Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Michelle Lillicrap. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Michelle, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.
I was working as an occupational therapist for 15 years in in-patient adult rehabilitation and home health. While I loved the holistic nature of occupational therapy (we help get people back to the activities of daily living (occupations) that matter most after illness or injury), I felt burnt out in a system that prioritizes productivity and reimbursement. I had hunches about what kept patients coming back- those revolving door hospital readmissions- and ideas of what could potentially keep people where they wanted to be: thriving in their own homes. But there were bigger forces at work in the current health care system and I ultimately felt like I wasn’t able to make much of a difference. Then in 2018 at the age of 39, an unexpected stage 3 breast cancer diagnosis came before my youngest baby turned one. I quit my job to focus on treatment and healing. I journeyed inward in a way I didn’t know I needed and found answers to questions I didn’t know I had. But there was a defining moment that would come in the midst of the time warp that is Cancerland. A moment that would change the course of my life and career as I knew it. I now know it as my “satori” as it’s called in Buddhist and Zen teachings, or my moment of awakening.
It was a scorching hot, humid day in the summer of 2018 and I was in the thick of treatment. I was bald, weighing in less than 100 lbs and let’s just say I was not in a good place. My husband who took on most of the household work (bless him!) so I could focus on healing, was busy with the many things he had on his plate with two young kids. But as I looked out the window I noticed he had not pulled the weeds in the garden like I asked him to earlier that week. When I asked him about it and he said he would get around to it. But I was annoyed and told him “Never mind, I’ll do it myself”. I was crabby from the constant low grade nausea, weakness and what felt like a 24/7 hangover, but I also wanted to make myself feel useful. So I took my sorry-ass sack of bones of a body outside and marched toward the garden. As I noticed all the work that needed to be done, I knelt down on the ground to save by back and conserve some energy. Then I started to pull. One weed. Then another. And another. But I was less than 5 minutes in to what felt like an insurmountable task when I started to notice the smell of the earth, the dirt and grass beneath my hands, knees, and feet. The sound of the birds. Suddenly I felt overcome with a wave of love, safety and comfort. “What is happening?!” I remember thinking. We had recently moved from the city where I had spent most of my life to a home with a bigger yard and more green spaces. I was not a gardener. But as I felt a wave of emotion hit me, I put my face on the ground- my cheek to the earth- and I let out the most ancient, guttural sob. It was a moment of recognition, a great remembering of something I didn’t know I’d forgotten let alone knew in the first place: I had become completely disconnected from Nature. I just KNEW it was a big reason why I ended up in that chemo chair. And here She was: patiently waiting all along to embrace me, to welcome me back. I’ll never forget the comfort in that moment. Her way of gently holding me in all the right places. I laid down and let the tears fall. And there I swear I heard her say: “I am here. I have been here all along to give you life, and I will be here, in your death.” It was a moment that I peacefully became aware of my mortality. If my story ended in this “worst case scenario”, She would take me in as she does ALL of the living beings on this planet, and create something even more beautiful: new life. I could surrender- all will be taken care of.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
It was during this time I began exploring alternative healing modalities like acupuncture and reiki and once I experienced their effectiveness, I became fascinated with energy medicine. I was knee deep in anti-cancer research and learned more about the importance of getting back to basics, detoxing my life and home, and the incredible healing benefits of simply getting our hands in the soil and walking barefoot on the ground (earthing). As I became more in tune with my body and what felt good, I became acutely aware of my immediate surroundings and felt a pull to release objects that no longer served me and create intentional, sacred spaces for healing. The synchronicities kept coming my way and I was presented with an opportunity to join a Feng Shui Master certification course. Feng Shui is the most beautiful way of aligning our homes and lives with the rhythms of Nature. It’s a way to bring in the elements in a strategic way and provides a way to live your life with mindfulness and intention. It felt like the ultimate tool of empowerment. I just fell in love with this ancient wisdom and couldn’t get enough. It lit a fire within me that has become my passion and sharing it with the world is, quite frankly, a non-negotiable! I just can’t NOT do it. So as scary as it was, I decided the best way forward was to start my own business. I launched Dwellness Home Services in 2021 and I haven’t looked back. I offer in-home Feng Shui consultations which is an in depth assessment of a specific home’s energy pattern (based on the time and space it was built) and I provide an individualized plan to create a home environment that is most supportive for each person’s specific needs. My mission is to bring people back home to themselves and the life force energy of Nature back into their homes. Because I believe our homes are the foundation of our health and well being. I originally set out to be of service to women going through their own health journeys. But it has evolved to helping women who want to find love, more abundance, or who are looking for direction and to find their life’s purpose. I also love providing Feng Shui consultations for businesses to maximize the energy of a their work space to attract more clients and create a supportive work environment. I offer in-person as well as virtual consultations and it has been beautiful to be of service to women all over the country. I am so excited for new offerings in 2023 including an online course so keep an eye out for that!
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
I have deep roots in the Western medical model where evidence based practices are standard and the most highly regarded (for good reason!) It is important to note here that my life was saved by modern medicine. But there is also a deep inner knowing that I can’t ignore and there is a lot I know to be true- that we are not able to “prove” by science. I don’t want my life and work to be limited by only what I can see, touch and feel or numbers and statistics in a medical journal. Because current science has its limitations. One example is how acupuncture isn’t considered an evidence based treatment. Any google search will ultimately land you in a similar place as this: “Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese technique that has been used for millennia to treat chronic pain and other health problems associated with inflammation, yet the scientific basis of the technique remains poorly understood.” (Harvard.edu) The reason they cannot “prove” it to work is because they cannot grasp or replicate “Chi” or life force energy. Feng Shui is like acupuncture for the home and I am lit up by the changes it brings to my life and the lives of my clients. Anecdotal, yes, but bring it on. I see more significant changes in my clients lives now more than ever. The current trend is people are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with current medical treatments which mostly include pharmaceuticals and surgery. More and more are turning to ancient practices like Traditional Chinese Medicine, yoga, and Ayurveda with stunning results. 5,000 year old wisdom is not trendy- it’s been around that long for a reason.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
One of my biggest hurdles in starting my own business was the fear of “what will people think?” It was hard to step away from my safe “real” job as an occupational therapist in home health (after 6 years of schooling and 15 years in the profession) to become a Feng Shui practitioner. But I am now realizing that fear was self-inflicted and my only job now is to live a life that is fully, deeply, authentically me. And I’ve never been happier!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dwellness.space
- Instagram: @yourdwellness
- Facebook: Dwellness Home Services
- Other: Email: [email protected]
Image Credits
Sophia El’Rae Digital Agency Instagram: @sophia.elrae