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Ep. 150 The Healing Climate in Spiritual Practice (and life)

Spirit Sessions Podcast Guest for website

For the past four years, I have had the incredible good fortune to work very closely with a one-on-one mentor and therapist named Cristal Mortensen.  And today, I am so honored to share this podcast with you where I interview her. In it, we discuss what she calls "the healing climate," and why, without it, our efforts to heal ourselves and to hold space for others may work against our deepest desire. This podcast touches deep into the essence of my personal inner practice, as well as the ethos we are working each day to do our best to uphold within what we teach at The Shakti School.

In this episode you’ll hear: 

~ What the healing climate is and how it can help us 

~ Resistance and how finding ‘the spot’ within ourselves can be supportive of healing 

~ The importance of compassion and gentleness toward ourselves

~ Letting awareness be the light that shines through our uncomfortable feelings, rather than changing them

~ Our unique resources within and how we may be able to better access them

~ How these techniques can impact manifestation intentions

~ Noticing how we experience ourselves energetically and the way it can bring self-compassion

~ Being in relationship with energy

~ Join Katie and The Shakti School for the Embodied Ayurveda + Mystical Mind live in-person and virtual retreat May 6th and 7th. Live spaces are filling up fast, so register now to get in! Payment plan options available.

~ Cristal Mortensen is a trauma and nervous system specialist and Certified Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, in private practice for over 20 years. She helps people heal and clear unresolved trauma, attachment wounds, balance energetic, emotional and mental disequilibriums, find their way back to themselves and discover their wholeness.  Her multidimensional approach to trauma healing developed out of her own journey of healing, which began when she learned yoga and meditation at the age of 16 and henceforth dedicated her life to the path of healing.  She has healed from debilitating complex PTSD, severe anxiety and depression, addiction, disordered eating, chronic pain and physical illness and has dedicated her life to supporting others in healing from the pain of trauma and finding freedom. 

Cristal’s ability to deftly weave between and integrate the realms of the mind, emotion, physical body, subtle body, energy and spirit and bridge ordinary and non ordinary reality, along with her compassionate presence has made her unique work highly sought after.

She has practiced and studied extensively over the past 30 years with masters in the fields of trauma, attachment, somatics, meditation, breath, movement and energy healing, bringing the balance of ancient wisdom and modern science to her work.  She has developed Multidimensional Trauma Healing and Sacred Attachment work, out of the need for an approach to trauma healing that is truly effective and transformative.   Her work builds access to an organizing matrix from which inherent safety, security and an integrated mind and body can develop, creating a new template from which we can heal and our life can evolve.  Her mission is to be a guiding light for those suffering from trauma.  She believes passionately that the seeds of healing and transformation are within each of us, waiting to be discovered and activated.  You can connect with her at awarealignedawake.com

 

This episode is brought to you by PAAVANI Ayurveda. Use discount code SHAKTI15 at checkout for 15% off a one time purchase on paavaniayurveda.com

Female founded PAAVANI Ayurveda is an artisan line of small-batch, pure, organic health & skincare products formulated in Northern California. 

Handcrafted with the wisdom of Ayurveda, these gals seek to raise conscious awareness of the whole by practicing the philosophy of ahimsa or nonviolence in making their products. This means that their offerings are certified cruelty free and vegan and that PAAVANI carefully selects herbal ingredients that are sustainable, ensuring that plant medicine is abundant for future generations. 

In addition to mindful formulations, PAAVANI Ayurveda packages their products in glass to maintain the integrity of their herbal ingredients. Additionally, their labels are printed on recycled paper stock, using water-based inks that generate little to no paper waste & no harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs). 

With every purchase made with PAAVANI Ayurveda, you are supporting a female founded, small business that strives to maintain the health of not only your skin, but also our earth. 

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Did you know that roasted dandelion root tea is of Did you know that roasted dandelion root tea is often used as a coffee substitute because its taste is reminiscent of our fave caffeinated brew? You can add your favorite coffee mix-ins to this herbal tea, or enjoy it straight-up for its digestive and antioxidant properties.⁠
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This humble little herb you probably have growing right now in your backyard has been used both in leaf and root form for thousands of years in many traditional forms of medicine. ⁠
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Quick sweet facts: ⁠
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🌻 It is from the sunflower family - baby sunflower vibes?! Let’s go! ⁠
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🥬 1 cup of cooked greens gets you over 500% of your daily needs for vitamin K and 100% of your vitamin A.⁠
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🌿 All parts of this “weed” are edible.⁠
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🌱 One little airborne seed can fly five miles before it lands (talk about super powers!).⁠
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🧈 As a kid we would rub the yellow flower under our chins - if it reflected back the golden color, it meant you liked butter and were a good soul. I miss kid-logic! Also, the seeds were blown into the wind and wished upon. Do you remember that?!⁠
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Happy Dandelion-brewing! 🫖⁠
Flirting with the idea of joining us for our Ayurv Flirting with the idea of joining us for our Ayurvedic Wellness Coach certification program in 2026? Hop on a complimentary call with one of our coaches to learn more about the program and explore if it’s the next right step for you! ⁠
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Jackie, Laurie, Nikki, Eva, Dominique, Natalie and TaKisha are here to be a real-life touch point as you contemplate taking a step towards a career in the healing arts or making a radical choice to further your own personal healing.⁠
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Book a complimentary clarity call now at the link in our bio or comment “MORE INFO” and we’ll send you the link. ☎️⁠
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P.S. We still have a few spots left for our special bonus gift - the first ten ladies to join us in 2026 will receive all the books they need for class ($200 value) as a totally FREE gift! (These spots have been going quick so make sure to grab one up if you know you’re IN for 2026!) 🔥
According to the Vedas (the spiritual root texts o According to the Vedas (the spiritual root texts of Ayurveda), your soul has four goals or desires, which the texts call the purusharthas, “that which is for the purpose of the soul.” The Ayurvedic tradition takes these four core human motivations and gives us permission to enjoy and pursue them, while not becoming overly attached to any of them. ⁠
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In this way, we can enjoy pleasure, seek success and purpose, strive for material gain and seek out the practices and mentors that will teach us how to live a more integrated, enlightened, soulful life. ⁠
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By no means will this quick overview do justice to the complex tapestry of what these four motivators are or how we can succeed in their fulfillment, but it will offer a little peek at the four aims that are paramount to our sense of total health and happiness.⁠
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Are you ready to dive deeper into Vedic philosophy and Divine Feminine Ayurveda?⁠
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If you know in your bones that 2026 is your year for heart-centered community, deepening your Ayurveda wisdom and evolving your own spiritual growth, now’s the time, ‘cause…⁠
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…we’re giving away all the books you’ll need for the course to the first ten women who register for 2026! ⁠
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Y’all are registering so fast that there are only 5 spots left to claim this free $200 gift, so if you know you’re in for 2026, don’t wait.⁠
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This training is more than just learning Ayurveda - it’s a spiritual homecoming. ⁠
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If you’re ready to walk that path with us, be one of the next 5 women to join us in 2026 Level 1 Ayurveda School and I’m personally sending you all of your course books + your beautiful manual as a special love-gift. 🎁
One of the keys to good digestion in Ayurveda is k One of the keys to good digestion in Ayurveda is keeping things SIMPLE. Less complicated meals give our digestive fire a chance to rest and truly metabolize the fuel we’re feeding the fire. ⁠
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Peas are light, astringent and slightly drying—aka they help balance kapha’s natural heaviness and tendency to hold onto all the things (mucus, water, emotional clutter... you name it). Plus, they're packed with protein and fiber without being overly dense.⁠
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On top of that, soup is basically kapha’s best friend. It’s warm, light AND easy to digest. Broth and veggie-based soups are the perfect go-to option for spring dinners that aren’t too heavy! Enjoy! 🌿

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