We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Olivia Johnson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Olivia , appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
There is a truth of life that is inevitable, and that is one will inherently experience challenges, hardships, loss and the impermeable grief that comes with all of that. It’s not what happens to us that defines us. It’s what we chose to do with it. You can let the hard things break you down, or you can let it break you open, so you can alchemize that energy into something new. You have to realize that everything can either be perceived as happening to you or happening FOR you. Realizing your pain IS your path. You become resilient in meeting yourself exactly where you are and shifting from that place of acceptance that it all is happening for your growth and healing and you are exactly where you need to be.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
Hello, I am Olivia, Owner of Sunyata Embodiment, as well as local Artist in the Salt Lake City area.
Sunyata Embodiment is my private alternative bodywork practice I have created using primarily Craniosacral therapy to offer a way for individuals to release tension in their body, nervous system, and mental emotional body as well. I intend to create a space for individuals that allows them to reconnect to themselves in a way that is inclusive of all they are experiencing. The more we repress deep emotional experiences, as well as tension holding pattering in our bodies the more they create aliments and disease. When we are given the space to soften into ourselves exactly as we are when then are able to embody our whole self. This creates a natural relaxation in the nervous system where our parasympathetic response turn on allowing our bodies to move into rest and digest where healing and repair can actually occur.
I have had major influence on my path from personal Traumas as a child, losing my father at a young age became one of them. sending me down a path of grief very young, and having to learn to navigate how to cope with loss fro the age of 13. It creates a desire to help the hurt in the world and hold space for others in grief or that are experiencing more difficult emotions. It created a fascination with disease and its tie to stuck emotions. . My mother was also a bodyworker and works with Jin shin do Acupressure, as well as Rieki and Craniosacral. This a lotted me the luxury of being touched a lot as a child, and knowing intuitively how to touch due to that. Growing up in Utah, Nature and the wilderness has always influenced my mind and my work professionally. I believe we are apart of nature and everything that occurs in nature is needed and natural part of a greater ecosystem that creates a homeostasis and beautiful balance within our body and the body of the earth. It also carries my philosophy that all parts of our emotional experience are needed to be felt as well. The more we can embrace the storms within, the more we create that harmony of acceptance and compassion for ourselves and they world!
I am also working on my first book. Sunlight and Storms, an Autobiography of realionships, trauma, and healing. How it all correlates to nature.
I am also a visual artist, primarily focusing on landscapes, and animals. I use acrylic and oil. You can see my art on instagram @sunyataart
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1. Resilience. No matter what life throws at you, continue to believe in yourself. I think imposter syndrome is a natural part of the process and never really goes away. However you can let the voice that tells you, you cant drive you. Getting up everyday, pushing through and doing it anyway. realizing its all a part of it!
2. The skill rest, stilling yourself and listening. There is power in the pause. Especially when feeling overwhelmed. You don’t have to do it all, all at once. It’s okay to rest and reconnect to the thing that is the core of you. Sometimes it means setting it all down for a second and just being, or even connection to play. We have so much of this workaholism and excessive drive in our culture, its a recipe for disaster in your nervous system, which will affect your health. Once that collapses the whole empire falls. You cant pour from an empty cup.
3. Don’t be afraid to ask for support. We aren’t islands, we need community, connection, and support. You can’t ever rely on just one person. Not even yourself. We are stronger together
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
Radical Healership! by Laura Mae Northrup.
She blows the cap off all the challenges you will come across as an entrepreneur trying to build a conscious and ethical healing practice.
One of the biggest challenges for me has always been charging for my services because it’s such a deep and sacred thing. It’s hard to have capitalism infiltrate it and not feel an inherent sense of guilt or devalue my services because of not wanting to appear self serving. The fact of the matter is, you need to eat, and you deserve a good life, and your gifts are valuable. Money just is the tool we have to use for exchange. This really helped me see more clearly how to set boundaries, and honor my energy more than anything Ive ever read!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sunyataembodiment.com
- Instagram: @sunyata_embodiment_llc @sunyata_art @olivia_embodied
Image Credits
Image 3: Ethan Watts
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
