Hello

Cindy's Bio

​

​I was raised in Detroit Lakes, MN and moved to Brainerd after college, where I married and raised three children. I taught writing on the university level and worked as a feature writer for several magazines. Always spiritual, I was deeply involved with evangelicalism until circumstances around me forced me to reexamine, and eventually release, my fundamentalist beliefs. After years of following dogma instead of my own deepest needs, I had no real sense of what I wanted as an individual, no dreams for my future, and no real peace. A spiritual awakening in June of 2021 resulted in a number of swift changes that rocked my world and forced me to take accountability for my own life and well-being. Those dramatic, internal shifts resulted in a divorce and a move to the St. Cloud area to rebuild a life based on who I am now.​

​

Then, I met Eric.

 

Eric has been on his own awakening journey. But despite his label as a felon--or, perhaps, because of it--his thoughtful, pragmatic and no-bullshit way of facing his past decisions was a powerful example to me of what it means to use mistakes, learn from them, heal and grow. I am constantly in awe of his self-effacing but realistic way of moving through life with hope and joy. We bought MBS in June 2023, and with the help of my bff Nancy I run the shop and spend my days interacting with our incredible customers and learn from the wide variety of spiritual paths they are on. My main means of accessing the spiritual now is through meditation, energy work, sound, nature and on working with the divine feminine. I have tremendous hope and vision for our future as a community, business and a planet!

​

Eric's Bio

MBS Introduction

 

I come to Mind, Body, and Spirit by way of a winding and difficult road encountering many hardships that were entirely self-imposed. I was formerly a psychologist. I practiced for nearly 20 years and had established a successful private practice. I was married to my wife of 25 years and we have two wonderful daughters together. I had a job and family I loved, many wonderful friends, and good social standing. However, I made choices that hurt one person directly and, by extension, hurt everyone else in my life as well. Consequently, my life changed in a sudden and severe manner.

 

In the years since my tower moment, I have wrestled with many questions. What does it mean when, without intention of malice, a person brings serious harm to everyone they love? What happens to our identities when we lose nearly every societal role used to create that identity? What does it mean to be a villain in the lives of others? How does one go about accepting that words like “abuser”, “liar”, and “cheat” apply to them? Do people have a right to craft a life of joy and meaning after such a fall? I’ve found some answers, but those answers keep evolving. What what is true for me now is subject to change. 

 

We move through life in a series of exchanges. While this process has been terrifically painful, it has borne gifts of equal measure – moments of unexpected grace, the shocking moments of intimacy that can only stem from a shared understanding of how difficult life can be, and the most surprising moments in which joy intrudes unbidden into my misery - not to mention gratitude and humility. Although there is no amount of personal growth that will ever justify the harm I’ve brought to others, I find myself constantly grateful for the lessons this experience has taught. 

 

I keep evolving and moving forward so long as I stay open and vulnerable. Physically, this means focusing on my breath. Mentally, this means remaining willfully vulnerable and genuine. Spiritually, this means recognizing that literally everything is miracle. 

 

Keeping my heart open allows me to see the fantastic array of gifts before me. Opportunities to contribute to healing and restoration both within myself and others are gifts that I hope to embrace the rest of my life. I very much hope that my contributions to Mind, Body, and Spirit and the greater St. Cloud community can serve those goals.