A Q & A with Eiryn Hernandez

Greetings Loved Ones,

I wanted to talk to Eiryn one-on-one after meeting her at a 'Goddess Circle' a few months ago! She had such a warm and inviting energy but we didn't get a chance to talk much after the gathering, so I set up a call with her to follow up. Eiryn is a personal trainer, world traveler, all-around motivator and go getter. It was such a pleasure speaking with her - you can read the interview, below:

Helen: Hi Eiryn! How do you like to start your day? Do you have a set morning routine?

Eiryn: I didn't always have a morning routine, but now I do. I realized I was causing myself so much anxiety by rushing out of the door right away! Giving myself some structure and a routine in the morning has really decreased my stress levels. Things just work out better! I write in my gratitude journal, pray, and drink a green juice to kick off the day.

When I skip journaling or prayer in the morning, I am much more reactive throughout the day, 1000% *laughs*. When I first started, to stay committed, I would set an alarm on my phone to make sure I stuck to the routine.

Helen: I remember you saying you have a mentor which is awesome. How did that come about?

Eiryn: Yeah! I can't emphasize enough how important it is to have someone around you who is doing what you want to do or has already accomplished it. Someone who reminds you of your power and how capable you are. Taking the time to ask someone for help/mentorship can be scary but it's so worth it. My mentor happened to already be a friend of mine which made it easier.

Helen: What was your upbringing like?

Eiryn: I moved to the US when I was 12 and I come from a humble, very close-knit family. My family had a really limiting belief system - there was no straying from the path, especially with my mom. She was a single mom to my brother and I, and I owe her so much for that, but she did have a very linear idea of what I should grow up to become (doctor, lawyer, you get it). We clashed on that a little bit, because I had my own ideas. It was scary thinking of disappointing her, but what helped me the most was building that trust with her...showing her that I would be okay.

Helen: I also know that you love to travel! How did you make such frequent traveling a reality for yourself?

Eiryn: That's one area of my life that I'm really proud of. I'm the first person in my family to travel like this, especially when I do solo trips. When I was 22 years old (just leaving college), I just had this burning desire to see the world, to experience it all. So I saved! I didn't care where I was going to go, I just wanted to travel. So, my first trip was to Ireland and Italy. I was working retail at the time and I just saved up the checks and went! I stayed in hostels, all on my own, and I had the best time. I learned so much about my own strengths and weaknesses in the process, and I really started trusting myself on that trip.

Helen: How do you stay organized and disciplined in general? What are your habits like?

Eiryn: Well, I think discipline is like the cousin to success. If you want to do anything - lose weight, invest, save money...we have to be disciplined. We have to build up habits to support our end goal. I will always think of that end goal and I'll focus on what that accomplishment will feel like. Think of your why! Why are you even working toward ___ in the first place?

Helen: How do you organize and work toward your goals?

Eiryn: I definitely visualize what I want - I have my board * laughs*. It's also about truly caring for my mental and physical health and knowing what I really want.

Helen: What's something really difficult that you've had to overcome? And how have you gotten through it?

Eiryn: In my early 20s I was in a pretty ‘toxic’ relationship. When we broke it off, I fell into a really deep depression. And depression runs in my family so I was scared that I would fall even deeper into it - I was doing everything I could do avoid my feelings. At that point, fitness entered my life! A friend got me to go to the gym and I discovered weight lifting. About six months later, I realized I was using the gym to distract me from my feelings and from there I really came face to face with my inner reality.

Helen: What made you ‘wake up’ to that?

Eiryn: Eckhart Tolle's book, the Power of Now, opened the door to a higher consciousness for me. I felt like I was remembering a truth when I read the book - it really resonated with me.

Helen: What else do you do on the daily to take care of your mental health?

Eiryn: I need some alone time to recharge, and that allows me to show up fully for others. I meditate and journal as well, and I surround myself with people who really make me feel good, who love me for me. Learning how to listen to my intuition has also really helped my judgement and that's something I'm still working on.

** Eiryn turns the table and asks me a question lolll! She's awesome. **

Eiryn: So I was thinking about balancing expectations and standards. A lot of spiritual teachers say that we shouldn't have expectations of people, we should just love them for where they are at. So, how do we go about not having expectations but still having standards in a relationship?

Helen: Wow, great question. Well, I think when we have certain expectations of someone, we assume that they are going to become this perfect version of who we want them to be. When we're dating someone, for example, we might say to ourselves, "They aren't who I want them to be right now, but in five years they might be, so I'll just stick around." But the reality is, we just don't know!

In terms of standards...for me, my standards line up with values. My values include kindness, self-care, honesty, reliability, etc. So, I hold people to the standards that I hold myself to based on my personal values. When we don't have standards, it's easy to get pulled back to an old version of ourselves when we could be moving forward.

** Okay, back to Eiryn!!**

Helen: While we're on the topic of expectations...how do you handle Instagram and comparison online?

Eiryn: In this day and age, while I'm working on building my brand, I do feel like I need to be online responding to people. But I also have boundaries with it. For example, I don't have my notifications on, and I don't look at Instagram for about an hour after I wake up (or more). I used to look at it first thing in the morning, but I stopped that and it's been so good for me. And just taking a break from it and being okay with doing so! We don't even realize how much we're being exposed to when we're scrolling…

In terms of comparison, it's so important to remember that we are all different. Everyone is walking their own path on their own timeline. I'm not saying I don't struggle with comparison - it's been a lifelong process for me - but I have cultivated an awareness about it. Now I stop myself when I go down a rabbit hole - like looking at another girl and telling myself "Ah! I have to go to the gym like ten times this week to look like she does!" I can stop that narrative now and pull myself back. I know that one person's brightness does not diminish or affect mine.

You can find Eiryn on Instagram @travelingsoulll. & Drop a comment on my page @helendenham_ telling us what you learned xo

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