Shushana Smith long ignored the voice within telling her to have faith and lead the life that was her calling, a life in alternative therapies. All the while, the corporate world held her with its certainty and security.
“When covid came along, it gave me the space and time to think about what I wanted for my future. And the corporate world was not it,” Shushana tells me. “Yes, it had served me well in terms of financial security, but that was all.”
“Covid proved to some of us that anything can change in an instant and what is important in life, and I didn’t want to throw that lesson away. I took the plunge and changed my career path to one that I could truly fall in love with.”
Inspired from a young age by her mum’s interest in massage, Shushana’s always had a passion for alternative therapies. “I first became interested in them after my mum began learning about massage and needed someone to practice on. I learned a lot from her, and it ignited my own passion in it and to explore other alternative therapies.”
However, a piece of advice from her father, ‘You need a proper job, you can’t make money doing what you love,’ kept her from pursuing that passion for many years. Shushana continues: “I held onto that for a long time. And while it was sound advice from my father who truly believed that I knew deep down it wasn’t right for me.”
“Stepping away from the office and work environment during the Covid crisis, helped me realise that I needed to change my life and my career if I wanted to live authentically and be truly content. I was finally listening to the voice inside of me and I knew I had to take the plunge and leave the safety net of the corporate world. In 2021 I became a Reiki and Seichem Master.”
As well as a Reiki and Seichem Master, Shushana is also a member of the Reiki and Seichem Association, an Energetic Facelift Practitioner, Access Bars Practitioner, a Holistic Health Practitioner with the Academy of Healing Nutrition, and has studied Marma massage.
“It’s true what they say,” Shushana says, “when you love what you do, it doesn’t feel like work. And with the wonderful clients I have met since venturing out on my own, I am so grateful for the opportunity I was given, and I am grasping it with both hands.”
Shushana’s clients can’t speak highly enough of her work, one client told me: “Reiki has done wonders for me. For years, I have experienced migraines, neck and shoulder pain, aches down my spine, and headaches. I had given up on finding anything that could help and was prepared to live with these pains forever. But after that, I received three remote Reiki sessions from Shushana, and I’m still in awe of the results. My aches and pains have greatly decreased, and most days I am pain-free. Since the first session, I have also not experienced a migraine. My general mental health and happiness have increased as a result of this, which has changed my life.”
Another told me of how they were struggling with their work. They were soon to be hosting a motivational talk but were struggling with motivation themselves, they said: “The deadline was approaching, my mind was disorganized, and I had been searching for the right words for hours. I composed three versions while exploring ideas in books and online, but I wasn’t satisfied with any of them. I wrote the webinar less than an hour after my session with Shushana, and it was fantastic! My words, my creation, exactly what I wanted to say. Instead of thinking about it, I “felt” it, and the response was amazing! I also noticed an immediate increase in security, calmness, and attention.“
I ask Shushana what advice she would give to anyone else feeling in a similar position, she says: “Listen to the voice inside. I overlooked and ignored mine for too long. I am where I should be now but in hindsight, I could have been here so much earlier if I had simply listened and trusted. Deep down we know when something isn’t right for us, but it’s so easy to follow the advice and path of others, and not trust ourselves and our own path. Change and the unknown can be exciting or daunting depending on your point of view. I’m a self-proclaimed perfectionist, so starting out without a plan was quite an experience; but one thing I have learned is that taking things one step at a time allows the next steps to be revealed and to keep hold of your vision to help keep you moving forward. I’ve learned to let go of my perfectionism (well, just about), embrace curiosity, and have some fun (there has been a lot of dancing on this journey) with whatever comes my way.”
Join Shushana on her journey by following her on Instagram @reikiseichemenergyhealing