Asa Stratton, MBA, MSM, lives on the Gulf of Mexico and hails from New Orleans, Louisiana. He is a rugby player, artist, writer, and military veteran. For over twenty years now, he has studied communication and philosophy, utilizing team culture as a vehicle to serve others. He has helped his community overcome trauma and find inspiration. His thrust area is healing via the practice of various art therapies such as storytelling, live music, painting, writing, and other creative arts that focus on “healing by doing.”
Asa faced trauma firsthand several times in his personal life. His mother separated from his father when he was only seven years old. At the time she left, taking her children, including him, with her, a recurrent nightmare used to hound him. It involved his family traveling in their camper and him falling out of it by the pond near his home. Just before waking up, he would vividly remember being faced with two alligators intent on dragging him into the pond. But he dealt with his nightmare the only way he knew how. He stuffed his feelings deep within his being and moved on. Tragedy again struck when his elder cousin, whose family they were staying with, passed away from leukemia at the age of ten. Asa was in a house trapped in his own skin, knowing that the family with whom he was staying could not mourn the death of their son owing to his presence.
Asa eventually moved to college, played collegiate rugby, worked at a radio station, performed in stage plays, did bit parts in feature films, fell in love, and joined the United States Marine Corps (USMC), graduating in the top 5% among 500 marines from Marine Combat Training (MCT). He was deployed twice and became accustomed to the sounds of flash bombs, rocket blasts, and small arms fire. He was also meritoriously promoted twice in a combat zone. Running parallel to his personal life was his marriage to a person who, unknown to him, had Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD). His ex-wife’s moods swung between engaging in destructive dialogue, throwing silverware at him, and slapping and punching him. Worst of all, she took his two beloved sons with her and prevented Asa from contacting them.
Initially, Asa set out to “make it work.” But as his commanding officer once told him, the tactic he was proposing was like “a wrench-turner on a jet”—he could only turn the bolt so tight until he simply had to let it go. Asa learned that holding onto his anger was not the key, but letting go was indeed the answer. Once he made the gentle commitment to himself to bring him back to the center, he sought to connect with himself and find his place in the universe. Looking inward, he realized that he was exactly where he needed to be at that moment in time. He felt empowered by his deliberate intention to find bliss, and it ultimately paved the way for a satisfied life.
His search for a more balanced approach to healing led him to discover effective somatic (body) healing therapies that integrated an awareness of thought. He realized how potentially potent this combination of body + mind techniques could be if implemented in life.
Asa writes this book hoping to inspire people to live to their fullest potential. His mission is to engage with people to help them overcome trauma, find genuine purpose in life, and live a deeply satisfying life. Awaken Your Mind & Body is about shifting one’s awareness to a more balanced, purposeful, and meaningful life path. It includes a holistic and well-rounded resolution to overcoming your darkest fears and overthinking with a powerful and deliberate mindset that originates from your awareness, empowering your intention to act.
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