Last week, whilst on our Okan tour, I attended a talk: “What it Takes to Heal” by Prentis Hemphill, Marai Larasi, and Farzana Khan.

One of my teachers phrases, “We don’t need to heal because we are already whole, complete and fixed exactly as we are”… kept popping up during the session… and I am still in agreement…

But something profound landed about healing that day… that healing is actually about our awareness to and our ability to stay in presence…

Having an awareness of when we go out of presence is such a powerful tool: for transformation, for connection and for community… In (or out of) presence is where the clues are as to where our beliefs (our past) are getting in the way of us experiencing and sharing our completeness around others.

In our Okan workspace, despite trying our best to be in integrity, has been a great place to follow these clues…

The Nature of Healing

When I am triggered, I react rather than respond. That might be with defense, or with shutting down. In those moments, I am not only engaging with the present moment but also with past pain: reacting to people or experiences that have hurt me in the past and to beliefs (in my head) about myself… and as a result I am not able to stay fully in the now.

In these moments when we are triggered then, we are not present, and not experiencing the magic of being us to the full; from making creative connections as a choreographer, to seeing the synchronicities, to truly enjoying the magic and gift of right now (which for me is 2 glorious weeks by the sea with an amazing team)…

Being fully here and present in the now (instead of going into fight, flight, or freeze) is presence/innocence or the state I call HOMEostasis…

This week I realised that healing or being ‘healed’ isn’t about fixing something broken, but it is about honing our ability to be ourselves to the full in community… and this is where alchemy comes in…

A Gathering of Wisdom

During the Okan creation process, I have done my best to meet the wants, needs, and desires of the rest of the group: sometimes at the expense of my own wellbeing… Not because my colleagues wouldn’t allow it but because of my past conditioning and beliefs.

There was a moment this week when I recognised that sometimes I just need to let go of that… that some things are also not within my remit and that the most helpful thing I can do is simply take responsibility for what I would love this piece to be… for my own actions, needs, wants… for my own presence rather than trying to fix (or control!) anything else.

Once I realized all of this, it felt like the whole process began to mirror that awareness: everything began to readjust course, and move together towards a held space where everyone could be themselves fully.

The Gift of Irritation

One of the best ways I have found to work towards presence is to notice where my triggers and judgments are. Being annoyed or frustrated is often a clue to a subconscious belief (or illusion).

This is why alchemical work is so powerful: it helps us see sides of ourselves that we may be ignoring, and to accept and integrate them, so that we are more able to show up in integrity and in truth.

The Power of Observation

We are in our power as long as we are observing what is happening in the space but not reacting to it.

This witnessing of ourselves and others without judgment is the bridge to healing: to being ourselves to the fullest and showing up whole and present.

An Invitation

I love my work as an alchemy coach so much because it helps me and my clients to do the best we can to show up with integrity and truth: it supports us to do the best we can not to harm others and ourselves, and (when we aren’t successful) to take a long hard look at ourselves and take responsibility for our actions (and for when what we think is happening is in fact a projection of our past).

In a world that is chaotic and divided, the practice of presence: of being fully ourselves in community is revolutionary. It is an act of courage, of vulnerability, and ultimately, of love. It is through this practice that we remember our completeness, exactly as we are, and give others permission to do the same.

It is the voice of awareness and truth that guides us back to presence, back to wholeness, when we have strayed. Our inner compass also helps us navigate the complexities of being human in community so we can spread more love, joy and creativity over fear and reaction.

And, it helps us to recognise when we are triggered and gives us the tools to choose how we respond rather than react and be affected. It helps us hold space for our own discomfort as well as for others (which also helps us use tension to create… a story for another Maya musing perhaps?)

If all this resonates, I would love to share my work with you: because now more than ever, the world needs more people moving from the oneness of truth!

Join me for this weekend’s FREE session: The Goddxx Path taster day on Su day at 2-5:30 UK time and explore how to deepen your connection to your intuitive wisdom, how to recognize when you are being pulled out of presence, and be guided back HOME to yourself.

*Space is limited, so reserve your spot today.*