Meet Brittany Russell | Spiritual Mentor | Mindfulness Coach | Speaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brittany Russell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brittany, the decisions we make often shape our story in profound ways. What was one of the most difficult decisions you’ve had to make?
The most difficult decision I believe anyone has the opportunity to make is to forgive yourself for ever believing there is anything defective about you to begin with. This was the most uncomfortable yet liberating decision I’ve made as it took the perceived “ceiling” out of my life. Many may never have that opportunity as their environment does not support spiritual growth and healing. If you have the chance, take it. “Take the risk or lose the chance.” – Anonymous

Nearly eight years ago I was on a sixteen year bender of self sabotaging behaviors through physical, mental, and emotional abuse towards myself. I was not yet awakened to the gifts and purpose of my life and saw myself as a victim. Through a series of fortunate events I was awakened to the reality of the way I was perceiving my life and the emergent need to take action to change or I was facing physical death. Once I was able to rid my body of toxins, my mind was next. This meant facing unconscious societal programming, limiting beliefs, misperceptions of myself, and cultural conditioning.

I soon found that my reasons for my actions were a byproduct of my mindset which was operating at a low level with conflicting information. This created a distrust in myself followed by severe mental and physical suffering. As I began to renew my mind through the step work of alcoholics anonymous and spiritual teachings of A Course in Miracles, I was able to come to a perspective that has offered a sense of inner peace. Below I’ll share the outlook that has transformed my life in hopes you gain insight that adds value to yours.

I truly believe each and every one of us has a unique spiritual blueprint in life encompassing challenges, lessons, and a purpose that aids in the whole. Some of us are here to learn acceptance, forgiveness, gratitude, faith, joy, peace, etc. We have the option to learn any lesson we want on any given day if we so choose.
Each of those lessons come with challenges that, at first, seem “unfair” when faced with them.
As an example, you may be faced with betrayal by someone you love. This may end up creating in you a distrust in love thus unconsciously closing the heart off to connection of all types. Closing yourself off is not selective, it’s all or nothing. “How you do anything is how you do everything” -Martha Beck.
Because we need connection to thrive and quite literally survive, this unconscious decision to be closed to connection will become isolating which in turn can create emotional and physical pain and suffering.

You would eventually “wake up” to the reality that you are the common denominator in all of your experiences and CHOOSE to dissect your actions and beliefs. Once the awakening process has begun, a series of events will occur that will provide an opportunity to remove the blocks to love. You may eventually be faced with the one that “betrayed” you again. This is the universe creating an opportunity to CHOOSE forgiveness over resistance. If forgiveness is chosen, the lesson will end making way for the next spiritual lesson in the que. If resistance is chosen, the cycle will continue until it is complete. This is where the quote from Tony Robbins is useful, “If you can’t, then you must!” meaning, lean into the resistance, your freedom from anguish is on the other side.

Throughout the process of this lesson you may eventually come to realize forgiveness is not about letting someone “off the hook” so to speak, but that you were never betrayed to begin with. You will realize it was the pain and suffering of the “betrayer” that caused them to make the decision they made which you PERCEIVED as betrayal. True forgiveness is about FORGIVING YOURSELF for believing you could be hurt at all. When you realize this, you’re able to have compassion for another and CHOOSE to not take anything personally. Forgiving yourself is the same as forgiving another a we are One, you cannot have one without the other.

Once you’re able to forgive yourself, you’re able to see your purpose with more clarity. Your purpose will unveil itself as you choose into personal responsibility for your perspective and choose forgiveness over anything else. For some, it may take an entire human lifetime. Others may “wake up” in their teens, twenties, fourties, or eighties. The point is not the age, but awakening to Truth.

Once you learn a lesson it is spiritually suggested you teach what you have learned in order to keep it. “To keep it you must give it away” -Jesus Christ, A Course in Miracles.
The school of life has different “rules” than a traditional University, which means, you don’t need to have a degree or be wildly confident before you begin teaching as your student will not always be so obvious. This is the gift of the present. “With great awareness comes great responsibility.”- Uncle Ben, Spiderman

When you are present, you will recognize when your fellow is in need of your service, this is called intuition. When you “answer the call” you will know exactly what to say at exactly the right time. This is the Holy Spirit using you to serve and wake up your fellow brother or sister. You will soon come to realize the joy and peace you feel due to your servitude for others. This is because giving is the same as receiving. “As you teach so will you learn.” -Jesus Christ, A Course in Miracles

The examples I’ve shared were my own personal experiences. I am deeply grateful to have undergone such a radical transformation from where I was to where I am today. I have much more to learn as we always will. If you’re reading this and feel you have gained a deeper awareness of your own experiences, I’d love to hear about it.

What should our readers know about your business?
To answer these questions I’ll share a brief understanding of the mindset I had to break through to get to where I am today.
Growing up I believed I was not valuable, worthy of love or deserving of respect. I didn’t believe in myself, didn’t trust myself, and often felt confused and lost. While I don’t believe we come into the world this way, this is the mindset I acquired at a young age up until my early thirties which is a significant amount of time to continue repeating limiting beliefs and behaviors that create unwanted results. You can imagine the discipline, commitment, and presence it’s taken to change.

I mentioned previously that I believe we come into life with a mission, purpose, and unique set of challenges in order to spiritually develop.
“Life must be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards” -Soren Kierkegaard
In my unconscious years I perceived life as happening “to me” vs “for me”. I was not able to see the gifts from my childhood experiences until I began to work through the perception of my past and learn to forgive myself for ever believing I was defective and unworthy in any way.

One of the lessons I believe I came here to learn is forgiveness. While I found it easy to forgive others for their actions, I found it challenging to offer the same grace towards myself.

Forgiveness is an interesting concept don’t you think? If you’re like me, you were taught to forgive someone for doing something TO you which in essence meant you had expectations that the individual didn’t measure up to. These expectations are typically based on a perception of past personal experiences, unconscious beliefs, and a lack of self awareness and personal responsibility of perception on the “forgiver’s” part. You can already see the projection of the mind playing out here.
This is what’s called “the victim mentality” which is a reflection of a mind that is not consciously aware of its worth, power, and ability to free itself from suffering.

A large part of my journey of self discovery has been through the practice of the teachings of Jesus through “A Course in Miracles” which was said to be channeled by Jesus of Nazareth through a woman named Helen Schucman in the 1960’s. This book aims to teach the true meaning of forgiveness through renewing the mind’s perception of itself by removing blocks from love with daily practices of self awareness.

These teachings have transformed the way I view myself and the world as it’s allowed me to realize forgiveness is not about letting something go as much as it’s a remembering of your purity and innocence. It’s an intentional choice to view all situations and living creatures as perfect in their divine right. More practically put, it’s a choice to forgive another for their limiting belief that they’re defective hence the reason they made a poor decision to “hurt you” in any way, “Hurt people hurt people.” “The way you treat others is a reflection of the way you treat yourself.”

More simply put, it’s forgiving the decision the other person made when not fully present or consciously aware of themselves. You have the opportunity to view another through the eyes of grace and believe that, if they knew better, they would do better. It’s an act of good faith and a conscious choice to trust.

Once I had awakened enough to see the feedback on my results, it was evident that I was hurting due to a belief that I was defective and deserved to be punished. This is called shame. There are studies proving the correlation to shame and physical ailments in the body due to frequency of activating the sympathetic nervous system(SNS). The SNS becomes activated when an internal or external perceived threat occurs which includes thoughts, as our mind/thought is the “cause”, and body is the “effect”.

A pivotal point in my healing was the choice to let go of external substances to tame the dis-comfort in my mind and body.
Western culture encourages pharmaceuticals to “rid” the mind and body of dis-ease or dis-comfort which in many cases is like placing a sticky note over the check engine light in your car in hopes it will disappear. This is called delusion, and many of us buy into it for a period of time or even a lifetime; we’re programmed to believe what we need is external vs internal.
This is why, in our unconscious stage, we tend to look for validation from others or material things, be it shopping, explicit behavior, or substances that create impairment. While it feels good momentarily, it is short lived and a much larger dose is required to sustain the “high“ going forward.

I worked in western medicine for ten years and will share my subjective opinion; western medicine is phenomenal for acute care, trauma, and some incredible technological advances for surgery though, not a one stop shop. While I have seen incredible changes in health with the accompaniment of pharmaceuticals throughout my career in the medicinal field, I don’t believe it should be a lifetime of reliance.
That being said, I sought after holistic remedies to support me as I wanted to learn to heal myself without relying on a system to keep me stable and happy.

I began learning mindfulness practices such as breathwork, journaling, and meditation. These are all a unique relationship in their own right and have supported the regulation of my nervous system which significantly changed the relationship I have with myself and the world around me. Studies show that nervous system regulation is found to be one of the most supportive ways to restore homeostasis in the body by producing appropriate responses to internal and external cues and stressors. In short, you have tools to use for grounding yourself throughout life that will help you respond in healthy ways with the intent to prevent trauma storage in the mind and body thus allowing you to sustain a sense of inner peace.

It’s been nearly 8 years since my choice to discover my authentic Self through sobriety and I can wholeheartedly say mindfulness, forgiveness, and healthy connection has allowed me to trust and accept myself even when I have less desired moments, that in itself is liberating.

Above all, my journey thus far has taught me to be authentic, choose to see others in their purity, without support from others the road is difficult, and to keep it you must give it away as you’re providing an example for others that possibilities for growth are truly infinite!

Today, I dedicate my life to the service of others. I love waking up each day knowing I am being used as a clear channel to awaken humanity through each interaction. I especially love the moments when I become awakened to a new perspective as it’s a reminder how much there is to learn here.

I love to speak and facilitate workshops on Mindfulness within communities and organizations throughout San Diego. My passion is impacting lives by storytelling through sharing my personal testimony. In the workshops I share spiritual concepts and teach practical tools to transform the mind and create a sense of inner peace.
My focus is teaching practical techniques for self healing, as well as the value of connection and forgiveness in a classroom setting where everyone participates through interactive exercises to uncover their personal results of their current level of self awareness. Though everyone’s results and baseline of self awareness will differ, these tools are easily taught and accessible whether you’re new to mindfulness or have been practicing for 40 years.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My go to spots are outside of the city life!

I spent a large portion of my childhood in Ramona and Julian hiking the trails, horseback riding, and enjoying the peace in nature. When I was a volunteer firefighter in the mountains of Julian and Cuyamaca I had the privilege of seeing the vast beauty those mountains have to offer. I highly recommend camping or hiking in these areas if you want to get far away from city life.

My go to hike, while also a tourist attraction, is “Potato Chip Rock” located on the cusp of Ramona and Poway in North East San Diego county. This place is exceptionally special to me as I’ve hiked her through every stage of my development physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. You can start at either Mt. Woodson trail head or Lake Poway (another favorite place for bbq, fishing, and picnics!).
Recommended time of day to start is around 0530 mid week and you’ll get the infamous “Potato Chip” all to yourself!
If it’s an overcast morning by the time you arrive at the top you’ll be above the clouds which is one of the most spectacular sights to see! I also love this hike because it’s located in the mountains vs a metropolitan area, therefore, the air quality is cleaner and you can see the views of the ocean all the way to Coronado and downtown SD. I highly recommend this spot!

Coronado beach is my go to for its expansiveness, intimacy, cleanliness, and amazing aircraft that fly low overhead while sunbathing and swimming. I was born and bred in San Diego as my father was stationed at MCAS Miramar when it was a Naval base. Being a military child has infused a soft spot for military life which is another reason I choose Coronado. It’s a military “island” which has always felt safe and secure.

The entire coastal line has such incredible views, mom and pop shops and hidden gems to retreat to and make memories with friends, that special someone or some R&R for yourself.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First and foremost, God. I’m deeply grateful to have the opportunity to be a spiritual being having a human experience as it was this opportunity that gifted me with the family, friends, and mentors I’ve had and will have.

That all being said, there are many to thank for where I am mentally, spiritually, emotionally and physically today. While naming them all would take up this entire article, what I share encompasses all whose paths I’ve had the honor of crossing and have learned from.

Life is truly about relationships, of all types. For a significant amount of time in my life I didn’t trust relationships as I perceived them as painful and abandoning based on perceived experiences. I would make friends yet not invest in the relationship which would leave me feeling lonely and disconnected. I eventually took ownership for my reality and chose to learn how to be better at forming bonds and maintaining them. I’m a work in progress as we all are.

Throughout this journey I’ve met incredible people that have come into my life for a unique reason during unique times leaving valuable insight and lessons learned. We learn and grow from one another on a spiritual level which to me is the soul purpose of relationships. When I spend quality time with my friends I’m reminded of how far I’ve come and how grateful I am to be surrounded by people who reflect love and light into my life. My friends have been patient, loving, understanding, and inspirational, you all know who you are.

My mother, Dawn, for teaching me sentiment, lightheartedness, and the value of taking care of your body. She also got me out of some really sticky situations in my earlier years on earth. My life may have looked very different had she not stepped in and stepped up.

My father, Bob, taught me work ethic, reliability, responsibility, and the value of being your word.

My sister aka my handler, for your unconditional acceptance, forgiveness, and friendship. You have taught me that love is safe and trustworthy.

My grandfather, Jim, for paving the spiritual path for our family and investing in my future.

To Casey, for showing me compassion and loyalty during a tough year of radical transformation.

To Jocelyn for your unwaivering ability to show up for those you love and take a stand for what matters most.

To Paris for guiding me home to my Self through your grounded mothering ways.

To Amber for believing in me and always showing gratitude and excitement just to be in my presence.

To Blue for teaching me the power of presence and welcoming me into your family with open arms.

Thank you to every partner I’ve had the pleasure of learning from and growing with regardless of the way things played out. Thank you for sharing time and energy and more importantly, for loving me even when I didn’t believe I deserved it.

My mentor, Grateful Pam, for loving me harder each day until I could learn to love and accept myself when I was fresh into my recovery from substance abuse. You’ve taught me how to show up for others, be consistent in my actions, be true and honest with myself by checking my intentions, and how to have an incredible life in sobriety!

All members of Alcoholics Anonymous for upholding the twelve traditions and creating a safe space for people to start their healing journey of self discovery.

A Course in Miracles (ACIM)- This book is my bible. It’s restored my mind to view life through the lens of forgiveness and love. I attribute my ability to accept myself and not take things personally as a direct result of Jesus’s teachings in this book.

To Mother Nature for your divine power and ability to hold an infinite amount of space for all the Bigness of life. Never have I felt I was “too much” in your presence.

Ascension Leadership Academy- This four month workshop, which I actually spent a total of 9 months, was the catalyst for my awakening to authenticity and life purpose. This workshop created a safe, nearly risk free container where my teammates and I were able to see the limiting beliefs we had placed on ourselves throughout the years and gave us the opportunity to rid ourselves of the stories and beliefs keeping us small in our life. It was here I gained clarity on my purpose, life vision, values. and leadership style. If you’re looking for a massive breakthrough that will save you time, money, and unnecessary energy expenditure in your life, I highly suggest this program located in Austin, Texas.

Lastly, myself. Regardless of the support and opportunities, it’s up to me to choose to change and be willing to take action by doing things differently than my mind has been conditioned to do. I’m grateful for my Will to persevere and my ability to handle extreme amounts of physical and emotional discomfort to break through limitations that have haunted generations before me. “Life is a spiritual practice.” -Brittany Russell

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittany-russell-9a7a2875/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@brittrussell/videos

Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4jYIqFKSjcog0ux5TkqtUl?si=1eee2cc32c854124

Image Credits
Ray Orr, Videographer- Houston, TX
Jennifer Russell, Photographer- San Diego, CA
Brittany Russell, Entrepreneur-San Diego, CA