"When Warzones Come Home" - Interview with Eli Gardner

Leading With Heart

Eli Gardner is an award-winning author and military veteran who has been deployed 13 times. Eli experienced a lot in her 13 military and civilian deployments and wants to be a voice for others who experienced the same things that she did.
Eli is passionate about being a voice for veterans and conveying the emotions and realities of military life through her art. Turning trauma into something beautiful is possible and Eli encourages everyone to use the experiences they have been through for the greater good and to create beauty out of it. Those experiences are what you are meant to share with the world.
Eli will read two poems today from her book Hookah Smoke and Hellfire: Poems from War (The Desert War Collection): "Time Warp Lounge" and "Message in a Bottle.”
As humans, when we experience trauma or uncomfortable situations we tend to stuff those feelings and emotions away into a box. Today we discuss how you can only put so much into a box before they need to be dealt with. Over the past few years, Eli has finally had time to think, process, and heal which is when her books and poetry were born. Eli’s words are a powerful reminder of the beauty and pain of the military experience.
RESOURCES:
Connect with Eli on Instagram: @abrakadabraink
Buy Eli's books here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Eli-Gardner/author/B09VDZGX4M?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true
Her NEW book Rapunzel Must Die: https://www.amazon.com/Rapunzel-Must-Die-Fairytales-Collection/dp/B0CJT2TCDD/
Thanks for listening! Connect with me in the Strong and Resilient Woman Community on Facebook HERE (https://www.facebook.com/groups/yogaformilitarywomen), or on Instagram @themilitaryyogi
SHOW NOTES: https://www.christinamattisonyoga.com/blog/episode17

Connect with me in the Strong and Resilient Woman Community on Facebook HERE (https://www.facebook.com/groups/yogaformilitarywomen), or on Instagram @themilitaryyogi
More about Christina Mattison and the Leading with Heart Podcast
Hey there! I'm Christina Mattison, an Air Force Officer, yoga teacher, dedicated wife, and proud mother of two. But most importantly, I'm here as a wellness and leadership coach for women in the military. I want you to know something: It doesn't have to be this way.
I've walked in your combat boots, and I understand the chaos that often accompanies military life. But I'm here to share a powerful truth with you: You have the innate ability to transform your own life. I've personally experienced this transformation, and I've witnessed it in the lives of countless clients I've had the privilege to guide.
Welcome to the Leading With Heart podcast — your ultimate resource for discovering how to infuse joy, peace, and true success into every facet of military life.
**The views and opinions expressed within this podcast episode are those of the individual, and do not necessarily represent those of the Department of Defense or its components.