Meet Sheenya Valdes of Ahimsa Yoga Therapy in West Valley

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sheenya Valdes. 

Sheenya, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My journey began years ago when I first experienced symptoms of an unknown illness. I was living in upstate NY and working as a Personal Trainer at Golds Gym by day and as a Bar Manager at a Thai Bar by night. I was also a full time college student at Marist College majoring in Biomedical Science and Biochemistry (I transferred there after earning my two-year degree at Duchess Community College in Nursing). 

I was very busy and under an immense amount of pressure. I left home at age 15 from Arizona and moved to NY to escape a broken home life and lots of childhood trauma. I came from a home with an alcoholic mother, a stepfather who died from a drug overdose and a biological father that died in a drunk driving incident. I dealt with extreme neglect and abuse in many different forms. 

When I arrived in NY, I wanted to reinvent myself and change the trajectory of my life. Survival forced me to bury the emotions and unprocessed trauma and keep moving forward. I had no time to pay attention to the details and process and grieve. I was merely I was surviving. In my surviving, I created a huge complication for my personal development. 

Understanding my background is important to understanding where I am today. I got sick around age 20; just a few months before my 21st birthday. I was at work when I noticed the first warning sign something was wrong. I had intense chest pain so bad that I feared I was going to die. A co-worker drove me to the nearest hospital which was not a very good one. It was overcrowded, had long wait times, and not the best care but it was the closest. They performed an EKG and told me it was abnormal and gave me aspirin. I waited for further testing and, after 5 hours of waiting, I asked to be released so I could get to my Bar Management job. They released me with an AMA (against medical advice) waiver and I was on my way. 

I felt fine for few weeks then I fell ill again. I was working my bar job when suddenly the room began spinning. I couldn’t form words properly and my vision was blurry. More embarrassed than anything, I stumbled to the bathroom to lie down on the tile floor. After some time, the vertigo subsided and I got up and drove myself to the ER. After all kinds of tests, I was told I was fine and to eat a balanced meal and rest. I didn’t recover. However, I never got better; I got worse. 

For years, I was told it was all in my head; that I had anxiety. I was a healthy in-shape 20 something with no history of disease or illness- it had to be in my head, right? I believed that narrative for years and felt all of this was my fault. In time, I became exercise intolerant and heat intolerant, had trouble swallowing my food, had tremors, and experienced daily dizziness and balance issues. I also experienced intense pain in my head, neck, and back. 

I was receiving no real answers and started to give up on life. I didn’t want to live anymore. I questioned what the point of living was when I could no longer do the things I loved? Why was I still here destined for a life of pain and unexplained physical symptoms? I was in a dark place until I stumbled across an article about plant-based diet and trauma affecting one’s physical health. It was a brief article that barely skimmed the surface at the profundity of this topic, but it was a glimmer of hope for me. I began to research as much as I could. I used my background in clinical and medical research to dive into case studies. I began to find research dating back to the 80s and 90s explaining that plant-based diets can aide the body in recovery. I also discovered a book written by Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk, titled, “The Body Keeps the Score;” a book I read two times and took a notebook full of handwritten notes on. 

I began to consider that the origin of my illness was both physiological as well as psycho-emotional. I took that consideration seriously and looked in areas of my life of where I could apply the healing process with this approach. I found Yoga and Veganism. I also participated in psychotherapy. In time, I began to feel a little better. I realized that I experienced a lot of trauma in my life that I failed to process up to that point. I spent my entire life running from my past. I avoided alcohol and other substances convinced I’d end up like my family- an addict. When I began to closely examine my life, I recognized I was living in a constant state of fight or flight. 

As I got further along on my path to recovery, I began to see the landscape around me and the fact that there was an unmet need in our general society-Trauma Recovery. I realized people were convincing themselves that, because one foot is still stepping one in front of the other, they are fine and no real necessity to process their internal pain. In my research, one thing stood out to me. The success rate of talk-therapy alone as a main basis of mental and emotional health/recovery was not that successful. The amount of money spent on prescription drug medications and altering our chemistry and people still failing to thrive and recover with a long list of side effects was crushing me. I felt the weight of the failing system as if I had personally caused it and knew I had to do something to help my fellow humans in some small way. 

I decided to get certified to teach Yoga. I got continued education credits in Yoga Therapy and Trauma Recovery and Trauma informed Yoga. After successful completion 

in this and other certifications, I enrolled in a 2-year long Yoga Therapist Licensing program. I used my background in Biomedical Science and Biochemistry to learn how food can be used as medicine and how it aides in our recovery. That is how Ahimsa Yoga & Wellness Therapy was born. I founded my own company to help others suffering with chronic illness, PTSD, and other chronic health issues to supplement their recovery naturally. I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at age 27. I am now 33 years old. Using these techniques, I was able to go from limited mobility, tremors and unable to exercise to doing Yoga and weightlifting five days a week. I ceased taking all prescription medications and only use plant-based and herbal medicines now. 

I am an advocate for my chronically ill community and those suffering with PTSD and other emotional and mental health issues that can often result in physiological chronic illness. I believe in traditional talk psychotherapy also, and all should be used together synergistically to get yourself back to wellness. There is an invisible and unseen community out there-so many of us that don’t “look” sick and invisible handicaps-and it can be a lonely existence. There are so many of us lost in our symptoms that we spend our precious life searching for a diagnosis and label to justify our suffering to make sense of our life. We can forget that we aren’t living at all. In the shuffle between doctors’ appointments and the pharmacy and coping the best we can, we lose who we are at our very essence. We lose our humanity. We lose that chord that tethers us to our higher self and our true purpose. I want to help those who are also lost, unseen, and unheard to find their voice and make their way back to a life that is worth living. 

It is a process and you can only meet people where they are at with themselves. There are so many small breakthroughs that need to happen to achieve success and part of that success is coming to accepting the conclusion that we may never be back to our old selves 100% again. I know with me, personally, I have come to find that recovery doesn’t look the way I thought it would. I had this expectation that if I did steps A through Z then I would be renewed and squeaky clean. That isn’t the case. I still have bad days. My symptoms are still able to bring me to my knees some days. The physiological suffering is real. However, the way we approach our lives and our healing does not have to be miserable. Through Yoga Therapy and other body-based healing methods, we gain self-empowerment and we gain some self-identity back. With these gains, we also earn some small control over the quality of our life and health-span. 

I take immense pride in my passion of body-based healing methods and supporting our bodies with optimal plant-based nutrition. I am adamant believer in the correlation between unprocessed trauma and chronic health issues. In an overly strained society so many of us feel left behind. I took a stance to say you don’t have to accept that. No one does. You do have a say so and some ability to determine the path your journey takes. One way to accomplish that is through trauma recovery Yoga in conjunction with 

plant-based nutrition. I will add a disclaimer that no one should stop any long-term medications without consulting their healthcare provider and setting up a schedule of weaning off the meds if deemed safe and potentially beneficial to the person. Always ensure you are healthy enough to start a physical fitness regimen with your primary care provider prior to starting any new routines. I do not diagnose or treat any specific conditions or issues. Body Based healing methods are to be used in tandem with standard western medical system care as a means of taking a holistic approach to health. 

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The main obstacles anyone will face when deciding to take the journey inward to heal is emotional recall/release, physical flares triggered by exercise, and accepting that like with any process, the results are not immediate. 

The key component to recovery and overcoming roadblocks is understanding that recovering from trauma is much like recovering from a surgery or physical illness; you won’t ever be back to 100%. There is no miraculous recovery where we come back squeaky clean. A huge part of overcoming adversity is realizing that some parts of us are broken beyond repair. The trauma is so deep it cut us to our core and all we can successfully do is acknowledge that and begin to incorporate healthy coping habits. It’s about making our past and future less scary and uncertain. 

None of this is easy work and none of it happens overnight. Sometimes, our biggest obstacle is our own self getting in the way of our own healing. 

We’d love to hear more about your business.
My work is unique in that I offer Trauma Recovery not only to Veterans and First Responders, but also to sex trafficking victims, domestic abuse victims, childhood trauma survivors, chronic illness trauma warriors, and to adults and children alike. 

In conjunction with my Yoga Therapy, I also offer education on plant-based nutrition and healing methods. I have an extensive network of professionals in my referral network including: Chiropractors, Dietitians, Physical Therapists, Psychotherapists, and Primary care physicians. 

I illuminate the path to healing for those who seek it and work in tandem with traditional western medicine protocols along with a holistic perspective. 

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I am located in the West Valley. I think that every city in every state could benefit from the types of services I offer. Phoenix, in particular, is a good place for my services because it has a high rate of human and sex trafficking of children and adults. We have a failing VA system underserving our valley vets. Our officers are leading the nation in civilian shootings and that indicates an issue with exposure to violence potentially resulting in PTSD. 

We also have a high number of indigenous and other minority groups who statistically are subjected to trauma and violence at higher rates than other ethnic populations in our area. It creates a need to be met and highlights a highly underserved part of our humanity here in the Valley.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sheenyavaldes.com
• Phone: 623-296-8066
• Email: ahimsayogastudios@gmail.com
• Instagram: dopevegan_yogini

Image Credit:
Ignite Yoga Studio space

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