Dive Into Reiki with Yolanda Williams

DIVE INTO REIKI: Today I have a lovely guest: Yolanda Williams. Based in California, Yolanda is an Intuitive, Self-Mastery Coach and Certified Medical Reiki Master (CMRM); teaching Reiki, Intuitive Development, Elemental Balancing, and Chakra Mirroring. She trained with internationally recognized Reiki masters in the lineages of Usui Reiki Ryoho and Jikiden Reiki. Yolanda also trained with shamans and other healers of various modalities, increasing her intuitive abilities and understanding of Universal Oneness.
She is the host of the top-rated Reiki Radio podcast, founder of The Alchemy Circle, and creator of The Seekers Circle, which has become an international community of energy workers.
She is currently authoring an oracle deck to highlight how you can deepen your understanding of what it means to be an authentic expression of your true nature. I am super excited about that! So, without further ado, let's welcome Yolanda.
YOLANDA WILLIAMS: Thank you so much, Nathalie. I'm so excited to be here.

DIR: I like to start all of these interviews with the same question: How did you come in contact with the Reiki system? When was the first time this practice appeared in your life?
YW: The first time it appeared in my life, interestingly, I had gone through a layoff. Well, I had the option of keeping my job and relocating to another state, which I didn't want to do. And so, I took my package and spent some time finding myself. I had a whole "Eat, Pray, Love" experience. I went to Europe by myself and was just trying to figure out what I wanted to do next in life. And I knew that I didn't want to go back into finance. And so, I got to this space where I was having anxiety. I was freaking out. I was like, "I don't know what I want to do with my life, and I have bills to pay." And I literally found myself one day like I was imploding because I was just so afraid of not knowing what to do. I was crying in the fetal position on my bedroom floor, which was very unlike me. And I was just saying like, "Please like, God, just give me any direction. Give me a sign. Just tell me what to do. Just help me." This really eerie calm came over me, I stopped crying, and the first thought in my head was to call this woman who had done my astrology chart maybe ten years prior. And when I went to her initially, she was so accurate that it scared me, which is why I never called her in that ten-year window. I was like, "How does this lady know these things about me and my life?" But anyway, since she was the first person or thought that came to mind, I booked a session with her to have my chart done again.
When I went, she told me several things about what was going on in my life. But most interestingly, she said, "Have you ever heard of Reiki? You should definitely go get a Reiki session and learn how to meditate. Because both of those are going to help you with the stress that you're experiencing. And then you can have clarity and decide how you want to move forward." So, I looked up Reiki because Google is my friend. I was like, "This is really interesting!" It just sounded so strange that I thought I didn't really want to have a session as much as I wanted to learn, like what is this. I signed up for a [Reiki 1] class. I signed up for meditation class simultaneously, and then that was it. The door was open, and I started this deep dive into exploring myself.

Yolanda Williams.

DIR: When we talked on another occasion about self-exploration, you highlighted that healing is not that pleasant process we all imagine. Can you elaborate on that?
YW: Yes. I think partially I was kind of lucky at the beginning that I was blind to the whole idea of spirituality. I hadn't read any of the books, or I wasn't familiar with the practices of the teachers. I genuinely went in this blindly. When I started meditation and Reiki, I practiced both diligently because I was so curious. There was this part of me that was very excited at the beginning: "Whoa, I'm experiencing myself differently. I'm starting to perceive different things, you know, just life in a different way." So, I went all the way in, being very, very diligent and just practicing. 
Then I started researching and finding other teachings and spiritual communities. It sounded like the most amazing thing, like you [were] going to be so spiritual and like rainbows and butterflies and feel so great. I was like, oh my God, this is amazing. And again, initially, that's what I was experiencing. I was just fascinated by what I was starting to feel and sense and starting to question what we are in a different way? But then what happened was that I started to really see myself in ways that I guess I repressed or just things I had put on the back burner. Different emotions started coming up. I started having different reflections about my life experience and how things affected me, and what I was behaving from today based on the past. It was just like, "Wait, what is happening? This isn't sunshine and rainbows." It was really hard, like standing in front of a gigantic mirror that I wasn't expecting to appear. But fortunately, for whatever reason, there was a part of me that knew this was part of my healing.
It was like I instinctively knew: don't run away from this. Don't shut down. The stuff is coming up for a reason. So, keep examining what's going on. And then, how does this feel in your body? How does this feel with your energy, and where is the balancing coming in when you sit for practice? And I just want to highlight that it wasn't like a short process, like one week. This was years of stuff coming up, and the truth is it still does. 
I think as a lot of the resistance starts to dissipate, and you start to really see the beauty and the gift of seeing yourself, it's not so hard. It can be uncomfortable, but there's a lot of gratitude around what's coming up. And the understanding that comes from that. But definitely, there were a few years where I felt like, "Is the universe punching me in the face? Like what is happening? I'm doing all the things. I'm practicing Reiki. I'm meditating. Where's the sunshine and rainbows?" Eventually, I came to appreciate [the process]; I understood that it was part of my healing.

DIR: I love a couple of things you mentioned: first of all, being open to experiencing it, whatever length of time it takes. But also the need for balance. Because I think, sometimes we go into the shadow work, and that takes over the light. We need to accept our darkness but temper it with gratitude and compassion, right?
YW: Yeah, that was the thing. The different tools that I had learned through Reiki and meditation really got me through those processes. Because then I started to recognize, "Okay, how do I feel embodied? Oh yeah. I can sit in, use my breath to just calm and come back into a space of clarity. I can look at the Reiki Gokai (precepts) and really examine like, wait, I really am angry right now. I really am worried right now. Why? What's coming up around this, and what are the perspectives that I'm holding? Can I see the beauty in this discomfort and what's happening? So, definitely, the practices and the techniques that are infused in Reiki got me through it. It gave me even more of a reverence for the practice itself. Man, if I would have learned this as a teenager! But you know, it comes when it comes.

DIR: We all have that feeling! I fantasize about teaching how to work with the Reiki precepts to every pre-teen in the world, so they can face puberty and life with some tools. 
What I love about you is that you're relentless in your search for tools and knowledge, but you don't get attached to the tools themselves. You have explored many modalities but have not lost your North. I know that you studied Akashic Records Reading. A lot of people ask me about them and how they can be used with Reiki. Can you tell us your perspective on combining or studying different modalities?  
YW: I always include meditation [in my practice] because I love it so much. And although Reiki is very meditative, I had to learn meditation as a separate thing to really go deeper into it. Because it wasn't a big part of the first classes that I took. I was starting to experience myself differently, and I started to feel sensations differently —whether in meditation or sometimes in Reiki sessions. I would see or feel like colors and things. And I was like, "What is this?" It was very distracting to me because I wasn't being present. I was more curious of, like, what is all this stuff? I realized just to satisfy my mind; I wanted to understand why I was having these experiences.
I took an intuitive development class and studied to have more understanding about how we translate and perceive energy or how we even translate and perceive the unseen. I went through a period of, okay, I am seeing and sensing these different things intuitively, but it was never for me about predictive work. Do you know what I mean? It was more this exploration of my design, like how can I even see or feel these things that aren't tangible, that aren't here in the material realm? I was more fascinated about what we have the ability to perceive. I went deep into that study. I also recognized that once I understood my intuitive nature more, it dissipated some fear around what I may feel or sense because a lot of people do get this heightened sensitivity after practicing anything—I mean, it could just be meditation, Reiki, whatever. 
From there, it was like just going down a rabbit hole. I was literally like Alice in Wonderland, like, "Oh, there's more, give me more, what else is out there?" I met this amazing woman who was an Akashic Records teacher, and I studied with her. It was just another layer of learning, how we access different states of consciousness. I'm a very curious person. I was also curious about why people would want to access a different state of consciousness. But I didn't attach to it the way that people use all these different practices, even Reiki for that matter. All of this work was about discovering more about myself. It was like, "Oh, this is so cool." Being a human is actually kind of fascinating. It was changing me because I was having a deeper appreciation for life and for being and existing. That's what encouraged me to want to share it with other people.
Even when I share with other people—people that I teach or just people I converse with—I'm always very clear: you're not meant to mimic me. Here are the tools that have helped me. See how it opens you up to you. Notice what you start to recognize about yourself. And then, of course, what that may reveal to you about this true nature that we talk about and these aspects of us that are really beneath the surface, beyond "I am Nathalie." Beyond "I was born in a female body." There is just so more underneath that is that unifying quality in all of us. And I think these practices have helped me see that in a broader way. 

DIR:  I love the way you put it: it's is about self-exploration. It's not about getting answers like, should I go to the supermarket now or later? I think you made it very clear and very loving for everyone to understand. I really appreciate that answer. You also mentioned something I always struggled to put into words when we had a conversation, and you did it beautifully. I feel that, as practitioners, we often struggle with the issue of messages. When we work with others, we shouldn't confuse observation and awareness with acting as an antenna, always grasping to get messages. Can you elaborate a little bit more on that?
YW: Yeah. When that initially was happening for me, I did have that pressure on myself because, again, I wasn't even very clear at the beginning of what Reiki was. And so it was this self-imposed pressure of, "Okay, I'm seeing in sensing thing. Am I supposed to tell them? What does this mean? Am I going to translate correctly?" All of this blah, blah, blah, right? I absolutely went through that phase and that stage. But then I got to a place of like, "Hello, come back to observation, let go, be the empty vessel. But there was a lot in my own process that I had to work through. [Letting go] layers of my own ego, of wanting to be right, to do it right. To do a good job. Honestly, I think there is nothing wrong with it. I think there's beauty in that so many people decide to do this type of work and hold space for others. We just genuinely want to do a good job. Like we want to help you. We want to support you. But then again, we attach to these expectations that take us out of the practice itself. I think for a lot of practitioners, it's just part of the process of the undoing and the learning and the bumping against ourselves to see what we're even attached to and the pressures we're putting on ourselves. So, I went through that cycle, and I appreciate it because now I can relate when I meet other practitioners who may have a similar experience. I'm like, "Yeah, it was there. Howsoever you can let that go, let it fall away. You can observe. And it absolutely means nothing. You can just hold space, and that's all it is." 
But I think the greater gift and a lot of the things that I practice outside of just Reiki, and I have to say Reiki is in there as well, was that it all kind of helped me learn more to trust. To let go. To not be so attached. To pay more attention to my own self-observation: what I feel, what I sense, how I feel guided, without making everything something. 

DIR: I think it's so helpful to know this when you are a beginner. Many of us practice for a couple of years, get confused or stuck, and drop the practice. It is advantageous to hear the experience of people who have been practicing for 15 years, 20 years, to understand that, "Oh, this is a stage. I just need to keep a beginner's mind and remember that my practice will keep changing. That's what excites me about Reiki. The more I practice, the more it changes, so I never get bored. You can never get Reiki "right" because the practice changes all the time. 
YW: Absolutely. And that's why a big focus for me is like, here are the tools. To me, they're foundational; they're keys. But the beauty is just don't leave them on the surface and don't get so rigid about being right. I have to practice, right? I have to [be in that space of] observation as I sit with myself and apply these. And not just when I'm sitting, not just in a session, but how do I apply this out in my everyday life? How does the Gokai show up in my exchanges with my friends and my family? Or how does using my breath really help me [in my exchanges] with the world around me? Right. So, it really is to me about how I am being and how these tools are helping me to evolve.
I think that's what keeps me excited and connected to my practice because I know I have no idea how I'm evolving and changing. I know it's this never-ending process. I don't know what the end result will be, but I'm very thankful that I'm changing. I'm very thankful for the ways that I see it has contributed to my life and how it's helping me soften. It helps with my layers of stress and how I handle things and all of that across the board. 
I also think that's why it's important for practitioners to know that if your experience doesn't mirror someone else's, it doesn't mean that you're wrong. You're just going through it your way. And what comes up for us individually is going to look different. How we choose to work through what comes up for us is going to be different. But it's the beauty in that we have these similar practices that help to get us there. 

DIR: That is amazing. We are often pressured to have the same experience as everybody else. If everybody loves a movie and you don't like it, it's weird. With your answer, you are giving the freedom for everyone to experience the practice differently. We will all unfold and evolve differently. And that is the way it should be: we all have different mindsets. I think that is a precious gift. 
You're supporting people to do this through your Patreon and your circle. Can you talk a bit about that? About the importance of supporting practitioners after certification? 
YW: Yeah. Interestingly it started with the podcast. I started the podcast in 2013. At the time, I was like, "Hello, is anybody talking about this stuff?" There wasn't a lot of information available outside of the little pod of the class you took or your immediate community. I was experiencing a lot in terms of stuff coming up and being uncomfortable and questioning, "Am I doing this right?" I realized there had to be other people that we're experiencing this too. [So I thought] if I can just share what I'm going through, and if anyone else is going through it, maybe it will encourage them to stay in the process. And then, we can start having conversations about this and help each other by sharing what we're experiencing and being honest about it. Not think you have to say you have to be peaceful and kind every day. If you're mad, say you're mad, but let's then look at these practices and see how they work? How do they help us work through these different emotions and things coming up?
I just wanted to talk about it and have a community forum, but I didn't even know if anyone would listen to the podcast. I was like, just throw it out there. It did take a while before I started hearing from people who found it and were listening. I really appreciated that. But then I started to realize even more that, for a lot of us, after our initial training, then what? And we go home and practice, but some people didn't even have access to their teachers afterward. When I'm practicing, that's when the stuff is really starting to happen. That's where I need to talk to someone. And this is where my questions are. Because when I'm in class, I don't know what to ask. I'm just learning. But when I start implementing, man, I have questions! 
Over the years, that evolved. I had an opportunity to then start doing some online classes, not Reiki. I don't teach Reiki online, but I started having online classes to support practitioners. I love the back-and-forth exchanges, so I decided to start the Patreon group. I invited practitioners to come in to practice together. But to also share. Let's talk about it. What's coming up for you? What is your experience?
I really believe we learn from each other, but it also gives people this space where they feel comfortable. They feel seen and heard because a lot of people that practice, whatever they practice, they may not have people in their immediate life that understand, that they can talk to about these things. A lot of people are closeted about their practices because they don't want to seem weird or be judged. And so it's like, "Yeah, you have this community, this space. Let's play, let's practice and talk about it." And it developed into a lot of mentoring. But again, it's one of those things that I'm like, I don't know how long I'll be doing this. I don't know what it will evolve into, but I'm doing that for now.

DIR: What you said about being closeted, I think it happens to a lot of us. When I talk about Reiki with my family, they confuse me either for a Hare Krishna or a witch. There is a lot of distrust. So for me, finding a community was significant as well. 
It also happens that when you discover Reiki, you don't want to work anymore and just want to do Reiki. Because it's so beautiful. And then part of the process is to face the fact that we can't all be practitioners. But that doesn't mean we drop the practice. It means your life becomes your practice? My freelance work, my family relationships… they all become practice. Finding the community really supports you in your self-exploration journey.
Talking about exploration, you are working on a project that has me pretty excited: an Oracle deck. Can you tell us about it?

YW: I wanted to create an Oracle deck for a very long time. Back when I was doing my Alice in Wonderland thing, I came across Oracle cards. I was like, "Oh, what are these about? I learned how to read Oracle cards from a woman who had created her own deck. She was a phenomenal teacher. But again, I used the cards every day to go like, "What is coming up in my energy? What may I not be looking at in a particular way?" Just wanting a different perspective on myself. Like, "What is it I'm holding around this situation, and what might support me to understand differently?" So, I worked with cards in that way, and then over the years, I started helping people learn how to read cards.
Then at some point, I became interested in the Tarot. Anyone familiar with Tarot [knows] it's broken up into major Arcana and Minor Arcana. For a very long time was only interested in the Major Arcana, known as the Fool's Journey. As I connected with the cards, I realized, "Oh my God, this is showing the process that we go through." Our own process of coming into a deeper relationship with ourselves and what starts to come up for us. It mirrored a lot of what I experienced through the years of this work. I was fascinated that this story was being told from another lens. And I have to say, Nathalie, that's one of the things why I also liked to study and read about so many different practices and philosophies. Underneath it all, they all seem to point back to the very same thing, which is you, and how you are going through this practice of awakening to yourself and revealing more of that true nature.
I was fascinated with Major Arcana. I got to the minors later. I now have more decks than I will admit on your show, but I realized I wanted just one go-to deck very specific for people interested in self-work. Practitioners or people interested in self-exploration could use this one deck and the different elements that hold that mirror for us. Like, "What is it that I am holding? What is it that I'm not seeing? What is it that is helping me in this challenging situation?" So, I designed the deck itself. I worked with an artist. I had to translate to her the images in my mind. Part of the deck is inspired by the Major Arcana, but then the rest is it's just different stuff going on. It's a deck to support people in their self-work. Because Oracle cards and Tarot were two tools that helped me go deeper into looking at this life experience and how I'm navigating it, I was like, "Yeah, I definitely want to create something that is very intentionally to be used for people who want to do the same."

DIR: Throughout this interview, one thing that keeps coming up is that all these practices are just tools to mirror and discover your true self. Yes, it's great that it fixes back pain, for example, in the case of Reiki, or that it gives you some emotional release. Still, in the end, it's really about self-exploration. Once you see everything through that filter, there is no right or wrong way of doing it. 
However, when you become familiar with so many tools, how do you establish a consistent daily practice? Which ones do you choose?

YW: Yeah. I just want to highlight something that you just said because I think a lot of us—when we are seeking and trying to understand—we "right and wrong" ourselves a lot. There's beauty in people that like you just stick to the purity of whatever particular practices. I like to think that people who practice this way are lineage holders in a way. I think that's very important because that's where the traditions get passed down. We can continue to learn like that information. Those teachings, those foundations are never lost because certain people just want to stick very tightly to the tradition. There's so much beauty in that because if that weren't the case, we wouldn't be sitting here right now talking about Reiki. However, there are some people, [and it's] not right or wrong, that does feel like, "I want all the things." 
I hope people can understand and appreciate whatever they feel called to. Like there is no right or wrong in this. But no matter what class I was taking, no matter what I was learning, I always had just a foundational daily meditation period across the board. And I've made it a point to be very rigid with myself, honestly, about making sure I start my day with medication. If I'm lucky, I get to do it a few times throughout the day. But meditation really is my love. That is genuinely what I'm in love with. So that has always been the foundation of no matter what exploration I do. 
Then say, for example, I studied Akashic records and Oracles and this and that. I give my attention to these practices because I genuinely want to understand them, but the thing is, I don't attach to them. I don't feel like I have to implement everything. How could I possibly practice every single thing every day? 
So, for me, the focus really is what am I getting from this thing that I just learned? It always comes back to how this practice is in service to my goal of understanding myself. How is this practice in service of helping me to see or understand myself in a higher way? And then I take that in, take it in, I take it in. I don't feel like I have to do all the things as much as I appreciate the different perspectives that all of these things have given me. 
But then there's also this thing that comes [with training], say Akashic records, for example. In the class that I took, it was suggested that you practice it every single day for 30 days right after class. And so, I did that because it was part of the practice. What I realized is I was enjoying that. Then that became part of what I did every single day for months. I went into my Akashic records. What started happening again is that instead of just being a surface thing that I was doing, I started to recognize, "How is this changing the way that I see things? The way that I feel the flow of energy? And on and on and on."
It's more like it awakened something in me, but it wasn't that I have to attach and say now I have to keep doing this every day. And I don't do it at all. But because of the connection to the practice itself, you start to embody [its] essence. How do [you] allow this experience, this expression to live through [you]. In a lot of ways, the grip you have on [these tools] starts to fall away. And it's more about how [are they] adding to this expression and what I am starting to understand more about myself. 
So, if you are someone who likes to study many things, maybe don't do 10 classes at once. [If you] want to study this one thing, give your time and attention to that thing, practice it, implement it. Otherwise, what are you studying for? What's the point? 
Don't give yourself this pressure of right and wrong as much as, "How do you feel guided in this practice?" Some people I know study many things and continue to practice all those things, but that's what works for them. And it's a beautiful thing. It's just that that wasn't my personal guidance. I'm just more of a "how can you help crack me open type of girl," and then let's see what happens. 

DIR: That is excellent guidance. We don't need to practice all of them every day. We just need to go deep to get that gift meant for us. And then we can choose what we keep. These practices look very different on the outside, but they all point towards the same thing at the end. I think we learn from everything, not just from spiritual practices like Akashic records or Oracle, but also from working a day job or walking on the street.
YW: Yes. And I think that's the beauty of this community as well—[although] a lot of people have a lot of judgment around it. It's beautiful that you have so many different people practicing and people called to so many different things. You have this variation of tools and elements available to anyone and what you feel called to. For example, I know a lot of people who work with Reiki and crystals. I have a lot of crystals, and I love crystals, but they're not necessarily part of my sessions. But there are people who feel drawn to that. It fascinates me the way this work expresses through everyone uniquely, you know what I mean? Or some practitioners may like to incorporate a reading or do Akashic records. Then they'll implement energy work as part of the process. People have to allow things to express through them the way that they feel called. That's amazing to me. And I like variety. I know that everything is not for everyone, and we're all going to be drawn in and inspired by even different things. That has been why I appreciate learning different things, reading about different things. I love to interview people because I want to hear, "What is your practice, and what has it done for you?" When I interview people in their different practices, it's not because I practice or what I'm interested in. But I understand that there are other people listening that may be held to that. So, let's have a conversation and see what's inspiring all of us. 

DIR: It's beautiful because we're billions of people, and everybody will have a journey, right? There is no one way; there are 7 billion ways.
YW: Yes, exactly.

DIR: Your answers have been very enlightening. I love how articulate, precise, and kind they are. Changing gears a bit, however, I would like to ask you about a Reiki "oops" that gave you valuable insight into Reiki practice. 
YW: I can think of two off the top of my head. One, the biggest Reiki "oops" for me at the very beginning was trying so hard. I mean, I was trying hard. I was attached to the outcome, and this was more so in practicing with other people. And you know, that whole thing that a lot of practitioners go through, like, "Is this working? Is it right?" I was so focused [on that,] not trusting, allowing, and, you know, being an empty vessel. I was putting a lot of pressure on myself, and it was so distracting. And then there was this one day. I'll never forget. One of my friends wanted me to do a session. And I literally had the thought—because I was so frustrated with not knowing how it was working—"I don't even care." I literally went into the session with this feeling of "I couldn't care less," let me just lay my hands on them. I was so detached. It was the most amazing experience. It was just this flood of energy. And I just had this realization in the moment of "you got out of the way, you stopped trying." And that's the whole thing: stop trying, just sit, breathe. That was a huge lesson about just being an observer, just staying with my own breath. My focus in that particular session was more so on me. The cultivation of the life force that I was experiencing in my own being allowed me to be free in the flow of life force I was feeling, letting go of my attachments, surrendering. To let go of the yip yap [in my head] about rightness. To let go of the anger and frustration. That was huge for me. So while I do care when I show up for a session, I'm not attached to the outcome. 
Another thing is, I have encountered over the years not just working with different practitioners but in conversation with a lot of practitioners that a lot of people just want to get it quick. I don't know if they want to awaken quick or want a quick result. I'm not sure what the desire is, but they want something to happen quickly. Right. So many people will do things where they'll do, like Reiki 1, 2, and 3 within a day. And then, on the other side, they feel like drunk. It's almost like an energetic overload that happens when people ingest, ingest, ingest because "I want to do this fast."
That was also a big lesson: an observation of integration. Like, be easy. There's no rush; take it in. It's not just a surface-y thing. The truth of the matter is when you start connecting with yourself and when you start implementing these practices, it can't not change you. The energy that moves can't not have some type of impact on you. Instead of trying to overstimulate yourself or your system, [be] kind. It reminds me of enjoying the meal: you don't have to eat so fast, just enjoy the meal. You'll notice the flavors, the textures, you know what I mean? It's different than wolfing it all down, and then you're full. And you're like, "Oh, I feel sick. I don't know what happened." I think our practice in a lot of ways can be that way, but I have learned the beauty of being patient. Not just in what we ingest, but being patient with ourselves and recognizing how the work is helping us to evolve, shift, change, balance, bring stuff up, and work through the layers. Just take a breath and take your time.

DIR: I love those two words: patience and integration. It reminds me of a story recounted by Sharon Salzberg of when she went to study meditation in India. She was practicing Metta meditation for a month or so, focusing on herself. She was feeling that it wasn't really changing her life and was a bit frustrated. Then one day, she let something drop. And she heard her inner voice say, "You are a klutz, but I love you." It is such a human, beautiful perspective. It changed me because I had always wanted Reiki to solve everything in my life. Self-acceptance was not even on the map.
We expect the changes to be big and fast, but they actually show up in the small things. When we break a glass, and we don't spiral out into self-hatred. Or you call someone by the wrong name, apologize and let it go versus fretting for hours. These are the indications your practice is working. Practicing kindness towards ourselves and others. 
YW: With you saying that, Nathalie, it reminds me of [Frans Stiene, a teacher we both have in common.] One of the things I really appreciated about having him as a teacher is that he has such lightheartedness. There's such a playfulness to him in his classes. I think when we come into this, a lot of people think we have to be so serious. Like, this is serious. And while it's serious business doing your healing, playfulness can be a part of it and actually is quite helpful in the process of not being attached, being more forgiving, and being more compassionate. The laughter has to be present. 

DIR: Then the practice becomes so dry, right? And the reality is so opposite. Like right now, there are garbage trucks under my window, a concert, people screaming. Or posed like on Instagram, where everyone meditates looking into the horizon with perfect wavy hair flying in the wind. It's not perfect, yet it is. 
YW: Yeah! I think sometimes one of the maybe basic questions that we can ask ourselves along the way is, "How am I experiencing this?" Like on the other side, not while you're meditating itself. Just taking a breath and noticing like, "Am I using this essence of calmness and stillness? Am I able to apply this when something triggers me out in my life? When I recite and chant the Gokai, am I really feeling into those words? Do I really allow them to be like little mantras and remind me of my perspective as I'm interacting in the day?" 
I mean, again, it comes down to patience, slowing down, observing how the practices are actually impacting your life. It's not just information to take in to be able to regurgitate, to know all the spiritual jargon. No. [Observe,] how is this actually? Why did you study this in the first place? That's like one of the things I ask: why do you want this in the first place? And then how are you allowing this to support you in experiencing that?

DIR: I taught a woman recently, and she told me she could not feel the energy but felt the practice was working because she didn't scream at her kids so much. She was doing things she had not dared to do before. I loved this. 
But back to your Oracle Deck, do you have a timing for the launch? I'm already hitting that pre-buy button! 
YW:  Thankfully, I have a friend who is a graphic artist, and she has helped me a lot. So everything will be submitted for printing in September. And then it's supposed to just be a few months after that. So hopefully [it will be ready] in the fall, but definitely by the end of this year.

DIR: Awesome. That's going to be my Christmas present! Thank you so much for being on the podcast and sharing your beautiful wisdom. 
YW: Thank you so much. 

Yolanda’s drawing.