Meet Samie White

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Samie White. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Samie, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?

Similarly to many who have developed resilience, I’ve endured challenges in life. Kelly Clarkson couldn’t have reiterated German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche better in her song, “What Doesn’t Kill You.” No matter how challenging, our experiences make us stronger. I was in a serious relationship and marriage for ten years altogether. That relationship had many good and bad attributes. I entered the relationship at age 19, nearly a child at heart. I was working as an exotic dancer and attending a 4-year college. I’d experienced traumas that led to codependent tendencies and unhealthy coping strategies. My ex-spouse had his past traumas and choices for coping. We met due to an overlapping coping mechanism, which was smoking marijuana. In time, I decided to stop the habit and do better for myself because I noticed its negative impact on my life. I was struggling with learning and memory, laziness, physical symptoms like wheezing, and was often detached from reality. I recognized it as an issue when I tried to work out; I could barely breathe when going for a light jog. This is when I realized that something had to change.
I was an avid self-help book reader and participated in a work-study position for an online health resource. I determined my bad habits were rooted in community and convenience. My partner and friends participated in those activities and they did so at my residence. I simply decided that I would stop participating in these bad habits and choose to start working out and build healthier habits. It wasn’t easy because the temptation was always there and offered to me. I chose to change the next stages of my life because I saw that my actions affected my long-term goals. I quit working at the club and found a work-study job in mental health. I soon became a nanny and dove into holistic wellness/ essential oils. I wanted to help and serve others, but you cannot do that without first helping yourself.
When I decided to change my habits, I started small and read countless articles and books. A great book, Atomic Habits, gave me excellent tips for changing my routine, of which I still use to this day. The key is to choose one area to work on and break it down into small steps; accomplishing each step makes the larger goal seem less daunting. I focused on health and well-being first. I started changing my eating habits and preparing healthier meals while exercising regularly. I kept the idea that you can build any habit in 21 days in mind. My sister and I had used that technique in elementary school, keeping a hair band on our wrists for the duration as a reminder. I’d already been eating well, so I stopped snacking on candy and buying a Frappuccino daily. I asked a friend to exercise with me at the gym. We attended a class where we built community with others.
Attending with others held me accountable to this new routine. Most importantly, these new habits made me feel better. It’s human nature to do what makes us feel good; that’s why people get caught up in addictions, at one point, it felt good. We build resilience as we make conscious decisions for our growth, and then share what we’ve learned with others. To this day, I still eat healthy and exercise regularly. I’ve also overcome more challenges including binge drinking and divorce.
Overcoming these challenges didn’t come easily. As earlier mentioned, I grew up with codependent tendencies. I was bound and determined to maintain a strong marriage no matter the toll on my health and well-being. At age 29, I was working in clinical research with an unused psychology degree wanting more but feeling so stuck. I’d been a nanny years prior and wanted to build a happy family. I finally realized that my ex-spouse’s polysubstance abuse and associated behaviors were tearing me apart in 2022; I was depressed, drinking daily, experiencing panic attacks, and had lost my zest for life. After multiple attempts to “make it work” I filed for divorce. I had recognized that his actions were out of my control, and I could only control my choices and reactions. Shortly after that, I found key aspects of my path. Like before, I decided to integrate new habits daily for my benefit. Between the Spring and Winter of 2022, I attended therapy regularly, signed up for yoga teacher training, and was introduced to Meditation on Twin Hearts (MTH). Little did I know that these choices would completely reshape my life.
Honestly, there is a place for therapy in healing, unfortunately, I did not receive the support I needed from the therapists I was paired with. I sought it out to work through issues and was told that I didn’t necessarily need therapy. I was even recommended life coaching. Instead, I utilized my education in psychology to overcome barriers and move forward. I still attend therapy and recommend that others give it a fair chance. I’ve tried multiple therapists and it’s ok if one is not a good fit. It’s important to share your experiences and learn healthy ways to cope. I learned this the hard way, by bottling it all up inside. Every stage of life has challenges, and learning to effectively regulate emotional reactions to those challenges is vital to well-being.
Teaching yoga allowed me to cultivate that safe space for others and encourage bodily awareness. Yoga had been my sanctuary for years; I worked out and attended classes to avoid daily stressors. Sometimes we have emotional issues that show up as symptoms in the body. Breathwork and awareness during practice can help people connect with themselves on a deeper level and address what is surfacing. During my darkest days, I was having the worst possible pain in my left ribcage area and back; The doctors couldn’t figure it out. The pain worsened when I was stressed and during yoga practice. I even went to a pain specialist and had back injections completed in February of 2022. This pain finally resolved after I learned Pranic Healing and started self-treatment.
A few months after starting Meditation on Twin Hearts (MTH) I stopped drinking daily; instead, I was meditating twice a day. This practice reduced anxiety and stress and cleared my mind. I had practiced different types of meditation to reduce stress and anxiety over the years, but none compared to MTH. Meditation on Twin Hearts was developed by Grandmaster Choa Kok Sui, the founder of Pranic Healing; it focuses on stillness, imagery, and positive emotions utilizing the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi. I decided to take a course in Pranic Healing because I had experienced the direct benefits. I’m eternally grateful for my teachers and all involved in the Pranic Healing community. I’m now an Associate Pranic Healer and Arhatic Practitioner, and I’ve started my own business to share these glories with others and embrace my authenticity. I provide Pranic Healing services and private yoga sessions. I focus on healing the root cause and integrating healthy habits and routines to support positive changes, building that resilience. I incorporate yoga, meditation, and pranic healing daily. I continue to live my healthy lifestyle, abstaining from smoking and drinking, and am continually creating new habits and routines

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I started my business, Samie’s Essential Energies, to share my skills with others who seek life improvements. I want to share these amazing techniques with others because they’ve significantly impacted my life. I chose the name Blissfully-lit for my website because I feel blissful and aware when I meditate and engage in my spiritual practice, and I don’t seek out old addictions. I combined my website with my business name to create SEE Blissfully-lit. I want to show you what life is like beyond the limitations of old habits and beliefs.
I teach private yoga sessions and provide pranic healing services based on individual needs. Yoga means union, during practice, I guide individuals toward awareness amongst all parts of the body, mind, and spirit. This awareness provides a space of freedom and flow for self-regulation during practice. Pranic healing is a non-touch form of energy healing that focuses on clearing used-up dirty energy from the energetic body (which is an imprint of the physical body and systems) and sending fresh, clean energy to those areas. GMCKS found that disease can be detected in the energy body before it physicalizes in the physical body. This is an excellent integrative technique to utilize in addition to traditional medicine for most conditions. GMCKS’s work is inclusive to all audiences with varying belief systems. It is simple, and that’s what makes it miraculous.
Both yoga and pranic healing can improve one physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I’ve created yoga workshops that incorporate somatic movement, breathwork, and pranic healing for a rejuvenating experience. My next workshop is in Indianapolis, IN on November 16th, 2024. I also volunteer at local meditation and healing clinics. Check out my website and social media for more information. I’m open to partnerships and working at retreats or private events. My contact information is listed on my site.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I am persistent and work toward my goals. We practice reflection and action on virtues in pranic healing and arhatic yoga. One of these virtues is one-pointedness and constancy of aim and effort. I continually develop this virtue and have used it to bring my goals to life. GMCKS and my teachers have shared the importance of focusing on one goal at a time. When you practice this, you can accomplish anything you believe in. So, choose one small goal and focus on it for the next month, put your efforts into that goal, and you will see incredible outcomes.
I can hold a calm and peaceful space for others and myself. I learned to do this when I was a child. I had three siblings, which could be chaotic at times. My parents told me to tune my siblings out when they were poking fun at or annoying me. I built this skill and used it on the bus to daycare; there were screaming kids trying to get my attention, and I was in my happy space. The bus driver told me she couldn’t believe how calm I was. To this day, I get complimented by others I meet; when they are around me, they feel at ease. Be patient with yourself if you seek to find peace amongst chaos. It all starts with where you hold your attention.
I perceive universality amongst all beings. This stems back to childhood, too. I loved meeting all the bugs, animals, and plants. We are all living beings on this Earth together. To perceive separation is denying nature. Nature is so beautiful and interwoven with the universe. Stop and look around you, there are miracles everywhere. I remember finding constellations in the moles on my body and reveling in the emotional response of my cat. Sweet Angelica was trained to come to my cries, she would find me no matter what. I’ve learned more about this “oneness” through studying yoga, pranic healing, and practicing meditation.

Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?

It is best to do a little of both. We should all find and embrace our natural strengths; they are what we were given to share in this wonderful life. Cultivating awareness and putting forth the effort to improve in areas we aren’t strong in builds resilience. Doing so challenges us to try harder and learn new things; It can make our efforts more impactful. I’ve found it is also important to utilize our brains as we age. The term “if you don’t use it, you lose it” is spot on concerning neuroscience. During college, I learned that the brain rewires itself when we don’t use certain circuits, they stop functioning. So, your brain builds direct connections to whatever you spend the most time and effort on, If you are always challenging your brain, it will continue building connections to keep up. If you focus on topics and activities that are most important to you, your brain structure will follow suit. Consider what skills you’d like to have in the coming years, do you focus on those skills often? Now is your opportunity to rewire your brain to overcome weaknesses and reinforce strengths.

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Image Credits

Kate Miller & Rachel Irvine

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