How a Spinal Injury Taught Me the Power of a Daily Practice
Picture this: It’s Friday night, and I’m playing lacrosse for fun after my college D1 career ended. As I go to catch the ball, I stretch a little too far and hear a pop. I catch the ball, shoot and score but know that something isn’t right.
There is a deep pain in my back. I go to the sidelines and sit the rest of the game out. When I go home, I take some painkillers and go to bed, thinking that everything will be fine in the morning.
Boy, was I wrong…
I try to go to the bathroom, but immediately collapse on the floor.
MaryBeth gasps!
I was crooked. The top half and lower half of my spine are literally in two separate positions. It felt like someone was stabbing me in my spine with an icepick.
Every few steps, I fell to the ground in pain. MaryBeth rushed me to the ER.
They checked to make sure I didn’t have internal bleeding, gave me some prescription pain killers, muscle relaxers, and sent me on my way.
When MaryBeth begged them to tell me lacrosse was unsafe for me, the doctors laughed and said I was young and in good shape, so I would be fine in a few days.
Something with that didn’t sit right with me, so I went to a specialist. After tests, the doctor diagnosed me with spinal stenosis and degenerative disc disease.
He said the X-ray looked like I had the spine of a 70-year-old with this disease (I was in my late 20s). And that I should expect multiple surgeries, a list of prescriptions, and potentially life in a wheelchair.
Well, that was a wake-up call…
I knew that wasn’t for me, and my heart knew that there had to be another way.
You see, when I was a kid growing up, I watched my grandmother slowly deteriorate and die in the hospital in pain after breaking her hip.
I can still vividly remember going to physical therapy with her and her screaming and yelling that she didn’t want me to see her that way.
That was one of the milestone moments that instilled my value of Health. I did not want the “sickcare” system in the US to be the one in charge of my healing. I never wanted to end up in a hospital if I could help it.
So, I went into deep research mode to find out how I could heal without having to have a bunch of back surgeries. Including what some of the richest people in the world did with this disease, where money wasn’t an object.
What I found was a wealth of holistic methods, daily practices and lifestyle changes that were scientifically proven to work.
One of the surprising top recommendations? Meditation. It was proven to restore tissue around the spine. ?
I was a frequent listener to Tim Ferriss’ podcast, where he would interview high performers, and something like 80% of them cited meditation as a key factor in reaching their greatest potential.
I thought that “should” be something I do to increase my productivity. But I never realized that it could also support my physical healing…
Research shows that meditation can have a positive impact on both the physiological and psychological aspects of healing, such as:
- ?Reduce inflammation
- ✌️Lower stress levels
- ?️Boost immune function
- ?Improve brain neuroplasticity
- ❤️?Reduce pain
- ?Accelerate tissue repair
- ?Improve mental well-being
- ?Improve focus
- ?Build emotional resilience
- ?️Reduce fear and anxiety
So, I started making meditation a daily practice and implementing other holistic lifestyle changes.
After a couple of months, I went back to my doctor for new X-rays, and he was blown away.
He thought he had the wrong file because, without any medical intervention, my spine had regrown the cartilage that was missing and was looking like a normal, healthy spine again.
And I have been meditating and living a more holistic lifestyle ever since.
When I first started meditating, I found it a bit difficult to establish a daily practice.
I was recommended to start with twice-daily sessions, 20 minutes at a time. That was a big jump for me. And I really struggled with slowing down my racing mind.
It was a tough start, and I’m all about building new practices slowly. For example, if I were just doing pull-ups for the first time, I wouldn’t try to do 100. I would start with a couple and then build up.
Because what I learned is that meditation is a daily practice. It is a muscle you build, just like you build your muscles in the gym.
You don’t just go to the gym once and then expect to get stronger and stay that way.
You build a consistent daily practice to do that, and you get stronger each day.
That’s exactly why we created The DailySpark—to support you in building a meaningful wellness practice for your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health.
If you know it’s time to prioritize your well-being, but the thought of adding one more thing to your already-full plate feels stressful – THIS IS FOR YOU!
I’ve been there. I know what it’s like to be forced into a wake-up call that makes you rethink everything. To realize your health can’t wait for “someday.” That you don’t want to rely on painkillers or push through burnout just to survive the day.
The DailySpark is a 2–3 minute micro-dose of well-being you can enjoy over your morning coffee, during your commute, or while still lying in bed. Designed to be doable—even on your busiest days.
Because most people don’t have time for two 20-minute meditation sessions a day. But 2–3 minutes? You can absolutely make that happen.
You’ll go from frazzled to focused—one soul snack at a time.
? Here’s what you’ll get delivered directly to your inbox every morning, 365 days a year:
- ?♀️ Weekday 2–3 minute guided meditations to build your daily practice
- ? Weekend 5–10 minute meditations for deeper reflection and support
- ?️ A LIVE 1-hour manifestation practice + Q&A each month with me and MaryBeth
- ✍️ Daily affirmations + reflection prompts to shift your mindset
- ? Thoughtfully crafted to help you embody your values—not just think about them
That’s a full year of soul-centered support—bite-sized, consistent, and grounded in real-life healing.
Just $10/month or $100/year.
✨ Ready to take the first step on your own healing journey—without waiting for a breakdown or a life-threatening diagnosis?
? Join The DailySpark Now
It’s not about doing more. It’s about doing what actually works.
And sometimes, the most lasting healing doesn’t come from big, dramatic changes—it comes from small, consistent choices that remind you:
Your health matters. Your peace matters. You matter.
You don’t need hours; you just need a spark.
And The DailySpark is here to give you exactly that.
PS
Check out what our current members are saying:
- “It is so helpful getting this directly in my inbox instead of trying to find something on the internet. It makes it so much easier to actually do it”. – Ryan J
- “I’m definitely caught in a strong work “current” this week. Your meditations have been so helpful in bringing me back to the present moment and reminding me what’s really important in my life.” – Kim G
- “I needed the slow down to speed up today. I was feeling frantic about the day. Now, I am feeling stronger and ready to take on the day. TY!” – Carrie N
- “This was exactly what I needed this morning. I’ve been struggling with sleep, and this meditation really helped me shift my energy and mood today!” – Amanda H
- “I needed that in this moment, thank you ?. Also…I did it with my eyes open while in the car, in traffic, late for a class. So I really needed it.” – Steph S
- “Loved this! Exactly what I needed to hear today. Enjoyed how short, simple, powerful it was & I can come back to daily.” – Alisha S
- “So amazing what rich content & such valuable teaching you shoehorned into just 120 seconds… genius MaryBeth. More please.” – Tom E
- “I’ve listened to this mediation about 10 times this week! It really speaks to me and calms my mind. It will continue to be my “go-to mediation” when I’m feeling overwhelmed.” – Kim S
- “Short and sweet morning pep-talk! I love the part about falling out of alignment with your core values, forgive yourself and start over again, no judgment. ??” – Julia A
- “Very powerful, quick practice. I loved it! Thanks ???” – Barb H
