Recovery, Nutrition, and Human Design: Elevating Performance with Kahlee York

In today's Flashback Friday blog, we revisit an inspiring episode of What I Meant to Say with Wendy Jones featuring Kahlee York, a former LSU beach volleyball player and aspiring professional athlete, who shares her wisdom on recovery, nutrition, and creating abundance. Kahlee’s journey, both on and off the sand, reflects the unique traits of her Human Design as a 6/2 Sacral Generator, offering insights for athletes, parents, and coaches striving to elevate performance through self-awareness and holistic practices. Human design teaches individuals to recognize their unique traits and innate gifts, advocating for a personalized approach to life and decision-making. Understanding one's human design can lead to a fulfilling life that aligns with one's authentic self.

Key Takeaways from Kahlee York: Unique Gifts

• Team Culture Starts with Heart - At LSU, she valued the team’s family-like culture: “I think Russell really taught me how important heart is on the team and really being a family.” As a Sacral Generator, Kahlee thrives when surrounded by environments and people who uplift her energy. Her defined Sacral Center provides consistent access to life-force energy, which she uses to engage fully in her team’s success. A communication strategy that involves the entire team ensures everyone receives the right information at the right time, optimizing information flow and clarity.
• Vulnerability Fuels Growth - “Being vulnerable I feel like is honoring your story.” Kahlee’s wisdom and willingness to embrace vulnerability stem from her 6-line role model profile, which is all about learning through experience. Her journey reflects the transition of the 6-line, moving from trial-and-error learning in her early years to embodying wisdom and authenticity as she matures.

• Recovery is Holistic - Kahlee’s emphasis on recovery reflects the integration of her defined Sacral and Root Centers. These centers give her access to consistent energy for work and momentum but also highlight the importance of balancing productivity with rest: “So much of our recovery comes from what we do off to the side… breathwork, sleep, how you eat, those are all recovery methods.” Her defined Root Center creates a natural drive to complete tasks and meet deadlines, but it also means she benefits greatly from intentional recovery practices, like breathwork and quality sleep, to avoid stress overload.
• Fill Your Cup First: Self-Care for Every Energy Type - Kahlee’s Sacral Generator design thrives on doing what lights her up. She exemplifies this through her philosophy of “filling your cup so it overflows.” By understanding your Human Design energy type, you can adopt personalized self-care practices:
  • Manifestors: Recharge through autonomy by setting boundaries, pursuing creative outlets, and honoring rest cycles.
  • Generators (like Kahlee): Recharge through purposeful action by engaging in energizing activities, moving your body, and setting limits on overwork. Kahlee’s passion for mindful movement and nutrition reflects her sacral need to respond to what feels good and aligned.
  • Manifesting Generators: Recharge through variety by exploring multiple interests, practicing mindfulness, and scheduling intentional rest.
  • Projectors: Recharge through rest and reflection by taking sacred downtime, seeking uplifting connections, and engaging in light physical activity.
  • Reflectors: Recharge through environment by spending time in nature, surrounding yourself with uplifting people, and honoring your natural rhythms.
• Kahlee’s single definition means her energy flows easily within herself, allowing her to act decisively when aligned with her sacral response. This makes her an inspiring example of how tuning into your Design can lead to abundance.
• You Are More Than Your Sport: Understanding the Identity Center - Kahlee’s reminder: “You are so much more than the sport,” aligns with her undefined Identity Center, which makes her adaptable and empathetic. Athletes with this design can struggle with defining their sense of self and may tie their identity to external achievements like sports. Kahlee’s wisdom highlights her maturity in learning to separate her self-worth from her performance. 

• For Athletes with Defined Identity Centers: Reinforce your sense of self by reflecting on your values and contributions beyond the game.
• For Athletes with Undefined Identity Centers (like Kahlee): Focus on creating supportive environments and relationships that reflect your values. Kahlee’s emphasis on LSU’s family culture illustrates how a positive environment can help stabilize an undefined Identity Center.

Introducing “Go with the Flow”: Emotional Well Being

Kahlee York has taken her holistic approach to high performance a step further by co-creating the course “Go with the Flow” with Human Design strategist Ashley Clark. Research suggests that understanding hormonal phases can lead to better performance and well-being. This innovative program is tailored for female athletes and coaches, focusing on the female hormone cycle to enhance performance, recovery, and well-being.

What You’ll Learn in the Course: Self Awareness

• Understanding Hormonal Phases: Discover how the cycle impacts energy, focus, endurance, and relationships.
• Performance Optimization: Train smarter by leveraging peak energy phases.
• Rest and Recovery: Prioritize rest during lower-energy phases to prevent burnout.
• Personalized Strategies: Gain confidence and self-awareness by adapting your nutrition and activities to your hormone cycle using Human Design insights.

This course aligns beautifully with Kahlee’s defined Sacral Center, which thrives on consistency and alignment, and her Root Center, which emphasizes balancing drive with restorative practices. Additionally, her 6-line profile reflects her role as a natural mentor and role model. The 6-line evolves through three stages of life, gaining wisdom through lived experience. Kahlee’s current stage allows her to step into her authentic leadership, sharing the lessons she’s learned with others.

By combining her personal journey and expertise in nutrition and recovery, Kahlee uses this course to mentor young female athletes on how to embrace their unique rhythms, honor their energy, and excel in their sport without sacrificing well-being. Her ability to model what it means to live in alignment makes her a powerful guide for the next generation of female athletes.

Building a Supportive Team

Building a supportive team is an important first step in achieving success in any endeavor. A supportive team can provide encouragement, motivation, and a sense of belonging, which are all essential for achieving one’s goals. When building a team, it’s important to consider the unique gifts and strengths of each individual, and how they can contribute to the team’s overall success.

Human Design can be a valuable tool in building a supportive team. By understanding the energy types and profiles of each team member, individuals can develop effective communication strategies and work together in a way that is harmonious and productive. A supportive team can also provide a sense of community and belonging, which is essential for emotional well-being and overall success.

Mindful Communication

The concept of mindful communication beautifully aligns with the Throat Center in Human Design, which is the center of communication, manifestation, and expression. Whether defined or undefined, the Throat Center plays a key role in how we communicate with others and how effectively we express our intentions, needs, and emotions.

For individuals with a defined Throat Center, communication tends to be consistent and naturally impactful. These individuals are often seen as strong voices in conversations, and their words carry a sense of purpose and clarity. When practicing mindful communication, they can focus on ensuring their tone and delivery are aligned with their intention, using their natural consistency to empower and uplift others rather than dominate conversations.

For those with an undefined Throat Center, communication may feel less predictable and can be influenced by the energy of those around them. These individuals are gifted with flexibility in how they express themselves, which allows them to adapt to different situations and audiences. Practicing mindful communication for an undefined Throat Center involves being intentional about what they say and ensuring that their words reflect their truth rather than echoing the energy or expectations of others.

Mindful communication with a focus on the Throat Center also involves understanding the power of silence and pausing. Whether defined or undefined, the ability to listen deeply and respond intentionally rather than reactively is a powerful way to build trust, empathy, and rapport. By being aware of the Throat Center's energy and its potential for both creation and connection, individuals can elevate their communication to one that not only achieves their goals but also honors their authentic self and creates meaningful connections with others.

In essence, mindful communication paired with awareness of the Throat Center allows individuals to use their voice as a tool for alignment, connection, and transformation.

Top Quotes from Kahlee York

“Every team is meant to function at 100 percent, and 100 percent is each person stepping into their most authentic selves to contribute to the world.”

• Human Design Insight: This quote articulates the essence of Human Design, which emphasizes that each individual has a unique role and energy to contribute. When people honor their energy type (Manifestor, Generator, Manifesting Generator, Projector, or Reflector) and operate in alignment with their design, they naturally bring their authentic strengths to any team or environment. For example, Generators provide consistent energy when they’re doing what lights them up, while Projectors offer valuable guidance when recognized for their insights. This highlights that a team’s collective success comes from each person living their unique design and contributing from a place of alignment.  Explore your energy type with your FREE BodyGraph chart here!

“How I view rest is that I’m filling up my cup again.”

• Human Design Insight: This quote resonates deeply with the dynamics of the Sacral Center, which governs energy and rest cycles. For those with a defined Sacral Center (like Kahlee as a Generator), rest isn’t just about taking breaks—it’s about fully using their energy during the day and then allowing time to recharge. When the Sacral energy is fully expended on things they love, rest becomes a fulfilling reset. For individuals with an undefined Sacral Center, rest is even more critical to avoid burnout from taking on the amplified energy of others. This insight highlights how honoring your energy type and centers allows you to rest in ways that truly refill your cup.  Discover the definition of your Sacral center at BeBetter.Life.

“People are going to be drawn to you who are meant to be led by you.”

• Human Design Insight: This quote aligns with the Magnetism of Human Design—the idea that when individuals live in alignment with their design, they naturally attract the right people and opportunities. For example, those with a defined Identity Center often exude a consistent sense of direction and purpose that draws others to them, while those with an undefined Identity Center (like Kahlee) adapt to their environment and attract others who resonate with their flexibility and openness. Furthermore, this reflects the 6-line profile in Kahlee’s design, which naturally positions her as a mentor and role model. When a 6-line embraces their authentic self and lived wisdom, they inspire and lead others who are drawn to their grounded presence.

Creating a Positive Organizational Culture

Creating a positive organizational culture is essential for achieving success in any business or organization. A positive culture can provide a sense of community and belonging, and encourage individuals to work together towards a common goal. It can also promote emotional well-being and overall success.

To create a positive organizational culture, individuals should focus on building a supportive team and promoting mindful communication. They should also encourage open and honest communication, and provide opportunities for growth and development. A positive culture can also be promoted by recognizing and rewarding individual contributions, and celebrating successes and achievements.  To schedule a Human Design workshop for your organization, email [email protected] to get started with Alchemy for Athletes and Coaches today!

Building Emotional Intelligence

Building emotional intelligence is an important aspect of effective communication and overall success. Emotional intelligence involves being aware of one’s thoughts, feelings, and emotions, and being able to manage them in a way that is positive and productive. It also involves being aware of the emotions and needs of others, and communicating in a way that is empathetic and understanding.

To build emotional intelligence, individuals should focus on developing self-awareness and self-regulation skills. They should also practice mindfulness and meditation, and engage in activities that promote emotional well-being. Building emotional intelligence can help individuals communicate more effectively, build stronger relationships with others, and achieve their goals more effectively.

Listen to the Episode & More: 

Dive into the full conversation with Kahlee York on What I Meant to Say with Wendy Jones to gain actionable insights into recovery, authenticity, and abundance. Interested in taking your performance to the next level? Explore the “Go with the Flow” course and start maximizing your potential today.

Follow Kahlee York on Instagram

Listen to the Episode: Recovery, Nutrition, and Abundance

Watch the Episode: Be Better Media Youtube

More from Be Better Media