Heal It Forward

 

“Let’s try a new definition of wealth: the ease and freedom to be generous.”

- Charles Eisenstein, The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know Is Possible -

‘Heal It Forward’ is a gift-based program that aims to encourage circulation, generosity, and investing what resources we may have into one another’s well-being.

The inspiration for the name and concept actually came from a brewery that I recently visited outside of Baltimore, where they had a ‘Pour it Forward’ program that let visitors pay for a beer and gift it to a type of patron they’d like to lift up:

I’m still working on the mechanisms to be able to showcase this type of generosity and community digitally, but for now, if you’d like to pay it forward to someone else who could use some energy healing or deep soul listening with me, you can contribute any amount via one of the methods below.

And if you’re in need of a session (and need to practice receiving fully, with no strings attached!), you can book an Energy Healing Session or a Soul Listening Session with me at no cost. I offer two gift sessions per week.

Give a gift: credit card

A Brief Guide to Giving & Receiving

Some people who have worked with me within this gift model have told me that they feel overwhelmed and a bit distressed in terms of how much to give. For this reason, I have included the below suggestions and considerations…AND please also understand that these feelings of discomfort are an important part of the process.

As we continue to decondition ourselves from harmful systems of capitalism and colonization, we will often go through what feel like withdrawal effects. We are decreasing our dependency on others to tell us what to do, how to be “good,” and how much we are worth, and that can be both empowering and scary. It’s normal to feel overwhelmed by the responsibility that comes with reclaiming your sovereignty. Take your time, breathe deeply, find your center, listen, and trust yourself. There is truly no right or wrong here, no judgment or shame. You can’t mess this up - we’re all just walking each other home with what we have to give.

Reflect

In choosing how much to give, here are some things that may be helpful to consider:

  • What is the most you can give without overstretching or resentment?

  • What feels 'right' and 'true' to you, even if there's no logical reason why?

  • If you are simply not at a place where you can give financially, in what other ways can you contribute and give? I am always appreciative of referrals, testimonials, and social media shares!

Give

While I don’t equate a set amount with all of my sessions (how you can price something that is sacred to you?), here are some helpful suggestions in terms of contributing to the long-term sustainability of my work:

  • Supporting Others to Receive: $350

  • Sustaining The Work: $170

  • Contributing to the Circle: $44

  • Receiving in Gratitude: $0

Receive

As we come back into balance with a natural flow of circulation and reciprocity, many of us will feel more stretched in remembering how to fully receive and ask for what we need without shame or guilt.

Please remember this: “One of the most important gifts you can give is to fully receive the gift of another…Fear of receiving is also, ultimately, a fear of giving. The two go hand in hand - always! Together, they are a fear of life, of connection; they are a kind of reticence. To give and to receive, to owe and be owed, to depend on others and be depended on - this is being fully alive.”

- Charles Eisenstein, Sacred Economics -

Additional Resources

If you’re interested in exploring more about gift economy, here are some of the resources that have been most useful and impactful to me:

“If one tree fruits, they all fruit - there are no soloists. Not one tree in a grove, but the whole grove; not one grove in the forest, but every grove; all across the country and all across the state. The trees act not as individuals, but somehow as a collective. Exactly how they do this, we don’t yet know. But what we see is the power of unity. What happens to one happens to us all. We can starve together or feast together. All flourishing is mutual.”

- Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass -