Podcast Episode 32: Stephanie Banks

Alison: Okey dokey. Hi.

Jean: Did you do it?

Alison: I did it.

Jean: How are you doing?

Alison: I’m good.

Alison: It’s pouring here.

Jean: Yes, we’re getting our second big storm.

Alison: I know it’s kind of nice, so it makes me feel cozy.

Jean: Yes. Me too, me too.

Alison: And that’s a perfect way to start talking about Stephanie Banks.

Jean: Yes. Um, okay, I have to share that, um, she gave me a channeling session, which was so beautiful. I was living off the energy for a few days.

Alison: That’s right. So Stephanie Banks is a channeler. Her website is Soul Insight, and it says she is channeling wisdom for personal and global transformation. And I’m not really, at least I wasn’t that familiar with channeling or channelers or, you know, we were asking, what’s the difference between that and a medium? And, um, and yet when we were talking, she so when you hear in the interview, she’s so down to earth.

Jean: Yeah, she, she you’re you’re really talking to a friend. And the way, um, the way that she got this gift or I should say, revealed this gift is through her mother that she was trying to to communicate with her mother, who had dementia.

Jean: But, moreover, I was so impressed with the sincerity and the beauty of of her consciousness.

Alison: That’s right. And I, um, we both we both did readings with her so that we could talk to you more about that. And I have to say, the reading.. I felt I felt high afterward. I was so happy. Yeah. And I felt literally like one of the luckiest people, um, on earth, like, just in gratitude for the people in my life and the people that have gone before me and the higher their higher selves talking. And it just was so positive and wonderful that if any of you are interested, please go to Soul Insight and check her out.

Jean: She is the real deal and she, uh, she can channel people that are currently physically on the earth or people that have made their transition and pets. So if this, um, you know, calls to you, please reach out to her. She is the real deal. And what a beautiful soul she is.

Alison: So let’s listen to the interview, and then we’ll come back and talk more.

Stephanie: Are we recording???. Wait, wait. I have to look for chia seeds. Hahahah… hello, lovelies.

Alison: Hi, I’m Allison.

Stephanie: Hi, Allison, I’m Stephanie. Hi, Jean.

Alison: Thank you so much for doing this.

Stephanie: Yeah. No, it’s my pleasure. I love to talk about myself all the day long. hahaha.

Alison: All right, go ahead. hahah

Stephanie: No, I’m just joking. I know it’s definitely not something that’s comfortable, but I’m getting used to it.

Jean: Well, you’re excellent at what you do.

Stephanie: Thank you.

Jean: From everything that I’ve heard, you’re really fine tuned your your gift of channeling, so…

Alison: And can you just start by explaining to our listeners how you stepped into this? I think it was with your your mom?

Stephanie: Yeah. Yeah, I, I say that I came upon it out of necessity because I was losing the ability to communicate while my mother was losing her ability to communicate through traditional verbal communication. She had dementia, and it was a type of dementia that affects younger people, and many have not heard of it. It’s called frontotemporal dementia. And she started to have symptoms in her 50s. So with this type of dementia, it does um, that’s not uncommon. And it took a very long time for us to understand what she actually had, because they kept misdiagnosing it as depression or some other type of mental illness. So by the time we figured out what she had, we were already deep in it. And it was, you know, our interactions were frustrating. And, um, my relationship with her was suffering. And even though I have a clinical background in speech therapy and I know how to deal with cognitive disorders, um, it’s my mom. So I couldn’t just apply clinical information to her because we had a whole history of emotional connection. So at the time, luckily, as the universe always provides us what we need, I had a best friend who was a very gifted channel, and I’d never heard of channeling before, but I had seen her do it, and I asked her if she would please channel my mom’s soul for me because I was not getting it right, in terms of understanding what she needed and knowing what my what my role was with her so many times she channeled her soul for me, and each time I got to a deeper place of understanding that she actually her soul needed me to present very differently than I had been. Lo and behold, she did not need me to control her. Go figure??? hahah… Or to apply my clinical expertise to her, you know, daily experience. Um, and so I learned, actually, I learned a lot more than that. But I learned how to maintain my connection, my heart connection to her, and, uh, and let go and find our, our beautiful moments and our humor once again. And even though we might have an entire conversation that was completely empty of any meaning whatsoever, we could still smile and laugh about that and and just move on and not dwell and not try to correct things. So that’s that’s how I came upon it. And when I saw what a difference it made in my relationship to my mother and thus my whole family, because everybody benefited from this, I figured I have to learn how to do this more for myself and then eventually teach it. So that’s what I’m doing now.

Alison: It’s wonderful. In your in your, um, I think it was a Ted talk at and your mom said to you, “why do people keep referring to you as my daughter?” And, um, I had to stop the tape because I found that so emotional. And then I thought it was beautiful, that instead of arguing with her and saying, well, of course I’m. You said, what relationship do you think we have? Yeah, I think that is so. I was so proud of you. I really wanted to hug you. That was so beautiful. And then when she said, you’re my best friend….that was just, I don’t know,..  I have two children, and so it gets me very choked up… You you handle that so well.

Stephanie: Um. Thank you. Yeah. I actually, in that moment in the car when she asked me that dreaded question, which I knew was coming at some point, because that’s the nature of dementia, right? You you become someone totally different to your loved one, or totally disconnected and unknown to them. And it was my fear that she would not know me at some point. So when she asked why we were, you know, people were referring to us as mother and daughter, I actually said to her, what does our relationship feel like to you? … That was spirit coming through obviously, because my linear mind would have said, okay, let’s go through and trigger her memories and try to bring her back to an orientation. But yes, and so the gift that I got from that was hearing from her what I feel like to her. And I felt like her best friend. And I’ll take it. That’s an amazing promotion. Yeah.

Jean: So interesting to me. It’s almost like you drop the identities or the labels of being mother and daughter and sister and you just move into pure Presence, pure Love. And you met your mother where she was at. You we’re not trying to  like, like you just said, try to coax her… Come on, remember when you fed me Cheerios? You’re my mother!

Stephanie:  Yeah, exactly.  And that’s the beauty of soul… soul connection;   is that, if we’re willing to let go of some of these cloaks of personality and roles that we have, have always known with one another, and we we can do this worldwide. This is why I teach channeling, because I really do see a world in which we can relate to one another in the moment, with whatever is going on with compassion. So yeah, it allowed us to to have that beautiful depth and it allowed us to and it let me narrowly escape like this devastation of losing my place with my mom. Yeah. Um, it gave me a place with her that I could work on continuing to cultivate and yeah, magic.. Just beautiful magic.

Alison: Could you tell me the difference if there even is a difference between a channeler, a medium, and a psychic?

Stephanie: I will try. But honestly, these these words, they’re defined differently depending on who you ask. Okay. Um, I’ll just repeat what I’ve been taught, because it makes sense to me. Um, channeling for me is connecting to divine energy and wisdom and creating space. So, you know, if you if you if there’s a channel that means there’s space for something to move through. So when I’m channeling, I’m actually getting out of the way, the personality of me, um, moves aside so that what can come through is of, in the way that I work, of the highest living vibration and comes through what is called fifth dimensional consciousness, which is unity consciousness. That’s the way I channel. So that’s how I define channeling. Um, psychic readings in my understanding and I know there’s going to be others who say that’s not the right definition, but in my understanding, learning is, um, they are tuning to a lot of the three dimensional world and can also be predictive in quality, tell you what’s coming, help you to potentially prepare for what’s coming, give you advice around that. Tell you even what has happened specifically in the past by attuning to and reading what’s what’s occurring or has occurred on the three dimensional. Um, there’s other definitions to that. And then mediumship in my understanding is um, channeling or connecting to those on the other side, ancestors and loved ones who are no longer in physicality, but still very usually very present to support us on our journeys. And I do mediumship work as well. I kind of clump it into the channeling because I’m connecting to the ancestors and loved ones to bring forward whatever they want to share with their, with their beloveds. Um, but that’s in general a sense for how they can be distinguished.

Alison: Thank you. That’s because we were talking about and I was saying, I’m not even sure I fully  know understand. So thank you for that.

Jean: And I love Stephanie that you are alluding to the notion that people can learn channeling. It’s just not this gift that you have, you have solely and that you can actually learn to channel.

Stephanie: Yes, well I did.

Jean: Right, right.

Stephanie: And I feel like if I can really anyone. Well, I’ll say this. Anybody who wishes to who is willing to put in the practice and learn to channel. So I don’t believe one can just snap their fingers and tune in and say, well, this is coming from, you know, high vibrational consciousness. I actually have to do most of my work occurs between my sessions. That’s where I have to really, uh, tend to my energetic hygiene, I call it. I have to clear out a lot of this junk that I have just as much as anyone else. So fears or insecurities or egoic, you know, focus or repetitive thoughts or self-doubts, judgments, all that stuff. Because I’m doing a human thing and I can be pretty judgmental and have all those other components too, so that I can present in the highest with my own highest frequency and therefore allow in other high frequencies. If my self care sucks, then my connection is going to suffer. So um, so I do a lot to maintain that. And, and I do owe that to my clients. You know, I take this work is to me, it’s really important work and I take it seriously, even though there’s a lot of humor and joy that I experience with it. Um, I take it on as quite a responsibility because it’s you can create chaos and confusion if you’re not clear, and if you’re not maintaining that, you know, high level of of loving frequency.

Jean: So yeah. And you you mentioned that in a, something I read about the quality of self care. Can you talk a little bit more about what your practices are with around that. And yeah. Why is self care so important?

Stephanie: Yeah.. Well it’s important and we all know how we feel when we’re not loving ourselves and when we’re not doing what brings us joy and pleasure and delight of the heart. Right? We tend to, um, have a more diminished view of ourselves. We tend to undervalue ourselves. Our relationships suffer because we start to become more and more constricted and drawn away, rather than open and moving and warm and moving closer to. So that’s the reason why to do self care. Another reason why to do it is because, um, you were put here as a glorious, amazing, phenomenal, exquisite being soul being to have the gift of the human journey in the three dimension and the third dimension. And there’s so much here to be enjoyed and experienced. I mean, food is at the top of my list. I don’t know of a planet that has this great food. Do you? Um, and then our our relationships with others and for me, time with my dogs and nature and animals and plants and all of that. So it’s just you’re worth it. We are worth having the most joyful experience we can invite in and that we can appreciate. And then I call it radical self-care, because we are in a time where especially, uh, I’m going to generalize this a little bit, but I believe it, especially for women, we are not encouraged to take really to go in and take really good care of ourselves.

Stephanie: We are, most of us, trained to look outward, attend to the needs of others, make sure everybody else is okay, and then maybe if there’s a little scrap of time left over, okay, I can perhaps read a page of my book or take a quick nap or whatever, but we really need to flip that. Because, if the divine feminine is to, um, support us in the transformation of humanity, which I do believe she is, and we are to bring balance back to our suffering earth, then we need to, you know, we are men and women and anyone else gender, you know, identified as whatever gender are, we need to step up into that. And radical self-care is the best way I know to do that. So what’s on my list? And I’m not joking when I put dark chocolate at the top of it. That is absolutely necessary. Um, time in my garden because that’s where miracles happen. That’s where I’m reminded of life existing outside the walls of my home, and butterflies and dragonflies and bees and papayas.

Stephanie: And I grow bananas. And, I mean, it’s just it’s endless. The magic that happens, uh, while I’m in here doing other things, um, movement and exercise is essential. Self-care. Our bodies absorb a lot of energy and that can start to stagnate and become, um, really uncomfortable and also contribute to illness, um, or inflammation if we don’t move energy out. Um, I mentioned food, really, the, um, enjoying food and sourcing ourselves with good food, with high vibrational food, with food that, um, for me, it’s important to me to be, um, plant based with my diet because vibrationally that is in alignment with how I want to feel in the work that I’m doing in the world. Um, time with my animals always raises my frequency. Time with any animals, really. Babies are fun too, but I’m not going to have any more of those. hahah But if you can grab one, that’s good self-care. It goes on. You know that you’re it’s your basic needs and making sure that they are attended to. So that’s rest and hydration and excellent nutrition. Um, very good relationships, positive relationships, relationships that resource you with energy rather than deplete you from energy. So those are just a few.

Alison: And do you, when you are, um, channeling,… Um, is it tiring or is it like rejuvenating, like or how does it feel? I find it so fascinating and exciting. Yeah.

Stephanie: Me too. Um, I, you know, I used to say it depends who I’m channeling for, because sometimes I used to leave some sessions, very rarely, feeling exhausted and depleted. Then I started to get more clear with my guides about what types of, um, people I am best suited to channel for. I am not best suited to channel for everybody just because I can. So there is a certain frequency that certain people carry. A lot of people carry. It’s not like you’re you have to be a rare breed in order for me to, to be channeling for you. Um, but when, when the, when those are not aligned or close to similar, at least in the frequency that I tend to carry and value and cultivate, then I’m working really, really hard and I a lot of energy is going out, and it’s not this beautiful feedback loop where I am really connected to the person. And, um, and we’re, we’re kind of in a collective elevation together. So that’s, that’s what I’ve learned how to, how to get more clear about the, the right clients for me and the right people to join certain groups and how to say no thank you or just no without the thank you for those that for those that I’m not meant to serve because there’s someone better for them than me.

Alison: I love that. I love that you have sort of, um. It feels like a very helpful boundary.

Stephanie: Yeah, yeah, it took a while. It takes all of us a while. It’s trial and error. Same thing in our relationships, right? Like we can probably all identify where we’re still hanging on to some relationships that are not, like, feeling so good anymore, or maybe not even serving the purpose that they once used to. But it’s really hard to communicate that or to lovingly disengage from that. But I believe we have to if we are to, to really move around freely in our own energy fields.

Jean: You’re right, you’re right. Yeah. Stephanie. So, so can you talk a little bit about how you go about teaching someone to channel? Can you give our listeners like a tip, or if someone was so inclined to desire to learn channeling, what would you offer?

Stephanie: Yeah, the first foundational thing is what we just spoke of, which is the self care, because you cannot come to the work of channeling with a very low perception or value of yourself, then it’s kind of like martyrdom, you know, that will feel like you’re you’re pushing and and fighting and really efforting in a way that will not be regenerative. And channeling, I believe, is meant to be regenerative. So we talk about radical self care. It looks different for everybody. But can you commit to 1 or 2 things each day, even in a very busy schedule that will lighten your heart? Um, meditation is essential to being clear and but there’s also many ways to do that. It’s not just sitting in emptiness and oaming. So a lot of people are afraid of meditation, or they actively avoid it because they think they’ve done it wrong or they’re a failure at it. I’m not a very good meditator. I like,  in terms of, well, I don’t even know what that means, actually…Because who is? Okay, Michael Singer is and I’m following his work closely right now tp become a better meditator. But it’s not about being good or bad at it. It’s really just the process of showing up. So if you’re willing to show up and look for a little bit of space between your thoughts, that’s successful meditation, just showing up and getting a drop of space between your thoughts, that’s something to celebrate. Um, it’s also I teach a lot of specific strategies and tools, which I can’t easily go through in this format because there’s like a process to them and an experience to them. But something else we do in my, uh, in all of my workshops is we dance.. we, we, we bunch ourselves up and we take on so much and we become right, like, tight and just braced and, um, crusty. And so dance really moves that energy out. And you don’t have to dance on camera. I always give people the option, like you can let loose off camera, but it does shake off whatever we’ve absorbed during the day. It brings joy back to us. It improves our circulation. It makes us feel alive. And that’s a great place from which to channel.

Jean:  allison started a tap dancing class.

Alison: Nice.

Alison: I just decided that I always wanted to tap dance, and so I’m doing it, and I’m really having so much fun.

Stephanie: That’s amazing.

Alison: And it’s just it’s seems ridiculous to me. And yet I, I went last night. I just love it so goofy to see me with these tap shoes. Like, it’s like, doesn’t make sense, but it’s so much fun and I always feel so much better afterward, right? Yes.

Jean: I hear that dancing makes helps you move energy. Oh, yeah. You’ve been feeling stuck in your life? Yes. Start dancing.

Stephanie: It’s instantaneous. Mhm. You should see when I, when I have a group and I because I pick very particular songs that make us want to dance and so there’s like a pre, you know if I could like take a screenshot of all the zoom faces, you know, who are just listening and really intent on things. And I’m like okay, well here’s our song. So go dance. And we come back and everyone’s like ,,,,rather filled up and thrilled with themselves. Yeah, that’s what dancing does. So Allison, I want to know who else is in your class. Is there a variety of people?

Alison: You can’t even.. I thought, I’m definitely going to be like the oldest or the worst. Like, I had all these thoughts, …There’s, like, men and women and young kids like, like like I’d say in their teens and 20s and then people older than me and and everyone is just so, like, cheering for each other. And you know, some are really good and some are just bad and no one cares. You know, they’re having they everyone has big smiles that we’re like, we’re learning a song from Chicago and we’re all like, it’s like 7:30 at night. We’ve all had our day and we come in there and we’re trying to act all sexy in the song and we all just start laughing, you know, like you’re singing and we’re all like, good job on that. You know, like… And I don’t know, I have so much fun.

Stephanie: I love that so much. I may need to try that too.

Alison:  it’s so funny. You always keep thinking I’m just going to be like Gene Kelly, you know what I mean?

Stephanie: I don’think that ever of my dance life.

Jean: But what’s a song that you play? What’s one song that you really find when you’re scraping the bottom … Like, this group needs a really good song?

Stephanie: I’m looking to see if I have my pendulum. I think I do. So I teach a lot of work with a pendulum, and because that’s how I learned to channel, I learned to spell out the names of my guides that way, I learned to I’m sorry, I think my dog might bark in a second. I learned to ask questions of my higher self and get words spelled out for me. Um, so working with a pendulum is very, very useful. But it’s also not for the impatient. It takes a lot of focus, a lot of concentration. Um, and so I play this song to help us to get, sexy, Alison with our pendulums. This is this is just a Molly. It’s not a pendulum, but just for example. So we’re working and we’re working and we’re staring at the pendulum. We’re waiting for it to go to a letter and spell something out. And then we’ll take a break and I’ll say, or I’ll tell them, hold your pendulums. It’s time to get sexy with them and break up this dense energy. And I will play Marvin Gaye’s, Let’s Get It On.

Alison: Oh, yes!

Jean: I was going to say, is it a Barry White song? But Marvin Gaye, yes, yes.

Stephanie: people are like, uh, you know, and I of course I have to be on the screen really just letting it go and which I love. hahahah..Um, and then and then we lighten up and we’re like, oh, this is fun. This is, it’s a tool. This is great. we can stop being all serious.

Alison: Going to we’re going to play that, um, now together when we’re like doing something… I think like, fun and laughter is like the key. Do you?

Stephanie: Uh. It’s everything. Yeah. It’s everything. And you can tell quickly when you’re with someone whose humor has just gone offline for many years. Right? And it’s really hard. It’s very hard for me anyway, to, to connect there because humor is such a beautiful point of connection. Yeah. It also breaks up like, you know, I love I laugh at myself all the time. I think humans are ridiculous creatures. We we think some of the oddest things. We have strange behaviors, rituals, etc. and they’re funny. And you know, if if we can laugh with the joy and silliness of it, then we’re not inclined to be harshly judgmental of ourselves or others. Um, so yes, it is everything. And spirit itself is has a great sense of humor. My guides are hilarious. Um, yeah, we are I and oftentimes when I’m channeling, I will get I’ll see the joke right before the the words match up so that my client can hear it. And so I will start laughing. Before the message has really come together. Sort of like a cue for them, like, oh, something funny is coming. Pay attention here.

Alison:  so your guides sometimes, um, uh. Like, do you feel sometimes like your guides will be tapping you on the shoulder if they want to tell something? Is that what it feels like? Like? What is that experience like?

Stephanie: Yeah. Well, now it’s it’s kind of like a stream, a constant stream of conversation because I have learned how to be in conversation with them. Um, and so it used to be like the tapping would be like an event or what someone might call a sign, getting my attention over and over and over again until I would stop and then attune to it and then ask, what’s this all about? But now it just it kind of flows through again, back to self-care. If I wasn’t maintaining this energetic, you know, higher energetic hygiene, then I’d miss a lot of this. And and then it’s harder for them. But they don’t get impatient. They’re you know, our guides are always they’re just going to keep going, keep reaching us, keep trying new ways until we can pay attention to what we need to focus on. But yes, it’s, um. They come in at all interesting times too. I have a lot of visits in the shower, um, while I’m brushing my teeth, doing the most mundane of tasks. Sometimes I’ll be in the store and I will have a, um, like a hit on someone. More like not not a particular detail, but just their name or their face will come into my consciousness. And if it’s a friend or a client that I’m close with, I might send a text message that says, just thinking of you right now. I have no idea why. And every single time I do that, they say, oh my gosh, you… perfect timing. This is what’s going on. I need to speak with you or I needed I just needed to know that you were thinking of me. Thank you. You know, it’s so I encourage us when we have that. It’s not random. When someone comes into your awareness, it’s not for nothing. Reach out or send a message or make yourself a note to do so and follow through. Because this is part of how our guides are working with us all the time to keep us connected, keep us in the love with each other.

Alison: We just spoke to a Lorna Byrne and do you know who that is? What was so interesting is she was  really reflecting and reinforcing what you’re saying. And I, I think it’s so beautiful that we live in a universe of kindness and goodness and creativity that now whenever I get the idea, text someone or call someone, or do you know because it may not be coming from me.

Stephanie: That’s right, that’s right.

Alison: Which gives me chills. I think that’s so beautiful.

Jean: Do you think that, um, channeling and mediumship is has gotten more popular

Stephanie: Yes.

Stephanie: um and  from what I can tell, I mean, who knows how popular it was before we had all these technologies that would allow us to see them real time, right? Um, but I have no doubt that this, this work and what it has the potential to do for human potential and for growth in, you know,  transcending our small selves, um, is just going to need it’s it’s a necessity. And we look at what’s going on in the external world with violence and destruction and disconnection and, um, absence of love and channeling. You know, I, I feel that is going to be a very it’s a very powerful modality to bring us back home to the truth of who we are and to the truth of the fact that I we are no different from each other. We are actually part of the same, um, everything the inter beingness of all life  is what is true. So what I do to you, positive or negative, I do to myself. And that that’s across the board everywhere. So and you we’ve all heard that if if someone isn’t free then no one’s free. So there’s no way to enjoy true, um, privileges when others are without. And so the channeling is a way to bring us back into connection with, with each other and beauty and love, forgiveness and, um, acceptance.

Alison: How were you raised? Were you raised in a faith or how what what sort of childhood?

Stephanie: I’m a Jewish channel.

Alison: Nice to meet you.

Stephanie: Um, and I wouldn’t say I was raised religiously, but we did practice, you know, the weekly rituals of Shabbat with dinner with my family. Um, and I did raise my children with those rituals as well, but I’m not. I don’t consider myself religious. Um, so. But I love, you know, I love religions when they are practiced with inclusivity and love and compassion, care, kindness, generosity and service. And there is a lot of that in, you know, in many different religions. So, um, yeah, but that’s that’s my background. My I did not have any exposure to spirituality through my Jewish upbringing. I never felt spiritual in, in that, um, that’s something that I was able to access more as an adult.

Alison: And do your do your children have a proclivity for channeling?

Speaker2: So, um. By proclivity, do you mean that they do it for themselves? Because that would be, I’d have to say probably not. But they’re super open to it. And I put pendulums in their hands from young ages. I have a memory of my four year old, my youngest, holding his pendulum and saying, what’s for dinner tonight?

Alison: And so sweet, so sweet.

Alison: Um, but they, you know, they’re they’re intrigued by what I do. They’re incredibly supportive of what I do. And I can share with them these amazing things that come through that are that’s the other thing about channeling is when I’m channeling for someone, it’s there’s a universality to every message that comes through. So it might be for that client at that time, but I’m learning something. And if I’m channeling in a group, everybody present can avail themselves of the richness of that wisdom. That’s an insight that’s coming through as well. Um, so there yeah, I think they’re I know they’re proud of me. And, um, and they see how much delight it brings and I’ll channel and then emerge and they’ll, they’ll say, how was your session? And I’ll, I’m always like, oh my gosh, it was so great. It was amazing. And you know, and they they share in the joy of that.

Alison: I think that’s one of the best things a parent can say. I know my child is proud of me.

Stephanie: Yeah.

Alison: Yeah. Really so heartwarming. Right. Like that’s that’s really I know your kids are funny because you’re funny.

Stephanie: Yeah. They’re funny. Yeah.

Alison: Right. Right. I love that.

Jean: Stephanie, do you have a morning practice?

Stephanie: Um, I wake up.

Jean: Good job.

Stephanie: Ritual done. Right? I don’t have something that I do regularly. Um, and I really vary my practices constantly. So, um, some days I meditate and some days I don’t, or some days I don’t in a formalized way, but I might do be outdoors. And that to me is a meditation in itself. I’m always out walking and that because I have three dogs and so they keep me, you know, in the outdoors and in forward motion. And that is that that’s a morning practice. Um, I try. Sometimes I get distracted and I’ll be on my phone responding to emails, but other times I’ll say, no, let’s just notice the palm trees and look, look for coconuts. And, um, I’m blessed to live in a tropical subtropical climate. So a lot of things grow and I find treasures on the ground, and I tuck them into my arms and carry them home and eat them. Don’t tell my neighbors. So thank you for breakfast.

Stephanie: Thanks for the mango.

Alison: What are we having for dinner? Right, right. Mom’s going to go look for it now. I think that’s so… I like how, um, so accessible you are. Like, you just seems so open. Do you think you’ve always been that way, or do you think this has changed you?

Stephanie: Huh? Honestly, apart from the dementia, I also my mom also struggled with mental health for my entire childhood. I credit that with being a very sensitive, attuned, and relatable person. Um, I had to scan environments and her, you know, people constantly to read the energy and know is it, is it safe? Can I approach do I avoid, you know, do I give space to this, do I entertain? Um, right. And so, yeah, I think this has been part of my this is a part of my personality that I do love. I do I love being approachable, I love being relatable. I think that’s how I’m able to disseminate this work in the way that I am, because I’m, I don’t feel like I’m out there in the ethers hard for people to relate to. I’m very pragmatic and, um, and just as left brain as the next person. So, um, yeah, I think it’s been cultivated though, out of, you know, family dynamics and the need to, to create a safety within myself by managing what’s going on inside a home or family.

Jean: Right. That makes total sense to me. Mhm.  oh. So what are you up to now. So what what’s on your… What can our listeners look forward to, or are you offering a class or an event or something?

Stephanie: And yeah, I will. I have a class that’s starting tonight, which I’m excited to say is sold out. So that’s that’s that’s great. Yeah, I’m super excited for this. It’s a three month master class channeling masterclass journey of a pretty high level. So we will be getting it on with Marvin Gaye.

Alison: We’ll be thinking about you. Yeah.

Stephanie: But I’m also going to be offering, like, a weekend intensive to learn to channel. This will be like a beginning to intermediate level. That will be in March. I have March or April. Um, so that will be on my website. My website is Soul Insight.com. And really it’s great to experience the work through private session and that really helps people decide, am I the right teacher for them? Um, do they resonate with my work? Do they receive healing from their session? How how are they connecting with this? That’s the best way to go.

Alison: I love that and just I know we’ve taken more than a half an hour, but you’re so you’re so interesting. Um, could you just, you know, you talked a lot about, um, the circumstances that we’re all living through. Could you give a final just word of encouragement to our listeners about, you know, what your hope would be or any improvement you’ve seen in terms of relationships and spirituality?

Stephanie: Um, I’ll just say what works for me, because I do have a tendency towards despairing when I am paying a lot of attention to the events of the outside world. There’s there isn’t anything I can do at, you know, to to turn that to right, that this is what my mind says. And this is what most minds say. What can I do? What’s this? What can one person do? But then we bring it back to the micro. And if we bring it back, if I bring it back to what is in my reach in my world and my and and within the the heart of me. Because there are certain things that break my heart, much more so than other things. Not every cause is, you know, is a cause that I feel deeply connected to. And if I can be in service to that, then I actually am contributing to the ripple effect of healing worldwide. So it may not be stopping a war. Um, but guess what it is doing? It just fed a bunch of animals. It just supported some children in, you know, emotional health. It just, you know, whatever it is. So I always encourage people find what breaks your heart. It’s not hard to locate that and be in service to that. That’s why your soul is here.

Jean: That’s that’s so beautiful.

Alison: Thank you so much for that.

Jean: That’s beautiful. Yeah. You’re part of the the solution. And it doesn’t have to be the complete solution, but you’re adding your vibration to the cause of good. And that’s right. That’s all we can do.

Stephanie: And that’s huge. It’s not like that’s all…it’s So small… That’s everything actually.

Alison: Yeah, yeah. Thank you so much, Stephanie, for your time. You’re you’re just so you’re such a bright light. Thank you. Thank you so much.

Stephanie: And keep tapping there, alison

Alison: I will thank you, Stephanie. Have a good rest of your day.

Jean: Yeah. All the best.

Stephanie: Thank you. Bye bye bye.

Alison: I so thoroughly enjoyed speaking with her mum.

Jean: I loved it too. I felt, um, like she really wanted to offer this knowingness that if you really put the time and effort into it, you too can be a channeler. That it’s just not something that is so far reaching. If this is something that you really feel that you would like to cultivate, this like a muscle, you can do it.

Alison: And I loved that she was saying we’re all really the same, and that I think that right now that is so important to remind ourselves of this truth that we are we’re the same people. When you boil it down, people want to feel loved. People want to feel that they’re themselves and their families are taken care of. And that I think if really given the chance, one on one individual with everything else, they that compassion is our truth and that she just speaks in such a way that I found it very life affirming.

Jean: Yes, absolutely. I also love that she talked about energetic hygiene, which that  phrase isn’t really talked a lot about, but it’s it is important. It’s it’s, you know, we brush our teeth, we vacuum the rugs in our living room or whatever, but it really isn’t, um, taught too much about the energetic hygiene to clear your energy because we really are vibrational, energetic beings having this human experience. So, um, William Linville talked about that, about saying a phrase, uh, about clearing your day. I know Lee Harris mentioned to me that, you know, taking a shower is really important. So, you know, this Stephanie Banks is right on it.

Alison: What do you what do you do for that? Like, what do you do for that? Um, energetic hygiene. I love that expression.

Jean: Yeah. I actually only because of listening to these amazing pod people that were interviewing, do I do some type of energetic hygiene? But to be honest, Allison, I don’t do it every day, but I know it makes a difference. Mhm. It absolutely makes a difference. When I do it I fall off the wagon pretty quick.

Alison: I think for me I don’t do it as much as you do, I think. But I think for me even just taking a walk. Yeah. Do you know?

Alison:  I think that’s great right. Yeah.

Jean: You know to getting out in nature especially now with these all the negative ions from the rain.

Alison: Yeah. Cleaning it out. Well, we hope that you I hope that you are affected with with her love and her positivity the way we were. And be sure to check out Soul Insight if this interests you, because it really I think I’m going to do it again. I think I’m going to do another reading.

Jean: Me too. Yeah.

Alison: So we hope you have a great day. Stay dry if you’re in LA, if we’re not even sure when this air. So if it’s if it’s dry out keep dry– I guess. Right. Yes. And, uh, have a good day.

Jean: Bye.