Meet Neil Aaron

We recently connected with Neil Aaron and have shared our conversation below.

Neil, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
One of the greatest life gifts I’ve been given is adversity. I truly believe that all of life’s up and downs are all part of this journey in this body so I can learn and grow. Adversity is part of that. In Shiva Murti, we celebrate the black and white checked pattern seen all over Bali, as it represents the light and dark. The Yin and Yang. The good and bad. That is the balance. You can’t have light without dark. It’s the harmony. For me, adversity is where I learn my biggest lessons. It is filled with growing pains, and is not an enjoyable process. But it is necessary for growth. And I’m here for learning in Life School. Some of my greatest achievements and big wins in life came from starting at rock bottom. Real success has come from multiple failures. Each failure teaching me the next lesson so I can level up.
My resilience comes from knowing “this too shall pass” and that this challenge I’m in is part of my next upgrade. I’ve been through so many adversities in life and I just keep going. My friends say I’m the scrappiest person they know. I’m ok with being down, but I will not be out.
Recently I faced several tragedies at once within a two week span. Did I feel tremendous pain? Yes. Did I feel leveled? Yes. Did I wonder why this is happening to me? Yes. But then I realized it’s happening FOR me. For me to grow. For me to deepen compassion for others. For me to be able to be of service to people who go through similar things.
My favorite creature is the butterfly. It’s even in my logo. If you YouTube the metamorphosis of a butterfly, it will shock you. What does a butterfly go through to transform into a butterfly? The caterpillar swells, bursting at the seems. Then hangs upside down and their head pops off and body busts open. The exposed insides of the caterpillar becomes the chrysalis and it transforms into a butterfly. Not pretty, painless or chosen. It’s nature.
My key to resilience is faith, hope, good friends, family and vulnerability. And remembering, I’m a butterfly.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My business specializes in a sacred Balinese healing modality called Shiva Murti or Siwa Murti. I am not just one of the first Americans to be able to heal with this energy medicine, I am also the pioneer of it for people outside Bali. I study under the Master Teacher and High Priest in Bali, Ratu Nabe, and have become Gana Usadha (Level 6 healer) and a Jero (anointed healer). After many years of study and practice, Ratu Nabe asked me to start teaching Shiva Murti to all people outside Bali. My Shiva Murti Learning Center trains through specific courses students around the world. I also bring students to Bali to study directly with Ratu Nabe and become initiated with the energy. My school teaches all levels of Siwa Murti. And it also has many other offerings to support students, many of which are free as part of my ongoing education program.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The first quality that comes to mind that’s impactful on my journey is the resilience I was speaking of earlier. When it comes to business, art, life, relationships…resilience is necessary. I recently shared with people that who I am when everything is going perfectly is not as important to me as much as who I am when everything is going wrong. Being able to get back up when you are knocked down is an extremely tremendous quality. The second quality for me is sensitivity. I was always told as a kid that I was too sensitive. When I hear people say that to children, I turn to the child and tell them sensitivity is their superpower. It’s my sensitivity that helps me connect, feel compassion, create art, be of service to others and most of all tap into the energy I use to heal people/pets.
The third quality is compassion. When I was 22 and new to San Francisco, my journey led me to the discovery of healing arts and the Goddess of Compassion, Quan Yin. Over the 25 years of working with children, and the last 5 of being a Shiva Murti Healer, compassion has been crucial to help people.

Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
My ideal student is someone who is passionate about being of service to people. In all my years of service work, nothing has compared to being able to facilitate healing in someone. My students can be experienced in the healing arts or be a novice who just wants to help their loved ones. I will not teach just anyone who wants to sign up. This is an extremely powerful and sacred modality and I will only teach the right people. I personally interview everyone before accepting them into my program.

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Image Credits
Headshot by Denise Crew

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