We were lucky to catch up with Sharon Cleere recently and have shared our conversation below.

Sharon, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?

Seemingly out of the blue I started to experience strange spells of vision loss, numbness in one side of my body, difficulty speaking, dizziness followed by debilitating head aches. The frequency of these strange spells would pop up at inconvenient and dangerous times, when I was driving, at work, in the shower.

When I finally made time in my busy schedule to see a doctor they thought maybe I had a stroke at the age of 21. This was quickly ruled out after a few tests and I was told they were “just migrains and “take these pills.” The pills left me so groggy I could barely work. Unsatisfied with this answer, I decided to get a second opinion.

Nothing seemed to result in a solution until one day I met with a doctor who asked me a curious question, he said: “how are you feeling?”
“terrible, obviously, that’s why I am here.”
“I am aware of your symptoms, I want to know how you are feeling emotionally, spiritually?”
To my surprise tears started to roll down my face, “I am fine.” I said much like Ross in that Friend’s episode.

One look at my tears and the doctor said, I think your migrains are a result of extreme stress. He prescribed me an anti-depressant. Initially, I was offended, but there was also a strange sense of relief. The antidepressant seemed to help, no more migrains but that brief moment of introspection in the doctors office had opened the flood gates of feelings I had suppressed over a long time: the death of someone close, the end of a relationship, a partner struggling with addiction, a job that didn’t fit and a general existential itch unscratched.

Although therapy and prescriptions help, I knew I needed to take a different approach to regain balance in my life. So I boldly left my job, home, relationships, and lifestyle in search of answers and alternatives. I eventually found myself in India, where I became a certified yoga instructor and meditation guide and recently became a certified hypnotist.

Today, I am passionate about helping others heal on their own term and design personalized tools, routines and exercises for their wellbeing.

Sharon, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a meditation guide, mindfulness coach and hypnotist offering science based alternative healing and self exploration techniques for people who want to feel more connected to their lives and heal on their own terms. I am also the author of “Namaste, Rainbow!”

When it comes to the struggle of mental health, I feel your pain. Years ago, I was diagnosed with depression, ADHD, and PTSD. I wasn’t finding any relief from medication or therapy and was turned off by the esoteric nature of spirituality. I knew I needed to take a different approach to regain balance in my life. I wanted and needed a middle ground. A space where science met ancient techniques like meditation and hypnosis.

This matters to me because when I needed some healing myself I felt there wasn’t a space for me, it was either traditional therapy or spirituality. I wanted and needed a middle ground. Therapy/phycology only re-hashed old wounds and tried to mask the problem with medication. Spirituality, was metaphysical, many of the practices I aligned with nut others felt like mystical solutions to very pragmatic problems.

Today I feel wellness needs a middle ground. meditation and similar ancient and sometimes esoteric practices are meeting with modern science and we are gaining a deeper understanding. This is the forefront of my work.

Today, I feel honored to be helping my clients grow and heal on their own terms. My clients trust me to help them through whatever challenges they are facing because they know that the pragmatic tools I teach them for emotional, mental and spiritual growth fit seamlessly into their everyday life and they have a deep understanding of the modern-day science behind them.

So I ask you a simple question one of my teachers once asked me: What has to happen for you to start offering yourself the health, happiness, and life you deserve? If not today, when?

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I used to think being mentally strong meant being tough, unbothered, and unaffected. Pain couldn’t touch me because I wouldn’t give it the time of day. Today I call this approach, “sweeping it under the rug.” It isn’t mental health it is denial.

Today I know that the only way to heal is to be completely honest and vulnerable. The only thing you can do with your emotions is to feel them, give them space and time. That doesn’t mean to overindulge in them or act out. It means that calm is available through all my emotions, and all of my emotions are deserving of attention and time to be processed.

This isn’t always easy, but with practice, it becomes easier to navigate my internal world.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

The Tao of Pooh – Benjamin Hoff The Dalai Lama’s Cat – David Michie
The Tao Te Ching – Lao Tzu
The Body Keeps The Score – Bessel van der Kolk
Becoming Nobody – Ram Dass
How to Change Your Mind – Michael Pollan

Contact Info:

• Website: meditationcorporation.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cleeremind_sharon/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MeditationJourney/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgEEOmYy5W6wUBH4w5Tb5Yw