We recently had the chance to connect with Jennifer Bauer and have shared our conversation below.
Jennifer, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
I start my day with walking my two dogs, Sky (husky-mix) and Tucker (mutt), around our neighborhood. I love the early morning fresh air, the sound of birds chirping, and the rising sun filtering through the trees. It’s so quiet and serene. The only other people out and about are the other dog walkers.
Then it’s back home where I fix their breakfast and my coffee. I read whatever new emails have come through until my coffee is finished, then I do two rounds of Pangu Shengong, where I intend energy healing to be sent out to those I’m aware of who need and/or want energetic support for their life’s challenges. Then I set intentions for my day and release expectations as well as attachment of how the day may turn out.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Most folks want to know credentials first, so here they are. I’m certified as a Master Wayfinder (Life) Coach, Usui Reiki Master Teacher (Level IV), Breathwork Meditation Healer (Level IV), Equus Coach (coaching with horses as a co-facilitator), Ho’ola Loa Energy Realignment practitioner, and Pangu Shengong Healing practitioner. I’m also an author and public speaker.
I’m currently at the threshold of what was and what will be, endings and beginnings. The evolution of my work is always changing with the ebbs and flows of growth, and yet, this feels like a big shift that is unfolding (and not just for myself, but for the collective). Which makes sense as, for those who follow numerology, we’re in a 9 year of completion and therefore this phase is as anticipated.
For the past 8 years, I’ve been facilitating life coaching and energy healing sessions for individuals and groups. A couple times a year I lead international retreats. And once a quarter I lead weekend or day-long workshops. For the latter 5 years, I’ve also been teaching and leading the Nature Centered Academy, which was a year-long life coaching and energy healing training program. This past month, I’ve closed down the academy because something new and more integrated is ready to be birthed…and it has yet to take form.
I think it’s important for people to recognize that not all things are intended to last forever. The more we can share about our experiences, the more comfortable others become in allowing for change as a natural (and inevitable) process. And it’s okay to be in the in-between state. So often we want to jump to “what’s next” and capitalize on the next thing…when what we really need is presence. To be still and to allow the open space to simply be. The inspiration will come when it’s time. If we busy ourselves with other things to fill the space we may be too distracted to miss what wants to be birthed through us.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a child, I was conditioned to believe love had to be earned and one had to be “perfect” to be worthy of love. That if I followed the house rules, obeyed my parents, put others’ needs ahead of my own, stayed humble, and was “a good Christian” then I was loveable. Anything less, then love was either actively withheld, anger directed at and into me, or I was made to feel shame.
Thankfully, I’ve untangled most of that belief system over the years using various tools that I’ve since incorporated into my work that I facilitate for others. Every now and then another layer, a variation of this, surfaces to be noticed, held with loving compassion, and when it’s ready, then it is dissolved. Mostly in the area of perfectionism. I’ve adopted the mantra “progress over perfection.” It is a reminder to give myself grace and acknowledge that whatever is present — as long as I’ve done my best (which looks differently on different days) — then that is “good enough.”
And in my spiritual journey, I’ve learned that no matter what we do or don’t do, that we are inherently always worthy. Love is our birthright. Love is our core. It is who we are and we cannot separate from it, even if we forget and become confused.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering has taught me to love even my shadows. It’s easy to love success. It’s more challenging to love ourselves through mistakes and the perception of failure.
We’re here to experience the full spectrum of what is is to be human. All the emotions are equal in their importance. Our triggers show us where our wounding is ready to be healed.
Anger alerts us to where there is imbalance and the potential for stronger boundaries. Grief shows us our huge capacity for love. Shame invites us to release our conditioning. Regret points out where we harbor self-judgment. Fear opens our awareness to where we’re living in the past or future so we can become present to what is…and fear gives us the opportunity to choose to respond with love instead.
We learn and grow more deeply through the lows of life than we do the highs, though they both hold equal importance for different reasons. The highs make the lows worth it.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
I think the biggest lie this industry tries to sell people is that they’re broken and in need of fixing. This industry has a habit of focusing on trauma and locating what needs to be healed.
Whatever we look for, we’ll find. Our mind is always proving ourselves right. And if we take that approach, it is rooted in the belief that we aren’t good enough as we are. It’s constantly chasing better and improved, rather than loving what is right now.
If we can remember our light, if we can love the frightened, ashamed, or disheartened self, then that love and that light is what brings us into wholeness. The light does what light does. It removes all that is unlike itself.
So I often tell my clients to focus on their ideal state, not on what they think needs fixing. Focus on the direction they want to go toward and take whatever the step is in front of them to take. And whatever they’re trying to fix or hide, give it more love, not less.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
That I made them feel deeply seen, truly heard, and gently held in a cocoon of love. That they felt comfortable with being fully their unique, authentic self around me…without judgment or advice. That I could be trusted to witness them in their shadows without rejection or shrinking away from them. That I made the world brighter and filled it with more joy, peace, and freedom.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jennbauerhealing.com
- Instagram: @elationexplorer
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.bauer.54772
