What ‘Chai’ Really Means: The Sacred Hebrew Word That Changed My Life
The Deeper Meaning of Chai
Today I learned about the concept of Chai.
In Hebrew, Chai (חַי) means life — but not just the breathing-in-and-out kind. It means real life: sacred, meaningful, intentional life. A life that’s fully alive.
As soon as I read that, it stopped me in my tracks. Because Chai isn’t just a word — it’s a feeling. It’s that moment when something wakes up inside you. When you remember what it feels like to dream again… to feel like yourself again… to want more than just getting through the day.
When I Forgot What Life Felt Like
That hit me deep, because I remember exactly when I started to feel Chai again.
Back in 2020, when the world shut down, my world completely fell apart. I lost my job, my home, and honestly, my sense of purpose. I was surviving, but I wasn’t alive. Most days, I felt stuck, numb, and exhausted.
The Camping Trip That Changed Everything
One day, my husband and I went camping. It wasn’t a big or fancy trip — just a spontaneous getaway to escape the noise.
But that simple decision changed everything.
Sitting outside, wrapped in a blanket, listening to the wind move through the trees… something cracked open in me. I felt peace. I felt clarity. I felt hope.
That was the first moment I truly felt Chai again.
From Surviving to Living Fully
That single weekend led to something much bigger: a road trip down Highway One. That trip turned into four years of traveling the world. And that adventure became the beginning of the biggest transformation of my life.
By choosing Chai, I slowly started to heal. At first, the shift was subtle. But over time, everything changed.
My mindset shifted. My confidence grew. I started choosing myself. I chose joy. I chose movement. I chose freedom.
Eventually, I didn’t even recognize the version of me I’d left behind.
Chai, Healing, and My New Purpose
Now I’m pursuing my master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a focus on trauma and crisis. I want to help other women feel Chai again too — especially those stuck in toxic cycles: burnout, unhealthy relationships, or old stories they’re tired of carrying.
It’s become my mission to help others break free, heal deeply, and start living again — not just existing.
Choosing Chai Is Choosing Life
The more we help people reconnect to their aliveness, their Chai, the more we heal this world.
It doesn’t start with a dramatic life overhaul. It starts with one small, brave choice: to choose life. Not just the survival kind — but the sacred, whole-hearted, fully alive kind.
That’s what Chai means to me. And I’m holding onto it tight.
