my style. I'm here to remind YOU of your power. It's already inside of you. Go get it. You're the only one creating YOUR FUTURE.

I'm often asked where I eat out in Manhattan and t

I'm often asked where I eat out in Manhattan and to be honest, I could count the number of times I've eaten out in the last 15 years living here...mostly because I wasn't able to eat anything on the menu and my body reacted to everything from table salt to tap water to canola oil, all of which the majority of restaurants in the world use to roast, steam, saute and so forth. I had so much inflammation in my body that the tiniest ingredient would leave me in bed for a week feeling delirious.
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That said, I have a lot of anxiety about eating out, not only because of the food but because it hasn't been easy for my body to relax enough to enjoy the experience. Obviously the latter stems from unresolved trauma (which I wasn't aware of) that had me stuck in fight-or-flight survival mode for most of my life.
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As I've started feeling better, especially throughout the last year, I've been able to find a bunch of places where I can eat. I've been sharing them with you on my website, here on my feed and in my stories in hope that they inspire you to give these spots a try whether you're in the same boat as me or not.
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This is @palmanyc and it's my favorite restaurant. They serve delicious, fresh clean food and everything tastes and looks like it's right from Italy. It's family owned and the owner, Palma, is lovely and authentic and so kind. They have been so accommodating with my sensitivities and I love this beautiful back room, which opens up at night to see the stars in the sky. It makes you feel like you're in a garden completely out of the city. I often order their lamb as a main dish and their cauliflower appetizer to start. P.S. They have gluten-free pasta.
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When I'm with my family, we sit at a table in this back area but when I'm alone, I eat at the bar and love meeting new people on either side of me who are often from Europe... filled with culture and stories and wisdom. It's been a beautiful way for me to meet new friends and I must say, a lovely way to add more pleasure back into my life.
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#westvillage #nyc #pleasure #joy #youcandoit #anxiety #foodallergy #Manhattan #keeping #grateful #trauma #fightorflight #unraveling #lettinggo #selfworth #selfheal

I was on autopilot for many years of my life until

I was on autopilot for many years of my life until I started to wake up + become conscious of what was going on in this non-stop mind of mine.
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Part of my process was questioning my thoughts + becoming curious about what I was thinking + feeling. We think 60,000-80,000 thoughts per day + the majority of these thoughts are the same as the day before. We repeat, repeat, repeat + oftentimes it's an unconscious process. We're not even aware we do this because we're going a million miles a minute on autopilot.
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Here are a few questions I've asked myself to start to become more conscious + wake up to what's going on in my mind + body...
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What thoughts were driving the shame I felt in certain situations? What was the trigger that made me judge other people when I had no idea what was going on in their life? Why did I feel anxiety + overwhelm about getting back into real life? What was I telling myself when someone misunderstood me? Why did I feel fear when I was honest about how I felt about someone's actions?
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Lots of questions...which brings me to today's topic: WE EITHER REPEAT OUR PAST or WE EVOLVE.
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I've chosen the latter. Perhaps you have, too. Some people are cool with repeating bc the fear of change is too strong.
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I get it. Change is not easy. Growth is not easy. I talked about this in my Q+A (video in highlights) about how I have pushed through hundreds of layers of fear getting back out into life + participating in it. Has it been easy? No. As awful as I felt the last 12 years being unwell, it protected me from having to actually participate. It protected me from getting hurt + kept me safe. As I started to feel better every few months, I would do something that scared me. I opened my curtains (HUGE fear after all the trauma I faced), I started making eye contact with men (MAJOR fear after trauma) + started to no longer fear sunny days when I had to go outside.
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I put one foot in front of the other. I looked myself in the mirror + told myself it's time to EVOLVE + grow + step into the life I've been longing for. You can do the same thing for yourself. Your mind is the only thing stopping you + it's just an organ you've wired with fear. Conquer it.

There's something about traveling that makes me fe

There's something about traveling that makes me feel like a kid again. I love exploring cities, neighborhoods, restaurants + shops taking in the energy of each one. It's fascinating to me how the ambiance (music, lighting, decor, warmth of people) in each spot completely shifts your experience + your own energy. (Think of the energy you feel in a nightclub w/ flashing lights + blaring music vs. a yoga class w/ dimmed lights, candles + soft music).
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If you're anything like me, your nervous system can get jolted even when other people around you aren't feeling it. Having a sensitive nervous system, I pick up on energy w/ everything more than others. This is something I've noticed in people I admire, hence, my first big boss @ralphlauren who knew instantaneously what belt to add to an outfit, what stripes to remove from a fabric, what shimmer to add to makeup for the runway, which lighting to introduce to a showroom, etc. I've always felt a similar sensitivity, which I believe is what sparks my creativity. It's a knowing, an intuition, a feeling...it's not something I can put into words.
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When you stop + think about how everything you encounter during your day shifts your energy (music you hear, clothes you wear, people you see, etc.), it's quite mindblowing.
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This is why I'm a fan of not only becoming aware of the unconscious thoughts that make you feel sad or angry or jealous but also the way your environment (home, office) + food impacts your mood + energy level.
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I spent the last three days in Nashville with my momma + sister + discovered a handful of really incredible places. This one was by far my favorite. It was filled with the kindest staff who made custom jeans right there in their tiny shop. When we walked in, my mom said, "Amie, look up. This is a sign from PopPop (my father's father who was a pattern maker for fashion brands)."
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I looked up, saw the old patterns + felt coziness. I had to take a picture + share it with all of you. I'm not yet sure what the sign is but I know where it's leading me. Into more creativity + tapping into the places that have been dormant inside of me for too long while I was healing. It's a beautiful thing. xx

It's taken me awhile to grasp this mostly because

It's taken me awhile to grasp this mostly because I still find it so fascinating that we're all living in our own reality, which is vastly different from everyone around us.
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I'm an old soul. Perhaps you can relate. I can't do small talk. I can't engage in anything surface. I don't follow trends. All of that makes me nauseous. It's taken me awhile to realize not everyone is like this + that there are layers of consciousness people are at based on their personality, past traumas, conditioning, programming + more. That said, one of the biggest questions I receive is "How do you find people who get you when you're not doing what everyone else is doing?"
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My answer is quite simple. You don't DO anything. You BE yourself. You get into alignment with who you are, you step away from people who judge you or who don't have your back, you carve out quiet time to connect with yourself, you follow the signs your intuition brings you to go to places, see people, etc. and YOUR people show up.
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You ATTRACT what you are. I believe the idea of "going out there to find your people" from a place of lack is a waste.
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For moi, it's about connecting to who you are, stepping away from your phone + "busyness" that's pulling you away from what needs attention within + to trust that life is smarter than you- bringing you everything you need in order to step into who you're meant to be.
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This means you may have to let go of certain people... but when you get to a place where you can look around + say, "Wow, the people I surround myself with truly want the best for me", it is life changing. You stop hiding, you stop playing small, you stop worrying what others might be saying about you.
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I thought a lot about this since my birthday as I realized the beautiful relationships I've made all over the world who have met me as deeply as they've met themselves. Years ago I didn't even know this kind of depth was possible. While my friendships may look different than the average person, I'm giddy over the joy + growth they add to my life.
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My hope is that you trust yourself enough to step away from what no longer serves you so you can find the depth your soul craves. You can do this. Trust.

Well, hello 37. I've been waiting for you. I've ne

Well, hello 37. I've been waiting for you. I've never been more excited for a birthday in all of my life.
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36, you were the year my creativity + style came back, the year I finally started to feel safe in my body again + the year I felt safe enough to feel my feelings after peeling through dozens of layers of trauma w/ energy work.
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Because I couldn't bear the pain in my mind + body throughout the last 12 years, back in 2009 I decided to play + create to take my mind off of what was happening in my life bc I couldn't handle anything else. This is what happens with trauma. We disassociate. But, instead of falling into a really deep dark hole, I fell into a semi-deep hole bc I had this magical outlet I created for myself. I am often asked, "How were you able to do this work while you were unwell?" I can honestly say I'm not sure I would have made it through my storm w/out this creative outlet to express myself in hope of helping someone else shortcut their journey. This work has been my joy. It has lit me up in ways I never thought possible + has kept me going while keeping my mind off of all the fear + pain. It's why creativity is such a big part of my method + my retreats bc when you tap into something beyond yourself, it is transformative.
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36 was a year where I finally had the brain space to let go of everything that no longer felt good. That included heavy baggage of past hurt I've been carrying telling myself I was unworthy of things, places, people, etc. I finally had a few weeks in a row where I had NO symptoms so I could work through the entire day, which was HUGE since this was unheard of throughout the last decade. That said, 36 was my most intense year of liver treatments + I couldn't have done it w/out the emotional support + deep understanding of what it takes to truly heal from my family, especially my momma. I love you, Mom!
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Here's what I know for sure about the wild journey of healing yourself + slowly coming out of deep trauma: everything looks brighter, food actually has taste, laughing never felt so good + everything that starts to fall away is happening right on time. 37, I truly could not be more excited to experience you. Let's do this.

Self-forgiveness. It's not something I even had th

Self-forgiveness. It's not something I even had the energy to understand during my 12-year healing journey. I was stuck in fight-or-flight survival mode so the thought of focusing on forgiving myself wasn't even a thought in my mind.
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It wasn't until I started to have enough energy to actually look a bit deeper beyond the physical symptoms to see the layers upon layers of ways I traded in my authenticity and intuition for just wanting a "quick fix" because, well, at the time, I thought that pushing and pushing and pushing to try to "fix" myself was the answer...mostly because that's what many of us are taught. And mostly because all I wanted was to get better, see my friends and be "normal". It's what we're taught: "Just take a band aid and keep going, keep pushing, yadda yadda and for goodness sake don't put yourself first!" So, we numb out and go through the motions.
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It wasn't until I reached my lowest rock bottom six years ago, half way through my healing journey that I stopped relying on some authority who didn't know my body better than I did and who unfortunately didn't understand what it meant to truly heal the mind and body.
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You could say this is when I took my power back but I believe that happens in stages. For me it happened at 23 when I realized the reason Western medicine calls anything "chronic" is because they don't believe in healing or cures...it's not in the literature they studied. They're just doing the best they can with the info they've been given.
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No matter when you decide to take your power back on your journey, my hope is that you know this: your intuition is feedback from your body. You are not separate from what's going on inside of you (your physical and/or emotional pain). Everything IS connected. Get yourself to a place where you can be gentle and forgiving to the past versions of yourself who traded in your authenticity and get your booty in your own lane.
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Focus on YOU. Do YOU. Be selfish with YOUR time. Take care of YOU. Say NO. This is how you start to heal. Baby steps of stepping more into your authenticity is how you start to get out of fight-or-flight and into FLOW. I'll meet you there.
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You've got this! xx

I'm making a brand new recipe for you tonight. It'

The majority of us are brought up only focusing on

The majority of us are brought up only focusing on matter + the physical world bc that's all our parents + teachers knew so that became how we perceived reality. What's interesting is that there's a heck of a lot more going on here than what you can see.
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For any of you who are empaths or highly sensitive people, both of which I am, you can FEEL and often SEE energy. I've been like this my entire life but it wasn't until I became unwell + energy work saved my life that I started to realize other people couldn't feel what I feel. I just know things. I can feel when someone is lying in a millisecond, I can pick up on things others cannot.
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I have a very sensitive nervous system + it's become more sensitive after all the health issues + trauma that moved me into a deeper state of fight-or-flight constantly aware of danger even if it was just friends who I knew no longer understood me. Perhaps you can relate.
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When you start to step away from the constant "busyness" so many of us are addicted to or social media scrolling or gossip or Western medicine or other traditional methods that you know are very surface, you'll start to realize you're on a path leading you into a flow state of ease + grace.
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The goal, for each of us, bc we are ALL in some form of fight-or-flight with our nervous system, is to realize how fighting things you don't want, pushing for things your ego is telling you that you need to be accepted + so forth drains ENERGY. When you shift this, you end up in a beautiful state where you start to observe your beliefs, habits + the conditioning that's kept you in survival mode + out of flow.
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Life is not meant to be hard. It's meant to be lived in a state of flow. When you start to understand ENERGY + how everything is connected, how you're broadcasting your emotional pain subconsciously + so forth, I guarantee you'll start to step away from quick fixes + coping mechanisms whether it's over eating, over working, gossip, procrastinating or rushing. I was someone who did all of these things + part of my healing was unraveling all of this. Tap into your own energy + see what you're feeding energetically. To start, read my Unraveling series #linkinbio.