I’m Devon Ray Battaglia and writing “About” pages makes me itchy. I dislike conformity and the standard “About” page system. I’d much rather sit with you over tea and talk for hours about life’s mysteries (#INFJ) than write quirky little musings “About” me, so we’re just going to get right into the meat of it all. Grab some tea. Let’s get real.

Today, among many things, I am an Integrative Health Expert & Teacher, Ayurvedic Health Advisor, Holistic Coach, & the founder of The InnerSpark Method. I am fiercely committed to living from my InnerSpark and guiding others in doing the same.

Sounds sexy, but what does that mean? Stick with me.

I know it may seem like I “just woke up this way,” however, that couldn’t be farther from the truth, beloved.

For much of my early life, I was on an endless quest to “fix” myself.

I’m as deep-feeling, sensitive, intuitive, and empathic as they come – and I’ve always felt deeply flawed because of it.

Before I was able to see my high sensitivity as a superpower and not a curse, I walked through my daily life always feeling like there was something deeply and fundamentally wrong with me – no matter what I did.

The truth is, for most of my life, I was sleepwalking and doing my best to stay numbed.

I thought life would always feel like something to “get through,” and that I’d never get to be “one of them” – a phrase I secretly coined to describe those seemingly happy, well-adjusted, free-flowing women I envied.

I felt drained, emotionally overwhelmed, physically unwell, and like things were too loud, too fast, too much. Alcohol and food were my way of coping with the burdens of my high sensitivity.

No matter what aspect of my life, I believed if I could finally just get it all “right enough” and be “tougher,” that it would be like flipping a switch and I’d finally just be happy and well-adjusted… And of course, I thought that the next “expert,” or protocol, or program I sought would finally be the “answer” and I’d have that life changing “awakening”…
 
I still felt totally lost, overwhelmed, frustrated, anxious, and exhausted. And often, my high sensitivity felt even more out of control as a result!

Any of these sound familiar? I can check the box on them all.

  • Feeling like the world is too loud, too fast, and I am too sensitive, introverted, and weird to have what I need or want
  • Needing help, and being too ashamed to ask for it
  • Feeling small, awkward, uncomfortable, misunderstood, and like no one “gets” me
  • Fearing my power and femininity because I didn’t trust myself to know how to “handle” it
  • Struggling to just like myself, loving myself sounded absurd
  • Seeking countless “answers,” “fixes,” and “protocols” and “experts”
  • Hating my body and watching health problems surface, which fueled more disdain in a vicious cycle
  • Feeling “too much” and “not enough” at the same time
  • Denying myself from living my purpose

Above all, looking back, I was craving to be grounded into something real, wild, and magical.

Shortly after life handed me a MAJOR kick in the arse over a decade ago, I realized I could no longer continue in that way. And so I did not.

I wanted to get to the root of why I was constantly burnt out, anxious, sabotaging myself, pleasing others at the expense of myself, and mostly – why I always felt like there was something “wrong” with me.

Those early days were wobbly. I had “all or nothing” thinking and rebounded between perfection and destruction. I would go from self-improvement protocols (that were really self-punishment) to uncontrolled binges of self-indulgence (that were also, truly, just another form of self-punishment).

I would get a few steps closer to what I thought I wanted and then I would suffer another giant set back as everything fell apart in an avalanche of shame and guilt.

Eventually I realized that my sense of shame around my high sensitivity, around just being a human in a woman’s body, was actually at the root of all my suffering.

I leaned in more closely to the things I had previously been running from and shunning: my body, my emotions, my mind, my energy, Nature.

 

I realized that my “Spiral Principle,” The Mother, the divine feminine force I craved had never actually left, and all that I actually needed was to resurrect my awareness of it all through repairing my relationship with my own inner sense of containment (or “Triangle Principle“) and my inner authority through devoted discipline.

I realized that these inevitable “spirals” of change within and around me were not signifying that anything was “wrong,” but that everything was actually just right. I was simply natural – even if that meant I wasn’t “normal” by societal standards.

I observed this phenomenon in myself and others: this is Feminine Shame, and it, beloved, is the root of why so many of us deep-feelers are burnt the eff out… It impacts all of us, regardless of gender or physical anatomy.

I took inspiration from and connected with my inner wisdom council through Nature’s wisdom and rhythms: the eight cosmic archetypes of The Mother.

I befriended shame and used it to bring me closer more nourishment, joy, peace, and confidence.

I learned to listen to my intuition more and listened to my fears and anxieties less. I was no longer operating from “fight or flight” and old patterns of self-destructive and addictive behaviors.

Instead, I learned to identify and honor my true needs and to just show up for myself every day with grace and honesty. I learned to embrace my shadows, traumas, and sensitive nature as gifts. It is the wisdom gleaned from my many years of suffering, resisting, avoiding, and numbing that I serve you.

Living in alignment with Nature’s wisdom offered the healing nothing else could, and that only continues to blossom.

As a voracious learner (and lifelong lover of holistic healing), I have explored many paths. This has included a Master of Nutrition & Integrative Health from Maryland University of Integrative Health, an Ayurvedic Health Advisor certificiation from Hale Pule Ayurveda & Yoga, a Registered Yoga Teacher certification, a Flower Essence Therapy certification, Energy Healing certification, and a Meditation and Pranayama (breath practice) certification. In addition, I’ve earned a certificate in Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy (trauma-informed) through The Embody Lab and I studied life coaching with The Wisdom of the Whole Academy and am an International Coaching Federation Certified Coach. I have also attended hundreds of hours of workshops, courses, mentoring, and more in the fields of holistic healing, Nature-based wisdom, shame, trauma and the nervous system, and more, in order to bring the best to The InnerSpark Method and my clients.

To learn more about my most favorite modalities and the tools I offer, check out this article.

 Now my mission is to support other sensitive, deep-feeling women in coming to understand, support, and embrace their high sensitivity so it may serve as their greatest superpower, rather than being the source of shame, exhaustion, frustration, health challenges, & something that’s “wrong.”
My purpose is all about guiding you to build a deep well of resilience, self-trust, and confidence so you can confidently, joyfully, and shamelessly thrive in body, mind, and spirit.

To learn more about InnerSpark’s sacred mission and intentions, click here. To learn more about my unique approach to Coaching + Mentoring, click here.

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