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Podcast

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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In our year-long Ayurveda certification program, you’ll learn Ayurvedic wisdom for identifying the doshas, gain insight into your own constitution and develop the expertise to help others find balance. ⁠
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The next goddess to sign up for 2026 Ayurveda School will get all of your books, including copies of each of my books signed by yours truly, straight to your doorstep. Register now for 2026 at the link in our bio. 🌷
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What started as one woman’s journey to overcome What started as one woman’s journey to overcome anxiety has become a worldwide platform empowering thousands of women to reclaim their health, intuition and spiritual sovereignty with the ancient practice of Ayurveda. 🌍💃⁠
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In this feature with Canvas Rebel, Katie shares her insights from building the small, woman-run (and now globally beloved!) business we know as The Shakti School. 😉 ⁠
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Katie built this school in the original feminine-form blueprint—based on a calling and a desire to serve this community, fueled by a whole lotta’ Shakti power! Check out the full article to learn how she turned her own lived experience into Ayurveda School, bootstrapping her way from yoga teacher to leader of a global wellness school.⁠
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For this recipe, just let the sun do the steeping. For this recipe, just let the sun do the steeping. 🌞 Fill a glass jar with dried rose petals + fresh mint and let it infuse under the midday rays for a few hours. What do you get? A cooling, heart-opening, Pitta-pacifying potion that’s as beautiful as it is nourishing.⁠
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Here’s a little bit about how these plant allies help support us during the warmer months of the year…⁠
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🌹 Rose - The ultimate flower of the Divine Feminine:⁠
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 • Cools the heat of both the body and our emotions (hi, Pitta spiciness 😅)⁠
 • Soothes the heart and uplifts mood with its subtle, floral sweetness⁠
 • Some studies have demonstrated that rose also has the potential to support the reproductive and nervous systems, and even impact dopamine levels⁠
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🌿 Mint - The crisp, clarifying herb we all need in summer:⁠
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 • Helps to clear excess heat and inflammation from the gut and skin⁠
 • Stimulates digestion without aggravating Pitta (exactly what we want!)⁠
 • Awakens the mind while calming overactive fire in the head + heart 🔥⁠
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Sip this floral elixir all day long to stay hydrated, radiant and keep your Pitta chilled out. Your inner fire goddess will thank you. 🧘🏼‍♀️⁠

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