Meet Lynna Foster of Return To Your Wild

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lynna Foster

Hi Lynna, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am writing this from my tiny, 14ft. travel trailer I call, “Medicine Bird.” She and I have only been together less than two weeks. We’re getting acquainted and it’s certainly had its challenges, as she’s had a few leaks and I’ve had more than a few melt downs! This brand new life started just about three months ago when God forced my hand to make some very difficult life changes. I left behind a world I’d known for 30+ years and for the very first time, begin life by myself. I was born and raised a farm girl in South Dakota. Dad and mom were extremely hard workers, growing corn, raising hogs, planting truck gardens, etc. I would consider us rednecks: We lived in our fair share of trailer homes, had scroungy mutts and various other creatures roaming our dirt sidewalks, swam in the muddy irrigation canals and told racist jokes. Our home life had its fair share of dysfunction, depression, suppression and religion. I am not here to talk poorly about my past, but I am here to tell you about the love of living an authentic life. You have to have the struggle and suffering in order for there to be an emergence of new life. You must have something to believe in. For me, God has always been my source of knowing, direction and comfort, even as a child. God has gotten a bad rap but as for me, God (Wonder or Love) is the center of who I am. Justin and I married right out of high school. He was eighteen and I was nineteen. Both of us had come from similar homes and backgrounds and church life. Together, we raised two sons, Logan and Caden… and we just welcomed in a new grandson (Logan and Sarah’s) in September of 2020! It was shortly after moving to Austin in 2014 that Justin told me, “Lynna, you need to take care of you for a while. You need to go find yourself.” That was the catalyst that sparked my first awakening and transformation. That was the flame that lit me on fire and burned down everything I thought I was: The perfect church goer, obedient wife, struggling mother, hard-working employee, good girl, plainly dressed… I didn’t know how to dream nor did I have an imagination. I lived in fear of everything and everyone. I was so afraid of a God who would strike me down unless I did everything I was told. I was sick a lot and had been diagnosed throughout my life with undiagnosable ailments and autoimmune diseases. I didn’t know how to use my voice and I had never been alone. Who was I? How did one find themself? I had no clue! I started Googling and researching about ways to find out who I was.

I started with good old-fashioned counseling and reconciling with those in my past who I had treated poorly. I started journaling and writing down my prayers. I read books and poetry. I started writing poetry. I began doing things that intrigued me and caused me joy, such as tap dancing and belly dancing. I started boxing and finding my fierceness. I started healing and unpeeling the layers of who I “thought” I was. I left the church I was raised in. With each form of expression, I started to see that I was something greater and more colorful than I could have ever imagined. I started seeing myself but I didn’t like what I saw at first. I came out as gay in 2016. I was angry. How could I have not known this about myself until now? As I started laying all of the pieces out, a whole new picture started to emerge. It was not a shock to Justin, as he knew before I did. After fully accepting who I was, my health issues started easing although my life with Justin started changing. One thing that we were certain of is that we both had to live our truth, our authentic stories… and we were going to love each other no matter the path our lives would take. Fast forward to September 2020, I had my second transformation. I realized that I could no longer hush the voice of the Spirit calling me to a traveling practice/mission/ministry. I separated from Justin of 30+years, my home, my city and my old life and it has not come without some dark nights of the soul. I’ve dealt with deep depression, loneliness, and grief. However, I keep going because I have work to do. I am now traveling with my trailer to small towns around Texas. I am a licensed Massage Therapist and bodyworker. I am a guide to help people realize that their weirdness is holy; that the path to the soul is through the body and that each of us has love at our center. I do that by returning people to stillness and back to themselves through bodywork therapy and nature. The answers to who we are and why we’re here are inside each of us. All we have to do is begin.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Not at all. The most important things in life always requires the scenic route; the path with drop-offs, rock slides, and twists and turns. I’ve struggled with severe grief: the loss of a life that I thought would be forever. I’ve had to examine childhood traumas and why those keep appearing, even at this stage of my life. I’ve been challenged by others who don’t like the changes they’ve seen in me and I’ve had to learn to stand up for what is true and right and authentic for me.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I am a traveling healer. When I’m not house/pet/plant sitting in different towns, I live in Medicine Bird, my tiny 14 ft’ pull trailer. I travel with all of my supplies; massage table and chair, oils, sanitizing supplies, linens, etc. I rely heavily on word-of-mouth as I travel from town to town. I will bring my supplies to the client, unless I have a room available to me in the town, I’m in. I am a massage therapist, but I specialize in a form of bodywork called Bowenwork. Out of all modalities I’ve experienced, this type of work truly brings the body into deep relaxation and out of “fight, flight and freeze” mode. It allows the client to tap into their senses and “feel” into the body. When I work with a client, often my body will take on the energy patterns of the body that I’m working with – allowing me to sense where stuck energies might be. I am here to help return women and men back to stillness. It is from that place, where discovery of the original core self originates. People who have suffered trauma, have difficulty in expressing emotion, or have a hard time slowing down, often become disconnected from themselves. I believe the way to the soul is through the body and I do this through guided experience in nature, writing, art, movement and bodywork; returning you back to all of your wondrous senses and helping you return to your wild, beautiful self.

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
Justin Foster (fosterthinking.com) – my beloved friend and partner for 30 years. He has shown me so much love and support by accepting me for who I am. He believes in my mission and has encouraged me to keep going and reminds me of the bigger picture of what I’m here to do. My family – our two sons and daughter-in-law. have always encouraged me to be true to who I am. My sister, Leah has been one of my biggest fans and supports. And I have many amazing friends who have walked beside me through some of my darkest and brightest days.

Contact Info:

• Email: lynna@returntoyourwild.com
• Website: returntoyourwild.com
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/returntoyourwild
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/returntoyourwild or https://www.facebook.com/lynnafoster/
• Other: https://medium.com/@lynnadeboerfoster