We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Emilie Guimond-bélanger a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Emilie, appreciate you joining us today. Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.

I began my career as a Social Worker supporting homeless people downtown Montréal. I remember there was a distinct moment when my colleague said to me that I was living in an abusive relationship. At first, I couldn’t believe that it was true. How could that happen to me even if I’ve been trained to recognize abusive behaviors and work with it.

But the most I sat with it, the more I realized that I needed to leave that relationship. This was a turning point for me because I realize that there was a lot of ”stuff” in me that needed to heal. Even though I had all the diplomas relating to personal well-being – my own life was a mess.

This is when I embarked on a spiritual journey. I wanted to connect more with myself, to heal wounds from the past and find more fulfillment in my life.

This was a little over 10 years ago, and this journey has been the most beautiful gift I could have given myself.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

When I began my spiritual journey, I was deeply disconnected from my body. Most of my attention was in my mind and I would only do things that were rational. I was very much living in my thoughts. I was also struggling in my sexuality as I couldn’t have orgasms and most of my experiences involved some levels of pain in my genitals.

I discovered a practice called Orgasmic meditation that allowed me to find more connection with my body, to be able to feel sensations and experience sexual pleasure again. As I deepened my studies, I trained in orienting to the feminine power, trauma healing and somatic experiencing.

Now, I support women’s embodiment through a guided self-touch meditation workshop called Whisper. During this experience women get to find a deep connection with their body and with their intuition. To me, this is so important to support women’s embodiment, their capacity to be present to what they feel.

I also support women through individual coaching. I offer a deep dive program to support them to orient their life with their feminine power and their intuition. It allows them to connect with what’s true for them, and find the courage to follow that.

I offer a Women’s Power Circle & Cacao Ceremony every month at the Inner Arts Collective. This is a great opportunity to connect in sisterhood and find that remembrance to our power.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

When the pandemic began, I had my books full of workshops planned for the whole year 2020. All of a sudden, everything came crashing down – everything got cancelled. During that time I also moved from Montréal to Toronto to live with my partner in a new town where I didn’t know a lot of people.

It was a tough time because I had spent so much time building my community in Montréal and I really loved the in-person work. So being in a new city and working exclusively online was challenging.

In a way, I feel that I had to build it all over again. And I did.

I started working at a co-working space called the Inner Arts Collective where there is a beautiful community of mystic and spiritual practitioners. I found a new home there and I got used to the online workshops and coaching sessions.

Now I’m grateful for what I have here in Toronto – a beautiful new community of women that feels very vibrant and inspiring.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

I believe it is to have a deep, constant self-practice. One cannot support deep transformation in their clients, unless they are able and willing to experience deep transformation themselves.

Everyday, I do my practices. I make sure to stay present in my body as best I can. I practice connecting to my intuition, my power throughout my everyday life.

It’s not just something I teach, it’s something I live.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.emiliegb.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/embodied.power/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/embodied.power/

Image Credits

Laurie-Ève Lussier