Connecting the dots on the bumpy road to success can be difficultThe road to building a dream can be a bumpy one sometimes and it’s important to remember that big dreams take work. Connecting the dots is often hard to do when we’re in the trenches; it’s hard to see where all our effort is leading us while we’re in the middle of it all and feeling overwhelmed. But one day you’ll realize that everything you’ve done in life has been leading you to where you most need to be.

In today’s podcast episode, part two of my interview with singer/songwriter Leyla, we talk about the importance of trusting the process; how the various energy healing modalities she has studied have all come together in what she does now; and how she used Tibetan singing bowls and sound healing techniques to create a chakra-activating effect with her single “Legion of Light”.

This Expert Series Guest Interview Has Two Parts:
1806 Take a Risk and Build a Dream
1807 Connecting the Dots on the Bumpy Road to Your Dreams

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If you missed last week’s episode, part one of my interview with Leyla, we talked about having the courage to go after what’s really important to you in life despite your fears, and how, in overcoming our own struggles, we are better able to help others with theirs, as well. You can catch that episode right here.

 Transcript: Connecting the Dots on the Bumpy Road to Your Dreams

Leyla: That is so true. And it’s not easy all… I mean the perception to think that everything is gonna be smooth, I don’t think, is not true. But I find that even I have to tell myself very often that I just need to trust the process.

Because I feel like sometimes things can get really messy. And I feel it’s sort of normal that when it happens we get overwhelmed, we get taken over by fear, and it’s easy to say I’m gonna give up now cause it’s just too hard.

Success Does Not Happen Overnight

Nathalie: Yeah. And again that’s another point of wisdom that I think everybody has to struggle with is that it’s not always smooth sailing. And one of the things that I talk about frequently is success is not an overnight thing.

Leyla: No.

Nathalie: It never happens that way. I mean, you look at people and you think, wow they just came out of nowhere and all of a sudden they’re this successful, famous, amazing, you know… they’ve got everything together.

Success doesn't happen overnight! It takes time to build a dream, so be patient with yourself and never give up on what truly matters to you. #SuccessTips Click To Tweet

The Work That Goes Into Building a Dream

Nathalie: But it just doesn’t happen that way. I mean when you talk about somebody like Rachel Platten for instance.

Leyla: Mmm-hmm.

Nathalie: And it was just like: boom! All of a sudden “Fight Song” was everywhere. And it was almost as if she just sort of appeared out of nowhere.

But if you look at the backstory to that, she worked for years, years, trying to get her career off the ground, right? So you don’t see all the individual struggles.

Leyla: Exactly.

Nathalie: And all of the work and all the frustration and all the tears and all the hopes that went into building a dream. Usually you just see the end point, right?

Leyla: Yes, that’s true.

Nathalie: And you get a little bit of the backstory, right? Especially with a lot of these rags to riches kind of things, they always do that, and then they go to the endpoint. But you ever see what happened in the middle.

Nathalie: So I think that’s another really important point is that there is work involved in building a dream. And it’s not always going to be easy, right?

Leyla: For sure.

Nathalie: And being strong enough to keep going when you know it’s something that matters to you, to get through those dark times when you’re just feeling overwhelmed, as you said. I think that’s so important.

Kundalini Yoga and Your Subconscious “Stuff”

Leyla: Mmm-hmm. And I also think sometimes we get caught up in our own emotions. I’m seeing that now that I’m still training to be a Kundalini yoga teacher. Which, Kundalini Yoga is a mix between meditation and mantra singing and doing yoga poses, and it really works with the subconscious mind. And we all have our stories and sometimes we are so programmed, and things are deep in the subconscious mind and we don’t even know why we’re doing things or not doing things.

Nathalie: And does the Kundalini yoga help with that?

Leyla: Yes, very much. It brings up… it’s usually a 40 day practice and it brings up your stuff. And it comes out and then… Sometimes it’s also just about recognizing the feelings, acknowledging them with love, so then they can just get out and leave.

Nathalie: So do you have to have some sort of therapy or psychology background? I would imagine that would help a little bit with that kind of practice, because if you’re dealing… if you’re trying to teach people who are suddenly having all this stuff brought up, that might get a little emotionally overwhelming.

Leyla: Yeah. I mean, I haven’t started teaching. I’m still training. But, yes, it would be ideal if you have a psychology degree and, you know, a therapy degree. I did study a little bit of psychology in the past because I was a teacher before I moved to New York and a big part of my studies was psychology. But I’m not a psychologist, either.

Reiki Healing

Nathalie: Interesting. So tell me about your… Let’s talk about Reiki next. You got all these things that you’ve done that are so interesting and I’m so interested in all of them.

Nathalie: So tell me about Reiki. You are… Did I read correctly in one of the documents you sent me? You have… you’re a Master Reiki Practitioner?

Leyla: Yes. But I didn’t… I studied it, but I didn’t really work and got clients, you know, after finishing. I feel like… Reiki is also energy healing where you basically channel divine energy through your body. And you put the hands on people. Or you don’t even touch them. And you balance their energy. Or you can place your hands on different parts of the body.

Steve Jobs quote about connecting the dots

Connecting the Dots

Leyla: And I feel like all those modalities that I did are coming together now. I didn’t understand quite why I’m doing all these things, but I just recently am understanding why I’m doing all of these things. And I believe it’s because part of my purpose is to help people to find find their voice. To find their true authentic self.

Leyla: And I just did homework for Kundalini where I created a workshop that is called “Find Your Voice and Heal the World With Your True Authentic Self”. And the Reiki and the sound healing and the yoga, they’re all part of this. They’re all tools that I’m gonna use to help people.

Nathalie: That is so cool. It reminds me of something else. Steve Jobs said something along those lines about, when you’re in the middle of things it frequently just doesn’t make sense. And it’s only when you look back that the dots all kind of connect and your path makes sense. It’s… when you’re walking your path it’s very difficult sometimes to sort of figure out what what it all means and where it’s all going.

But when you get to that point where everything starts to come together, that’s when you sort of realize what all the different elements and things were bringing you towards. And it just… it sounds like you’re just at the start of that happening and I’m so excited for you. I can’t wait to see some other stuff that you come out with.

Leyla: Yeah, thank you.

Sound Healing Explained

Nathalie: So I’ve got to ask you about the sound healing as well. Tell me about that because I don’t have a lot of experience with that.

Leyla: Well, sound healing, it’s like vibrational medicine. So, me, you, everything in the universe vibrates.

Nathalie: Yeah.

Leyla: It’s the use of vibration of either the human voice or an object set to resonate. For example tuning forks or gongs or singing bowls. And they help with relaxation and stimulate healing. And it’s so powerful.

Sound is very powerful because music can go to the limbic system in the brain where all the emotions are stored and no other medicine can go there. And when we listen to something, after 15 minutes our brain waves start copying the waves of the music and it puts us either alpha, beta or delta.

Nathalie: I think I read a study about that with… I think they were using Mozart pieces, classical music.

Leyla: Oh yes, exactly.

Nathalie: And it had an effect on the brain waves of the people who were listening to it.

Leyla: Exactly yes.

Principles of Sound Healing in “Legion of Light”

Nathalie: Interesting. Now, you took this this sound healing theory and you worked that into your song. You actually brought in, into the recording session, a Tibetan singing bowl practitioner. And she brought thousand year old Tibetan singing bowls. And you can hear those. I know I can certainly hear them at the beginning of the song.

Leyla: Yeah. They’re also during the song but they are worked in so you don’t really perceive them as much. But yeah, she brought in those bowls and they are for all the chakras. They’re tuned to the chakras. So she played them and recorded them so that when you listen to the song, your chakras get aligned.

The Vibe Shifting Show Interviews Leyla - Part 2

Activating the Crown Chakra

Nathalie: That is really cool. And again, I don’t know a lot about chakras, either, but this particular song, the notes you sent me, it’s specifically designed to activate the crown chakra? Am I getting that right?

Leyla: Yes you are right.

Nathalie: So what exactly does that mean? What does that do when you align the crown chakra?

Leyla: Well, the chakras are wheels. Like, they’re energy centres in the body, and.

Nathalie: Okay, that I knew, and I know there’s seven of them. That’s the extent of my chakra knowledge.

Leyla: Yes. And they’re are supposed to be, you know, aligned and flowing. And when they’re blocked somehow, it causes you not to feel well or it causes you to have discomfort. And the crown chakra is said to be the place of connection to God and your divine purpose and personal destiny.

And I chose this because that’s what “Legion of Light” is about. It’s like a call to action to remember who you are and to tap into your truth. And, you know, to live your dreams and to go after them.

Musician @lightofleyla traveled many different paths in life before they all came together in a way that helped her build a truly unique dream. Catch her story in this post! #inspiration Click To Tweet

What’s Next for Leyla – “Onyx” and the Heart Chakra

Nathalie: Do you have plans to… I know this is your first single, is that right?

Leyla: Yes.

Nathalie: Are there are plans for additional songs to be released?

Leyla: Yes.

Nathalie: And are they going to all sort of be aiming for the crown chakra or are you going to be working through the different charkas, or what’s… Can you give us a little bit of hint of what’s coming up for…?

Leyla: There are all pop songs that are planned on being for each chakra. So the next song is called “Onyx”, like the crystal onyx. It’s going to be for the heart chakra. And I’m also working on meditations for those different chakras.

Nathalie: Interesting. So when can we expect your next single to be released?

Leyla: Probably in the spring.

Where to Find “Legion of Light”

Leyla: In the spring. Okay. Interesting. So the song that you have currently released is “Legion of Light”. It is… I’m going to link for our listeners and my blog readers, I’m going to link the YouTube music video for that song in the show notes for today’s show. And “Legion of Light” is available on iTunes for purchase.

Leyla: And again, I just want to thank you so much for being with us today. Leyla. This has been very exciting and very informative, and I hope everybody goes and checks out your song. It… As I said, I really, really love the song. When you sent me the email and gave me the link to that, I wasn’t sure what I was expecting when I went in and looked at it, but I was really blown away.

It was just… it’s such a powerful song. The lyrics are beautiful, the music is beautiful, and I really do think that, especially in the political climate of the world right now, and with everything that everybody is dealing with, this is a very much needed and very healing song. So go take a take a listen everyone! You won’t be disappointed.

Leyla: Thank you so much for your words. I appreciate it.

Photograph of LeylaAbout Today’s Guest Expert:
Swiss-born artist Leyla believes in the healing power of music and the ideals of love, compassion, unity, and equality. By infusing her music with Sound Healing techniques, an innovation that she calls “Yoga Pop”, Leyla hopes to inspire people to reconnect with the Divine power that is already within them. Her new single “
Legion of Light” is an empowering anthem of strength and hope that speaks to these uniquely troubled times. Connect with Leyla on her website or through her Facebook page.  

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