From chef to holistic wellness entrepreneur, Stefano Mercanti‘s journey is as diverse as it is inspiring. With a background in culinary arts and literary academia, Stefano has seamlessly integrated his passion for food, language, and holistic healing into Purenergy – a sanctuary for bespoke juice cleanses and vibrational therapies. Guided by his expertise in Bach Flower Therapy, Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), and now sound healing, Stefano offers a unique blend of services aimed at nurturing the body, mind, and soul. Join MysticMag as we delve into Stefano’s multifaceted career and explore the transformative power of holistic wellness at Purenergy.
Can you please introduce yourself to our readers and share a few details about your professional background?
I started out my working life as a chef in the 80s after graduating from a culinary institute in Rome. Willing to expand my horizons, I gradually became attracted to different world cultures and languages and worked as a literary academic for over 20 years, specialising in Indian English writers and the Feminine Divine in World Literatures.
Cheffing and studying, I obtained 2 PhDs in English Literature, an intense and exciting journey which took me to France, the UK, India, and currently Australia. I have always been inclined to a naturally holistic lifestyle with Bach Flower therapy as a major interest since the 1990s, culminating in my registration as a Bach Flower practitioner with the Bach Institute in Oxfordshire (UK).
After several exciting jobs in London as head chef for high-end companies, I created my own company in Sydney, Purenergy – Bespoke Juice Cleanses & Vibrational Therapies – a fusion of all these threads. But also a careful distillation/celebration of (super)food knowledge, flower remedies, and organic premium ingredients, with a bespoke approach to each cleanse protocol designed to restore vitality and promote rejuvenation.
With the unfolding of the Covid pandemic, I further expanded my consciousness and creativity by studying the healing power of sound with the Academy of Sound Healing (UK), now a new modality added to my bespoke cleansing protocols. My husband, Russell Byrne, with whom I have been living for the past 22 years, is also contributing to our holistic services with EFT (Tapping) and Person-Centred Counselling, particularly working with trauma and addictions.
How does Bach Flower Therapy work?
In the 1920s, Edward Bach, a British pathologist and homeopath, believed that our emotions are the cause of physical, mental, and spiritual problems, and therefore any form of medicine had to treat the individual, their unique personality, and not the symptoms of the disease.
In this respect, any imbalance and illness is interpreted and understood as a result of an ongoing conflict between Mind (our personality) Emotion (our conscience), and our Soul (our highest Self), which are meant to work in unison. Disease is thus essentially seen as corrective, indicating an “error” that needs to be understood and learnt from, showing clearly the need for a change in our way of living.
Flowers, being one of the most creative expressions of Nature, have an inner harmonic life force that vibrationally resonates with our mind, emotions, and soul, so that we can regain our innate fundamental well-being. By taking the remedy drops orally several times during the day, we introduce the harmonic vibrational energy of the flower essences into our system, like an orchestra conductor patiently giving the right tune to dissonant instruments so that the body is gently encouraged to realign and heal itself.
A consultation with a registered practitioner (BFRP) is the best way to clarify any mental, emotional, and spiritual imbalances so that the most effective mix of remedies is specifically selected for each person from the 38 Bach flower remedy system.
You also offer EFT (Tapping). For those unfamiliar with it, can you explain what it is?
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), also known as Tapping, is a “no needles” version of acupuncture that can effectively give relief from physical, emotional, and spiritual blocks. It involves a two-stage process whereby you first “tune in” to a specific issue and then proceed by tapping with your fingers on specific meridian points on the body.
It is a simple and non-invasive process that uses elements of exposure therapy, cognitive therapy, and somatic stimulation. Specifically, the act of tapping sends electrochemical impulses to the limbic and cortical regions so that the brain can neutralize fear and stress and allow the whole body to access a deeper relaxation state and connect to the highest self.
In particular, EFT has been shown through recent scientific research to effectively break the neural links in the brain associating distressing emotion, physical sensation, issue, or event with trauma. It is safe and gentle with no harmful side effects and it does not re-traumatise the client as so many talk therapies do.
What are Bespoke Juice Cleanses?
Juice cleansing or juice fasting is an effective way to allow the body to flush toxins and reset the whole system by drinking nutrient-dense raw juices, nut mylks, and elixirs for a certain number of days with no solids in order to switch off the digestive system and allow the body to expel internal debris (autolysis).
Our body innately detoxifies every day, unless we interfere with poor diet (highly processed, overcooked food), negative thinking and unhappy relationships with ourselves and others, which all have a dramatic impact in slowing down and obstructing the natural removal of undigested proteins, toxins, chemicals and other inter-cellular waste as well as our wondrous capacity for radiating health and vitality.
Anyone embarking on a juice cleanse (7 days is the usual optimal period) becomes aware of how the body is deeply boosted in regenerating itself and washing out toxins, thus enabling it to heal itself and restore its natural well-being. More importantly, along with the physical elimination of toxins, we also release stress, emotions, and undesirable thought-patterns (psycho-toxins) as body, mind, and emotion are fundamentally one.
Energies existing in food, as Gabriel Cousens aptly maintains, affect our physical functioning, the nature of our thoughts, and even the expansion of our consciousness. Flooding our body with live pure organic cold-pressed juices speeds up the function of the cells to absorb nutrients and excrete toxins as well as stimulating our mental, emotional, and spiritual faculties.
Juicing brings an alkaline energy into the body which effectively neutralises acidity and restores the mineral balance in the cells. This is the reason the pure energy of fruits and plants increases our own energy so that extraordinary transformations can take place. It heightens our awareness and a deep sense of connection with our inner self, thus renewing body, mind, and spirit.
Considering that this is now a highly commercialized service, with lots of profit-driven companies, there are some essential criteria to be maintained in order to enjoy maximum benefits from an effective juice cleanse protocol: juices have to be raw (shelf-life no more than 3 days from production), only in glass bottles and no plastic as they not only damage the environment but also contain potentially harmful chemicals, and have to be organic as pesticides cannot be fully washed from fruit and vegetables and we need to avoid ingesting toxic compounds into our body.
Because I love juicing and I am very aware of how unique each person is, I founded Purenergy in Darlinghurst (Sydney) as a way to specifically customize protocols and holistic therapies according to my client’s needs and targets, and maintain the highest artisanal quality and the best bespoke service. Bach Flower Therapy, EFT Counselling, and Sound Healing are also offered online for clients all over the world.
What are the benefits of sound healing?
Sound Healing is a highly effective holistic therapy that combines different healing sounds, music, and instruments to improve our multidimensional well-being by creating a soothing experience where all layers of our bio-field (body, mind, soul, spirit) are gently awakened and restored.
By expertly using a range of therapeutic grade instruments such as Tibetan and crystal singing bowls, gongs, drums, and tuning forks, either during a one-on-one sound healing session or a group sound bath, very deep levels of relaxation are experienced, taking us closer to our spiritual source from which we can access our innate wisdom, boundless energy, and creativity.
At the physical, emotional, and mental levels, the energetic deep tissue massage effect caused by the harmonic sound vibrations opens, purifies, and balances the chakras and releases stuck energy. Our brain waves are thus slowed from Beta to Theta, balancing our nervous system along with our heart and breathing rate. This consequently reduces the release of cortisol, tension, anger, fatigue, anxiety, PTSD, and boosts our immune system, mood, sleep, and overall sense of well-being.
Traditionally, sound has always had its space in humanity’s psyche and history as a means of healing, and has been used as a powerful tool for transforming and healing the body, mind, heart, and spirit. Scientific and modern-day spiritual communities are only recently catching up with this archaic wisdom and in the last two decades, sound healing is gaining momentum due to the increasing new research and its innovative successful applications including cancer treatment, depression, and chronic pain.
To learn more about Stefano and Purenergy, you can visit Purenergycleanse.com
