Motherhood & Spirituality Episode 23: Julissa Edwards

[00:00:00] Jeannette: Peace and innumerable blessings and welcome. Welcome. Welcome to the spirituality and motherhood podcast, where we reside in that sacred space where spirituality meets motherhood in this space we explore everything from how ancestral and earth based spiritual paths and practices, shape motherhood to how having spiritual gifts impacts your experiences as a mother. 

[00:00:25] My name is Jeanette Jackson. Haha! I'm your hostess.. I'm the mother of two boys a hoodoo, a psychic, a tree talker and a lay herbalist. Thank you so much for being here. Your presence is a blessing and I'm grateful and glad that you made it. Let's dig on into this episode. Okay. So show notes. I have a sinus infection, so please, excuse 

[00:00:50] however, this sounds, it sounds really crazy in my head. And no matter how many times I record it, it's going to sound crazy. So hope it doesn't sound too crazy or annoying to you. So please forgive me if it's a little extra juicy, I'm doing the best I can. This episode, we are chatting with amazing Julissa Edwards who blend spirituality and science as a consciousness healer, mender of mind and soul and mother 

[00:01:18] to the magical baby Marcus. You can find her over on Instagram at Julissa, J U L I S S A dot Edwards, E D WA R D S underscore counseling, C O U N S E L I N G. All this. It's up in the show notes, but I just like to be, you know, just in case you want to Google it. Cause you know, that's how I do. I be typing. 

[00:01:46] I be typing and listening. You can also check out her link tree, which you can find that L I N K T R dot E E backslash Julissa Edwards again, J U L I S S a Edwards E D WA R D S altogether. Julissa hosts a conscious motherhood circle. You might want to check out because if you're one of those mothers who are in the midst of a spiritual awakening, you need some emotional support. 

[00:02:19] You want your back rubbed. You want to be in community with like-minded mamas. She holds a three month conscious motherhood circle. You might want to check out. You can find that in her, in the link tree and also, you know, follow her on Instagram because she she's real, she gets real actionable solutions to problems that you might be facing at least problems that I'm facing as a mother or situations 

[00:02:46] I find myself challenged by. I find, I find, um, her work on Instagram to be very comforting and soothing and relatable. What touched me most about our conversation was the presence of love. Love is always present in the conversations that I, I am blessed to have with other mothers, but the way Julissa talked about how, how she loved herself and then baby Marcus taught her to love herself even more deeply. 

[00:03:17] Taught her to kind of like love through places that, you know, she was challenged in the ways that she was challenged to love herself. It was so beautiful to hear a mom talk about how like loving her son helped her love herself, and then just brought her to a place where she could love those around her 

[00:03:37] even more, just kind of expanded the circle of love. It just, it really touched my heart. It was also really inspiring for me to hear about how her scientific background brought her into spirituality. And it reminded me that spirit is always present in everything that we do seeking a closer relationship. And all we have to do is like keep walking whatever path that we are in, in stay open. 

[00:04:05] So I pray that you enjoy this interview and it blesses you as much as it blessed me after the interview, I am going to answer a question that was sent. I mentioned it in the last podcast, but this sinus infection has floored me and I have not been able to be productive like I like, so on the back end of this interview 

[00:04:29] I'm gonna go ahead and answer that question. All right. Stay blessed. I can't wait to see you on the other end peace.  

[00:04:34]  
 

[00:04:42] Jeannette: It's like, I get excited and I ask all these questions and I'm like, oh recording's not on, but I missed so many things. So thank you for being willing to talk and to share.  

[00:04:56] Julissa: Absolutely. Thank you for having me  

[00:04:59] Jeannette: Yeah , let's start off swinging. 

[00:05:02] So Julissa, right? Yeah. Julissa Julissa. Julissa yeah why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself, your offerings and your gifts and all sorts of stuff  

[00:05:14] Julissa: yeah, so a little bit about me. So I am a licensed psychotherapist, a mindset coach and a spiritual healer. My beginnings of, the healer realm began, um, as my time, you know, being a licensed psychotherapist, I began being very, and I still like, love it and respect it. 

[00:05:37] Um, very like Western world scientific. These are the facts of how the brain works, how the body works, all very important things to know. Um, and then in my journey of helping, uh, so many people like families, one-to-one, couples, like just, you know, my experience of working in the psychotherapy field. Um, I found out that I was like, Really good at helping people find themselves. 

[00:06:06] Um, and more so than just what I learned in school. Right. Um, it was actually kind of funny. I, I actually initially doubted my gifts as a healer, um, because I would have great results. I would have wonderful results in my, in my counseling sessions. And I would have older peers, colleagues asked me, like, what did you do? 

[00:06:29] And I would be like rummaging through like literally like textbooks and trying to find like evidence-based data that like what I did work because of this. And I was blessed to, it was like maybe my fourth or fifth year of counseling. I had a beautiful supervisor who was very spiritual. And, um, she definitely led me into thinking about things a different way. 

[00:06:53] And I was finally honest with her and I told her that. Hey, like a lot of the times I just push it out of my ass and it works. 

[00:07:07] And I was like, I feel like a fraud coming into these meetings. Everyone's so well-established, they've been working for so long and they have all these professional, you know, um, ideologies and psychobabble jargon that we all learned in school that I understood, but it wasn't my language. And so she gave me ease. 

[00:07:28] Her name is Shawna, and I still keep in touch with her. She gave me ease and peace of mind because she was like, you just have a gift and you don't have to be, um, nervous or feel less than because of that. Yeah. So that, that was maybe in like 2018. And that kind of started my journey of like, I don't, maybe I don't always have to rely on textbook material. 

[00:07:52] Jeannette: Hmm.  
 

[00:07:54] Julissa: Yeah. And then from there so many things happen, you know, I, I evolved, uh, greater as a therapist, as a healer. And now I think I can like proudly say I'm a retired therapist.  

[00:08:06] Jeannette: Wow.  
 

[00:08:08] Julissa: Yeah. Yeah. I still heal. I still use all the, you know, ideologies and teachings from my, from all my years of clinical practice. 

[00:08:16] You know, it's given me a plethora of knowledge on people, um, and helping me help people. I know a lot about the mind, anxiety, depression, all the things, but, and when I help people go throughout their dark stages or whatever it is that they're going through, it's really just a heart to heart connection. 

[00:08:34] And that's it, you know? And, um, I don't know. I feel that I'm a really good. I, I can hear people very well. I can sense things that are happening in their personal lives without them even telling me. And as long as I can gain their rapport and their trust, it's almost like the silent contract, you know, when working with somebody, um, if I can get them to, you know, love and accept me as I love and accept them, it's like the doors are open and I'm just, um, through them able to see all that's been holding them back for so many years. 

[00:09:09] Yeah, it was kind of a little bit of what I do.  

[00:09:12] Jeannette: Wow. So that really translates into a lot of what I see you do on Instagram, in the sense of, um, having children reflect where we need to be loved and how we need to be loved and, and our spaces that we need our own healing.  

[00:09:29] Julissa: Yeah.  

[00:09:32] Jeannette: It's interesting to me to hear you say that you got to a space where you were more comfortable with just having the gift.  

[00:09:38] Julissa: Yeah. And that's fairly new. What we're in 2022. I think um creating an online business, also helped me, um, greatly I had, um, A lot of business mentors who were also in the spiritual healing realm. 

[00:09:54] And I just learned so much and it's almost like I, you know, I pick them to be my coaches, but they kind of picked me. Right. Because I chose them for a reason. You know, it was funny because when I, when I chose them, I was just very. I didn't know all the things Shawna helped me realize that I have great intuition. 

[00:10:13] And that's like, at that point, that was like, all I knew, it was like, oh, I just have really good intuition period. I didn't know anything about like other psychic abilities or gifts, nothing of that world- third eye I know nothing of that. Nothing of Eastern psychology. And, um, beginning of my online entrepreneurship, I saw so many other healers, wonderful, powerful healers who never went to school for it. 

[00:10:37] And initially I was like, wait, you know, the ego comes in. It's like, wait, hold on. I have my Masters. I have all these things like how come you're able to do such great work. And then it was really just a mirror for me, um, to learn like, Hey, this was great. This was this path that brought you here. And to have your credentials is important, you know, in certain, certain avenues and aspects, but it's not everything. 

[00:11:01] Yeah. And so, yeah, I think the online space just really introduced me to so many beautiful healers that I now like colleagues. And I've worked with some of them as, as, as a client of theirs. Um, I've learned so much from people that didn't study psychology.  

[00:11:19] Jeannette: Life is just kind of funny that way.  

[00:11:23] Julissa: Yeah.  

[00:11:24] Jeannette: I've heard a lot of people say that, you know, running an online business is definitely spiritual work. Speak a little to that.  

[00:11:32] Julissa: Oh my God. Yes. Um, yeah. So for me, anything, I always say anything in life is always going to be a grand reflection of where you are in your healing journey periods.  

[00:11:44] Jeannette: Yes.  
 

[00:11:44] Julissa: Right? Let's say motherhood, let's say a new relationship moving into a new home, like a new job, whatever it is. 

[00:11:51] It's going to show you where you are in your healing journey. Um, entrepreneurship is. You're a creator right? You create things out of thin air and they're wonderful, beautiful services, programs, whatever it is that you're selling. Right. But understand like, just like, like how we birth babies. We are birthing out these. 

[00:12:13] Programs, right? Um, no one is telling you like, that's right. Good job. Like there's no like ladder of leadership telling you, like, yes, that's going to work. It's just you. Right. And so it takes. So much inner work, um, self confidence, self love to continue to go and share your message, your art with the world. 

[00:12:39] Hoping that they'll like it. 

[00:12:42] Yes. Yeah.  

[00:12:45] Jeannette: Yeah.  

[00:12:46] So how has goodness, how has your willingness to kind of. Expand beyond, I guess like it's interesting. Cause like energetically, I see like the sort of foundation of books and almost like you flying above it and blossoming above it. I want to ask how that's helped you in terms of hood. 

[00:13:04] Julissa: Uh, that's a great question. Um, I love that picture by the way, love that picture. Like how you describe your like, foundation of books and then like me floating on top of it. I like if that's okay with you, I might try to take that.  

[00:13:16] Jeannette: No, have fun, have fun. We're sharing here. Have fun.  

[00:13:21] Julissa: Yeah. Yes. I love that picture, but how has that helped me in motherhood? 

[00:13:27] Um, to not be rigid? To, to trust more on my intuition to trust that, um, I have so much ancient wisdom within my heart. And so my baby, well, we're going to get into that, but Marc, my baby Marcus, he has like completely transformed my life. Of course, just yes. Becoming a first time mom, but also in the spiritual world. 

[00:13:56] Um, He is, he just, he just flipped my world upside down. And so to go back to the original question, the less rigid, less having to rely on science, which is good in certain households. Right. But not for me, not having to that be the, say all, be all. And just learning to trust me and my in my mother, you know, my intuition as a mother to know what to do next, you know, with Marcus and battles here and there and just trusting the process. 

[00:14:28] Um, it's, it's given me more peace of mind in ease. I'll say that.  

[00:14:34] Jeannette: Oh my God. I love that for you.  

[00:14:36] Julissa: Thank you.  

[00:14:37] Jeannette: Being able to mother and ease and peace of mind and remaining connected no matter what's coming up. Yes, such a blessing  

[00:14:48] Julissa: very much so.  

[00:14:49] Jeannette: So how is Marcus supported the emergence and the continued growth of your spiritual gifts? 

[00:14:56] Julissa: Yeah, so, okay. So we're saying year 2018. I was, you know, learning more than my intuition was always right. Like in sessions, let's just say like, I would, we would be talking and this client would have re we have this hard time breaking through. And then like, I would have something tell me inner knowing of like, Hey, ask about their uncle or ask about their father what's what's happening there. 

[00:15:17] And, you know, lo and behold, something traumatic was there that was explaining everything that was happening. Right. So little things like that began. Um, so claircognizance right. Just the act of looking at, but at that time, I didn't know what that was. And I just thought, like, I'm lucky I ask the right questions at the right time. 

[00:15:34] Um, and then, you know, once Marcus was born, Wow. So as we're talking right now, there is an Eagle outside of my window.  

[00:15:44] Jeannette: Oh my God.  

[00:15:45] Julissa: And I just had a Reiki session yesterday telling me there. There's great symbolism in the Eagle for me right now, but we'll get into that a little bit later. Um, quite some confirmation there. 

[00:15:57] Um, but okay. What was I saying? 

[00:16:04] Jeannette: I was about to go with the Eagle with you. Cause I love Eagles and I haven't seen a lot of Eagles here. I've seen Hawks, which is interesting because what I lived in DC, I would always see Hawks, like Hawks would sometimes just cry until I looked at them and then they would look at me and then fly out and I'm like, okay, the staring contest. 

[00:16:22] All right. Okay. Reiki. Eagle Marcus  

[00:16:26] Julissa: Marcus development. My gifts, yes. Yes. 

[00:16:34] I'm clear cognizant. So I think that, um, I w if I had to put it on like a scale, let's just say of the feeling that you get when you just hear or message, or just feel the message. Um, maybe before it was like a four or five out of 10, she was saying, and Post Marcus's birth it would feel like this roaring sound, um, like something was like positively, but like yelling at me like this is the message. 

[00:17:02] Like, there is no doubt about it. This is clearly a download from your spirit guides. Like don't doubt this, follow this. And so that's like a 10 at a 10. Um, and so when I would feel, and, and, and, and the message would be downloaded, it was just like oh. Like, for me, it was like, oh my God, like, this is so powerful. 

[00:17:23] And so, and then kind of like, um, my brain, uh, kind of like, does this like thing where as if you're taking a lot of still photos, like everything, everything. Up to that part was like, this was a sign of claircognizance this one, this one, this one is like, you just didn't notice  

[00:17:42] it before.  

[00:17:43] Jeannette: Ah,  
 

[00:17:46] Julissa: yeah. So when he was born, um, it just became very clear, like, oh, I've had this gift for a very long time and now it's just like, my eyes are open to it. 

[00:17:59] Jeannette: So how did you navigate your eyes being more open to it as a new mom and kind of things kind of going from four to 10. Cause that, that could be a lot, 

[00:18:11] Julissa: um, you know, It's a gift. I've always been intrigued about the spiritual realm and I've always wanted to be a part of it. And I felt like I wasn't, I just felt like, oh, this is such cool. 

[00:18:24] And I know crazy too, to learn about and hear. And I would have friends that were psychics and, and had like all these beautiful gifts. And I would always, I would always be like, cool. Like I would like, you know, and, um, Then it was kind of like, oh, like, okay, this was now learning to more of us mature. I know that we all have the ability to tap into these, um, these psychic abilities. 

[00:18:49] Right. It's just a matter of like how tapped in are you how aware all the things. Right. And so, um, Marcus, for me just really like rocket ship that and so many other gifts, uh, to unfold afterwards. And I think he helped me see that. You just, just like a child. Like I think everything in life is so relatable. 

[00:19:11] Just like a child, you have to nourish it, nurture it, trust it, build rapport with it. Right. And so this thing can tell you a message and then if you don't listen, well, it's not going to tell you again.  

[00:19:22] Jeannette: Yeah. Yes, yes. So how have you been able to nurture it? Nourish it with Marcus 

[00:19:30] Julissa: yeah. Um, simple things, just the act of just following through. 

[00:19:35] So I would get messages, like make sure that you meditate by Marcus's crib tonight and have these family members and your intentions. Okay. You know, like, okay. Um, I had mentioned before in a post, on my Instagram, like it's so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day busy-ness and forget to do it, or just think that you're crazy and be like, yeah, I was like a passing thought, like, you know, like whatever, um, the, the intensity of that loudness most definitely lessens over time, you know, and over time, meaning like an hour. 

[00:20:12] Right. For me, it's like a strong message and it's like, wow, this is it. And then you go on and do something else. And I was like, was that really it like, yes. 

[00:20:26] You  
 

[00:20:26] know? So I think the practice of just, um, not doubting my intuition period, because I've done it for so many years and that it would make sense as to why before it was there, but not really there.  

[00:20:37] Jeannette: Yes. So how did honoring your intuition kind of change? Your life path and where you were going. Cause you you started very bookish  

[00:20:49] Julissa: so much. I think the most, um, probably in the way that I run my business a hundred percent and my life choices. So I'm originally from New York and my husband and I moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, um, three years ago. And that was also kind of on intuition. We, we took a trip out here. 

[00:21:08] Her sister was living here and we fell in love with the land. Felt very healing for us. Um, and we just like literally upped and moved like planning. Yes. But more based on like, this just feels right. Right. Um, so much opportunity has, you know, has granted us, you know, living here and, um, Stillness peace of mind. 

[00:21:34] Um, betterment of my bed, of my mental health, my spiritual health. Um, I wasn't very spiritual. Like I wasn't spiritual. I, I grew up Catholic. I was raised Catholic and, um, no hate on, you know, Catholicism. It just, it, it never, it never felt like home to me.  

[00:21:51] Jeannette: Was it spiritual Catholic? Cause sometimes I hear things and I'm like, Hm, that's kind of witchy. 

[00:21:57] I,  
 

[00:21:59] Julissa: uh, Roman Catholic, like schooling. Oh, okay. The church. Yeah. But neither here or there. It just didn't, it, it didn't fit. It wasn't inviting to me. I went through all the sacraments and all the things. Um, but it was just like, yeah, I would go to, I would try so hard to like, listen to the word of God and like be a part of the mass and like, you know, just didn't click. 

[00:22:23] Um, and when I came here to Charlotte, I was introduced to just spirituality, just the connection to self connection to soul. Um, and however you see that right now, it's not so much religion or doctrine beast. Um, in that to me has been life-changing. So like in my business, like I will literally make. 

[00:22:45] What might seem to others, like insane decisions based on my intuition, like, oh, this is what Spirit's telling me to do. I'm going to go this way. Oh, you're telling me that other coaches have tried that and have failed. Well, this is what my spirits want me to do. So I'm going to do it. Literally right. And so I have my mentors, you know, I'm also, I am a rational person, so I will weigh pros and cons. 

[00:23:07] I'm still a human living, you know? Oh. I'm still a soul living the human skin it's I always say so. Yes. Ego and rationality comes into play. Of course I'm not, you know, super unlike the spectrum of like, Ooh, where I'm just like, not thinking about anything. But I will say that my spirituality has increased so greatly that I do make ballsy decisions based on my intuition. 

[00:23:30] And to me, it's like, you can call it or see it as ballsy, or it's just like, well, this is what your soul is telling you to do. So maybe that's the most sure thing you can do.  

[00:23:40] Jeannette: That's beautiful. And I. I'm a proponent of connection with the land. So I'm really intrigued that Charlotte, North Carolina, did it for you. 

[00:23:51] Cause I feel like when you're in the right space, the spirits of the land help you do whatever you need to do. And sometimes you just never know, like, do you have family from the area or?  

[00:24:04] Julissa: Um, I don't. So, so my, my husband's, uh, my sister-in-law's here. She was, um, and then little by little more. Uh, distant family members, I guess also traveled down, but initially it was just her and her children and, um, yeah, we, we just made the move. 

[00:24:21] Jeannette: Yeah. Cause sometimes having like the spirits on the land, help spirits on the land definitely help. So you don't have like any, any family that's kind of woo-woo, or like an aunt that new things, or, you know, a grandma who's like reading tea leaves on the side.  

[00:24:41] Julissa: No. And you know what though? I, I do, I'm, I'm searching because I feel like someone in my family has to, like, where did this come from? 

[00:24:51] One of my family has, so they just haven't spoken about it perhaps. And so, um, but a little bit about like my ethnic background, my mom's Peruvian and my dad is Dominican. I have roots in Peru, in Dominican Republic. Um, and when I go into deep meditations or when I have their dive visions, um, I most definitely see like African culture, for sure. 

[00:25:11] Like, for example, I keep seeing this Tiki man, I'm trying to figure out like what he's trying to tell me. Um, I was like very tribal, like African Tiki men. And I know it has to do with my roots in Dominican Republic for sure. A hundred percent.  

[00:25:24] Jeannette: Yeah. Yeah, definitely. Yeah, yeah,  

[00:25:28] Julissa: yeah. And also Peru, um, they that's where ayahuasca was like, you know, created, like they have so many special things in the land of Peru as well. 

[00:25:37] Um, I know that my aunts have seen things in there. In the earlier years, like ghosts and spirits. Um, but it was kind of like folk tale in the family.  

[00:25:49] Jeannette: Got you.  

[00:25:50] Julissa: You know, and there's no, there's not that I know of. And I, I, my mom's sisters, they're my mom's sisters. And I talked to my mom about this all the time. 

[00:25:59] There's no one that like, practices, like connecting more to like spiritual realm or spirits side. Um, but whenever I have readings or I connect with my Reiki healer, The presence is profound, always from my Peruvian roots and also my Dominican roots. And so it's very clear that like, this is a part of my bloodline, um, where there are others like me. 

[00:26:27] I'm sure that just that maybe dabbled in and never really said anything to not seem, I don't know, weird or kooky or whatever. Um, I'm on a hunt though. I know that there's gotta be somewhere for sure.  

[00:26:43] Jeannette: So how has Marcus changed your relationship to your bloodline, to your ancestors?  

[00:26:49] Julissa: Um, so my husband is Jamacian. 

[00:26:54] And, 
 

[00:26:55] um  
 

[00:26:56] Jeannette: Ya'll got it in spades, 

[00:26:59] Julissa: a little background about a quick about our marriage. So my husband and I, um, We were told a couple of times through readings that we are soulmates, that we've been together many, many lifetimes before, but Marcus Marcus is our actual first born son or first born child period. Right. So kind of like, um, even when I was pregnant, I would have so many, I was working with shamans and reiki healers and they would tell me like, oh my goodness, like your, you have. 

[00:27:31] such a spiritual baby. It's been like years of, uh, love and accumulation, like into this one, baby. Right. And so, um, Marcus is he's beautiful, baby boy, like just in like regular 3d form, like full of love, full of giggles, all the things just like appear babies love. Um, and then also like super spiritual, um, He can be calm. 

[00:27:59] I see him looking out into things. I know he sees, I don't know what I be trying to look like. What are you seeing? You know? Um, and then also just the, the messages that I received through him, um, for example, you know, Um, I received in meditation and we meditate together, Marcus and I, um, that, you know, he was going to help heal my family bloodline in a certain factor that my family struggles with like a particular thing that we all kind of have trouble with. 

[00:28:28] And, um, it was just a notion or like you simply mothering Marcus, he's holding, uh, so many inner child of other members in your family that you're also healing them as you just simply love Marcus. Yeah. 

[00:28:49] Yeah. So crazy and beautiful. And  

[00:28:54] Jeannette: to be able to love your, your ancestors. By loving Marcus. Who's already full of love and radiant.  

[00:29:03] Yes. So I think sometimes as mothers, there's this desire to protect children. But like just kind of seeing you and Marcus, it doesn't really feel like the protection is just being in love and being divinely guided and having that connection. 

[00:29:26] Honoring it and following the guidance rather than kind of just being like, okay, we're tensed up and we're ready to go.  

[00:29:32] Julissa: Yes.  
 

[00:29:33] Jeannette: Is that accurate for you?  

[00:29:35] Julissa: Yes, very much so. Uh, no, one's actually put it that way, but I could, I definitely agree with what you just said and yes, I love Marcus and of course it would protect them and all the things, but that thought doesn't often cross my mind. 

[00:29:48] Of like protecting Marcus. It's more so how can I be a better lover in a form of a mother? Like how can I learn more about myself, have more patience have more empathy, have more understanding when he's going through whatever he's going through and, you know, even. in these small little things that are happening in his short span, eight months of life. 

[00:30:08] Right. Um, it's always, you know, what's become very clear to me is that I've always read it and heard it, but now I feel it, um, you know, love is the most potent energy. It can hop dimensions. Like it can help transmute so many different things and it's just like, well, hell yeah. Like that makes complete sense even more now, like, you know, textbook theory versus actually like being embodying it. 

[00:30:33] Um, Love, truly conquers, all things, the energy, the potency of love is the strongest thing possible. And so it, it, it helps me, it helps to ground myself in motherhood because. For example, we had COVID um, right before Christmas, we all three of us got in my husband, myself and Marcus. Right. And Marcus was, I think, like six months at that time. 

[00:31:00] And so you would, you know, he got COVID all the things and, um, I wasn't freaking out. We were going through it physically, like physical symptoms. We had, we got it, we got the worst of it. Um, but for the most part, and we even had a trip to the hospital, which was scary for me. Um, but for the most part, like my sister-in-law can tell you, like, she, they would be calling in and I was like we're on vacation. 

[00:31:27] Like what a blessing we're working from home. Like, it was like a very like, and that's kind of how I am in general, but Marcus has definitely helped me with. More of that. Um, I do believe in fate and I do, I do, I am an optimist optimistic person. I do believe that things are going to work out. And from all my years of being a psychotherapist and a mindset coach that also plays a part into your spirituality, what you believe comes to life. 

[00:31:55] And so if I'm, if I focus all of my energy and like, oh my God, we're sick and this is going to be bad, then it's going to be bad. Right. And where it's like, shit, we got COVID this sucks. We're going to make the best of it, you know? And so that energy transmutes and it's love, it's simply, it's love for self love, for love for my baby, for my, for everyone. 

[00:32:18] If I, the more that I can love myself, the more that I can love others. Yes.  

[00:32:24] Jeannette: So, which leads me to say is, in what ways is Marcus helping you love yourself more?  

[00:32:30] Julissa: Oh for, I mean, even from like body image, um, you know, allowing me to go through this beautiful process of pregnancy, um, my body I've always struggled with, um, my self-esteem when it came to my body image, like always yo yo dieting up and down, all the things and for my pregnancy. 

[00:32:51] Um, I was the biggest I've ever been ever mind you? Yes, because I had a baby and all the things, but I had also gained a lot of weight, um, due to some depression prior to getting pregnant and COVID, and just being home and all the things. Right. And so I had put on a lot of weight and then I got pregnant and I was like, my worse nightmares, you know? 

[00:33:12] Um, but, um, Marcus really helped me love my body throughout all the changes. Again, like right now, biggest I've ever been. And I probably, I do. I have the most self love for myself and my body now than I did when I was so many pounds lighter. 

[00:33:31] Even simple as that.  

[00:33:34] Jeannette: No, but that's, that's huge. Loving your body is, is huge for everybody. I want to say, just for women, but like for everybody making peace with what the body's doing, especially. Yeah. I feel like the interesting thing about COVID is it's like it's kind of rubbing our face and the stuff we need to work through and work on. 

[00:33:54] Cause it's like at some level, like we could try to run the house, run out the house and run from it, but it's still kind of, we still need to dig through and dig in. So it's kind of, oh my God, I don't think we out the woods yet. So it's kind of comes to the next question. What kind of, how are you. It's interesting watching you on Instagram because, um, you're very real. 

[00:34:22] Everything on Instagram is real. Every time like Instagram is, is a crapshoot. You're real like you with the coffee mug crying, How , like, how are you dealing with this kind of, uh, molting process into being more loving because sometimes things hurt when you're, you're uncovering your love. When you're unearthing your love when you're finding the love within you and figuring out how to share it more, like how do you. 

[00:34:57] Yeah. Like how are you doing that?  

[00:35:00] Julissa: So just to be clear, thank you for saying that by the way. Um, just to be clear, the question is like, how am I loving myself even through like the ugly.  

[00:35:10] Jeannette: Yes. And also, what is, what sort of process are you going through? Like, for, for me, one of the things like when I'm going through my own personal ugly, it's like I have to be a river. 

[00:35:24] I have to be by a river. I just have to, like today I had to go to the river first thing in the morning. Cause I know if I go by the river, I'll just calm down. I'll hear what I need to hear. Like it it'll fall off and things will fall into place and I can go on and do what I need to do. Yeah. I used to be a journaler. 

[00:35:44] I, you know, I like walking, but if I'm by moving water and it can't be a stream, it has to be a river. So what kind of things are helping you kind of move through the ugly? So your loving  

[00:35:57] Julissa: yeah. Nature is most definitely my biggest healer, a hundred percent. Um, I love, love trees being in the forest. Um, I actually want to have one, you know, when it's time for me to have my next baby, I would love to have a natural birth in the woods. 

[00:36:15] Yeah,  
 

[00:36:15] Jeannette: that would be magic.  

[00:36:17] Julissa: So magical. So ceremonial all the things, but, um, yes. To answer your question when I'm going through it, I mean, when I'm going through it, I'm going through it. So like, no, you know, all the things that you're supposed to be doing, but there's a moment of time when you're just going through it. 

[00:36:31] For me, at least I'm like, I'm not doing any of those things because I'm just. Through it, you know? And so that looks like isolation that looks like being in my head too much. That looks like everything being super like I'm so irritable when I'm in a bad place. Right. And then it takes that extra love. Um, it's, it's easier to, to say no to that, to the medicine that serves us. 

[00:36:54] Well, I don't want to say. Without warm. I just want to be in my bed. And there's a balance of like, you know, resting versus doing what you need to do to get better. But to me, that's, that's the act of self love. Like, I love you so much that we're going to push ourselves to go out there, even though you don't want to. 

[00:37:12] Right. And so for, for right now, we're in our winter in Charlotte and it's, it's definitely not as bad as like, let's say like Northern, like states like New York and stuff like that, but we still get like 30 degree weather and, um, I don't want to be outside and, you know, so it's a little bit harder for me to get in touch with nature. 

[00:37:28] Um, and like today I had to force myself out for a 20 minute walk. And it was a force, um, you know, because it's cold, I got to bundle the baby up more, you know, like, it's just like, oh, I just don't want to do it. Um, but it's just like, no, I need it. So it's, it's an, it's tough love in that sense too, to help me, um, be grounded and being in nature. 

[00:37:51] Yeah. So  

[00:37:56] Jeannette: I kind of want to cycle back to Marcus gifts. And you said sometimes you see him, like you see him seeing things. What other things have you, I guess, witnessed in him? Um,  

[00:38:12] Julissa: you know, it's not so much that I've witnessed in him. It's more of a knowing it's more of a, when you get older, you're going to help so many people. 

[00:38:25] And I don't know what, but that is the message that keeps coming across. Um, as you grow older, you're going to be teaching me more things about spirituality. 

[00:38:37] Yeah. So those kind of like in like our 3d realm, like I'll just see him sometimes like gazing or laughing, laughing in like to like to the air. And I'm like, you must be seeing, I'll be like, Hey ancestors, like, you know, and it could be nothing or it could be something, you know, but I think more so. His soul 

[00:38:58] it's like, it's like he has this, um, there's so much wisdom and knowledge when I go into my meditative form or when I'm sleeping. Um, whenever I receive a message, right. Um, my third eye has been, uh, most definitely opened my clairvoyance. Right. I'm able to see things now in meditations that was never, ever a thing before I attribute all this to Marcus because it happened when I was holding him when I was pregnant. 

[00:39:22] You know, and so for me, it's like, I mean, this is Marcus, you know, this wasn't really here before then or the claircognizance. Sure. But now I'm smelling things. Again has to be Marcus like this. These things never occurred to me before both Marcus and me trusting my intuition, all the things that all plays a factor. 

[00:39:41] But for me, which is why I have this like conscious motherhood program for me. Anyone can tap in, but it is my belief that mothers can rocket ship their way and should they want to, when they have a child it's just so much easier for so many reasons.  

[00:39:59] Jeannette: So let's ride that wave. Why do you feel like it's easier? 

[00:40:02] Julissa: Um, when you're pregnant, you are literally creating life like to talk about being the greatest artist of all time..of all time!. We can create paintings, all the things in the 3d world, but we are literally creating life and only certain people, women, right. Can, can do these kinds of things. Like it's a gift. It is the biggest gift possible. 

[00:40:28] And so. Spiritually, you know, I think about like, you know, when the babies being born from like a soul, um, from the other, from the spiritual realm into the tiny speck that it, that it forms into in physical form, right. And then that speck growing and fostering and, and, and, and, and, and collecting like, you know, all the data DNA, all the cells, everything from the two parents, like beautifully infused into this love, child, right. 

[00:41:00] The greatest create the greatest creation of all time for me is when we're able to grow a child and then birth a child. And once they're born, your life changes as you know, right. Your mind completely changes. And then spiritually, we also know that babies are closer in touch to the spiritual realm, to the age of seven. 

[00:41:27] Right. So if you want to connect the time is now when your little ones are right. For me, it's like, I'm a, I'm a product of it. I'm a complete part of like this rocket ship into spirituality because of me becoming a mother.  

[00:41:45] Jeannette: And because of Marcus, Marcus, I mean, my goodness. Yes. Just clearing everything out like you were already there. 

[00:41:59] Julissa: Yeah.  

[00:42:02] Jeannette: So since you're able to receive all these messages around who Marcus is and who you will be like, you're, I assume that you're also guided sometimes like, oh, he might need this or that. Is that true?  

[00:42:16] Julissa: Um, I'm trying to think in general, like, um, um, okay. So I guess here's like a good example, um, sleep training. 

[00:42:27] Jeannette: Yeah.  

[00:42:27] Julissa: Right. Um, I, you know, I never judge any mama's decision. What they want to do with their child that's you and your baby's journey, all the things, um, I guess it's kind of like represents how I went from being really book to just more intuitive and spiritual, right? Like my old self continues to pop up to, to teach me a lesson. 

[00:42:48] Right. So there'll be times where my ego's like, research that thing. And there's nothing wrong with researching.  

[00:42:52] Jeannette: So compassionate, The way you describe it to say compassionate that's woo. That's so compassionate.  

[00:43:00] Julissa: Yeah, because it kind of pops up and in our, in our healing journeys, I'm a believer that, you know, when they continue to pop up, it's just, you have more lessons to learn this, this part of you has not died yet because it's there to teach you more things. 

[00:43:11] Right. And so, yeah, when she pops up, I was woo, workaholic, perfectionist, all the things. Right. And so when she pops up to be like perfect parent, right, perfect mom, and try to do all the things and, you know, um, We, you know, yes, we were doing sleep trainings and we were letting him cry it out, all the things like timed intervals, like let him cry for 10 minutes and 20 minutes and 30 minutes and all the things until we can learn to soothe himself and it was working for some time and then it just stopped working. 

[00:43:39] And so, you know, now it's just more so of like, what does my baby need tonight? As opposed to we're going to do this every night, moving forward. I um personally, you know, I do want to have my alone time with my husband in bed. So I don't, I'm not a fan of having the babies in bed all night. Um, and who knows I may change, but you know, for right now it's like, Hey, bedtime is at seven 30. 

[00:44:05] We do our thing. Let's try to keep you in bed until at least three. And if you really want to come, you know, it's our bed then. So be it right. But it's just a kind of like, well, what I hold him I'm like, okay, I'm putting you down. You're not, you're, you're, he's now doing this thing where, um, he's learning like depth perception. 

[00:44:26] So he can notice when mom or dad are leaving the bedroom and now he gets scared and I can like, literally feel his anxiety. So the part of like the sleep training world, where it's like, They have to, Oh they'll, soothe. I respect it. I hear it. And also it's like, Hey, I literally feel my heart. My baby's heart pounding at the chest. 

[00:44:47] I'm his mother. He is eight months old. You know, and it's just like, again, if you're the mama who does a sleep training, I don't do you, you know what I'm saying? I'm not mad or do judgemental at all just for me and my baby. Like literally last night he heart racing, keeping my heart on his chest. Like him grasping my fingers. 

[00:45:08] I'm like, bro, you clearly, you don't want me to go.  

[00:45:11] You know? And so,  

[00:45:13] Jeannette: yeah, it's also honoring the connection between you and Marcus and like a -I have to say that I'm biased. I'm very biased. I feel like having older kids there is like something that seems to denigrate the connection between mother and child and seems to constantly like wanna rip it apart. 

[00:45:37] It might be just kind of me having my own, like, you know issues, I'll own that I have issues, but like, I also feel like as a mom, there's sometimes this push to kind of get that child at your bed, get that child out the house, get the child in school. It's like, you know what, when our children supposed to be children and at some point they do grow up in my neither independence, but there's also something about that sacred connection and being able to have that connection as, as long as it needs to be until the child's like, okay, I have enough, like enough and not having that connection forcibly severed by expectations of society, society, family members who ain't you know, gonna be with your child when they upset. 

[00:46:25] Julissa: Yup.  
 

[00:46:26] Yup. Yup. Oh yes. Oh, yes. Yeah. Yeah. And I think spirituality and motherhood is just that like empowering the mamas, the right to, to have full, um, confidence in their decision-making skills when coming, when it comes to parenting, whatever that maybe.  

[00:46:43] Jeannette: Yes  
 

[00:46:44] Julissa: whatever it may be. Right. But feeling competent and not having the wishy-washy because I've been there right. 

[00:46:50] Of like, well, they said this and then it's like, Hey, but what do you want to do with your baby  

[00:46:56] Jeannette: yes, yes.  

[00:46:59] Julissa: Yeah.  

[00:47:00] Jeannette: Because at the end of the day, you got to sit in yourself and make sure that you made the right decision for yourself. And the baby, cause there's nothing worse than sitting and being like I'm not in integrity with myself and the way  

[00:47:14] Julissa: that causes anxiety literally causes anxiety. Yeah, the, the back and forth of like, I think I want to do this, but I'm not doing this. And like, you know, we have three selves, right. You know, heartfelt, rational self, inner child. Like, it's like, Hey, are we aligned in this decision? Does this feel good for us? Because if it doesn't, that does most definitely breed anxiety and low self esteem issues and all the things. 

[00:47:35] Right. So, yeah, to me, spirituality is very much a science, you know, it's just connecting, aligning in that most definitely affects your mental health. 

[00:47:46] Jeannette: Um, so you're not just floating up above the books. You're still rooted in them and blossoming above.  

[00:47:54] Julissa: To me when I, when, you know, when I say that I, I blend science and spirituality, I love connecting the two because they're, to me, they're, they're very similar. 

[00:48:04] The spirituality for me allows me to be more flowy and in less rigid, but I would learn concepts in spirituality that I'm like, oh, you're talking about this. You're talking about, uh, cognitive behavioral therapy. Like, this is what we do here. Same thing, like the same, the, how I feel about religions, right? 

[00:48:22] No matter what religion that you are a part of, for the most part there's, they're supposed to help you connect to a higher self. Yeah, it was a very similar right to me. Prayer is very similar to meditation, right. Um, witchcraft, but you know, w people coming together, it's mantra, like you it's prayer. It's the same thing. 

[00:48:46] It's just a little bit different here and there. But to me, a lot of things in life have a lot of similarities. We've just sectioned it off here and here you'll go to your tribe. Do what feels best for you, right. But know that we are people who are in need of love and acceptance and nuturance, and we need the same things, no matter where you go, 

[00:49:05] Jeannette: Has Marcus change the way you see the world, like just having this child of love and light with you and seeing. 

[00:49:16] Just witnessing and being part of his transformation, like just being transformed by love, by his love. How's it? How has that changed the way you see life?  

[00:49:27] Julissa: Um, I think I've in my passion and sentiments in my last statement I've always felt that way about people. Um, in general, like, uh, I've had so many different, uh, groups of populations that I work with a psychotherapist, you know, from like, um, uh, abusers of drugs and alcohol to like child molestation. 

[00:49:48] Like you name it, jail cells. I've done it. Um, so I work with all kinds of people and. It was a great blessing that, um, no matter who I worked with, I was able to still see their soul as a person and love them for who they are. Even if what they did on paper was like horrible. In my head spirit would always tell me, like, there's a reason as to why this happened. 

[00:50:11] No one wants to be a bad person, no matter how fucked up they are. Like nobody wants to be a bad person. Why would somebody want that? There's clearly trauma here. Right. And so being the professional in all these settings and, and, and kind of, uh, the clinical side where it's like, you can't interfere like personal biases and judgements in the work that you do did help me. 

[00:50:34] Um, I mean, I think it was just fitting for who I am as a person, but it helped me see every, every one is a child of God universe, whatever you believe everyone is a child of love. Sometimes people go through really hard shit and they end up becoming, let's say ugly in the real world. That's not how they started off. 

[00:50:52] Right. And so my job as a therapist was always like, what's your story? And how can I help you unfold to help you heal? All right. And so when Marcus came into the world, it was just like all the love that I already had for people just like, just like bigger, um also because, He helped me love myself more. And the more that you love yourself, the more space you have to love others. 

[00:51:15] So I already had such grand love for people, but I actually wasn't loving myself very much. And so for me, it was like, now that I do, it's like, it's like multiplied. Larger greater. Um, I think that my online business has allowed me to touch, you know, Instagram, Instagram is free. You can watch all my content for free. 

[00:51:35] Um, it's I have the space and energy to do that. And there's, I'm so blessed that there are so many people that will DM me and be like, oh my God, your videos helped me so much. And they never have to pay a dime. You know, and to me it's like, yes, I have my programs and I have my things that people can pay for. 

[00:51:51] And then if you're just, if you just want to watch, you can also just watch and I'm loving you for it. This is literally why I create the content, you know? Um, so Marcus has allowed me to connect to my inner child more. I'm so much more playful, a big goofball, right? I think I always have been, but now that he's here, it's like I can do it all the time. 

[00:52:15] Right. I can be silly all the time. And like, my husband will make fun of me. He's like, oh, he was like, Marcus loves all your like crazy antics. And I'm like, and I love him for loving it because it allows me to be my silly, crazy self all the time. Um, and so, yeah, I mean, like play play is a form of love and I get to do it all the time. 

[00:52:35] Jeannette: And it continues and it evolves and it deepens the play, but it's still like this loving connection that you get to share. It feels so good to play. And it's, it's sad. Sometimes I feel like the adults get suckered out of play.  

[00:52:51] Julissa: We do. Yeah.  

[00:52:55] Jeannette: Wow. This connection to love as a wow. I'm like swimming in it. It's amazing. 

[00:53:00] And it's beautiful and it feels like so much what we need right now. Um, to be able to see people as a soul on a journey and things happen and you get hurt and you forget your love. You forget how to love yourself. You forget how to love others, but it just needs to be seen. Wow. I wanted to circle back to the, to the conscious motherhood. 

[00:53:28] Yeah. Do you mind talking about.  

[00:53:31] Julissa: Uh, I would be, I would love to. So, um, I've, this is actually completely led by spirit also I'm completely like spirit was nudging you for quite some time, create a motherhood program, create a motherhood program. And I was like, you're crazy. I just became a mom, like, you know, um, but the beautiful, you know, this healing world that, you know, I've helped so many mamas before as a therapist and now being a mom, it's just like, well, now I have like firsthand experience. 

[00:54:01] I know exactly what's happening. And even though my baby is super young, it doesn't matter the same concepts applied to many different avenues in life. Yes. Things change, you know, within children and within people. But love is love. Healing is healing. Mental health is mental health, no matter what you're dealing with. 

[00:54:18] Right. And, um, I know that Mamas everyone needs, love and healing. Um, but it's so imperative for the mother to do this for herself and for her children or for her family. Yes, right. Um, we have this beautiful gift of, um, I teach like energetics a lot too. So when I think about like masculine and feminine energy, I think of like hunters and gatherers and like all the things and we've evolved as women. 

[00:54:43] But at the same time, those, those core roots are so very much true. Right. We are able to gather, we are able to foster community feelings and all the things. And, um, with that comes, I mean, it's, it's a wonderful gift to have, and it's also a great responsibility. Right. And so. He, you know, the scene like a meat, you know, a matriarch of like, um, these powerful women, like holding it down for their family families. 

[00:55:10] It's like, hello, who's rubbing our back. Who's making sure that we're well for the foundation of our family. And of course, fathers play a role in all the things we're partners. Um, most definitely. Um, there is just an undeniable connection with baby and mother. You know, it's not a, it's not a pompous thing. 

[00:55:30] It's just wheat literally pushed them out the are forever connected to us.  

[00:55:36] Right. And so, um, it's so imperative for mothers to learn more about themselves so they can better learn about their children. 

[00:55:49] You know, the inner work within us so that we can help them with their inner work and help them evolve and develop and grow into, you know, beautiful human beings that they are going to be. And so, um, in creating this program, it was like, well, how can I take all that I've done in my years of, you know, working as a psychotherapist and all this beautiful new. 

[00:56:12] Uh, spiritual world that I've been, um, like rocket shipped into and how can I help moms do the same? Right? So it's a 12 week healing container for mothers, uh, mental health focused and spiritual focus. So we learn triggers, maladaptive, coping skills, all the things that we need to leave behind breaking generational trauma. 

[00:56:32] The inner works, all the things that I will hold you through that I also have a co-coach my doula. Beautiful. Amazing woman. I would not be okay. Postpartum had it not been for her, so definitely wanted to have her on my team. And she's also a holistic healer and a spiritual mentor as well. So she has a plethora of motherhood knowledge, um, from post pre to postpartum. 

[00:56:55] And, um, yeah, we've just curated this beautiful love container of. Working on yourself, having us hold you through it in 12 weeks and also strengthening your spirituality and spiritual awakenings through motherhood. So, yeah,  

[00:57:12] Jeannette: that's really beautiful. And that's really helpful because just as you said, like, as, as mama's doing all this for the family, who's rubbing her back. 

[00:57:22] And I think, especially with, with what's going on now, I think we've forgotten how to rub each other's backs or that we need our backs from.  

[00:57:30] Julissa: Yeah. Yes. A lot of so many moms. Um, and I fall into it too. Sometimes like we superwoman syndrome, we can do it. You got to take a second to breathe and, and put yourself, you know, even in, um, I'm learning so much, even more. 

[00:57:46] And, you know, in the connection calls that I'm having for the women in this program. Right. And, um, coaching, you know what I do now in the coaching space, you know, we're just holding up a beautiful mirror. What's coming up for you, right. Like, you know, certain things like. Oh, I don't know if I can commit to those times. 

[00:58:01] It's like, it's only 12 weeks. We only meet six times, you know, it's every other week it's like, this will potentially change the way that you view motherhood forever. Um, a small portion of your time. Like when we say I can't, it's like it blocks off all ability to make things possible. Yes. Right. And so even there's mindset work right there. 

[00:58:24] Like even from the consultation call, like it's already the work of like. What's happening for you and your inner, world, this is just a reflection of, it has nothing to do with me, right?  

[00:58:38] Jeannette: No, but even that understanding that people are having their own inner world and nothing is a reflection. Beautiful and liberating for you and for the person, because it means that they can go through whatever they need to go through and not, I think maybe, yeah, maybe, um, yeah, not have to feel like they're hurting you because they're going through whatever they're going through. 

[00:59:00] Yeah. Because I feel like sometimes I don't know if it's just me. I don't know if it's just motherhood, but. I, yeah. It's like, oh, there's no safe  

[00:59:10] space. Yeah. 

[00:59:12] Julissa: I always say like, no matter what I'm T I do, um, I, I have, I have a creative soul and I like to do a lot of things. Right. And so even, even when I have students for entrepreneur, like students who are building their online businesses for the first time and my main medicine, and no matter what I'm teaching, where it's it's, how can I help you see yourself better? 

[00:59:36] Period, period, whether I'm teaching you business, whether I'm teaching you mental health, motherhood, um, but it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. It's how, how can I help you see yourself better? Because that is what's holding you back from whatever you're trying to accomplish. 

[00:59:58] Jeannette: Wow. 
 

[01:00:03] And it's all kind of is just rooted in your work as, as a psychotherapist. 

[01:00:12] Julissa: Yeah.  

[01:00:13] Jeannette: Wow. So you've been able just to expand and kind of retain your essence this is so interesting.  

[01:00:20] Julissa: Thank you for seeing me.  

[01:00:22] Jeannette: Thank you for being here to be seen, because this is just really, oh, it's just amazing and loving. And how you've just been able to expand the love and take it further and take it to bring it to people who really need it. 

[01:00:36] People, all people need love, but like, I think sometimes like the vibrations of love kind of match different situations in space and times they're a little more nourishing, like water nourishes, everything, but sometimes you need more calcium in the water, so,  

[01:00:51] Julissa: yeah. Yeah, yeah.  

[01:00:53] Jeannette: Wow. So thank you so much for being here and sharing. 

[01:00:58] Julissa: Thank you for having me. It was such an honor. And, um, I hope, you know, like, I don't know if you feel it energetically, but my, my soul is very happy and grounded. 

[01:01:07] I needed this as well. So I thank you for that.  

[01:01:11] Jeannette: No worries. It's a blessing 

[01:01:13] Welcome back. I hope this interview was as nourishing for you as it was for me. There's so much to chew on from loving your child and love being its own powerful protection to the courageous process of allowing your child to teach you to love yourself and them better and more, and being willing to constantly commit yourself to being a better lover of your child as a mother, right? 

[01:01:44] That's just, just the context of being a lover of your child, like wanting to love them in the way that best nourishes them is just 

[01:02:01] For me, it's kind of like a big mind shift because when I think of mothering, I think of a lot of things, but I, I think of the things that sometimes I do, and not necessarily the love behind them, but if I'm thinking specifically of being like how to better love my child to better be a lover of my child, it kind of focuses more on the why. 

[01:02:26] The why which sometimes takes care of the, how, I don't know if that makes sense. It's like the, the feeling behind the action rather than the action itself and really realizing that like, you know, the feeling can come through a million different actions, but how best as the feeling translate to the child. 

[01:02:43] I don't know, like I'm chewing on that because I find it. I just find it amazing. I find it an amazing thing for me to chew on. About how to love be a better lover of my, my children. I like it made me very happy. as I mentioned in the interview and before please follow Julissa on an Instagram, because you'll be comforted, it's inspiring to see. 

[01:03:08] I don't want people crying. Like I cry. Like I don't, I don't want people to suffer. But when I see another mother who's doing work and going through it too, I don't feel so bad. I don't feel so alone because motherhood isn't easy motherhood in this time specifically is not easy, but motherhood as like a conscious path of growth as a conscious path of like, I will choose to grow and evolve and be a better lover of myself and better love of this child and a better lover or mankind in general. 

[01:03:43] It's not easy. You got to Wade through your stuff, and it's not always like, you know, where we're eating strawberries on the beach in a bikini and sunshine. It's not always what goes on. So if you want to actually be inspired and being a better mother, being a better lover, being more loving and kind with yourself and with your child and with your family in general and undoing some stuff, Julissa is a great person to follow. 

[01:04:11] She really, really is. You can find her again at Julissa, J U L I S S A dot Edwards E D W A R D S underscore, um, counseling, C O U N S E L I N G. Over at Instagram. And, uh, again, she does a conscious motherhood circle that you might want to check out. It's a safe space for community healing and learning. 

[01:04:41] If you feel like motherhood has brought about a spiritual awakening, or it's asking you to break down some generational patterns, or you just want a stronger emotional base, this circles for you, you know, head on over to her Instagram or head on over to her link tree, which is L I N K T R. 

[01:04:59] E E backslash Julissa Edwards, J U L I S S A E D W A R D S. Again, this is all in the show notes, so Yeah, I was just really touched by this interview. I felt like I was expanded. It was really, it was really a beautiful feeling. I was on a cloud. So let's get into answering this question. 

[01:05:22] Y'all got a question two weeks ago. I got a question and this is the question. Lb from Northern California. Her question is, I'm very curious about how you help your boys recognize what they're feeling in their bodies, especially how to recognize what's not theirs, what they're picking up from their surroundings. 

[01:05:45] And first of all, LB, thank you so much for your question. I did a happy dance. When I was like, who's, oh, it's a question. Praise God. And then we had a whole exchange and I was very happy. So, um, thank you so much for writing. Thank you for your question. And here's the answer, which is kind of different than what we discussed, but you know, spirits be changing stuff. 

[01:06:07] Here we go. Both of the boys. Both of the boys are very, just naturally in their body. They are, they're earthly grounded, rooted children in the present here and now, which is very different from me. I learn everyday from them, how to cultivate, a deeper relationship with my body in the present moment. 

[01:06:29] I have trauma that causes me to dissociate. So a squirrel could fart. I get stressed out and I pop out my body. It's kind of like, and I'm like, Ooh, I'm outside of my body. There are spirits here. Ooh, there's all sorts of things. And then I have to bring myself back that doesn't happen to them. So how this whole process started was one day 

[01:06:54] the eldest was having a situation. He's like, I just, the spirits are just taking me over this feeling of you're not my, I was like, well, are these feelings and spirits yours? And he's like, no. I said, well, you need to tell her to get the hell out. And that's kind of how this process started me telling him to tell things, to get the hell out, asked him where he felt it in his body. 

[01:07:11] He felt it in his belly. So this is, this is basically his process and what works and what works for him. Cause we focus on the color of the chakras. We focus on the color of the chakra, but I also focus on his behavioral patterns because there's a difference between like when he's himself and when other stuff is in him. 

[01:07:33] So what I've learned to do from him is randomly ask what color is his belly. Cause that's the chakra we most easily work with just to get a gauge of what the baseline is for him and also for his little brother and also to help them tune into himself. I, Hey, what colors in your belly? You got home from school. 

[01:07:53] What colors in your belly? Eating lunch? What colors in your belly? You know, just, just randomly just to get a gauge and he'll tell me, he'll tell me his color and if he tells me it's his color, I know everything's cool. There's nothing messing around we good. Um, but also, you know, that's not the only way. Like I also said behavioral patterns. 

[01:08:15] So sometimes what happens, he'll act a little funky, something will happen. And when I'll be like, Hey, You know, we, we have a different way of connecting than we normally do in this, you know, you feel a little funky, what's going on with you. What color is your belly? And then like, you know, he'll say the color or he'll say a different color. 

[01:08:38] And if he says a different color, that's an opportunity for us to discuss, you know, what he's feeling and whether, what he's feeling belongs to him or not. So. That's what's helped us. Um, the good thing about the different color it's opportunity for him to connect with his emotions and describe what's going on and have his body tell the story and you know, um, other times, if it's not his energy, it's an opportunity to recognize his boundaries have been, breached and exercise his personal power. And to tell things, to get the heck out. If he picks up energy, it shows up here, it shows up here. Um, And you know, what we'll do is we'll close our eyes. 

[01:09:29] I'll say, tell her whatever it is to get the hell out your body because your body is yours and nothing should be in it. But, but yours, what spirit would like to add is like, this is a great opportunity to reinforce Auric boundaries. And that's what kind of came in new. Um, so like, as you have, as the child is using. 

[01:09:50] In their belly or in whatever chakra or whatever, heart or whatever, like body part, they most identify with that. That is their space. Um, have them imagine like an egg around them, imagine their aura imagine their, their protective egg around them. And like, you know, you can do whatever you want with the egg, but just make sure it's, it's solid, it's sealed and it feels safe for them. 

[01:10:18] So like one of the things that I would, I personally have been playing with and it's been fun for me is imagining, and this is kind of inspired by them too imagining I'm in a titanium egg. Cause ain't nothing breaking titanium. Like, you know, you can have it say, Hey, imagine yourself in like, you know, a big iron man egg suit and like, you know, you can draw whatever you want that makes you feel safe on the inside. 

[01:10:46] And maybe on the outside and like blam there are, your auric boundaries. You're good to go. But the point is just to make sure that children understand their auric boundaries. And they understand beginning to have them play with the auric boundaries, allows them to understand when things are coming towards them, that aren't theirs and try to breach their space and having them be aware of their body by just constantly having them check in to like whatever body part it is, whether it's a heart, whether it's their knees, whether it's their belly, whether it's their shoulders It's important for them to have conscious, aware of their energy and their energetic body, because it, it helps them be autonomous and it helps them be in integrity with themselves and tell things that may be trying to mess with them to go on about they business, which really feels necessary in this space in time. 

[01:11:37] And the youngest who is five does whatever his big brother does. And I don't blame him because it's his big brother as a Sterling example of a lot of wonderful things now look, if colors don't work for your children, you can try feelings or textures or shapes or smells or tastes, whatever, um, works for your children or even pictures, whatever. 

[01:12:03] It's like, I feel a pony. I feel a pony in my head. Okay. Here's the PO, but are you the pony? Yes, the pony is me. It is purple. That's fine. As long as it's, it's something, that's your child's baseline. That's the point you're looking for is stability, consistency, and something that represents their, their essence. 

[01:12:21] Right. Smell also wants to be talked about here because smell is an underrated sense of discernment. So if you have a child who's rooted in into smell, or if you yourself is rooted into smell, that is a powerful, powerful tool of discernment 

[01:12:41] whether something is helpful for you or not. If something stank it, ain't good for you. And you can just, you know avoid it, If your smell changes. If somebody else's smell changes, if a place is smell, change, that tells you something. So if you're a person who's rooted in the smell or your child is rooted into smell, please know that is some primal 

[01:13:05] I'm rooted into the core frequency of this planet stuff that is powerful and it deserves to be worked with and honored work with smell. You know, it felt like smell just wanted to be on the record as something that is helpful to help people discern themselves in situations and what's going on around us. 

[01:13:25] Because I feel like people, sometimes it's really easy to get caught into other senses. I was like, Ooh, I see things. Or, Ooh, I'm feeling things, but like, no smell is important too. Yes. And I also feel like a conversation around children and non-helpful attachments is going to re-emerge. So I'm going to be sitting with that one. 

[01:13:45] If you really just want to hear me, and my spirits, including honorable ancestors and entities and plants, and some other things that like to talk to me that are helpful. Yeah. 

[01:13:55] You want to hear us and dish on it? Cause it feels like it's happening. It's around. Let me know. Or if you have other questions around spirituality and motherhood, please, please get at me at spirituality underscore motherhood, underscore pod, Instagram, or at my website, spirituality and motherhood podcast.com . 

[01:14:15] okay. And one more thing before I close this out, I'm very talky. This episode, very talky. I'm going to expand this a little bit and I'm giving you fair warning. 

[01:14:27] He, I'm going to give you a fair warning because, um, I feel like mother hood, has a little bit of a box about how it's supposed to look and how it's supposed to come, but it comes a variety of different ways. And I want to honor the many different ways motherhood shows up. So I'm expand. I always do want to focus on women of color because I'm a black woman and I feel like it's important to tell and share and highlight other women of colors stories  

[01:15:02] it just felt like that needed to be said. Um, yeah. And so for the next episode, we're going to be talking to Baltimore's finest Hess Love the Hoodoo scholar. I was so excited to talk to her. I was on the table, shaking hard and fast when she said yes, and I shook a hard and fast again when we were able to reschedule. 

[01:15:22] It's probably why I'm sick too, too much time. She get a hard and fast and chasing children. Anyhow, thank you for being here. Thank you for listening. It's a blessing to have you and I look forward to connecting with you again soon. Stay blessed. Peace.