Hi! I’m Katie Short, founder of Prayana Coaching, and certified professional Wellness and Lifestyle Coach. I am married to David, a supportive and amazing individual in his own right. We have two grown children living just a couple of hours away for school and work. We also have a tiny chihuahua, named “Mimsy” after a character in the Harry Potter series, and live happily in the beautiful hills of eastern Ohio.
I’m one of those oddball nerdy types who likes to learn things as a hobby. So while I worked and taught in the personal income tax field, I studied lots of different topics. I went on a spiritual journey, and studied with alchemists, attended worship at various religious services, and celebrated the coming of spring with those on a Celtic path. I studied herbalism, and using plants to treat illness.* I added aromatherapy and the study of essential oils to that field. I found myself in a sales position during the tax off-season that caused me to learn about social wellness in ways I had never considered. I made regular trips to study meditation with a mentor, and was introduced to styles from many areas of the world. I have made a study of etiquette, which isn’t all about which fork to use, but can be! I learned to make soap, studied organic growing, and learned to create a website for myself.
I also have a weight loss and physical/mental wellness journey of my own. I’m working to publish the full story, but here’s the synopsis: In 2015, I weighed just over 240 pounds, and I was miserable with joint pain and constant exhaustion. I began losing weight the scary way – without changing my diet or lifestyle. In 2017, I was down about 40 pounds, but still eating lots of terribly unhealthy foods – unhealthy for my body, that is. By 2018, I had found a specific elimination diet, by accident, and worked very hard to heal my gut. This had benefits far beyond controlling my weight or ending the pain, and ended the need for multiple medications I’d been prescribed. I now bounce around near the 140 mark, healthy for my height and body. During the time of my healing, I found yoga, strength training, and a great aerobics class that used drumming. I now eat food that I know to be healthy for me, and do yoga daily.
Yes, that is the short version.
And that’s not even all. The books still in my home range from engineering, which I once studied at college, through super-strange recipe books for specific diets. And some novels – because sometimes reading is just fun. I’m a Divergent Ravenclaw who wanted to live in Narnia solving crimes with Nancy Drew as a child, and the reading bug never went away. (If you don’t know what that means, it’s OK. It just means I read a lot as a kid, and still do.)
I also have a passion for helping people. I saw my previous corporate positions as helping people wade through tax law to keep as much of their money as legally possible, never “doing tax returns”. And I always want to write long-winded responses to people on Facebook who don’t really want help, but are just venting. So I finally studied Wellness and Lifestyle Coaching, so I could help people who were truly seeking wellness.
But what does that mean for you?
It means that when we consider Physical Wellness, I understand what it’s like to feel overwhelmed. I get it when you say, “I eat healthy, but I still can’t lose weight.” I understand wanting to follow doctor’s “orders”, but not being sure it’s right for you. And I get needing to follow orders because it is what’s right for you. It means I’m comfortable discussing even the strangest of illnesses, and assisting you in finding wellness.*
When we consider occupational wellness, I can bring my human resources and etiquette experience to help you handle difficult situations with dignity and grace. Sometimes, a shift in perspective or even a brief conversation can lighten the load of work-related stress and anxiety. In my corporate life, I studied several motivational methods, management styles, and similar tools, applicable to various work environments. You don’t have to love your job, but let’s find a way to make sure your work doesn’t work against your wellness!
When we consider Emotional Wellness, I bring guided meditations, breathing practices, and nutritional suggestions to support your journey. I’m here with various methods to calm the mind, to bring focus, and to make space for joy.*
Intellectual Wellness? I’m here. My range is so crazy that I can certainly help you find something to keep your brain going! Want to learn about where you food comes from at the farmer’s market? I have that schedule. Need an app that will help you re-focus in the afternoon? I’ve got you. Want to take a class, but don’t know what to choose? I have an assessment for that. When we combine those things with the rest of your lifestyle and wellness goals, great things can happen!
I’m comfortable with the path you’ve chosen for Spiritual Wellness. I have no desire to change your beliefs, only to help you find peace in them, gratitude for them, or a more focused practice of them. Atheists included! The only time I have an issue is if you believe your path means hurting others – I am never OK with that.
Environmental Wellness begins at home for the individual. I’ve changed my home for the better in so many ways, from small changes in daily habits to big ones like moving to a space more suited to our personal needs. While I’m still not much of a decorator, I’m here to help you make your sleeping space more conducive to sleep, and your home a space that feels supportive of your wellness.
Social Wellness. Even the word “social” gets some of us, including me, a little flustered. It’s been so helpful for me to make a study of etiquette, and to know what is expected in social situations. Well beyond “manners”, etiquette is the way in which we best interact with others. It is far easier to accept an invitation when you are confident you can interact well.
*I’m going to say this a lot, but you’ve read what I am, here is what I am NOT. I am NOT a doctor. I am NOT a nurse, or a psychiatrist, therapist, nutritionist, dietician, or other licensed medical practitioner. I do NOT diagnose or treat illness. In fact, if you are in need of one of these other professionals, I may request that you seek a diagnosis and/or treatment before the coaching relationship can continue in that area of wellness. Of course, your health care should always be your choice, so I never enforce the use of any one practitioner or method.