Empowering Chats with Susan Burrell

Wild & Free

EP# 228 - Wild & Free - An Interview with Author, Kris Franken

I am so excited to welcome my stellar guest, Kris Franken. She is an author, mentor and healer. Her latest book is entitled, Wildhearted Purpose. Embrace Your Unique Calling and the Unmapped Path of Authenticity.

Chapter one of her book opens with the following quote:  

“It is in our nature as humans to seek happiness and pleasure in our lives. When this is healthy and balanced these inner states are clear indicators that we’re connected to our truth, but without meaning we lose our balance and sense of purpose, as you initiate your vision, meaning will bring depth into the picture as pleasure brings elevation.”

According to Kris, balance and meaning bringing us into our truth. This is a powerful statement and a theme that flows throughout Kris’s book, Wildhearted Purpose.

The idea for this book and its title came to Kris years ago. When it first appeared for her she found it glowing bright and it spoke to her. So much so that years later it became the title for this book.

The title, in Kris’s words says so much. She finds that it’s connected to the heart and it expresses everything about what she does. When she began mentoring people she encouraged people to go into their own wilderness and discover their wildness.

She gave herself permission to be wild and messy.

For Kris “wild-ing” is living in the wildness of nature. It’s finding the balance. Often, she feels we take the word “meaning” as feeling too strong and dark . Kris feels it is really about finding love and playfulness, and balancing the giving and the receiving. It’s tricky but doable to find your "meaning" in your life.

The book was written as a permission slip to everyone to do exactly what your heart wants to do. And that was her intention in writing this book.

As a rebel, Kris does not follow a map. She resists structure and people or society telling her what she “should” do. And in her quest for balance, she found her wild and playful side and follows her own drumbeat. And thus encourages her readers, her audience to do the same.

To learn more about Kris Franken please visit her website at: KrisFranken.com

To explore her book, Wildhearted Purpose visit: KrisFranken.com/books

To learn more about how I show up in the world visit: SusanBurrell.com

Tap Into The Playful Side of Life

Ep. #228 - Tap into The Playful Side of Life - An Interview with Inspirational Teacher and Author, Jim Dreaver

 

This episode of Empowering Chats features an interview I did in July of 2014 when I hosted my radio show with Inspirational Teacher and Author, Jim Dreaver. Much of what we talked about still holds true, even today.

Jim Dreaver is the author of, End Your Story, Begin Your Life.

He is originally from New Zealand and moved to California in the mid-70s to attend chiropractic medical school. During his last year of study he began to experience health issues. His health became so compromised that he began to fear death and he could not sleep. What began as overwhelming fear soon turned to enlightenment as he began his spiritual quest.

With the help of meditation and books by spiritual leaders he began his healing process. He settled in California and opened his chiropractic practice.

According to Jim we are storytelling people – but we are not our stories – we are constant and pure consciousness.

In this interview we tackled the questions of how to awaken and open up to life, and how to find the playfulness and joy in living.

Jim feels that many times it is the deep suffering that aids people to “wake up” and take notice of their lives. And being on the path of awakening is really about being tuned into the whispers. Those whispers may accompany you on your life path and are there to alert you to your story and to perhaps even to that which you need to let go of, or move away from. This could be the beginning of your awakening. It’s different for everybody and yet the overall theme is the same for everyone.

And ultimately is it about accepting the ebb and flow of life and moving with it rather than against it.  It’s about finding the playfulness and allowing life to envelope you in all is beautiful glory, accepting the good and the not so good.

For more on Jim Weaver please visit: JimDreaver.com

To learn more about his book, End Your Story, Begin Your Life visit: JimDreaver.com/index.php/books

To learn more about how I show up in the world please visit: SusanBurrell.com

Moving from Tragic to Magic

Ep#227 - An Interview with Dream Therapist and Author, Kelly Sullivan Walden.

My guest for this Empowering Chats episode is the charismatic Dream Therapist and Author, Kelly Sullivan Walden.  The title of her latest book caught me off guard, it’s called: A Crisis Is a Terrible Thing to Waste.

Kelly tells her story with humor and authenticity. She has a way of bringing humor into places that are uncomfortable and dark. I think she is an amazing storyteller. The Chapter titles in her book alone are sarcastic and funny. Some of those titles include: You Can’t Plug in Here, The Hippie and The Hypocrite, Infinite Pie and My Ass is on The Line.

Kelly writes about how clunky and awkward being human can be. And she points out that we all have similar experiences in this journey we call life.

Kelly’s inspiration for this book occurred on New Year’s Day several years ago as she was setting her intention for the coming year. She contemplated what it was she was supposed to write about. What came through was something she rejected on first impulse. She was directed to write about the worst year of her life, which occurred at the tender age of 21, when she spent a whole year as a stripper.  She had never shared that part of her life with anyone and now she was being prompted to write about it and share it in written form.

Ultimately, in the process of writing her story, she came to love the part of herself that she had hated for decades. Writing about it brought it into her heart and she was able to uncover a lot of shame and finally heal.

What she found as she began to share her story was that it gave others permission to share their experiences.  Little by little she found herself getting more connected to her authentic self and to those in her life.

Kelly and I both believe it’s about embracing all of who we are, including the shame and the shadow side so that we can merge the layers that make up all of who we are as a human. By doing this you become more expansive and you can make room for all of it.

What a beautiful and amazing conversation we shared.

To learn more about Kelly Sullivan Walden please visit: KellySullivanWalden.com

To purchase her book visit: KellySullivanWalden.com/sweet-dreams-shop

To learn more about me and how I show up in the world please visit: SusanBurrell.com

The Vibration of Spirits

EP-#226 – An Interview with Michelle Welch a Medium and Author of Spirits Unveiled: A Fresh Perspective on Angels, Guides, Ghosts & More

Since childhood, Michelle Welch has experienced spirits and angels that live beyond the veil, that live in the non-physical world. For as long as she’s existed, she has sensed or “seen” angels, fairies, and also those energies or spirits that would scare her. She has never really had the sense or felt the separation between the physical world and the spirit world – many times they would simply blend together.

Michelle and I shared a powerful chat about the importance of acknowledging those energies which many of us empaths feel when the veil is lifted. For me personally I feel I am here to be the light and give love to all that some in contact with. It sounds easy but it’s not. It takes work to be light and spread the love. I believe that is what Humanity is requiring of us right now.

Through a journey of exploration and also denial, Michelle finally learned to embrace her psychic gifts and share them with the world.

We took a deep dive in this Empowering Chat, in order to lift the veil and explore the spirit world. According to Michelle it is not all light and love. She explains that sometimes what we encounter when the veil is lifted, can be unkind and dark. And it’s not about getting scared, it’s simply about understanding that they too exist.

In her book, Spirits Unveiled, Michelle explores all of it, angels and spirit guides as well as the scarier entities like ghosts and demons. She explains the different types of spirits that flow on earth and how to understand these energies. She shows you how to work with different spirits and how to set boundaries.  This book can also help boost your intuition and spiritual practice.

Michelle is a licensed attorney and uses her intuitive abilities to pick juries in high profile court cases. She also hosts the podcast SoulWhat and is the CEO and owner of the Northwest Tarot Symposium and The International Divination Event.

To learn more about Michelle Welch visit: MichelleWelch.com

To purchase her book, Spirits Unveiled: MichelleWelch.com/author

To learn more about how I show up in the world, please visit my website: SusanBurrell.com

The 4 Pillars of Spiritual Wellness

Ep- # 225 - An Interview with Dr. Greg Hammer, Professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, Mindfulness Expert and Author of GAIN without Pain: The Happiness Handbook for Health Care Professionals.

I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to interview this guest for my podcast. I am enchanted and thrilled to welcome Dr. Greg Hammer to this Empowering Chat. Greg is a Professor at Stanford University School of Medicine and wears many hats. He is not only a medical professional in the field of pediatrics, he is also a mindfulness expert and the author of GAIN without Pain: The Happiness Handbook for Health Care Professionals.

Greg began his journey into medicine by following his grander interest in the relationship between the very small and the very large.  His philosophy of seeing life through the lens of connection carried him into studying or “seeing” the human body in the same way. The larger vessel being our body with the smallest particle being the sub-cellular organs that make up these cells, tissues and organs that create the whole of the human body.  This is what led him to medical school.

Greg likes being forced to think on his feet and marrying his mindfulness practice with western medicine.

He has brought together the truth of his being with his knowledge of medicine. He approaches all his patients with compassion and presence. He wants to get to know his patients on a “human” level because this is who he is and how he feels compelled to be when helping his patients with their health issues. And he doesn’t shy away from introducing the mindfulness and spiritual practice to his colleague and to his patients.

The 4 Pillars of the GAIN Method are: Gratitude, Acceptance, Intention and Non-Judgement. The GAIN Method was developed by Greg to help people combat negative thoughts and re-wire the brain with daily practice.

They are simple tools and just 3-minutes a day of practice can make a real difference. The GAIN Method is not just for healthcare professionals, it can help anyone who is seeking to overcome anxiety or stress in their daily life. Greg offers easy tools in his book and ways to live.

To learn more about Greg Hammer please visit: GregHammerMD.com

To order Greg's Book, GAIN Without Pain: amazon.com/GAIN-Without-Pain-Happiness-Professionals/dp/1951104013

To learn more about me and how I show up in the world please visit: SusanBurrell.com

Richard Bach’s Life Adventure

Ep- # 224 - Richard Bach's Life Adventure, A Revisit of a 2014 Interview with Author and Pilot, Richard Bach

We have now entered into the month of April.  It feels like Spring is finally in the air. The sun is shining and the flowers have begun to bloom, at least that’s true for Southern California. I hope that is also true for your hometown as well.

The theme for this month is, “Xiexie” which means Thank You in Chinese.  So, all of this month’s shows will relate to thank you, gratitude or being grateful.

The show I am featuring for this episode of Empowering Chats is an interview I did in 2014 when I used to host a radio show called, “Living Your Inspired Life with Susan Burrell.” It features author and pilot, Richard Bach.

It’s the perfect show to kickstart this month’s theme. In August of 2012 Richard Bach suffered a serious plane crash while flying solo in the San Juan Islands. We talk about this “life adventure,” and what it meant to kiss death and survive it.

He spent a full year in recovery following this accident and he writes about it in his book: “Illusions II – The Adventures of a Reluctant Student.”

Richard learned to be a pilot while in the Air Force in 1954.

His other love was writing. And his life changed one night in 1959 as he walked home and heard a voice behind him say: “Jonathan Livingston Seagull.” He turned around to find that no one was there. He rushed back home to his apartment and when he sat down at his desk, a full movie played out in front of his eyes, showing the seagull’s story. This was the beginning of his famous novel, “Jonathon Livingston Seagull.”

He received 19 rejection letters before it was finally published in 1970 and became a best-seller. It catapulted Richard to stardom and it has remained in print for over fifty years.

To learn more about Richard Bach visit: RichardBach.com

For a library of his books visit: RichardBach.com/books

To learn more about how I show up in the world please visit my website: SusanBurrell.com

Clearing Energetic Paths

Ep- # 223 - Clearing Energetic Paths, An Interview with Yogi Healer and Author, Lauren Walker

As we wrap up the month of March and the theme for this month which is Energy, I am thrilled to welcome a special guest. Yogi Healer and Author, Lauren Walker. Lauren’s book The Energy to Heal – is all about healing from trauma and stress through the practice of Energy Medicine Yoga.

So, what is Energy Medicine Yoga?

It is a unique healing system that Lauren Walker developed and perfected over many years of study. She practiced on herself and early in her development of Energy Medicine she also worked with those in the military, to help them heal from trauma.

This practice changed how Lauren practiced yoga. She found that with the right tools and practice one could heal their trauma and / or stress.

Lauren works with the 5 elements, which is an energy system that resides in the body and is derived from ancient Chinese medicine. According to Lauren we can explore our life through the lens of these 5 elements in order to become more aware of why we respond to everyday life experiences as we do.

And we can also heal and thrive, and learn more about ourselves through this same lens of the 5 elements.

The 5 elements we explore in this podcast are:

1. Water which appears as Fear and is balanced with Courage
2. Wood which appears as Anger and is balanced with Assertive Action
3. Fire which appears as Anxiety and is balanced with Joy and Inspiration
4. Earth which appears as Worry and is balanced with Self-Love
5. Metal which appears as Grief and is balanced with Faith and the ability to let-go.

 

Most people have a primary element however everyone has a bit of each of these elements.

Lauren’s book is hands on and provides exercises with photos showing what you can do to heal your body. She also offers journaling prompts. Her book teaches you how to respond, rather than react, to triggers so that you can ultimately diminish their effect on you.

To learn more about Lauren Walker visit her website at: EnergyMedicineYoga.net

To purchase her book The Energy to Heal visit: emyogastore.com/products/the-energy-to-heal

To learn more about how I show up in the world I invite you to visit my website: SusanBurrell.com

 

Is Everyone An Empath?

Ep #221 - Is Everyone an Empath? An interview with Kristy Robinett, author, medium and empath.

 

Kristy Robinett is my guest for this episode of Empowering Chats with Susan Burrell. Kristy is the author of the book, Embrace Your Empathy, Make Sensitivity Your Strength.

We talked about what being an empath is all about. There is a social stigma that many empaths live with. Kristy describes an empath as someone who feels the energy of others more so than the average person. And it can be felt in different ways.

She wrote the book for those that feel like their empathic gift is a weakness. Her goal is to inform people and give them the power to be themselves. Nobody can tell you how to be in the world. An analogy that Kristy used to express this was she often told her kids. Which is this: You cannot turn your blue eyes to brown. Yes, you can put contacts in to make your eyes appear brown, but they will still be blue. And so, the same applies for your true essence. You can try not to be a sensitive empath and fight against what feels correct for you but in the end, you will still be a sensitive empath. So why not work with your gifts? Why not draw those out and gain strength and confidence from your special gifts?

And that is the purpose of the book.

Part of Kristy’s growth was to embrace what she calls her “weirdness” – because sometimes her empathic qualities would be misunderstood by others. And this is something I resonate with as I now understand myself and why I function the way I do.

Kristy’s book helps to illuminate the various qualities an empath has and how to turn what may be perceived as “weirdness” to gifts that can be shared with yourself, your family and your friends.

Kristy believes that if we are vibrating at the highest levels then we can heal what is going in both our inner world and in our physical world. Her goal is to be “An army of positive,” as much as possible.

To learn more about Kristy Robinett: KristyRobinett.com

To Purchase Kristy's book, Embrace Your Empathy: amazon.com/Embrace-Your-Empathy-Sensitivity-Strength

To learn about how I show up in the world please visit  my website: SusanBurrell.com

Astrology As A Healing Tool

EP#220 - Astrology As A Healing Tool, An Interview with Astrology Expert and Author, Carmen Turner-Schott

I am so excited to welcome my guest, Carmen Turner-Schott to Empowering Chats. Carmen is an astrology expert and an author. Her book, Sun Signs Houses and Healing is the first book about astrology that I’ve read and understood clearly. Carmen’s approach is simple, clear and so easy to follow.

Carmen gives her readers suggestions on the positive and challenging aspects of your sun sign and how to put self-care first.

We shared a fun, interactive chat about self-care and self-awareness. This is especially important for those of us who are empaths or givers, as we always seem to put our needs last. Carmen sees this pattern in her life and in the life of those she works with.

Ignoring yourself will eventually catch up to you – we all have to make an effort to replenish our energy. Carmen points out that everything is energy and each sign in astrology has tools that can help you see how to replenish yourself.

Her book is written in a practical and down to earth way. The introduction gives a simple overview of astrology. It also points out the different houses and the signs associated with astrology so that even the novice can easily follow this path and understand it.

When I went through Carmen’s book and read my sun sign and how I function in the world it was so accurate it gave me the chills.

Carmen wants people to utilize this book in their own life because it will help them understand their lives and the lives of those close to them. It can be used as a tool of self-awareness and ultimately self-healing. And it will also help you to have compassion and understanding for others and why they respond the way they do in their personal lives.

To learn more about Carmen visit: CarmenTurnerSchott.com

To purchase her book visit: CarmenTurnerSchott.com/books/sun-signs-houses-and-healing

For more about me and how I show up in the world please visit my website: SusanBurrell.com

The Tingling Energy of Life

EP #219 - The Tingling Energy of Life - A Solo Episode with the host of Empowering Chats, Susan Burrell

Join me for this solo episode as I introduce the theme for the month of March, which is Energy.  I like to think of energy as a spiritual conductive feeling in my body. And you all know me well enough by now that I like to look up the definition of words – even common words that we already know the meaning of; I still find it interesting and informative to read the dictionary definition.

So here goes. Energy is defined as: The capacity for vigorous activity. The ability to act and affect others. It can often be a forcefulness of expression.

Some individual words that pop up for me are: vitality, potency and animation.

It is also what gives us the feeling of engaging in life, or what I like to call source energy.

When we focus on the spirit within us we can feel stronger and more alive. Lots of ancient wisdoms have words for this inner energy that we all carry.

For me meditation helps me to access my inner energy and I often feel a tingling that tells me I am connected to source and this is something that I have learned to pay attention to.

I believe we are all conduits to energy and when we tune in to that source it become palpable and felt not only by us but those we come in contact with.

 

To learn how to better tap into your energy system I invite you to sign-up for my guided meditation practice which begins in this month of March.

To learn more visit: SusanBurrell.com/monthly-meditations-with-susan

To learn more about how I show up in the worlds please visit my website at: SusanBurrell.com