Today we’d like to introduce you to Jodi Gilbert.
Hi Jodi, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My path into wellness began long before I ever imagined owning a wellness center. In high school, I was struggling with severe constipation, feeling unwell in my body, and depression. A friend introduced me to colon hydrotherapy through her family’s work, and the experience became a turning point for me. As I began to feel better physically, I noticed that I could concentrate more easily in school, had more energy, and felt happier and more like myself. It showed me how deeply connected the body, mind, and emotions truly are.
After graduating, I initially thought I would become a nurse, but I felt called toward this kind of hands-on, holistic care. In 2004, I began training in colon hydrotherapy, Electro-Lymphatic Therapy, and ionic foot detox. Over the years, I continued learning through experience, formal education, and thousands of conversations with clients. I also built a background in personal fitness, working with a wide range of people—including Junior Olympic swimmers and Paralympic athletes—which further strengthened my understanding that the body is not made of separate systems. Everything is connected.
A major part of what I love teaching now is the role of the nervous system in wellness. Stress, overwhelm, and feeling disconnected from your body can affect so much: digestion, sleep, energy, mood, recovery, and the ability to feel present in your own life. I have learned that wellness is rarely about addressing one symptom alone. It is about helping the body feel supported, creating space to slow down, and building simple, consistent practices that allow a person to come back into balance.
Today, Flora Integrated Wellness is a reflection of everything I have learned along the way. It is where my experience in lymphatic wellness, colon hydrotherapy, movement, recovery, and nervous-system support comes together with my belief that people deserve to feel seen, safe, and empowered in their own healing journey.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has not been a smooth road, but it has absolutely shaped me into the practitioner and business owner I am today.
Early in my career, I was incredibly committed to learning and grateful for the opportunity to be trained in this work. At the same time, I stayed in a professional dynamic much longer than I should have because I felt loyal, indebted, and afraid to walk away from something that had become so familiar. There were challenges around being fairly valued, being able to take time away, and feeling trusted. Eventually, I realized I needed to choose myself and build a business rooted in the values that matter most to me: integrity, respect, compassion, and genuine care.
Leaving was difficult and emotional, but it also gave me the confidence to create Flora Integrated Wellness on my own terms. Along the way, I had to learn how to solve problems that no one else was going to solve for me—from handling unexpected issues in an older office building to making hard business decisions and creating a space that truly reflects my vision.
Looking back, I would never say those experiences were easy, but they made me resourceful, resilient, and clear about the kind of environment I want to create. At Flora, I want clients to feel safe, seen, and cared for—and I want every part of the business to reflect that. The struggles taught me that challenges can either harden you or deepen your purpose. For me, they deepened mine.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Flora Integrated Wellness is an intentionally designed wellness space in Escondido, California, created to support people in feeling more connected to their bodies and more empowered in their own well-being. My work is rooted in a whole-body approach: looking at how stress, digestion, circulation, lymphatic flow, movement, rest, and the nervous system can all influence how a person feels day to day.
I specialize in colon hydrotherapy and Electro-Lymphatic Therapy, with more than 23 years of experience in the wellness field. I am certified at the highest instructor level through the International Association for Colon Hydrotherapy, and I have spent decades learning through hands-on client care, continued education, and a genuine passion for helping people understand their bodies. Flora Integrated Wellness also offers thoughtfully integrated services such as ear candling, ionic foot detox, whole-body vibration, multi-wavelength light therapy, and the 5-in-1 BioMat. Each service is selected to complement the others and create a restorative, individualized experience.
What I believe sets Flora apart is that it is not a one-size-fits-all wellness center. I take the time to listen to each client’s goals, lifestyle, and current level of stress or overwhelm. I care deeply about helping people create realistic, supportive practices they can carry into their everyday lives—not simply giving them an appointment and sending them on their way.
I am especially passionate about teaching the role the nervous system plays in overall wellness. So many people are living in a constant state of stress, and it can affect sleep, digestion, hormones, energy, mood, recovery, and how connected they feel to themselves. I want clients to understand that caring for their bodies can be both practical and deeply nurturing. Sometimes, the most powerful thing we can do is create a moment where the body feels safe enough to rest, release, and restore.
Brand-wise, I am most proud that Flora Integrated Wellness feels like a true reflection of my heart and my values. I have created a space that is warm, beautiful, calming, and free of judgment—a place where clients can slow down and feel genuinely cared for. Flora is about restoring flow, balance, and vitality from the inside out, while honoring that every person’s wellness journey is unique.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I do not think of myself as someone who takes risks carelessly. I am thoughtful, I plan, and I tend to see many sides of a decision before I make it. But I have learned that sometimes the greatest risk is staying in a situation that no longer aligns with who you are or what you know you are capable of creating.
The biggest risk I took was leaving the business where I had spent many years learning and working to open Flora Integrated Wellness. It was not simply a career change—it meant walking away from familiarity, from a role I had known for a long time, and from the security of having an established place to work. There was a great deal of uncertainty, and it was emotionally difficult. I had to trust that the experience I had built, the relationships I had developed with clients, and the vision in my heart were enough to carry me forward.
Opening Flora Integrated Wellness meant taking on the responsibility of a physical space, business expenses, decisions, and all the unexpected problems that come with entrepreneurship. But it also gave me the freedom to create a business that reflects my values: a beautiful, respectful, calming environment where clients receive individualized care and never feel like just another appointment.
My perspective on risk is that it should be intentional. I do not believe every leap has to be impulsive or dramatic. Sometimes risk looks like believing in yourself after years of being underestimated. Sometimes it looks like setting a boundary, choosing a new direction, or investing in the vision you cannot stop thinking about. For me, taking that risk was scary—but it was also one of the most empowering decisions I have ever made.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.floraintegratedwellness.com
- Instagram: flora.integrated.wellness
