Today we’d like to introduce you to Cami Thelander.
Hi Cami, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Where I am today is primarily influenced by my childhood experiences and my own healing journey. From the time I was a kid, I have experienced loss on many different levels— my parents’ divorce, losing our house to foreclosure during the economic recession of 2007, and later, the loss of my dad and stepdad.
I was just 11 years old as I watched my dad wither from a neurodegenerative disease called ALS. I was there with him when he passed. Because my parents were divorced before he got sick, there was little communication between his family and my mom, sister and me. We had no clue about his end-of-life wishes, and his death in hospice was chaotic and frantic with so many questions. His death did not feel sacred or honored, and there was no space for grief to be expressed. The situation was confusing, to say the least, for a kid.
Later, my mom remarried and I welcomed a new father figure and step-siblings into my life. He was in my life for about 7 years. I was there with his family as we watched him take his last breath, losing the battle to prostate cancer. I was 15 at this time. Greg’s death was much different than my dad’s — we had conversations about how he wanted to die, when to stop treatment, and how he wanted to be remembered. He was surrounded by his loved ones with music playing as he transitioned, just like he wanted. We all had the chance to say goodbye and mourn together.
By the time I was 18 I had just moved away and started college to study biology. I became depressed as I finally had the chance to slow down and think about my life and what I had just experienced. Grief hit me like a train— my physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual bodies all took the hit. Grief was screaming for my attention and care, and I did my best to ignore its pain by distracting myself with school and addiction. After a few more years of repressing my emotions, my body decided it was time to deal with my grief. Physical pain forced me to seek healing modalities, and that’s when I realized that my physical pain was really emotional pain that had been lodged inside my body. This was the beginning of my healing journey.
When my stepdad Greg was sick, I learned a lot about diet and disease, and other forms of natural remedies and treatments that existed. It was natural for me to keep exploring food as medicine and supporting the body with the necessary nutrients it needs to heal. I experimented with herbs and supplements to balance my mood and brain chemistry. I also started learning about essential oils and how I could use aromatherapy to help me cope with depression and anxiety.
Because I was using my studies as a form of distraction, I was extremely stressed and started practicing yoga for some relief. I really started to understand how important it was for me to develop a relationship with myself and my body. Yoga as a mindfulness practice was game changer for me. After college, I dove deeper into these studies and became a Certified Yoga Teacher so I could share these helpful body-awareness skills with others.
During my senior year of college, I dedicated myself to studying natural medicines. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biology, which proved to be a solid foundation as I continued my journey into the healing modalities. My background in physiology and anatomy served me well as I began to study hands-on forms of bodywork, such as Polarity Therapy and Craniosacral Therapy.
Not long after I graduated from my Yoga Teacher training, I found myself at a healing center in New Mexico, where I was introduced to Craniosacral Therapy. This changed my life and took my healing journey to a whole new level. This bodywork allowed me the space I really needed to process my grief, support my nervous system into finding balance and releasing a lifetime of stress. I stayed at this healing center for 7 months and studied CST nonstop. I was hooked on this incredible form of healing and knew that I needed to bring this therapy to other grievers to support those who are going through loss.
While I was living in New Mexico, another student there told me about her interest in becoming a Death Doula and showed me end-of-life training that she was going to attend. I immediately knew that my dad and my family could have really benefited from having a Doula involved at the end of his life, and probably would have prevented an enormous amount of complicated grief for me as a kid. It seemed like a no-brainer to explore this field, and later I ended up attending the Death Doula training that my friend had told me about.
So here I am now, incorporating all of those modalities into a holistic and body-centered approach to healing from grief. I am continuing my education as a Grief Coach, where I combine Craniosacral Therapy, essential oils, and mindfulness techniques to support people at the end of life. My mission is to hold space for grief to be expressed, and to teach people how to be present with these uncomfortable and scary emotions. I emphasize the importance of staying grounded and maintaining a relationship with the body as we grieve, rather than running away from our fears. Although my experiences with death were extremely painful, I’m so grateful for my journey and know that my dads’ deaths were not in vain. I feel so honored to be able to support others who are deep in the confusion of grief, and to provide some practical tools to help them navigate the end of life.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has absolutely not been a smooth road. Navigating grief is messy. Grief comes with so many different forms of pain, relief, and growth, and that path looks different for everyone. Part of my mission is to validate any experiences or emotions that grief presents to us, including physical challenges. Something that I’ve learned is that our emotional health impacts our physical health. I approach Craniosacral Therapy with a curiosity and openness that allows for those deeper emotional layers to be released. The issues are in the tissues, and the body communicates these issues through the voice of symptoms. In my experience, physical pain is often emotional pain, too. This can make healthcare very complicated and challenging to get to the root of the issues. My healing journey has definitely not been a walk in the park, which is why its so important to find support.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Bear Foot Yogi represents our connection to our physical selves, our bodies, and the earth. It recognizes the importance of grounding and remaining present through life. Yoga means oneness, wholeness. Bear Foot Yogi signifies the journey of healing and embodying what it means to be human, merging our true, spiritual selves into a physical body. Recognizing this connection is healing, and my mission is to help remove that which gets in the way of our ability to recognize the wholeness that we already possess. By learning about our bodies and having a greater biological understanding of how we function in the world can help us to overcome stress and suffering. Making sure the body is functioning optimally supports our whole being and allows us to really be present and live fully. It’s also important to recognize that we are not only physically oriented but also possess a deeper, non-physical energy that animates our bodies. This connection to our spiritual selves is important in the healing process and incorporates our emotions, our will, and how we create meaning in our lives. Finding balance within our non-physical selves is equally important in shaping our understanding of what it means to be human and to be alive in the world. The biological perception of the world merging with our universal/spiritual perception of the world is healing. A yoking/yoga of our two selves coming together to create wholeness and embody humanness.
I specialize in End-of-Life and Grief Support and Craniosacral Therapy. I also create healing essential oil blends as a tool to practice self-care and presence. My approach is holistic because it emphasizes emotional and spiritual well-being, yet is very grounded in science and biology. I’m proud of this non-conventional approach to healing and really try to convey that in my brand and logo.
Any big plans?
I’m super excited to start my Grief Coach Certification program in just a couple of weeks! I plan on making Grief Support available virtually as well as in person. Ideally, I like to combine grief work with Craniosacral Therapy, but realize that’s not always an option for everyone, and want to be of service to those who may not be nearby but still need support.
I have long-term goals of creating a healing center in the woods where I can teach about the natural cycles of life and death as an approach to grief support. I dream of hosting grief-oriented nature walks and retreats where people can come together to connect, tell their stories, and receive some uninterrupted care. It’s also extremely important to me that kids get the support they need, as they are often forgotten grievers. I would love to create a grief retreat or workshop just for kids.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bearfootyogi.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/bear.foot.yogi
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bearfootyogicami
