We were lucky to catch up with Cami Thelander recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Cami, thanks for joining us today. What was your school or training experience like? Share an anecdote or two that you feel illustrate important aspects or the overall nature of your schooling/training experience.

CranioSacral Therapy training was one of the most transformative experiences of my life. If you’ve never tried CranioSacral Therapy (CST), the concept of “doing nothing” may not sound very transformative. But some of my most profound healing experiences have happened when I allow myself to slow down, be present, and commit to “doing nothing” for a short while. When we calm the mind and allow ourselves to really connect with our bodies, incredible shifts can happen. Healing can only happen when we allow the space to attend to that which needs our attention. This requires that we slow down, drop our resistance, and stop “trying” so hard. When we surrender to this process, energy moves– stuck emotions or traumas begin to release, holding patterns and stress gently melt away, and vital life-force energy takes it’s place. CST is like a short-cut for this process, activating our body’s innate healing wisdom and allowing space for regeneration and connection.

In a culture that values productivity, slowing down is often shamed, and does not get the credit it deserves. It’s important that we take time from our busy lives to schedule some time to “do nothing”, to calm the mind, and pay attention to what our body needs. I love offering CST to my clients because it provides a space to practice slowing down and connecting with ourselves– a muscle that is often not exercised. And to have the support from a professional that knows how to activate the inner healer that’s within each of our bodies, is extremely wholesome and worthwhile. You may be surprised how hard it is to “do nothing” when we are programmed to go-go-go! I encourage everyone to practice slowing down– whether you choose to benefit from receiving CST or start practicing yoga and meditation– slowing down in ANY form that works for you is vitally important to our health and wellbeing.

Cami, 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?

Hello, my name is Cami and I created my own business called Bear Foot Yogi. I offer CranioSacral Therapy, Death Doula services, and Grief Coaching. I also create custom blends of essential oils that help to correct imbalances in the body. All of my services have one thing in common– the idea that we must create space to be present with ourselves, our bodies, and our feelings, in order to heal.

I got into this line of work because of my own need or healing– when I was 11, I watched my dad die from ALS. Later when I was 15, my step-dad died of prostate cancer. Long story short, I was a grieving kid who did not get the support that I needed to really process and heal from the traumatic deaths I had witnessed. I quickly learned that we live in a death-illiterate and emotion-phobic society that teaches us to numb ourselves, “suck it up,” and run away from dark emotions and discomfort.

After years of avoiding my grief, my body demanded that I process my traumatic experiences. I started to develop physical ailments that had no obvious cause, along with chronic depression and anxiety. My body was screaming at me to give my emotions some attention. When I finally gave in to this call and committed to being present with myself, is when my healing journey began. I fell in love with yoga and meditation because it provided me some much needed relief from my frantic mind. Later, I stumbled upon CranioSacral Therapy and realized that this incredible form of bodywork was creating a safe space for me to finally let go of my grief. After MANY months and hours of receiving this therapy, I finally became brave enough to explore end-of-life support as the role of a Death Doula and Grief Coach– to me, this is the ultimate way to heal from my grief, to honor my dads’ deaths, and to provide these much needed services to others.

My “business” is really my soul’s work and a higher calling. Every time I get to provide a little healing and stress relief to my clients, to help them be present with the horrors of grief and death, and support them in moving towards a life full of meaning, I remember that my dads have trained me well, and this keeps me going.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Resilience is something I never would have thought that grief could provide. To me, resilience is the ability to be present and so vulnerable in our pain and in our fears, and to keep going anyways. After a deep loss, its scary to love again because we remember how painful it is to not have our person. I’ve caught myself many times wanting to isolate, to disconnect with others because of fear of loss and abandonment. To practice resilience is to keep loving and to keep showing up despite the risk of loss and heartache.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

I’m learning that the best way to attract my clients is to simply be myself and express my authentic truth. Sharing my story and my experiences gives permission to others to do the same, and creates space for connection and healing. The people who resonate with that will find me, and our connection will surely be mutually beneficial.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.bearfootyogi.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/bear.foot.yogi
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/bearfootyogicami