Written by Brannan Bell
Deanna is the co-founder of Origins of Spirit here in lOklahoma. She’s passionate about plant medicine, clean drinking water, nature, art, and holistic health and well being. She’s funny, witty, beautiful and full of holistic knowledge and plant medicine and where it came from, along with the benefits that come from them. Deanna’s purpose on this earth is to be a bridge, applying her creative light and gifts to form a bridge to wisdom, medicine and space, in order to support others through their own journey
of inner and outer connection. She does it all in a creative and loving way that resonates with the modern world and times. She is dedicated to continuing and expanding her own consciousness, love, light, and her wisdom to understand it, embody it and to share what she knows to be true. She’s here to do just this, nothing more and nothing less.
“I grew up in Choctaw Oklahoma, which is a small country suburb of OKC. I had a very beautiful childhood. My parents were more on the strict side growing up, but also so fluid with supporting my uniqueness. Looking back, I deeply appreciate that. They protected and preserved my child innocence so beautifully. My family and I were always surrounded by music. Whether we were going to funk
concerts, jamming to music at the house, or playing instruments, it was always a consistent thing. We are a very creative bunch that all march to different drums. In my youth, I was insecure with how different I looked compared to all my other peers. Mostly because I was one of 2 POC in my class growing up, but I was so fortunate to never have to encounter any prejudice behavior. My peers always
embraced me. So oddly enough, that was a catalyst to embracing myself”.
WHAT DO YOU DO TO BRING THE VIBE WITH YOU, WHEREVER YOU GO? Ooooo, I like this question. I think I have mastered the art of providing good nourishing, powerful vibes. It’s actually quite simple how I’m able to provide that consistently in all that I do and encounter….its SELF CARE. To many, it may look like I’m just sitting with self all the time outside in nature, but quite on the contrary. I may be still, but lots can happen in that stillness. My murky waters settle into clarity, fear dissolves, and I’m able to just simply exist outside the ego. Of course, I have what some would call rituals. Especially before teaching or holding space for others, I ground myself into the earth, meditate, give thanks, set an intention and bless the space and all that come through that space. It helps me to just be fully there for others, then the good vibes naturally flow. Long story short, dedicate ample time for self connection and care, fill up your cup first however that may look and then you’re able to pour into others. But it always starts with the self.
WHAT’S YOUR GO TO AFFIRMATION? Some might think this is neurotic. but I affirm a lot. Once in the morning as soon as I wake and right before bed. “I am love, light, spiritual, divine, clairvoyant, enlightened, kind, generous, prosperous, abundant, lucky, wise, healthy, & wealthy. I am grounded, centered, aligned, balanced, nature, earth, the elements, fluid. The universe lovingly flows through me divinely, consistently, and lovingly to all within and around me. Im divinely safe, supported and protected. I use my love, my light, my gifts, my talents, my wisdom, my wealth, my intelligence, my creativity, my artistry, my divinity, my luck, my energy all for the universal greater good. I am here to serve. I am eternally grateful.” Then I end it with chanting RAM 108 times, which helps to enhance the self esteem, mental energies, and will power of an individual. It promotes goodness. This is vital for my consistent connection to self and source.
HOW DO YOU TRULY EMBODY YOUR OWN DIVINE FEMININE? I embody my Divine Feminine by just meeting myself where I am at and embracing whatever that looks like. Im honestly just in awe of how divine we are as beings that it’s hard for me to deny that part of self. Especially as a woman, we freakin create life, are so clairvoyant and divinely intelligent(to name a few), so how can I not celebrate that every moment I get! I just have a deep love for self that the embodiment of that just naturally flows to all within and around me.
HOW DO YOU STAY HEALTHY & REMAIN IN BALANCE WITH YOUR BODY & STAY IN ALIGNMENT? Traditional Chinese medicine has taught me the importance of seasonal living. The moment I dropped the calendar and adopted natures flow instead, is the moment vitality abundantly and consistently flowed through. I wake up with the sun, I rest with the moon, I eat foods in season, hibernate in the yin season of winter and come out to play in the summer yang seasons. At the end of the day we are nature and to deny that or resist is to be in imbalance and to suffer.
WHAT DO YOU DO TO TURN INWARD WHEN YOU’RE FEELING TRIGGERED? WHAT’S YOUR BEST METHOD TO COME BACK TO LOVE QUICK? Solitude. Time outs are my jam. Life is always lifin and you can’t avoid that. When I’m agitated, triggered, in a funk, etc., I have learned and acquired an ungodly amount of tools to help me out when I need it. A solid one is of course get my booty outside, take off the shoes and ground my feet and hands directly into the earth. It’s that simple. People have a hard time believing it’s that simple, but it really is. On the harder days, I use plant medicine as a support and confide in loved ones I trust. The most important thing to do when discomfort arises is not to be afraid of it and allow it to flow. After all, the trigger or sensation is an opportunity for me to look at what is this trying to show or teach me. An opportunity for expansion and provide self love to oneself. When you drop that fear and allow it to come, it’s really not that bad. You always survive and make it on the other side. Lighter and brighter. The more you can practice that, the easier and quicker turn around you can have from it.
WHAT DO YOU DO TO NOURISH YOUR INNER CHILD? Play as much as you can. Laugh often. Life in the societal construct is so whack to me. It’s fear based, negative, judgmental, constricting, and being in that flow makes you take life way too serious. I’m a free and fluid being and have never lost that. Plant medicine also can be a great support when struggling with that connection. I like to remind myself and others, if your child self were to look at you and hang out with you as you are now, what would that look like? For my 8 year old self, I’d feel so safe and proud of the being I am now and that’s a bond that’ll never die.
YOU’RE PASSIONATE ABOUT NOURISHING YOUR BODY. WHAT’S BEEN THE GREATEST GAIN
FROM TAKING CARE OF YOUR BODY AND FEEDING IT WHAT IT NEEDS? Being so attuned to self and the natural world around me. It helped me to fully get off the hamster wheel of this weird illusion of what we “think” the world is and actually fully step into the truth. And that truth is for
you to find out through your own connection to self. I can’t give everything away!
WHAT ARE SOME EVERYDAY RITUALS THAT ARE SACRED TO YOUR ROUTINE? Getting outside absolutely everyday. Showing respect and love to the earth, the divine. Doing my affirmations, twice daily. Oh and your girl LOVES a good skincare routine. I’ve grown to really enjoy that nourishment and self care I provide myself.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF BEING IN THE PRESENCE OF SOUND BATH HEALING & WHAT
GOT YOU INTO THIS?I was simply struggling with being still in my vessel and in meditation. Quieting the mind, softening the body to just existing. Being that we are made up of water, the
vibrations from the bowls have powerful effects. Also, savasana was so dreadful when I’d go into classes. They were too short and very little direction is given in that valuable time. So I decided to change that, and integrate into my own personal practice. I discovered the powerful influence it has on me and then decided to add sound and more time to all my classes in savasana. A brief description of sound healing is: it’s the use of specific instruments, music, tones, and other sonic vibrations to balance and heal the body, mind, and spirit. It involves using specialized sound frequencies to create a therapeutic atmosphere to promote deep rest, nervous system rebalancing, and emotional release.
WHAT’S YOUR MOST FAVORITE THING TO GUIDE OTHERS ON & ENLIGHTEN THEM WITH?My favorite thing is just to simply hold an empowering, calming, egoless space for others to feel comfortable enough to connect with self. That is all im here to do. To bring you back to your light. That’s how love effectively spreads.
THERE’S POWER IN PLANTS, MUSHROOMS & HERBS. WHAT DOES YOUR MEDICINE CABINET
AT HOME CONSIST OF? Ooo weee! There sure is power in the plants. Power in nature in general, which we are apart of. My medicine cabinet is stocked to say the least. I converted a room into my
herbal room where i literally have all the herbs. Rose hips, lavender, ginger, lemon balm, mugwort, you name it, I have it! I have a beautiful organic garden where I retrieve the majority of them, otherwise I source them out from other accredited herbalists.
HOW HAVE YOU CREATED A LIFE YOU LOVE ON YOUR OWN TERMS? By simply not caring how the world and others view me. I am so deeply connected to the heart, that it guides me where I need to be. Just like people use their brain to guide them where they need to go, just think of the life you can have if you just drop down to the heart space and led with that. To be whole is the most powerful thing we have on this earth.
WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING THAT YOU’RE LOVING & RECOMMEND? Haha I’m such a book nerd. I’m stoked Because I’m finally in a book club too, so it’s been amazing. A book favorite I will love till the end of time is:
The Creative Act: a Way of Being by Rick Rubin.
The Way of Shamanic Practices and Embodying the Shaman in You.
The Power of Trees by Peter Wohlleben
Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes. Ph.D.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE HERB AND ESSENTIAL OIL? Salvia Divinorum is my favorite. I use the
tincture form of it and use it for deep meditations or if I’m spending ample time in nature. The essential oil I vibe with is a blend of frankincense and myrrh. The scent of my ancestors.
WHAT ARE YOU GO TO MUSHROOM COMBINATIONS AND WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT HOW THEY BENEFIT YOU? My go to combination is pretty simple these days. MICRO DOSING psilocybin and a little Macrodosing when I feel called to. My favorite thing about the
medicine is how intelligent it is.We share 50%of the same DNA as the beautiful plant. Whether consuming on a large or small scale, the medicine divinely knows how to support you. Fears dissolve,
connections deepen, Our immune, digestion, parasympathetic, and. neurological systems are restored and supported. Self love and the love for others expands. It’s literally in the name…magic mushys 🙂 It also aides in addictions that one may be struggling with and is my favorite tool to use in healing, connecting, and just being.
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO WITH ORIGINS OF
SPIRIT FOR THE YEAR 2023? Im looking forward to hosting lectures and Q and A’s for the community that include topics from gardening, to plant medicine, to healing, and everything in between. I will of course continue to teach my regular weekly
classes, and dedicate my energy into continued education and integration. Bailee Bruce, my business partner, has launched Oklahoma’s first every reiki clinic which is very exciting and provides walk in reiki services to the community at Origins of
Spirit. Together, we also have some luxury retreats lined up that we look forward to hosting. Stay up to date with us and visit our
website and Instagram for further details.
WHAT’S A HEALTH CHOICE YOU THINK IS HUGE THAT PEOPLE ARE MISSING OUT ON?
MUSHROOMS. Plain and simple. It’s powerful, effective, nourishing, and healing. I like to call it
natures Xanax, anti depressant, and vitamin but without the side effects of synthetic medications. Afterall, synthetic medicine was based off of natural medicines. So why not go back to our roots. Or in this case, fungus. IT HEALS PEOPLE!!!!
Listen to Deanna’s episode
The Cannabis Hangout Podcast
Ep. #153
