We recently connected with Lauri Ingram and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Lauri, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
Finding my “purpose” came later in life, when I realized that my reason for being was less about what I did, and more about how I showed up every day. When I realized, 30 years into an IT career that it really wasn’t what I wanted to do every day, and gave myself permission to really get to know myself, my life changed. Admittedly, I focused on finding a “thing” that would define me. Through consistent meditation and mindfulness practices, I started to listen to myself. I allowed my curiosity to open me up to new experiences and I leaned into those experiences that felt true to my heart, that felt real to me. I became a Mindfulness Advocate in the workplace, and that is when I realized that my life was more about being me, just being authentic, then about what I did for a living. I felt very drawn to go deeper inward and studied for four years while working at One Spirit Seminary, and became an ordained Interfaith/interspiritual minister and certified interspiritual counselor. I pursued other complementary certifications, and have blended together my trainings into work that is uniquely mine. It started with giving myself a permission slip to explore and be uniquely me. I realized that I could “work” and still be spiritual. The last 10 years of my career coincided with this spiritual exploration, until such time as i was ready to leave the corporate world behind and do what i love. I focus on showing up authentically, from a place of heart centered awareness, and listen deeply to my inner guidance.
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?
Did you ever think about completely changing your career direction? Honestly, I didn’t either. Yet, about a decade ago, after dedicating over three decades to corporate information technology, I came to the stark realization that I was neither happy nor fulfilled. I had settled into a routine of just working and getting by. I loved the people I worked with, but I felt something essential was missing, a persistent inner voice that I couldn’t ignore.
During that period, I navigated through a lengthy bout of depression triggered by my mother’s death, a divorce, and bankruptcy, all while being a single mother in a successful career. Despite having bounced back from losing everything, I sensed there was more I was meant to accomplish in this world. This led me to delve into various holistic practices and to a deeper understanding of my spiritual essence, marking the beginning of a profound transformation. I embraced meditation and mindfulness, becoming an advocate for these practices in my professional environment. It was then that I discovered my passion for creating supportive spaces for others, truly meeting them where they were.
I also was diagnosed with breast cancer during the period, and while very fortunate that it was discovered early and my treatment was relatively “easy”, it prompted a sense of urgency to my journey, realizing that my diagnosis and treatment could have gone very differently.
This journey led me to explore and gain certifications in diverse modalities, rooted in energy work and consciousness. After my father passed away six years ago, I felt a compelling urge to deepen my spiritual exploration. While continuing to work, I spent four years studying at One Spirit, where I was ordained as an interfaith/interspiritual minister and certified as an interspiritual counselor. Those years taught me that it’s less about the actions we take and more about how we present ourselves in the world that reignites our love for life.
Now, having stepped away from my corporate career, I serve as a spiritual counselor/advisor. I believe in guiding others to discover their gifts and to live fully and authentically. My services extend beyond spiritual counseling; I am also a professional wedding officiant and life celebrant and companion my clients through the transformation of weddings, baby blessings and life celebrations.
My qualifications include being a trained and certified Reiki Practitioner, Crystal Dreaming advanced practitioner and teacher, co-creator of the Etheric Crystal Light (a therapy combining color, light, and crystals), a level three certified sound healer, certified Cosmic Smashbook Guide, Yoga Nidra certified practitioner, and the owner of The Liminal Studio. I combine all my training into a unique offering of services in person, and online.
I provide online courses and foster communities through my website and my Facebook Group, Soul Journey of Life. Regularly featured on podcasts and summits, I offer clients the chance to engage in one-on-one sessions or embark on a three-month “Soulful Synergy” journey exploring personal energy and consciousness. Additionally, I host small group events, both online and in-person. In the early third chapter of my life, I can truly say I love what I do!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Reflecting on my journey, I’ve identified three skills or qualities that have significantly impacted my life and work: resilience, empathy, and spiritual insight. Let me share a bit more about each and how someone might discover these qualities in themself:
1. **Resilience**: My journey through significant life challenges, like depression, personal loss, and career shifts, has taught me the true meaning of resilience. It’s more than just bouncing back; it’s about growth, learning, and carving out new paths despite adversity. If you’re looking to build resilience within yourself, start by embracing change, seeking support when you need it, and viewing challenges as opportunities for growth, not as obstacles that are too big to overcome.
2. **Empathy**: In my work, creating spaces where people feel supported and understood has been crucial. This ability to empathize, to really connect and understand others on a deep level, has been fundamental in my counseling and spiritual guidance. You can develop empathy too, by practicing active listening, trying to see situations from another’s perspective, and nurturing a genuine curiosity about the experiences and feelings of those around you.
3. **Spiritual Insight**: My exploration of various holistic modalities and spiritual practices has not only shaped my personal journey but also allowed me to enrich the lives of those I work with. This spiritual insight has been a guiding light. You can cultivate your own spiritual insight by setting aside time for personal reflection, engaging in spiritual or mindfulness practices that feel right for you, and staying open to the lessons life has to offer.
Encouraging others to discover these qualities within themselves means helping them see their innate strengths, creating supportive spaces for exploration, and sharing my own experiences as proof of what’s possible. It’s about demonstrating that resilience, empathy, and spiritual insight can be cultivated through life’s experiences, reflections, and intentional practice—not just qualities one is born with. That is the work I now do with others, the work that brought me to live authentically into who I am.
How would you spend the next decade if you somehow knew that it was your last?
They say we never have challenges, but opportunities. My current opportunity is learning more about embodiment, and how we hold energy and trauma in our bodies. For the past year I have been working through a lack of mobility in my body, and realizing that there is an opportunity for me to learn more about embodiment practices. So, a challenge for me personally is also an opportunity to learn!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lauriingram.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/revlauriingram
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/laurim
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauri-ingram-she-her-34317a1/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCa3YyHoAxiLcqhUEW0OMa1w
