How Channeling Helped My Student Avanti Turn Fear into Intuitive Power ⭐

What if fear was the doorway to your intuition?

In this episode, I sit down with my beautiful student Avanti, who courageously shares her journey through my Learn to Channel course. From overcoming fear and self-doubt to awakening her inner guidance, Avanti’s story reminds us of the magic that unfolds when we trust Spirit and allow ourselves to be guided.

As we talk, we explore the real-life moments of transformation that come from learning to channel, how Reiki deepened her connection, how group energy amplified her growth and how she discovered the confidence to follow her intuitive knowing.

✨ In this episode, I share and explore with Avanti:

• Breaking through fear and discovering intuition
• The beauty of spiritual awakening and growth
• How Reiki and channeling work together to heal and align
• Practical ways to connect with your spirit guides
• The power of group energy and collective support

Avanti’s journey is one of courage, surrender, and trust and I know it will inspire you to honour your own inner voice.

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Transcript

0:00

Before we dive in, I wanted to let you know that today's episode is a special replay of an interview I recorded with Avanti Silver a few years ago. The conversation was so insightful and inspiring that I knew it deserved to be shared again with you whether. Hearing it for the first time or revisiting it. I hope you enjoy this timeless discussion with Avanti, one of my learn to channel and Reiki students.

Speaker: 0:31

Welcome to Connecting to Spirit. I am your host, Lisa Brandis, and I'm here to help you unlock your intuition channel with clarity and deep dive into self-discovery, all while navigating the ups and downs of personal and spiritual growth. If you're ready to say goodbye to self-doubt, embrace your unique gifts and connect with a supportive community on the same journey, then you're in the right place. Whether you're just starting out or you've been walking this path for years, this podcast is here to guide you, support you, and inspire you every step of the way. So grab a cozy spot, settle in, and let's dive into some empowering insights together.

Lisa Brandis: 1:17

I'm live here with one of my gorgeous students, Avanti, who has been very brave tonight. We were having a great chat on the phone. I was just chatting to her about her personal experience, attending my recent Learn to Channel course, and I thought it might be a great opportunity to share the reasons why she decided. To, learn to channel and what she got out of it. So if you've been considering what it means to learn to channel and whether it's for you, hopefully this chat with Avanti will help you to make that decision or at least to answer some questions that you might have about channeling. So I'd like to welcome you Avanti. Thank you so much. It's quite nerve wracking getting on and also. Offering to help demystify some of, the woowoo

Avanthi: 2:05

comes. Yeah. Hopefully I can help because I feel like that's where I was at, before diving into the course. And, that's probably one of my biggest gains. I think the clarity of it all, that's what I went in wanting, and, that's definitely what I got. As with reiki, I felt like I was guided to this on my spiritual journey, which I feel like is quite new. And I knew this was the next step. So when it came up, all I was filled with was questions. And you know, what exactly is happening? Like, I thought, it's a bit like a romanticized version of something. You think these things from movies or wherever you get these ideas. But, it's not the type of thing I could turn around and ask, friends and things like that. And it was definitely, there was definitely a trust aspect, with you, Lisa, and it's definitely what I

Lisa Brandis: 3:04

got. I. Really to, just to give a little bit of a timeline, you'd actually done my Reiki training beforehand. So it is not imperative that people learn Reiki, but I think sometimes it gives you that solid foundation about energy, about understanding the chakras. And so for you, doing the training, did it give you some kind of foundation that made you wanna learn more about your intuition of Avanthi or was that something you'd already been doing when you came to the channel course?

Avanthi: 3:33

For me, it's all about looking back and seeing how I got to where I am on my spiritual journey. My big make or break process was when I had my daughter and I was laying sick on the floor. So when I kind of came out of that, I knew that I was rebuilding in a certain way. And with the Reiki I don't even honestly know how I got there. I was definitely guided there. I was definitely guided to you specifically, and I can see why there's very, I, I'm, there's a lot of practicality to me and I do need, even if it's considered spiritual or woo woo as some call it, I now realize that I appreciate the structure and your insights. But yeah, there was definitely, you know, a proper course going through like step by step because I was sitting in a room even with Reiki of, you know, ladies or, and. Yeah, there was one guy, who knew about crystals and, different angels. And at that point, I wasn't there yet. So I was sitting there thinking, is this for me? And the story sort of. Slowly started to unveil and I finished Reiki 2 end of 2019. So little did I know what 2020 had to offer, but it felt like it really concreted. Where I was at.'cause I knew I was in, I was in this transformational space before, but now I had all these tools to deal with all the bombardment of the rest of the world as well.

Lisa Brandis: 5:16

There's been growth and change hasn't there. And I think Reiki as a tool and a system just gives us this sense of stability and being able to, you know, to really come back to that sense of self and that love and that compassion that exists within the soul. And it's such an important. Um, thing, and I, I think the system of reiki makes it easy, doesn't it? Just to kind of. Tune back into the seat of the soul. And I know for me, and it was probably the same for you, you know, is that once you start to get a taste of what this intuitive world is like, it's almost like a door to this magical and mystical world opens and you kind of pop out and it's like, oh, you know what? There becomes this thirst for more knowledge, more understanding, and also deeper experiences on a spiritual level. And I know. That, the learn to channel can feel a bit woo woo for people, I know even in the class that you were in with me, there was a couple of, students that didn't know Reiki hadn't done Reiki. Also you who had done reiki. There was a couple of others that, probably were on the spiritual journey 10, 15 years. So they were kind of well experienced, but just again, looking for. The education, but also that support in deepening the connection with their guides and really learning all the different ways we can channel and how it can benefit us in life. So I was really conscious about that. When I, pulled this course together, I really wanted to, give solid, intelligent understanding too. This mysterious world of, of energy healing and of spirituality and who are our guides and how do we connect with them? I really knew that people knew they were there. They had a sense that there was guidance there, but they just wanted more of that, concrete knowing and more experience to trust in the messages and the guidance that are coming through. When we get the energy of the group, something magical takes place. I remember specifically. There was one night when you channeled the most incredible message and it wasn't just for you, and that was the end. I tend to not tell my students what's coming up. I don't let them get too much in their thought preparation about it.'cause otherwise they're active. So I'll usually. Still a little bit of a trick. I shouldn't be giving away my techniques, but a little guide of meditation where everyone's really comfortable and then my guide Anya will come in and will guide them through a step-by-step process too. Um, and, and for this particular one, it was the automatic writing. Do you remember doing that? Yes. Yeah, definitely. After you got that message through and when you shared it with the group, because it was a jaw dropping moment. It was, yeah. It was like, am I really reading these five sentences that have now changed my world? Um, yeah. Just pure love and so profound in, and I think this is this what I love about spiritual messages is they just cut to the point and give us words and wisdom and understanding in ways that we couldn't come up with ourself. Did you find, yeah. And

Avanthi: 8:13

also knowing that there's no, well, it is a relationship, but it's not a two way relationship. There's no give or take. They are here for our greater good and that's amazing. I think for me. That connection of talking to someone and working through all of that. Sometimes when I am working on the intuitive side of me, it's hard to verbalize those things and I then feel like I'm unsupported or I second guess myself. And this was my tool to really align and trust myself. I knew there was, and. It's been a phenomenal journey. I actually didn't think that, I thought Reiki was more of part of my service to, going forward, but I found that, the channeling has really sort of added a whole different layer and, yeah, I've had some beautiful experiences since finishing the course. Have you,

Lisa Brandis: 9:16

that's so, and I love that. I love that once, that, once that. Definite knowings been created with your guide, and you have that visceral experience, which, um, it happens because there's this group energy dimension where all the guides come together in the room. My guides come together and there's this, there's this shift in consciousness and it's a collective of the group. And what I feel is that we all ride on each other's energy. There's this beautiful harmony that takes place. And, you know, we build that energy over the. Six weeks. So we're building trust, we're connecting every week. We're sharing the benefits we are getting. We're practicing at home. There's, guided meditations that I've prerecorded. With my voice and any comes through my guide to help just to facilitate that pure place of connection. And you know, I think the biggest thing is we get these intuitive messages and they feel and resonate, but where it really becomes solidified for my students, I found is when everyone in the group. Sits there and just goes, oh my God, that was, and they give you that feedback because then when we unpack, what did that message mean to you? And quite often they'll share with you personally what they got out of it. And I think that's, that's what guides do they bring. They bring messages that are general of nature, but everyone can find their own meaning in it. And usually it's profound, it's loving, it helps us to break barriers and to shift and change and release fears and, I think the evolution is being our best self and discovering how to love ourselves more once. We do that and we find that level of self comfort and self-love, we then have that as a gift to offer to others. I really do think that I have this big vision that in the future everyone will channel, everyone will have a deep, connected relationship with their guides. It will be weird not to have that. Divine guidance that they tune into for their own wellbeing and for the wellbeing and the love of those who they are closest to. I believe that people will tune into channeling in order to develop that creativity and to connect with that inspiration and to feel into who to employ and to feel into, what move we are meant to do next. Whether it's a business move, and I know you are a very academic and you come from, that level and that side of understanding things from a very practical mind. This is what I love and part of why I wanted to talk to you, Avanthi, because the people I love helping the most are those that are, used to working in their mindset and in their intellect and just breaking through into this creativity and the spiritual side and the feminine energy. When we bring this synergy between the left and the right brain, and we find this harmony. We work with the mind and the ego and we work with the spirit and the soul and that broader perspective. When we can do that, it really anchors us and up levels us into a different kind of, energy and life just seems to become miraculous. And I found. I don't know if you found some similarity with me, but it's just, have you had synchronicity, events just kind of line up, even just this conversation and how it flowed and it came directly from my guides to call you and connect with you and it, because the time's right and there was. Nothing in the way to make this happen. You know? It, it just, yeah, it just flowed effortlessly.

Avanthi: 12:49

It did flow and, yeah, I've definitely, when you talk about, you know, well, when I was saying that Reiki was my, where I thought I could be of service where my, you know, my daughter. Sick. And that could be my hands on her. That's how I could, help her and on in that way. Um, but channeling has, yeah, I really went into this purely for some self love and some self guidance as well. Because. Who doesn't want, the bestest friend for your greater good and all the time that you can tap into, who's just ready and waiting.

Lisa Brandis: 13:29

And that is the truth, you know, it really is like, Anya is my guide and, and you know, and she represents a team of a spirit team and they always want what's best for us, but they don't, they don't come in and dictate what we should do, or, you know, they, they're here to align with. What we want as well. So I found that, um, yeah, it is like having this great cheering squad that sees our potential and will when we ask for help.'cause we have to ask, we have to, I've been doing this for 17 years and I've been channeling, I still get to a point where I get stuck in my own stuff and I can't hear my guide because my head's too active in all my fears. And this is where sometimes we need to reach out to others to get clarity because, we can't see the wood for the trees'cause we're too invested in whatever the resistance is. And someone else can just like, I love this saying that. It's like I've got a problem. I dunno what it is. And someone else can be like, we hand on your face. Oh, okay. Because we're so close to the problem, we just can't see. That thing that's getting in our way. And for most of the students I've worked with, it's us. We up all the resistance in our life and when we can, you know, just gently shift that amazing things happen, you know, and people have these inner resources in order to heal themselves. I don't heal anybody, you know, we hold this space and our guides help us to facilitate this. Incredible possibility of change and growth and healing. And it's in the presence of love. Like when you have two people, one's willing to change'cause they're ready. And that's always necessary. It's needed. They've gotta be wanting to change, they've gotta be willing to move in a different direction. And there's this. This readiness, they may be shit scared about what's gonna happen or whether they think that can handle it. There's usually fear. I've had people walk in a session, sit down and start crying. It's like, okay, that's alright. That's what happens. But, and in the presence of love and then with these guides and angels, you know, that the universe has a way of just beautifully unfolding and unpacking and releasing the pain. It just happens. Have you experienced that? Where it's just this shift that takes place and it feels almost effortless? There's usually tears, but it's a relief because they're finally letting go of the pain or they're letting go of the resistance and, and once they do and accept and acknowledge and, and. Understand what's happened. Um,

Avanthi: 16:06

yeah, I remember, most of our group coming in and saying, you know, we hadn't, we had either not told very many people we were coming to the course, didn't kind of mention it, wasn't really sure what to do. so, but. Yeah, so it, it was amazing how well, yeah, the synchronicity for sure. Like, I had a, a girlfriend who's in the US and she, we're quite close, but yeah, she's like, I really feel called to, you know, having you spiritually. At my home birth it was a beautiful experience of, how I could, tap in and hold space and not be anywhere physically close to that. It was beautiful also, and I could see. What she couldn't see. I could see all these beautiful spiritual beings who, were Yeah. At her feet and there to support. Yeah. All. And it is all there and it's amazing and we all have it within us to be part of that, um, remote, were

Lisa Brandis: 18:08

you doing that remotely? Were you with her home birth remotely?

Avanthi: 18:12

Yes.

Lisa Brandis: 18:12

Yeah, she's in the US So, and you know, I have the same thing when COVID hit. I was so resistant to not teaching in room because I've always done it that way, and I'm a bit stubborn when it comes to change. Sometimes I resist and my guide kept some coming through and saying, love knows no bounds. Lisa Love knows no bounds. So. And, and again, it was, it was this powerful experience I had where one of my masters was Spirit was giving us the, the way in which to move forward and how to adapt all the courses online, and that was Reiki and also the channeling and the intuition courses. It was all spirit of taught me all the way from the beginning. None of my workshops are like anyone else's. They're all unique because. Hand delivered to me how to teach, how to do attunements in groups, how to, you know, channel messages to my individual groups because they always would be life changing. And it was no different when, when we went from in room to online. And even though I didn't trust and I argued with my guidance,'cause we do that'cause we're human. I'll give you. All resistance comes up. And I remember going, okay, we'll just wing it. And I did a practice session with one of my masters, Fiona, and we just sat there going, I don't know what we're gonna do. We'll just trust that spirit will bring the answers through. And oh my gosh, they did. And the, the, the process was channeled through beautifully and we recorded the session. She experienced the atunement online and then I said, okay, your turn, you attune me. And so I was sitting there going, he, and she's okay because I just didn't threw under the bus. And then I sat there and she did the atunement on me energetically just following the process that, and you just given us. And I had this wall of emotion that I'd buried, that I had not been acknowledging. I'd just shoved it aside and kept working, kept busy'cause I didn't wanna address it. Literally, this wall of emotion came up out of my body and I had no, I, I couldn't do anything to stop it. And I started sobbing. And beautiful Fiona, it just kept going. Like, you know, she was just holding space and finishing the process and then it, it was like this waterfall cascade of emotion. Grief. It was grief and it just, it just came out and I had tears flooding down and then, and then in its place came this profound love and it channeled through my entire body all the way down to my feet. And then afterwards there was this other emotional release of, oh my God, this all works. Like I could see the bigger vision of what I'd been. Feeling and warning for intuitive reiki for years, suddenly going, oh my gosh, this is how it's gonna happen. It's different to what I thought it would be. Yeah. And then, and then having that kind of wave of, oh, there's, this works because I had that visceral physical experience that it's undeniable for me, and, and it really did set. Framework for taking all the courses online in 2020 with COVID. And it's been incredible. Like it's been intimate, it's still been life changing. And the Channelings no different. Same. We started within room, COVID came.

Avanthi: 21:14

Yeah, we did two. Uh, yeah, yeah, a couple out. From home and we

Lisa Brandis: 21:21

save time driving there. You know, it could ground weather to get you to come into the center. I'm at work at the moment and we're like, oh, well we can do it online from home. We don't need to be in room. Let's save. And it's convenient, isn't it, to be able to Yeah,

Avanthi: 21:35

we were all sitting there in our pajamas with our Oh yeah. Someone had their cat, you know, running past the screen and Yeah, it was. Um, but we could still definitely feel each other. Like I could definitely still feel that, se like we, yeah, we did sit in a circle, but we could feel that, you know, that space everyone was holding for each other. And, um, I, I believe that anything's. Spiritual. It's a bit like someone asking you where Reiki is. Show it to me. You know? Um, you know, it, it, yeah. Well, it's everywhere. Yeah. Um. It's, it's a bit like that. It is a personal journey of what you may or may not yet physically experience in the process of channeling or not. Um, so yeah, there's, there, there was, yeah, I didn't feel different or any less supported doing it, doing a couple, online for sure. That connection was definitely there. And, and your, yeah, your nurturing angelic wings definitely held space for us as usual.

Lisa Brandis: 22:48

if there's someone sitting on the fence kind of wondering whether they should. Come and join the Learn to Channel course. What would you say to them if they're thinking about whether it would be too scary or if they're not? Sure. Yeah. Do you have any, um, yeah. Well,

Avanthi: 23:04

my insight is that there's always. Exciting stuff. On the flip side of fear, I believe

Lisa Brandis: 23:12

always summarize this, isn't it? Get outta here, get, get uncomfortable. You know, usually the biggest transformations they do happen when we're uncomfortable, isn't it? And the only way you're gonna know is through experience and action.

Avanthi: 23:25

Yeah. We can all, yeah. And everyone's takeaway was also different. Everyone is at different, you know, levels of. Their journey and or, um, even resistance in a certain

Lisa Brandis: 23:36

so and I, that kind of teacher that pushes people, I can feel intuitively when someone's ready. I'll push a little bit if I know that it's just fear, but I know that they're ready and there's a part of them that can do it. Yeah, I have that, you know, that's a blessing of, I know exactly how much to push without. You know, upsetting anyone. And that's really important to me that I hold that nurturing space, that it's still, kind, you know, it's really important to me that, that as a teacher, that people feel safe. And, and you know, there have been some students that just weren't ready, but, you know, part of their energy was to hold space for the group and they were almost, you know, or someone that had just recently gone through grief and she just, she was there to be loved by the group. So. There's always a reason why someone's drawn to these classes, and sometimes it's not what we think. And usually the ones that end up becoming the most incredible channels and will bring through, you know, mind blowing wisdom, are the ones that sat there, didn't think that they could do it, and, surprise themself, you know? So there's, you know, uh, every level's tailored for I think, you know, and the universe and spirit only gives us what we. Able to cope with at the time. So, and again, it develops in your own time outside of the course as well. Once you've got that framework, you've got it for life. So when students have, might not been ready in the course to really fully expand into that channel state, or they were getting channeled messages through, their intuition and their clairvoyance, but not quite direct channeling yet, that's fine. They'll come to it when they're ready or it'll just happen spontaneously in a really gentle. Nurturing way. And really it's us that actually let, we are the ones that let that happen. No one, no spirit being ever takes us over or does anything against our will. We're always a participating component of that ability to channel. And that's a framework I teach as well. You know, we actually say, yes, I want to, and we invite that, and I'm a conscious channel, so I'm always a part of it. I'm not unconscious and not aware or participating. I see it as we're both in the driver's seat. You know, I'm in there. Driver's seat, but move to the passenger seat is the best way I describe it. So I'm aware and feeling all those sensations of when the guide comes through in order to directly channel. And that's exciting. It's just an amazing feeling.

Avanthi: 25:49

And it's working, working through your individual, resistance, I suppose to, yeah. To when it does, come in. And yeah, for me that was a huge part of it. Like, but I didn't even realize there was different ways to channel. Like again, that was my trust factor. So if there is anyone out there that does feel, I remember with the reiki course I was looking at different stuff online and it's almost like it, yeah, it was just, um, you, some might say it's the algorithm, but it would, or something like that. But it was just come, it kept coming up and I kept looking at other things and I'm like, no, I'm really drawn to you. And like years on I do understand why that is. And, I'm so, so grateful. That I've gotten here. I have all this love for myself at the same time, and so, and guidance now as well. So

Lisa Brandis: 26:48

it's so beautiful and thank you for, yeah, for being able to be a voice and share for others that have no idea what this means. I could talk until the cows come home about what I teach and how I do it, but it's, you know, it's really, it's really important to me that. That people considering doing this, actually hear from my students and hear what it meant for you in order to learn, reiki and also channeling and how it's helped you in your life. And especially as a mother and having young children. You know, there's so many benefits. I've got reiki babies, my actual age in. Out there waiting for me at the moment, so I better wrap it up. Um, thank you so much, Avanti. Um, I'm just so grateful that you came on and spoke to everyone today and shared your experience, so thank you, thank you, thank you. I adore you. You're such a beautiful soul and you brought so much light to the group as well. And, um, and just this gorgeous open-hearted willingness to learn and to. Discover something new. Thank you. Thank you. Oh, thank you. Yeah, I could definitely, yeah.

Avanthi: 27:50

Feel it right here, but thank you. So, yeah, that was beautiful and um, yeah, I hope, um, I hope people do trust that intuition and, yeah. Follow.