What is The Journey from Anxiety to Peace about and why did you write it?
    I want to give people hope. Many people are suffering from fear and anxiety and as a result, they are diminishing their health and their enthusiasm for life. We are in a transforming time period and it is defining each of us. Yet, we have the ability to utilize tools and practices to manage our minds and return to higher energy – love, hope, compassion.
I wrote The Journey from Anxiety to Peace because my work for 40 years has been to bring people back to center and look above their situations and find purpose. I have done this as a coach and teacher and writing a book is an extension of teaching with the potential of reaching more people.
Have you had any experiences with anxiety? If so, how did you handle it and what helped you?
 Yes, I was raised by a very anxious mother who worried incessantly. By just being around her you took on her nervous frenzy. Beyond that, everyone has moments of change where they are privy to anxiety. So, yes, like everyone else, I have dealt with anxiety. My mother was my chief motivator to find a different way to live life. My process was learning to meditate and discipline my mind by placing it where I wanted it to be. I cultivated peace, non-attachment, non-judgment, and compassion. I have studied spiritual and metaphysical principles my whole life. I included many of these in the book to help other people learn how to cultivate peace as well.
Can you provide any examples of other people you have helped with anxiety? How were you able to help them?
 I have had many clients over the years who have dealt with every kind of stressor – death of a spouse, losing a job or even a career, dealing with illness, family issues, divorce, every kind of anxiety-provoking issue. I try to help them find the beliefs that trigger their anxiety and potentially look at it from another point of view. Often when we get away from judging the things that occur, we free up energy and discover solutions. Often we must get above a situation to see it clearly.
What advice would you have for people who have anxiety, but have tried traditional psychotherapy, Cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness, acceptance, yoga and meditation, and still are having some anxiety?
First of all, please know that there is a way to move beyond anxiety and it does take work. It says in spiritual books that we must have faith the size of a mustard seed. That is not a lot of faith. I think growth (beyond anxiety) is like peeling an onion. There are many layers. Yet as we peel away, we reach a place of sweetness, understanding and peace. This particular onion of growth takes time to peel because in our culture we have been indoctrinated with fear.
What about dealing with other people’s anxiety? For example, today many people have family members who are so anxious about getting COVID-19 that they are requesting their family members quarantine for 14 days or avoid traveling for work if they want to see their children. How can we deal with other people’s anxiety in a respectful manner without sacrificing our own boundaries or joys in life?
When I see a person taken over with anxiety I consider him wounded, meaning he has bought into his mind an idea that he has made bigger than himself and he is thereby vulnerable to it. I think we can be understanding and compassionate, but still have our own boundaries about what we will accept as truth. Many people are living in fear and it is destructive to their lives, relationships, and health. Yet, each person has a right to believe as he or she wants to and that doesn’t mean that you have to agree with them or make them your enemy. (Just like with politics or religion – we all have to work these things out for ourselves.) I see dealing with these people as an opportunity and a challenge to maintain your own center. Decide what is truth for you – what is in your heart and move forward accordingly.
You work as a Transformational Coach and Akashic Record reader. Can you talk about that work, especially your work as an Akashic Record reader. What is that and what do you do?
 My work is about healing. I offer coaching to help in the ways I have described. Akashic Record reading is another way to reach deep into the soul of another and describe energy that can represent “cause.â€Â Sometimes, it offers another tool to bring the client to truth. I do this by moving into a meditative state and taking the name and birth date of a subject and relaxing into a deep state of stillness. Then I can ask a question, “Is there anything else this person needs to know to help him let go and love beyond ________?  (situation, circumstances, conflict).  I give whatever information appears without filter or discrimination. It always seems to help – again, it is another layer of the onion. 
What advice would you have for other coaches who are working with clients who have anxiety, but are not seeing results?
 Going back to the onion example, coaches have to be willing to go deep. What I know is that whatever is appearing on the surface (a lost job, divorce, etcetera) is just a symbol of something that is much deeper. In other words, there are no simple answers and behaviors are results as well as causes.
Have you experienced any serendipity or synchronicity in your work? If so, what and how?
 I think life is serendipity and synchronicity. If you hone your intuition, you are always getting nudges of how life is moving. I don’t know if this is what you are looking for but I will get a picture in my mind and a feeling in my body when a certain client is going to call. That happens all the time. If you pay attention to your thoughts, you can predict the way life is moving.
Anything else?
 There are practical methods to help people move from anxiety, worry, and struggle to peace. It is my purpose to guide them as far as they are willing to go. Thank you for the opportunity to answer your questions – they are good!
Jean Walters 314 991 8439Â http://www.spiritualtransformation.com
Mark: Thanks for sharing!