Conscious Creators is a series to share the people we admire and who inspire us. These people have consciously created businesses, often against the grain of the conventional norm, with spirit and soul.
We discover why they created their brands, their lifestyle and little beauty tricks they’ve learnt along the way.

This week we speak to Chelsey Prior of The Heartspace Connect

Chelsey, a fellow hair and makeup artist, is also an extremely talented and intuitive healer through Reiki, Theta Healing, Yoga and Meditation. While Chelsey offers services in person, she has also adapted her practises online over the past year, and I am a big fan!
Chelsey has an incredible ability of tapping into energy and I could not be more excited to share this most timely interview and know we can all benefit from Chelsey’s spirit.

What did you do before creating The Heartspace Connect?

One of the hats I wore before starting The Heartspace Connect was as a hair and makeup artist. I love helping people feel their best, both inside and out, and using beauty products that are cruelty-free and as organic as possible.

What made you decide to do it?

When my Mum was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer in 2017 we did everything we could to help her heal and feel as comfortable as possible during the process. As well as chemotherapy and radiation we explored countless natural healing treatments to support her and once I’d discovered energy healing, there was no going back, I just knew I was meant to be sharing these gifts. Coincidentally, around the time of her diagnosis I also won a scholarship to study a Diploma in Meditation Therapy and Holistic Counselling. The combination of these practices has been a beautiful journey of healing and holding space for others to find clarity, peace, support and purpose.

Where did the name come from?

It came from the heart space, the core of our being. Physiologically, the heart beats around 100,000 times a day, delivering fresh blood, oxygen and life to every cell of our bodies. Energetically, this centre carries frequencies such as gratitude, joy, forgiveness and love. It’s an incredible, powerful energy centre that regulates our physical health and emotional wellbeing.
Wellbeing is our natural state of being and by connecting with the heartspace we connect with our natural state of being.

And what has been your biggest challenge so far?

Good question. I’ve overcome many challenges along the way, as we all have, though I’d have to say the most transformative one so far has been adapting my practice throughout 2020. Although my energy healing and counselling sessions have always been available online, it was the complete lockdown from March to June that really brought things into the virtual world. Many of my clients then realised they prefer online sessions and have chosen to continue this way. It is amazing being able to offer healing and support anywhere in the world.

Which three words sum up your approach to beauty?

Simplicity – There is such beauty in the little things. In my makeup work this is reflected in the signature natural glow look that my clients know me for. Then with my energy healing and counselling sessions there are practices we use to release excess energy and unhelpful, outdated patterns. Once the layers are shed, what’s left is a very pure, peaceful beauty.
Nourishment – Beauty blossoms from the inside out. Nourishing our bodies from within with good food, clean water, restorative practices and plenty of beauty sleep as well as mindfully choosing quality beauty products to use on the skin does wonders for that inner glow.
Love – Everything stems from this space. From the inspiration for a beauty look to choosing products that are planet-friendly. The Heartspace Connect is all about getting out of the head and living from the heart. And that is a beautiful space to be.

How do you like to exercise?

I like exercise that is so fun it doesn’t feel like exercise. Yoga, dancing, walking by the water or hiking through nature are all forms of movement that light me up.

What is your favourite beauty food?

I love a warm cup of cacao. It helps circulation, skin reparation, boosts hydration, opens the heart, provides skin protection and is full of antioxidants. Delicious and nutritious.

Find the recipe here

Are you hooked on any health trends right now?

At the moment I am loving the practice of Gua sha, a technique used to reduce puffiness, firm the skin and improve the flow of blood and energy in the body. I’ve noticed such a difference with my skin and face shape since picking it up.

Which podcasts can you recommend?

The Goop Podcast
Oprah’s Super Soul Conversations
Under The Skin with Russell Brand

Any must read books or must -see films to share?

Books
– The Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz
– Be Here Now, Eckhart Tolle
– The Surrender Experiment, Michael A. Singer
– Siddartha, Herman Hesse

Films
Any film by Wes Anderson is fantastic. Such a distinct colour palette and so visually
appealing. I particularly loved Moonrise Kingdom.

How do you refill your cup at the end of a busy week?

I find that I empty out and refill my cup best by connecting with stillness. Checking in in the moment to see if that might call for meditation, yoga, having a cuppa with a friend, expressing myself through art or journaling, drawing a bath filled with epsom salts and essential oils, walking on the sand, watching a good movie or just having a good snooze.

What kind of energy do you try to bring to daily life? And what do you do to reset on those days when life feels chaotic or out of control?

My Tantra teachers have taught me the beauty of “life meeting life” This inspires me to meet each day with a sense of openness and curiosity, as if it were all happening for the first time. Which it is, your day to day may carry a similar rhythm but no moment will unfold exactly the same. There is such beauty in being present in the moment. I practice meditation every day. Having a daily meditation practice is an anchor that helps
me stay grounded and keeps me from drifting too far out into the sometimes chaotic waves of daily life. My clients often mention that the breathwork I share with them is the most helpful tool when they need to reset during the day to day. Noticing the nature of your breath tells us so much about how you really are. Calm the breath and the mind will follow.

What’s your all-time favourite beauty trick?

I always set my eyeliner. Whether you’re using a pencil, gel or liquid I love how setting eyeliner with a powder helps the colour pop and last the entire day. Because of my skin type, if I don’t set my eyeliner it may wear off or end up on my cheeks. Sometimes I match the colour of the setting powder to the eyeliner or go for a contrasting colour or shimmer to give it a little something extra.

The best piece of advice you’ve ever read or received?

This is a tricky one! So, so many come to mind.
Besides Life Meeting Life, or Michael A. Singer’s surrender experiment, I often come back to
these wise words by L. R. Knost:

“Life is amazing. And then it’s awful. And then it’s amazing again. And in between the
amazing and awful it’s ordinary and mundane and routine. Breathe in the amazing, hold on
through the awful, and relax and exhale during the ordinary. That’s just living heartbreaking,
soul-healing, amazing, awful, ordinary life. And it’s breathtakingly beautiful.”

Where do you go to feel inspired?

Definitely nature. I look to the sky, the sea, the flowers and trees and see endless inspiring possibilities.

This is a tricky question to answer right now, but what is next for you?

Haha..well they say that life is what happens when you’re making other plans. In terms of what I’m offering for the year ahead, I have plans to hold 2 vision board workshops in January on the 10th and 17th, a Yin and Reiki class in Manly on the 31st of January, a Cacao and Yoga class on 27th February, an Autumn to Winter retreat in the Blue Mountains 19-21st May at the gorgeous Vanam Retreat and a Spring retreat in the Hawkesbury later in the year. Although as 2020 has taught us, anything can change in the blink of an eye. So I look forward to these plans with an open heart and an open mind, ready to dance with whatever comes next.