Ciel

Look no further to find an inspiration of the highest order of the power of spiritual work to recover from Lyme disease and chronic illness. Ciel is the epitome of light, love and the willingness to look at the spiritual side, the internal quest, to find shift and healing.

Talking with Ciel is a healing journey in itself.  A healer, shaman and advocate for the power of the individual nature of each person’s path to healing and recovery, it is such an honor to share her words with you here.

I look forward to further conversations with Ciel as we learn more about her particular zone of healing magic.

In gratitude,
xo
Lindsay

Lindsay and Ciel talk about and individual path to healing.

Tell us a little about yourself

I am Shamanic and Integrative Practitioner from northern Canada, living back in the small town I was raised after many years abroad.

My dedication to the healing path did not come easily, as I was quite lost to somewhat conventional social desires (status, money, physical appearance and all that) for a long time, spending a large part of my 20’s as a makeup artist and bartender. In typical Shamanic manner, however, I kept getting immensely sick within those choices, and eventually realized the work I am meant to be doing after moving to San Francisco.

I do work and healing that is a combination of all my past experiences, however, incorporating an undergraduate degree in Biology, a Master’s degree in Integrative Healing and five years of study in Shamanic practice to assist the whole person in their soul healing process.

I also develop and implement education programs for children suffering from trauma or abuse, assisting them in finding a greater sense of internalized power and possibility, mindfulness, anxiety relief, confidence and joy.

What is your philosophy on healing or overcoming health challenges.

The first truth I work from is that there is a perfection to all processes, and that no thing that comes across our path is random or a mistake. Therefore, all illness serves not as punishment or dumb luck, but as feedback and a greater possibility for actualized living. The universal force is benevolent, and seeks only to assist us in finding greater awareness if we listen to it.
The second truth in philosophy and practice is that all the answers needed for healing are to be found within the person and their experience, not from an outside source. My role in the process is assistant and coach, helping to remove stuck energy where it needs to be moved or call back parts of a person that have been lost so that they can access their basic wisdom and ultimately heal themselves.
And lastly, I practice with the awareness that there is no ‘place’ we are getting to in our healing journeys; there is no linear process nor end goal where we just get to sit back and disengage from life. This can be ultimately the hardest truth to live within, but seeking healing with this in mind ensures that life can remain a wondrous adventure and exploration, leaving our minds open to curiosity, awe and the great mystery so that we don’t stagnate.

How have you used adversity in your life to fuel your commitment to balance and wellness?

As I mentioned, I have been very sick throughout most of my life it seems, purely because I was not living my truth. I had skin and digestive issues, intense depressed and manic episodes, chronic anxiety, sleeping problems, hormonal challenges, several cancerous things, lyme disease…the list is somewhat endless. I have lived the path of the wounded healer very fully, and come out on the other side with some battle scars but mostly just an intense and abiding sense of faith in my own possibility, as well as that of the world and everything within it.
Approaching health challenges as a source of wisdom and insight rather than something that was ‘happening’ to me allowed me to move beyond the dualistic way of perceiving life experiences. Rather than wasting my energy and mental space on thinking constantly on something as ‘good’ or ‘bad’, I moved into a space of accepting what was happening as a gift in some crazy painful disguise.

How do you stay healthy, resilient and vibrant?

I take really, really good care of myself. I am attentive to every part of my being each day, which I think is easy-ish for me because I don’t tend to distract myself with much (it’s a pretty simple life up here, with lots of gardening and family and community).
I ensure that my mind is eased through meditation and journal work and exploration of ideas, my soul is at peace through prayer or healing, playing music or making art, or being in nature, my body is attended to with good food, exercise, dancing and physical intimacy, and my connection to everything is supported by spending time with family and friends and other species. I work a lot with gratitude and setting goals, finding a heart-centered place in my current experience while simultaneously striving for more growth and possibility all the time.
I also laugh a lot, and try as best to not take myself (or anyone else) too damn seriously.

What tips do you recommend for your clients dealing with / healing from illness?

That’s a huge question! Where to start…
What I do with people is very complicated in its approach—really understanding and working with body, mind, spirit and connection all at the same time—and yet very simple in its core philosophy, in that it is solely attempting to get someone back into full contact with their soul’s truth. What I recommend can be so profoundly different from one person to the next, therefore, depending on where they are in their particular journey. The basics of attending to their physical health with assistance from a trained healer, starting on a mindful path with meditation practice, and opening themselves to the potential of their spiritual experience through any number of practices will always be included in a first appointment, however.




If there was only one thing a person could find the energy and resources to make a priority what would it be?

Meditation.

What is your favorite inspirational quote for healing?


“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” – Albert Einstein

A highly trained and naturally gifted healer, Ciel combines spiritual insights and scientific understanding of the body to develop comprehensive, empowering healing protocols for her clients.
Beyond healing work and workshop facilitation, Ciel is engaged with designing and implementing new educational systems that support the self-actualization and creative force of both children and adults. She is passionate about systems-based social change and environmentalism, political reform, and spiritual reinvigoration.
In fact, there are not many things Ciel isn’t passionate about: she’s a fired-up individual, and utilizes this inspiration to be of the greatest benefit to the world that she possibly can.
Ciel holds a BSc in Biology from the University of Victoria in Canada, an MA in Integrative Healing from the California Institute of Integral Studies, and a certificate training in Crisis Counseling and Suicide Prevention. She is a certified Wellness Coach and Yoga Teacher, and has taken initiation as a Shamanic  Practitioner after five years of study in a Bolivian lineage. She is presently studying from a Haida healer and dreamwalker, and developing and implementing educational programs for children and adults in northern Canada.

www.entelechyheals.com