WORDS Vanessa Finnigan PHOTO Karen Cougan
Mother, grandmother, wife, friend, international energy healer, speaker, writer, spiritual mentor, retreat facilitatorÖ these are just a few ways to describe who Raelene Byrne is in the world. But spend even ten minutes with her and you will discover she doesn’t let titles define or limit her. With a determined benevolent-warrior spirit, she shows up as herself each and every time and inspires other souls to do the same.
Raelene’s words of truth in the verbal and written form are shared with such ease and grace as itís not from a place of knowledge, it’s from a deeper wisdom. When we recently connected, I discovered new things about her and once again was reminded: when we move out of the head and into the heart, life flows and there is an authenticity with living.
Raelene is one of those amazing beings who has always followed her heart even if it meant being seen as ‘different’. She was encouraged to attend University from a young age and even though she was accepted into a tertiary course, she decided to travel the world and experience life after leaving school. This was the start of her spiritual adventure, she went against the ‘cultural grain’ and family expectations and followed her own knowing.
Maybe this is partly why highly intellectual people, corporates and mainstream business people seek her out and want to ‘have what she’s having’. Perhaps they wish to be free and experience the richness of their own inner world, taking off all the ‘suits and ties of restriction’.
Raelene said,”I don’t care what people do, what their job or identity is, I am far more stimulated and interested in their soul journey and guiding those who are ready to connect with that. I feel that is one of the reasons I can stand in front of corporate beings, new agers, and everyone in between, as it isn’t about the identities, it is about what is beneath and I direct what I do towards that … “
Raelene has a gift for being able to talk to a wide range of people (particularly in the business world) about all things spiritual. She has developed a ‘language’ where they can receive her and her facilitation and she makes it practical, straight forward and simple. I asked her how she manages to speak at business events and know what each audience can hear? She said, “all I do is trust myself and my intuition all the time”.
Raelene is a great catalyst and inspiration for what’s possible. She said it’s not about trying to get people to change or fix them. She creates a space through which people can choose to let go, and know who they are on a soul level which is transformational. And she said our planet is going through rapid change, we have actually gone beyond ‘thinking about having a leap of faith’ to just jumping NOW and trusting! It’s time!
She explained, we are moving from the 3rd dimension which was very masculine, head-based and judgemental and moving into the 5th dimension, where we are guided by our hearts; we speak the language of energy and i’ís all about wisdom. We are literally lightening up, even our houses now seem to be made with more glass and receive more natural light; it’s a reflection of what is happening in the collective consciousness.
Raelene believes it’s easy enough to get in touch with our truths but we also need to ask what we are hiding from ourselves. She said it’s not about telling people to love themselves more or saying lots of affirmations. She feels it’s more about making a declaration of what we are going to set out to do and commit to it and take action. The Universe then conspires with us.
One of the gifts from interviewing Raelene, reflected back to me, was really stepping into full trust of myself more than ever before. This came about not from her directly speaking to me about this but from being in her presence and writing this story. It’s time for us to explore our full potential and then I wonder what we can facilitate in the world from this space?
What things would you like to share with the world of business about spirit/energy?
You are spirit, you are energy, just as everything around you is. Being in denial or resistance to a greater intelligence that we are connected to doesn’t make it go away, it just makes the lessons of awakening louder and sometimes more uncomfortable. And they do arrive in life whether in physicality, emotionally, or mentally.
Get to know who YOU are. Spirituality or the world of spirit is not isolated from anything else, it exists within and around each of us. Perhaps see spirituality as the journey to know who you are. Be responsible for your decisions, actions, thoughts, wordsÖ let the blame go, it is so ‘old world’. When you step into self-responsibility, you find the creative energy for your life amplifies.
Have awareness of your ‘fears or lack’, see it as resistance, then you will know what the next step is. Know and be true to your values, principles, be ready to evolve as you discover more about you and life. Place some energy towards your contribution to the planet, to your own legacy. Engage in mindfulness, or meditation every day, it will reduce stress, help with sleep, energy and focus, and will allow you to be with you “this is the start of your self-knowledge adventure. Be honest with yourself” some days ask these questions and see how your spirit, and body respond: Does your lifestyle fill you? Do you go to work with a sense of dread or a sense of excitement? What is your true ideal vision of your life?
ALWAYS listen to your gut feeling. If something feels off, it IS, if something feels right it is. Never doubt your own inner GPS system, it is your best navigation in life. That inner feeling, inner voice, is your higher-self talking to you, it’s a moment of connecting to something that is intangible but definitely real.
What things you would like to share with seekers about business?
Remember you started a journey to offer your services from an intention, a desire from your heart; keep that alive as this is a huge reference point. When things become chaotic, you can go back to that, feel it, reignite the passion, then clear all the unnecessary things that creep in. Seek help when you need to. The business world is a mine field of technical things, rules and regulations. Being in denial of the ‘structuresí’ doesn’t keep you safe, it becomes messy, unorganised and in the effort to stay ‘separate from the business side of things’, you will tend to play small, keep yourself held back and stop growing.
If you believe in what you are creating, then BE LIVING IT. Value yourself and all that you are and all that you are creating. You will never get the external validation to fill any lack you have going on. Remember your point of difference is YOU, that “YOUNIQUE” essence that is not found anywhere else and how you deliver that to this life.
This in itself is the biggest asset for any business you will run. Ask for help with things you are uncertain of, and if possible, get others who LOVE the stuff you don’t, to do it for you. If you do seek assistance, find someone who can understand you. Your unique offering no matter what, is not so much about what you are doing, but more about your energy and how that affects others. Abundance is a dance of giving and receiving. Offering your services in exchange for money is what this world is about. Being spiritual or seeking that way of living is great, but you still have to pay bills, feed yourself, and exist in a world that is all about energy exchanges. If you think, ‘I can’t charge for what I do, as it is a gift’, then get over it “FAST”! Or you will end up resentful and depleted.
Everybody has gifts and skills and to be able to do what you love and create a life you want from that, then you will have to find ways to make it a business that aligns with your values, principles and visions.
How can we bring the two worlds together?
The bridge between worlds is being built right now, more corporate people are softening towards meditation, mindfulness practices, and asking questions, due to stress. Stress is the disease of a busy world, and it is the key to change priorities, lifestyles and ways of being. On the other hand, more of the spiritual seekers with businesses are having to become more aligned with the world of commerce and technical leaps, in order to be heard on a larger scale and to reach those in the business world. The New Age, or KNEW AGE as I call it, is nothing new and has as many resistances, restrictions and judgements as the business corporate world. When each of us individually can find the place of acceptance and peace within, this will add to the collective consciousness.
When what you do in life depletes you, when you are not filling your own cup, life falls apart; the only place to start is with the self.
If we can drop the labels, ‘alternative’, ‘mainstream’, ‘spiritual’, ‘corporate’, and create new understandings of wellness through being whole. When we look at a road map we see many roads into a city, some are direct, some are scenic. Maybe that is a way of addressing business and spirituality in life. Some people want a direct fast track way, others are happy to take the scenery; to enjoy the journey. Doesn’t mean one is right or wrong, the destination is the same.