Pure Joy with Kelsey Patel

From her start in wellness with Reiki and meditation, Kelsey Patel has taken her affinity for wellness into a wider arena: Now based out of Los Angeles, CA, the North Dakota native has expanded her scope to assist women in all stages of life through a huge array of wellness modalities, as well as through her app, Pure Joy and boutique wellness hotel, Miracle Manor in Desert Hot Springs, CA .

But while she danced and was a cheerleader as a child, she wasn’t as focused on wellness. And her original career might surprise you: First, she worked in the US Senate for North Dakota Senator and Chairman of the Budget Committee, Kent Conrad, where she found she loved being part of something bigger than herself. Afterward, she joined a Fortune 500 company, working in communications. This led to eventually being burnt out, and finally finding yoga and barre classes, where she started teaching a few years later. From there, her wellness path blossomed, as she went on to open a studio herself before branching out into multiple modalities. Read on to learn more about how she went from corporate to connection below.  

SBS: What types of offerings can clients engage in, and what do you hope to offer on your social media platform? 

Kelsey J. Patel: At the moment, I am super focused on supporting women, especially moms, and helping them to feel safe in their brains and their bodies. I became a mom at age 40 and it changed so much of my work and my passion for women at all stages of life. I also started an app, called the Pure Joy App, during the pandemic, and it is really a passion for me. I want everyone to have access to simple, easy to use practices, from movement, meditation, EFT (tapping), sound to healing, all in one place. I like to have fun and share micro and macro types of support, so that's what you will see on my socials.  

SBS: How did you first find meditation and Reiki? What inspired you to become trained in them? 

KJP: I found them, or better said, they found me back in 2011. I had opened my first barre studio and had so much stress and anxiety, and they really became a strong support and foundation for me to release tension and clear stress. I had done yoga for several years prior to that and meditation (on a very small scale) was always part of that practice. 

SBS: How did that originally turn into a career path and what shape did that take? 

KJP: When I first started to learn yoga and reiki, it was for me to use only on myself. I never intended to teach it or share it publicly. I was so focused on trying to support and heal myself at that time because I had a lot of anxiety and back pain. Once I saw and felt so many incredible changes and life tools, I knew I wanted to share it to potentially help others. 

SBS: Your had a journey with mold poisoning that sounds so harrowing! How did you finally come to understand what the issue was?

KJP: It was awful. I have never been so scared or so sick in my life. I felt completely desperate. It was actually a naturopathic doctor from Amen Clinic in LA who helped me discover that the trigger for all of my symptoms was likely mold. We had found mold in our home after some heavy rains in LA that had our walls leaking. We opened the walls, not even thinking to cover the space in case of mold so we were just living in it for a few weeks. This incredible doctor and her willingness and persistence to help me find a root cause for my sudden onset of symptoms was how we discovered that I had a huge genetic allergy to mold, which was why no one else in my home was showing major symptoms like me. It was so intense, but I am also so thankful that I had my reaction because we would have never known we were living with it. 

SBS: What was the healing process like from that experience? 

KJP: So tough. That’s really the only word I can say. I was a mess. It took a long time and so many doctors and people who specialize in mold wanted me to detox but my body kept rejecting it. At one point, I had a stye on my eye for 12 weeks and it made me feel like I was going blind. It was just so much. I had a lot of love and support from family and friends and to this day: I really think that they are the ones who pulled me through it.

SBS: How has your life shifted since that experience? 

KJP: Everything has shifted. I am so much closer to myself and my desires, passion, and needs. I realized that a lot of the work I was doing before was work that other people wanted me to do. Some people don't know this, but I actually don't do Reiki sessions or client sessions any longer. I gave myself permission to do what lights me up and things feel so much easier and fun now. I love teaching, speaking, and writing. I lead movement classes and I record practices for my app. I lead retreats. I love to work on things like our boutique at the wellness hotel I own with my husband. It's called Miracle Manor in Desert Hot Springs, CA. We own a farm now and I love being there. It's just fun and brings me so much joy. 

SBS: For someone new to wellness, mediation, or Reiki, what are your top pieces of advice on integrating them into one's life? 

KJP: I think it's about starting with something that feels easy, simple, and accessible. And something that you truly want to do. It might feel hard to get started, and that's OK. I think that goes for almost anything new, but make sure it is something you really want to do. Otherwise, you're forcing it, and you won't enjoy it or want to keep going. And always trust your gut on what and with whom.

SBS: What skills and information have you taken from your past work or life into your work now? 

KJP: I trust myself. I think I doubted myself for a long time. Now, after everything I've done and all I've been through, I really listen to myself, to my body, my knowing and follow that to the finish line. 

SBS: What's your own wellness routine? 

KJP: I love nourishing myself. Whether it's through food, getting bodywork (a massage, acupuncture, a buccal facial), working out, or movement classes/weight training. I'm also a big fan of my at-home care routine. Many years ago, I bought an EMF mat, and I recently got a Celluma infrared light. I love doing them together at night to really calm my nervous system. I also love baths, warm oils, and face/hair masks. All types of care to remind myself how loved and cared for I am. Also, lots of weekly walks in nature, sometimes in silence, or sometimes being on a glorious call with a family member or best friend, or listening to a podcast. 

The best, zaniest part of being Kelsey: I love my wild, self-created dance parties and my zany hair. 

Kelsey’s SBS Mantra: I love Be Kind. You never know what someone else is going through, no matter how they look or appear. That was a big lesson for me last year while healing from mold. And, also, Be You, because I am finally fully myself and it’s so much fun! I feel so free to be me, and that is such a gift we all have access to each day from God. 

Kelsey’s LA Faves:

Healthy Restaurant: Gracefully Fed in Sherman Oaks
Splurge Restaurant: Spago and Nobu in LA 
Nightlife Spot: Sunset Tower or the Hotel Bel Air bar
Yoga Studio: I love CorePower for its consistency and the heat.
Fitness Studio: Equinox
Fun Activity: Hiking with a bestie or my husband
Calming Activity: My EMF mat or getting an amazing massage/facial 
Online Resources: My App: Pure Joy! Other than that, I do as little stuff online as possible.
Books: Hunt, Gather, Parent by Michaeleen Doucleff and Worthy by Jamie Kern Lima