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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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Learn more:

Ayurveda Certification

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From my heart to your screen,

Katie

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theshaktischool

TheShaktiSchool

I’m fifteen, the sun is setting behind the Bapti I’m fifteen, the sun is setting behind the Baptist church across the street, and I’m having my first kiss. I’m clutching a cherry Slurpee from 7-Eleven. My hands frozen, but my stomach warm with the butterflies of anticipation.

I’ll spare you the full awkward glory of it. Just know: it was thrilling only because it was my first kiss…but it was a little icky. The moment felt more like a nervous science experiment than a cinematic love scene.

And yet for years, I had fantasized about this kiss. I’d built altars to it in my Lisa Frank rainbow notebooks, baptized it in hot pink dolphin dreams. I prayed to the feeling of it—of being wanted, of being chosen, of being seen.

That imagined kiss? It was electric, perfect, Divine.

The real one? A little wet and weird. But also sacred in its own way.

Here’s what I know now: Desire isn’t the problem. It’s the path.

Our work is not to shut down desire, but to refine it.

To redirect it - not toward perfection or external validation - but toward our innermost self. 

Toward the Source.

Toward what is most true.

C.S. Lewis said it best about our desires (what a shocker): “It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

It was always about your heart.

And it’s unstoppable, holy ache to remember who you truly are.

That ache? That’s the curriculum of our school.

Shakti Ayurveda School is a soul community. A real-talk, no-BS, deeply feminine journey into healing, desire, laughter and transformation.

Our Summer of Love sale is ending in just 4 days (lowest price + tons of free gifts when you join Ayurveda School).

Ready to go deeper?

→ Comment AYURVEDASCHOOL (one word) to sign-up + claim your bonuses. Just use code ‘summeroflove’ at checkout.

→ Comment MORE INFO to book a free connect call with our team.

→ Comment WISDOM to get instant access to our free Divine Feminine Ayurveda mini-course.
In August, the heat and fire of Pitta that built u In August, the heat and fire of Pitta that built up in June starts to rise to the surface, especially as moisture in our body begins to dry out. 🌞🍂 ⁠
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It’s time to soothe the lingering fire of summer while gently preparing our bodies for the cool, dry winds of fall.⁠
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Here’s your shopping list:⁠
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🌿 Mint: Naturally cooling and calming, balances Pitta heat and soothes digestion.⁠
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🍑 Peaches: Juicy and hydrating, helping balance dryness (which is key this month).⁠
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🍇 Grapes: Sweet, cooling, lightly grounding and Ojas-building.⁠
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🍐 Pears: Moistening and light, they combat late-summer dryness and calm heat.⁠
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🥒 Cucumbers: Cooling, detoxifying and deeply hydrating for tissues.⁠
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🥔 Jicama: Crunchy, sweet and grounding, perfect for balancing rising Vata.⁠
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🍠 Sweet Potatoes: Earthy and nourishing, they stabilize and prep the body for fall.⁠
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💛 Yellow Squash: Moistening and light, supports digestion and balances Pitta.⁠
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🍎 Apples: Astringent and cleansing, they gently clear excess summer heat.⁠
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🍚 Quinoa: Light yet grounding, ideal as we transition from summer to autumn.⁠
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🥛 Milk: (Organic + warm!) Nourishes and lubricates as dryness sets in.⁠
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🥥 Coconut Oil: Cools Pitta, moisturizes tissues and calms inflammation.⁠
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🥕 Carrots: Sweet and earthy, they ground airy Vata and prep digestion for fall.⁠
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🧈 Ghee: Builds Ojas, lubricates tissues and strengthens agni without heat.⁠
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🍅 Tomatoes: For Kapha types, their acidity and lightness help stimulate digestion, but avoid for Pittas + Vatas.⁠
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🌱 Mung Beans: Light, cooling and detoxifying, they balance Pitta while remaining easy to digest.⁠
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✨ Our Ayurvedic Wellness Coach Certification is now enrolling for January and our Summer of Love sale ends in just FIVE days. ⁠
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Enroll by August 11th with code ‘summeroflove’ at checkout & receive:⁠
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~ $100 off tuition⁠
~ A free mini-gift set from Paavani Ayurveda⁠
~ 1 year FREE in Spirit Sessions Membership⁠
~ Katie’s Ayurveda Summer Mix Tape downloadable recipe book⁠
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👉🏽 Comment AYURVEDASCHOOL (one word) to learn more or book a complimentary connect call with our team.
When I first discovered Ayurveda, I internalized a When I first discovered Ayurveda, I internalized all of the rules: No smoothies. No raw veggies. No coffee.

But as my journey evolved, I learned what the ancient texts themselves say: 

Ayurveda must evolve with time, place and people in which it exists. 

In other words, Ayurveda isn’t just a monolithic set of guidelines. It’s also a first-principles approach to navigating radiant health: for body, mind AND spirit.

Ayurveda does not have to look like living in a monastery, grinding spices by hand or working in the kitchen for hours a day (although these things CAN be beautiful expressions of Ayurveda).

Subtle Ayurveda is about tuning into the quiet voice of your animal body and reconnecting with your own inner wisdom.

Here are 4 signs you might be practicing Ayurveda the hard way:

1. You feel anxious about what’s “allowed” to eat.
2. You’re constantly second-guessing if you’re doing it “right.”
3. You’ve lost touch with your own intuition or your body’s cues.
4. It feels more like homework than healing.

Ayurveda is a living, breathing relationship between you and nature. 

When practiced through the lens of our direct experience, rather than just dogma, Ayurveda becomes adaptable, sensual and freeing.

Are you ready to immerse yourself in an approach that’s simple, intuitive and wildly expanding?

🎙️Comment DOGMA and I’ll send you the link to my full podcast episode, Ep. 181 Ayurveda Fundamentalism & Why We May Wanna’ Avoid It.
Let’s be real, sometimes we wait for a sign.⁠ Let’s be real, sometimes we wait for a sign.⁠
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That nudge. That feeling in our gut that says, go for it.⁠
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If you’ve been dreaming of diving into the world of Ayurveda, of healing your body and reconnecting with your purpose, this is the moment.⁠
⁠
Right now, Shakti Ayurveda School Level 1 is open for enrollment at the lowest tuition it will ever be. No joke. This is our once-a-year, best-ever offering.⁠
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And to sweeten the deal?⁠
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We’re celebrating summer the only way we know how...with a whole lotta LOVE! Right now, get the lowest ever tuition with the discount code SummerofLove and all the BONUS GIFTS! ❤️‍🔥⁠
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When you sign up during our Summer of Love Sale (just TEN days left!), you’ll get:⁠
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💖 $100 off your tuition ⁠

🌿 A FREE Paavani Summer Sampler Kit (cooling spritzer, body oil and digestive blend)⁠

🌺 A special YEAR-LONG FREE MEMBERSHIP to our thriving Spirit Sessions Membership platform plus immediate access to my ground-breaking CHAKRAS course (a $1000 value!) and LIVE monthly workshops with yours truly and special guests.⁠
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✨ A downloadable Ayurveda for Summer recipe book, straight outta' Katie's kitchen⁠
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👉🏼 Just use code SummerofLove at registration check out to receive the discount and ALL the gifts! ⁠
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We did this because we believe this work, this feminine, embodied, radically real Ayurveda, should be accessible for as many women as possible. ⁠
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That’s why our team is ready to work with you one-on-one to customize a payment plan that works with your financial flow. We’re not a big corporate university, we’re real women who’ve walked this path too, and we get it.⁠
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This school is more than a certification. It’s a calling. A homecoming. A space where you get to learn how to truly care for your body, heal your heart, and awaken your spiritual power, and share that with your family, your clients, your community.⁠
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You don’t need to have it all figured out.⁠
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You don’t need to be perfect or “ready.”⁠
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You just need to trust the spark that brought you here.⁠
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🌹 Let us help you take the next step. Learn more and book a complimentary call with our team at the link in our bio.
Okay, I think we can all laugh at how TRUE this me Okay, I think we can all laugh at how TRUE this meme by @natashalevinger is. 🤣💃🏽 

Sometimes it really feels like while we’re over here having endless emotional processing sessions with our therapist, our parents are enjoying nonstop vacations and home remodelings. 😜  

But here’s a deeper reflection for us all – part of healing is realizing that our parents, siblings, friends (and yes, every human on the planet) also has their wounds. We are all just doing the best we can with what we’ve come into this life with.

The good news about uncovering our wounds is this: When we work with our wounds and are willing to hold space for our inner child, we free up an immense reservoir of untapped energy. 

The things that hold the most pain in our lives have the potential to show us our life’s purpose and help us find the deepest meaning.

Meme by @natashalevinger

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