Stories of an Embodied Healing Journey with Syd Yang

06/08/20 • 33 min

Syd Yang (they/them) is a mixed race queer/non binary healer, writer, intuitive artist and healing justice organizer who weaves together magic, prayer and intention as an energy healer in the world through their practice, Blue Jaguar Healing Arts. As someone who lives with depression and anxiety, and has recovered from eating disorders, their work finds its resonance in the stories we each hold at the intersection of memory, body, sexuality and mental health. Syd's work is rooted in Buddhist practice, is liberation minded and trauma informed. Syd is based in Los Angeles, CA.

Episode Highlights

Syd shares about the discovery of energy and spiritual healing work on their journey of recovering from bulimia.
We explore the significance of understanding the human body as a whole energetic entity and how that concept ties into recovery.
Syd describes their transformation from being healed to becoming a healer.
They discuss their initiation into the role as a healing practitioner in New Orleans through a powerful vision.
Syd talks about overcoming their personal judgements regarding energetic and spiritual healers.
We discuss the power of sharing the stories held in our bodies. Tied into that is the exploration of the power of vulnerability through storytelling.
They share how eating disorders and self harm can show up as imprints of trauma, and as reactions to what is happening in the world.
We explore the importance of being present with how one feels about their body, positively and negatively, and the strength of not running away from those feelings.
Syd shares about their meditation practice and how it helped them witness the state of their body and their healing process.
They talk about their connection with animals and plants, and how it creates new possibilities about how they can view their body in relationship to the natural world.
They reflect on their clients sharing that the healing work they do together has led to deep transformation in themselves and their relationships.

Web links

Find Syd at BlueJaguarHealingArts.com & ReleaseBulimia.com
You can also find them on Instagram & FaceBook

Grab your FREE Guide - Needs, Boundaries & Self-Care for Queer Folks. Download it here.

Join the Queer Spirit Community Facebook group to continue the conversation and stay up to date on new episodes.

And follow us on Instagram!

Join our mailing list to get news and podcast updates sent directly to you.

Episode Highlights

Syd shares about the discovery of energy and spiritual healing work on their journey of recovering from bulimia.
We explore the significance of understanding the human body as a whole energetic entity and how that concept ties into recovery.
Syd describes their transformation from being healed to becoming a healer.
They discuss their initiation into the role as a healing practitioner in New Orleans through a powerful vision.
Syd talks about overcoming their personal judgements regarding energetic and spiritual healers.
We discuss the power of sharing the stories held in our bodies. Tied into that is the exploration of the power of vulnerability through storytelling.
They share how eating disorders and self harm can show up as imprints of trauma, and as reactions to what is happening in the world.
We explore the importance of being present with how one feels about their body, positively and negatively, and the strength of not running away from those feelings.
Syd shares about their meditation practice and how it helped them witness the state of their body and their healing process.
They talk about their connection with animals and plants, and how it creates new possibilities about how they can view their body in relationship to the natural world.
They reflect on their clients sharing that the healing work they do together has led to deep transformation in themselves and their relationships.

Web links

Find Syd at BlueJaguarHealingArts.com & ReleaseBulimia.com
You can also find them on Instagram & FaceBook

Grab your FREE Guide - Needs, Boundaries & Self-Care for Queer Folks. Download it here.

Join the Queer Spirit Community Facebook group to continue the conversation and stay up to date on new episodes.

And follow us on Instagram!

Join our mailing list to get news and podcast updates sent directly to you.

Previous Episode

A Spiritual Direction Toward Wholeness with Karen Erlichman

Karen Erlichman provides psychotherapy, spiritual direction, supervision and So(U)L coaching in San Francisco. Most recently she has been exploring embodied leadership and transformation, and has been inspired by learning at the Strozzi Institute, the Jewish Studio Project and the Center for Courage and Renewal. Karen’s writing has been published in numerous journals, blogs and anthologies, including Presence: An International Journal of Spiritual Direction, Feminist Studies in Religion and in the interfaith anthology Spiritual Guidance Across Religions. She is passionate about creating diverse and welcoming spaces for liberation, embodied spirituality and community.

Episode Highlights

Karen starts by helping us understand what spiritual direction counseling is, and why someone might seek it out.
We explore what it means to be spiritual versus religious.
Karen talks about the importance of discussing the spiritual dimension with clients, and the difference between psychotherapy and spiritual direction work.
She shares how she got interested in spiritual work with clients when she felt called to do more than therapy and social work.
Karen also does Soul Coaching and explains how it’s different from therapy and spiritual direction work.
We explore the idea of wholeness and how spiritual practice can support it in ourselves.
We also discuss how a queer persons journey of coming out is a path toward wholeness.
Karen shares how she works with trauma by bringing somatic (body) work to her practice.
She also talks about the importance of engaging the body in spiritual practice, when it has been seen as dangerous by many traditions.

Web links

Find Karen at KarenErlichman.com
You can also find her on Instagram & Twitter

Grab your FREE Guide - Needs, Boundaries & Self-Care for Queer Folks. Download it here.

Join the Queer Spirit Community Facebook group to continue the conversation and stay up to date on new episodes.

And follow us on Instagram!

Join our mailing list to get news and podcast updates sent directly to you.

Next Episode

Queer Empowerment through Tarot with Cassandra Snow

Cassandra Snow (they/them/she/her) is best-known for penning the Queering the Tarot book and a series of the same name, which was seen on Little Red Tarot. They’ve also written about tarot, witchcraft and theatre at Take Your Pills, QueerTarot.cards, and Howlround among others. Cassandra’s second book, Queering Your Craft: Witchcraft from the Margins, is coming out via Red Wheel/Weiser Publishing on November 1, 2020.

Cassandra has been reading tarot for over a decade, and operates out of Minneapolis, MN. Cassandra is normally stationed weekly at The Eye of Horus and twice a month at The Future. They also read regularly at The Haunted Basement’s Maker’s Fairs and special events. They’ve taught classes and workshops everywhere from colleges to sex stores, as well as at the more expected metaphysical stores and events.

Cassandra firmly believes that tarot and witchcraft should be accessible tools for anyone who wants to use them and works to make them approachable without making them seem fluffy. Humor, generosity and collaboration weave their way through all of Cassandra’s work. The work also comes from a radical, queer, sex-positive, fat-positive, anti-racist, feminist and Pagan point of view.

In Cassandra’s other life, she runs a queer theatre company called Gadfly Theatre Productions in Minneapolis.

Episode Highlights

Cassandra shares about the importance of making tarot more approachable to all people.
They share about their book “Queering the Tarot” and how it brings the queer perspective into divination.
We explore what it was like to grow up queer in a Christian conservative community and how Cassandra found their liberation through witchcraft and tarot.
Cassandra discusses the concept of a fluid god energy and how it manifests in the form it needs for the specific person.
They talk about the importance of honesty, compassion, and empathy when it comes to tarot readings.
Cassandra shares about the significance of empowerment through tarot.
They talk about their new book, “Queering Your Craft: Witchcraft from the Margins.”
Cassandra shares their favorite queer tarot decks: - Next World Tarot - The Numinous Tarot - This Might Hurt Tarot - Modern Witch Tarot - The Fountain Tarot