My Eating Disorder Story & How Learning Bodywork Has Helped Me Heal

It’s a lovely cloudy morning here in Wisconsin and I’m sitting at my little art table in my bedroom with coffee and the windows open that look out onto the woods around our house. I love these quiet mornings, this is the time when I sit and wander inside myself and with whatever inspires me in the moment. Today that is a sketchbook/art journal I wrote in two years ago that I picked up off my shelf the other day and started flipping through. I came across little sketches, creative ideas and thoughts I had forgotten about and they began stirring up fresh creative ideas and reflections. It reminded me how important it is to look back sometimes and how glad I am that I write things down by hand, not just on my computer or my phone, which I also do a lot of. But it is such a different, precious experience to keep handwritten journals and sketchbooks and then get to find them again later. One entry I found was from October 2022 with a quote from the gorgeous book by Mark Nepo called Drinking from the River of Light: The Life of Expression that I was reading at the time which I share on the podcast. He writes about “Truth windows”, an interior window placed inside an ancient style of dwellings to reveal what the walls were made of. When I read this, it blew the windows of my mind and heart wide open with inspiration and awe! I hope you enjoy listening. -See photos of my little art table, art journal I mention and a couple of photos of truth windows I found here: ⁠https://deep-rooted-healing.com/podcast/episode-42⁠ -Sign up for my newsletter to receive updates on what I'm creating and offering: ⁠https://emmafreeman.myflodesk.com/newsletter⁠ -See all of my on-demand creative classes and retreats here: ⁠www.deep-rooted-healing.com/classes⁠ -Follow me on Instagram ⁠@deeprootedhealing⁠. -Visit my website: ⁠www.deep-rooted-healing.com⁠. Emma Freeman is a heart-led artist, writer, poet, teacher, Massage Therapist and Reiki Practitioner based in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. Her life and work intuitively weave together art making, writing, creative healing practices, contemplation, meditation, mindfulness, play, joy, wonder and love to live a life that is fulfilling, meaningful, deep and full of passion.

In this episode, Emma Freeman reflects on her first year in private practice as a Massage Therapist and Reiki Practitioner and 8 lessons she has learned. Her practice is in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin and is called Deep Rooted Healing. Emma Freeman is an artist, poet, teacher, Massage Therapist and Reiki Master. Her business is called Deep Rooted Healing. She offers on-demand and in-person art and creative classes and retreats, in-person bodywork sessions and distance Reiki sessions. You can learn more about her and what she offers at www.deep-rooted-healing.com.

Today Emma Freeman opens up about her eating disorder story and the recovery process she has been in for years. She also shares how learning massage therapy has helped deepen and heal her relationship to her body in empowering ways. Emma Freeman is an artist, writer, teacher, Massage Therapist and Reiki Practitioner based in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. Have a story you'd like to share after listening to this episode? You can contact Emma through her website, www.deep-rooted-healing.com or at [email protected]. Emma Freeman's website: www.deep-rooted-healing.com Deep Rooted Healing On-Demand Creative Classes: www.deep-rooted-healing.com/classes Follow Emma on Instagram @deeprootedhealing

Summary Emma Freeman shares reflections on the power of retreats to replenish the creative spirit, drawing from her recent experience at a creative retreat at Snow Farm New England Craft in Williamsburg, Massachusetts organized by Ali Manning and her team from Vintage Page Designs. She discusses the restorative and inspiring nature of the retreat, the activities, realizations, and the impact on her creative journey and business. Takeaways -Retreats provide a restorative and inspiring environment for replenishing the creative spirit. -The immersive nature of retreats fosters deeper connections and realizations within a community of like-minded individuals. -The creative energy present in art making, Reiki, and other forms of expression is interconnected and flows through us in similar ways. -Traveling and stepping out of routine can lead to fresh ideas and a renewed sense of alignment and purpose. -The distinction between retreat experiences and workshop/class experiences lies in the immersive and communal nature of retreats, allowing for deeper connections and interactions. -Living with questions and allowing experiences to guide the understanding can lead to the emergence of clarity and purpose over time. Links: -Snow Farm New England Craft Program: https://www.snowfarm.org/ -Vintage Page Designs run by artist and bookmaker, Ali Manning: https://vintagepagedesigns.com/ -Deep Rooted Healing on-demand class I teach on how to make simple Fabric Meditation Books and bury and unearth them from the earth: www.deep-rooted-healing.com/classes. -Deep Rooted Healing website: www.deep-rooted-healing.com. -Emma Freeman's buried fabric meditation books: https://deep-rooted-healing.com/art-projects/buried-books Emma Freeman is a heart-led artist, writer, teacher, Reiki Master and Massage Therapist. She is playful, a deep feeler and thinker, sober, rebellious and many other things. She leads online and in-person classes and retreats, offers private Reiki & massage sessions and offers tools and resources to support deep creative expression. She lives in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin.

Summary Emma shares her personal experiences with Reiki, from her training to her sessions with clients. She discusses the healing effects of Reiki, her intuitive experiences during sessions, and the impact on her clients. She also highlights the scientific research supporting Reiki and invites others to share their experiences. Takeaways Reiki is a gentle hands-on energy healing technique that promotes balance and harmony in the body. Intuitive experiences during Reiki sessions can provide insights into emotional and physical blockages. Scientific research supports the positive effects of Reiki, including pain reduction and anxiety relief. Reiki can complement traditional medical treatments and support overall well-being. Sharing personal experiences with Reiki can inspire others and create a sense of community. Emma Freeman is an artist, writer, teacher, Licensed Massage Therapist and Reiki Master. She is a highly sensitive person and sober. This podcast is a record of her own unfolding creative journey. You can learn more about Emma and her work at www.deep-rooted-healing.com. She lives in Wisconsin.

In today's episode of the Deep Rooted Healing podcast, Emma shares some reflections on the transition she is in the middle of at the moment from identifying as a visual artist and moving into identifying as a healing artist and all of the stickiness that is coming up. She also shares a new poem she wrote called, "Standing in a New Doorway". ----- Emma Freeman is an artist, writer, poet, teacher Licensed Massage Therapist and Reiki Master. She teaches art and writing classes, workshops and retreats at www.deep-rooted-healing.com. She is a sober and a highly sensitive person. She lives in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin.  Online creative classes: ⁠www.deep-rooted-healing.com/classes⁠ Website: ⁠www.deep-rooted-healing.com⁠ Instagram: ⁠www.instagram.com/deeprootedhealing⁠ Facebook: ⁠www.facebook.com/deeprootedhealings⁠ YouTube: ⁠www.youtube.com/@deeprootedhealing

In this episode of the Deep Rooted Healing podcast, I talk about why I bury some of my fabric meditation books in the earth for 30 days and then dig them back up. I share how my intuition has guided me in different moments with this process, the serendipity of learning about the Tibetan Buddhist practice of earth terma, or "hidden treasures" that are buried in the earth for others to discover and learn spiritual wisdom from and how that connects to the burying book process. I also share what the books have been teaching me and how this 2.5 year ongoing creative practice has fundamentally shifted my approach to art making. I started a free and open invitation for anyone to join in if they want to make and bury books. It is called, "The Buried Earth Book Project." You can learn more about it here: www.deep-rooted-healing.com/collaborations/buried-books I invite people to share their images and reflections on Instagram using the hashtag #buriedearthbookproject. You can search for that and see what others have been creating, if you like. You can see images of my buried fabric meditation books here: www.deep-rooted-healing.com/art-projects This practice is art therapy for me. It has been deeply healing and transformative and has helped return me to an intimate, loving connection and relationship with the earth and my soul. ------ Emma Freeman is an artist, writer, poet, Licensed Massage Therapist and Reiki Practitioner. She teaches online art and writing classes at www.deep-rooted-healing.com. She is a sober and a highly sensitive person. She lives in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin.  Online creative classes: ⁠⁠www.deep-rooted-healing.com/classes⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠www.deep-rooted-healing.com⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/deeprootedhealing⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠www.facebook.com/deeprootedhealings⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠www.youtube.com/@deeprootedhealing⁠

In this episode of the Deep Rooted Healing podcast, I share some insights and thoughts I'm having about artists being mediums who channel subtle energies, similar to intuitive or psychic mediums.  ----- Emma Freeman is an artist, writer, poet, Licensed Massage Therapist and Reiki Practitioner. She teaches online art and writing classes at www.deep-rooted-healing.com. She is a sober and a highly sensitive person. She lives in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin.  Online creative classes: www.deep-rooted-healing.com/classes Website: www.deep-rooted-healing.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/deeprootedhealing Facebook: www.facebook.com/deeprootedhealings YouTube: www.youtube.com/@deeprootedhealing

In this episode of The Deep Rooted Healing Podcast, I talk with the amazing Chantal Wolf, a Canadian poet, painter and author of the new book called "Painted Words: Poetry, Art & Parkinson's. We talk about her creative journey and her healing journey, being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and how that shifted her art journey, how poetry arrived in her life and how it has been healing for her and she reads some of her beautiful poems.  You can buy a copy of the book here: https://books.friesenpress.com/store/title/119734000256078679 Her website is www.chantalwolf.com She is in Instagram at www.instagram.com/chantalwolf.art. ----- Emma Freeman is an artist, writer, Licensed Massage Therapist and Reiki Practitioner. She teaches online art and writing classes at www.deep-rooted-healing.com. She is a sober and a highly sensitive person. She lives in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin.  Online creative classes: ⁠www.deep-rooted-healing.com/classes⁠ Website: ⁠www.deep-rooted-healing.com⁠ Instagram: ⁠www.instagram.com/deeprootedhealing⁠ Facebook: ⁠www.facebook.com/deeprootedhealings⁠ YouTube: ⁠www.youtube.com/@deeprootedhealing⁠

In this episode of the Deep Rooted Healing podcast, I interview Alana Garrigues, She is an artist, poet and community leader and space holder. She runs Within, a beautiful, deep online community for artists and makers that Daphne Cohn began. In this conversation, we explore what holding space means to each of us, what goes into it, and the magic that can emerge from being held by our art and by being held in spaces with other creatives.  You can see Alana's artwork and writing on her website: www.alanagarrigues.com Find her on Instagram : www.instagram.com/alanaofloveandlight --------- Emma Freeman is an artist, writer, Licensed Massage Therapist and Reiki Practitioner. She teaches online art and writing classes at www.deep-rooted-healing.com. She is a sober and a highly sensitive person. She lives in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin.  Online creative classes: ⁠www.deep-rooted-healing.com/classes⁠ Website: ⁠www.deep-rooted-healing.com⁠ Instagram: ⁠www.instagram.com/deeprootedhealing⁠ Facebook: ⁠www.facebook.com/deeprootedhealings⁠ YouTube: ⁠www.youtube.com/@deeprootedhealing⁠