G-DYPEELZW7C 1572007609577068 Find what you love and give it away: With Gary Strauss and Tracy Griffiths - A Lone Traveler's Guide to the Divine

Episode 42

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Published on:

4th Aug 2024

Find what you love and give it away: With Gary Strauss and Tracy Griffiths

Summary 

Welcome dreamers, seekers, healers and anyone on their healing journey. My name is Amanda Lux of the Elevation Hive school and community for energy medicine and dreamwork. In this podcast, I share teachings, musings, poems, songs, and interviews with other amazing humans who walk the healer's path. 

In this episode 

Lean in for some serious wisdom on living a realized life, manifesting your dreams, and the importance of finding what you love and giving it away. In this episode I'm thrilled to share some serious inspiration and downright encouragement from two of my most treasured mentors; Gary Strauss and Tracy Griffiths. In this episode they share:

  • How they have sustained their healing arts careers in teaching and practicing Craniosacral and Polarity therapy among other things, over many decades (I have been following them around for over 20 years and I'm a newbie...so, like, yeah- you will want to listen up!)
  • The one piece of advice they would give to their younger selves
  • How working with the nervous system and specifically the vagus nerve is essential for living a healthy life in todays stressful environment
  • How their upcoming trip to Olympia Washington to share these tools is going to be the best time ever- and you should absolutely come! (Even if you are finding this later... you should still check out our upcoming classes and programs)xoxo.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Go to Elevationhive.com to learn more about us!

Thank you for listening, sharing, reviewing and sending me your dreams! 

I love to read them. 


Music:

Alone/All One theme song written and performed by Amanda Lux

All other music from Music from #Uppbeat

https://uppbeat.io/t/poetri/antelope-valley

Transcript
Gary Strauss:

I think that we are living in a moment of possibility

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like we have not experienced before.

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And possibility is probably my greatest

attunement to life, and it really is,

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with all the things we've gone through,

it really is a movement for people to

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come back to themselves and to come

back to what's important to them and

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to live on purpose, whatever that is.

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,

Welcome to Alone Traveler's Guide to the Divine, a podcast for

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dreamers, seekers, healers, and

anyone on their healer's journey.

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My name is Amanda Lux and I am extremely

excited to be having a conversation

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in this episode with my mentors

and teachers of over 20 years now.

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Gary Strauss and Tracy Griffiths

of the Life Energy Institute

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in Los Angeles, California.

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It's a true honor to be able to share this

little window inside of my lineage of

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therapy and craniosacral therapy and we

got together for this interview because

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They are actually coming to my school.

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So this is a, a big moment for me having

been their student for all of these years

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and now to have my own school here

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in Olympia, Washington, the Elevation

Hive School of Energy Medicine.

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, it's currently August 2024.

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They're going to be coming to teach a

class on the polarity autonomic nervous

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system and ventravagal craniosacral

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so this is a super amazing opportunity.

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If you're listening to this, Much later

or at a different time when that doesn't

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seem perhaps relevant I want to reassure

you that this episode is entirely relevant

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in that we have some really beautiful

discussions It was really cool to get

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some life reflective questions out of

, both of these incredible human beings

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who I have been learning from and with

and just looking up to for so so very

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long and They are very accomplished,

healers and teachers in this field

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of polarity and craniosacral work.

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Uh, Tracy Griffiths also teaches, T.

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R.

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E.

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So tension and trauma release

exercise, and she's going to be

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bringing some of those teachings.

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So I was really excited to get to ask

them a few questions that were near and

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dear to my heart about their healer's

journey all these decades and You know,

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maybe what they would Tell their younger

selves if they had the opportunity to

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go back in time and and share some advice

what kind of advice would they give and

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you know these being two of the most wise

learned and profound humans in my world.

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I was very excited to just get to

ask them these kinds of questions.

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And also very excited to

get to share them with you.

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If you'd like to learn more about

their work or about our class or

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perhaps other classes that might

be coming in a similar vein to this

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one, then please check out the show

notes and, or go to elevationhive.

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com.

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I'm so excited to introduce

Tracy Griffiths and Gary Strauss.

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In this interview we

th,:

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Tracy Griffiths: so, it's a moment

here to honor Gary's work, and

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your work with somatic yoga.

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And I had Gary on the yoga deck today

and I was showing him my back defrost,

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what I do every morning, but the block

at the sacrum, there's an incremental,

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, elevation and then come down.

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So elevation hive,

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, I was saying, I can't wait to be in the

hive and have Amanda lead the morning to.

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Get that somatic yoga experience into

weaving with what Gary's bringing.

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Cause it's all, you know, we're all

connected through the same thing.

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So we're really getting excited for this.

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And we thought, Gary could share more

about , what he's tuned into this.

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What's been a year now that you've

been teaching almost a year.

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Gary Strauss: ventro vagal

it's been about two years,

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I taught it in Switzerland and I

taught it in Japan this last year.

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And so this is the first time in the U.

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S.

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that I'll be teaching autonomic infused

with the ventral vagal approach.

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And we were, in our yoga this morning, we

were thinking, because you're the somatic

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yoga queen, which is very much on the edge

of what, , it's, it's so a part of it.

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And we thought maybe they should

have a little yoga every morning.

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Infused with your brilliance, and

maybe Tracy will get in there with you.

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Amanda lux: Yes.

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Gary Strauss: I thought we were

gonna, we're gonna just have like, , a

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Tracy Griffiths: little bit of

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Gary Strauss: a festival.

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Tracy Griffiths: Well, we're going to

the Hive, Amanda is clearly the queen.

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We're coming to be part of

your, at your service, queen.

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Be in your space and be in

the woods and invite people.

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There's still some spaces, right.

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To invite people.

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And, I'm excited to, to be in the work.

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Gary Strauss: You know,

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Tracy Griffiths: with

Ventro, they will work.

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So before I ask him a question,

what do you want to say, Amanda?

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Like you've got your mic there and.

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You're ready to,

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well, I,

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Amanda lux: I'm just thrilled that you

guys are coming, honestly, it's been a

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dream as such a dream of mine to have

a way and a place to host you and your

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work, my lineage, my two mentors for life.

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It's a phenomenal honor.

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For me that you guys are

coming and for my community.

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My community is so excited.

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And when I took autonomic nervous

system with you Gary the last time

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I've taken it a couple of times But

the last time I took it you came in

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Tracy and you did a whole TRE , trauma

release exercise segment in that class.

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It was so profound for me.

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I bought your little book.

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I was like, I want to learn this.

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I just love this work.

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I'm so excited that you're going to be

also offering, , a class in that during

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that weekend and yeah, it just fits.

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It all just fits together and the

polarity somatic yoga that I've been

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doing is sort of a combination of the

somatic yoga that I've been training in.

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I went to a training in Bali last, Winter

and that's based in body mind centering.

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Are you guys familiar with that work?

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It's so cool.

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Right?

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So cool.

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What really a lot about registering

different body parts and teaching

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sort of an embodied anatomy

experience through free movement.

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So there's also Asana woven in, but they

combine a lot of free movement, which

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can be somewhat like ecstatic dance

a little bit, but it's more guided.

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And so I've been , bringing in polarity

exercises, different kinds of somatic

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exercises, craniosacral exercises,

some yoga poses combined with the

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free movements and transmitting

different body centers and chakras.

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And Yeah.

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Tracy Griffiths: It's time.

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Well, I'm feeling a lot of joy.

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I know Gary has a little

rant on something.

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I feel like I'm brewing his

heart chakra joy bubbles.

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I've been coming up, you

know, that solar return thing.

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I'm just so excited to be with you

and I want to share with everyone.

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How long have we known each other?

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Like,

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Amanda lux: well, it was probably

:

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Tracy Griffiths: So just being

part of what you've created up,

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up in Olympia and vision and what

you're like continuing to vision.

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For what's next for you.

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We get to be part of that.

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That's a blessing.

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Amanda lux: Well, you

are always a part of it.

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So the fact that you get to come and

bless the space with your presence and

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your knowledge is just thrilling to me.

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And I'm really excited

about the Ventravagal.

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Piece and bringing it around with the

autonomic nervous system polarity work.

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And yeah, I would definitely love to hear

you talk about that, Gary, and how that's

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developed for you out of your many, many

decades of teaching craniosacral work

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and polarity and nervous system work.

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Gary Strauss: 1st, I'm I really am.

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Ridiculously juiced around my birthday.

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It just happened.

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And, uh, I'm walking around in a lot of

gratitude, , just to being in a room with

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people that want the work that I have.

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It's like, I treasure that.

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I never take it for granted.

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And.

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So being in a room this last weekend and

where I've been, or when I was, you know,

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in Japan or wherever, I feel elated.

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And part of that elation is you

or Kyoko or Lillian, or it's

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the people or Jen in Arizona.

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It's you.

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You guys are kind of like my seedlings or,

which I really, I feel that all the time.

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And I'm so.

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Grateful for what you're doing

and how you embody what you do.

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It's a big deal to bring it

in the world and that you do.

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And I feel the energy that you've been

doing it in and that touches my soul.

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And so I'm in deep gratitude and the work,

the Ventro Vagal i, I had this experience

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and I have a lot of what I teach has

come out of the work that I've done.

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And what I, you know, what's come

through me, if you want to go that far.

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And then I found myself.

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In all the work that I was doing,

becoming aware of how much the

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work itself was touching the vagus

nerve and the polyvagal system.

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And I was kind of like blown away by that.

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And the more I became aware of it

and attended to it, I think, the

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deeper my work got with people.

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And the more their trauma

patterns, integrated.

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It has so many different aspects to it.

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And I think people have found freedom

in it to help other people in a very,

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, Strong way and in a very simple way.

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So I got like so jazzed and I've

been jazzed to teach it and evolve

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it and definitely to bring it

that's like fulfillment for me in

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life is to come to your school.

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Deep fulfillment.

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And I tell people in class, I'm

kind of like a butterfly teacher.

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I just land here, you know, and then

there, and I'm loving that experience

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Tracy Griffiths: So freedom.

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Gary Strauss: And you

provide me with that moment.

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Absolutely Profound.

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Brings chills actually in my spine.

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Amanda lux: Is there anything that

you wanna share about, maybe if people

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, aren't sure what ventral vagal work is,

or what autonomic nervous system work

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within the context of polarity therapy is

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Gary Strauss: There's a great body

of work on the autonomic nervous

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system and, how we regulate our life

experience in our body in a healthy way.

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And that research goes back a

long time way before people like

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Abraham Maslow did that work.

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A lot of people did it.

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Social psychology and

psychotherapists explored it.

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I learned it in college, in the

psychology department at UCLA

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about autonomic nervous systems.

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And how to bring balance to it.

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And the thought was that your health

and wellbeing is based on balance

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in your autonomic nervous system,

which starts in your brain and goes

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down through the nervous system,

into your body and into life.

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So that's the first part of that.

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And then there are ways to

release the nervous system.

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We teach that in polarity and

that autonomic work that I

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learned in polarity under Dr.

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Stone is so profound in all the

work that I do all the time.

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And it has.

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And then, in recent years, though, Dr.

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Stone talked about release of the

vagus nerve, he has releases in his

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work, but people didn't teach it so

much and it wasn't focused, and all

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that stuff got focused with the work

of Porges, who did the polyvagal, he

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really empowered the polyvagal concept.

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And how the vagus nerve itself, which

comes out of the base of the cranium,

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underneath the back of the ear, the

temporal bone and the occipital bone,

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and innervates all of your viscera.

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How that one nerve is so significant

in how you feel, your well being,

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the goodness of life, and how, in

this time, a lot of that's been taken

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away by the stress that we live in.

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And in the stress world, that polyvagal

system, Gets out of balance and people

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don't even know they're out of them.

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They're living with tensions at

levels in their experience And

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I think all of us are until that

gets released and then people go.

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Oh my god I feel like myself again,

so it's a little like that and they're

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very simple and easy ways There are

a lot of people teaching, you know,

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how to release the vagus nerve.

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You can find it all over the place

And they're very simple things that

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I learned to do as a body worker,

but I never saw anybody else do that

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work with tracking and tracing the

vagus nerve and how it processes and

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when it releases, you can feel it.

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It's, it's really clear.

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So that's really what I'm teaching how to

within the autonomic because it has to be,

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it's part of the autonomic nervous system.

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Within those protocols and ways of

working to release the brain, the spine,

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the stress levels in the body, there's

a way to focus a little bit more within

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the vagal complex and to get release.

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And to get what really we're looking for

in vagal nervous system work is tone.

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So how to get good tone.

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That's a, that's a short version, very

simple, but very, uh, contemplative

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and very specific kind of things to

do to release the sympathetic, the

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parasympathetic and the polyvagal

system to create a good tone and to

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release patterns and traumas and stress.

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Which I think, probably

stress is number one.

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Amanda lux: For sure,

stress is number one.

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This work couldn't be more

relevant for now, right?

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So I'm so grateful.

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And I know, I'm aware that this

has been a part of Polarity work

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for a long, long time, always.

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Always.

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And that this moment in the collective

awareness is really meeting that.

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And yeah.

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The profound nature of the work that,

that you've been doing all these years

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and cultivating and, and how it's meeting

the, the consciousness of what's here and

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now and the need for it and, and I love

how a lot of polarity is quite simple.

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but it's very specific and accessible if

you just learn, you know, the techniques.

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It's so accessible.

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And the autonomic nervous system work

that I learned with you all those

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years ago, I've applied probably more

than anything, any other techniques.

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I incorporate that into

almost every session.

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Some aspects of it.

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I'm always balancing the coccyx and

the occiput and with the heels and the

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sacrum and and just getting these these

points and the soft rocking of the

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body and there's just some very specific

simple things that are so incredibly

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deep and people just request them.

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Like, can you do that thing?

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That, that nervous

system thing that you do?

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It's so powerful.

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People love it.

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It's so like, it's just so

sweet, you know, so special.

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Gary Strauss: And I

think, you know, from Dr.

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Stone's viewpoint or even Dr.

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Upledger or the people that I admire

who generated this, they believe

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that people needed to have this.

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To live a good life, and I think my

life has been such a good life from

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having these kind of teachings And

this kind of work and then having

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that the natural thing is to just

want to share that and bring it You

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know, that's the organic pathway.

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Amanda lux: Yes, so true.

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Gary Strauss: So we're excited

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Amanda lux: To come play

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Gary Strauss: with you or with that

and you're lovely and beautiful

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Environment that you are that we see

in your picture that you are working

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on that I've heard about for so long

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Amanda lux: Yeah, many visions

coming into manifestation.

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The the dome is an exceptional space

to teach especially anything to

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do with craniosacral work the just

the resonance of the space It's so

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like our, a big skull, you know,

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Tracy Griffiths: exactly what I

was thinking will be in this, like,

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um, in the vault of the, , cranium

of will be in the lungs of.

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The forest and the trees and the air and

the breath of life and like there's so

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many metaphors we could go down the road

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Amanda lux: so many and we

have right outside the window.

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You look out and there's just water

very still water because we're

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in a an inlet here on the bay.

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It's ocean water, but

it's there's no waves.

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It's very cranial.

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It's just here so I don't

have to work so hard.

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It's like people arrive and

they're already like, ah, so

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cool, very conducive, yeah.

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I was, I was actually

had this, this vision

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There's a little bit of that life

reflection comes with birthdays.

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I think under percent . I always think

is curious asking especially people

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who I really respect and Have seen your

walk and I and I wonder what you might

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say or share about your own healers

journey And just how you've come to be

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here as this, you know, and when I say

healers journey what I really mean is in

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order to be showing up and sharing the

healing wisdom that you've been gathering

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and sharing all these years, you, you

go through your own journey, right?

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To get to that healing path.

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Gary Strauss: And I've

been thinking about it.

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Amanda lux: Yeah.

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Gary Strauss: Um, I

have been in reflection.

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I'm not always so much, but this time

I've been in a lot of reflection,

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partly because I'm just so happy and so

grateful with the way that I'm in the

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world and that we are in the world and

how we participate and we talk about it.

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We don't just talk about

it on our birthdays.

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I think we, uh, we, we have

dreamed our life into existence.

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It's come out of a dream, and we've

just worked on that dream, both

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of us, together and individually.

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And there's been a whole community of

people that have worked with that as well.

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It's been a collective experience.

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And I kind of pinched myself a little.

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How did I get here?

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Like, this is like the

coolest, I love this life.

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It's so cool.

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Oh my god.

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I wouldn't have chosen any other possible,

I mean, I'm sure I could have, but it's

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been such a blessing to choose this way.

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And I think it's just been consistently,

you know, trying to ask that question

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that you asked, like, what's true and

live in the truth of what comes up

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out of that question in the moment.

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So our expressions keep changing

and evolving, like this work

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that we're talking about.

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We're not, we didn't rest

somewhere in something.

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We kept being, you know, you,

I think you share this, we're

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creator beings, aren't we?

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We're, we're, it's our identity to be

creative and with what we care about.

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And so we've always just been

creative and imaginative.

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And then out of that, we've

worked on whatever came up.

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And we keep doing that book without

really a sense of where it's going.

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I mean, maybe some idea, but

it never goes wherever you

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think it's going to go anyway.

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And we don't do it because, oh,

we want to go to that place.

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We do it because it's a process of

life that honors, you know, your

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spirit and your soul in the moment.

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And, and I think that's the greatest,

if you can do that, we can all do

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that, but it's not the, it's not

exactly the normal orientation.

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So we've, uh, we've both

lived like that quite a bit.

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Like we just pursue what's in

the heart or what's connected

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to the soul and the spirit.

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And the more that we've worked on

that, the more manifestation we've had.

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In very unlikely ways.

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And that has been nourishing.

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That's still nourishing.

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And this feels like that with you, for me.

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To be in your, even when we

came and visited you, that

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felt like so lovely, so juicy.

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Just to be in your teachings.

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You and Kim, and what you guys

are doing, and the Hive, and the

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environment, and your family.

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It's like, all of this is

bigger than just a thing, to me.

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So we just keep engaging

and walk around and grab it.

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I'm like in the greatest

level of gratitude these days.

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It's profound.

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, and I love that.

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:

, but the answer, I think that I, I

tell this to the body workers, right?

356

:

Because, you know, once you

have something, then you

357

:

absolutely want to share it.

358

:

You find something that

touches you, you want to give.

359

:

That's the way it stays alive.

360

:

You find what touches

you, you give it away.

361

:

It's alive.

362

:

And I feel like this in what

we have done, and certainly

363

:

materially that you have the school.

364

:

That's alive that and so I tell

the like the newbies that are

365

:

coming in that I'm with who I

Adore, I love every one of them.

366

:

I would go walk with them in their lives

somewhere because they're just like these

367

:

You know, they're part of the tribe is

my, you know, whatever we want to say.

368

:

I tell them that what they need to do

is become just committed to what they

369

:

care about and pursue it because that's

a good thing at whatever level they can.

370

:

They don't have to be a monster.

371

:

Just like watering a little plant is okay.

372

:

If that's where your

spirit is, wherever it is.

373

:

And I think that's the most important

thing, nurturing, you know, your

374

:

own interpretation of what comes

out of your relationship with

375

:

your soul and your relationship

to source and life, your owner.

376

:

Does that answer that?

377

:

I don't even know if I did.

378

:

Amanda lux: I loved that answer.

379

:

It feels very nourishing to listen

to you talk about how you've

380

:

created your life through conscious.

381

:

Dreaming, but also without

necessarily an attachment to outcome.

382

:

, you've also just been willing to

co create and to be in the, in the

383

:

evolution of it from moment to moment.

384

:

And it's beautiful.

385

:

I love the, just giving it away, finding

what you love and giving it away.

386

:

Gary Strauss: I think

that's the greatest thing.

387

:

I don't know.

388

:

I love that a lot.

389

:

I mean, that's an old

indigenous idea as well.

390

:

I didn't come up with that.

391

:

I heard that, but then as I practiced

that, I just, yeah, that feels complete in

392

:

life, like the circle, the cycle of life.

393

:

It's not like we don't, obviously

you want to have a geodesic dome.

394

:

So you have a goal of that.

395

:

And how cool is that, that you have that?

396

:

Isn't it like, don't you feel

complete a little bit in that?

397

:

Amanda lux: In certain ways,

but it's also like beginnings.

398

:

You know, like completion is also

a beginning and, and so there's

399

:

a, a lot of building around this,

and they're also becoming like

400

:

things I wouldn't have expected.

401

:

Yeah.

402

:

Gary Strauss: And that's

also why we're coming.

403

:

I feel like I would go

anywhere just to do that.

404

:

Amanda lux: Yeah.

405

:

Along the way sometimes, or maybe even

initiating that adventure, , towards

406

:

our dreams, there are often obstacles or

challenges that, we have to move through,

407

:

forge us into who we are meant to become.

408

:

I'm curious if you have anything

that you would say to that.

409

:

But also you have such staying power, you

know, like you guys have just been going

410

:

you're in such a place of like, ha, a

full manifestation , from my perspective.

411

:

And so what it takes to keep it going,

but then along the way we also we there's

412

:

little moments when things contract

as we're expanding I don't know.

413

:

I've had moments in the last

few years where I'm like, I

414

:

just can't do this anymore.

415

:

I don't want to do this thing.

416

:

Oh, yeah.

417

:

Gary Strauss: Come on.

418

:

And then,

419

:

Amanda lux: and then I have to

move, and you're like, no, you do.

420

:

Come on.

421

:

And then it's just, that that

contraction is just making room for

422

:

some new iteration to come forward.

423

:

And I don't have a

specific question in there.

424

:

Just love to hear you talk.

425

:

Gary Strauss: my favorite subject.

426

:

You just asked me my favorite question.

427

:

Amanda lux: Mine too.

428

:

Gary Strauss: Well, you know, I

could write a book on this one.

429

:

I don't know.

430

:

I just Hear it really clearly.

431

:

, I think, you know, the generic thing is

anytime you set an intention in motion,

432

:

it brings about all the resistance in

the field of your body and your life.

433

:

That's in related to that intention.

434

:

It's organic, like wherever you

live, you're set up to live there.

435

:

And if you say, I want to live

over here, well, that's a space.

436

:

And between you and that space is a lot

of shit going on and you're going to

437

:

encounter it and you're going to have to

digest it to get where you want to go.

438

:

It's organic.

439

:

So the resistant places and the things

that are difficult are actually the

440

:

things that you need to do to get there.

441

:

You just don't know.

442

:

Cause if you feel like, oh, this

sucks, but all it requires is that

443

:

you deal with it and digest it.

444

:

It's not like.

445

:

You know, sometimes I say no, or sometimes

it's, I'm not doing this anymore.

446

:

That's part of it.

447

:

Knowing who you are and knowing

who you are and, and then who

448

:

you are as you engage life.

449

:

Are you in that, or are you in this?

450

:

Or are you in that?

451

:

Like making those choices have been

the most powerful choices in my life

452

:

to find myself in what's real and true,

not the idea of what's real and true.

453

:

To do that, you have

to try a lot of stuff.

454

:

And you have to be willing to get it

wrong, or you have to be willing to

455

:

go, Wow, I don't want to be in here.

456

:

This isn't my, I don't like these shoes.

457

:

They don't feel right.

458

:

And if you do that enough, you end up

finding what you do love and who you are.

459

:

And then when you nurture that, That

stuff just opens up and, because your

460

:

spirit's in those places in a big way.

461

:

And that stuff opens up and

brings back a beautiful garden.

462

:

I often say, you know, it's about what

kind of garden you want to live in.

463

:

And those are the things

you end up nurturing.

464

:

But it's hard, and you, I get

to those same places, you know,

465

:

you know what the illusion is?

466

:

That's, it's just easy for somebody.

467

:

Somebody's just so, oh

how do they do that?

468

:

We work.

469

:

We are worker bees.

470

:

We're working for the queen right now.

471

:

We love working for you, though.

472

:

We love working for things that

are in alignment with the spirit

473

:

of the things that we care about.

474

:

And we, I was telling Tracy this

morning, she looked at me weird.

475

:

I said, I would do that for free.

476

:

I it's not about getting paid.

477

:

I don't even care about

getting paid a little bit.

478

:

I mean, I do a little, but

not as not that much anymore.

479

:

And we do it because of the,

that it's, we need to go do it.

480

:

If you just talk to her about all the

things she does and where she goes.

481

:

She does the same thing, and to be

a couple like that, oh my god, we

482

:

inspire and we have the same kind

of frequency with each other, and

483

:

that really helps a lot, that helps.

484

:

We help each other profoundly, don't we?

485

:

What do you think about that, and all

the difficulties or whatever it is?

486

:

Tracy Griffiths: Yeah, what do

you think about that, Tracy?

487

:

Yeah, what do you think?

488

:

What do you think?

489

:

I'll go back to the

thought I was thinking.

490

:

Gary Strauss: Yeah.

491

:

Okay.

492

:

Tracy Griffiths: And that goes

back to what you just said.

493

:

It's like, we, we love what

we do and opportunities come

494

:

and we wonder, they want this.

495

:

And it's like, well, we'd love it.

496

:

Yes.

497

:

And then we don't really care because

we're just doing what we love and it.

498

:

It blossoms from that place and there's

a sense of consistency that we've had.

499

:

We've both been really consistent in the

threading of like, what we're here to do

500

:

is just like, what did I, what did I get

thrown into a lot of Virgo stuff, a lot

501

:

of service, a lot of like health stuff.

502

:

That's my thumbprint.

503

:

And I get to do it in a way that's super

creative and fun and joyful in my way

504

:

we've been blessed to be entrepreneurs

and like, what does that mean?

505

:

It's like creatively making a way

in the world that your soul loves.

506

:

And I see you do that over and

over and over again and all the

507

:

tendrils of experiences that

you go towards for your arts.

508

:

And for your dreams and for your dreams,

and that's just like, why not, you

509

:

know, people who are going through,

I have a job, it's not my dream,

510

:

this sucks, like, we don't have that.

511

:

We're living in a creative threading of

life, like we got to, we get to do this.

512

:

Gary Strauss: We love what we do.

513

:

And you know what, when it's hard or we

have to do things that we don't love, I

514

:

did this a long time ago, I decided to

love the things that I don't love to do

515

:

on behalf of the things that I do love.

516

:

Amanda lux: So I tried

517

:

Gary Strauss: to get better at

those gnarly things, and I got

518

:

really good at the hard things.

519

:

They feel way easier piece of cake.

520

:

I can do things that other, I don't

know any people who can do a lot

521

:

of the things that I can do because

I've really met the challenge.

522

:

Tracy Griffiths: Can you thrive in that?

523

:

Gary Strauss: I do thrive.

524

:

Tracy Griffiths: Like, I don't think I'll

ever really retire, but I don't think

525

:

I'll ever really retire, retire totally.

526

:

Like the way Gary's hooked up

is like, he's always doing this.

527

:

Like he's got to express his.

528

:

Heart through this framework,

and he's a chatty Cathy

529

:

Gary Strauss: You know,

530

:

Tracy Griffiths: and we love the

Leo or shine in the Sun on the

531

:

Leo, you know, it's like so perfect

You got some Leo cancer though.

532

:

Yeah.

533

:

Yeah.

534

:

Yeah,

535

:

Amanda lux: Leo.

536

:

Tracy Griffiths: Okay.

537

:

Yeah

538

:

Amanda lux: And Leo rising.

539

:

Yeah,

540

:

Tracy Griffiths: there we go.

541

:

So

542

:

Amanda lux: maybe that could be a

543

:

Tracy Griffiths: message for everyone,

like shine your sun or shine your sun on

544

:

the places where, of what you really love

545

:

and it will come back.

546

:

Amanda lux: I love to the, the idea

that if you can just love, even love

547

:

the hard parts in service of the things

that you are easy to love, right?

548

:

I mean, we're following our passion,

we're following our heart, we're

549

:

showing up and, and being creative.

550

:

And starting new things but there's also

all these hard things to show up for

551

:

along the way to make those things happen.

552

:

And if we can learn to love those things,

that, I just, that really spoke to me.

553

:

Gary Strauss: And, well, the idea that

that wouldn't be our life is corrupt.

554

:

So, you know, you don't have

to like something to love it.

555

:

Tracy Griffiths: We don't always

love the challenges, and that's

556

:

why we have each other, and

Community to say, Hey, you got this.

557

:

I've been there.

558

:

Oh yeah.

559

:

I hate this.

560

:

I hated it when I went through this,

it was the hardest thing I went

561

:

through and it taught me a lot.

562

:

And, and I get to bring those

like challenges to teaching,

563

:

.

Whoever I'm in front of and I hear something and I'll be like, this is

564

:

going to be really good down the road.

565

:

But right now you don't see it.

566

:

It's hard.

567

:

It's not going to be the

1st time it ever happens.

568

:

You're getting a good 1 here.

569

:

And 1 of my teachers would say,

like, their growth periods.

570

:

And when we have people in our lives

that we can like lean into when we're

571

:

having those moments, or like, can

you just hold me up for a minute here?

572

:

I'm having a hard time.

573

:

Yeah, that's when people

come for sessions.

574

:

So we have a community of practitioners

that help us along the way.

575

:

And that's one thing I want to just

celebrate with Gary it's like there's

576

:

so many seeds and Gary's really good at

tending to the field of the people he's,

577

:

, taught and supported and now they're

their own, trees in their own right.

578

:

And it's been a long time, you know,

we've been doing this a long time

579

:

Amanda lux: is there anything that

you, how old are you gary, how

580

:

old are you turning right now?

581

:

Gary Strauss: 68.

582

:

At 68.

583

:

Amanda lux: That's cool.

584

:

I just, I just turned 48.

585

:

Gary Strauss: There you go.

586

:

Amanda lux: I wonder, what would

your 68 year old self say to your

587

:

younger self at any point of your

younger self, maybe a younger self

588

:

that was meeting the resistance of the

field and was going, what the heck?

589

:

Gary Strauss: There was something

that I didn't know that I wish I knew.

590

:

There's one thing, there really

is, there's one thing that I wish

591

:

I had known earlier in my life.

592

:

It's part of my, you know, fabric , and

you, you hear people say this, but if

593

:

you can find this as an embodiment,

the world becomes a different place.

594

:

So for me, I wish that somebody

told me early on not to stop in the

595

:

pursuit of whatever I was after.

596

:

To go to the limit, to, and I do

that, I've been doing that in the

597

:

last 20 years or so, literally.

598

:

To pursue things to their

completion, to the end.

599

:

And I pursue things to the end

just to know what they are.

600

:

It's not even like I'm trying to get

some, you know, like I, it's the process

601

:

of life that I love the most and taking

my process to completion with the

602

:

things that I care about the most and

absolutely not letting anybody or any

603

:

institution or anything get in the way.

604

:

of that, not letting any of the other

things that are outside of me, stop me.

605

:

And I would have told my younger

self, totally go for it as you see it.

606

:

And whatever gets in your

way, don't worry about it.

607

:

Just keep doing it.

608

:

Because I found the more I stayed

in pursuit and, you know, endured

609

:

and had longevity, all of my

visionary intent became manifest.

610

:

It became manifest in ways, I

think, that are the ways that

611

:

they were supposed to be manifest.

612

:

And I did, I had things going like, you

know, when I, we started teaching, this

613

:

is an example, we started teaching online.

614

:

I had friends and colleagues

say, why are you doing that?

615

:

That was like 20 years ago, we

were teaching online and people

616

:

are saying, why would you do that?

617

:

I have this really good friend who's a,

um, she's an ecological entrepreneur.

618

:

Who doesn't have like

a phone or a computer.

619

:

And she would say, why

do you want to be online?

620

:

And my, my story really was,

cause I felt like it was.

621

:

Relevant and vital.

622

:

And that thing became such a big thing

that has touched so many people in our

623

:

lives and helped us be connected and

related to people all over the world.

624

:

And that's priceless.

625

:

And if I listened to all those

people who said, or I had people

626

:

when I was moving to where I live,

they said, you shouldn't move there.

627

:

That's so far away.

628

:

Your business won't work up there.

629

:

And I went, okay, you know, so that

idea that you, you certainly have to

630

:

figure out what you know, that's true

for yourself and that's in your heart.

631

:

That's not obvious.

632

:

It seems like it is, but it

isn't until you live it, until

633

:

you're in the embodiment of it.

634

:

But you have to be committed enough

to live inside something to know if

635

:

your soul or your spirit lives there.

636

:

And on behalf of that, I would do

anything to have that experience, to be

637

:

in the realization of what I'm dreaming.

638

:

To find, find how much

of myself is in there.

639

:

And to not get stopped by anything.

640

:

Amanda lux: Wow, I love that.

641

:

Yeah.

642

:

Gary Strauss: A lot of the time,

I think you know this already.

643

:

, cause I've watched you do this.

644

:

But we don't know how much

resource there is available to us.

645

:

And if you back up, that

resource won't, you won't get it.

646

:

And if you go forward with the purpose of

it, you're gonna get resource showing up.

647

:

So much of what I've done, I didn't

have anything to be able to do it.

648

:

Amanda lux: Yeah, I can 100

percent relate with that.

649

:

Gary Strauss: I know you do.

650

:

I watched you do it.

651

:

Amanda lux: I'm like, where would the

resource have ever, it just, it comes.

652

:

It's completely miraculous.

653

:

You have the vision, you stay the course,

you keep holding the vision, and suddenly

654

:

the resource comes for the vision.

655

:

Tracy Griffiths: You tell everybody

what you're up to, and then they

656

:

show up, and they're like, how can

I, it's like, love you so much,

657

:

how can I support you to do that?

658

:

Your dream team shows up.

659

:

Amanda lux: Well, I just,

660

:

Gary Strauss: like, I just believe that,

like, whatever you care about, if you're

661

:

engaged in that, it's a good life.

662

:

I don't care what it is.

663

:

So, what can you do today?

664

:

A little bit, you know?

665

:

Amanda lux: I love that.

666

:

That, this reminds me of the, uh,

quote that I learned from Tracy.

667

:

Probably in 2003,

668

:

you'll you know this quote because

you taught me this quote and I put

669

:

it on my refrigerator and I read it

10 million gajillion trillion times.

670

:

Today is a day of completion.

671

:

I give thanks for this perfect day.

672

:

Miracle shall follow miracle

and wonder shall never cease.

673

:

Thank you,

674

:

Tracy Griffiths: Florence.

675

:

Florence Scovel Shin, the

game of life and how to play.

676

:

Amanda lux: Florence.

677

:

Tracy Griffiths: Thank you.

678

:

Gary Strauss: I love that.

679

:

Who doesn't

680

:

Tracy Griffiths: need that?

681

:

Amanda lux: Yes, I need that.

682

:

I need that a lot.

683

:

I need like, that's why I had it on

my refrigerator for so many years.

684

:

. I need to reread those things and re I

need to hear you say those things, Gary.

685

:

Like, stay with it.

686

:

Let it be realized.

687

:

Let it be shared and let it be supported

and it's hard and it can get really

688

:

laborious at times and in the moments that

you're doing the parts that you really

689

:

don't like you have to learn to love

those parts and just keep doing the thing

690

:

and then you'll just live in wonderment

of your amazing life and just be in like

691

:

blissed out gratitude when you get to be

maybe not every day or maybe every day.

692

:

Is there anything you would add to that?

693

:

What's your?

694

:

What you would tell your younger self

695

:

Tracy Griffiths: to value your gifts.

696

:

Everyone needs everyone's gifts.

697

:

Find a way to keep

honoring your own gifts.

698

:

We're all precious.

699

:

We all have precious gifts to share.

700

:

Amanda lux: That's beautiful.

701

:

I love that honoring your own

gifts and valuing your own gifts.

702

:

Yeah.

703

:

Tracy Griffiths: And that's

what makes the world go around.

704

:

Everybody's gifts, collaborating and

sharing, learning from each other.

705

:

Gary Strauss: How about

706

:

Tracy Griffiths: you?

707

:

What would you say, Queen Bee?

708

:

Gary Strauss: Because you're

pretty damn good, I think.

709

:

Amanda lux: Let's see.

710

:

What would I say?

711

:

What's the one thing?

712

:

I could surrender a little more.

713

:

I might give myself that advice.

714

:

Thank you.

715

:

Like, it's gonna be alright, man.

716

:

That.

717

:

Okay.

718

:

Chill out a little bit.

719

:

I almost said

720

:

Gary Strauss: that to you.

721

:

But I didn't want to because I

want you to find that yourself.

722

:

Amanda lux: Yeah, that's kind of

one of those things that nobody else

723

:

can tell you, you know, if you're

in a moment and and everyone's

724

:

like, chill out, it'll be fine.

725

:

You're not gonna feel like that's true.

726

:

You can't hear it.

727

:

You know, that's why I

would give it to him.

728

:

I would gift that knowing to my any point

in my younger years, or even yesterday,

729

:

I would say, Hey, it's gonna be all

right, just surrender it, trust it.

730

:

It's cool.

731

:

It's gonna work out

whatever it's gonna be.

732

:

It's going to be, you

can't push the river.

733

:

It

734

:

Tracy Griffiths: sounds like an

autonomic nervous system solution.

735

:

There we go.

736

:

Amanda lux: Yeah.

737

:

And go get more sessions.

738

:

Gary Strauss: Just go

739

:

Tracy Griffiths: get a

740

:

Amanda lux: session, chill out.

741

:

That'd be great.

742

:

Wow.

743

:

Yeah, yeah.

744

:

So I feel we're, we're

wrapping in to the moment.

745

:

Is there any last thing that you

guys want to say or feel like in

746

:

your heart you want to just put out

into the ethers of the field here?

747

:

,

Gary Strauss: I've said how much gratitude there is a lot of gratitude in the moment.

748

:

Amanda lux: Yeah.

749

:

Gary Strauss: That's like my, I

just feel it in the field so much.

750

:

I do think that this moment in time

that we are in is an incredible moment.

751

:

It may not be obvious because of,

you know, whatever you're tuning to,

752

:

but from my channel, from being on

the earth with all that we're engaged

753

:

in and what we do, and, you know,

754

:

Done this a long time.

755

:

I feel like I feel the energy of

the moment between heaven and Earth,

756

:

and I think that we are living

in a moment of possibility like

757

:

we have not experienced before.

758

:

And possibility is probably my greatest

attunement to life, and it really is,

759

:

with all the things we've gone through,

it really is a movement for people to

760

:

come back to themselves and to come

back to what's important to them and

761

:

to live on purpose, whatever that is.

762

:

And so I would just, you know, I

want to tell everybody all the time,

763

:

like whatever's important to you,

just like to find a way to honor,

764

:

this is that time, such a great

moment, like things become realized.

765

:

And for a lot of our people that's been

happening for our teachers and just like

766

:

realization of what they're working for

that might've taken a much longer time

767

:

in the past are happening immediately.

768

:

And I think this is that kind

of time of great opening.

769

:

Please don't.

770

:

Get lost in the world a little bit.

771

:

It's good to be related to the world.

772

:

But live in your own dream space

out of that Really question be in

773

:

the engagement of what's important.

774

:

I think this is that time.

775

:

That's what I hope the elders said about

this time I'm living in that prophecy

776

:

that they spoke about that This is

the time for us to be true and and I

777

:

think that's the most important thing.

778

:

Amanda lux: it's easy to get distracted

or overwhelmed or to feel, uh, like

779

:

what's the point or how or, you know,

especially when we're trying to dream

780

:

into big things or things that feel

tender and really true and vulnerable.

781

:

Um, in, at any stage of our lives,

whether we're just starting our

782

:

practitionership or considering it,

or, or whether we've been down the

783

:

road and we're in new iterations and,

or no matter what we're doing, we

784

:

want to change careers or, or just get

by in the world, in the crazy world.

785

:

But when we tune to the things that

are really true and deep and meaningful.

786

:

We tune to our dream, and also

when we can't get there, when we

787

:

surround ourselves with the resource

of others who can resonate with

788

:

that, and get into that frequency,

that's that beauty of community.

789

:

And that's what I get over and over

again from being related to you guys.

790

:

Thank you.

791

:

Deeply from the bottom of my heart because

it's the dreaming can get thick, you know,

792

:

sometimes and when I just return to the

frequency that you guys hold and broadcast

793

:

and share so generously with your

students, with the world, with whomever

794

:

reaches out to you in whatever way

that it's so helpful and so supportive.

795

:

So I really appreciate you.

796

:

Thank you for, for doing that, holding

that not only for yourselves and

797

:

your dreams, but for all all of us.

798

:

I have one more request

before we close this down.

799

:

One more quick, um, request is, how do

you describe who you are and what you do?

800

:

Just context.

801

:

Who are you guys?

802

:

What do you do?

803

:

Gary Strauss: You wanna say what you do?

804

:

Tracy Griffiths: I'm an instructor

and a, a leader of, energy medicine

805

:

and experiences that help people

have resource to feel better.

806

:

I help people feel better with different

tools and, a lot of it's hands on and

807

:

a lot of it is instruction through

different movements that get people to

808

:

unwind their nervous systems and drop in.

809

:

To a deep, deep place

of relaxation and peace.

810

:

I teach people how to use essential

oils in this, in this practice of

811

:

trauma release or tension release

exercise, cranial sacral polarity

812

:

therapy, , hands on body work, coaching.

813

:

Um, I work with all kinds of people.

814

:

I work with teens and young adults

at a behavioral health center.

815

:

, I work with the elderly and

palliative care, , clients.

816

:

I work with healthcare practitioners who

are looking to not be so burnt out and

817

:

have more resource so they can give more.

818

:

So I wear a lot of different hats, but

basically, um, I'm a muse for people

819

:

to, , find their happiness and their

joy and their peace and their wellness.

820

:

Amanda lux: And Anything

else you want to say

821

:

Gary Strauss: Well, I used to, um, I

don't, I'm very fortunate that I don't

822

:

really tell people very much what I do.

823

:

Because, kind of, people just come.

824

:

And so, and maybe I have

enough, I've done enough,

825

:

so I don't really talk about it that much.

826

:

Um, when I do, sometimes,

people say, what do you do?

827

:

My first thing, I usually say voodoo.

828

:

Amanda lux: Voodoo, is that what you said?

829

:

Voodoo.

830

:

Gary Strauss: And I like to say that

because it kind of like, it's, you

831

:

know, like when you meet somebody

and you say, what do you do?

832

:

It has like this, there's

something to wrote about.

833

:

And if I say voodoo, which

depending upon where you go,

834

:

voodoo has a certain meaning.

835

:

So I'm not really, I'm not, I say

voodoo sometimes and then people

836

:

laugh and they say voodoo, you know.

837

:

And I like to get that to open up, um, in

my life at some point, I thought I'm here.

838

:

I'm here to wake people up.

839

:

I thought that and I think if you look

at it, people are waking up like through

840

:

this craniosacral polarity energy medicine

based body work and all that that entails,

841

:

like, because it's not just just just

Obviously bodywork, but at the core of

842

:

it is this bodywork practice to me That's

my sadhana like touching and working with

843

:

the systems of the body and the dimensions

of the soul That's what I do that would

844

:

be the best clinical definition of and

that does help people I'm a helper.

845

:

I tell people that i'm a helper and I came

here to help and add value and whatever

846

:

someone's going through Doesn't matter.

847

:

I don't care who my client is or

what they have You I'm going to

848

:

hold a space to try and help them.

849

:

And sometimes I say, I'm

just here to hold space.

850

:

That's a deep thing of it as well, because

it's, it's nature that does the work.

851

:

So from my perspective, even though I

could be really mechanical about it,

852

:

it's, it's about people's nature in

essence, and the nature of the earth,

853

:

all the planets and our relations.

854

:

I say things like that.

855

:

Tracy Griffiths: We were at a

car dealership like 20 years ago,

856

:

and they say, what do you do?

857

:

And Gary's response was I help

people remember what's important

858

:

He got it that was really cool

859

:

Amanda lux: That's perfect.

860

:

Thank you.

861

:

Thank you guys so much.

862

:

It was so good to be with you.

863

:

Oh my God.

864

:

I'm so excited to be with you

in person here in this space.

865

:

Happy birthday.

866

:

I hope you go and celebrate

and have party and

867

:

have a good time.

868

:

Gary Strauss: Thank you.

869

:

And we will, we're going to

celebrate my birthday when we

870

:

come because I do it for a month.

871

:

Amanda lux: Yeah.

872

:

So it's still your birthday.

873

:

There we go.

874

:

We'll celebrate together.

875

:

Tracy Griffiths: Thank you for having

876

:

Gary Strauss: me.

877

:

Tracy Griffiths: Yay.

878

:

Amanda lux: Wonderful.

879

:

It was so fun.

880

:

Thanks you guys so much.

881

:

You're welcome.

882

:

Thank you so much for listening

to this episode of A Lone

883

:

Traveler's Guide to the Divine.

884

:

Please make sure to check out

Gary Strauss and Tracy Griffiths

885

:

at the lifeenergyinstitute.

886

:

or lei.

887

:

org or go to elevationhive.

888

:

com to learn more about my classes and

programs in polarity therapy, craniosacral

889

:

therapy, and our ongoing dream circles and

other work related to that, to DreamWorks,

890

:

so please check us out, and thank you,

thank you, thank you, it is such an

891

:

honor to be in sacred community with you.

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About the Podcast

A Lone Traveler's Guide to the Divine
For explorers of DreamWork and Energy Medicine
Welcome dreamers, healers, empaths, seekers, and anyone interested in exploring what it means to be a soul on your journey, in these times.

This podcast is a place to come home to in the sanctuary of the great mystery, where the subtler things in life are seen and listened to, where healing is possible through the sharing of poetry, dreams, teachings, interviews and inspiration. This is a place to feel held in sacred community.

Because it can be lonely AF traversing the multiverse, evolving, awakening, harnessing the potency of our dreams, exploring the tools and techniques of energy medicine.

And it takes tremendous courage to tune-in stead of tune-out, to be a light bearer who faces the shadow through conscious exploration, daring to activate our highest potential.

But it is the kind of work that is worth doing. And it is so much more fun, interesting, profound and entertaining when we do it together!

Hosted by Amanda Lux; artist, mother, author, registered polarity educator and founder of the Elevation Hive School and Community for Energy Medicine and DreamWork.

Tune in every new and full moon for meditations, energy balancing and embodiment practices based in Polarity Therapy, dream sharing and fascinating conversations about what it means to live awake in this dream called life.

Free courses and community are waiting for you at ElevationHive.com
Support This Show

About your host

Profile picture for Amanda Lux

Amanda Lux

I am an artist, author, mother, educator and creator of the Elevation Hive School of Energy Medicine and DreamWork. My greatest desire is to be in conscious community with like-minded individuals who are dedicated to personal growth and evolving themselves in service of the collective.

I also love quality coffee, Ashtanga yoga, traveling the cosmos and introverting with my small but mighty dog, Miss Riley Rose.

If you enjoy this podcast you should head over to elevationhive.com and check out our private community membership where we have a dream sharing forum and free classes galore. I read and personally respond to every dream shared because, well, that's probably my biggest passion!