Lacy Phillips is an LA-based manifestation advisor and founder of the blog Free & Native, an amazing resource for all things to do with emotional and physical wellbeing. Lacy’s manifestation approach is truly unique and rooted in psychology just as much as it’s based on spirituality. With her clients, she focuses on pinpointing the true self, which ultimately leads to the discovery of one’s personal freedom. We’ve been reading Free & Native for years, and it’s opened our eyes to so many new ideas – from the concept of self-worth, to the recipe for the nettle and raspberry leaf infusion that helps our hair grow like crazy.
In this interview, Lacy tells us about her favorite transformative supplement as of late, her number one cold cure, exercising smart not hard, as well as her morning and bedtime routines, her approach to beauty and stress, and much more.
Routine
— Is routine important to you or do you like things to be more open and free?
I LOVE routine. But when I have a free day, I’ll only schedule one or two things tops because I love the freedom to do whatever I want or process in my head all day alone.
— What do your mornings look like? If they differ from day to day, describe your ideal morning.
My mornings are pretty much the same. Right now, when I wake up, I sip my Chinese herbs, bone broth with gelatin, and then I have breakfast (always within an hour of waking because I’ve suffered from endocrine and blood sugar issues). That usually looks like sprouted GF oatmeal with honey and almond butter – something that I could NEVER do in the past until I had some massive healing on my endocrine and blood sugar issues, for I would have had to have animal protein to keep my blood sugar stable. It was quite a fete when I didn’t need to do that anymore. I credit all of this to my healer Anthony Cahill in LA.
— Do you have any bedtime rituals that help you sleep well?
Yes, as you’re probably gathering my endocrine and hormones are very sensitive. So a rule that I had to implement in our house is no screens in the bedroom after 9p. And all screens are always on F.lux or “nighttime mode” to do away with blue light, which was severely messing with my melatonin production. Instead, I light beeswax candles in the room to suggest that red/orange sunset light that produces melatonin.
Nightly I also practice Haley Wood’s nighttime intuitive cleansing and lymph massage technique. And I’ll usually take some time out to get quiet and grateful for the day. I’m religious about my sleep cycle which is 10p-6a.
Sustenance
— Describe your typical or ideal meal for each of these:
Breakfast – Sprouted oatmeal or a scramble with ferments or leftovers
Lunch – Leftovers or I’ve gotten terrible at ordering lunch and dinner lately which usually consists of Honey Hi, Cafe Gratitude, Dune, Botanica, Sage Bistro…
Snack – Usually a smoothie in the summer or a tonic in the winter
— Do you partake in caffeine?
Because of my adrenals, I had to kiss caffeine goodbye four years ago. Along with cacao and sugar. I know, what’s the point of living? Thank God for bananas and avocado.
— Do you have a sweet tooth? If so, how do you keep it in check?
I do when I’m extra estrogenic (estrogen dominant), which is typical for those with endocrine issues. I’m pretty good about getting that balanced now, but I can always tell when I’ve gone too estrogenic because I get very anxious and I crave a lot of sugar. Due to giving up sugar, for me, a treat is usually a date with almond butter or a smoothie.
— Are there any particular supplements, herbs, or tinctures/tonics that you take regularly and find to be helpful to your energy level and general wellness?
Oh man, it’s long. So I drink three teas a day from raw herbs prescribed to me by my acupuncturist Dr. Dao, and a supplement that has been transformative for me lately is Gold Genesis which Shiva Rose gifted me. Those are the two universal ones that can benefit everyone. However, the others are genuinely tailored to my issues based on blood work.
Exercise
— Do you exercise and do you have a particular exercise routine that you repeat weekly?
I do. Three times a week I do HIIT, cardio three days a week, and I’m just now starting to do pilates and yoga again.
— Do you find exercise to be pleasurable, torturous or perhaps a little of both? How do you put yourself in the right mindset to keep up with it?
I do. But I don’t kill myself with it. I can only exercise 20 mins a day, or I tax my adrenals, so I’m very gentle with all of them. I’m all for exercise smart, not hard.
Beauty
— What is your idea of beauty – external, internal or both?
Completely internal. In my work with my clients, it’s all about raising your subconscious worth to project magnetism. There is indeed nothing more radiant or prosperous.
— What is your skincare approach – face and body?
Uncomplicated and hypernatural! Less is more.
— Are there any foods, herbs or supplements you find to be helpful to your skin/hair/general glow?
Absolutely! My hair started growing like crack when I began swapping water for nettle herbal infusions in search of all of those bio-available minerals and vitamins. Herbal infusions, to me, are a real beauty secret that not enough people do!
— Do you have any beauty tips/tricks you’ve found to be especially useful throughout the years? Family heirlooms are very much welcome.
It’s interesting. I grew up with a mom that is very tough, androgynous and Irish. She washes her face once a week with Ivory soap. Skincare wasn’t something I was taught. I had to go out and learn. I think I’ve tried it all in the wellness realm now, and I do have to say that since my skin is extra dry two factors have been transformative: cleansing with oil and using a washcloth to wipe it off, which also exfoliates.
Stress, etc.
— Do you practice any consistent routines to avoid stress?
The BIGGEST is Vedic Meditation twice a day, which I learned from Jac of The Broad Place. Second is the reprogramming techniques that I teach my clients and community. Third has been Gold Genesis as it’s loaded with adaptogens.
— If stress cannot be avoided, what are your ways of dealing with it?
Saying no to outside events or invitations so that I can be alone to gather my energy and ground. A lot of inward moments.
— What measures do you take when you sense a cold/general feeling of being under the weather coming on?
The truth – which works every single time – the moment I feel even the slightest, I do a coffee enema, then I hop right in bed and rest. Without fail, I always wake up the next morning healthy since I flushed the liver and drained the lymph.
— Do you strive to maintain a healthy work/life balance or do those things overlap for you? What is your approach?
I do. I’m getting MUCH better at it. This next year, I’m cutting back immensely on one-on-one energy and making my offerings more accessible to everyone through new digital options which are much more affordable. Such as my UNBLOCKED classes and my entire Manifestation Formula and Reprogramming Video Workshop launching in mid-December.
Motivation
— Describe the actions you take or mindset you try to tap into to stay on track with your self-care practice and being nice to yourself?
Well, a lot of it has to do with my Manifestation work. So much of that is welcoming our darkness, looking at the patterns showing up in our lives, using it as a map to get into our subconscious limiting beliefs, and shifting those to get closer to our authentic essence which is our genuinely magnetic state. I’m the person that’s like, Oh wow, I’m so excited that these “issues” are showing up. Because I know exactly what to do with them and how they will turn into magnificent opportunities that connect me with what I’m calling in.
— What do you consider to be the single most important change you’ve made to your routine or lifestyle in terms of wellness?
Working for myself. Only saying yes to what feels right. It’s what creates balance for me. And it took me a loooooonnnnggg time to get here.
— How do you deal with periods characterized by a lack of inspiration or procrastination?
I get out in the world and find it again. At galleries, in garments, weaves, cinema, literature… There’s more than I can consume in this lifetime. Always something. And I pull from it all.
— A book/movie/class that influenced your view of self-nourishment or self-care.
Life experiences. They are what allowed me to discover my manifestation formula, which is hinged on self-worth = your manifestation.
Knowledge
— What was your path to starting Free & Native and creating your manifestation formula?
They were rather parallel. At the same time I said I’d never work for another person again, was the exact year that I threw away all of the superstitions that I head learned through New Age manifestation culture (and I had explored it all). I realized I was an incredible manifestor but never in the ways that those books and teachings suggested. And I also realized that I was worth more than I was being treated in previous jobs. I tossed them both away and decided to follow and note what works for me when. And here we are today.
— In your practice, you put a lot of emphasis on raising one’s self-worth and expanding beliefs. Why are those such key points in your formula?
I realized that anytime I wouldn’t accept being small anymore, and then I wouldn’t settle for the small opportunities coming in after, while doing work on myself, bam my manifestations would come through. It all finally channeled through to me. The entire process. And I finally realized that The Universe’s only intention for us is to grow into our whole, authentic selves. Everything it does or gives us, good or bad, is to keep us on that trajectory.
The gift that I realized I have is channeling those messages, and my claircognizance ability to spot energetic patterns. The third gift I have is taking the abstractness of energetic patterns and boiling them down into actionable steps and work. And now after helping hundreds of people and seeing result after result, I realized why I had to suffer through loads of superstitions and life-struggles.
— You seem to seamlessly marry psychology and spirituality in your work. Can you speak a bit about how you are able to achieve this balance?
Absolutely. I always say manifestation is very easy; we’re complicated. We manifest from our subconscious beliefs rather than our thoughts. I always joke in my workshops by saying, “if only we were that powerful (manifesting from our thoughts). We think in such polarity all day long; our lives would look like a shit show.”
Psychology is a means to our subconscious. Accessing it and shifting it.
— Are there any books that you recommend that are in line with your manifestation formula?
I wish there was! This is a question I get all the time. In fact, I never intended to write a book, but I’m having to now as it just simply doesn’t exist.
Fun and Inspiration
— What do you do to unwind or treat yourself?
Watch TV shows. We are avid show bingers. It’s one of the only ways that I can thoroughly check out as I’m so Aquarius and vata. I just transport to another world and completely disconnect with all the pressure I’m responsible for in this one.
— A book/song/movie/piece of art to feed the soul:
Right now…
Book – The Awakened Family
Song/Album – Alice Coltrane, “Om Shanti”
Movie – Lady Bird
Art – Ryan Snow
— We are captivated by Joan Didion’s compact travel packing list. What are some essential objects that would be in yours?
A cozy wool sweater, boots, jeans, Gold Genesis, eye mask, and a book.
— Is there anyone you would like to hear from next in this interview series?
Shiva Rose and Meredith Baird.
Photos courtesy of Free & Native and Serafina LoGiacco /
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