Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Alana Saporiti. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alana, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.
After these last several years, taking risks is probably one of my strong suits by now. In 2019 I was living in Boston and was presented the opportunity to travel a bit before eventually settling down in Denver (or so I thought). With a one way ticket to Barcelona and most worldly possessions sold, my husband and I decided to take the leap and live nomadically.
Only making it about three months before the pandemic where we were then faced with the cold hard truth and were requested to come back to the states. It felt like three steps forward, three steps backward. After spending time in Barcelona, Sevilla, London, Glastonbury, Stockholm, Kiruna, Lisbon, and Sintra my heart was wide open. My creativity and inspiration was ignited from the expansive and intentional travels. Choosing to visit sacred sites, drink from ancient wells, meditate in caves, and commune with reindeer in the Arctic Circle had changed me forever. Heading back seemed like such a let down. But I reluctantly transitioned and found myself living in a zen little cabin on a koi pond in North Georgia while converting a Ford Transit cargo van into a tiny home on wheels. If we couldn’t be international nomads, we could at least be nomads stateside.
Early 2020, before having to return home, I was visiting the town of Glastonbury, UK and I found myself wandering an alley and came across a brochure that was marketing a course at the Goddess Temple. This course The Way of the Völva, Priestess of Freyja, struck something deep within me–an ancient knowing. A resounding fully body yes was felt as I frantically devoured the information. I would have to travel to Glastonbury every couple of months for the next two years and I just couldn’t figure out how to make that happen but because of the pandemic the offering was brought online and I was able to spend 2020-2022 studying Norse Shamanism with a focus in trancework, channeled healing, and seasonal/cyclical connection. Even during complicated travel restrictions I completed two in person training retreats in Glastonbury with my beloved teacher.
From 2020-2021 I was studying online, living in a zen micro cabin, converting a van, leading online moon circles, teaching in person Reiki courses, and making jewelry. I took the risk to live nomadically in Europe, then took the risk to come back to the states, took the risk to buy and convert a van, and was navigating the detachment it required to pair down personal belongings even more in preparation to live full time in a van with my husband and dog. A lot of both physical and mental shedding was happening during that time.
Upon completion of the van we were so tired that the thought crossed our minds to just sell it immediately and not even live in it, but we took the risk and just did it. We told ourselves that we could get out of it anytime and we didn’t have to stay for a certain amount of time. I felt like it was necessary for my growth to push myself out of my comfort zone and also see the diversity of the land we live on. Living in a van makes you so much more aware of your consumption–water, electricity, gas, wifi, etc. Living in a van was a full time job. Always making sure the levels are correct, your location safe, and the endless chores that go with being constantly on the go. To be honest, no business was being done while living in the van, from October 2021 – May 2022.
My work, my calling always stems from community. It is in holding space for monthly women’s circles, tea ceremonies, energy healings, teaching yin yoga, womb blessings, conscious crafting with sisters, everything I stand for begins and ends in community. Being in beautiful awe inspiring places but lacking the communal aspect of life was a love hate relationship with vanlife. My drive, energy, and passion had always originated from being in community and holding intentional and transformative space for others. Letting my previous jobs/titles die and fall away was a real ego death and hard to swallow. But I trusted, I took that risk.
May 2022 rolls around, we had just sold the van and it was a relief but also a back to square one feeling– now what? I spent a few weeks in late May in the UK and dedicated as a Priestess of Freyja. After two years training, I said my vows to Freyja and became a wisdom keeper and tradition holder of this ancient knowledge. June and July were action packed as we bought two pieces of land and a historical apartment inside the Cinque Terre National Park in Monterosso, Italy. More risks!
After months of cleaning, clearing, repairing, and styling the apartment is now live on Airbnb and we have had our first months completely booked out already. Yes, we bought an investment property before even owning a house ourselves or even knowing where we were going to live–risky! While preparing the apartment over the summer it finally hit us, we needed somewhere to live. Almost three and a half years of uncertainty and nomadic living had taken a toll on my nervous system. I was craving grounding and stability. Finding a house online and putting in an offer sight unseen is a huge risk. I knew it in my bones that the house was ours, a 1960’s ranch in Lake Tahoe, California. Situated between two aspens, the lot is sunny and bright. I never even saw a real estate agent, just a mobile notary at a random Starbucks while mid-drive cross country to a new home I had never seen before. I knew not one soul in this new town. A risky move, some might say. We arrived, found the key under the mat, and walked into our new life where mullein, lilacs, daisies, sage, lavender, and birch all greeted us. A place to heal, create, invent, rest, learn, and love.
So it’s here from this place that I am reinventing myself, or maybe becoming more myself. These last years have been the stripping away. I am here in this beautiful place, with inspiration all around me, open to where Goddess leads me in life and in business.
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
My offerings are a web of my spiritual gifts, learned techniques, and transmitted knowledge through lineages of healers. I currently offer two ways to work with me at a distance: Astrogeography Charts and Clarity Sessions. Astrogeography is the astrology of place and can give insight to the energetics of different locations depending on your birth chart. Clarity Sessions are a little 30 minute reading where I consult multiple decks of cards along with Nordic runes. Bite size clarity on any crossroads you find yourself at.
I am available for custom in person events specializing in Ceremony + Rites of Passage. If you desire sacred space to highlight transition, milestones, energetic shifts, physical moves, birthing both ideas and children, and celebrate manifestations I am here for you. From pre-wedding energetic attunements to guided plant medicine experiences I am open to collaborate on your custom ceremony.
Locally, I host 1:1 in person Reiki I,II, and III Trainings in South Lake Tahoe, CA for those who want to go deeper on their healing path. Life force energy that connects all living things is felt and amplified in this magical place high in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
Word of mouth! Every time! I am a Projector in Human Design and their strategy is to wait for the invitation. I find that when I try and amp up an event or pay for jewelry advertising it’s a complete flop. When I am just in my flow and allow myself to be seen with no agenda of sales or marketing, the invitations come my way. The invitations range from requests to teach at retreats to assisting on photoshoots, and everything in between. I am a creative and when I try and box my offerings into “jewelry sales” I limit my potential reach. Abundance is a state of mind, an honoring and investing in self-worth. Acting in authenticity, and letting that show is vulnerable but that transparency lets others get a feel for my essence and if they want to work with me.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Holding safe and sacred space is my deepest passion. My background in trauma informed yoga, energetic healing and hygiene, and the cyclical phases of the feminine all contribute to the feeling of security I cultivate in all of my spaces. In the spiritual community today, ethics have been known to get blurry and my thought is that you cannot soften if you do not feel safe. No healing can take place when in the fight, flight, or freeze state. I work with all the senses and create stunning sights, soothing sounds, purifying scents, cozy comfy surroundings, and open space for you to hear your own inner truth. My main objective is for to know you are seen, heard, and held. This is what has given me the reputation of a nurturing and powerful healer.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.alanasaporiti.com/
- Instagram: @alanasaporiti
- Other: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/685342674020651154?check_in=2022-11-22&check_out=2022-11-24&guests=1&adults=1&s=67&unique_share_id=4ed54d26-8ea0-4dfe-aa7e-aef5fff3b588
Image Credits
Merry Waldrop