SPECIAL GIVEAWAY: a Spot in the Life-Changing E-Course Inside-Out!

Going Gluten-free and transitioning from the feeling “helpless,” “lost,” and even though some of those 7 stages of grieving that are associated with a loss, is hard. Sometimes just the journey from being sick and trying to figure out why is it’s own struggle as we see with so many gluten-free bloggers. Then, even when we find the answer, sometimes we still deny. One of my favorite bloggers, Heidi from Adventures of a GlutenFree Mom describes herself as a “recovering gluten-cheater” and admits she cheated for three years. Other people, like myself, feel so helpless they give up cooking and just don’t what or how to eat. They know it makes them sick, but they feel lost. So, what tools exist for a person life to help them transition from that grieving or survival stage (in anything), to taking control of their lives, accepting their situation and loss, and turning their own life changes into helping others like Elana Amsterdam, going back to what they love to do like Jules Shepard from JulesGlutenFree, finding ways to help others learn to migrate this gluten-free maze like The Celiac Diva or becoming alive like The Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef?

Each blogger has their own story of what helped them (and please visit their sites to learn about them, how they started and went though their journey. They are incredible strong women who have “passed through” to the other side.) What helped me make that transition from survival to becoming more alive and beginning to define my own journey was an e-course I took last summer called Inside Out with by Shannon Kinney-Duh blogger of Free Spirit Knits. I know I’m still small fry in this blogging world, but I’ve started to blog and this class pushed me from saying, “One day” to actually sitting down and writing on some days.

I found out about this class from a blogger and friend Hip Mountain Mama who focuses on wonderful eco-friendly products and ideas. The “Inside Out Course” is a self paced 5 week e-course that helps people become bold explorers of their life – where they remember what’s really important and discover dreams that matter most. InsideOut helps shine a light on those inner dreams and bring them back to the surface so you can live more fully, boldly and freely (all while enriching your creativity…) And the best part is you can do it in the comfort of your own home, on your own schedule and pace while connecting to an amazing community of other life-explorers.

Shannon posts blog and art assignments every day. She helps you ask questions and find things out about yourself that you may have forgotten in the mess and craziness of day-to-day life– especially in the midst of traumas, being so ill you’re happy to make it through another day, life change, having kids, etc. Shannon is a mother herself and talks about finding balance. I’m no artist and struggled with those assignments the most, yet toward the end, I became more comfortable with the projects, and learned a lot about myself. I realized how much fear I truly carry with me, how much perfectionism is in me, etc. Even though this painting is silly, I played for the first time in ages and even discovered that I was stuck in my life – because I was doing the same pattern over and over in my painting.

InsideOut is self-paced and you only share what you want to the with the online community.

Rediscovering the things I found important

The community built over 5 weeks is supportive for those either trying to face the transitions or changes they need to make in their lives, or deal with and get through the transitions are occurring. The different assignments helped me find myself again. After 5 years of being a mom with two intense kids, being ill for years more than 10 years, and learning how to heal from that physically and mentally I needed something help me get myself unstuck from having “conditions” and “diseases” to being me and changing these challenges and struggles. I no longer wanted to let my conditions and circumstances define my existence. In this class, I remembered the things that had been important to me: things that resonated and healed my soul. I rediscovered values that I held dear, but had lost. I learned to stop and enjoy my children more, and I found an outlet for myself in my blog. I also found the courage I needed to deal with things in my life that were in a downward spiral and needed to change for my children and family.

Wow, I do have goals and things I want to do!

InsideOut helped me carve out time for myself, for my own thoughts, and begin to deal with the buried emotions of things I’d been through over the past 5-10 years, but had never dealt with.

When it came around again in the spring, I found myself taking it again, this time enjoying the art assignments I’d resisted in the first session last summer. Even though I only got through about 2 1/2 weeks of the 4 week course because we found out we were moving, it also helped me work though those feelings of grief that come with moving and begin accepting the move would be okay and stepping outside of where we were would be a new adventure.

Shannon is adventurous herself and helps coach the spirit of fear out of people. Between the community that is built in the class (online), Shannon’s journal questions to answer, art to process through and personal coaching if needed, Shannon wants to help people become “bold explorers of their lives.” I had wanted to blog for three years, and I started this blog thanks to the prompting of my class and Shannon. I also started exploring baking and playing with Gluten-free cooking, especially playing with another favorite blogger’s recipes from Elana’s Pantry. Before the class I simply stuck to the same meals and mixes. Once I took the class, I became a more bold explorer of the “gluten-free world.” It was also in this class where I learned how much I want to help people find their way in gluten-free living. I found what was important to me, and where I’d let my values be compromised. I also started to open the doors to what in my life wasn’t working, was making me unhappy, and what I needed to do.

InsideOut is back and bigger than ever. Shannon has added an extra week, (my class was 4) new projects and guided meditations to help us become who we want to be and move through the things in life that get us stuck. She has generously offered a spot to one of my readers for this upcoming class! I’m so excited that I get to give this incredible gift to one of my readers because of how much this class has changed my life. I know I have new readers struggling through these stages of grief in the gluten-free cycle…whether you are in denial and still cheating, angry, or at a “functioning but that’s about it stage.” Some of you have embraced the gluten-free life, but might want to make that next stage in your life whether it’s transition to starting a business, getting your product out there, or needing to make decisions that will be hard but necessary. Some of you have been able to “do the gluten-free thing at home, but have lost intolerant and understanding friends in the process.” This class helped me in my gluten-free journey, but it also helped my family. Even if you’re not gluten-free, but have something you need to help yourself explore and you found out about this class because you saw the giveaway, that’s awesome. Enter the drawing!

This is going to be a quick giveaway because the class starts soon, so please help get the word out for this class with FB, twitter, pingbacks, etc! I’ll be picking the winner sometime after 12 PM Tuesday Sept 6. Entries must be in before 12pm MST!

Information on the class: The Inside Out course starts September 12th and runs for 5 weeks. You can see specific information on this link:FreeSpirit Knits. It runs $99. Please contact Shannon if you have questions.

Giveaway Details
One VERY lucky reader (I’m paying for my spot so VERY lucky reader) will get to take the class at no cost. Here’s how you enter– please read these rules b/c in the last giveaway people retweeted and followed me on twitter, but never put it in the comments. Since I use a random generator and pull a numbered post, without your entry on the comment page, you won’t actually get entered!

MANDATORY:Respond with one thing you hope this class could help you attain in yourself.
Optional but highly recommended each comment gets a separate entry

Like my Facebook page (I’ve just created a new page) The GlutenFree Advocate and comment that you did

Share this article from my FB page with either your readers if you’re a GlutenFree Blogger or your friends – come back and comment that you did! (Do not try to enter on FB!)

Follow me (@GFAdvocate) on Twitter AND tweet the following: “Exciting #giveaway from @GFAdvocate and @FreeSpiritKnits Inside out E-course starts soon http://wp.me/p10fnB-aS!” – comment you did for your entry

Follow Shannon @FreeSpiritKnits on twitter (add you comment!!)

Mention this article on your blog and create a “pingback” – (add your comment w/ your blog so you can get some love too!)

Mention any other articles from my on your blog with the pingback -(and add your comment here that you did) (many seem to be interested right now if Gluten can be in lipstick or body care and why that would affect them, so you might check the article “Are your Lipstick and Conditioner Making you Sick?” out to start!

I only have one spot to giveaway, so even if you aren’t the winner, consider taking this class or giving the class to someone you know could use it. It WILL change your life! And it’s a great chance re-gather yourself.

This is open to ANYONE interested – not just gluten-free friends, and not just the US. Shannon has had participants from 15 countries now, so please, enter and share etc. It’s a great place to be with people who are all working on themselves and trying to become more bold in their lives. I am so thankful and honored that she’s willing to give a spot to one of my readers.

Thank you for reading and I wish you lots of luck because this is going to be fun! Hopefully I’ll see a few of you in the class!