In our enlightening interview with Vanessa Ooms, an accomplished author, entrepreneur, Reiki Master Teacher, and Meditation Instructor, we delve into her transformative journey from rock bottom to holistic healing. Vanessa shares the benefits of regular meditation, the healing power of Reiki, and insights into her recently released book, “Do It For You: How to Stop People-Pleasing and Find Peace,” offering readers a path to self-awareness, self-love, and inner peace. MysticMag has the pleasure.
Who is Vanessa Ooms? Can you share a few details about your professional background?
I am an Author, Entrepreneur, Reiki Master Teacher, and Meditation Instructor. A Graphic & Web Designer by trade, my life is full of creativity. I am a mental health and personal development advocate who is on a mission to help others heal from their past and live more empowered lives.
I’ve been to hell and back after hitting rock bottom in 2015 and realizing that my addiction to alcohol and overachieving were just band-aids trying to cover a gaping wound in my soul, I decided to find a holistic and healthy way to rebuild my entire life from the ground up. I dove into recovery, constellation therapy, meditation, and personal development with a tenacious fervor. I worked with healers and coaches in a variety of modalities, deepened my spiritual life, read every self-help book I could find, and conducted hundreds of experiments on my mind, body, and spirit.
My mission is to share the holistic wellness practices I’ve discovered through years of deep shadow work, spiritual exploration, mindset shifts, and somatic healing. I want to help others heal, fulfill their purpose, feel confident, and remember that they are worthy of all the things that they desire in life.
My debut book, Do It For You, will open up new doors to creating your very best life, offering insights, straight talk, and candid commentary about living life… on purpose.
What are the benefits of practicing meditation on a regular basis?
The benefits of practicing meditation on a regular basis are vast, and include:
- Increasing self-awareness;
- Increasing mindful focus on the present moment;
- Decreased stress and anxiety;
- Reducing negative emotions;
- Building skills to manage your stress;
- Gaining a new perspective on challenging situations in life;
- Increased imagination and creativity;
- Increased patience and tolerance;
- Increased sense of connection to the world and a Higher Power.
What can you tell me about your Reiki work?
My Reiki work is profound and impactful for my clients and for myself. Every session is different. I encourage clients to come into a session with an open mind.
Basically, Reiki is a spiritual/energetic healing modality based on the idea that an unseen “life force energy” flows through us and is what gives us life. If one’s “life force energy” is low or blocked, then we are more likely to get sick or feel stressed. A Reiki session helps to unblock and increase your “life force energy,” encouraging your body, mind, and spirit to come back into balance and harmony.
- Usually, a session is set up as follows:
- We have a 10–15-minute chat to see what is most prevalent for you at this time;
- I perform Reiki usually for 20-30 minutes (in person or distance sessions);
- I take some time to record all of the messages and insights that I received during your session;
- I review the messages and insights from the session with you;
- You receive a copy of my notes from the session.
I have strong clairvoyant and clairsentient abilities (have since I was young), and during a session, I receive a multitude of messages for my clients about what’s going on with them and which shifts need to take place. Occasionally, deceased loved ones, angels, and guides will come through with messages for my clients. I’m always amazed at the accuracy of the messages and the impact that they have. Even over great distances, clients feel in their bodies what the Reiki energy is doing. I do a lot of distance sessions for people all over the world and provide very detailed notes at the end of the session for clients to keep and read.
Your new book “Do It For You: How to Stop People-Pleasing and Find Peace” came out this year. What is it about and why would you recommend it to our readers?
Do It For You is a book/workbook that I created to help readers overcome people-pleasing behaviour that is interfering with their quality of life. It is full of insights and practical exercises to help readers cultivate self-awareness and self-love, and set healthy boundaries for themselves so that they can remember their worthiness and find true inner peace.
Some of the topics covered in the book are:
- Approval Addiction and Codependency;
- Recognizing Toxic Relationships and Behaviors;
- Cultivating Self Awareness and Analyzing Your Behavior;
- Getting Reacquainted with Your True Self;
- How to Stop Caring What Other People Think;
- Learning to Say “No” and Set Boundaries;
- Radical Self Care;
- Rebuilding Your Life–Mind, Body and Spirit.
What was the motivation behind writing it and can we expect any new releases in the near future?
This book came about because I wanted to help others break free of the vicious cycle of people-pleasing, toxic relationships, and burnout. I know from experience that your entire life can be derailed when you’re trying to keep everyone around you happy at the expense of your own happiness. For women in particular, it can be very difficult to start to put yourself first. It’s also very easy to slip into toxic relationship patterns when you’re trying to please everyone so much. Eventually, you get to a point where you don’t even know what YOU want out of life anymore. I wanted to write this book to help readers regain a healthy sense of self-identity and self-respect. This is the book I wish I had when I was younger.
I’ve also been noodling on a new book idea, and I foresee a 2025 launch for this one.
To learn more about Vanessa and her work, you can visit www.vanessaooms.com
