Hi! I'm Annette
I'm the Founder of Song for Annie
I am a mystic, a writer, cancer survivor and thriver. My husband and I live in downtown Saint Paul with our cat in beautiful Minnesota; we are transplants from Wisconsin.
I was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in January 2020, right before the start of the pandemic. As you can imagine, this was a very difficult time. It was incredibly isolating and I lost some mobility because of weekly treatment in the beginning. I've been through numerous treatment regimens and had a recurrence in 2022 that led me to seek treatment at Mayo Clinic in Rochester.
Throughout this path I have held on to my healing intentions, learning about our bodies' innate ability to heal itself.
I have been wading into the deep end of the healing pool. Through the healing modalities I have been exploring, I am discovering better quality of life and the freedom to discover who I am. I'm excited to share what has been working for me with the hope that I can inspire other people learn how to thrive and enjoy life, despite a cancer diagnosis, serious health condition or disability.
In 2022 I started going around the Andean Medicine Wheel with Coleen (CoCo) Elwood of Peace Medicine in a two-year training. That began to stoke a fire of deep interest into the Andean Shamanism of South America.
In 2023 I studied with Dr. Alberto Villoldo through The Four Winds Association and in 2024 I'm studying with Thomas Hubl, author of attuned Practicing Interdependence to Heal Our Trauma-and Our World.
I am still integrating all that I learned these last few years and digesting what I am learning this year.
Why did it take a cancer diagnosis for me to see my health and life in a holistic, "whole-person" approach? Why did my WHOLE life have to fall apart so I could "find myself" and finally learn about Shamanism, something that interested me since I was a teenager? Stay tuned for answers to these questions and more.
I'm not sure where this journey is taking me, but I'm here for the long haul. I'm holding a new vision of how good life can be not just for myself but for the world (and the earth) if we each find our own point of balanced wellbeing. I hope there is something here that will inspire you to find your sweet spot of balanced, heart-focused living!
Oh, and by the way, Song for Annie is actually a truly sweet song my husband wrote for me when we lived in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Click on The Song For Annie page for a link to the recording.
Thanks for visiting and reading my story.
Explore Wellbeing With Me
Insight Timer App
In the future I plan to record some guided meditations, but in the meantime, I cannot recommend the Insight Timer App enough! There are so many great meditations. You can sort through all the offerings easily to find exactly what you are looking for. Go ahead, find your favorite!
Learning how to thrive is a daily practice
If you have cancer, a disability or a serious health condition, you may want to consider including acupuncture in your treatment plan, working with a naturopathic doctor or functional medicine doctor or nutritionist, standard western medicine (do I need to mention that?), having a counselor and physical therapist and perhaps even a marriage counselor. Whew! I know, it's a lot. But, the more people you have in your court the better you are going to do, in my opinion.
Reiki is another healing modality I've been delving into that has great potential for healing (hello light body). Meditation and forest bathing must also get a shout out as well as focusing on clean and healthy eating.
What's worked for me might not work for you. Our physiologies are all different. Our genetics are all different. Our family histories are different. We each need to find our very own "sweet spot" of living a grounded life, in balance with the earth, our community, our heart, our body, mind and spirit. That's what this journey is really about, finding that balanced center point where we feel our best and enjoy life, living from our heart.
When we live from our heart we can experience greater ease, more peace and calm in our lives. But don't take my word for it, check out the Heart Math Institute for all the details!