In Conversation With…. Emily Opal

  For this In Conversation With article I had the pleasure of getting to speak to Emily Opal over an email chain for a few weeks, allowing me to get a glimpse into her wonderful energy and knowledge that she has to share. Emily Opal is multi-disciplinary practitioner in the world of healing. Weaving together her roles as a Vinyasa and Yin Yoga teacher, meditation practitioner and a Reiki healer. Based in Victoria, Canada, Emily creates welcoming and supportive spaces with her agenda being that to approach her sessions "from a place of unconditional love and radical acceptance."   Grace Cummins: Can you introduce yourself a little please, where you feel you sit within the holistic world of wellness? Emily Opal: My name is Emily Opal and I grew up and live on the beautiful west coast of Canada. I spent many years traveling and living elsewhere in the world only to realise that what I had all along was the best for me…somehow isn’t that always how it happens? To make a long story short, I discovered yoga when I stepped away from my career as an actor. This modality introduced me to so much freedom in my body and my life. It was the feeling I had always been searching for. My journey to reiki happened very organically when a friend said “hey I have some friends who are leading a reiki level 1 class you should do it.” My whole body said yes and I listened. I’m so glad I followed through with that intuitive ping, because reiki has been one of the biggest game-changers for me. When I was first starting out I asked myself this same question…where do I fit in this industry? The answer that came through and a line that I use on my business cards and website to this day is: Very Practical Magic. I am someone who straddles the worlds of spirituality and science, and furthermore from there believe they are essentially one and the same. I believe in unseen energy, whether you want to call it god or quantum physics, we’re all talking about the same thing in a slightly different language. It also feels very important to me to provide practical applications to all the magic created during a session. I am here to support my clients, students, and community’s whole lives. If they lose connection the minute they step out the door, I haven’t done my job.   GC: How do your yoga and reiki practices/teachings fit into the world of energy? EO: A few things that are incredibly important to me are that my community feels safe to be who they are from the get go. If you are coming to work with me, yes, there are probably things about your life that you would like to shift, but if you are only living in that future space, then how do we know where to start (cue a whole other discussion about manifestation…) I also feel that this work should be accessible to ALL. I offer a sliding scale with my private clients for this reason. In my own healing work my major goal has been to be able to show up in this world from my authentic self. No hiding. No shrinking. (My spirit guides laugh when I talk about this because I am 6 feet tall. What kind of game was I playing to try to hide). And this is the message I bring to all my work; you, at your core, are valid. And even beyond that, is necessary in this wild world.   GC: Do you feel we could be working better with the energies around us? EO: Perfect segue. Y E S. 100% yes. Everything has energy, a source frequency. But we are not taught to listen. We are not taught that being sensitive is a gift. We are not taught to respect that every natural thing has a place and purpose. Our (western) society is so single minded. Just look at what has been done to our earth in the name of “progress.” Look at the wars, people who take their own lives rather than live in the pain, deforestation, the islands of garbage in the ocean, the list could literally go on and on. We are all stressed, medicated and burnt out (I am usually quite cautious of making generalisations, but this one is pretty darn true). This is where the real leaders need to step in and remind us that there is more to life than this. GC:  When we talk about energy, can you explain your approach to it? EO: Energy is the unseen force of life. It vibrates in and through everything around us. My felt experience of it comes through in many ways. When I’m practicing reiki it shows up as heat, pressure, tingling, specific thoughts or images, colours, phrases. It proves to me the belief I’ve had for a long time: that we are all truly connected. The amount of times in session I’ve had exactly the same experience as my client would be uncountable. If any of that still feels too out there, think of when you meet a new person and you get a vibe…that’s your energy interacting with theirs. Vibes are energy! It feels to me, like a web or network that all of us weave into. If you’re a visual person check out “Theologue” by Alex Grey.   GC:  What is solar energy and its uses? EO: Solar energy is all about action and growth. If you think of how the living things on earth react to the sun…that’s it. Within us, as humans we go through cycles, or at least we are meant to exist in cycles. To touch back into working better with the energy around us; our world seems to be stuck in solar energy. This yang force that has us doing and planning and going and and and. With no balance this is our recipe for burn out. Don’t get me wrong, solar energy is AMAZING. Just think about how great it feels in the summer to be out and about and social, but it’s the expectation to always be in that mode that gets us humans in trouble. Some of my favourite ways to work with solar forces: -Hot yoga -Strength training -Climbing mountains -Spicy foods -Socialising -Dancing to live music -Making a to do list   GC: What is lunar energy and what are its uses? EO: Lunar energy is a balm, a salve to the solar forces. It’s the presence that says “it’s time to rest now.” And we have a really hard time with this one. Most of us are taught, explicitly or implicitly, that your worth is directly related to your productivity. This is a flat out lie. You enter this body worthy and loved. We believe what we are fed, and of course we do, this is how we learn about the world. But it’s wrong, you do not always have to be doing and producing. You are a human BEING first and foremost. Some of my favourite ways to work with lunar forces: -Yin yoga -Sit and watch the ocean -Submerge in any body of water -Receive any kind of body work/energy work (from a trusted practitioner) -Gentle walk in the forest -Meditation -Herbal tea   GC: How can solar/lunar energies support us? EO: It’s all about that balance, baby! One of the most powerful aspects of the practices I lead are the opportunity to learn about your body’s own communication system. This way YOU can know when your balance is off and the medicine you need to come back into regulation. And I don’t mean prescription pills, although those do have a time and place; I mean our own medicine based in our body’s wisdom. This also shows up in following the wheel of the year. We are cyclical beings and are not meant to be in one mode constantly. When we learn about the cycles of the moon and the seasons, we can receive support from the world around us instead of feeling like we have to constantly force things into being. It welcomes in more flow and ease.   GC: For a novice to the world of energy, where would you suggest someone starts? EO: Meditate. The better you know your own internal landscape the better you will be able to discern what energy is yours and what you’re potentially picking up from what's around you. It also depends on what your goal is. If you just want to become more aware? Then meditate. If you want support in clearing and healing, find a practitioner you trust, and trust your gut on that one. There are unfortunately many people in the energy healing zone who are happy to take advantage of folks who are searching for answers. This is where knowing yourself really comes into play, if something doesn’t feel right it probably isn’t. Some of my favourite ways to meditate are to find a spot in nature, set a timer and just sit. There are so many preconceived notions about meditation, that you have to clear your mind etc., but the BEST thing you can do,  especially if you are wanting to use it to learn more about yourself and energy, is to just sit and try to listen to what’s going on inside your system.   GC:  If you could tell everyone one thing, what would it be? EO: YOU ARE A BEING OF LIMITLESS POTENTIAL.