In this exclusive interview series, we connect with Bloom’s experts to give you a taste of what’s to come at this exciting event
On Saturday, September 24th at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in downtown Vancouver, Simply Beautiful and Evalina Beauty will be presenting the Bloom Inspiration Summit. Bloom features an extraordinary lineup of brilliant women speakers—including an intimate conversation with award-winning Canadian entertainer and bestselling author Jann Arden—who will inspire you to live your best, brightest and fullest life.
Topics will include everything from grief to joy, sleep to intimacy, home organization and how to reach your potential, plus much more. Bloom will light a fire inside you, leave you dreaming big, and show you how to spark more joy in your everyday life.
To give you a preview of what you can expect at Bloom, we caught up with the distinguished speakers to find out what they'll be discussing in their presentations.
Introducing Claudia Chirico
While in the midst of experiencing a variety of physical and emotional health traumas, Claudia Chirico was introduced to Bio-Energy Healing, which in turn led to the discovery of her own natural healing abilities and guided her down the path of service. Over 15 years later, Claudia has helped—and continues to help—others connect and heal in their body, mind and spirit.
We recently chatted with Claudia about powerful healing tools to elevate your thinking, how to empower yourself to expand your full potential, and more...
RJ: You focus on encouraging people to love themselves. Can becoming the best version of yourself be learned?
CC: Yes, our human experience is remembering and forgetting, and in the remembrance, that's when we're living and expressing the best versions of ourselves. But with trauma, pain, shock and wounding, there's a closing-down effect. Hence, the theme "bloom," and why my service is called Bloom Energy Therapy. When we are in full expression, where we are in a state of love, trust and allowing, we naturally, organically, authentically open. When we're in fear, when we're hurt, when we're cautious, we close down.
And so when I talk about living my best version, there are many moments where I was not. But then I'll see something, or be prompted by something, and I suddenly see that bloom effect start to happen. I'm seen, I’m felt, I'm heard and so, yes, it definitely can be learned, but more than learned, it can be remembered, especially through guidance.
But my motto is: we don't have time to waste. We all have this incredible potential, and when nurtured, you can reach that potential more easily and more gracefully. And that’s my goal, everything in my existence is divinely guided.
RJ: What values are important to you, and how do you make sure to live by these values?
CC: When it comes to values, I live by so many, and they're just absolutely ingrained in me. This is not something forced or that I'm trying to do, it’s just ingrained in me. Family, truth, honesty, living a life in service and humility. My husband is an incredible human, I really adore him, he’s such a humble man. And our world is our family, and nurturing our children and being those models, building community, being there for family, and being absolutely, truthful and honest. If we say something we follow through with it. There's a lot of sayings in my house. I say the evidence lies in the actions. We can talk and talk and talk, but the evidence truly does lie in the action taken, and those values are so important to us.
I also think listening to self. That’s always a work in progress. I’ll often ask myself how is this serving me? How is this not serving me? I recognize in pausing and introspection what I’m really frustrated with. And I'm frustrated with myself because I haven't been listening. You're responsible for your peace, and it's just always being tuned into that. That’s a big lesson for me.
RJ: How would you define being content?
CC: Many, many, many, many years ago, I was at a pageant, and the question was: how do you define success? Truthfully, I said, success equals happiness. And in the course of my life, it has shifted so many different times.
When I was younger, what was contentment? It was more superficial, to be honest. Now being content, because I've experienced so much in my lifetime, is being comfortable within myself. I can sit with myself in quiet, whereas before I would not be able to, I was really uncomfortable. I was really caught up in the madness of my mind, and now I'm content with myself. Shedding comparison, I can look at somebody and if there's something that they're doing, I want to be inspired and empowered by them. If any other emotion comes up, I look at myself and say, "I have some healing to do there." We're all human, we all have these emotions that rise up, so I’m always looking at myself.
I’m very content in my family, my marriage, my children, but it really comes from me. It's internal, I’m really content with myself.
RJ: What are your recommendations or processes to help others reconnect to their purpose?
CC: This is really important, because for me, it comes down to the conditioning. And so ask yourself simple questions: What do you enjoy? What lights you up? What are your passions? And it's not clear for people in the beginning. They have to go through life experience first.
In high school, I interviewed social workers because I wanted to work with people and community. I interviewed veterinarians because I love animals. Then, moving into college, I took all these courses because it just wasn't clear for me and I was so frustrated. But my life was meant to unfold that way, and I don't have any regrets.
The only thing I will say is that there's a pull for me to open up a psychology book and to go back and to fulfil something. So it doesn't end. It really is your passions, and then moving in that direction. Taking that course, reading that book, talking to people. For me, it's about talking with people. Taking that one course can open up so many doors and potential for you: who you're going to meet, what you're going to read, or receive in this course. Just say yes... because when we say yes, we open ourselves up. Ask yourself what aligns, what's your yes. It's about honouring the yes.
RJ: Who or what inspires you every day?
CC: When it comes to teachers/mentors: Marianne Williamson, Louise Hay and Maya Angelo. But this is where I get sentimental. As you can tell, my family is my life, my core, my heart, but it really is my daughter who inspires me. I have this incredible, deep, deep purpose for her, and she amazes and marvels me every single day. She is much more powerful than me, and the greatest gift is that she chose me to be her mother.
The greatest gift in return is for me to love my children and nurture them and guide them the way they deserve to be, unconditionally. They’re not going to live their life to serve me, to make me look good. It's actually the opposite. How can I serve them? How can I nurture them? How can I support them in living their best life? I will move mountains and do anything to support my children. So it's very humbling for her to watch me and share with me how much I mean to her, and how much I inspire her. That's everything to me. We really are aligned as souls and so it really is my family that inspires me.
RJ: Describe your passion/what you live by in three words.
CC: Self-love, connection... deep connection, and, of course, it's my family.
RJ: What lights your fire?
CC: That's easy. It’s when I connect with someone authentically in that heart-to-heart space. When they light up, I light up. It's simple. That's beautiful. That recognition is when they can connect to themselves, and I can just hold that space for them. It’s about them. It's not about me. But I really do feel it's divine at play. I’m the vessel, I'm the instrument. And so on a very deep level, and that soul level, we're all in each other's lives to be the lesson or the blessing.