Today we’d like to introduce you to Bhairavi Shera Patel.
Bhairavi Shera, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My story is kind of complex, as any personal story is. I grew up in Canada and had aspirations of being a teacher as a young learner. I’d have opportunities early in life to experience myself as a person in service to the community with various volunteer positions in nursing homes and special needs/learning resource programs in the schools I attended. I went to a high school that was very unique. We had a self-paced learning program in that we were given all of the course information at the beginning of the year and then used our own time management skills to complete the work. Of course, at times, courses would be finished earlier than expected… and some would be finished later than expected, too. What I learned is that I can control all the work that I do and am motivated by my own devices, rather than what people told me I ought to do.
During my high school education, we also had the opportunity to work in the field for school credit through a co-operative education program. I took on my first co-op placement in an elementary school classroom. To my delight, my fourth-grade teacher (who was teaching gifted/advanced curriculum at the time I was in her class), was teaching the speech and language classroom in which I would be placed for the semester. The synchrony was magical! I worked in her classroom with students aged 4-8 with developmental delays, and other diagnoses concurrent with communication disorders. I met a speech-language pathologist whom sat me down at that time and helped me map out a pathway to become a speech-language pathologist. I was determined!
After high school education, I entered university at the bottom of the roster. My grades weren’t that great, but I got in, nevertheless! My undergraduate career was a rollercoaster ride! I maintained my work ethic from high school, managing my time, by the quality of my work wasn’t as good as the instructors wanted and I was left questioning all of myself, my skills and my life path. I’d eventually be suspended for a year for failing a class, returning after the suspension year was complete. The year off taught me that I really wanted to reach my dream of becoming a teacher — a speech-language pathologist (for now!). Upon returning, I regained momentum with full force and perseverance. I wanted to succeed, yet the teachers I had didn’t believe in me at the time since I had failed, and they made their disappointment in me known. When it came time to apply for grad school, they told me not to apply because I’d never get into any programs and that I’d never make it. I carried on anyway and eventually got into a college program, instead than a grad program. YES!
I attended a small college in Ontario where I had the opportunity to experience more field placement work while I was getting my certificate to be a speech pathologists assistant. The placement this time was with the communication disorders department within the district school board and where I experienced magic in synchrony again! I received my supervisor’s name upon getting placed, felt a familiarity with it, and was excited to meet her. Well, wouldn’t you know that the supervisor I got was the same speech-language pathologist that I had met in my high school placement who helped me map out my entire educational career! That synchrony gave me such deep faith that even though I was going in a roundabout way to reach my dreams, I was still on the right track. That speech pathologist and I are still friends this day and we are still in awe of the magic that is our relationship!
Another part of the magic was that the coordinator of the college program I attended was affiliated with an American grad school. I needed to maintain my grades, apply and (fingers crossed) GET IN since the relationship with the school was of the highest regard, plus… this American school loved Canadians!! That college experience turned me into my success. I went from a 2.7 GPA to a 5.0 GPA (we have 5 points in Ontario), and I got into the American grad school like it was just the next logical step!!! I moved to Upstate New York to finish an incredible master’s training program and had the opportunity to meet amazing faculty and peers. After the program was completed, I went on to move to Florida where I’d finish my certification year that required us to work a specific number of hours under the supervision of a certified speech-language pathologist. I finished the program in a skilled nursing facility and soon wanted to be a traveling therapist — A therapist that travels to various states for short assignments, offering services and exploring my desire for travel as well. I took a nursing home placement in Texas, a forensic mental health placement in California and made my way up to a skilled nursing facility in the north suburbs of Chicago.
In Texas, I was in a rehab facility working with a man in his 80’s who was terribly depressed. He had gotten aspiration pneumonia, a lung infection resulting from inhaling small particles of food/liquid when swallowing. His wife was also in the facility because she had suffered a fall. Needless to say, it made sense why he was feeling low. In order for him to receive solid food (he was eating pureed food as a precaution to keep him safe from inhaling more food in his weakened state) he’d need to get his body up to walking and doing exercise. His lungs needed to be efficient for him to be able to have more challenging foods. Since he was not getting out of bed, not walking and not doing his own daily care tasks, I had to use an unconventional method of reaching him. One day, I walked into his room and asked him to tell me stories of love and happiness in his life – memories of fun and excitement. I keyworded his stories with adjectives, verbs and the names of people writing them on a blank piece of paper with fancy writing and colored markers. I cut out the words and made a collage of words, then taped them on a blank wall that his bed faced all day (he was in bed for most of the day). Within weeks, he was starting to get up, going to the restroom independently. I walked into the facility one day and physical therapy shared that he was up walking and doing other therapies! He agreed to perform strengthening exercises with me to improve the quality of chewing and swallowing so he could have more pleasurable food. His biggest desire was ice cream! Since he was on a modified diet only receiving pureed food, he couldn’t have ice-cream because ice-cream is not a pureed texture, but a thin texture. Within 8 weeks, this man had reached all of his goals and on the day of his discharge, he and I shared some indulgent Tahitian vanilla ice-cream! (I wasn’t plant-based or vegan at the time!) He told me as we shared the pint, that what changed everything for him was the word collage on his wall. He had remembered all of the goodness in his life and he wanted to continue living in that goodness. The words helped him get BETTER!
On all of my travel placements, the question continued to arise… ‘Why aren’t people staying well?’ It turned out that people would fall, have accidents and strokes entering into the rehab system, go home eventually and then return within 3-6 months. I was perplexed! In my research, I learned more about the medical business and Big Pharma, I began to understand more than the system thrives on the population being ill, and keeping people ill was the only way to make money. To me, this was so backward. I wanted people to receive rehab, and to never come back to my office again. I wanted them to be well, weller than ever after they reached me. I wanted to participate in a vision of wellness, rather than a vision of sickness. This would be the foundation of my quest to find wellness in my practice.
The next leg of my journey would lead me to Chicago where I met my soul tribe –The people who love and support me fiercely unconditionally. I had searched high and low for these people throughout my travels and to my delight; I found my soul family, here, in the heart of Chicago! This community provides me with spiritual connection and support through similar consciousness. They participate in many self-healing practices and are focused on clearing old suffering to bring more love into the world. Through their love and support, I learned that I didn’t want to work a “job” that didn’t fulfill me, but wanted to contribute to world healing, by first healing myself. I made it my job to heal myself within, and now I use the methods that my spirit taught to me, to help others and lead others to their healing, too.
As my journey to wellness continued, I completed a holistic plant-based nutritionist program, a massage therapy program and a yoga teacher training. I have aspirations to create a wellness center that provides rehab for the entire human. The center would include programs to create a life of wellness in order to make sickness obsolete. I have a special interest in spiritual healing illuminating cyclical thought patterns that keep us individually and as a collective in the energy of suffering and pain. During my last placement in the nursing homes, before I became an independent therapist, I was working with a patient who had a global stroke affecting her ability to eat/swallow and communicate effectively. She would speak in jargon and comprehension was difficult as well. One day, we were trying some more solid food with her and she yelled at the top of her lungs, “It’s about the language, the language, THE LANGUAGE!” I looked at her astonished as I had no idea what she was talking about at the time, but celebrated the fact that she had uttered sentences that were intelligible and meaningful! Soon after, the placement site lets me go to hire the student that I trained for a much lower hourly rate. Funny how things work. I pondered what the lady exclaimed that one day, and have now come to learn about the true power of language.
Through my clinical work and mystical experiences I have had throughout my life as a consciousness and truth seeker, I came to understand the creative power of words. I now lead others in learning and deconstructing their disordered self-communication patterns within, and teach upgraded new patterns that are supportive, adaptive, goal oriented and most of all, self-loving and compassionate. It’s funny because I have this understanding that we create all of the opposites before we create what we truly want! Just like my life, I didn’t so well in my academics, my teachers told me I sucked… literally, but kept the perseverance in my thoughts, eventually reaching my goals, as a speech pathologist and now as a different kind of teacher — A teacher of deep connection and healing to the self with the love of spirit.
I had plans of leaving the Chicago area, but my spirit keeps telling me that I staying is in my best interest, so here I am, building a new world of conscious self-communication and helping people with self-healing through the power of language. I provide all kinds of services for the whole human, still… and still have dreams of opening a human rehab facility that brings people to their personal healing revealing their loving essence for the benefit of all. When we have internal communication that is supportive, loving and free from suffering, we heal… and we then are able to offer a healing presence to others, as well. I see a world free from suffering and the small gift that I bring is within the power of language and self-communication! — That’s just a tip of the iceberg! We will have to do another interview for more of the magical aspects of the work I do! Stay tuned! 😉
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has definitely not been a smooth road the whole time! When I gave myself to the mission of teaching language as a means of healing, I’d soon find myself in predicaments that would exercise my powers to the nth degree! I have been home free for almost a year, currently. I’ve been in a motorcycle accident and was in a violent relationship. I’ve experienced numerous sexual traumas and body pain. I have ‘failed’ in nearly every stage of my life, but it was my undying trust in Spirit and the power of my thoughts, that occur in language, that kept me afloat. I always had a knowing that I’d always be okay, no matter how bad things got. That essence and faith has never left me and is the basis of what I teach in my workshops, classes, and private sessions.
Please tell us about Sat Purusha Holistic – Shera Speaks.
Sat Purusha Holistic is the umbrella name of my business. ‘Sat’ means pure, unity or truth. ‘Purusha’ means consciousness. Together they make ‘pure consciousness, unity consciousness, or one consciousness’. I believe that we all have access to unity consciousness and I strive to ensure that this essence is the golden thread weaving through all the services I provide. I provide private and group Hatha yoga instruction and holistic plant-based nutritional counseling. I also offer dynamic bodywork that is focused on moving the body in ways that the body cannot move for more ease in movement. I am also a practicing speech-language pathologist working in Early Intervention teaching toddlers aged 0-3 and their parents, foundational communication skills. My specialty currently is working with the internal workings of the spirit and the mind intertwined through language and communication analysis.
My brand is called Shera Speaks Light, where we illuminate faulty patterns of programming in the thoughtful mind that keep us in a place of lack, without motivation/inspiration and contribute to our pain/suffering day-to-day. I’m known for being able to lead others in the extraction of their internal wounds to make way for more compassionate and loving life experience through conscious self-communication, therefore projecting compassion and love being into the world. When we are happy, we do happy work and those around us benefit from our happiness. ‘Shera’ is my spiritual name, the name of my higher self, that I received in a meditation after three months of asking daily! I’m known for sharing inspirational content through many mediums that support others on their journey to healing within through “Language As Medicine”. I also provide psychic tarot readings in addition to the other offerings I share.
I am proud of my ability to maintain a connection to spirit through all of my work. I am fully guided by my higher self and want to share that anyone can have this beautiful connection to Spirit. I believe what sets me apart from others is my unwavering ability to hold space for any human affliction that comes my way, and infusing the love of spirit in all of my service.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My most favorite memories of childhood were of traveling to India. The sights, my grandparents, their home… the peacocks! Oh, my heart! India definitely holds a piece of my heart.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sheraspeaks.wordpress.com
- Phone: 518-253-1187
- Email: SatPurushaHolistic@gmail.com – SheraSpeaksLight@gmail.com
- Instagram: Shera_Speaks_Light
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/SheraSpeaksLight
- Other: www.patreon.com/sheraspeaks
Image Credit:
Rena Naltsas, Mamby On the Beach, Chris Fletcher, Zlatka M. Burtis Fine Art
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