Illness as Initiation: Finding the Gifts of Challenge
July 11, 2012
Hosted by Sweigh Emily Spilkin, MA, MFA, CHT
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Episode Description
So often we think of our challenges--traumas, illness, losses-- as terrible mistakes. But what if instead of mistakes, they were opportunities to step deeper into the truth of who we really are? In this inaugural episode of Thresholds to Awakening, Psychotherapist and host Sweigh Emily Spilkin will share her own, personal journey through a near-death car accident, a subsequent mysterious illness, and her eventual recovery. Sweigh will explain how the very things that bring us to our knees can help us discover who we really are and what we are here to do. She will also reveal the "Thresholds to awakening" framework, and answer important questions such as: What’s the soul? What is the point of difficulty? Why do we need initiations? and What are the essential tools that can help us make it through our challenges? Listen to today's show and discover the keys to both healing and unlocking the gifts of your most difficult experiences.
Thresholds to Awakening
Archives Available on VoiceAmerica 7th Wave Channel
You are here for a reason. What you perceive to be a mistake (your pain, your suffering, your illness) is not a mistake at all. It is a radical opportunity to crack open, catalyze your potential, and embody your soul. An opportunity you would have never consciously chosen, but something has led you here: to the Threshold. The purpose at the Threshold is not simply to “get better,” the purpose is to allow yourself to be initiated. To let go of who you thought you were, so that who you really are can emerge.
Hosted by Sweigh Emily Spilkin, seasoned psychotherapist and soul guide, Thresholds to Awakening offers a deep-dive into the paradoxical nature of transformation. The show includes intimate conversations with spiritual luminaries about how to work with difficulty, stories about people finding their way through impossible situations, and transformational guidance to help you access your deepest truth.
Sweigh Emily Spilkin, MA, MFA, CHT
Sweigh Emily Spilkin, MA, MFA, CHT, is a somatic psychotherapist, teacher, and soon to be-"doctor" (working on that PhD!) of Psychology and soul-centered growth. She helps individuals use their life challenges as gateways to realizing their souls’ potential. Sweigh has a thriving psychotherapy and coaching practice where she combines cutting-edge somatic techniques with grounded, spiritual wisdom to help people reframe their challenges, reclaim their power, and fully embody their souls.
Sweigh’s background includes two Masters degrees, a three-year Somatic Experiencing™ trauma resolution training, a five-year embodied energy work training, and extensive education in nature-based soul work.
Her greatest teacher, however, was her own bout with a chronic illness that left her nearly housebound for four years. After much patience, surrender, grieving, soul-work, nervous system healing, will, and grace, Sweigh emerged from the “underworld” of her illness with her soul intact. She now serves as a guide and a source of inspiration for others on the path. Sweigh can be found on the web at www.ThresholdstoAwakening.com and www.EmbodyYourSoul.com.
