BOLD JOURNEY - meet Jo-Anne Suriel

https://boldjourney.com/news/meet-jo-anne-suriel/

We were lucky to catch up with Jo-Anne Suriel recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jo-Anne, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
Rather than searching outside of myself, finding my purpose was a journey of going deeply within. It was also a journey of self-acceptance and self-celebration. Like most of us, I grew up wanting to “fit in” and wanting to belong. There is something very primal about belonging—there’s a strong sense of safety and security in community. However, we have a tendency to overemphasize conformity, leading to the notion that you can’t be your true self because, if you’re too different, you’ll be rejected. So, then you develop a subconscious fear attached to being your authentic self.

I worked in several different industries before pursuing the path of an energy healer. My longest career stretch was 13 years in financial services. As a business analyst at a private equity firm in New York City, I knew that my job was highly desirable to many people. Initially, I really enjoyed the work and the amazing people I got to be around. But about halfway through those 13 years, I knew that this livelihood wasn’t aligned with my purpose. However, I stayed in the industry—and even got an Ivy League MBA on the side, while working full time and having my daughter—because I was afraid of abandoning this impressive-sounding career. Even though my heart was calling me toward wellness and spirituality, my head was saying, “Why would you give up something so prestigious and lucrative?”

Then, a few months after having my daughter, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease—rheumatoid arthritis. I was in excruciating pain on a daily basis—I was prescribed the strongest of medications, as well as a walker. But intuitively I felt I needed to try alternative methods first—including reiki.

Eventually, I began studying reiki, which for me opened the door to other modalities, including the akashic records and sound healing. Through these practices I was able to get more and more in balance—mentally, emotionally, and physically—and this led me to grow into a greater acceptance of myself and my uniqueness. When I finally let go of what I thought I “should” be doing and left my finance career, I could more fully embrace my authentic self and dove into exploring my heart’s calling—meditating daily, learning more about spirituality and wellness, and officially launching my reiki practice. When I allowed myself to be different and to follow my passions, my purpose became more and more clear. Now I feel so fulfilled and grateful to be aligned with my purpose while also being of service to my clients.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I’m an intuitive energy healer and the founder of Energetic Well. My passion is to create space for you to remember the innate healing well that you already have within. Regardless of whether or not you professionally pursue a path of healing, I believe that we’re all incredibly powerful healers in some way, shape, or form. I’m a certified akashic records reader, reiki master, and sound healing practitioner and I often use all three modalities (and more) to architect experiences to help you gently reclaim your most authentic, fulfilled, and vibrant self.

The akashic records is like an energetic database of every thought and emotion your soul has experienced throughout lifetimes. In an akashic records reading, we can tap into the wisdom of your soul’s history to receive guidance and clarity on any issues that you may currently be facing. Reiki is a gentle Japanese energy healing technique that helps to bring your mind, body, and spirit back into alignment. You could say that a reiki session is like getting an “energetic massage” where you stay fully clothed and the practitioner’s hands may or may not be in contact with your physical body. Sound healing utilizes specific frequencies to help you return to state of balance. I use chimes, drums, singing bowls, tuning forks, as well as the voice—my personal favorite—to help calm the nervous system and promote healing. These three modalities help to holistically bring your energetic frequencies into resonance, allowing you to release stress and truly embrace inner peace.

My work is also deeply connected to nature—we are all nature and, when we remember this truth, it can awaken a profound sense of clarity and confidence that may have gotten unconsciously buried under layers of societal conditioning. Just like water, when poured into a container, naturally comes to a state of equilibrium, we too, are naturally compelled toward balance—physically, mentally, and emotionally. Energetic healing helps us to gently restore harmony within.

For my 1-on-1 clients, I offer akashic records readings as well as sound healing-infused reiki—both in-person and virtually. For groups, my signature offering is called Reiki Sound Sanctuary, which is a ceremonial practice designed to help calm your mind, connect to your heart, and expand your intuitive gifts. We do a bit of gentle movement and then I share an akashic guided meditation and an intuitively-led harmonic experience customized to the energy of the group. Finally, I recently launched Energetic Well Song Circle, a virtual gathering on the full moon, where we practice one of the most powerful and enjoyable forms of self-healing together in community. The song circle isn’t at all about performance or technique, it’s more about reconnecting to a feeling of joy and rediscovering the healing well of your own voice.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
To be honest, it feels like I’ve been on a very long journey—so I’m happy to share! Some of the main skills that have emerged as the most impactful for me have been: getting comfortable with the idea of failure, embracing the wisdom of your emotions, and nurturing your connections.

At some point, midway into my working years, I read an interview with Sara Blakely, founder of the highly successful brand Spanx. When she was a kid, after each school day, her dad—rather than asking the typical, “how was your day?”—would ask about what she had failed at that day. The idea is that if you’re not failing, that means you’re not really trying to reach beyond your comfort zone. We’re so conditioned to fear failure—we could be mocked, shamed, etc. Many of us would rather stay in an uncomfortable box rather than take a risk and go for something that may or may not work out. Always take the risk. At best, the reward will be beyond your wildest dreams. And at worst, you’ll learn something of value to help you on your path.

As an energy healer, a big part of my job is to listen—both to what is being said and to what is left unsaid. And I’ve noticed that most of us have a tendency to overvalue the intellect and devalue the emotions. Unfortunately, our emotions are often seen as a weakness. But nothing could be further from the truth. Our emotions give us a direct line of connection to our intuition, which is gold—especially when it comes to any form of decision-making. There is precious wisdom housed within all of us in the form of intuitive knowing. Getting more comfortable noticing and embracing your emotions without judgement is a key factor in tapping in to your inner wisdom.

Finally, nurturing connections has been an invaluable wellspring of support throughout my journey. We live in such an individualistic culture, and I tend to be more of an introvert, but I find that there’s not as much joy in going it alone—and it will generally take you much longer to achieve your goals without any sort of like-minded community. When you find folks who can relate to your journey, by sympathizing with your challenges and celebrating your achievements alongside you, this can really help you to stay motivated on the days that are heavier on challenge—and we all have those days, no matter how passionate you are about your craft.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
The most impactful thing my parents did for me was to be role models of perseverance. My parents are both immigrants—my dad is from the Dominican Republic and my mom is from the Philippines. It took me a long time to realize how much courage it takes to leave the country of your birth and move across the planet—before the internet, before cellphones—to seek out a better life for yourself and your family. Not only did they have to support themselves, but also were expected to send money back home. It’s the ultimate in boldness to leave the only life you’ve ever known and start anew, with little-to-no help, in a different language, and in a foreign land. Their stories of perseverance have given me so much strength and determination—if they could do something so audacious, then there’s really nothing I can’t do.