about me

Hi, there! I’m Carlene Crawford & I’m so glad you’re here. I grew up in Olympia, WA, a very forest-dense, hippie, rainy town. At 16 I became fascinated by food, movement, & meditation, and began practicing yoga (thanks, grandma!). What started out as deep curiosity and experimenting morphed into something that took over my thoughts every day.

After high school, I went through years of dieting, food restriction, over-exercising, & obsessing over every little thing I ate. I was so sick and tired of constantly feeling fatigued! I thought that if I did these things “perfectly” that I would feel good.

Over the course of my decade career as a nanny, I talked with moms and other nannies about their lives. Everyone expressed being drained and exhausted. They’d start a new diet or a new cleanse or a strict exercise regimen they found on Instagram & most often, fall off within weeks. With the fall came the guilt, shame, not feeling good enough, attractive enough, and then the cycle would repeat.

I know how that feels. I have been there myself many, many times.

This journey to vitality, balance, and enjoyment in life is more than the physical. It is spiritual & emotional & DEEP.

I had to go back to the basics. Experimenting has been the only way to know what truly works best for me. I also had to really take my yoga practice off the mat into the real world & remember that rest is as important as movement. The balance of masculine & feminine energy cannot be overlooked, especially when it comes to our moon (menstrual) cycle. Vitality (energy) cannot be sustained without rest. Each week we are in a new phase that calls for different activities, nourishment, & movement.

Now, I’m in a place of consistency, doing what works best for my body and spirit, and embracing the moon cycle. Not aiming for perfection, but for growth.

When we can tune in to our intuition, we realize we know what is best for us - and that no one knows us better than ourselves.

This is why I approach holistic health coaching with so much care and attentiveness to my clients. There isn’t a one-way-fits-all. We are all so different, from our cultural background, jobs, locations, genetics, and so forth. We have different needs, desires, & paces in which we live.

I don’t have all the answers for you; you have them within you. Sometimes we just need support to see them clearly.

I’m here as a guide, if you will, to ask you the questions that ultimately lead you to, “how do I want to feel and how will I get there in the most authentic way that suits me?” From there, we work together in creating actionable steps to get you there.

My mission is to help guide women on their journey to vitality.

Vitality: the state of being energetic, healthy, and capable of living, growing, and developing

I’ve lived in San Diego, Seattle, Los Angeles, and I currently reside in Santa Cruz, CA with my partner surrounded by beautiful nature. In my free time, I enjoy beach days, yoga classes, visiting local bakeries, strength training, sleeping in, hiking, playing piano, singing, game nights, & seeing live music. In 2025 I’m really looking forward to starting my first home veggie garden!

I am a Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach from The Institute for Integrative Nutrition.

I hope to be a part of your journey!

Peace,

Carlene Crawford

Founder of Viona Wellness