032: Awakening your spirituality, ft. Josie Baxter

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Hi everyone, thank you so much for joining me again on another episode of Candy Crystals the podcast. I hope that you're all well. And this week I've got a really, really exciting episode for you actually, because I've got a guest on the show finally. And I won't tell you too much about her, I'll let her tell you all herself. But here we are welcoming the fantastical little ray of sunshine that everyone needs in their lives, it's Josie Baxter! I just had to put that on, I just had to put some cheering sounds on. Hi Josie, how are you?

I'm good, thanks.

Good, good. So, Jos, just before we get started, would you obviously mind just telling everyone a little bit about yourself, what you do for work? Like, introduce yourself, but don't worry, it's not like Take Me Out on Love Island. So I just, I just want people to get— I just want people to get to know you and who you are as a person.

Um, so I am a personal trainer. Uh, that's how I met Mart. He comes to the gym that I work at slash manage. Um, so, uh, it's all I've ever done since I left school, and I have just finished studying a degree in sport therapy and exercise rehabilitation. Um, and I have just started my yoga teacher training kind of journey. My official training doesn't start till July, but I've kind of started on the path of learning already with my, like, mentor Natalie. Um, who— I don't know if Mark— have you spoke about Natalie before?

I haven't really spoken much about Natalie. I have mentioned that I've done like the crystals workshop at Natalie's.

Oh yeah, of course.

Just to introduce Natalie, Natalie is a shaman, um, and she does shaman practices and things like that. But she's really, really good with yoga and meditation, and she's very spiritual, isn't she? And I mean, like, I really connected with her the first time I ever met her. And I mean, I met her through you because you've known Natalie for years, haven't you? And She's just like a really, really warm, nice person, isn't she? And she always goes out of her way to do things. And obviously with me doing the crystal workshop alongside her, I got to like really know her that day. But yeah, she's a fantastic ball of knowledge with all things spiritual, I think. So obviously spirituality has just come about for you, I'd say, within the last 5 years. Would you think that's right?

Yeah, I think kind of really from when I like met Natalie, really. I think like it's always been there, but you don't sometimes realize that that's what it is. Like, I can always remember from being a little, little kid, my mum saying to me, you're so bloody lucky, like things just always go your way. Um, and I think really like I've always manifested without realizing, like I've always just had a positive outlook, a positive attitude, and like without realizing I've been just manifesting positivity.

But do you think that that's because you've spent most of your life on a positive vibrational state as well, rather than like being down in the dumps and thinking, oh, why does this have to happen to me? You're quite a positive person naturally, do you know what I mean? So I do think that when you're in a positive state of being, you tend to manifest a lot easier and a lot quicker because you're already in that vibrational state. But I mean, even like the last year or so, I think you've got— is it the 7 chakra tattoos down your back now? And things like that. Like, you're having like this huge spiritual awakening. And like, like you said before, you're practicing, um, teacher training for yoga and things like that. And that's amazing. But even like on a Thursday night when we've been coming to yoga with you and just to incorporate that meditation in the end. Like, some yoga practices don't even incorporate meditation, but for you, you're incorporating that in. And some people do find it a bit odd, but it's so nice, isn't it? Like, when we're just able to switch off from the world. And I mean, the you 5 years ago would probably have never even thought of meditation or thought of anything.

Yeah. Um, I think it— the, the meditation side of things and sort of the feeling of energy, like being able to feel energy, started when once I'd I would have gotten like maybe a year into my degree and I was doing sports massage. And I remember thinking like, God, I feel exhausted after like doing a day of clients. And a girl once texted after I'd given her a sports massage, and it was not by any means a spiritual treatment or like even necessarily very like therapeutic treatment. It was a deep tissue sports massage. But she texted saying like, oh my God, I've just cried my eyes out the whole way home and I have no idea why. And I thought, that's my fault because I was in a really bad mood when I've massaged you and I've given you like bad energy. And like, and like, I— if I do a lot of massage, I end up feeling very like drained. And it's not in a physically tired way, it's in an emotional like I don't even have the energy to speak, which is like the opposite of me the majority of the time. Um, but I think you're right, like doing that and starting to feel energy has made us more aware of sort of like, of the bigger picture, like how important like mind and body connection is.

Yeah, 100%.

Yeah. And so that definitely does show in my like yoga practices.

Yeah, I think it definitely does. And I mean, like I say, looking back at the last 5 years and how quickly you've progressed, what do you think was that turning point? Do you think it was that lightbulb moment of there being more to life? Do you think when you started realizing that everything is energy, is that when the lightbulb kind of clicked for you?

Yeah, I think it was— I think it wasn't ever one, like, moment. I think it's been a kind of a few things one from another that have, like, led into something else and something else and something else. Like, I think being self-employed and, like, never really having had employment ever— I guess I did go into, like, into paid PT roles to start with, but for very short, like, a very short period of time. Like, from being quite young, I've been self-employed. Like, you straight away kind of realize you've got to work for what you want.

Yeah.

And you've got to be motivated. And my kind of job has always been helping people in a way, like, to be fitter, healthier, stronger people. And that to me is amazing that that is what my job is. I don't understand it when people say they've had a bad day at work. Like, yes, I have bad days, but like, I enjoy my job so much that like that I think is just something that a lot of people don't have.

Yeah, and I do think what you were saying there about like you've got to actually put in the work and put in the action, I think that comes back down to the law of attraction as well because a lot of people just assume that you can just wish for something and it'll manifest instantly, but they don't realize that you've actually got to put some inspired action into place. Like I think someone the other day, for example, I put on TikTok that, um, you need to take inspired action towards your manifestations, and someone messaged me and put doesn't that defeat the object of the law of attraction? And I said, well, no, obviously you still need to put in work. It's like I always say, you're not going to sit at the start line of the Great North Run and think that you're going to win just by thinking it. Sooner or later, you're going to have to put one foot in front of the other and start running. Do you know what I mean? And that's pretty much what you've had, isn't it? Like, when you've been chucked into employment, you've been chucked into self-employment, like you say, pretty much from school and college. And you've just had to roll with that. But I guess that must be hard for you as well, because obviously being a female in a male-dominated world, how do you find that, and what kind of energy comes up with that?

Yeah, it is, it's kind of— I feel it's so— at times it's worked in my benefit, because sometimes, like, quite often I've been the only female personal trainer at a gym. At Sculpt, when I first started, there was like one who didn't last very long. So people kind of can get— be more attracted to having a female because they feel safer being with a woman. But it does like take a lot to be taken seriously. Like, I think sometimes people just like, they'll walk in, see me and think, oh, there's a blonde little girl in the corner and not realize actually I can probably outlift you. And so there is a lot of times that I've been like, no, actually, like, I deserve to be here and I can train just as hard as all of you can. And yeah, I guess being taken seriously has been a bit of a struggle.

So obviously when you've been doing your yoga and your meditation and stuff like that, you also mentioned that you do sports massage, and obviously I've been in for a few sports massages with you as well. And I mentioned on here, I think, on one episode how I was surprised one time when I turned around and I had little acupuncture needles in me. And obviously you are trained in acupuncture. And I just wondered if you could like talk through some of the holistic benefits of acupuncture. So I know in last week's episode, for example, we talked about EFT, which is tapping, and that deals with the same meridian points that you have up and down your body. But obviously you're just tapping them with your fingers rather than actual acupuncture with needles. So what kind of training did you go through for the acupuncture training? Like, what, what kind of health benefits has it brought about? And do you actually go through that as well? Because I know, like, for me, I'm a pussy when it comes to needles. I absolutely hate needles, um, and the slightest thing going on my skin, I was like, oh my God, I hate this. But some people absolutely love it. And I mean, do you enjoy it? Have you done it on yourself?

Um, yeah, so sometimes if my, like, hands really sore from training and from massage, like obviously having to like grip dumbbells, grip bars. I can acupuncture my own forearms and that like helps me, but obviously I would prefer to go for a nice massage. It's ever— if I'm ever too busy. But I got trained in medical acupuncture, so there's like, there's holistic acupuncture and medical acupuncture. So the way that I acupuncture and the reason I would use acupuncture in a treatment is basically it's like pain— it's a lot less pain painful for the client for kind of the same or similar end result as massage. So what the needle does when it goes into the muscle is it stimulates the nerve endings. So I guess it is kind of a vibrate— like, it's a way of getting energy into the muscle, basically. And you can obviously get a lot deeper with a needle than you can just with massage and skin. And it stimulates a reaction in the nerve tissue which then brings blood to the muscle, which is, is rich with oxygen, which then helps with recovery. It also helps to like flush out toxins from the muscle and any waste product. And it's a lot nicer— although I know you're saying you're scared of needles— if you had a really sore, I don't know, really sore calf from running, it was super, super tight, acupuncture might be a much nicer way of treating the calf for the client Yeah, yeah, I do agree.

I mean, that time that I had that sports massage, I mean, I'm not one for pain, but that sports massage I think that, that you did on me, I was like, there was certain parts of my body where it was actually like physically hurting because I was already in pain. But you've got to get into the, like, the tissue and you've got to go deep to, to get those health benefits. But I mean, days after the acupuncture, I did feel a hell of a lot better. And I was like, I wish I could have just laid there and done a full body acupuncture because I probably would have really enjoyed the health benefits. But Like I say, I'm just too much of a pussy. Um, but yeah, so obviously you spoke briefly about your childhood and about how your mom said to you, oh, you're so lucky, you, you've had your life handed to you on a plate. So what, what actually did your childhood look like in terms of spirituality and religion? Like, was your mom like heavily Christian, like my mom is, for example? Or did she let you have like free rein of whatever you wanted to do and just told you that the sky's the limit? Or what was your upbringing?

Um, so believe it or not, I used to go to church every single Sunday. And my mum was, like, heavily involved in the church, as was my dad. And he was, like, in the church band. Like, we were, like, really quite, like, involved in it. At this point, I was, like, quite a young child, but my mum never enforced anything upon me, and she never was unsupportive of anything. So, like, like, she would never have told me I couldn't do something, or she never would have, like, forced, like, read the Bible, you will do this, you will abide by these rules. I mean, I don't think she could because I was a bit of a wild child, but she never did. And I never felt as though I was religious. Like, I would say I've always believed in some sort of spirituality, and like, God, there's times in life when you sit and you pray, don't you? But you don't know— I've never thought I'm praying to a God. I've just kind of prayed, if that makes sense. Yeah, like kind of put things into the world.

Yeah, and I think that's exactly pretty much what I do. Like, I don't think there's like a big guy floating around in the sky, for example, like God. I just believe that you're putting things out there as energy, and collectively it's going somewhere, or someone's listening to it, or it's, it's all collating somewhere, do you know what I mean? So it's like, yeah, energy's floating around rather than— because my mom obviously believes in God and Jesus and I'm just not sure I believe in that level of detail. I just think there's— it's got to be something bigger, do you know what I mean? I mean, we're 9 planets, or 8 planets now and a dwarf planet, um, in the whole universe. And then we've got all these millions of other galaxies and stuff like that. There's got to be more. There's got to be something else out there that's bigger than us. We are not the ultimate civilization, do you know what I mean? So when we're talking about God and Jesus, I just think there's something a lot more than what we're actually aware of.

Yeah, and I think like there's just a lot of things when it comes to religion.

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That I strongly disagree with. In like sort of growing up, we were heavily, heavily involved in the church until my mom and dad split. And even though that was all my dad's doing and my dad's fault, without going into too much detail, everyone took— like, not everyone turned on my mom, but we were then not welcome in that environment, really. And it went— and that wasn't anything that my mom had ever done wrong. Do you know? And that to me just made me realize how actually this is a load of bollocks, because I have— I know that my mum hasn't done anything wrong. Obviously at that age you don't fully understand everything, but there's no reason why she should be pushed out from something that she's always believed in. And but like, good on her, she is still believes in her faith and still has the Bible by her bed and all that jazz. But she, I think, was really unfairly treated.

Bless her. Yeah, and I totally get that as well because, I mean, I can totally sympathize with that. I mean, like I say, all my family, we always went to church and things when we were younger, and my mom and my auntie, they were like quite heavy churchgoers. They were always at, um, hymn practice and stuff like that. And me, me growing up gay, obviously the Bible says like you're not supposed to be gay and things like that, you know what I mean? So it's a bit weird for me because it's almost like love thy brother or whatever it is that they say in the Bible, but then in the next sentence they say, no, but you can't be a part of the church because you're gay. And I'm like, well, that's not really— it's contradictory, do you know what I mean? So I do think what you're saying, like, I just think there's a lot of things that contradict each other when it comes to religion. But we'll move on from religion anyway. So, but going back to your childhood, if you could go back and give your childhood you a piece of advice, like what would that be? Do you think it would be to, to just relax a bit more and be just who you are, or do you think it would be something around your spirituality? What kind of advice would you give yourself?

My advice would 100% be, as long as in every situation you do what you believe is the right thing, then you're never gonna let anyone down and you're never gonna cause any harm. And you are like, that is the right thing to do.

It's really nice advice. I wouldn't have expected that coming for you, Jules. Oh, that's amazing. Um, so can we talk about manifesting as well? Because obviously a lot of the people are— that listen to this podcast are massive manifestors. We, we do a lot of exercises week on week. I know you've listened to the podcast yourself. Um, and just regarding manifesting, is this something you've done at any point in your life? I know you've said you've done it unconsciously, but have you ever had a vision and it's then come true and you've thought, oh my God, I've done this? And have you been aware of that or what are the kind of things that you were talking about that you've unconsciously manifested?

So I think, like, I can remember when I very first started CrossFit, and I remember watching the coaches at the gym, um, all do, all do a CrossFit Open workout. I think it was 2018. And then it was only just a few months ago, we were all at the gym, and I did one of the Open workouts alongside Adam and one of the other coaches, I think. And I stopped afterwards and I was like, shit, like, I have just managed to do exactly what I dreamt that one day I would do.

Yeah, like 3 years later.

Yeah, that I think was like a subconscious manifestation.

Yeah.

And like what you said about, but you've got to put the work in, like, yeah, I have. Like, I've had to train hard and had to like make big lifestyle changes And, but it's been worth it, you know.

Yeah, I know. I was gonna, I was gonna say, because it wouldn't have just been handed to you on a plate. Like, 3 years is a long time, and you have got insanely stronger over the last 3 years especially. Like, I was watching a video the other day, I think it was, I think it was on your Instagram or your TikTok, um, and it was basically from a competition that you did like 3 or 4 years ago. And you were like, I think you were doing like, I can't remember what it's called, but anyway, you were doing something with barbells, and then it showed like what you were doing now and I was like, oh my God, like, you've really, really improved. And I just thought, yeah, that's because you've put work in for the last 3 years solid, you know what I mean? And you train pretty much every day, and you are like a powerhouse in there, do you know what I mean? There are people— there are lads that go in there that you outlift on 100, like, 100% basis. And I'm like, how is she doing this? You were just— you're just a little machine. I don't know how you do it. But obviously that was the last 3 years. So what's on your vision board now for the next 3 years? Like, what does the next 3 years hold for you? Like, what do you, what do you have on your vision board for the foreseeable future?

Well, the plan, the upcoming plan is I haven't yet fully decided if I want to do my master's. I've put my name down for it and I'm waiting, I'm waiting for a sign because I don't know, I'm not sure if I can handle the workload because I obviously have my yoga teacher training coming up. So the man— the big dream is my own yoga studio. Which I think, I'm hoping will happen next year.

Amazing.

I think that, that will, that will happen, that will come. I know it'll come at a time that's right, so I'm not, I'm not worried. I'm not even looking.

Yeah.

Um, but it'll be— I mean, my training won't finish officially until February next year, so I'm just kind of holding out for that. But that's definitely the next big step for me.

Yeah, and I think that will be massive as well because when you've got your own space, like at the minute you're— well, you were one Friday night, you were basically using Natalie's yoga studio to do the power stretch class. And then I think now you're doing every Thursday in Sculpt. So it's like— and Sculpt is quite a busy environment, so we're having to do it on a night, aren't you, when there's like no classes on, because it— you need that meditation environment. You need it to be calm and tranquil and zen. And how can you do that in a really, really busy gym?

Yeah, so I think clashes.

Yeah, I think when you've got your own studio, I honestly think you will flourish, like, with the knowledge and everything that you've got around yoga and meditation now. I think that is your natural next step. When it comes to your master's, what, what do, uh, what category would you be doing your master's in?

So it's just sport and exercise, and then I get to choose sort of what my dissertation and focus is for the— it's just a one-year master's.

And have you asked the universe for a sign of whether or not you should do that, or—

I have. I'm waiting, I'm waiting, because I don't know, I don't want to overload.

I know.

I want to be able to really take on as much as I can with the training and really give my everything to it.

Yeah, amazing. So in terms of your home life as well, Josie, obviously your partner Adam, he owns the gym, like Sculpt is his baby and stuff like that. So how do you differentiate, because you both work together, um, how do you differentiate your home life and your relationship, and how does that affect your energy on a day-to-day basis?

Well, this is very good. This is, this is a juicy topic of conversation.

Hi, Adam.

Um, I know I should shout him up. Um, it's hard. It's really hard. Obviously, we got together in lockdown. And so it was kind of nice because I had a bit of a phased return to work to get used to, because obviously we worked together when we were just friends.

Yeah.

And we were just friends and then got together whilst the gym was shut. Um, so kind of it was nice that we had that like slow, like steady opening back up of the gym to get used to it, but Sometimes we do have to go, right, we're not going to talk about work while we're out having a meal right now. Like, let's stop. But it's hard because we're both so passionate that like, it's kind of nice because it is like our baby. And like he says all the time, I'm so relieved to not be with the girl that nags us about going to the gym anymore. And I'm like, well, I know, because I'm always there before you.

I was going to say, you usually open up and then he wanders in, doesn't he? So how does that kind of affect your energy though? How do you preserve your energy? On a day-to-day basis? Because it must be hard. I mean, if I worked alongside Johnny, I mean, we barely bicker on or anything like that, but I think we would if we were with each other 24/7. So I think, how do you kind of preserve your energy? Is it just a case of stepping back and just thinking, let it go and be all zen? Do you think that meditation and breathing techniques and things like that help you deal with that on a day-to-day basis?

I definitely sometimes have to step back and breathe, but, um, Um, yeah, like, at the end of the day, it's his gym, and so like whenever there is any big decisions, they're his. Like, if anything, I just look at it as though I kind of get to do the best bit. Like, I get to coach the members, and my concern is really just for the welfare of the members and that they're happy and that the gym is running well. So we don't really ever have any like business decisions to make together because they're— I'll leave that all to him. That's all he is. So it's kind of nice because my concern is just that everyone's happy.

Good, that's really good. And obviously, Josie, I'm going to put all of your details and everything in the show notes as well. So if anyone is wanting to contact Josie for any reason, I'll put her Instagram and things like that in the contact details, um, in the show notes as well. But is there anything else that you would like to talk about today, Josie, in terms of your sports massage and your PT, your group classes or anything? Is there anything that you'd like to mention to any of the listeners out there?

Well, if anyone would like to come and try the class membership with me and Mart, it's Sculpt, and you are more than welcome to come along for a free taste test session. If you go on the website, there is a link that you can follow, and I will do my best to reply to your email as quickly as I can. And yeah, I am running a Thursday night yoga class at Sculpt. You can book that again through a link that I always post on my Instagram. So if you follow me on there, just watch out for a link.

Yeah, and I mean, what I will say is that power stretch class that's on on a Thursday night in Sculpt is so chilled and so zen. I mean, I have no previous yoga kind of experience. I mean, I only started yoga during lockdown, and I was using the Les Mills app, and I was just doing yoga for 20 minutes every single day. And then obviously I joined Sculpt. And then I think it was January this year when I was doing the Hard 75 Challenge. I've talked about that on the podcast quite a lot. And when I was doing that, every Friday as my kind of recovery, me active recovery day, I was doing yoga. And I mean, it has been like quite life-changing for me because I can now reach my toes. Like, I was never able to even reach me bloody kneecaps, let alone me toes. So I have got a bit more flexibility, and I've never had such a long period free without back pain as well, and I think that's obviously got something to do with it because obviously when you're stretching your muscles and stuff, you're stretching out your back. But I do think that that Thursday night is just so zen. I mean, I'll encourage anyone, like I say, go on Josie's Instagram, get yourself down to Sculpt if you are in Newcastle. It's on, on a Thursday night. It's usually 12 to 14 spaces, I think, so it's quite limited. The classes are quite small, uh, but it's only £7.50 as well, so get yourself down there. The link will be in the show notes as well, like I say. Over to Josie's Instagram and she'll post on about that. But Josie, I just want to say thank you so much. You're my first ever guest, so it's been—

well, thank you for having me.

It's been a weird experience getting this set up, hasn't it? And all this stuff that we've had to engineer.

We've got there in the end.

We have. But thank you so much. And I just want to say to everyone else, thanks so much for listening. And like I say, all the links to today's episode will be in the show notes, and I'll see you all again next week. Thanks very much, Josie.

You're very welcome. Thank you.

Bye. I'll see you all next week.

Bye.

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