How to Dig Yourself Out of a Dark Space & Find Joy Again with Tammy Anderson Ward

Healing is deeply personal. Each of us has our own unique journey, and it unfolds on its own timeline. This week I'm sitting down with Tammy Anderson Ward, the host & creator of The Energy Healing Conference, to explore the power of empathy, self-compassion, and honoring your personal healing process.

Celebrating 26 years of sobriety, Tammy shares her courageous story of overcoming addiction, finding her inner strength, and breaking generational patterns to create lasting change for herself and those around her. Tammy's journey to find healing was so deeply powerful and impactful for for her that he was inspired to create a space where others could find healing as well.

The Energy Healing Conference happens several times a year throughout the United States. This is a large even where experts gather to teach, uplift, inspire, and support others on their individual journeys. Today we explore a few of these transformational tools as well as discuss the value in finding what most resonates with YOU on your journey. There is no "one size fits all" when it comes to healing. And Tammy and I have a shared mission of helping YOU to find healing.

This is an episode for anyone who has felt stuck, doubted their ability to change, or needed a reminder that healing is always possible—one small, compassionate step at a time.

What You’ll Learn:

-Tammy’s journey through addiction and the milestones that led to her 26 years of sobriety.
-Why empathy and self-compassion are critical tools for personal healing.
-The importance of honoring your unique timeline and what it means to give yourself grace.
-How positive affirmations and self-love can shift your mindset and create space for growth.
-Breaking free from generational patterns and healing for yourself and future generations.
-The power of vulnerability and community in overcoming life’s challenges.
-What to expect from The Energy Healing Conference and how it can support your journey.

Challenge for the Week:
Take a moment each day this week to honor where you are in your healing journey. Write down one way you can show yourself compassion—whether that’s through rest, a positive affirmation, or simply acknowledging how far you’ve come.

Work With Me
Are you ready to create meaningful change in your life? Together, we can design a personalized plan to help you step into your power, honor your healing, and create balance. Apply now for one of my six-week coaching packages, and let’s get started! https://maryannwalker.life/contact-me

Links Mentioned in This Episode:

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS:
Why Woo-Woo Works: https://amzn.to/4cfLoVO
Feelings Buried Alive Never Die: https://amzn.to/4cfLoVO
Eat That Frog: https://amzn.to/4bXGFbE
National Certification Center of Energy Practitioners: https://nccoep.org/

Apply to work with MaryAnn here: https://maryannwalker.life/contact-me
Connect with MaryAnn  on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maryannwalker.life
Connect with MaryAnn on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maryannwalker.life/
Connect with MaryAnn on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@maryannwalker.life

Connect with Tammy here: https://www.energyhealingconference.com/
Connect with Tammy on facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/energyhealin

Transcript

0:17

Today. I am talking with Tammy Anderson ward. She is the founder and creator of the energy healing conference. We're going to be talking about the conference. We're also going to be talking about how to find joy in your personal journey, and really essentially get hope that there can be something better for you out there. Now, because we're talking about finding joy through the darkness, Tammy was so generous and kind and shared some deep vulnerabilities with us. And so I just want to give you a heads up before you listen. She is going to be sharing about her meth addiction, where she is now 26 years clean from meth. And she's also going to be sharing about a time when she found herself in a session with an unethical healer. I know that those things can be triggering for some. So I wanted to give you a little bit of a heads up so that you can proceed with caution. She does speak about them with tact and with grace, but I still want it to give you a heads up because I know that can be a sensitive subject for some also, I just want to remind you that no matter who you're working with, be it a healer, a doctor, a chiropractor, or even a life coach. That you are the authority on you, trust your gut instincts and, and really feel into that. So you can really find those people that truly align with who you are and what it is that you would like to create. All right. I hope that you enjoyed the interview. Well, hello and welcome back. I am so excited for today. I have Tammy Anderson Ward with me. Hello, Tammy. Hello everyone. How are you? I'm doing good. So Tammy is my friend and my business mentor, and she is also the founder and creator of the Energy Healing Conference, which I've been talking about here on the podcast for a while now. And I am just so excited to have her on. Tammy is one of these really high vibrational people. And I knew when I was moving across the country that I just really needed. Something to fill my cup, I needed to know that there was going to be something coming at the end of that road to just help me to feel better. And so I booked an appointment with Tammy before we even got here for foot zoning and aromatherapy and light therapy. And also honestly, just for the conversation, because she is such a high vibe, amazing person. So Tammy, I am just so grateful to have you here and have you on the show. And yeah, thank you for being here. Thank you so much. Yes. And I am so glad you booked that because I also incredibly enjoyed the conversation that we had that day. Yeah. You were so zenned out. I loved it. I really was zenned out and I really needed that. We all need that from time to time, right? Yeah. So today we're going to be talking about how to dig yourself out of a dark space and experience joy again. because as I talk about Tammy being one of these amazing high vibe people, she is still human, right? Like we all still have those hard times. Yeah. So I would just love to talk with you about that. Can you tell us a little bit about your story and why this is something that you're so passionate about? Yeah, absolutely. Um, so what that means is that I'm going to go to a space of vulnerability So please give me permission to do that. Everybody who's listening right now and just imagine yourself sharing some of the things that you're most vulnerable, talking about with your life. Um, I just celebrated my 26 year, anniversary of getting clean from meth. Wow. Not math. Meth. So I, um, I have people that are like, wait, I think I heard you wrong. What'd you say? 26 years. That's like so long ago. It doesn't even seem like part of my life anymore, but it was, it was part of my life. When I was in high school, I started to kind of experiment with a few things here and there. And then I decided that I wanted to get clean. So I decided to move out of state so I could get away from the influences that were, you know, a little bit too hard for me, for me at the time to withstand. And so I moved with my dad and within five minutes of me getting in the car and moving to Idaho from Utah, my dad handed me a pipe. And I remember that moment really well because I was in the backseat and I just cried. So hard. I was quiet, but I was crying and because I thought that I was going to get clean. Yeah. That was like my intention. That was the whole purpose, you know, of me moving. And I didn't know that my dad not just did drugs himself, but, um, also sold them and had been selling, um, not just drugs, but meth, which is like the devil, you know? Um. For a few decades and, or for, for two decades, I should say. And so I, I didn't know that. And so what happened was that led me into, uh, a really painful year. My senior year in high school, I slept five nights. And for those of you who have maybe like missed a couple nights of sleep because you had a newborn baby, or maybe you had the insomnia from stress or other health related things, a couple nights sleep can actually affect your cognitive ability to be able to just like live, you know, so to go months without sleep. One of the things that you could describe it as I was strung out, you know, that's to. That's like a understatement You know, I'm in fact I had a dream about it the other night. It was a very interesting dream but I Needless to say I found myself in a very dark space and I have felt joy again and again and again and again since I was able to, to dig myself out of that. So I feel really, really grateful for my life and about this topic. I'm very passionate about it because guess what? Everybody's we're all human. You know, we're all like just doing the best we can. And sometimes people make mistakes or they find themselves kind of snowballing into a position that they... they didn't mean to, or they didn't want to get there in the first place. So I, I feel really passionate about this. So thanks for letting me share something that just brings a lot of joy to my heart. Yeah. Well, thank you so much for the vulnerability. I mean, there's, it's very rare to meet somebody who can be that vulnerable right out of the gate. And so thank you for trusting us with your story and for being willing to share it because it really is. An amazing thing to witness and to be 26 years clean. First of all, congratulations. That is, thank you. I honestly didn't even really talk about it to anyone, but I was. Feeling so much celebratory feelings inside of my heart that whole week, but I just kind of kept him to myself because it was like a, it was almost like this sacred thing. You know what I mean? That I was feeling inside my heart. It was just like, so grateful to be alive. Just so grateful. So yeah. Well, I'm grateful that you're alive too, because you've had such an influence on my life. And I love that example of seeing that we can overcome these hardships. And I just want to really. Acknowledge to what you said about how you were leaving to get clean. And then within five minutes you were handed a pipe, not just handed a pipe, but handed a pipe by your father who was also dealing. And I think that that, you know, we might not be able to relate with specifically the meth, but I think every single person can relate to, Thinking I'm going to find healing in a certain space and realizing that, okay, this space isn't safe for me, or that's really not working for me. I think that that can be very relatable to everybody is we put our hopes on this one thing is going to fix it. This is one thing is going to be okay, and it might not always work out that way. Yeah, that's true. And my dad and I have talked about it quite a few times since, um, and I've gotten permission from him to share our story. He's, he's said, you know, well, it's not a comfortable story to talk about, but if it helps even one person, then yes, absolutely. So he's given me permission to talk about this. So, we're good. Yeah. Well, I'm grateful to both of you for sharing that story. And so can you tell us a bit more about, yeah, where were you? How long were you in that space? Yeah. And what was that like for you in that dark place? Yeah. So, um, my, my dad, I graduated high school, like it was like June 4th or something like that. Right. And then it was, um, like, uh, I don't know, a few weeks or so I moved to Utah and I was still not making great choices. And, um, I was able to then go to New York, ironically, I moved from Ogden, Utah to Queens, New York to get clean. And I lived there for about six months, um, while I was able to like, kind of grow up a little bit, I had to kind of go inside myself, um, for strength. And, um, and, and I, my, while I was there, my grandma, she mailed me a book called Feelings Buried Alive Never Die, um, by Karol S. Truman, Karol with a K. And it had it like kind of opened up my Eyes and my mind to new things that I had never, ever been... I'd never considered it before. I'd never thought of it. I didn't even ever have that perspective put in front of me. Anyway, the perspective was that our thoughts have an influence over our life. Like it can actually make a difference. And. I've never had anybody tell me that before. I remember when I, like, I was reading the book. I was in a, um, like a four, four story mall, which they don't have those around, you know, my area, the area I grew up in. So we were in this four story mall and, um, in a food court. And I was just sitting there in my lunch break. And I, I kind of like. Devour books when I am studying. So I had like a little pad of post it notes, a highlighter, some pins around me and I'm dog earing, you know, all of the books and I'm just going into it. And I remember I closed the book. I put my hand in there and I closed the book over that spot. And I went, is that real? I just kind of sat with it. My thoughts. affect my world? I'm like, no, because see, to that point, I had always believed that I was just a victim of my circumstance that I didn't have any sort of say. So this was the first idea, the first time this idea had ever been presented to me. So I just kind of, I closed the book and I just sat there and I could just kind of chewed on that thought. I just kind of marinated on it. And I was like, if that's true, then I need to probably think different. Cause I haven't been thinking good thoughts. I was like really struggling. Do you know what I mean? So I was like, I think I'm going to make the decision to change my thoughts. Yeah. I could do this. Yeah. Well, first, thank you for telling us about that book. I'm going to link that in the show notes. So if you want to read Feelings Buried Alive, Never Die, fantastic book, I love that book. And also, can you tell us a bit more when you had that realization that your thoughts were creating your reality, were you able at that point to identify what your thoughts were and what they were creating? Like, when did you start to see that correlation? So I don't know that I like sat down and wrote down all of my thoughts or anything like that, but what I did was I just recognized they weren't positive. They weren't like giving me what I wanted. Yeah. You know, so I made an intentional choice just to change how I was thinking. Yeah. You know, my, my grandma, when I was younger, she would have me do this Brian Tracy activity. Have you ever heard of that book called Eat That Frog? Yes. I love that book. Okay. Well, she, she loved Brian Tracy stuff. She would go to his seminars and stuff. And um, so I remember I was 14 years old and she placed me in front of this mirror and she said, okay, now look in your eyeballs and say, I love you to yourself. And I like was choking on the words. I couldn't get them out. I was like, uh, it's like they were hanging there, but they wouldn't come out. And she's like, do it again, do it three times. And I couldn't, I couldn't even get them out once. I was just crying. I just had tears coming down my cheeks. I said, I can't, I can't do it, grandma. And she's like, just say it in your mind until you get to the point where it comes easier. And then you can say it out loud. So then I started to do that on a regular basis. I started, but most of the time it was like this, it was like, I love you. No, I don't. You know, it was like, There's thoughts coming in, right? Yeah. I was like, this, this, this is just a lie. I don't actually love myself. So I was just like kind of tripping over them. So that happened when I was 14. Now fast forward to when I'm like 17, 18, cause I moved to Queens a week before my 18th birthday. That's so crazy. Um, but anyway, so I'm, I'm like sitting there and I, so I had kind of identified some thoughts before I knew that they weren't healthy, but it's not like I all of a sudden decided to like, from this point forward, this is the thought I'm going to think. I just knew that I wanted to increase it in positivity. Yeah. Yeah. I love that. And it was you, Tammy, that taught me the valuable tool about, you know, I, I always believed in affirmations and I would practice those affirmations, but it was you and your mentorship where you really kind of drove home the, the impact of hearing it in your own voice and creating those thoughts that you can actually believe. And you taught me about, yeah, record them in your own voice, let yourself hear them in your own voice and the impact that that can have on actually feeling into that. Yeah, the reason why that works so well is because your voice, your audible voice that comes through your vocal chords, it's the same frequency, the same vibratory frequencies that are happening in your mind. So the self talk or the self chatter, whatever you want to call it, that same sound. Uh, frequency. It's the same. So your cells and your psyche, everything is listening to you. You're literally commanding yourselves. So if you can, um, do it in a way that with intention to be what you want it to be, that's really powerful. And I still use that. I mean, I was just listening to one not that long ago. Yeah. Yeah. And I think that's one of the reasons why we believe the lies that we tell ourselves so much as we think, well, it's in my own voice, so it must be true. So we don't even challenge those limiting beliefs because no, it sounds true. It's in my own voice. So I love the idea of recording them in your own voice and just offering yourself up a new story and how impactful that can be to be like, what else might be true? How might I shift this into a story that's more supportive for me? Yeah, it is. It's, it's been really worthwhile. Um, and I, I feel like it's actually helped me to kind of dig myself out of some other holes so that I've put myself in from time to time. Cause it's not like that one thing is the only thing that I've ever. Wouldn't it be great if we only had one hard thing and then we were just done having hard things. Yeah. So one other thing that. Well, first of all, is there more that you want to share about your healing journey and your, and your process there? Like, how long were you in that dark spot? Because sometimes we want to know, it's hard when we're in it to really believe. First of all, that's going to end and we really want to know, okay, well if I just know when it's going to end, then it will be easier to make it through. And so I'm curious, were you able to identify like, okay, so now that chapter in my life is closed and I'm stepping into something different. Was it more gradual and harder to identify or what was that like for you? Well, I was able to stay clean. I was able to shift things. In fact, I came back to Utah, um, you know, the six months mark later and went and looked up my first kiss and actually, let me show you this picture for those of you who are actually viewing, um, this is my family and this is, uh, my There we go. Now it's not got the, the little light thing on it. So this is my first kiss. My husband, we've been married for 26 years now, almost 27 years. We have eight kids and a couple of grandbabies and a couple of really cool grand, uh, son in laws as well, actually three of them now. But, um, These, these special people in my life have afforded me the opportunity of learning and growth many times. So yeah, we, I was able to stay clean and I, I became pregnant with my daughter who is, she's now 25. Um, and I'm really grateful for her. And actually that's kind of, that's kind of interesting because it reminds me of the dream that I just had. Can I tell you about the dream I had? Please do. I love dreams. I haven't told anybody about the stream because I thought this was such a Psycho dream. I am never getting fun about this dream. And here I am on your podcast about ready to reveal all I love it. In this dream, I'm like, um, I'm like strung out. I'm it's weird. I'm like in this car, in a garage. And I'm just like, I look like a, um, an addict who has lost her freaking mind. And I'm literally like, okay, now I've been clean for a long time. Right. So, um, in this dream, my daughter, who I got pregnant and I really contribute a lot of my being able to stay clean to her actually, in my mind, I'm like, oh yeah. She was like my little angel. You know what I mean? Not to say that every addict should go get pregnant to get clean. So we're clear, but, um, in the, she's in this garage and she's got my car. I'm in the driver's seat and she's got my car hood open and she's putting in, um, oil in my engine. And I'm trying to drive away and she's like, no, stay here. She's like telling me you stay here for a minute while she finishes putting oil in my engine. And then she closes the hood and she goes, you're good to go now. Isn't that so interesting? I'm like finding all the symbolism as I'm recounting and sharing this story that happened clear back a long time ago. Um, To, to this dream that I had now, because I've been thinking about it since I just barely celebrated that anniversary of the sobriety from meth. Isn't that so interesting though? It is and it has me thinking about those generational ties and how interconnected we are, how much the people that came before us influenced us. Who we are and how much the people yet to come can also influence or that are newly coming into our lives. And what a beautiful thing for your children and for your family to see you breaking those generational patterns. So can you tell us a bit about what has the impact been on your family, um, to have your journey and, and what has that generational impact been? I'm sure you're still seeing things and we'll see it for generations to come, but what's that been like for you? Yeah. I don't really know how to answer that question because part of my journey since then is I found myself with some really intense scrupulosity trying to prove myself being good enough and worthy enough of love. And so I actually put my kids through hell trying to prove myself to be good enough. And it wasn't until I broke away from those, um, beliefs of not feeling good enough, um, for. You know, a higher power that I was like, I'm, I'm good enough for myself. And actually that's good enough. So that's been, uh, so I don't know how to answer that question. You know what? I actually think that's the perfect answer because healing is not a beautiful packaged. With a bow, right? Healing is kind of messy and it doesn't feel super comfortable. It doesn't feel super good. And we're always still kind of questioning, okay, like, how can I heal this part? And what's the impact of that choice, right? We're going to continue to see that domino impact. And it's easier with our negativity bias. Like we almost tend to look for those negative things of how we've negatively impacted our children, but then to really step back and be like, no, but also, wow, look at the generational patterns that you broke. And that you're creating that not only for your family, but what I really love and admire about you is how much healing you have created for so many people through these conferences, through your amazing retreats, the things that you have learned through your dark times. have created so much healing for so many people is really a beautiful thing. Yeah. Well, I'm no guru, dude. I'm a student of this work. Like the conferences came about because I needed those connections and I needed those offerings and those lessons. And yeah, I'm just so grateful. But like, just to be clear, I am no guru. I do not put myself up on a platform at all. I'm just doing what comes naturally to me, um, in a way that I know can support the world in other people, you know? I mean, I've been really privy to Get to know people who are scientists and researchers and physicists and brain chemists and like, I geek out on the science of all of the things that happen at the energy healing conference. I know, I know people like, no, no, no, you, you need to just come at it from the woo. And I'm like, but that's not me. I come at it from, I like to look at things from all the different angles and it's been super empowering for me to learn about the why's as well, you know, and so the conference is really like something for everyone, no matter how they look at things, you know, if you look at it from a scientific perspective and a secular perspective, like I do come and let me show you, let me introduce you to some people. If you come at it from a spiritual perspective and, and, you know, you believe in angels or I could let me show you some other people, you know what I mean? It doesn't matter. There's really something for everyone. Well, I think that's one of your gifts too, is finding those connections and making those connections for other people. It is really such a gift because like you said, you know, you're like, well, I'm not a guru. Although I think in many ways you are a guru, but that you have this way of connecting gurus and there's so much healing that comes through community. I, for me personally, I think that the only true healing and true change comes from feeling loved and accepted where we're at. And so you might not be a guru, but. You just practicing the bravery of authenticity. It gives other people permission to do the same. It gives other people permission to say, Hey, I'm hurting too. Hey, I'm in need of healing too. Hey, I'm really stuck in a hard spot and I thought that this was going to create healing, but actually it made it worse for me. And can you just let me know what my options are? And you are so connected to all of the gurus, right? Where you're like, Oh yeah. Hey, like, even if I can't help you, let me connect you with somebody that can, let me show you some science. I mean, exactly what you just said. Do you want to know the science and is that how your mind works? You're looking for something that's more spiritual in nature and helping people to find what resonates with them individually. Like I've never heard you out and say, Oh yes, this is absolutely the, the one and done. Perfect path to healing, but you're very good at figuring out what is applicable to the individual and creating that community and creating that safe space of vulnerability and authenticity that just allows healing to happen. That's awesome. Well, one of my favorite books for those, um, viewers that are listening right now who really value the content about like, you know, maybe you like kind of lean into the woo woo kind of things, but you want to be able to understand it better. There's this book called Why Woo Woo Works. Have you ever heard of that book? No, I haven't. It's one of my favorite books. I've listened to it many, many times. I like stories, but I also like facts with like different numbers and stats. So that book really speaks to me. And, um, my husband's like, Meh, like he's just like, yeah, I like it, but it's not my favorite book because he prefers more of the story format, kind of like the Brené Brown author type, if you will, and I like that too. So don't get me wrong, but. David R. Hamilton. He's a PhD. He has a way of interpreting the information. So there's a whole chapter about Reiki. There's a whole chapter about crystals and it gets right into it. Um, I really love it for the idea of like people who are like, this is a bunch of BS. It's not even real. I'm like, have you read this book though? Just like go educate yourself a little bit and then come back and talk to me because there's been so much research that's happened over the last three decades, especially that's just maybe not as mainstream. It's just not as well known. And once you find out about it, then it empowers you with new information. So I really liked that. I love that. Yeah. And I'm making note of all these books. So I will link all of them in the show notes for you. I know I'm going to be reading that one. That's when I haven't read yet. So I'm going to have to check it out. And I also learned about you when I attended your business retreat that you are part of an actual panel and you're the only non scientist if I'm remembering right. Can you tell us a bit about that and how this happened? Yeah. So the board is called the NCCOEP. It stands for the National Center of Certification of Energy Practitioners. And you can find them at nccoep.org. Um, you can throw those in the show notes too. Okay. And they are an incredible group of, I call them my hippie friends, but they all have tons of alphabet letters behind their names. Um, I'm pretty sure I'm the only one that doesn't have a PhD, which that doesn't bother me now. Initially when they were voting me in, I just cried. I'm like, why do you guys want me part of this? And they're like, holy crap, she's crying. Oh no. Um, but I was, I was like, why, why? Are you having me be a part of this? And, um, Dr. Melinda Connor, one of the, uh, board members, she said, you have a gift of interpreting what we know into digestible information that other people can, you know, be able to absorb and understand and digest. And I'm like, Okay, cool. But sometimes I have to read that same abstract like 10 times before I can even write a paragraph. You know what I mean? Um, but I do like being able to help people to understand it a little bit differently. In fact, several members of the NCCOAP will be at the upcoming 2024 Energy Healing Conference. So I'm very pleased Dr. Melinda Connor is speaking and also Gitan Chevalier. He is. from Canada, and he is the director of the Earthing Institute as well. So yeah, this board has been like my family in many ways. Um, I am definitely the youngest, but they are compassionate, caring professionals. who have dove into the research and they've been doing it for decades, but they care so much about both the practitioners and the consumers. And this whole idea, the whole concept of the board is to help bring this information safely to the public and also to help protect them. So they, They know that, you know, just like in any industry, there's going to be people who are maybe like, uh, what's the word? Not all the way honest. I don't know how to say that. They lack integrity. Um, but, but if you have a certification that says that you can do certain things, what that means is that you've gone through certain training, you've passed off and you have a reputable, um, you know, background, um, understanding ethics is an important thing for anybody who is working with the vulnerable, you know, so I'm really grateful for their, their whole mission. I mean, I, at first I was like, I don't know you guys, I don't want like the bureaucratic stuff happening, but then I had an experience. Do you want to talk about my experience? Yes, please. It's a little sketch. I was down in Arizona in the Mesa area. I was doing a conference down there, an energy healing conference. And I was getting some copies made and right next door to the copy store was a reflexology place. And I'm like, oh I love reflexology. My grandma did reflexology. I'm a foot zoner. I love having my feet worked on. I was like, great. So I went over there And I'm not going to tell you the whole story, but I will just say it was a little bit, uh, how do I, how do I, I don't want to use any words that like is going to trigger your thing. Um, with trolls or anything. So I'm trying to think of how to say that. Um, it was not reflexology. They were dealing with other body parts. Oh, and I was like, This is not reflectology. I actually ended up leaving. I'm like, oh, I got my clothes back on. Then I realized that there were video cameras all around the room. Oh my. Pointing right at me. I was like, ah, what the heck? So I hurried and I got dressed. I ran out of there. And I was telling, um, Dr. Melinda Connor, I said, I'm really grateful for this experience that I had for one reason and one reason only. I understand the need for the ethics and I understand the need for like having some sort of a licensure or certification or something like that, that says to the consumer, Hey, I'm safe. I'm a safe person. Well, and that's what I love about your conferences is it, you really do work hard to make it a safe space. And I know that that everyone needs to be vetted by you, which makes me feel so much better when I'm like, okay, they're Tammy approved. It's going to be okay. We do the best we can. There's very few people who've gone through that. They are no longer allowed back, but It's okay. People are very honest with us and let us know, Hey, I paid for this and I didn't get this. And they're, we, we do the best that we can. So yeah. And we all learn as we go, right? Yeah. So can you tell us a bit about what inspired you to create this community and to create these conferences? So the number one thing was, um, my son who is older now, he's a teenager, but when he was very young, when he was about two, he had a very physical, um, health issue. And, um, the, the. Regular mainstream doctors wanted to do a very invasive procedure that would be life changing. And, um, and it would also, um, include a lot of pain. And I mean, I just, I did not feel good about it. If that was the option that I felt good about, we would have done it. You know, but I just, something inside of me just kept saying, this isn't it. And I ended up going to an iridologist that I ended up, she sent me over to an energy healer, which by the way, I didn't know she was an energy healer. Had I known she was to be honest with you, where my paradigm was at the time, I probably wouldn't have gone. So I'm grateful. That no one told me, um, but I went and in one appointment, it was a$40 appointment. It was non invasive. Um, and she took care of the problem and it cleared the issue. It was a generational, um, pattern and, um, he got to keep his clothes on, right? There was no risk. There's no side effects, you know, it was just like very simple and it took care of it. And I was like, how is this possible? I need to know about this. So I studied and I studied and I studied and I, I just kept finding a lot of fearful things. Um, like. tactics from organizations that were telling me that that was wrong. How could it be wrong if it just took care of this issue, this very real issue that my two year old was experiencing, you know? And so I, I learned, I learned, I learned, I learned, I studied, I Ended up enrolling in my own program, got my own certification This was back in 2012, 2013. Um, and I just, I, I kept thinking I'm getting ready to, to be certified, right? At the end of my nine months of schooling with hundreds of hours of practice under my belt. And I just kept thinking. If I start my own foot zone practice, I can only help one person. That's not what I'm feeling called to do. And there was just something inside of me that said that I'm supposed to help a lot of people. Now I've had many astrology charts read and my human design and all this kind of stuff. And they all talk about how I'm supposed to help the collective, like the masses. I didn't know anything about that back then. I had never had anything like that done. I just knew my heart said. I'm supposed to help more people. And so I had the idea come to me one day to do a conference. And I went down to Weber state. In fact, I remember sitting with Chad. He worked at the client services department for conferences and events. And he said, how many people do you think will come? And the first number I blurted out was maybe 200, 300. And he said, okay, cool. So we went ahead, we started planning for that many people. And then the registrations just kept rolling in. And the day before the event, we had 900 people registered. And luckily at the university, I could accept. And I just kept adding more speakers and more classes to make sure we had enough room for everybody. I'd never done anything like that. You know what I mean? It was a huge deal. And um, anyway, we ended up with 1400 people at that very first conference. That was 10 years ago. We've now done 104 conferences. This will be our 105th. And, um, we've been very busy, needless to say, right? Um, I was pregnant with my eighth baby at the time, had no employees, didn't know what the beep I was doing and also homeschooling my other kids, you know, we, we did the best that we could. Of course, there's going to be mistakes made and you know, you don't really know everything that you're doing. I'm really grateful that everybody was very patient with me as we figured it out and made it happen. And, and I've. I remember at the end of it, I was so tired. I just had never felt that level of exhaustion, even after seven babies, I had never felt like that. And I just remember the thought came into my head that I was to do a national tour of these conferences. What is a crazy thought? I am not doing that. And, um, you know, well, we've done plenty since, so it turned. Yeah, I think that is amazing. 105 conferences and, and how interesting, right? Like the, you're able to pull together all of these experts to meet those individual needs and create that community. And so what role do you feel community plays in individual healing? Well, if you are, I can answer this one very easily because if you feel isolated, that's like the exact opposite of healing connection is healing, right? So, um, and I, I can speak to that one because I also had different times when I had some really big germophobia and, um, OCD when it came to health and, um, and I was so lonely. I was so, um, grateful when I all of a sudden had the courage to go outside my house, you know, and not feel so shut in, you know? Um, so yeah, it's, it's been really interesting. I feel like community is really powerful when you feel a sense of belonging, when you feel like other people hear you, when you have the gift of someone witnessing you in a safe space, you know, that's, that's healing right there. I love that. That connection is healing and the gift of someone hearing you. Wow. I love that so much. Yeah, because that was absolutely my experience the first time I attended one of your conferences. I think that what you just shared is really going to resonate with my audience. I work with the helpers, the healers and the people pleasers. And it's really interesting with this population because they're usually ones showing up and giving to other people. And that can be great. And it's a different experience when one of those givers finds themselves in a. In a group of other givers, it just feels so different than I remember sitting at your retreat and thinking, wow, this is such a different experience where I can sit and I can have a conversation with somebody. And all of the conversations just seemed a little bit more balanced because every person there was a giver and knew the value of holding space. And then to show up at one of your conferences and, and everybody's kind of on that same wavelength. I thought, wow, this is such a high vibe. Population and, and just being surrounded by those people just felt so different for me. So I can absolutely attest to that, that yeah, that connection comes through healing and, and that gift of being around other people that are also those givers and that are also on that journey for self evolution essentially. Yeah, I, the number one thing that I heard from people at that very first conference. I'll never forget it. Um, people kept coming up to me saying, I thought I was the only weird one. I thought I was the only one who felt like this. Or I, they all of a sudden felt like they weren't alone. Yeah, there was this community. So yeah, yeah. Yeah, because I think that shame tends to hide, right? So if we're feeling ashamed because we're maybe more into the woo or because we're on a healing journey, because we're working through something and we think nobody else can relate, be that in our lives or relationships, wherever, that shame tends to hide. And so I'm just going to Bring it right back to how you started this, that you just showing up in that genuine authenticity and being willing to share your story, how powerful that is for building your community, for allowing people, you know, that really does set the tone for vulnerability where it's now safe for other people to share. It's safe for other people to show up. And that is probably the greatest gift of healing. So thank you so much for being willing to just share all of this. Yeah, absolutely. Thank you. Yeah. So can you tell us a little bit more about this upcoming conference and what people can expect? Yeah. So the conference is going to have about 80 plus different classes and activities and demonstrations and different things that you can participate in. It's really like a create your own adventure type of an event. You're not Forced to arrive at a certain time or leave at a certain time. You get to come and go as you please, which is very nice for, especially the highly sensitive, um, because you get to control it. You know what I mean? And if you need a break, you can go outside. There's a nice lawn just to the North area of the facility there. And you sit in the grass. You can sit in the shade or the sun, whatever. You know, whatever feels good to you right then. Um, but there's also many different opportunities for you to be heard, to connect with others and to also visit the vendors and be able to also participate in some of the services. In addition to the retail shopping, there's so many things that you could try. One of them that is a huge favorite is the light therapy and they will be right in the lobby there. Just as your very first entering, um, the lumaceutical light therapy will be giving 20 minute full sessions of light therapy. And it's a great opportunity for anyone to come and try it. If you haven't done so, I highly recommend that. Um, there's also other opportunities as well. So. You can visit the website if you'd like, and you can check out the different array of options for you. Um, kids are also invited and welcome to attend. I think that if people know kind of their general attention span, you'll be able to know how long they can stay, what kind of activities might be good for them, um, that kind of thing. So just, you know, kind of take that into consideration if you are bringing children. Um, but I know you are one of the classes, so I'd love to have you share for a moment as well what's going to be happening in your class too. Yeah, I am so excited about it. And I'm also going to add, I love that Tammy's also putting out an introvert's guide to the conference and an extrovert's guide to the conference. So you really can customize it and make it your own adventure. And yeah, so I'm going to Speaking to the empaths and the highly sensitive people and really talking with them about how they can deepen their own sensitivity, but do it in a way where they're not completely drained. You know, a lot of people that I work with, they have this love and they have this compassion and they often find themselves feeling very drained by it because they feel obligated to be in service. And while I can feel that somebody is having a hard time and now it's my responsibility to fix it. And so there's a lot of out put and it can be hard to create that input. So yeah, I'm really excited to share with my class around how to deepen sensitivity. Really talk about that sensitivity scale, because I do think that empathy can be learned and we can deepen that awareness and deepen our connections with other people. But to do it in a way that really elevates all of us, rather than creating that giver taker relationship, where now we're feeling drained because they're taking and, and, and Really just come at it from a more holistic place and a more high vibrational place. So I'm really excited about that. Yeah, I absolutely love it. We do have people that are traveling in from over 20 states right now and so far four other countries. And it is, it's a huge international event. I mean, we literally have people just joining in from all different levels of skill sets, whether they're brand new to learning about energy healing, or whether they've been, you know, a professional practitioner for many years. So there really is something for everyone. I absolutely adore the science behind many of the research, you know, that's going to be coming in. So be sure to visit one of the 150 vendor booths as well. It's a huge area. I mean, you can spend the full two days just in the vendor hall. There is like so much to see and do and learn. But, um, for those of you who are professional practitioners, we also have a mastermind that's happening on Thursday. So if you'd like to, you know, kind of come in and network and get to know and build relationships with other professionals, that's just another, you know, easy way to come in and literally they're, they're coming in from all over the place. So yeah, I'm super excited about that about the networking and meeting everybody. I'm super excited about that and, and yeah. And I just wanna reiterate what Tammy said, that whether you're into more of just how it feels and what feels good or into really getting to know the science behind it, this really is something that you really can customize it for yourself. And around the light therapy, I'll just share something that hopefully is okay with my dad that I share. My dad is not into the woo, but he is a huge fan of the light therapy. And so he'll use the light therapy on his feet for his neuropathy. Uh, when his brother was having heart trouble, you know, he sent him home with, with some lights to put on his heart to improve circulation. And so, you know, start wherever you're at. Just just get curious about what's, what is this experience like, and what can I learn about this? And what is the science behind that? Because this is where all of those experts are going to be concentrated. And so, yeah, you can just show up and learn and it's amazing. It is. It's really awesome. And I love that you said that about your dad too, because we have other things besides energy healing at the world's largest energy healing conference. There's a lot of people who are coming, um, with technology, which light therapy actually is energy healing. It's just done with light. And it just happens to be technology, you know, it's her, it's, uh, blinking, what do they call that pulsing harmonic frequencies? That's energy healing. You know what I mean? So, but there is something for everyone and you can also do things like Rimshaw Warda is going to be doing a full group session called soul retrieval. Brad Yates is doing several different tapping sessions and tapping or Also known as EFT has over 36 different studies that have been done on it. In fact, the VA recently approved it for PTSD support because it's proven there's enough evidence to back it up and to Interestingly enough, EFT or tapping is based off of the premise of the meridians, which are the energy pathways that flow mostly up and down the body. And you're literally tapping on those meridian points, those acupressure points. So it's, it's energy healing, you know, so there's so much to it. Yeah, it is so exciting. I'm so excited about it. So tell us, Tammy, how can people find you? So the, the, probably the best way is to go on Facebook under energy healing conference. Pretty simple. You just look us up that way. We have about 35, 000 right now on our Facebook page and growing. And you can also find us on YouTube as well. We do regular segments, sometimes daily, depending on the time of year, sometimes weekly, but there's always something to learn there as well. We're also on Instagram under energy heal E or excuse me, H E A L and then C O N F. Sure. Awesome. And I'll put all those tags and all those links again in the show notes. And yeah, anything else you want to share with us before we wrap up? I don't think so. Just, um, maybe, maybe one last thing, um, just to kind of, it kind of wraps me up into one little bow and that is don't ever quit on yourself. You can always start new. You can always start fresh. You can always recreate yourself. And back to when I was sitting in that food court in Queens, New York, you can, you can literally change your story. You don't have to keep living the same story. If something's not working for you, or if it's not in your best interest, you have the power to create your own life. You know, it's like, it goes to this little saying I have over here. It says, live the life you have imagined. Yeah. Live the life you have imagined. So you got it. You can do it. And I'm glad that you brought it all back to those thoughts again, because yeah, that's the main thing I work on in my coaching practices, helping people identify those limiting beliefs. And basically I just point out to them that, you know, that's just a thought, right? Like you can think something different, but it's that very thing. It's imagining what's possible and then just taking steps towards that goal. That's awesome. I love it. Thank you. so much for being here. It has been so funny. No, we both said at the same time. Yeah. Well, thank you so much for being here, Tammy. And if you are listening and you would like free tickets to this event, email me again, check out the show notes for all that contact information. I would love to meet you face to face. Uh, so yeah, so come and see me and tell me at the energy healing conference. Awesome. Thank you so much. Take care. You too. Thank you. Bye.