LIBERATED AT LAST
Spiritual Guru & Mental Health Expert Cristina Dam Shares How to Grow Amidst a Global Pandemic
Cristina Dam is on a mission to liberate the world, helping people find spiritual and mental health through a creative and healing space for transformation. A healer, motivator, and leader driven by a longing desire to cultivate positive change in everyone, she has created numerous spiritual assets and resources available to clients for all degrees of practice. Her Liberate emporium center, where healing happens organically as spirituality and creativity unite with higher purpose, is a Hollywood go-to, offering all virtual services, and is one of the largest holistic centers in Los Angeles.
The guru melds her experience from earning two master’s degrees (in educational foundations and psychology) with a wide range of healing therapies as an energy healer, channeler, NLP trainer, hypnotherapist, and addiction treatment specialist to produce companies, content, and projects that serve and uplift humanity. Expanding her uniting vision to an ever-broader audience, she is forming her own production company, Liberate Productions, and is currently writing her forthcoming book, LiberateYourself. Cristina will be adding more content to her YouTube channel, featuring Liberate University, as well as her podcast series Liberate The Podcast, where she and the other spiritual practitioners at Liberate offer information on offerings, chat with holistic and spiritual authorities, and lead free guided meditations and therapy sessions.
LB How does your approach to personal growth and liberation differ from the norm?
CD One of the biggest ways my approach to personal growth differs from the norm is that I firmly believe each of us holds the keys to our happiness and fulfillment—it is in removing the false beliefs and false identity that sets us free. You are your own hero, and when working with someone they are there to simply support and guide you. Your power lies within and, when discovered, you can live your truth and find liberation.
LB Tell us about the virtual services you provide.
CD Personally, I offer both remote hypnotherapy and life and career coaching. Also, all of Liberate's additional services are available virtually. Remote services are just as effective as in person due to the amazing technology that is out today, allowing the practitioners and clients to see and engage with each other in real time, just like in person. I look at change in a 3-step process: gaining clarity, shifting/removing blocks, and reprogramming. Depending on where you are at in this process will decide what service or services are best for you at this time.
LB What new practices and tools have recently caught your interest?
CD This is a great question and super important for people to know that everyone (including myself) is constantly growing and evolving. Just like a carpenter has many tools in their toolbox and adds new ones to use for different things, the need for new life tools, or to revisit old ones in a new light, is necessary as we navigate this journey known as life. Personally, I have picked up a morning breathwork practice to remove daily blocks and reconnect to my personal life force energy. I also find it super important to disconnect from the matrix and reconnect with nature as often as possible. One tool that works for me is daily evening hikes or long walks, where the cell phone stays in the backpack!
LB For those who are spiritual novices, what’s the best way to start addressing introspective reflection?
CD Remember, every expert was once a beginner and there is no better time than the present to start introspective reflection. One of the best ways to do this is to start with a morning or evening meditation practice where you close your eyes and pay attention to the things you are thinking and where your mind takes you, rather than try to push your thoughts away. Afterwards, write down what came up and dig a bit deeper into each thought. Ask yourself: “What am I making that mean? Why is this important? What am I really afraid of?” Most of the time, there are always deeper things behind all of our thoughts. Doing this daily will start to give you clarity on where you are currently at and what you might want to start to work on or shift.
LB What silver linings concerning spiritualism have you witnessed as a result of the pandemic?
CD Within every darkness there is light, and we live in a world of duality, but it is up to us to see the positive in the negative. With that being said, there are many silver linings as a result of the pandemic. One of the biggest, I see, is that this has given people time to turn inward and has caused many to ask some of the more challenging questions, such as: "Am I really happy? Is this the life I truly want?" This pandemic has helped people form a deeper relationship with themselves and also reassess their lives. Additionally, I have witnessed people reprioritizing family and relationships in their life, shifting their spending habits, caring more about their well-being, and much more.
LB In your experience, what are the top three factors people are struggling with due to current societal restraints?
CD I believe the 3 things people are struggling with most due to the societal restraints are:
1. Overall change in general: We are creatures of habit and change in any way is one of the things people dislike most. With so much change, people are overwhelmed, and many are still in a state of shock, waiting for life to return back to the way it was but not understanding it will never quite go back to that—the future will always be different than the past.
2. Lack of socialization: This, I believe, is one of the most difficult aspects, because even though some areas have started to open up, most of the social activities still remain largely closed or, with such new restraints, they are not the same. As humans, we need connection, and most of our social time is how we relieve stress and create the bonds that bring meaning and value to our lives.
3. Fear of unknown: Many people are paralyzed and not knowing what will happen next. Thoughts of, "Will there be another lockdown or second wave? What will happen after the election? Is the economy going to crash? Can I travel again?" create so much fear and uncertainty.
The best advice I can give, for any or all of these, is to focus on what you do have control over and how you can make your life the best you can today. The truth is, we never really know what the future holds and our best plan is merely a guess. Life is now and if you can pull yourself back to the present you will be amazed at how much power you have over your life and happiness. Connect with friends in new creative ways. Take change as a blessing and ride the wave to change other habits and things about your life you have always wanted to shift.
LB What tips do you recommend for coping with feelings of negativity and being overwhelmed?
CD The best way to cope with feelings of negativity and being overwhelmed is to break the cycle by focusing on something different. The easiest way to do this is to get out and move. This can be done by going for a walk outside, taking a bike ride, going for a hike, or doing other fitness or yoga. When we connect to our body we start to detach from our thoughts and thus breaks the cycle of negative thinking.
A few other things to do are:
Start each morning by writing down or saying aloud 5 things you are grateful for.
Help someone in need. Helping others gets us out of our own struggles and has this warming of the heart effect of being of value.
Reach out to a friend or family member, with the intention of building a deeper relationship, and letting them know they mean a lot to you.
Do something creative—draw, paint, sing, play music, or even cook.
LB How do creative outlets compliment self-discovery and personal evolution?
CD Creativity is the expression of the soul—when you have outlets to be creative, you discover more of who you are, what you like, dislike, and more. Life is really a journey of self-discovery and evolution. When we are creative, we are in the present moment, experiencing life, and, most often, having fun. There are an infinite number of ways to tap into your creativity, and each will teach you more and more. Discover new recipes, allow your hands to write stories or thoughts, dance, explore a new part of town, build or create something, or simply let your imagination fill with images in your mind from books you read. Have fun, dream, play, and learn to express yourself through creativity.
Managing Editor Lauren Barisic
