Way of Being - Solo Episode with ElizaBeth Alexander

Introduction

0:00Welcome to the Exploring Healing Arts podcast. It's me, Elizabeth Alexander, the creator, the host, the curator behind this podcast. And tonight, today, it's just me. Welcome to a solo episode on Way of Being. As many of you know, I created this podcast with the intention of birthing a resource into the world that I wish I had had at the start of my own healing arts journey many, many moons ago.

0:37I have fumbled. I have made a lot of mistakes. I've learned a lot of things the hard way. My heart really hopes that your journey can be filled with a bit more ease. And so I interview practitioners who have been really impactful on my own journey. They have helped me feel like I'm not so alone. I've been deeply inspired by the ways that they move through the world.

1:08And they've been able to hold space in a way that allows me to open up to a new way of being, a new ways of experiencing myself. And to me, that is healing. Healing is about experiencing and connecting with our and your innate wholeness. Right now, I'm a Reiki teacher, which is such a blessing. I love sharing and teaching about the power of hands-on healing.

1:41And it's been deeply impactful in my own life.

Reiki Basics

1:45And one of my favorite things about doing the Reiki Level 1 and introductory Reiki workshops and trainings is that I get to tell people, get to answer the big question, like, what is Reiki? And there's so many ways to answer this, but my favorite way of answering it is to say that Reiki is your innate, beautiful, brilliant, bright light that exists inside of you that is always there. It is always there. Again, it is always there.

2:17And Reiki is also a five-element system that is grounded in Japanese culture and traditions that was brought into the world as a system by Dr. Makao Usui. Reiki that is designed to help you reconnect and remember your innate, beautiful, brilliant, bright light when you forget about it. Because life happens. We forget. We get distracted.

2:50All sorts of things come up. And so having a practice in place to help you stay connected to it for those moments of distraction, for those moments of forgetfulness, because we're human and it happens, is so incredibly helpful. And so all of the practitioners that I invite onto this podcast, it is through their way of being and through the modalities that they share in the world that has helped me to deepen that connection to my own beautiful and brilliant bright light.

3:27And it really is such a beautiful reminder to me of the ways that we do really need each other. You know, I like to say that I hope that on this journey of healing, like you find your way, you find your path, that there are so many different ways to healing. There's no one right way. And I hope that I hope that I hope that I hope that you find your path. And even though you are walking your path in your own way, I truly, I hope that you know that you are not alone, you know, and each of the practitioners that I have interviewed have done that for me in some capacity.

4:11And for me, this really speaks to their way of being. You know, when I talk about being a healer, there's somebody being a healer, it doesn't mean that they're necessarily somebody that's meditated on a mountain or fasted for 21 days, they don't always wear all white or have singing bowls or crystals around them. You know, I have had deeply healing experiences with people who are grocery store cashiers, auto mechanics, and people that you might not think of in the traditional sense of healers.

4:48And likewise, I've had harmful experiences at the hands of people who would call themselves healers.

Healing as a Way of Being

4:54And so one thing that I have really learned on my journey is that healing is about a way of being. It is about a presence that a being carries. So in this case, we're going to talk specifically about humans, but believe me, animals, plants, other beings are so healing as well. So I just want to name all of the seen and unseen beings that contribute to healing.

5:29And we're going to focus our efforts on human to human healing interactions today.

5:38Let's take a few big breaths.

5:43Breathing in the nose, audible exhale out the mouth. One more time for me. Thank you.

5:58Hopefully this feels good to you too.

6:04So when I talk about a way of being, I'm specifically talking about a kind of presence that a person has cultivated. And there's three areas that I look at this in. One is how do they relate to and with themselves? Two, how do they relate to and with others, other human beings? And three, how do they relate to and with their environment? So we're looking inner, we're looking other, and we're looking outer.

6:35And when somebody has a way of being that is healing, I find that there's a resonance in my body that registers it. So when I tune into my body sensations, their presence allows me to feel safe enough to move through something that might feel scary, that maybe has been painful in the past.

7:08And there is a safe enoughness about it.

7:16And so I look at, again, I look at how they relate to themselves, how they relate to others, and how they relate to the environment. And for me, their way of being in these three ways often trumps things like credentials and education and certifications. And those can be important. I'm not saying that they're not at all. But for me, a practitioner and a person's state of being is going to inform more than any certificates that they could have up on their wall, whether or not I feel safe enough in their presence.

7:54And that really is such a big key to healing, and that is not something that somebody else can decide for you. That's something that you have to decide for yourself. So when people ask me, like, do you think this is right for me? Do you think I should work with this person? How many times should I do it? You know, or even they're asking me as a client, I can say, here's my recommendations. Like, here are patterns of what I've seen that has worked well for me, and I've seen work well for other people.

8:28And at the end of the day, this is a decision you're going to have to make for yourself. And I invite them to tune into body sensations. So some of the things that I think about or I practice is a better way of phrasing that. Some of the things that I practice and I invite other people to practice is listening to a person's voice. And as you're listening to that person's voice, seeing how you feel in your body, do you feel settled or do you feel agitated?

9:03Looking at that person, looking at their eyes, you know, whether it's a photo or a video or in person, taking a moment to pause and tune into your body sensations, do you feel settled? Do you feel connected? Do you feel agitated?

9:23The experiences that have been the most healing for me are experiences where I've felt settled in the presence of that other person. It's in those kind of spaces that I've been able to move through things that are challenging, painful, painful. And I can even speak to stepping into the world of Reiki and the world of energy medicine. I was really nervous and anxious about it at different times.

9:55Being able to practice stepping into these spaces and environments where other people had a way of being that allowed me to feel more settled in my own body and that reminded me of my agency and my sovereignty has been so good for repatterning. And it is truly what has allowed me to step into doing the kind of work that I'm doing that I love to do and I care about tremendously

10:33and, you know, have had apprehensions or nerves about at different points in time.

Finding a Practitioner

10:38And so, when you're trying to figure out, like, which modality, which practitioner to work with, I really encourage you to tune into their way of being.

10:54Notice the kind of space that it creates within you. Some green flags that I look for, one, I really appreciate practitioners who both espouse and embody in their practices the concept that they are not healing you, that they are simply creating a space where you can heal.

11:26Maybe they're awakening your own inner healer. I think that is really important. And I will say, it's not just about talking that talk, but it's about walking that walk. Practitioners that truly embody that, they are able to see you in your wholeness. They're able to see your innate, beautiful, brilliant, bright light. And gently and kindly hold a space to help you reconnect with that.

11:56Something else that I look for in terms of, like, a green flag is when practitioners say, like, you can trust me, this is a safe space. I always raise an eyebrow. I have learned the hard way that it is appropriate to raise an eyebrow at that. Because at the end of the day, it is not their place to say that it's a safe space.

12:33You know, that is for each person decide for themselves.

12:39It's also up to the person to decide if they want to trust in a practitioner or an organization or a certain methodology. And that person needs to be able to, to be able to make that decision for themselves. And I want to underscore that because in my journey as a practitioner, the most powerful healings that I've been witness to are ones when the person that's in, like, the client role, you know, and I'm putting that in air quotes.

13:10Because for me, it's really about, like, a human to human interaction. We're working in partnership. We're working together. But when the person that's in the air quotes client role is stepping forward because they feel a resonance with that practitioner human being, with that modality, and they are saying yes to showing up, that is when the most powerful transformations and healings happen. And me, as a practitioner, there's nothing that I can do to recreate that, the power, the magnitude of possibility that comes with someone stepping forward and saying yes, I want this experience for myself, and I feel good about it.

14:07This is what I want, and I am showing up. That is healing when a person gets to make that decision for themselves. And then my role as the practitioner becomes super easy, right? Because they're there. They're already showing up. All I now need to do is to hold a space where that person feels safe enough to move through and to open up to whatever they came for that day.

14:43So an example is with Reiki. One of the things that I really love about the way that I practice Reiki and the way that I train others to practice Reiki is that we don't actually, as practitioners, talk a lot about processing or analyzing what's happening. I just simply place my hands on the body. I follow a method, a series of positions that are part of the Reiki system.

15:14I allow whatever needs to happen on the table, you know, to happen, whatever that person's process is. And I trust that if they felt a resonance with me as a practitioner and they felt a resonance with Reiki as a method and they are showing up out of their own agency, out of their own sovereignty. And maybe they're holding an intention in their heart or they've spoken an intention out loud to me, that that is all going to happen.

15:49It has manifested miraculously too many times when all of those ingredients are there. However, I have been witnessed to some incredible openings, some incredible deepenings, some incredible transformations. And I put that in air quotes because, again, it's not about like a before and after photo, but it's about someone opening up to and embracing and remembering, reconnecting their own innate, brilliant, beautiful, bright light.

16:26And it is such an honor to get to witness somebody showing up and moving through that themselves. And if I, as the practitioner human being, can be, you know, a part of their journey, it is a tremendous honor. And I recognize that I'm just there creating the space, bringing the practices, bringing the skill sets that I have developed and cultivated through my own way of being that allows them to feel safe enough to move through whatever they've shown up that day to move through.

Trusting Your Body

17:07So all of that to say, trust your body, follow resonance. Something that comes up for me a lot is there'll be like a pattern. And I hear this a ton with people that come to me for Reiki trainings or for an intuitive session or for Reiki sessions. Like it just keeps showing up. I keep hearing the word Reiki and I'm finally answering the call. It's just happened too many times. So I'm here. I don't totally know what it's about, but I'm curious about it and I wonder what could happen.

17:39And that has happened to me personally too. So when you notice those patterns, trust them. Listen to the intelligence, the wisdom of your body. Tune into the sensations. Listen, look, notice what's happening in your body. Does it make me expand? Does it make me contract? Do I feel settled? Do I feel agitated? And use those feelings to inform your decisions about who to work with, what modality to do, and what your timing is going to be.

18:11Because at the end of the day, you are designed to know what's best for you. Other people can make recommendations. Other people can hopefully be guides or like light posts around the journey. But we're all here on our own paths.

18:29And...

18:31Learning to trust yourself, to follow your own resonance is going to guide you in efficient and effective ways and hopefully save you some of the heartbreak that I've been through.

18:51I hope that for you and I hope that for myself moving forward. Let's take a couple of deep breaths in again. Big breath in.

19:04And out. And out. So, I just want to thank you for showing up here today and listening to this podcast. I hope this episode and other episodes have been really helpful for you. You know, I hope that if you feel a resonance with one of the practitioners that I've interviewed, that you get curious about that.

19:39Whether it's the method, the skills that they've developed, or if it's them as a person. Follow those threads. Listen to your body. Use your inner compass, your guidance system. Through your body sensations and feelings to help you move forward.

19:58I hope that you find people whose presence you feel safe enough in. To open up to the possibility of change. To open up to new ways of being within yourself. New ways of relating to others and to your environment. And I hope that you find practitioners and connect with people that see you in your wholeness.

20:31So that you can cultivate a stronger connection to that yourself.

20:38And I hope you can also remember that at the end of the day, we're all walking each other home. We're in this together. We're all human beings through the highs and the lows. And just that we need each other. We really, really, really need each other. And so that when someone lends you their way of being in a way that helps you open up to connect with your innate, beautiful, bright light.

21:13That it inspires you to lend your way of being to others in the same way. So whether you're working at a coffee shop, you're a personal trainer, energy healer like me, you're a motivational speaker, you're a software engineer, you're a stay-at-home parent, you're a student, you're a bus driver, you're a lawyer, accountant, a teacher. That you can bring a healing way of being to the world around you.

21:47Because at the end of the day, it's not just the people with the healers on their business cards that are here to do this work. All of us, all of you, whatever your job title is, are needed. And I think I'm going to leave it there. So thanks again for showing up. Thanks for listening to me. If you like this podcast, you like my way of being, it's always super helpful to get five-star reviews wherever you're listening to this too.

22:22I love getting notes from listeners. You can join me for a Reiki training or come for a one-to-one session. I'll also be offering a number of workshops, trainings, and retreats in 2024. We would love to see you there. And thanks just by listening today for supporting the work that I do. It means a lot. It's been a journey getting here. And I'm just so thrilled to be here sharing this with you.

22:56So thank you.

23:00The primary purpose of the Exploring Healing Arts podcast is to inspire and educate. As a reminder, the information and opinions shared on this podcast are not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. We encourage you to speak with your doctor for professional medical advice or treatment. Opinions offered on this podcast are just that, opinions. So thank you.