We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Samantha Beppu a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Samantha, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
Overcoming impostor syndrome has been a long road for me, and something that still rears its nasty little head from time to time. As an energy healer and death doula, I have dealt with plenty of naysayers and a general lack of understanding of what I do.
Being raised in a religious environment was an obstacle in and of itself, as this brought on so much fear and anxiety that followed me into adulthood. It also instilled the belief that any power that I felt in myself to heal others or communication with Spirit was evil and should not be pursued.
As a child, I remember making “potions” with my little sister in our front yard and imaging all of the power that these plants held. I loved cleaning and bandaging every scraped knee and applying various ointments and healing aids. As I grew older, I became interested in divination and began to secretly practice this forbidden art.
I knew even as a child that my path in life was that of a healer and the only way I knew how to do this was to build a career in healthcare. So that’s what I did. I worked in western medicine for about 13 years before I discovered naturopathic medicine. This opened a whole other world of knowledge as I learned about the holistic approach and the power of plant medicine.
I took a job working in a woman-founded and owned naturopathic medical practice and met some of the most influential women of my life. These female doctors were out of the box thinkers, who combined the power of spiritual and science-based healing. They were also business-savvy, motivated, confident, boss bitches and served as an inspiration to me and my co-workers. I learned so much from my time spent in this medical practice and discovered many alternative forms of healing.
I began studying Buddhism, Ayurvedic medicine, and took educational courses on the healing power of crystals, Reiki, and sound healing. I sought out the complimentary aspects of spiritual healing, science, and medicine. I eventually went on to become a certified death doula and took additional courses in Death with Dignity and Medical Aid in Dying. My passion for energy healing and support for those laboring out of this life began calling louder and louder.
Through a serious of challenging (yet necessary) events, my family found ourselves in need of a new place to live and very quickly. My partner, Jerry, reached out to his parents and they very generously offered to move us to their town of Bellingham, Washington. Eager to leave all of the trauma and bad history behind me and with the blessing of my children, we packed up everything that we could fit in my Honda, and made the two day drive to Washington state.
It was definitely an adjustment for my two younger children as well as myself and Jerry, but with the help of his family, we settled into our new home and I soon met my soul family at a local metaphysical shop. I learned to embrace my healing and spiritual nature and gave myself permission to explore what that meant to me. I began deconstructing and healing decades of wounds, blame, and abuse. I stopped making myself small in order to keep everyone happy and learned that I had the right to take up space. I found my voice and the courage to use it. I reclaimed my natural connection to Spirit and all things magical. I released the fear that had been instilled in me regarding my gifts. I continued to educate myself and found so much power within that I never knew I had.
Within a year, I was practicing Reiki and sound healing and formed my LLC. I had the most wonderfully supportive partner and loved what I was doing, but I could not completely rid myself of a little voice that asked “who do you think you are starting a business? How do you know that what you are doing is actually benefitting anyone? What if everyone thinks you are a phony?”
I had a phone conversation with a doctor that I had worked with back in California. She told me about crabs and how if you put a bunch of them in a bucket and one crab tries to climb out, the others will pull it back down. This powerhouse of a woman was telling me that I also had the power to manifest my own direction in life and the strength to see it through. I had learned about marketing, advertising, and networking. I had everything that it would take to make my practice successful if I could just have faith in myself.
I refused to let my own self-doubt and conditioning pull me back down. I continued educating myself and showing up for my business every day. I surrounded myself with like-minded people and found strength, support, and collaboration. I meditated, manifested, celebrated and communicated with my body, and fully leaned into my intuition and divine feminine. Through practicing within alignment of my higher self and heart-centered mentorship, I began to understand my universal connection and stepped into my own power. The more I trusted myself and my divine guidance, the more my business flourished. I was booking events, teaching classes, and found regular clients.
I wish I could say that I managed to completely shed my ego, but the desire for validation will occasionally come knocking on my door. When this happens, I allow myself to feel it. I remind myself that I am living this human experience and my occasional craving for validation does not make me an impostor. It makes me human with a full and generous heart.
Every time a client tells me that I have helped them in any way, whether it be starting their own business or feeling an improvement in their physical and spiritual health, I am filled with joy in the knowledge that I am on the right path and have become the healer that I always wanted to be.
While this validation feels good, I stand firmly in my own power and the knowingness that I do not need validation from anyone but myself. I work everyday to maintain and nurture my connection with Spirit, Universal Life Energy, love and respect for my female body, gratitude, and my higher self. I am cradled by Mother Earth and divinely guided. I am the healer that I was meant to be.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am a Reiki Master Teacher, Sound Healer, Death Doula, and Tarot Reader. My business, Mindful Passage LLC, is focused mainly on energy healing and supporting people and animals as they labor out of this life. One thing that I feel is very special about my energy work is that I combine Reiki, sound healing, and crystal healing to tailor each and every session to fit the individual needs of my clients. I have also begun to teach Reiki and am very passionate about making it accessible and passing this art of healing down to anyone that feels called to it. I am also very hopeful that death doulas will aid in changing the fearful and negative narrative around death and continue to provide the much needed and deserved support as we continue to transition from this life.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I think that my empathy, compassion, and patience have served me the most in my spiritual journey and in building my business. For anyone that is ready to take the leap into their own journey, I would encourage you to surround yourself with only those that encourage and support you and protect your energy, even if it feels a little selfish. In doing this, I have unlocked so much information and strength within myself. Listen to your intuition as well as your body and remind yourself that self-doubt does not live here!
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
As a female business owner, mother, and life partner, I juggle many responsibilities and wear many hats. I am also a big “idea” person and am constantly coming up with classes, workshops, and other community-based activities. While I love all of these aspects of myself, it can and will become overwhelming.
I am able to manage this with physical exercise, grounding and elevating meditations, maintaining loving and mutually beneficial relationships, communicating my feelings and thoughts with my partner and amazing sister, and lots of bubble baths. I have also learned to accept help and seek out resources when I get stuck.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mindful-passage.squarespace.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindfulpassage_sb/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100039242191100
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@sammithedeathdoula [email protected]
Image Credits
Jerry Slough
