Empowering Chats with Susan Burrell

The Hidden Layers of Infertility

Ep.#253 - The Hidden Layers of Intertilty. An Interview with Maria Novotny and Robin Silbergeid

I am honored to welcome Maria Novotny and Robin Silbergeid to Empowering Chats. I am thrilled to have these two women on my show today. They have a powerful story to share and one that appears in the book entitled, Infertilities, A Curation.

These two women, along with Elizabeth Horn put this book together as a result of their shared experiences around infertility. It all started with Elizabeth co-finding the ART of Infertility, for which she has curated thirty exhibits since its inception in 2014. Maria is the co-director of The ART of Infertility. This exhibit was the recipient of the 2018 Hope Award for Innovation given by RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association for its work communicating patient experiences through arts programming. And Robin is a writer, a teacher and a scholar who has led many writing workshops and professional conference panels on topics related to infertility. These 3 women collaborated in getting this book put together to highlight how the use of visual art, poetry and creative non-fiction could and did have a hand in helping people from all walks of life heal from the diagnosis of infertility.

I started this empowering chat by quoting the opening passage in the book, Infertilities, A Curation. 

It goes like this, Infertility begins slowly, quietly with questions and uncertainty . . . and infertility begins with a growing awareness that making a family won’t be easy. It Won’t happen after a month or 3 or maybe even a year. Infertility begins with the choice to have a child. Infertility begins in the doctor’s office with tests and diagnostics codes. Infertility begins with sex. Infertility begins with asking a friend to donate sperm. Infertility begins with the arrival of blood each month . . . with a new cycle . . . with optimism and possibility . . . a first attempt at IVF . . . each treatment cycle can work or not.

The written and visual art in this book presents emotional beginnings with individuals wrestling with the diagnosis of infertility and what it means to build family in various contexts.

It's an emotional process. And both Maria and Robin shared what it is like to live with infertility and what it means for those women or men, or single “want to be parents” who identify as transgender or LGBTQ to get this diagnosis.

This book boldly illustrates how creativity can help people heal.

One review states, in part, “This daring collection harnesses the power of the arts to dismantle isolation and stigma, letting the light shine through to reveal the hidden layers of the infertility experience.”

I am so humbled and grateful for the work these amazing women have done individually and collectively to bring this topic to the forefront. The healing use of art and creative writing has been a gift for those suffering from infertility. I highly recommend this book for anyone who has been a support for someone suffering with infertility or if you yourself have had a firsthand experience with this diagnosis, know that you are not alone.

To purchase the book visit: Wsupress.wayne.edu/books/detail/infertilities-curation

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

A Roadmap Through Trauma

Ep. #252 - A Roadmap Through Trauma, an Interview with Mary Firestone.

Emotions is the theme for this month. And I am always fascinated to find out who is going to fit into this theme and what I am going to learn.

And for this episode of Empowering Chats, I am honored to introduce Mary Firestone. Mary is an inspirational speaker and an author. Mary is the author of, Trusting the Dawn, How to Choose Freedom and Joy after Trauma. I met Mary at a winery in California when I was personally dealing with my own trauma. And her book spoke to me.

It took us a bit to get here – but after I met her, I knew I just had to have her on my podcast.

Here's her personal story. This is an excerpt from the introduction to her book: It was more than 5 hours before I was rescued from my bathroom countertop where I huddled wet and pregnant . . . I was shaking from the cold and fear from being trapped by millions of gallons of mud . . . for much of that time I thought my husband and 4-year-old son had been swept away in the mudslide . . . I thought my life was over . . . I watched this river of mud crumple a neighbor’s house and hurtle it down the hill away from me . . . On my right the majority of my house had twisted backwards and washed away . . . not only was my living room gone, but my panic surpassed anything I had ever known when I realized the window looking back at me was my 4-year-old son's bedroom and I thought he was in it.

Mary’s personal story of surviving this trauma is what led her to write this book. This mudslide occurred in early 2018, right after the Thomas Fire raged through much of Southern California in late 2017. The land was barren from the fire and ripe for mudslides which occurred when torrential non-stop rain hit many of the coastal cities including Santa Barbara and Montecito.

And so, I led the interview by asking Mary the question, How can trauma be a gift? Mary explains that for her the gift came in the form of her intellectual thinking brain going on hiatus so her body could get in touch with what she identifies as the Divine, recognizing that some people call this their higher self or The Universe. She saw this as a gift because it allowed her to tap into recognizing her fragileness and the beauty of being human. Being human, according to Mary, means we get to experience not just the joy and love that comes with our human life but also have an appreciation and a connection to that higher frequency because of the trauma some of us experience.

And this experience is what led Mary to research how others who had lived through trauma learned to overcome and compost the trauma so that they too came out the other end with more light, more joy and more understanding of what it means to be human.

Mary’s book is not just full of research but tools we can all use to overcome trauma and recognize when we are taking the label of “victimhood” and using it as a crutch to stay stuck. Mary shares stories of other victims who survived extreme trauma and did not become lifelong victims. Mary talks about healing from the inside out so we can tap into our inner landscape for healing.

Mary offers many well researched facts, and experienced information about how to heal from trauma. Whether you are dealing with your own trauma or dealing with the traumatizing events going on in the world, there is something here we can all learn from. So even if you think you don’t need to know about trauma or heal from it – on some level we are all touched by it.

In closing Mary shared the following: You are not alone. This book can be your companion. There is so much hope and avenue for you to find joy and re-ignite your light. Don’t give-up. Seek your solution and take care of yourself, love yourself and you will heal.

To learn more about Mary Firestone and to purchase her book please visit: MaryFirestone.co

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

 

The Power of Emotions

Ep#251 - The Power of Emotions - A Solo Show with host, Susan Burrell

We are now in November. Can you believe it? And our theme for this year of 2023 is BE Expansive. The final letter of “expansive” is the letter “E” representing our focused theme for this month which is “Emotions.”

As many of you know I like to look up the formal definition of words and this is no different. So here goes, the dictionary defines “Emotion” as: A strong agitation of the feeling actuated by experiencing love, fear, hate etc. and often accompanied by physiological changes like heart rate or breathing.

And so, I ask you, how do you deal with emotions? How do you live your life without being emotionally reactive? I think many of us are emotionally reactive and often do react without thinking about the why. Or even taking the time to process the emotion that caused the reaction in the first place.

I believe inner investigation must come first, before we react. This is not easy to do and something I am now consciously working on. I now take the time to pause and investigate my inner landscape to identify what it is I am feeling and what the emotion is trying to tell me. And that goes for whatever emotions I am feeling. It can be fear, anxiety or love and happiness.

For me it is about checking in with myself to see what is lying beneath the emotion. So, for example if I am angry, I check in to see if that emotion is really a reaction to fear or to something else that might be going on. And once I identify what is really going on I can make a conscious choice to respond with love.

Love is the highest emotion and only with love can we overcome all the other stuff going on with our emotions. And sometimes it takes work to reach for the higher frequency of love. Believe me it is much easier to lean into fear or anger then to rise above it and reach for love, and yet it really is what will heal whatever else is going on.

I have used many tools, including meditation, journaling, walking in nature to help me process my emotional angst. If you are looking for ways to get through some of your emotional challenges, find what works for you and begin to make some changes.

If you are interested in stepping into this journey, I highly recommend my book, “Live An Empowered Life, A 30-Day Journey Book.” I offer journaling prompts, affirmations and guided meditations to inspire you.  It's a guided workbook that can help you grow and expand your inner world and your wisdom. I lived it and what I share in the book are those practices that helped me gain wisdom and self-empowerment.

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

To learn more about my book, or to purchase, “Live An Empowered Life,” visit: SusanBurrell.com/book

Dissolving Patterns of Limitation

Ep#250 - Dissolving Patterns of Limitation - An Interview with artist, psychologist and author, Laura Basha.

I know I say this all the time - but I can't help it - I so love my job and the people I get to meet and interview on Empowering Chats.  And this interview is no exception.

In this episode I welcome Laura Basha. She wears many hats. Not only is she a psychologist, she is also an amazing artist and the author of, "The Inward Outlook."

There is so much offered in her book. Spiritual principles, core values and space for your own personal notes at the end of each chapter.

I started the interview by asking Laura to share what led her to write this book.

She said her book is a synopsis of her life’s work and that it took decades of self-practice before she could write it.  This body of work encompasses all she has done in her personal life and also the work she has done with clients over the last 40 years. So much of this work was her own dissolving of  patterns of limitations she had placed on herself. She had to recognize them and then be willing to dissolve them in order to become more authentic.  And then of course she also had to be willing to put herself out there and be vulnerable.

Laura goes on to explain how the simple act and design of being human is both a gift and a challenge. We are creative sparks of the divine. Laura feels it is important to learn how to keep our peace of mind while living in the face of everyday life experiences, including all that we are confronted with in the world. And we can learn to dissolve many of our own self-imposed limitations. Our own peace can transcend to all those we come in contact with.

Laura also offers sections for notes at the end of each chapter as well as journaling prompts to help the reader become more aware of where they are in their life journey.

To learn more about Laura please visit her website at: WhiteBirdRising.com

To purchase The Inward Outlook visit: WhiteBirdRising.com/inward-outlook-book/

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

The Battle of Our Ego and Our Soul

Ep#249- The Battle of Our Ego and Our Soul- An Interview with Intuitive and Author, Sue Frederick.

My guest for this empowering chat is Sue Frederick. She is an author, a spiritual coach an intuitive and an ordained Unity Minister.

In this empowering chat, Sue shares her story of holding her husband as he died in her arms when she was 29. It changed her life forever, sending her on a deep spiritual journey.

Those questions took her on a journey of studying Buddhism, Hinduism and learning about Numerology.  She now helps clients through their spiritual journeys.

Those questions took her on a journey of studying Buddhism, Hinduism and learning about Numerology, and eventually she become a Unity Minister. She now help clients through their spiritual journeys.

Her latest book is called, “Through a Divine Lens, Practices to Quiet Your Ego and Align with Your Soul.”

Sue illuminates the soul path in her book through personal stories and client stories. She also offers tools we can all use to access our soul’s purpose.

Sue believes that spiritual awakening is possible through the Divine Lens. And the battle of our Ego versus our  Soul is at the center of our growth and our learning.

The old way of thinking claims we can change the world by convincing others that we have the right ideas. It is an "us" versus "them" mentality. It doesn’t work. Perhaps at one time it did, however we have now come to realize that is not the lesson on the table. It has to start with us, with me, with you.

Sue shared how she had to learn that no matter what somebody believes she has to see the soul in that person. Or said another way:” I have to see the All-good, all God universe in every person I come in contact with. I have to remember to “love on them.” And that is so hard to do in these very difficult times we are living in.

According to Sue, when we look at life through the Ego lens, (which resides in the human mind) we often forget we have a soul too, one that is here to guide us through the higher frequency of love – and that cannot be achieved when the human ego is engaged. The ego is all about self-preservation and keeping us safe through the tough challenges we humans face. And our society preaches fear, getting ahead, competition and so on, anything to stay ahead and stay safe. It doesn’t work. All that does is amp our anxiety, our fears and our need to control everything around us.

And now we are achieving at a whole new level of consciousness and growth. Now we can get beyond the ego, beyond the mind, to the heart space. We have to be heartfelt soul beings who see everybody here as beautiful souls. Some are walking a troubled path and some are walking with pure love in their heart. And we all have to help each other stay in the light and always walk toward love.

Meditation, mindfulness practices and journaling can help us to get in touch with our soul so that we can quiet the ego and allow the soul to lead. We all have this accessible to us, but it takes work and intention to access our souls and let love lead the way.

"Through a Divine Lens," outlines much of this and helps us to access those parts of ourselves that are meant to lead in light and love.

To learn more about Sue Frederick please visit: CareerIntuitive.org/about-sue-frederick

To Purchase "Through a Divine Lens" visit: CareerIntuitive.org

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

Touching the Hidden Nature of Reality

Ep#248- Touching the Hidden Nature of Realtiy - An Interview with Spiritual Philosopher and Author, Peter Canova

I am thrilled to welcome author and spiritual philosopher Peter Canova. In this episode of Empowering Chats we dive into Peter’s latest book, “Quantum Spirituality.”

Peter shares his story about being in his twenties and having spiritual experiences that opened up a flood gate from him where he experienced being absorbed by a bright light the connection of the all. The knowing that we are all one and we are all connected.

This experience changed the course of Peter’s life. And he began to write a trilogy of fictional books that tapped into mysticism and themes of spirituality. This process of writing fiction eventually led him to quantum physics and the overlapping of quantum physics and science with ancient spiritualism.

Peter goes on to explain that it comes down to 3 overarching themes. Light, Energy and Matter. He continued to write and investigate which led him to make a gradual transfer to quantum theories which eventually led to this book.

Peter’s goal in writing this book is to lead his readers to have a personal experience with this higher knowledge. Experiential knowledge is where he is trying to help people get to. This is where Peter believes that people can have these extraordinary personal experiences with consciousness. And it has the potential to manifest in many different dimensions.  When people reach these heightened states of consciousness, they can have insightful breakthroughs.

He also touched on the principles of meditation and how that can be folded into your practice.

Peter’s goal was to write a book that would appeal to both the intellectual left-brain psyche as well as the more creative right-brain attributes that we all carry within.

To learn more about Peter Canova please visit: PeterCanova.com

To order his book visit: www.amazon.com/Quantum-Spirituality-Mysticism-Connecting-Consciousness/dp/1591434637

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

The Vast Possibilities

Ep#247- The Vast Possibilites - A Solo Show with your host, Susan Burrell.

This has been an interesting year – especially for me. I can’t believe it’s October already. I have been on an inner journey of expansion for most of this year. In fact, our theme for this year is “BE Expansive.”  And when my Team and I pick the theme we never quite know where it is going to take us. Well I gotta say it’s been a wild ride this year filled with many challenges but also with inspiring “aha” moments too.

When I set the intention to be expansive it was also with the knowing that I wanted to make more connections and find new perspectives on how I view my life. And so, I ask you to also reflect on what has shown up for you during this path of expansiveness?

The theme for October is Vast or Vastness. Vast is defined as, “A very great area.” Words used to describe vast or vastness include: Intense. Boundless. Endless. Extensive. Sweeping.

What struck me about vastness was the idea of an empty vessel. The open expansiveness of what an empty vessel could hold. And it’s really not empty as it holds, what I believe is Consciousness or God or Source, whatever you want to call it. It goes by so many names. And this space is constantly contracting and expanding.

Focusing on the vastness or the largeness of consciousness and energy space can be overwhelming. I know I have felt overwhelmed at times and I have had to work hard to not fall into the negative polarization of standing in one belief system. A belief system that I believe is no longer functional.

I believe we are entering into expansion because the old way of doing things is shifting. The old belief system is falling apart. We are entering into a new soul growth as a planet and as humanity, and in this growth everything is changing. That is how we co-create.

Those that are committed to this transformation, which I believe are the light leaders are here to show us the change and to lead the way to a new humanity. I believe love is the high frequency that will change the topography of where we live. Forgiveness and gratitude are tools we can use to attain this high frequency of love. I believe that this kind of love will fill the vastness and become the vessel of possibility that is offered to each and every one of us.

Will you join me in being a light leader? Embrace love as the change agent?

If you are feeling stuck and need a nudge to get moving I highly recommend my book, “Live an Empowered Life: A 30-Day Journey.”  It’s a workbook filled with journaling prompts, inspirational quotes and affirmations – all put together to get you thinking about how you can empower your life and make conscious choices that will inspire you from within.

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

To purchase my book, "Live An Empowered Life: A 30-Day Journey" please visit: SusanBurrell.com/book

Archangel Alchemy

Ep#246 - Archangel Alchemy - An Interview with Author and Channeler, Alexandra Wenman.

I am revisiting this Empowering Chat I had with Alexandra Wenman. She is a channeler, an author, a teacher and so much more. This chat is powerful and I think deserves another listen. Or perhaps you missed it the first time around so here it is again. Enjoy.

Alexandra Wenman is the author of “Archangel Alchemy Healing.” We had an amazing and energetic connection and conversation surrounding the work she does.

This interview took place at the tail-end of 2022 just before the Christmas Holiday and the impact of this powerful chat is still so timely and ready to be re-shared.

Alexandra’s journey and awakening began at birth. Her mother was told she would be a still-born. Alexandra was yanked into the world by forceps and then flat-lined and had to resuscitated by the doctors.

From an early age Alexandra has been able to feel, see and sense spirit and angels.  Alchemy has been a part of her for most of her life, she just didn’t realize what she was meant to do with it. She was however aware of her gift of channeling. For many years what she wrote came to her with no understanding of how it would all come together. Then around 2011 she began to channel a higher-beings, identified as “The Higher Galactic Counsel of Life.”

The message she received was for her to move toward exploring spiritual alchemy and so this book. “Archangel Alchemy Healing,” is really a 12 or 13 year project that has been channeled through her.

Alexandra explains that alchemy is an ancient wisdom process. From a historical standpoint it started ages ago when a chemist or alchemist worked to turn lead into gold. But alchemy is not just about changing the physical form of something tangible but also changing the being, the human being to get in touch with the spirit within that is having this “human” experience here on earth.

According to Alexandra the first step to alchemy healing is feeling and identifying where blockages exists within your body.

Alexandra explains it is all about understanding that nature and all of reality are a part of who we are and something to be loved and embraced and learned from - rather than something to be feared or to run away from. When we understand this statement than the whole world can becomes a glorious playground rather than something to be feared, and a true alchemist understands this.  We are a part of everything nothing is separate from you.

Alexandra also has a YouTube channel and an oracle angel deck that supports her book.

There is so much to learn and share about this process and the work Alexandra Wenman is doing. To learn more please visit her website at: AlexandraWenman.com

 

To purchase her book: AlexandraWenman.com/shop

 

To view some of her YouTube videos visit:

YouTube.com/channel/UCddFn-Z7GP9r4g61N2sKmew

 

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

The Transformative Inner Journey

Ep#245 - The Transformative Inner Journey - An Interview with Somatic Energy Healer, Cheryl Pallant

My guest for this episode of Empowering Chats is Cheryl Pallant. Cheryl is a somatic energy healer and an author. Our chat centered around the multiple levels of Healing.

She is the author of "Ecosomatics: Embodiment Practices for a World in Search of Healing.”

In her book introduction, she talks about a shift in consciousness. And she shares her thoughts about learning how to trust first and then reaching out into the grander world.

We both agreed that we are always at choice for our own personal healing and how we show up in the world. We also explored subtle energy and how being tuned in makes much of this healing energy accessible to us.

Cheryl believes it’s about learning to say yes to yourself. It’s about saying yes and then exploring what that looks like for you. Many of us get into the habit of putting ourselves down. And when we disown parts of who we are, we limit who we are. We limit our abilities.

In this book, Cheryl encourages people to come out as who they are. And to feel the edge of all of who we are – even if it’s fear that is showing up, because only then can transformation begin.  We often get messages from the earth and from our body when things are off balance and it’s important that we pay attention to that. When this happens it presents an opportunity for us to expand into our body and listen to the whispers of the earth. Only then can we move into healing and transforming.

According to Cheryl, ecosomatics is about connection to all. Connecting to the earth and to nature. It’s about re-evaluating and seeing what is more healthy for all of us. The interconnection to all is important to pay attention to.

It's about waking up to what is occurring around us. And to allow the light energy to heal and do its job. Cheryl's wish is for love to take center-stage. She encourages self-love and self-compassion, in other words be a better friend to yourself. 

To learn more about Cheryl Pallant visit: CherylPallant.com

To Purchase Cheryl's book visit: CherylPallant.com/writing/ecosomatics/

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

Free Up Your Energy

Ep#244 - Free Up Your Energy - An Encore Interview with Author, Sherianna Boyle

 

I had such an amazing chat with author Sherianna Boyle earlier this year that I have asked her back for an encore appearance.

Since our last interview I have been working on Sherianna's book, Energy in Action. And through this process I realized there was more to say on the topic – hence I wanted to have another conversation with her.

I started this interview by asking Sherianna, why energy has to be in action?  According to Sherianna, energy and action go hand in hand. Energy is emotion. And when we focus on emotions and moving the energy of our emotions we can heighten our intuition.

Sherianna explained that when we detox our emotions it’s really about detoxing our reactions, not our emotions. The process that she outlines in her book allows for the energy to flow out of us. And according to Sherianna we may find, as she did, that through this process our intuition gets heightened.

We also tapped into manifestation and how our emotions and freeing up our energy can help us to manifest our desires. Energy is often thought of as happening outside of us – and the old way of manifesting asks us to put our energy and focus on that thing that we want, most often it’s a material thing, like a new car, a promotion, etc. Sherianna points out that that is also the space where re-activity hangs out. So, all of sudden we can find ourselves in this area of reaction to, or possibly having anxiety about wanting this something to appear in our life and also doubting it will but still trying to manifest it.

When we find ourselves in this space often times the intensity surrounding that thing we want –could be a sign that we are in reactivity, and this could override our intent to manifest. It’s important that we not ignore what is coming up.  It can be heady, however here’s where we need to pay attention and do cleansing work.

It’s about getting out of our heads and experiencing the emotion(s).

Sherianna teaches us in her book that it is all about learning how just going outside of ourselves to experience the energy is not the sole answer. It is also about remembering to come back to our body. To our sacred space in order to integrate all of it and work with the energy system we carry within.

Sherianna also works with rays of light and how these rays work in tandem with energy to revive us and help us move beyond what is blocking us. In this way we can open up to our intuition, free up energy and manifest our desires.

 

To learn more about Sherianna Boyle visit: SheriannaBoyle.com

 

To purchase her book, Energy in Action and check our her other books visit: SheriannaBoyle.com/books-all

 

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