Self defense is a big focus for Lori Lara, but it hardly does her story or her vision justice. Lori is on a mission to teach girls – and their moms – about self love and trusting our intuition. Our conversation goes deep, and we talk about the most important thing: taking notice of ourselves, and going back for ourselves.
Lori feels a God-given calling to empower girls through her self-defense and empowerment teaching. But it didn’t come easy. Lori has walked a long road of trauma, healing, seeking God, and truly discovering herself and the value she brings to the world.
I am most impressed by Lori’s story of healing. It would be easy to assume that a woman who has been affected by trauma, would be in self defense because she wants to avenge her situation. But her mission actually comes from such a healthy place. She explains that it’s not just about throat punching, but about protecting what we truly value.
We talk about boundaries, forced affection, and how to really trust your intuition. Lori also gives practical examples of how we can being to value ourselves and uncover our own self worth.
Second only to her relationship with God, Lori has credited counseling and therapy for her victories. You can learn more about the therapy that we talk about, EMDR therapy, in the show resources below.
Lori talks about a practice that I could really learn from. She tells us about being able to handle other people’s awkwardness; their hurt feelings when we make a boundary clear. Women tend to be nurturers, and we have that “thing” that makes us want everyone to feel good. When it comes to boundaries, that is not our job. I get so excited over this subject, but I have a long way to go, too!
Lori’s teachings are invaluable to our young girls AND to us moms. There is so much to learn here, and I really hope you are able to connect with Lori after hearing this show!