In late 2013, owner of The Ocean Rx, Genna Lepore, hit rock bottom. After a year of hard hitting trials and tribulations, stress got the best of her. Genna was side-swiped with a series of "unrelated" illnesses. Ultimately, crippling a normally very active and head-strong woman to bed-rest. Time and time again, she tried to return to work, but her body had other plans.
After six long months of battling a variety of illnesses, she threw in the towel and moved from Boston, MA back to her home state of Rhode Island, where she was able to be cared for by her family and friends.
Her illnesses were never life threatening but nonetheless debilitating and often painful. For a time, there seemed to be no end or relief in sight. However, Rhode Island, for as small a state as it is, is a mighty beautiful state. Equipped with sandy beaches stretching the distance. This move, although not welcomed with opened arms, forced doubtful and exhausted Genna to spend a lot of time outside. It was by the water where she would sit, wait, hope and even some times pray, that she would find relief.
Slowly but surely, life started to have meaning again. The more time Genna spent in The Ocean State -- entranced by in the wisdom of the water - the better she felt. An avid yogi, Genna began to take her yoga practice outside. At first, her body would only allow moments out of bed, then moments turned to minutes and soon hours. Standup Paddleboard (SUP) Yoga became the backdrop for inspiration and hope as she began to heal.
Although there were good days, not every day was great. Genna struggled to get back to what she considered 100%; coming to terms with the fact that she may never be her normal active pre-illness self. She started researching methods of holistic healing and looked for alternative methods for pain management. Spent hours dissecting diets that could potentially heal her from the inside out.
Changes came, but subtly. It wasn't until a Western Medicine doctor suggested Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture that things truly started to shift. Once the pain began to subside, Genna's perspective changed - dramatically at that.
Years of stress, anxiety and a non-stop lifestyle, manifested into a series of illnesses and as one friend told Genna, "You didn't burn out, you burnt down." This journey has changed her perspective on what living healthy means; a lifestyle that even the most Type-A professional can achieve.
As healing continues, living by simple ocean-inspired principles is critical to her survival. From eating a diet rich in fish, antibiotic-free grass fed meat and local produce ... to focusing physical training on core inspired training ... spending time outside practicing meditative techniques ... and turning to holistic health methods are the pillars on which The Ocean Rx is built.
Don't burn down. Learn to balance your body, mind and health today.
Welcome to The Ocean Rx
