Haitai! I’m Stephanie Ermel ✌
I am an educator, mother, fitness fanatic, outdoor enthusiast, and third-culture kid. I was born on the Blue Zone of Okinawa, Japan then spent my early childhood years in Taiwan, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Okinawans are the indigenous peoples of Japan + we are the longest-living people on earth. Sharing our secrets is my ikigai, my life’s work.
Okinawan women are the spiritual leaders of our culture, which is an integral part of our health + happiness. My professional background is in Early Childhood Education (B.S. and M.Ed in Early Childhood Education and Special Education Endorsement) and I have over 20 years of experience in early childhood.
As the great-granddaughter of a shaman, my life purpose is in helping people stay grounded by honoring their bodies the Okinawan way. I am deeply connected to my studies, work, and play – I look forward to sharing this with you!
What do healthy habits + early childhood have to do with one another?
early childhood Subconscious Programming
Ages 0-8 is when a child’s subconscious programming is being set. What children witness + therefore “normalize” ages 0-8 becomes the template that runs 95-99% of their adult lives. This is why my work focuses on establishing healthy habits during these formative years and creating lasting change for future generations.
Whether you’re 5 or 95, the habits that promote health + happiness are the same. Feeling safe in our bodies requires consistent routines around our activities of daily living.
reparenting yourself
As adults we can consciously choose to unlearn the patterns from our childhood that no longer serve us, and grow new muscles. Reparenting is the process of creating new neural pathways by establishing habits that support your spiritual, mental, physical health.
With an awareness of your personal history + consistency, you can change your relationship with food, movement, rest, stress, your passions, and connection with yourself, nature, + others.