The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 41

SACIL
ARMSTRONG
OWNER OF ART AND BEING / ARTBEINGVA.COM

Sacil Armstrong, a self-care coach who teaches and heals through art
and energy work, says that true self-care is "creating a life that you
don't need to escape from."
S he cer tainl y knows the
importance of self-care. Keeping
stress levels down through
meditation, art and journaling
helps her manage her chronic pain
and navigate life, which is why she
is so passionate about helping
others use these tools to mitigate
the stress and pain in their lives-
so they can be happier and more
productive. You wouldn't know it
by her infectious smile or bubbly
personality, but she suffers from
chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia.
Both create serious pain and it
is hard for her to walk or wear
clothes sometimes due to her
invisible illnesses that she says
many people don't understand
since they can't see that something
is wrong.
Armstong, 45, is an artist
w h o g re w u p i n Ne w p o r t
News and studied at Virginia
Commonwealth Universit y.
S h o r t l y b e f o re m o v i n g t o
Roanoke five years ago, she
became a certified Zentangle
coach. Zentangle is a form of
TheRoanoker.com

meditative artwork based on
certain patterns. She teaches art,
journaling, meditation and selfdiscovery exercises in her online
self-awareness course, Possibilities
and Purpose. The course is
designed to lead participants to
their top three core values and
personal mission statement.
"I help people with stress
management and self-awareness.
The reason I like to do that is
once you are more aware of your
core values, it's easier to make
decisions and say yes or no,"
Armstrong says.
In her life, this means being
mindful about resting when it
is time to rest, being productive
when it is time and being happy
now. "And it is always now!" she
exclaims. One thing she does to
stay upbeat is listen to all kinds
of music and dance.
She worked with Mental
Health America and various
corporations to incorporate
meditation into their places of
business. Corporate classes are

tailored to the company and often
include components of stressmanagement, communication and
conflict resolution.
"Art helps move out of habit
into a new space of awareness,"
Armstrong notes. "It can enhance
brainstorming and creativity."
Creative thinking and
problem-solving skills contributed
to her success in public relations,
marketing and special events
planning. As a community activist
with Lead and Seed, she helped
reduce crime in a high-crime and
poverty-ridden neighborhood by
bringing residents, CEOs and
business managers together to
collaborate on initiatives. She
taught people they have the power
to change their community, that
they are bigger than they think
and have more power than they
realize. "Stop living down to other
people's expectations and up to
your potential," she encourages
them.
And she continues to empower
people to do just that.
MARCH/APRIL 2018

41
http://www.ARTBEINGVA.COM http://www.TheRoanoker.com
The Roanoker - March/April 2018

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