We were lucky to catch up with Haylee LaCroix recently and have shared our conversation below.
Haylee, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you share a story with us from back when you were an intern or apprentice? Maybe it’s a story that illustrates an important lesson you learned or maybe it’s a just a story that makes you laugh (or cry)?
The most life-changing time of my life that catapulted me onto my herbalism/shamanic path was my internship in Vermont on Sage Mountain with world-renowned herbalist, Rosemary Gladstar in 2015. I was staying on the mountain with 2 other interns. In exchange for attendance at herbal conferences, herbal Teacher Training, Introduction to Herbalism training, The Art and Science of Herbalism course and many many other teachings both from Rosemary as well as other teachers, we kept up her medicinal gardens, weeding them daily and planting new plants that she would deliver in pots because “they deserve to be in the ground”. During this time, many transformations occurred that brought me truly home to myself. I was able to be alone with nothing but nature surrounding me on a regular basis- I could tune into my core self with no energetic interference impacting my field and as a highly sensitive person, this was more imperative than I could have imagined. I realized how many of my daily emotions were actually the emotions of others and not my own- they just felt like they were mine. I also realized how deeply transformational and important working with plants is. How by simply spending time with them, you could understand their healing properties and that the plants could speak to us if we just listened. I learned many different forms of medicine making; how to make a balanced and tasty herbal tea, how to make salves, liniments, tinctures, compresses… you name it, we were taught it. I left feeling inspired, empowered, embodied and like all I wanted to do was live in a cabin in the woods (as much as this seemed appealing to me at the time, I had a very difficult time reintegrating back into San Diego where this vision was far from reality and I struggled with normal society). I also felt like I found my people, my community, and those who share the same values as I did when surrounded by the herbalist community. It expanded my world of possibilities, community and sense of self. It has been a guiding light for my path of service to the earth ever since.
Haylee, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My story started back in Duxbury, Vermont. From the time I was little, I was interested in cooking, making imaginary magic potions from gathered objects in nature and would find myself oftentimes more comfortable in the daydream world than in this one. I can see how these interests have continued to manifest throughout my life, as I still find myself making magical herbal potions, cooking alternative medicinal foods and am navigating the daydreaming realm through my intuitive readings and leading ceremony.
My knowledge path began with a Bachelor’s Degree in Nutrition and Food Science from the University of Vermont. This helped me grasp the inner workings of the body and to walk alongside the Western route with an alternative approach in mind. I then dove deep into the Energy Medicine realm as I started to understand the importance of working with the subtle body for healing. From there, I wanted to understand ancient healing methods with the energetics of food and herbs, so I self-studied Ayurvedic and Chinese Medicine principles. I then became trained in Medical Intuition to intuitively see and understand the true root cause of the disease, rather than solely relying on my mind to do the diagnosis. With all of these amazing modalities under my belt, I still felt like there was a disconnect deep within myself that I just couldn’t heal and a puzzle piece was missing to fully and completely help others.. It was like the entirety of my essence that I was familiar with from childhood, was still hard to connect to and bring forth. This is what brought me to Shamanism and is truly what I believe I am here to do for others. The shamanic path has brought it all together and I finally feel like I have been able to connect with and bring forth the best parts of myself and others that felt so distant before. Applied Shamanism has brought forth a deeper connection and understanding with my guides, my healing practices, my connection to myself and the earth. It has reclaimed my power and aspects of myself that were not embodied and with these combined, I have become more whole. There hasn’t been a healing modality like this one that has brought me more confidence, self-assurance as a practitioner and deep connection to my truth.
I therefore currently integrate Vitalist Herbalism, Vibrational Medicine, Intuitive Readings, Ceremony, Integrated Energy Medicine, Shamanic Techniques as well as 15 years of training in numerous alternative medicine techniques to alchemize others from one form of functioning to another that is more in alignment with the best versions of themselves, while being in service to the earth. I specialize in medicinal as well as lifestyle intuitive readings and Shamanic work. I have learned about how the subtle body holds emotions, how our beliefs create our perspectives which ultimately shape our reality, and how we can heal physical ailments by addressing the mental/emotional/spiritual components. Herbalism is a constant space to learn more from (especially plant spirit and vibrational medicine), studying with as many teachers as I can to understand the healing properties of the wild medicines that grow around us and the proper application techniques of each one. I help others reclaim their essence and come into greater alignment with their potential.
I will be implementing my Applied Shamanic Practitioner training into my practice with my one-on-one clients as well as group ceremonial work. This includes not only traditional shamanic methods, but also Buddhist self-inquiry and various forms of plant medicine deep-dives. Through various healing methods, ritual, ceremony, intuitive readings, plant spirit medicine and everything else shamanism has more deeply connected me to, this is a path for deep healing that has been proven effective over and over again.
Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?
What is most helpful for success in my field are practices, values, and commitments that cultivate integrity and congruence within my own body and soul. I have a strong daily practice that may include ritual and meditation, visualization and mindfulness techniques, energetic clearings, shamanic journeying, deconstruction of egoic patterns, and play. My foundation is built upon strong values: connection to others and the earth, honoring the body as a vessel, and food as medicine. And I am committed to orienting toward growth: checking in with my intentions, letting go of expectations, cultivating patience, trusting the pivots of life, and returning to unwavering trust with my internal guidance. It is only from a place of integrity and congruence that I can be a clear channel to receive guidance from my higher self and my guides, decipher and communicate messages clearly to my clients and lead ceremonies and guided meditations.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Resilience has brought me here today. Not only has my body been sensitive and has guided me onto the alternative medicine path, I was questioned and doubted a lot by some who were close to me. The questioning and doubting has created resilience because I had to find the space within myself where I fully accepted myself and learned to trust my guidance no matter how different it was and I was. I’ve always been a bit of a black sheep, with perspectives that didn’t align with the mainstream way of living and this has been challenging when surrounded by those who are aligned with that way of functioning. Because of these components, I have become more resilient with moving through various challenges in life altogether.
My body has always been sensitive in many forms and my soul has always been sensitive to the world. My dietary restrictions increased as I was in my late-teens/early twenties. When my body started showing signs of an increased inability to process the food I was eating, I went on a quest to heal myself, knowing very clearly how I felt when in alignment and out of alignment with a healthy state. This time in my life was the beginning of my depression, power-loss and disconnection to myself. I lost my biggest connection to those around me- sharing in the experience of meals together. The amount of joy I received from this element in life seemed to be able to supersede any discomforts and I knew I could always rely on food to bring me back to happiness and connection. I now realize that it was a coping mechanism and I had to dive more deeply into the underlying cause of my unhappiness and to stop using this as a cover-up.
I’ve moved through feeling disconnected to myself, others as well as the earth for many years. I had to rediscover my reasoning for choosing to be on this planet. I have had to find self-love so deeply that I became my own best friend, having my own back no matter what situation I was thrown into, forming a deep self-trust that was not there from all of the ridicule, doubt and questioning of others. Trust within myself has been the biggest lesson I’ve learned and with that cultivation I know I can get through anything. All of life’s challenges have formed wisdom and resilience, which in hindsight have been the greatest gifts.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hayleelacroix.com
- Instagram: Haylee.lacroix
Image Credits
Kyle Kesterson Jack LaJoie