The Roanoker - March/April 2021 - 35

She and Tom settled into a cozy brick two-story in the Raleigh
Court neighborhood. Trinity was born in the dining room. Three
months later, McKinnon birthed her new business. She would
lead Qoya classes and take massage clients, yes, but she was ready
for more. She added the roles of motivational speaker and holistic
healer and embodiment coach. On her website, she calls herself " a
midwife of souls and a vessel for holistic healing. "
The fire and her recovery destroyed her, reshaped her, created a
new her.
" Sometimes you are given a second chance on earth, " she says,
her eyes welling up with tears. " And you really have to figure out
how you want to live it. "

Truth Seeker McKinnon's living room is filled with angels.

COURTESY OF LINDSEY MCKINNON

And rainbows cast from window crystals. And printed cards with
inspiring messages. ( " You've got a new story to write and it looks
nothing like your past. " ) And glitter and books and seashells and
photos of Patrick and Logan and Trinity's toys. And light.
So are McKinnon's days.
Her self-care regime includes meditation and breaking glass and
fortifying her energy bubble and sitting next to flowing rivers and
talk therapy and feng shui and making soup and gratitude journals
and epsom salt baths. And so much more.
For McKinnon, everything is on the table. Every experience can
hold beauty. Every spiritual practice can be a guide. Every writer
can inspire. Every way of understanding has value. Every emotion
can be a teacher.
Nothing is wrong. Or right. There are no rules. Take it in. Try it
on. If it fits, wear it.
" Because those rigid edges need to soften. The rigid edges tell us
things have to be a certain way. And our lived experiences - like
a pandemic -say no, it doesn't have to be a certain way, " she says.
" I want you to soften and create space within yourself for more
compassion than you even knew was possible. "
That wide range of therapies, that ability to listen deeply, that
talent for seeing the divine in everyone she encounters, that is what
makes her such a valuable coach, says Ashley Quick, a coaching
and massage client.
" Lindsay has the most unique and beautiful avenues to explore, "

5. Listen to music.
Find a playlist for your
current mood. Move.
Dance. Then, find a
playlist to match the
way you want to feel.
Move some more.

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6. Repeat
mantras. Say them
throughout the day.
Write them on sticky
notes to keep in the
house or car.

7. Get a massage.

Trinity, who turns
3 in April, sparked
McKinnon to create
a new home in
Roanoke.

Quick says. " She
just shows up as
this shaman, wise
woman, sage, angel
healer. "
One of the places
she seeks truth is
from her boys.
" You know, we
disembody when we
die. But my boys'
spirits live on, " she
explains. " I have
incredibly strong
relationships with
them. And inside
jokes and longing
and aching and memories and also ideas. They have inspired me
and given me so many ideas. "
McKinnon has become something of an expert on grief,
appearing on national podcasts and the daytime talk show " Tamron
Hall, " sharing her story and what she's learned from her journey.
That's her purpose now.
" We're not here to live life just for ourselves. We're here for
others, " she says. " Our experiences impact other people. So, would
you like that ripple effect to be in a positive direction? One that's
life giving? Or do you want to live in a bitter-rage direction that
steals the life force from someone? "
Five years of pain and loss and sifting and starting over have
made McKinnon's answer clear: She wants to love the world to a
better place.
" I truly believe this. We can do hard things with massive
compassion. " I

8. Take a bath -

or float in a salt water
tank.

9. Nap in the
sunshine.

10. Flower bomb a friend. Anonymously
leave flowers at someone's doorstep. It makes you
both feel good!
Find more suggestions at Lindsay McKinnon's
website: soulbodyconnect.com.

MARCH/APRIL 2021 35
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