Interview
My name is Anya,
and I am a Holistic Healing Guide!
How would you explain what you do to someone totally unfamiliar?
I guess the simplest version is that I aim to guide people to take care of themselves, feel empowered, and connect to their own innate wisdom. What I believe is essential in that process is healing the stuff we all have, but don’t really talk about.
I offer one on one guidance sessions, but the most impactful process I have discovered, and what I’m most passionate about, is hosting New Moon Women’s Circles. I create this really beautiful, calm, and safe container for women to gather and share…it’s really an incredible experience. We participate in this ancient, sacred ritual that women have been practicing across cultures for millennia - one that has really been forgotten, unfortunately. We live in such a patriarchal society that is very much about “me” and not the “we”, and so community gatherings like this are rare, and not valued. We use the energy of the New Moon to meditate, and connect to our “Higher Self” - aka our soul, our intuition, our truth, our light within - whatever you want to call it. It’s this very dedicated time of self-care away from the noise and responsibilities of the world, where we can really take a sacred pause to sink into ourselves, listen to our inner voice, and connect with other women who are also on this energetic frequency. It seems very spiritual, and it is, but I’ve had participants who aren’t necessarily into crystals and moon cyclical energy who still find it peaceful and transformational.
The most impactful part of Circle is when these women share. We realize that we are not alone in our struggles. We recognize the wisdom and strength that we each carry, we support each other, we hold space for one another….and in doing that, we learn how to hold space for our own struggles. I can’t tell you how important it is for each of us to allow space for our emotions, without trying to fix, or soothe, or stuff them down. It’s incredibly healing.
So that is what I do- I create safe space and guide others into a process for their own self-healing!
What life experience brought you to wanting to create this?
There are a number of reasons and life experiences that brought me to this. My work as a counsellor, as well as my own struggles through life has taught me that the power of telling our stories in safe, supportive spaces is tremendously healing. I think so many of our struggles are compounded by the shame we carry. We also often feel very alone, like we are the only ones who feel this way. Mental health stigma is improving but there are still many of us who have trouble talking about and expressing emotions. I have found that bottling up, stuffing down, and ignoring our feelings is detrimental to our physical health, which is why I always take a holistic approach to everything. It’s all connected -our heart, mind, body and soul.
I was also searching for my soul tribe! Unfortunately, I have experienced a lot of unhealthy and painful relationships with other women in my lifetime. I was bullied in school, I’ve had untrue rumours spread about me, and I’ve had women who I loved and was very close to betray me. It’s called the “Sister Wound”, which is a product of western, patriarchal society that pits women against each other in order to keep us small, and not in our power. It’s the “divide and conquer” strategy. I needed to heal that within myself, and attract healthier women friendship into my life. Like the movie Field of Dreams “If you build it, they will come.” ! I have met so many of the most loving, compassionate women in Circle. It’s been amazing for me.
I also LOVE the beauty and spirituality of this ritual. There is something ethereal and magical about Circle. I can’t explain it, it’s something that just comes through each of us energetically. The power of women gathering can not be understated, it just has to be experienced. It’s my absolute favourite self-care practice and I look forward to it every month!
What does holistic healing mean to you?
Confession -I am a bit of a wellness junkie! I love self-care and well-being practices. I even have a certificate from Yale University in the Science of Well-being! Healing is our self-responsibility, and it’s an active, ongoing process. It’s necessary for us to live our happiest, healthiest and most inspired life. But we have to address ALL of our parts (Holistic means “whole”)- the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. It’s like 4 legs of a table - if one is missing, the whole table is off kilter. I believe in being proactive in all these areas every day. Creating morning routines is one of the ways in which we can address these needs. I have a “Summer of Well-being” guide available on my website right now that anyone can download to their inbox immediately that has some wonderful holistic healing information.
Thoughts on what it means to be trauma informed?
This is a great question and I’m so glad you asked that. Being trauma informed as a healing guide, practitioner, or counsellor - any time the care of others is involved -is so important. Trauma is very complex, delicate, and nuanced and it needs skilled, trained, and compassionate care. It requires a certain level of understanding of the impact and effects, and also how to successfully navigate someone during those effects. For examples: flashbacks, triggers, or dissociation. It’s important to be able to recognize what someone is experiencing and have the tools to support someone during these moments. (Please look for trained trauma informed individuals or organizations when seeking care!)
How do you think your experience as a crisis and sexual assault counsellor impacted how you approach this work?
Honestly, it’s been invaluable. I couldn’t do this work without this background. And as per the last question, I am trained in trauma informed care and have the skills to support folks in crisis, and beyond.
I think I’m also really able to understand how so many of us are impacted by the state of the world we live in today, because I see it first hand. What touches one, touches us all. That is why I felt called to help in any way I could - to use my skills and my compassion to try to make a difference. We are all in need of healing.
It makes me so sad that I am actually tearing up as I write this. We are hurting. We need to find a way to love and support one another, not hurt each other.
Any themes lately that you would like to talk about and offer your thoughts?
Yes! Thank you! I’d love to talk about the Divine Feminine and what that means. It’s something that I invoke during Circle, and I’d like to offer a little information about it. The Divine Feminine is something I embody, and something that I have been called to raise in the world.
Everyone has feminine and masculine energy within them, and it has nothing to do with gender, just to be clear! We live in a patriarchal society in which the masculine energies are very much encouraged, emulated and rewarded. This energy looks like competition, force, action, consumption, logic, production, etc. There is nothing wrong with this energy unless it is out of balance with its opposite -the feminine. The feminine is more creative, allowing, cooperating, intuitive, emotional and being. This energy is lacking and out of balance in many of us, and definitely in western society.
I try to normalize and bring awareness to this side of us that has been seen as weak and shameful. In men in particular, I have seen a complete block in their attunement to their feminine. Many men have trouble articulating and expressing emotions other than anger because they have been taught it is a weakness. I feel it’s so detrimental to our holistic well-being to deny parts of ourselves.
My hope and my calling is to guide others to see the value and power in being attuned to the Divine Feminine. My thought is that what the world needs now is compassion and love, not anger and force.
Do you have pets?
This question made me smile - I know that you are such an animal lover! We lost our beloved cat of 15 years awhile back, and miss her every day. Since then, we puppy sit for our friends and family which is so much fun! We get all the enjoyment without the commitment. ;)
Have I missed anything you want to make sure is out there?
Firstly, thank you again for giving me this space to hopefully reach more people and continue to build this beautiful, healing, heart centred community. I would like to add that many of my New Moon Women’s Circle participants have felt a “nudge” to join, even without really knowing what to expect. That nudge is their intuition speaking, and it indicates that Circle is something that could benefit them greatly, if they can surrender to the fear of not knowing. Part of the divine feminine is letting go of the need to control, and trusting in our intuition.
I’d also like to add that many of the participants are empaths, introverts and highly sensitive (including myself), so getting together with a bunch of strangers can feel really out of their comfort zone! However, it is also exactly the safest and most calm space to stretch themselves ever so gently into forming new connections and community. It is highly empowering, and to many of us, it feels like coming home.
To get in touch with me, you can find me on Instagram at anyakelman or on my website www.anyakelman.com. There you will find all my offerings, including sign up info for the New Moon Women’s Circles. It is a free offering, open to women of any age and background. I’ve had women attend from ages 13 to 75, as well as BIPOC and LGBTQ2S+. If there are any questions, please reach out anytime! I can also provide group offerings - just get in touch.
I offer this free because it is an energy exchange. My hope is that by attending, you heal a part of yourself, and then it creates a ripple effect that extends to your friends, your family and your community….and one by one, step by step, that is how we heal the world.
Take care of yourself, friend.