The Legacies We Leave: Lorna Gale

Hello and welcome to The Legacies We Leave, conversations about joy, purpose, and fulfillment. Today I am excited to bring you my friend and fellow coach Lorna Gale. Lorna is an elder and sexuality and spirituality story unweaver who helps people experience sexual freedom and spiritual wholeness. After being a stay-at-home mom for 12 years, followed by a 12-year career as an educator in the school system, Lorna turned her focus to wellness, first for herself and then as an entrepreneur in the field of energy medicine, bodywork, somatic sex education, bondage, embodiment and empowerment coaching, and divine feminine leadership and mindset and story unweaving. Lorna's mission is to help people move from beyond sexual shame, taboo, duality, and the illusion of separation to feel authentically alive, sexually free, and spiritually whole. What a noble mission. Lorna, welcome. It's nice to have you here.

Thank you, Alex. It's so good to be here with you.

Good, good, good. So let, you know what, let's just jump right in and get started. So why don't you tell us a little bit about your entrepreneurial journey, how you transitioned from what one would say probably more mainstream career from your time as an educator, and why did you decide to get started and start your own business?

Thank you. And you ask such great questions, really reflective questions. So for me, it really was a matter of, as I put in my bio, as you shared, it's that aspect of when I shifted to wellness, it was first for myself. And I was one of the ones who had the gift of of a health crisis that really made me step away from my school teaching career. And really, this internal inner journey began in a way that I had not known it. And so that's where I really see that my spiritual journey began. And from there, it began— that's where I say into the energy medicine and this awakening to a different world than I had known before in my religious upbringing that, you know, has some lenses and some filters to it. And then it just became this, this journey of leading, as I, as I shared, from the inside out. Really, it's, it's coming from what was my journey, and then it became the natural thing to share my work from that place.

And I want to go back to what you said about the gift of illness. As you were going through it, I'm sure it didn't feel like a gift. How did that shift happen for you? Tell us a little bit about that, because I think people sometimes get stuck in victim mentality and they get stuck in, "Woe is me," and, "Why is this happening to me?" But I love that you talked about it as a gift. So tell us a little bit about that.

Sure. Thank you. As a teacher, obviously, my voice, you know, standing in front of the classroom, my voice is a pretty important thing. And within 3 weeks of the school year beginning, laryngitis. So, okay, so I was off for a little while, let that get done, taken care of, and then come back to it again, laryngitis again. And then my body started to get more fatigued. So I sort of did that. So between September and Christmas time, it was— I was probably off 3 or 4 different times of letting my body sort of get the energy back again, get my voice back again. At one point I even had a microphone so that my students could hear me. Okay. Um, by the end of January, we said, let's just finish up this term. And I just really felt— and my doctor supported me, um, in— let's just stay off the rest of this year. And that's where the journey of— so it was like I say, my body shut me down to be able to get my attention. Whatever that deeper journey was that was ready to happen, it was. And that's where I say it was just this incredible journey. I remember going to the library and getting some books of starting to find out, like, what is this about? And exploring what are these different symptoms about. And at one point, it was, who would you be without this illness, without this sense of things? You know, it started to really— it began, began, I think, in that way, in a really deep way, this aspect of taking off the sense of identity, who I thought I was. And then I remember going to a wellness center when I was off that spring, going to a wellness fair, and there was somebody that I met out coming out and just chattering a little bit, and she commented this thing about that we're not humans having a spiritual experience, we're spiritual beings having a human experience. And I thought, and I was just kind of like, what?

Wow.

You know, it sort of went so against, right, what I'd been taught, this journey of here where humans were trying to, you know, get up to God and do this spiritual authority. And it began, and I think that's what really turned me into this, internal journey that then has, has led me ever since. Yeah, this inner journey. And even, you know, 3 years ago when I was going through my cancer and my chemo, I only saw it as a gift, like, wow, this is what I get to experience. And what are the gifts in here? How does it take me deeper into my purpose, into my sense of who I am and why I'm here?

It's amazing to hear you say that because again, I think a lot of people, when things happen to them, And I can understand when you're in the heat of the battle, right? You're not feeling well, you're battling some illness or some tragedy in a family or whatever the case may be. It's hard to kind of take that step back and say, okay, you know, what's the, what's the good that can come out of that? But I think there's also an opportunity once we can close that to take that step back and say, okay, what can I learn from this experience. And even if you don't do it as you're going through it, doing it when you're done is a great way, it sounds like, based on your experience, to really learn about yourself and how you can approach future difficult situations.

That's true. And certainly, uh, you know, you mentioned about the victim part. Even now there's still pieces that show up. It's kind of, you know, when I'm going through something and thinking, oh, poor me, You know, it's kind of like, whoa, there it is showing again, you know. And I think that's a big part of it is when we're going through things, you know, we have an identity that's being created and reinforced and from multiple ways. And at some point, it seems like, you know, in this whole aspect of waking up to what is the legacy I want to leave, I think that just begins this inner journey, perhaps in a way that um, instead of this reaching outward or looking outward or striving for— it's no, it's coming back here because this is where the legacy begins, is from this authentic lived experience.

That's beautiful. Very cool. Okay, so I love that whole journeying back inside because I do agree with you. I think most often we look outside for validation, happiness, whatever we're looking for. But it's true that when people say happiness is an inside job, it really is. A lot of what we go through can be mitigated, I think, by how— what our internal dialogue is and what our internal story is. Mm-hmm.

So yeah, I agree. I agree. And, you know, story being such a powerful piece, you know, we come up from a culture, right, where we pass down stories orally, and then, you know, here come the books. And, you know, right from childhood, you know, from infancy, where, you know, here's the story and pictures and then the words. And so we're very steeped in story as the sense of who we are as individuals and as a culture. So to be able to unweave those stories, like you say, to be able to look at the thoughts and the mindset that's at play, to be able to, yeah, really look at that. And I almost look at mindset as in a set, a stage, you know, that's there, and to see the characters that are at play in our sense of who we are. And I think that once we— my experience has been, and it seems as I speak with more and more people, that it's this sense of um, when we can let go of and realize, oh wow, even those thoughts aren't even mine. Those thoughts of, oh, I need to be, you know, climbing the corporate ladder, or I need to be achieving this and, um, um, acquiring this. It's just kind of— it starts to— says who, you know? And this, like you say, and I think that your work with, you know, the legacy and to be able to— that sense of joy and fulfillment and purpose, it's kind of— yeah, it's all I've been doing it, try to validate myself, or because somebody else thinks I should, or it seems like this is what we do in this culture. It's kind of like, okay, so what's true for me?

Yes. And that's a great question. Both says who, and is that really what I need for me? Yeah. And we're so busy running all the time that we don't often take time to just say, wait a minute. Let me just press pause for a second. Is this really what I want? Is this really what I want to do? Who I want to be? It's true. And then take that beat to think about that, to reflect on that. And sometimes I think having a health episode is the vehicle to be able to do that, because otherwise we just keep running. That's true. No reason to just stop and slow down and just say, wait a minute, is this really what I want?

Yeah, yeah, it's very true. And yeah, and I think that, that your point of that, of, you know, sometimes the body, you know, that helps us to stop running. And I think that there's— it seems that there's this whole impetus to be running. It's kind of like, what, and what are we running towards? What are we running away from? And I was speaking with, I was presenting to a group last week, and in preparation for it, what came was that whole idea of explosion versus implosion. And even starting with the Big Bang, you know, here it's, here's from this place of beingness that everything goes out. And, you know, it's all of the stuff that we're exploring that's come from this. And for me, my experience and what I teach and I coach is that of implosion. How do we strategically place some of these, um, look at some of these things and detonate even, you know, these structures that hold us in place, this sense of identity of who we are as women, as entrepreneurs, as employees, as mothers, as partners, all of these different things is, you know, starting to really deconstruct so that it becomes this— we're turning it back. Like, we come, we're coming back to this, but it's this journey back into ourselves because I think we know as, as women— I'm going to stop saying I think— our experience is that we are to put everybody else first. You know, we're taught that it is better to give than to receive. This whole aspect of we are here for our partner, you know, save yourself for marriage. Therefore, our bodies, our sexuality, not even those are ours. And, and so this whole idea of giving, giving, being out, and it's kind of this, wow, who am I in this whole mix? And to then start to now come back into this, it can feel really selfish. It can feel, can feel selfish. It can feel foreign. Pardon me?

Foreign.

Yeah, that's true. That's true. And even this sense of, well, I'm responsible for, you know, whether I'm responsible for the well-being of my children, my partner, my husband, my employer, my company, all of those things. And to be able to come back and really look at those stories that have held us in that place of, um, experience.

Beautiful. So what is your sense of purpose in life? How did you discover it, and how do you strive to fulfill it?

Well, when I was first, you know, as a, as a child, really didn't have any sense other than just being present. You know, that was— we do that without even thinking. Um, and then as I got into my later teens, it was this aspect of, oh, my purpose is, my desire is to be a wife and a mother. And I was blessed to be that. Um, you know, married as a young woman, and, um, you know, and a couple of years later having my first baby, and then a year and a half later having my second baby. And just, I was just ecstatic, like, wow, this is amazing.. And, and I remember, I think perhaps a seed that started to plant in terms of a purpose that would start to unfold in a different way was when I was sitting at a, actually at a Christian Women's Club that we had monthly. And I was sitting there with my little baby and watching and listening to this woman inspiring and from stage, you know, and all these women that were there listening to her and And I remember the awareness, like, that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to speak. I'm going to speak from the stage to support women. And, and so that's been happening for several years, but even more so now, even within this last year of, of speaking and being on podcasts and, and here with you and this opportunity that I have to hear my, to let my voice be heard. And it's not about my voice being heard, aside from that's my expression and how do I use that to support women in their voices being heard, their lives being lived authentically, their legacy being raised up into its glory.

Beautiful. It's interesting to hear you talk about purpose and seeing how it has shifted over the years, right? There is often— people believe that their purpose has to be this one thing and that they have to dedicate their whole life to this one thing. But I know my purpose has changed over the years, and when I was younger, it was very much more selfish. It was about, you know, What can I do? How can I succeed? What do I— and that was my per— I felt like my purpose was to be successful in my business, in, you know, the company that I worked for. But over the years, that lost its shine, so to speak, and being able to make a difference and to help other women achieve their dreams. Became my purpose. So purpose doesn't have to be static. It is very much fluid and based on our life experience and how we interpret our experiences.

I agree with that. And I think in some ways— here's that— I think— ah, here's the question. And I, and I always, um, it's actually fascinating. I guess one of the ways that I look at it is when there's something that keeps repeating like that is to be able to look at, okay, instead of just brushing off, it's kind of, I think, so I'm just going to just pause with this for a moment because this is a part of the way that I work, is when something keeps getting my attention like my laryngitis, what's it keep, what's it keep pointing us to? And sometimes the way it is, is what's happening right now is we stay up here. I think, I think that keeps us here. But as I pay attention to that right now, it's just taking me into a sense of feeling, just a sensation that's happening in my body. And I think that there's— I think again. That this sense of thinking often keeps us out of our feelings. And as we have been raised, have we— as we have grown, as we have lived, we have often been taught, and our experience has been such that it's not safe to feel. And so that's where even this sense of when we talked earlier about running, what am I running away from? Oftentimes it's just running away from there's something inside I don't want to feel. And sometimes it's that sense of, okay, I need to make a change. Okay, I'm just going to keep running, I'm going to stay busy, right? And, uh, and so to be able to keep running away from this thing that's that we perceive, and you, you so beautifully spoke about our perception of ourselves, and I, it seems that when we have something that we perceive is uncomfortable, dangerous, uh, agent of change, we don't want to feel it. And what I have found over and over again in my own experience and from my work with, with women in terms of supporting them into just facing in and feeling those things, that those are actually those treasure chests where some of our greatest treasures are held, our greatest truths, and are things that are ready to propel us into our next greatest expression or experience of who we are, and perhaps our next level of purpose as well.

That's one of the things that I realized as Because I, this is my, I'm beginning my third year as an entrepreneur. And what I found was coming out of corporate, I was very much stuck in my head. And it was all about thinking because when I was in business, it was, I had to think my way through problems. I had to think to how I could support my team and it, but it was all very much up here. And one of the things that I've done in the last couple of years has been to try to go more back into my intuition. And what I'm finding is that it's not so, it's not so easy because my head still thinks it's in charge. And I have to learn that it's, that my heart knows better than my head. Because my head is rational. And it's not to say I need to think without— obviously without my head, that doesn't make any sense— but to trust that what I feel in my gut is just as valuable as what I think up here. Yeah, yeah.

And it's actually fascinating that that gut feeling, our gut, you know, all the way from our mouths all the way down through to our anuses, that's a nervous system and it's the oldest nervous system, the enteric nervous system. So when we talk about that gut feeling, we're literally tapping into the nervous system of our whole bodies, physically, energetically. So it's a very much a very true thing. We sort of, my gut feeling, we we sort of sometimes can slough it off as if it's just, oh, there's something kind of like— no, that's just tapped into this really rich, um, whole system of who we are.

Yeah, interesting. I did not know that. So how has your understanding of legacy and purpose evolved over the course of your life, and do you see it continuing to evolve as you move, as you move through life?

It seemed that initially, as a stay-at-home mom and a mom, that my legacy was that of my children and, you know, what I would leave for them and, you know, their children's children and that. And that remains. I'm currently living with, 6 doors down from one daughter and her family and with one daughter and her family. And so this whole multi-generational piece just feels very— and when I, you know, speak about as an elder, it feels really this this supporting in as an elder of how do I support the generational piece rather than, you know, for the grandparents who get to, you know, come in every once in a while or periodically see their grandchildren and savor those times. There's a whole different level of being here and being involved in the day-to-day lives of my grandchildren, you know, still with my children and my daughters and my grandchildren and being a part of reinforcing their sense of who they are as well. So there's that. So that remains. At a very different level. And then through my work, through my own midlife sexual awakening, and that starting to shift now into the whole sexual erotic realm of things, it's tapping into, um, a real deep, um, core essence of who we are. I mean, we come from sex. And so to be able to support people being at home in their bodies and their sexuality however that is authentically, you know, beyond what we're supposed to be or what it sounds like somebody is like, you know, it's just kind of like, who am I as a sexual erotic being in this moment? So to be able to support people in that. And then also, I've just really, in my own experience, come to see that our sexual journey is a spiritual journey. And so this whole aspect of looking at the divine feminine really mirroring spirit, and the Divine Masculine really mirroring, um, form and structure, and how we get to have this, um, human experience, and how our sexual experience is really this implosion of trying to come to an awareness and experience again of our divine, um, essence of who we are, and how that then experienced through the sexual experience of things. So it feels to me that my legacy has gone from, um, that which created my children through the sexual experience and being able to play out into their lives, you know, being a mom and a grandmom, moss, to my children, my grandchildren, um, to be able to now support women and men and, you know, regardless of gender and sexual orientation, is how to support people of really coming home to their bodies, their sexuality. So feels like it's, it's gone from a very, you know, here's my lived experience to, you know, and at one point it was the children in my classroom, right, that, but now it's becoming more of a global thing. And the gift again of the pandemic, one of them has been that of opening up the world even more for, you know, community and supporting one another and sharing our messages. And so it feels, yeah, that that, um, that legacy has changed. It's expanded and, uh, in multiple levels and in its breadth— breadth and depth, I guess.

It sounds like— excuse me— and I know I've experienced it at different points in my life, that we feel separate from our sexuality, but we are all one container, right? We're all one person who has and experiences different areas of life. So being able to be congruent and really, again, like you said, coming back to our body and making at a very, even just surface level, just being friends with our body. Yeah, is it's important.

Yeah, very, very true. And yeah, let's just let that sink in. It seems by design that that's something we need to work on, right? This whole idea again, that explosion, right, is, uh, and I, I like to use analogy, and one of my mentors, Robert Scheinfeld, talks often about this as well, but I use the analogy of the treasure, right, is something that's really valuable, you know, you go to the bank and where are all the huge valuables? Tucked away in the safe. You know, there's the security guards there, there's the multiple, you know, locks and there's the laser and the security system and all right there. You know, it's kind of like, get out, stay away. And other times, you know, driving down the road, there are the signposts that say, you know, stop, you know, do not enter, you know, danger ahead. And in many ways, that's how we can know, particularly as women, that our sexuality is hugely powerful and central to the harmony of humankind. Huge statement. And, um, why? Because we've been taught right from, you know, our story of the Garden of Eden, you know, that this whole aspect of women tempting men, you know, and all of a sudden that separates us from God. And all of a sudden women are, you know, people are supposed to wear clothes because there's so much shame. It's you women, you know, it's your fault, you know, if you weren't. And so it's this whole idea of the paradox of sex sells, and yet to sell sex is sinful, you know. All of these different things where we have all of these incongruencies of— and we're taught one thing, but it's another thing. And to be able to look at this whole idea of being separated from God and separated from, you know, we're looking for our separate— our partner, let's find our better half, that person that will complete me. And when you talk to people, women who are at home in their bodies, feel empowered sexually, they own their sexuality however they express it— celibacy, multiple partners, one partner, whatever, it's, you know, solo sex only, it doesn't matter. But when she says, my body, my sexuality is mine, she's moved beyond that idea of separation. And when this whole idea of sacred sexuality is this connection to the spirit realm, it's— we're starting to move beyond that idea of that we've been taught: save yourself for marriage, it's not yours. And you know, this, um, for a woman who's sexually empowered or enjoys her sexuality is referred to as a slut, you know. So this whole slut-shaming. And yet for a male who is very sexual is a stud. Yeah, you know, so it's on the whole idea. So how can we know that as women our sexuality is hugely important? Because it's when it's been dominated and suppressed, as we have known and experienced through the patriarchy, we see what happens when, when the masculine that is not channeled, that is not harnessed runs amok. We've experienced that in our world, and everyone suffers. Everyone. You know, we've had this whole idea of the women, and, um, you know, who's gone through this, who's experienced the various, um, travesties of the patriarchy, you know.

And we've—

the Me Too movement, um, and I, I think in some ways, if I were to— here's that I think Um, I'm just going to figure it. So here's some tingles kind of starting to happen. I want to start my mission to be able to support people. A part of that is to start a new Me Too movement, and it's that movement that supports women in feeling in their power. Who's taken a big step that feels, um, really scary. Yeah, I've done that. Me too. Me too. How many people have moved beyond the parameters that they've been taught that they should be as women? I've done this. Me too. I've done that. Me too. Me too. And I think it seems— and there's, I think, and I, I'm very attuned to what I say because of those powers, so I'm just gonna that when women— so I use that to draw me inside— that when women arise and really own their power, their sexuality, and their leadership, that's when we really turn the boat around and the matriarchy or divine feminine is in leadership. And from my work personally, and from my work I know that the masculine is saying, I'm here in service to you. Men that come to me have come to me for sessions for the last 13 years. How can I be in support to my woman? How can I be here to support her? And the masculine is there saying on bended knee, how can I support you? And when we as women have been in our protective mode We by nature are protective of our children, right? That mother bear, right? But when we are feeling that, that who we are, it's not safe to be who we are, whether sexually or as an empowered vocal woman leading in this as an entrepreneur or rising up in the corporate world, however it is, when it doesn't feel safe, then we are in a protective mode. And in that protective mode, we're not aware that the male is here. How can I serve you? And even times of, you know, a man coming and kissing the back of the neck. How many women have— I know that I would kind of cringe, like, oh, what does he want? He wants sex, right? You know, how many people— me too, right? There's— I've experienced that. And what the man is saying is, I want to please you, I want to give of myself to you. I want to please you. I want to protect you. I want to provide for you. And it has nothing to do— for us to accept that, it has nothing to do with being not independent women. It has nothing to do with I can't do it, therefore I need. It's just this is what I want, this is what I need. And the masculine saying, I will do everything in my power to support you. And I use the analogy of a river that is a little trickle, and, you know, little by little, even a little rivulet in the gravel, in the soil, right, will start to form. That flow is the feminine, is the Divine, and in response, the masculine form shapes it to support that flow wherever it's going. And when we as women can really step into our power and allow the support, the structure that the masculine provides for us, we get to burn even more brightly. We get to really bring our essence forward in a way that allows our leadership, allows our independence, our interdependence to really come into play. So as we as women can really— and I'll repeat it— our power, our sexuality, and our leadership, guiding and saying, this is what I want, this is what I need. The masculine is there to support that experience.

What I love about what you just said, first of all, everything, but the other part is that I feel like when we talk about masculine and feminine these days, it's very much as a conflict situation. Yeah. Right? It's almost like win-lose, or there's friction, or there is something to be in a way conquered there, where it's so much easier when we're like this because we do things that men cannot do. We have powers that men do not have, and vice versa. It's not good or bad. It's just is. And it doesn't take away what you mentioned about— it doesn't mean we're needy. It doesn't mean that we're not capable, because we are. But there is something to be said to having that support structure that can help us to go even further. And which at the same time makes the masculine feel present, feel good, feel that they're there as a provider and protector.

It seems that it's also, Alex, this reflection of what we've been taught is look outside of ourselves. And when it is there, there is this polarity, right? We've got good and bad, right and wrong, you know. So there's, you know, us and them, me and you, right? So as we come into this experience of this implosion of knowing our wholeness within, that we have the masculine and the feminine within, and if we see a reflected outside of ourselves, it seems the battle is kind of— okay, let's look and see what battle is happening within me. And as we can come to peace within ourselves, this aspect within ourselves, it starts to be reflected and experienced and seen outside of us. So this lived journey, it's really from the inside out. This happiness is an inside out, inside journey and inside job. It's this whole lived experience, like this whole stage that's around us being able to mirror, like, what's happening within me. And yeah, so, and yeah, as, as it's— as this peace happens within here more and more, then, um, then what happens here, it's kind of like, yeah, thank you for holding the door, and I need this, and yeah, could you carry that for me, and I'm not sure about this, help me think this through. So yeah, as you, as you mentioned, to be able to then draw on that ability of the masculine to, to be of support. We know what it's like when we see, um, separation outside of us. We know what that's like. So to be able to look within and see what's there reflecting and felt, the felt experience of— we all know what it's like to feel not at home in our bodies. It feels right. So, okay, can I feel that? Can I just sit in the feeling of that? What does it mean? I don't know. I'm just gonna feel it.

Hmm.

What's it about? I don't know. I'm just gonna feel it.

And as I'm watching you say that and watching you close your eyes, and I feel that we often have to, when we feel something uncomfortable, we gotta fix it. And instead of just sitting with it and exploring what it actually means. Mm-hmm. And when we feel we have to fix it, we're back to chasing.

Yeah.

Whereas when we just allow ourselves to feel it, then we go back to just being.

Yeah, and then that lived experience, just, it comes from, from there. The clarity starts to come of what is my next step, you know, for those, for women that are leaving corporate, right? It's what is my next step. Sometimes it's that, ah, there it is, there's the aha, or there's that knowing. Wow, and I hadn't thought of that, right? But just there it is. Or, you know, from a conversation with a friend, and you know how many times as you and I have been speaking, you know, it's just kind of like, okay, yeah, that's it. It helped to talk it out, or just here was the clarity. So being awake and aware to when those next steps be, because it's kind of like, ah, yeah, that's got it, it fits, it feels— that's it.

And it feels good in our body. We can feel it when, when we are congruence and when we're aligned, we— it feels good in our body. And when we're not, it feels like something's off-kilter.

Yeah, very true. And even those days, coming back to our topic when we spoke earlier about that running, I know that there have been so many days over the years and, you know, recently even different times where I'm feeling agitated inside. It's just kind of, okay, what can I do? I'll go and do this, I'll do this, and You know, it's that running away. It's just— and it's kind of like, oh, okay, just pause, just be with it. And oftentimes, probably more often than not, I have no idea what it's about. All I know is just, okay, just be with it. Something just— you can feel it starting to shift or something. It's starting to settle inside. And then often a big sigh, just kind of, okay, and then on I go. And in a peaceful way, in this, there seems to be what I was running towards or trying to occupy myself with, kind of, no, it's just kind of, okay, now here I go. So yeah, this aspect of just really, we've Yeah, coming back and just feeling what's there.

It sounds like just simple acknowledgment, and it doesn't have to be fixed, it doesn't have to be chased, it doesn't have to be done anything with. It's just to be able to say, I hear you, I feel you, and that sometimes is enough. Yeah, yeah, we just don't do enough of it.

Yeah, that's true, that's true. And, and what's fascinating too is I found that when we're trying to think through something, like think, think, think, and looping, looping, looping, it's just kind of that sent that, um, that thought process itself is kind of there. There's a sensation that's happening in the body even that. So, you know, here's an opportunity, you know, just to take a moment to think of something that we were, you know, if there was something that comes to mind about trying to figure something out, you know, whether it's about a health thing, whether it's a project thing, just kind of, okay, think, think, think, what's the next step? What am I supposed to do? Why am I— all the while there's this sensation that's happening that's connected to that. And when we can start to, um, I was going to say retrain, but more it's an awareness, start to tune into that sensation that's happening. Oftentimes the very thing that we were trying to solve is just kind of, okay, seeing it from another perspective, or the clarity is there. Okay, that's what it's about. Or it's just that the body maybe even just is more peaceful so that any thought processes are more clear. The next step becomes more productive or effective.

So with all of the adventures, let's just call them, that you have had, what's overall been your biggest lesson?

My biggest lesson? That I can trust this inner knowing.

You know, I've done a few of these, um, interview, podcast, whatever the heck you want to call them. Yeah, I just like to do it because I love to, you know, learn more about what each of you does and make sure that you're out there and that people are aware of, of the value that you bring. But being able to trust ourselves is a topic that has come up almost at every single one of these interviews. How— for somebody who is— who doesn't really trust themselves, what would be, um, a way that they can start to developing— to develop that trust in themselves so they can learn to trust their gut instead of relying so much in on their brain.

It seems that, again, you have such great questions, opportunities for reflection. It seems that when those things are happening, in a sense, there's so many voices that are happening telling us, you know, whether it's the the voice of a parent or a teacher or some leader saying, this is what you should do, this is what you shouldn't do, and if you do this, it means this, that type of thing. Or if you do this, or if I really do that, how is it going to affect somebody else? So for me, that would be my— is when there's that sense of can't trust, is to start to pay attention to who's on the stage. Who, what characters, what are the voices that are at play? Um, because we've thought that these voices are us, and they're not. Because who we are— the whole question, like, who do you think you are? Like, sort of, you know, it can be said like, who do you think you are? You know, or who do you think you are? And anything that we can think is not who we are. So when these voices are happening that we've thought this is who we are, who we should be, or I'm this if I don't— noticing those. And it's not always easy because that's what we've been taught through the whole thing of story. This is who we are. These voices, these things tell us. We've had voices all around us telling us who we are. And now this journey of coming back home, this implosion, if you will, coming back home to the truth of who we are. It's that thoughtlessness that's there. That's your true essence. That's who we are. And that's where the trust is coming from.

And I would say that is— can be scary. Because it means, or it might mean, rejecting or putting into question the things that we've been taught, the things that we've been told, the things that we are taking for as the gospel, so to speak, and That can be pretty destabilizing. Yeah, yeah. So how do you then find your footing again?

I'm, I'm of the perspective and experience that we only ever have what we're capable of dealing with, even if it seems small or huge at the time. And sometimes that small step is all I can handle. Sometimes it took that huge thing to be able to get my attention or to, um, to be able to help me to recognize the, um, the hugeness of what's underneath it. And so for me, getting my footings, I, I come— I keep coming back to the embodied experience is often it's breath, paying attention to my thoughts, breathing, and feeling. And then from there, and goodness knows I've tried to run towards something or run away from it all, right? Um, or try to figure it out. I need to figure it out. I can go to just kind of, okay, just come back. So those are, that's my place of my footings, is come back to come back home here.

And I'm sure it still happens. It probably just doesn't happen either as often, or you don't stay there as long as you might have in the past because you've built up the awareness. So once you have the awareness, then you can get beyond.

Yeah.

So yeah, very cool. So what would you tell a woman who is struggling to find her purpose. Hmm.

In this moment, what I would say, or what I do say, is find a place where you have some time just to be there. And almost resting on the bed, on the couch, whatever, and just breathing and feeling and resting your hand on your mons and just breathe. And it seems kind of like, what does it have to do with it? Um, number one, it's starting to connect us to our bodies allows, um, it allows the stories, the shame, to start to rise up and to not feel like they have to rush it. Just allow that. Who says that the sense of purpose has to be revealed now? Right.

Well, we're on a timeline.

Exactly, exactly. And that's where sometimes, you know, this whole idea of if we were to really, um, take care of our, uh, or look at— not take care of, but if we were to really honor our own sexual essence and our journey, sometimes it might be quick, sometimes it might be a day, a week. Who says it has to end? Um, but it's really a connecting back into that sexual essence. We came through sex, so to be able to allow ourselves to come back home to that portal of, um, entry, if you will, into this human experience. So that— and again, it how to connect to their experiences, just come back within and knowing that anything outside that needs to show up will show up in its own perfect time and way to support that clarity or that reinforcement, or, oh yeah, it's showing up again, this is it. But that inner, that inner knowing, that, that gut feeling, but even more, it's an embodied knowing, an embodied yes, this is it. And you spoke to that earlier, right? When things are done, when there's an alignment, there's that felt experience of, yeah, this is it.

Definitely. All right, so how can people get in touch with you? Do you have any upcoming webinars or workshops or anything that you want to share with everyone?

Thank you. I do have— I work one-on-one with people, and I am getting ready to do two things: to do a group program which allows us to really come into community, to be seen, to really support one another in our reclaiming of our bodies, our power, our sexuality, and our leadership. And one of those that I'm— so a group program that I'm getting ready to go with that. And then also I'm opening up what I'm calling a virtual talk about sex, where just we just come. There's no selling, it's not networking, it's just coming together in community. I used to do this in my home um, where we would have people that would come and we would just talk about different things in this place about being connecting, um, and talking about literally bringing sex out of the closet in terms of a taboo subject. Is— we're all there. So those are the things. So working one-on-one, group program, and my virtual talk about sex. Uh, and then, uh, to contact me, I have my email, lorna@lornagale.com. For women who are on Facebook, I have my, my group that's called Reclaiming Eden, and we're in there. We've got lots of support and starting to amp things up again with a renewed clarity and going forward with that. And then on Trusted Bodywork, there's a website. I have my page there that people can go and sort of get a realm, a sense of who I am. There's lots of testimonials on there as well to get a sense of what it's like to work with me in a discovery call. As well. Um, happy to have that with people to be able to just say, yeah, I'm ready and I just don't know where to start. We can have that conversation, no pressure, no, no cost to you, just to be able to support you in what's your next, what's your next step.

Nice. Thanks, Lorna. So before I let you go, one last question: what does living a purposeful life mean to you?

Living true to me, because I know from there it will flow, and the purpose, as we said, will show up in different ways. But that's, um, yeah, giving of my essence, living my essence.

Nice. I love it. Well, I love you, and I loved our conversation. I'm sure that it will be enlightening to many. It was to me, even though you and I talk all the time, I still learn and I still discovered parts of you that I didn't, that I didn't know. So on that note, I'm going to say a very big thank you, Lorna, for joining us. It was a pleasure having you. And I guess we'll talk soon.

Wonderful. Thank you. Thank you for the privilege of being here with you and being a part of your legacy as well. Of what you are doing and empowering women. And I'm just so grateful for that and for the women who are listening. Yeah, I'm just really, um, yeah, really blessing each one as we live our purpose, each woman here in their legacy as well. Thank you, Alex.

All right, thank you, Lorna. Talk soon.

Talk soon.