By Tammy T. Stone
Emma Mildon likes to think of herself as your Spiritual Personal Assistant.
Author of the newly-published The Soul Searcher’s Handbook, Mildon wrote this book aware that many want to embark on a spiritual path but may not have the time or know-how to hit the floor running.
To help resolve this problem, she uses her own experiences—and delightful humor—to craft a handy roadmap to the various practices one might find as they undertake the search for self-growth. In addition to describing various practices and techniques, from yoga and meditation to chakra cleansing and Feng Shui, she prefaces each with two different ratings: The “woo-woo scale” (how airy-fairy the practice might seem) and the “explore it” scale (her personal recommendation on whether or not to give it a go). She also ends the book with a handy glossary of terms and references for further research, many of which can also be found on her website, emmamildon.com.
As Mildon puts in in her book, she’s hoping that we, the reader, will benefit from her hits and misses, and find what we need to get inspired from the groundwork she has laid on her extensive travels, so that no matter how we have come to the urge for a more spiritual life, we can find our own special way to begin.
Tammy T. Stone: Can you tell us what a soul searcher is, as you conceive of it in your book?
Emma Mildon: Have you ever sought more from life? Wondered? Explored? Searched for a more fulfilling, soulful, holistic life? Then you are a soul searcher. A soul searcher is someone I consider to be hungry for spiritual evolution. You see soul searchers in yoga class, in organic cafes trying their first bliss balls, and in the new age section of the bookshop, tilting their heads between the Feng Shui, karma sutra, self-help and detox books.
TS: What inspired you to begin your soul searcher’s journey?
EM: I have actually been curious since day dot. I remember my Dad getting fed up with all my soul searcher questions after asking ‘why’ one too many times! Dad’s standard response to me turned into, “because Y is a crooked letter and Z is no better.”
I’ve always looked at the world a little differently, be it believing in angels, ghosts as a child, or loving candles and aromatherapy as a teen. I have always organically explored different elements of spirituality, ever since I was a young’n.
I think that curiosity gave me the courage to travel the world, meet strangers, explore new lands and leave my comfort zone. It all began with curiosity.
TS: What would you say has been the greatest change in your life you started this journey of discovery?
EM: My mum passed over when I was 16. I was a total immature brat when I was a teen. The whole experience of my mother getting ill, nursing her, and her passing away was both sobering and enlightening for me. It was a huge catalyst in my wanting to know how to heal, how to feed the soul, what happens when we die, reincarnation, karma, hauntings – it all became conversations for me. While I lost my mother, who was nothing short of amazing, her passing left me with a new door open in front of me: my spirituality.
TS: Can you talk a bit about how you came up with the idea for this handbook?
EM: I Googled ‘How to be spiritual!’ Haha, legit! And guess what, turns out Google doesn’t have the answers to everything! The more books I read, people I met, research I did, experiences I had, lessons I learned, and spiritual fails I encountered, the more it dawned on me there wasn’t really a guide book for people learning the ropes of holistic living. So I compiled together all the books, lessons and experiences I had taken on first hand and put them all together in a book to help save time for other people soul searching. Essentially, I became a Spiritual Personal Assistant, aka PA for the Soul.
TS: You mention that when embarking on a spiritual path, it can be helpful to have a map of sorts, like we’d use a map in a new city. How can people best orient themselves when navigating the unknown of the spiritual world, and is there anything you’d caution people about?
EM: First rule of soul searching, there are no rules! Along your journey, go to what resonates, what draws you in, what keeps being put on your path. Trust your gut, and follow what makes your soul sing. Watch out for the ‘know it alls’ along the way – all you need to know is no one knows everything, and no one is meant to. Don’t let people boss your soul around; you believe and focus on what works for you. Serve your soul what it craves, not what other people think .
TS: How important has finding teachers been to you on your journey?
EM: The more money I spent on spiritual gurus and life coaches, the more I actually realized that everyone that crosses your path in a teacher. Don’t dismiss anyone from teaching you something. That has been the most important thing I have learned along the way.
TS: You offer a lexicon or “what’s what” in the spiritual world, and this is a great resource for the newbie trying to sift through everything that’s available on the spiritual path. How much trial and error do you think is necessary or advised before finding a path that feels right?
EM: As much as feels right for you. You might like to dip your toes in a little bit of holistic living or might decide to dive in head first and go full blown “woo-woo scale” on spiritual living. The key, and in the hopes of not sounding too repetitive, is to keep searching and keeping leaning towards what works for you. It is never ending. It’s like spiritual Pringles, once you start you can’t stop!
TS: Some people are scared of the word “spiritual.” I loved how you segue from so-called spiritual practices like aura cleansing and Feng Shui to very practical suggestions on how to live better, for example, by hydrating, thinking about the environment and living with positivity. Can you talk a bit about spirituality in light of its “practical side”?
EM: I think us next gen are a lot more okay with the “S” word. Much more than say the “G” word! Spirituality is boundless; it is a label for something that doesn’t necessary have a definition—which I love! To me, spiritual and holistic go hand in hand and are soul mates to people soul searching. You simply cannot have one, without the other.
Spiritual + holistic = living well! So take a moment for a simple thought, how do you live well?
TS: I think intuition is something we can all relate to, though we often feel blocked when it comes to listening to it or finding it in ourselves. How important is it to become comfortable with our intuitive powers?
EM: For people who are curious, tapping into, or simply just don’t believe in the power of intuition, I want to grab you by the shoulders, shake you, and let you know that you are not using your number one superpower! It would be like Superman walking everywhere. What are you doing!?
Intuition is organically coded into every single one of us. It’s the awareness to a gut feeling, a niggle, a goosebump, a song that comes on at exactly the right time, the person you bump into or get an email from after you were thinking about them. When you tune into intuition, and become aware of it in your day-to-day life, you essentially start to notice just how much magic follows you, every, single, damn, day!
TS: I love that you discuss the importance of celebration. It’s amazing how often we undermine our achievements or forget to celebrate the good in our lives. What would you say celebration contributes to the spiritual life?
EM: I have a rule to give a compliment out to a stranger every day. I always send high five emails out to other authors who are doing really well. The power of celebrating others’ awesomeness, and our own, is that it’s the quickest way to turn a crap, or ok day, into a freak’n brilliant one. To celebrate people following their souls’ call, connecting to their soul, or simply taking time out for their souls—now that is worthy of a celebration!
Again though, everyone’s definition of a ‘celebration’ will differ. Me, I am an old soul, my idea of a celebration is a bath! Haha! A vibrant soul will want to dance or party… When it comes to celebrating, let your soul make your party plans.
TS: It’s clear from reading your book that you are a huge fan of crystals! Can you talk a little bit about the powers they hold for you?
EM: Hand on heart I can confess I am a full blown crystalaholic. Just can’t get enough of them. My personal trainer laughs when I am working out and crystals fall out of my sports bra. I use them as constant reminders to center, calm, ground, or focus myself. For example, at the moment I am overwhelmed with a book tour and my bank account has taken a bit of a hit—so I keep Tiger Eye with me. It helps to ground, and earth you and also supports abundance. I find them reassuring.
If I were going to be traveling on my book tour, for example, I would keep obsidian on me for protection. Doing a big event where I might be engaging with lots of people, I would have clear quartz on me to help keep my energy clear.
Forget Windex from Meet the Fockers, put a crystal on it! Ha ha.
TS: What would you tell someone who says they don’t have time to “be spiritual” or do any of the practices that might help bring them toward the enlightenment, or even happiness they seek?
EM: Cool. Seriously, I’d say cool. They are either not ready, or maybe it doesn’t resonate. Whatever it is that is blocking them from their spiritual growth will eventually shift.
I am big on not preaching or bullying people into finding their spiritual side. When they are ready, their search will begin. So, I would honestly just say cool. I wouldn’t judge, I would listen, understand, and be there for when they are ready to start seeking some spiritual goodness.
TS: What are you hoping people will come away with after having reading The Soul Searcher’s Handbook?
EM: I have poured all the love, energy, research and good vibes that I could fathom into this book and so I hand-on-soul-sister-heart swear that this book, should it resonate with you, will help to connect you with the next leg of the road in your soul searchers’ journey be it dreams, yoga, meditation, aromatherapy, astrology, numerology…everything you need for an inspired, holistic life.
Emma Mildon (www.emmamildon.com), also known as the Spiritual Personal Assistant, is an international columnist, surfer, author, and publicist. As a world traveler, she has sought out medicine men, healers, physicists, authors, and artists to explore spirituality, channeling, and healing, and has also practiced meditation, yoga, and life coaching. Through it all, Emma has connected with like-minded soul searchers across the globe and aims to provide fun spiritual wisdom to her generation. Her online spiritual hub and app hosts resources to fuel Soul Searching, offering books, beats, videos and products to help you on your spiritual journey. Her book, The Soul Searchers Handbook, is available on pre-sale now.
Photo: Provided by Emma Mildon
Editor: dana Gornall
Comments
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A “listen to your heart” person. There is no better advice. T.