Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Lyle.
Hi Rachel, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’ve had a long and winding path to find myself where I am today. After studying acting at NYU, I moved to LA to pursue the career I always thought I was meant for. While here, I fell in love with the wellness world and all of the holistic and spiritual practices that were available to explore. I dove deep to learn and heal many parts of myself–I’d struggled from a young age with anxiety and depression and have always looked for ways to support myself in that journey.
What I found were many different modalities, specifically Reiki and Mindfulness meditation, that changed the course of my life. They opened me up to love, joy, and wholeness in a way I had never experienced. So, I left the career path I was sure was meant for me behind to start to share meditation and Reiki healing with others and honestly have never looked back. I feel so aligned in and passionate about my work – I absolutely love helping my clients find the same ease and well-being I have found.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Yes and no. My path to explore these healing modalities and find the teachers who have helped me along the way has felt effortless. The people /classes/trainings I need have always appeared and I have been fortunate enough to learn from them. BUT the work itself is often challenging. I knew early on that being the best healer/teacher/helper I could be would require a lifelong commitment to learning, growing, and healing my own stuff. And much of that path is painful.
Many of us spend so much time trying to avoid, numb, or just bypass the pain, trauma, and heartache that we encounter by just being human. I know that was true for me. After walking through some childhood trauma, I learned to just push through, avoiding additional pain and discomfort at all costs. Of course, I now know this is impossible and just ends up breeding massive anxiety and depression (among other things).
But each step I take to heal and reclaim a part of myself allows me to show up more fully for my clients and help them do the same. I doubt it will ever be a smooth road, but it’s one I’ve come to be so grateful for.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a certified Mindfulness Meditation teacher, Reiki Master, and Intuitive healer. My business, Practice with Rachel Lyle, is all about helping people come home to themselves and practice what really matters in life.
I read a quote years ago that said something to the effect of “life is not a final performance, but one long dress rehearsal”. As a girl who grew up in the theater, the metaphor resonated, but I can’t say it’s how I have approached my life. In my own wellness journey, I saw how much perfectionism was running my life. My feelings of always having to get things “right” as if life was some final performance I had to nail on the first try. Unsurprisingly, this kind of thinking led to debilitating anxiety where I would quit or not do things at all, in fear that they wouldn’t be perfect.
Eventually, I grew tired of living on the outskirts of my own life. Sure I wasn’t opening myself up to great failure, but I also realized I wasn’t getting the experiences and the richness that life had to offer. It was around this time that I discovered Mindfulness.
Mindfulness opened my eyes to a different way to live. In meditation, we have a formal and informal practice. We can sit down on a meditation cushion (or our couch) to close our eyes and practice, we can open our senses on a walk with a pet to see the nature around us, we can notice the flavors of our food as we eat, or we can take a deep breath when we feel stressed. They are all very valid parts of the practice. I loved learning that there is no right or wrong way to meditate or to heal ourselves. There is no test to pass, no place to get to, just the chance to show up each day, in each moment and see what’s there. (You notice I didn’t say JUDGE what is there but simply SEE what is there.)
I began to wonder what would happen if I took away that ‘all or nothing’ pressure, quieted the perfectionism, and did my best to treat each moment of my life as a chance to practice. Practice being in the moment. Practice being kind to myself and others. Practice giving and receiving love. And though it’s not always easy, it has been life-changing. What a relief to allow myself to be a human being and just show up to try things out! And, what a gift to come to know more joy than I thought possible through this practice. This is what I feel called to share! To help people let go of “doing it right” and practice what matters: reconnecting to themselves and reclaiming their innate power and beauty.
In my group workshops and 1:1 sessions, my goal is to support clients in the growth and healing of mind, body and spirit.
Through tailored meditation practices, Reiki healing, and intuitive energetic readings, I work with each client to help them step into the joy and power of the present moment. These practices are simple and accessible to all, no experience required. I am here to help integrate them into your life in a way that works for you!
I like to say that my work is for you IF:
– You are looking for specialized Reiki Healing where we will discuss what’s not working for you and use the energy modality in combination with an energetic read of your body to clear, balance and recharge your system.
– You want to start a personal meditation practice, or deepen your current practice, with tailored Mindfulness meditations in each 1:1 session.
– You want to feel more joy, peace, and presence in your life.
– You are willing to dive in and practice!
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
So many of my favorite memories from childhood are at the beach. I grew up in Louisiana and we would go to Florida every summer. I would spend hours at the beach, playing in the sand, the water, or laying under an umbrella reading books as I got older. I came to feel so deeply peaceful and connected (to myself and nature) at the beach, and I’m so grateful I got to have those experiences growing up. And having the beach close by here in LA is one of my favorite parts of living here! I’ll go to the beach for a few hours whenever I need to recharge, relax, and reconnect!
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.RachelLyle.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/practicewithrachellyle
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/practice-with-rachel-lyle-los-angeles-2
- Other: https://www.rachellyle.com/meditations
