Life and Work with Lindsey Fernandez

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lindsey Fernandez.

Lindsey, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My journey into the healing arts began over 20 years ago, fresh out of high school when I decided to become a massage therapist, purely on a whim! Looking back, I like to think that some part of me was following higher guidance at the time because that one decision has shaped my life in many wonderful ways. I went on to discover a passion for essential oils and aromatherapy and mentored under some amazing teachers who taught me more than just how to work with essential oils holistically but about how to reconnect with Mother Earth and plants and trees on a deeper level. And now, I am blessed to be able to do the same for my own students, through consultations and an Aromatherapy Certification course that I’ve been teaching for the last five years. Every time I teach the class, I learn something new about myself and about the plants. And I hope I never stop learning!

Working with my massage therapy clients brought a need to know more about how to manage my own energy. I would guess that many people in the massage/energy work/healing field can relate with the conscious or unconscious need to “fix” people and over time that can be incredibly draining and unhealthy for any person, boundaries are crossed, co-dependencies formed, etc. After many years of practicing massage, I felt unwell in general, heavy (energetically), and exhausted much of the time. Unable to practice clear energetic boundaries left me with confusion about how I ever really felt physically or emotionally about anything. And so, I turned to reiki attunements and other training programs, most recently the Intuitive Healer Training Program in Boulder with Wendy De Rosa. As a trained intuitive healer, I am now better equipped to assist others on their own healing journey whether that is through clearing energetic blocks, balancing the chakras, cutting energetic cords or canceling soul contracts. I do this by connecting to higher guidance, such as angels, spirit guides and divine energy, and also through clairsentient abilities that help me to feel into other people’s physical and energetic bodies. The plants and trees act as guides as well, often telling me where clients are blocked or by moving energy for them during a session, via essential oils. Sessions are often an amalgamation of massage, intuitive healing, and essential essences.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
There have, of course, been struggles and missteps along the way. I feel like it’s been a slow evolution to getting where I am today. Spending money where it didn’t show any return, thinking things were going in one direction when they were clearly going somewhere totally different. I think one of the things that has kept me on course is that I can’t imagine doing anything else for a living. Once I decided to start my own business, I felt a fierce determination to grow it and didn’t really consider any other options. And here I am, 12 years later! When it comes to my career, I have always been guided by what I found interesting and relevant.

Struggles… I am a working mother and wife. My family comes first and so it’s the typical mom struggle… how do I do it all? How do I meet the needs of my children and husband (and myself!) and simultaneously meet the needs of my clients without dropping the ball? I have always said that I wanted to grow my business organically and as my children got older and I had more free time, my business would keep pace, and largely it has followed that model. It all seemed very “pie in the sky” when my children were babies but now as I look back, I can see how far I’ve come.

I have also struggled with defining my business and expressing it to others. I think that sometimes when people hear I am teaching about essential oils or see me at a booth, or learn I am an aromatherapist they are afraid I’m going to try and recruit them for my “team” or invite them to a Mary Kay style party! One of my challenges has been to express to people that I am not selling oils just to meet sales goals (though I believe that abundance is beautiful and I very much welcome it!) that is not what this is about. I also recognize and respect that multi-level marketing companies (though I do not sell for an MLM company) do bring women a source of income and I’m all for that! For me personally, this is about bringing the medicine of the earth back into the hands of everyday people and empowering them to heal family, friends, and themselves. Before the past few generations, plant medicine was just a natural part of life that got passed down from mother and father to the children. Most people in the US right now are so far removed from this connection to the plants, trees and Mother Earth that they are surprised when I tell them that I don’t use pharmaceuticals, like ibuprofen for example, for pain relief. I turn to the plants and they benefit my body and are what my cells, my DNA, has evolved with over 1000’s of years. And so my body processes them more easily than synthetic over-the-counter medicine. I am not discounting the need for all pharmaceuticals in modern society by any means. I recognize that many people do not have access to the information or lifestyle of living more naturally. I recognize the privilege I have in being able to live my passion and have access to that information and healthy food, clean mountain air, etc.

Advice for young women…
I think, what would I tell my daughter if she asked me for advice? I would say, and this sounds so cliche, follow what moves you! What feels good? Imagine yourself doing that. How does it feel? Does it make your heart swell and drive you or does it fill you with dread or resistance? Whatever you are putting your energy towards should FEEL good inside, like you can’t do anything else. And when you run into obstacles, that is just a chance of seeing where you need to rethink, reimagine the trajectory you are currently on. I think younger generations have an entirely new way of looking at things and that they are going to blow our minds as they break down barriers and think outside the box. I might do better to ask my daughter for advice!

Please tell us about Essential Soul Therapy.
I am currently working on the launch of an online essential oil education series. Those will be available in the next few months with several others planned as well, via Zoom. These are live classes that will engage those interested in deepening their knowledge of how to work with pure essential oils safely and effectively. I also teach the Wisdom of the Earth Level One Aromatherapy Certification course, at my home office in Gypsum and as a retreat. I have a class coming up at Origin at Ranch de San Juan in Ojo Caliente, New Mexico, a beautiful retreat center that is the home of one of the beautifully carved Ra Paulette caves. I practice massage/aromatherapy/intuitive healing sessions at my home office in Gypsum, CO and aromatherapy consultations and intuitive healings via Skype or Zoom for those out of town.

What am I most proud of? I am proud of the growth of my business and that I have stayed true to my vision and philosophy without getting gimmicky or compromising my beliefs. I have had many suggestions over the years of ideas that may have grown my business faster but weren’t honoring my original message or mission. When I first envisioned this 15 years ago, I didn’t think I would ever be teaching an aromatherapy certification or working with as many clients as I do. I have been extremely fortunate to have the flexibility in my life that has provided room for growth and allowed me to take my sweet time about it.

What sets me apart from others:

I won’t say I am the only person who is doing this type of work. I am not. But I do believe that 20+ years practicing massage, 13+ years as an aromatherapist and (much of that time spent learning energy medicine through practice) gives me a different perspective on how trauma, stress, fear, etc. are held in the body and how to work with divine energy, massage and pure essential oils to assist people in shifting and clearing that energy. The way I see clients transform through a series of sessions fills me with gratitude that I can be a part of that process, a part of their healing. My hope is to always show my clients that it isn’t me “doing” the healing, but that they are truly their own healers. When you choose to be an active participant in your session you get in touch with your innate ability to self heal, and that is powerful. It’s time we stop giving our power away to doctors, healers, gurus, partners, family, etc. As I heal myself, those around me heal and vice versa and we create space for others to do the same.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve benefited from using?
-Vibrational Healing -Revealing the Essence of Nature Through Aromatherapy’s Use of Essential Oils by Deborah Eidsen

-Aromatherapy for Healing the Spirit by Gabriel Mojay

-Renegade Beauty by Nadine Artemis

-The Secret Teachings of Plants by Stephen Harrod Buhner

-Ancestral Medicine, Rituals for Personal and Family Healing by Daniel Foor, Ph.D.

Pricing:

• Massage/Intuitive Healing/Aromatherapy Sessions $85 for 60 minutes and $120 for 90 minutes
• Online Intuitive Healing via Skype or Zoom $85 for 60 minutes
• Aromatherapy Consultation in office of Online $85 for 60 minutes
• Wisdom of the Earth Level One Aromatherapy Certification $575

Contact Info:

• Website: essentialsoultherapy.com
• Phone: 970-331-3750
• Email: lfernandezvail@gmail.com
• Instagram: @essentialsoultherapy
• Facebook: @essentialsoultherapy

Image Credit:
All photos were taken by myself or my husband, Fred Fernandez

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