our story

Hello. 

Thanks for visiting us. 🙂 

There are so many interesting people on this road, each on our own path to wellness. As these paths cross, we have the opportunity to foster community, share ideas, grow and be well together. 

Not long ago, I kept to myself on this journey. While I still treasure my solitude, I've also come to appreciate the sharing and receiving of experiences, good and bad, from the hierarchy of life in all its forms.

We are all different. Some travelers observe for awhile and some move quickly. Some move along and try to ignore the obstacles they meet along the way—especially those they found unpleasant, particularly those causing an unexpected confrontation with self. Some folks dwell on those stops so intensely that they don't realize they are standing still. Unaware of other travelers or their own direction. Some are immersed so deeply that they only see the moment they are in as the world evolves around them. They get tied to a particular moment and the emotion of it, so much so that they can't remember anything else. They exist there.

Candidly, I was one of those still travelers viewing life, people and environment through a frozen lens of static emotion, casting shadows, obscuring the gifts and bounty of life and friendship. My health deteriorated. My steps were driven by anger; I was empty inside. While holding an external pretense of happiness, the weight of anger numbed my senses, even as it served as fuel for my professional successes—real or perceived. 

It wasn't until my sixth pulmonary embolism—three of which were referred to as a "Saddle" due to the embolus straddling where the lungs and pulmonary arteries connect—that I realized that happiness and success are little more than perception. I began to understand that being happy, healthy and whole was more than just vegetables and exercise. It was also, and more importantly, a value of self and a relaxation of focus on things that society teaches us are important to chase and achieve. I began to evolve. This epiphany allowed me to realize the only validation I need is my own; it is okay to be whatever or whoever I am. This understanding allowed me to forgive myself for things that I had been afraid to confront or admit. I had and have no obligation to do, be, or achieve what others expect. Finally, I could stop striving and be okay with a modest and positive existence, if that is what the universe has in mind for me. 

This is true freedom, I think, for everyone. There is no measure but one's own internal appreciation or better yet, embrace of the joy of existence.

Thus we arrive at  "Arc of Alchemy." A philosophy of wellness in a holistic sense. One that brings together the best parts of historic wisdom and modern science to create a fusion of self that can't be reduced by external pressures or self doubt. The whole can be "Greater than the sum of its parts."

Arc of Alchemy is my resulting desire to share my experiences in hopes that you may find something that helps you in your journey towards wellness.

“Wellness is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” – The World Health Organization 

Doesn't sound so simple Huh 🤔 . . . Arc of Alchemy however, believes that it is. Well, . . . except for the effort 🙂 

The pursuit of wellness is different for everyone but we think it has something in common for all.    

1. The desire and decision to be well 
2. A commitment to your own health and happiness 
3. The discipline and patience to achieve your goal    

Wellness is a lifelong commitment to yourself to live a long life. It's something you have to do everyday, day-after-day and like any other machine, your critical systems (mind, body, spirit) have to be maintained to keep you happy, healthy and whole.  Thus, our mission is to foster community, share ideas, grow and be well together. We hope to build a neighborhood of like minds by offering a platform of information, quality organic and natural products, inspiration, motivation and the occasional shoulder to help you find your smile and thrive.  

"Health is a state of body. Wellness is a state of being" 

 — J. Standford