The Power of Storytelling - Episode 17
Welcome back to The Power of Storytelling!
Zoe, Haley and Abbey - thank you for sharing your stories, your words, and your journey with all of us.
This month’s episode reminded me that it’s important to honor our bodies, our minds, and our journey’s. When we honor who we are, when we speak our truth, when we celebrate one another, and when we hold space for ourselves and others - everything transforms.
It’s truly my honor to share the stories and provide the space here to share a little bit more about the women and men behind these words. I encourage you to check out Zoe, Haley and Abbey after you listen to this week’s new episode.
*Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Seek The Joy Podcast.
Zoe Wood is a Breathwork Guide, Reiki Healer and Emotional Healing Guide, helping people to remember who they are and connect to their power and truth. Using these healing techniques, she works with groups and individuals, as they release their trauma, and mental and emotional blocks.
In this week’s new episode Zoe shares the healing power of friendship, and the impact that it’s had on her life. Two years ago, the month of February took on a new meaning for her. Zoe’s brother was fifteen months older than her, and her best friend. He was the one that she could call in moments of crisis in the early hours of the morning, the one who would listen and laugh with her until she fell asleep again.
In this week’s new episode Zoe recounts the day after he died as she was numbly walking through the city of Barcelona, knowing that she shouldn’t be alone, but in too much shock and fog to figure out who to call. She said a silent prayer for guidance, “I don’t know who to be with or what to do. Please send me what I need.” Moments later she quite literally walked into Jacqueline who she met only a few weeks before. Jacqueline’s friendship and unconditional love over the next months and beyond taught her the healing power of sisterhood, and the sacred space that we hold for one another.
Zoe’s words are truly beautiful and profound, and her reflections will remind you of the power of allowing others to gift us the safety of unconditional love and space. It will remind you to take a moment and hit pause from the busyness of our lives, and return to our breath. This practice, in many ways, has been the focus of what Zoe does now. Today, she works with those who are seeking to look within themselves, and for whom a life of passion, purpose, and creativity is a prerequisite to feeling at home in the world. She uses the same techniques that she shares with her clients in her own life. retreating into a quiet place to breathe, to come back to her heart from her busy brain again and again. Many people she works with have, though their family or culturally, absorbed truths that were never their own, and come to the work when they are ready to shed patterns of thinking and behavior which no longer fit their soul.
Sometimes though, all it takes to heal is friendship, and as Zoe shares in this week’s episode those precious few friends who you only need to think about to feel yourself filling up with love for them, and gratitude just for the fact that they exist.
“Our friendship brought down walls I had built up inside me - walls that said it wasn’t safe to let other people help or to receive love. Her acceptance was alchemy, in that moment my sadness lifted, and I was given full permission to just be. ”
Haley Cole is a spiritual coach, mentor and podcaster and in this week’s new episode Haley shares her spiritual journey. From the age of eight years old, Haley has been on a spiritual journey. As her parents embarked on this journey, so did Haley and her siblings, and as Haley shares in this week’s episode it was truly wonderful and amazing to have these experiences together.
Through some wonderful spiritual teachers, she was able to learn about meditation, energy, auras, chakras, gods, goddesses, angels, feng shui, and so much more at a young age. Haley share her experience connecting with her intuition, and working with a shaman who truly saw her for who she is. Haley wanted to dive deeper into her own healing and wellness journey, and she became a Reiki Master at the age of 16. It’s been an incredible energy for Haley to work with.
It’s been a journey allowing herself to open up and share her journey, and the truth is not everyone is open and accepting of our individual spiritual journeys and awakenings. For years Haley was numb, sad and angry. In this week’s episode she vividly recounts sitting there and saying to herself, “you know what? I surrender. I just want to feel better. I saw the person who I could be, and I know that she’s there and I know that it’s completely possible for me to get to her, I just need to figure out how to do so.” That day changed everything, and Haley began a deep healing process. She relied on the tools she’s gathered throughout her spiritual journey, and over the next year and a half she transformed.
After going through a period of deep spiritual and personal development, she realized it was time to share what she’s learned with the world. She knew she wanted to help others along their spiritual path, and she knew she wanted to be a resource for others and as a result she launched her blog and podcast as a result. Today, Haley’s goal is to help people realize just how magical they are by utilizing tools such as meditation, energy healing, intuition, and so much more. Haley’s a firm believer that all of the answers and abilities are already within us, we just have to unlock them. As Haley so courageously and beautifully shares, it’s worth it to commit yourself to being the person that you see, even if that person feels far away. Always know and remember that you are love and you are loved, and that you deserve everything good in the world.
“I want to use my voice and not be ashamed of who I am, what I believe in, or what I can do to help people. I believe we’re all here to experience love, joy. and light, to serve, and to learn some things along the way. I hope that my experiences so far can help someone else.”
Abbey Griffith is an inspiring personal trainer and coach based out of Atlanta, Georgia. After graduating from the University of Miami with a degree in Industrial Engineering last fall, she’s combined her education and life experience to launch her coaching business and Clarity Fitness - a gym launching later this year centered around positivity, self-love, body positivity, and inclusion.
In this week’s new episode Abbey shares her beautiful intention around health, fitness, and coaching, and the impact that this intention and mindset has had on her life and career. Abbey’s journey started in middle school when she realized for the first time that her body was “different” from those around her. She wanted to “fix it,” and feel worthy in her own skin. She thought that changing her weight would change her perspective around her worthiness. Abbey lost the weight, but it wasn’t sustainable. Her disordered eating spiraled out of control, and by the time she was in her junior year of college she was suffering from anorexia and bulimia. She was sure she was in control of the situation, but she wasn’t.
As a result of her experiences she began to blog her journey going through recovery, and she went on to obtain her personal training certification to teach the world how to enjoy fitness and honor their bodies, instead of using fitness to change their bodies. This, partnered with her knowledge of Industrial Engineering, has allowed her to make a strong impact through her online platform and across Atlanta, Georgia. Through sharing her journey, Abbey is inspiring other women to follow their dreams, all while empowering themselves along the way. At the end of the day, it’s about the communities we build, grow, and join as a result of our experiences. Abbey has so beautifully allowed her experiences to drive her passions, and by helping others who are going through similar experiences has meant everything to her. Today, she’s building a gym and a community that people can go to heal, recharge, experience and awesome workout, and leave feeling healthier and happier than when they walked in. going through the same thing she has, has meant everything.
“I want to help people see fitness as an outlet and a resource, instead of a chore or something on their to-do list. It’s about feeling better, recharged, and amazing about everything that’s going on in your life. I want to spread love, light and positive energy, and I believe that my gym is going to be an incredible place for that to happen.”
To connect with Zoe and learn more visit www.zoewoodhealing.com and you can also follow her on Instagram @zoe_wood_healing and Facebook @zoewoodhealing Zoe’s offerings currently include a monthly Online Breath work Group, and one-to-one mentoring program, Reclaim- a three month journey of emotional healing and spiritual empowerment.
To connect with Haley visit her website www.shinewithhaley.com and on Instagram @iamhaleycole and her podcast is called The Shine Bright Podcast
To connect with Abbey and Clarity Fitness visit her on Instagram @Abbeygrif.fit YouTube @Abbeygrif.fit and on her website www.clarityfitness.com and e-mail abbey@clarityfitness.com
THE POWER OF STORYTELLING: To learn more and to submit your story, visit the Share Your Story section of our website and fill out our interest form here. Our next episode will air June 18th! If you'd like to join in on the fun, fill out our interest form.
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