Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Christina Phavilay. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Christina, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

My life seemed fine on the outside, having manifested so many things that I had only once dreamed of having: the boyfriend, the travels, the home. I was making strides out of debt and growing in my career.

As I became more immersed in my spiritual growth and healing, I actually began to feel alienated from my norm and a growing disconnect with the life I built. I began to feel like the person I had become to achieve all these manifestations wasn’t who I actually wanted to be anymore. That version of myself was too small for all the realizations I was making about the highest expression of myself and my soul’s purpose.

I hushed the voice inside my head sparking “what ifs” about what my future could look like if I could freely express myself and align into who I was now evolving into. It felt easier to stay where I was than to think about risking it all in exchange for a different life that I had no idea about.

As I went deeper into my reiki practice and shadow work, I became more in tune with the desires of my heart and soul. I couldn’t ignore that voice anymore and knew I had to leave this life and partner behind to be a more authentic version of myself. I craved the freedom to explore what exactly that version was while also revisiting past versions of myself that I thought I no longer needed.

Leaving a good life for a life I’ve never lived was one of the biggest risks I’ve ever taken. What if it turned out worse? What if I would regret this decision? What if I never have what I gave up again?

The biggest trust exercise you can participate in with the universe is letting something go in order to create space for something bigger and better. It can be scary putting your faith into something you’ve never experienced before, but that’s where the magic happens.

At 28 I thought I was finally the “grown up” version of myself; the version where I knew everything about myself, who I have grown out of, and who I would happily be for the rest of my life. Looking back, I laugh because of how confident I was, but I also feel deep appreciation for the courage I had to seek out uncomfortable truths and go after more.

The decision to leave was like switching a flip so hard that it broke with no way to go back to being off. I risked the stable life I had worked towards for myself. I had no backup plan, no savings, no idea of what I was going to do next, and no clue as to where I was even going to live.

I left a secure relationship where I had love and safety, but I found that I was able to nurture myself and find love in so many ways around me.

I left financial stability when I was finally turning my money trauma around, but I found that I was able to do what it takes to survive and rewrite those traumas into strengths.

I left behind so many goals achieved with a partner, but I found that I was capable of creating a beautiful life when I had the freedom to make my own decisions.

I walked away from so many wonderful things, but I found a version of myself that became so aligned that I was the walking embodiment of my authenticity. A version of myself that is ever evolving and could change course at any moment. A version of myself that is a little braver than before so I can take the next risk that my soul leads me to.

Christina, 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?

I am passionate about sharing my spiritual growth journey and practicing vulnerability in order to connect on a deep and authentic level. It’s an ongoing journey that has its ebbs and flows, but I believe that having compassion and grace for yourself in the process will allow you to love all the parts of yourself that are yearning to be seen and held.

My passion stems from being afraid to be seen because I spent much of my life as a people pleaser. I shut down my own needs and self-expression to be liked, accepted, and achieve peace around me.

My journey with reiki was so enlightening because it revealed to me my truest desires without the feelings of shame or judgment. I was able to forgive not only the people in my life who I made myself small for, but also myself for feeling like I had to.

It also ignited the discovery of my soul’s purpose. I was always drawn to helping others, but I didn’t feel worthy of being of service until I started practicing reiki. My spiritual connection was lit up and I felt more hope than I had in years. I became self-empowered when before I felt lost. With reiki energy literally running through my fingertips, the possibilities for healing felt endless. My trust in my intuition and inner knowing was strengthening. I no longer felt stuck and was ready for expansion.

My goal is to remind others of the innate power they hold to change their life and heal from limiting beliefs, traumas, and deeply rooted fears through spiritual inner work and intentional living. I work to hold space for and guide others to accept, love, and integrate both the light and shadow parts of themselves so that they can fully step into their authentic embodiment.

I facilitate deep healing by uncovering and releasing energetic blockages on the spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical levels. I guide others to feel empowered, reconnected to themselves, and spiritually supported through coaching, intuitive healings, reiki trainings, and interactive workshops.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

When I was fresh out of college, shiny biology degree in hand, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. But I did know what I didn’t want to do–and that was to spend another 4+ years in school or in a lab pushing myself to do something my heart wasn’t in.

Instead of feeling shame or like I had failed the path, it was the first time in 4 years that I had felt relief and freedom. I was no longer chained to someone else’s vision for my future. I now had the power to carve out my own path, which felt a bit daunting, but at least it was mine.

I waited tables trying to figure out what I wanted my life to look like until an opportunity in finance opened up for me. I thought, why not give it a try? It was the complete opposite of what I had studied, but maybe that was exactly what I needed because I was physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually drained from the sacrifices I made to be in the service industry while I was in my transitory phase.

It turned out that I actually loved the job. I loved being given the chance to learn new concepts. I loved challenging myself on how to improve and organize systems. I loved how I could feel relaxed in a work environment. I loved feeling like I could grow.

This love for my work fueled my work ethic and I was rewarded with more responsibility. I was excited and took this seriously, but unfortunately I wasn’t met with the respect that I felt was deserved. Perhaps I was too young, didn’t have seniority, or they were resistant to the new ideas I had wanted to implement. I soon started to feel undervalued and discouraged. These feelings affected my once strong work ethic and the things I once loved about this job began to dim.

Then I endured the last straw. No longer could I stand being under appreciated and shut down while trying to do more and be more. I handed in my two weeks notice right there and then.

I didn’t have a backup plan for another job. My lease was ending. My savings would only last for a couple extra months. What did I just do??

I had jumped. I had followed my gut. I didn’t know how I was going to figure things out, only that I was going to figure them out. I put my trust in the universe before I was in tune with that sacred connection, but I believed in something better for myself and I followed through.

Guess what? I figured it out. I made it work.

A place to live that I could afford was offered to me. I hand wrote cards, did yard work, organized workspaces, and did just about any task I could for extra income while I looked for a job. Then I found a job, but lost it in 3 months when the company decided to automate my position. I went back to working odd jobs again until I found another job. I was there for almost a year before I lost that one due to an acquisition and restructuring. Just when I thought I had some stability, I couldn’t catch a break!

Throughout this whole experience though, I proved to myself how resilient I could be in the face of pure instability with only faith to carry me through it. I shifted my mindset and focused on gratitude instead. I had loving and supportive friends, my health, and time to explore creative hobbies and fun pursuits. My life didn’t stop and I was still able to appreciate all the great things I had in my life despite my circumstances.

I took a huge leap of faith by quitting my stable job that day, but the universe supported me and brought just the right people and opportunities in my life to help hold me and teach me throughout the process. My resilience was tested, but I proved to myself that I was capable of doing much more with so much less than I previously thought I could.

If you have an inkling of that feeling to jump–listen to it–because that means you’re ready to fly. It might not be a smooth first flight, but the universe will respond when you follow that inner voice. Your resilience is what carries you through.

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

In the field of energy healing, intuitive work, and coaching, we were all taught the same foundational methods. The difference in our offerings is based on our unique life experiences and innate gifts. The way we incorporate our magic into our learned methods is how we make it authentically ours to succeed.

In my eyes, to succeed in my work is to be able to help guide my clients and students to reconnect with themselves and step into their power to transcend limiting beliefs, traumas, and fears. These are deeply personal journeys that require emotional trust.

Building that emotional trust requires vulnerability and authenticity. No matter what training you’ve received, if you rely on the manual without blending it with your own personal touch, you will be doing no more than addressing the client’s healing on the surface level. To truly connect and heal on a multidimensional level, I believe we also need to be willing to bare our soul so that we can call in our most aligned clients–the ones we can truly help the most.

Another aspect that I believe is important for succeeding is understanding that we are not for everyone. You can’t help everyone and that is not a reflection on your skills or gifts.

If your goal is to help everyone that seeks you out, then you may be doing a disservice both to them and yourself. Trying to guide someone that may be seeking you out for issues outside of your understanding and experience could cause a block in connection, or at the very least a slower progression compared to someone that is more relatable. Trying to take on every client could also drive you to burnout, especially if there are clients you struggle to connect with as deeply, causing you to question your abilities. You could come to feel shame for not being able to keep up or by not achieving the growth and progress desired from your client.

You are an expert in your own life experiences and the ways that you were able to heal and grow from them. Use your lifetime of expertise to be the lighthouse for others who are looking for guidance out of similar limiting mindsets and situations.

You do not have to try so hard to be successful. When you are living and practicing from a place of true vulnerability and authenticity, who and what is meant for you will divinely follow.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.letterforthesoul.com
• Instagram: @letterforthesoul
• Facebook: facebook.com/letterforthesoul
• Other: TikTok: @letterforthesoul

Image Credits
Jose Rovira (J Rovira Photography)