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Meet Jule Harle
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My Story |
Originally an Iowa native, I ventured to Alaska to escape unhealthy lifestyle & mental patterns and to experience real wilderness in 2007. I struggled with severe anxiety, depression, poor body image, disorderly eating, substance abuse and other addictive & self-destructive tendencies. In pursuit of personal wellness, I finished a B.A. in Counseling Psychology in 2009 from Alaska Pacific University; I knew wanted to somehow support people on their journey towards health and happiness as I began figuring out mine. With a sense of adventure and real love for being in wild places, I began guiding wilderness backpacking, rafting and sea kayaking trips for different outfitters throughout the state. I worked with teenagers in wilderness therapy programs, took children on weekend trips, and guided adults on longer expeditions. I found that simply spending time in nature was transformative and healing by itself... however, being out in the elements can physically and mentally take its toll on your body.
I started regularly practicing yoga in 2005 as a way to restore and strengthen my body; it felt good to move with my breath and gave me energy for my Alaskan adventures. I was drawn to many styles: Hatha, Vinyasa, Iyengar, Bikram, Kundalini, Ashtanga- I liked & drew something from all of them. A few years later, I experienced some major unfortunate life changing events (as we all do) that prompted further self-reflection and a desire to feel whole again. I ended up traveling to India in 2011; with aspirations of becoming a yoga teacher, I completed a 200 hr YTT in Rishikiish. Living in an Ashram for 2 months immersed in a yogic lifestyle helped shed light on my mental turmoil while yoga's more subtle aspects were revealed. The transition from my Himalayan paradise back to "real life" took some getting used to, but I was excited to teach yoga and share what I learned from my experience. I continued seasonally guiding in the summers so I could ski, travel, practice and teach yoga throughout the winter. India called again in 2013; I returned back to the ashram lifestyle to complete a 300 hr YTT with my same teachers. Again, I was impressed at how great my body felt, how still my mind was, and how much peace I found within myself from a regular asana, mantra, pranayama and meditation routine. I was deep in my practice one morning when I experienced the first of many "a-ha!" moments that helped me feel true peace, contentment, appreciation & understanding for everything around me- both good and bad. I thought, "I need to share this goodness with others!" I see myself as a lifelong learner- everyone and everything are my teachers. I began studying and implementing the healing art of Ayurveda into my life as I continued graduate studies in Mental Health Counseling at U.A.A. I completed my graduate level intern hours with Set Free Alaska, an outpatient treatment facility working with adults who struggle with addictions and co-occurring disorders in 2015. I studied Ayurveda with Amanda Lyon at Spirit Path Yoga & Wellness & became an Ayurvedic Health Counselor (AHC) with the National Association of Ayurvedic Medicine (NAMA) that same year. Since 2013, I've completed over 1700 hours of Ayurveda Education & Clinical Supervision, becoming a Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner (CAP) in 2018. I have training in pulse diagnosis, tongue diagnosis, physical & mental examinations to help determine patient Prakruti (consistution) & Vikruti (imbalances). I've been offering Ayurvedic Counseling & Mental Health services since 2016; during Covid I also began offering tele-health services. In 2018 I trained in EMDR (Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) to further enhance my toolbox in helping people work through and reprocess past traumas, life experiences and to reconstruct healthy neural networks, belief systems and thought patterns. I had been exploring plant medicine recreationally & spiritually since college, however the power of using these tools in a ceremonial context & with intentions for healing began in 2019. I've since spent extensive periods of time in Peru exploring traditional uses of entheogenic plants native to the Amazonian jungle. I believe my dharma, or life purpose, is to help others work through their physical and mental struggles as they pursue health and wellness in their bodies, minds and souls. I have seen in myself and those around me the amazing benefits that Yoga, Ayurveda & nature have to offer. While I continue counseling, teaching & sharing I prioritize keeping a daily yoga & meditation practice alongside with Ayurvedic self-care routines & spending time outside in Alaska so that I can offer my highest good and service to those around me. I'm a life long student, learner & seeker- ancient wisdom from yoga, ayurveda, nature, medicinal plants intentional living & holistic health continue to fascinate me. I've witnessed firsthand how these transformational practices and approaches to life can help create your "best self." Nothing brings me more joy than sharing these practices via yoga classes, workshops, trainings & retreats or 1 on 1 counseling sessions. During the summer I own & operate the Alaska Packraft School: www.alaskapackraft.com. I've found such profound joy & healing by spending time on Alaska's wild rivers & exploring our wild mountain terrain via it's waterways. Ayurveda regards water as the element that "holds, houses & transforms emotions." This resonates with my deeply as I spend most of my summer months on the water helping people safely access & enjoy river experiences in my home. :) |
"Service is not possible unless it is rooted in love and non-violence. The best way to find yourself is to
lose yourself in the service of others." -Gandhi
lose yourself in the service of others." -Gandhi