Welcome back to Alchemy for Authors!
In this episode, I talk with Sara Garofalo, Ayurvedic Counselor and Co-author of the international bestselling book Prosperity Codes: How to Attune to and Attract Wealth, Joy, and Abundance.
Sara shares how manifestation and mindset was able to turn her life around and propel her towards her goals, including becoming an author. She shares tips on how we can become the hero of our own life and move towards our goals by listening to and looking after our body, and how ignoring the needs of our body may be the very thing holding us back from living our dream life.
This episode is a wonderful real-life exemplar of the power of manifestation and mindset, and the role our body plays in making our dreams come true. Make sure to follow Sara below to learn more.
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Find the full transcript of this episode below.
Episode 33: Physical Alignment for Manifestation Success with Sara Garofalo
Jo: Hello, my writerly friends. I hope you are all doing well. Covid unfortunately came visiting this week and so I’ve spent most of the week in bed. But, as this often works out, this episode is rather timely with its topic. It’s all about how paying attention to our thoughts, feelings and our body, can help us to manifest our goals.
But before we get to that, I have two super cool things I want to share with you.
First, I wanted to let you know about a wonderful promotion I have going with my books for the month of October when you purchase directly from me. October is one of my favourite times of the year. As someone who writes Gothic Suspense and Ghost Stories, it makes sense, right? So, if you’re like me and like your stories maybe a little dark and a little bit scary, or you know of someone else who does, go check out my store page at payhip.com/JoBuer. To celebrate the spooky season, you can get 50% off any of my eBooks by using the coupon code: spooky. S P O O K Y. My novels, Rest Easy Resort, and Unspoken Truths are definitely my favourites, but if you prefer short stories, then I have two collections, Between the Shadows and Voices for you to check out too.
Now secondly, I wanted to tell you about a wonderful course my friend Carissa Andrews at Author Revolution has going at the moment. It’s called the Rapid Release Roadmap. I’m sure many of you have heard of rapid releasing before, and you can learn more by going back and relistening to episode 16 of Alchemy for Authors where Carissa shares a bit more about this.
Now, if you’ve shied away from rapid releasing because you think it’s too much work or that you’d never be able to manage it, I really hope you’ll consider Carissa’s Rapid Release Roadmap course. I’m a student and I can honestly say there isn’t another course on the market like it.
Not only does Carissa walk you through how to rapid release your books, but she explains how to do it sustainably! No more burn out, people! This isn’t a course on pumping out a book a month (though you can use the lessons to certainly do that, if it’s your jam), but rather, Carissa walks you through how to plan, write, publish, and promote four books every year, but you can adapt it to suit. So, if you’re ready to take your author career to the next level, I really hope you’ll check it out. You’ll find the link in the show notes. And just an FYI for you, yes I am an affiliate for this course, but if you’ve been following me for any length of time, you’ll know I’m a huge fan of Carissa’s and her courses, and the Rapid Release Roadmap is one I’m undertaking myself. I wouldn’t recommend it if I didn’t think Carissa’s Rapid Release Roadmap course could change your author career for the better. So, check it out, my friend!
Now for today’s episode, I talk with Sara Garofalo, Ayurvedic Counselor and Co-author of the international bestselling book Prosperity Codes: How to Attune to and Attract Wealth, Joy, and Abundance. Sara shares how manifestation and mindset was able to turn her life around and propel her towards her goals, including becoming an author. Sara shares tips on how we can become the hero of our own life and move towards our goals by listening to and looking after our body, and how ignoring the needs of our body may be the very thing holding us back from living our dream life.
This episode is a wonderful real-life exemplar of the power of manifestation and mindset, and the role our body plays in making our dreams come true. So when you’re ready grab yourself a drink, find a comfy chair, sit back and enjoy the show.
Hello, my lovelies. Welcome back to another episode of Alchemy for Authors. Today I am chatting with Sara Garofalo. Sara is a certified intuitive health and life coach and certified Ayurveda counselor who helps busy women ditch yo-yo dieting and get to the root cause of their weight gain through a mind, body, soul transformation, so that they can heal once and for all. Sara is also a co-author of the international bestselling book Prosperity Codes: How to Attune to and Attract Wealth, Joy, and Abundance. So welcome to the show, Sara. It’s so great to have you here.
Sara: Thank you, Jo. I’m so excited to be here.
Jo: Now one of the reasons that I really wanted to chat with you today is because of what I think is kind of a unique perception that you have about manifesting abundance and its connection to body and body health. But first I was hoping that maybe you could talk a little bit about your journey towards manifesting abundance yourself and how contributing to the book Prosperity Codes came about.
Sara: Yeah, absolutely. I’ll talk a little bit about my journey. I think that’s key in bringing everyone along for the ride. Yeah, so I share the story in the chapter of Prosperity Codes, but pretty much, three and a half years ago, I started my divorce and I left a toxic relationship with my kids. They were three and one and a half at that time. And so I’m Italian and I’m like in a different country and I was a stay at home mom with a massage therapy license, that I wasn’t actually working at the time. And I was at the time an Ayurvedic counsellor. And I was like, okay, what am I gonna do? And it was really, really hard because I was completely broken physically, emotionally, and spiritually, and left with very little money in my bank account because I was taking care of my kids. So I literally had to attune to everything that I know.
And one of my strengths is healing the physical body and the emotional body and the food energetics. So I got that together and then I started practicing manifestation. I started really deep diving into this concept that it goes beyond the law of attraction. And I started manifesting, you know, clients and a business that yeah, is now thriving, and got myself out of that situation. So it took the alignment for me, which I’m going to explain, between my body and soul.
Jo: That’s amazing. That’s so great. And it’s a very short time that that turnaround has happened too. So did you know a lot about manifestation prior to this big moment in your life, or was it something you learned along the way?
Sara: No, honestly. That came right in that moment. I remember started hearing it more and more. I started to meet friends that were like, Hey, why don’t you manifest abundance? And I was like, what does that even mean? And then I started to read books and videos and I was so confused. And then I started practicing it for two straight years, and now I do it, but I’m not every day conscious of it. Yeah.
Jo: Well, that’s amazing. And so I remember reading in your chapter where you were writing about this, or as you were saying, you were just in a, a bit of a dark place there for a while, it was like your world was crashing down, and you had a business coach or somebody say to you to stop playing victim and get out of your own way. Which I thought is a real tough love kind of thing for somebody to say. So can you talk a little bit about that, and what he meant by that and how you reacted to that?
Sara: Absolutely. It’s a wonderful question because for a lot of us, we need to understand that in order to get out of the situation you’re in, if you wanna attract abundance, okay. And at the time, I mean, honestly, I got out of emotional, psychological, financial abuse at the time, and literally this coach looks at me and he’s pretty much saying, stop coming up with excuses and do the damn work and stopped playing the victim. Cuz I was like, well, I can’t do this because I need to take care of the kids. I need to do that. And then literally that was like a tough love slap on the face, and I was like, Oh my God, I didn’t even know I was doing it. And after that I started really like putting my life together. And I needed to hear that. I needed to hear that in order to manifest abundance and shift your reality. You have to stop playing the victim. Oh, everything is happening to me. Just become the hero of your story and decide what’s gonna happen next.
Jo: I love that. I find a lot of authors that I connect with or chat with, and even myself too at times, we are really good at coming up with excuses for not writing or feeling time poor or stuck in that mindset of the starving artist, like, you can’t make money or anything like that from writing. So, quite often, I think a lot of us do play that victim card. So what’s your suggestions or tips around how we can step out of being a victim and start to take more, like take charge of our lives a bit better?
Sara: Yeah, so the first thing that I would say is, stop listening to that mindset that kept you safe and protected and it’s coming up with excuses and just say, hey, I hear you. Thank you for keeping me safe, but I’m gonna do this right now. I’m going to try this over here. And it’s literally consciously stepping away from that voice and realizing that those are excuses. Those kept you safe, but now you are growing, and growth means getting uncomfortable. Right?
Jo: I agree with that. I think for any kind of growth, we’ve got to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. Stepping outside of that comfort zone there. So what are some of the manifestation practices that you use, or that you’ve used in the past to help create this business and everything that you have going that’s thriving right now?
Sara: Yeah. So I wanna say first of all, that manifestation is not just visualization. I’m not sitting here just visualizing. It’s a vibration. So I, for a while after hearing this truth, I was like, okay, I started watching people that were making 10 to 20 K a month, if not more. And I started to watch them and observe how they talked, how they walked, how they behaved, and their vibration.
I can see energy, so for me was kind of easy, and I was like, okay, let me try it. And so for one day of the week, I would be like, today I’m not going to think about bills and how to make money. I’m just gonna get up and be in the vibrational alignment of what I’m trying to achieve or match. And I would ask myself this question: How would I act today if I was making 10 k a month?
And that’s how I would live that day. And I started doing that, and then every time something started to shift. So that’s one thing that I started doing. The other thing was being very conscious of the words and thoughts that I was using because that dictates your vibration. So I would say instead of saying, I don’t have the money, I would say, money’s coming, and I know that it’s just a matter of time. I’m happy. I’m safe. So I would talk to myself in a neutral way slash positive way, and I would meditate every day. The third thing, connecting to something that makes me feel very abundant and happy and grateful. And then expand that vibration throughout my whole being.
Jo: Oh, I love that.
Sara: Does that make sense?
Jo: Yeah, it really does. It really does. And I know in the chapter that you wrote in the book too, that you talk a lot about being a vibrational match for what you want to create. And I think that is so very much at the very core of creating or manifesting anything, as well as of course, taking action. Like it’s not just, like you were saying, sitting there and visualizing or acting as if, it’s also taking action as well. You’ve also talked about in the book as well, that the journey to prosperity is one of deep healing, trust and surrender. So can you talk about that in terms of what you mean by healing in particular? Healing, trust and surrender.
Sara: Yes. So that’s also what I do with my clients. But I started receiving healing through that kind of coaching journey that I took. And so particularly under healing, we have subconscious beliefs, limiting beliefs that are stopping us from attracting what we truly want and desire. So I can say, I wanna meet the love of my life. I want to make 20 K per month, 50 K per month, but I don’t feel worthy. So consciously I want this, but subconsciously it’s blocking everything. And I found this technique, this healing sessions that I now practice, that allowed me to un-block this limiting beliefs and shift them and literally, one big shift for me was, Oh my God, I wanna coach women. But I’ve never felt comfortable in a group of women, like in a women’s circle. I’ve always had like two girlfriends and a lot of boyfriends, like guy friends, right?
Jo: Yeah. Yeah.
Sara: And after doing that, that shifted and I’m now like attracting a lot of women in my life. And I was like, Okay, because I wanna work with women. And then I did more around money or more around like worthiness. So that’s what I mean by healing. You’ve gotta really get to the root of your limiting beliefs that are anchored in your cellular memory.
Jo: Yeah, I think that’s so important. Do you have any tips for us then? If we are not working with a coach or anybody at the moment, how we can go about starting to let go of some of those beliefs that might be holding us back from, you know, living that life that we really desire for ourselves?
Sara: Yes. So what you could do right now is to literally sit with yourself. No music, just in silent. And connect with your body. And for example, you set an intention. Okay, what’s the blockage for abundance, in terms of like money? And then you start body sensing. So you may ask your body, Where is that energetic blockage in my body? Then you receive the answer. Okay? You say, oh my God, I feel it in my stomach. And then you literally go deep into that place, and you’re like, where is this coming from? And you imagine yourself entering that place and then you say, Okay, how old was I when everything started? And then you start processing those feelings. Oh, my God, I was sad because my parents told me that I couldn’t afford that toy. And that’s where everything started. So you start like processing raw emotion from a very deep place within yourself and you honestly, you have to face those emotions. That’s how you can release them.
Jo: That’s cool. So there’s a lot of power then in recognizing where those beliefs stem from, is that kind of what you’re saying as well?
Sara: Yes. Recognizing it and then processing the emotions. Cause we say, Oh my God, yes, my parents did that when I was young and I’m like, okay, but if you say it like that, you haven’t processed it. Like, it’s still there. Right? So you need to, you have to process it.
Jo: Feel the emotions, that kind of thing.
Sara: Yes.
Jo: Yeah. Yeah. So something I find really fascinating about the work that you do and what you’ve talked about in the Prosperity Codes, is the connection that you make between being able to manifest, and our body, and our body health and nutrition and everything like that. And so, yeah, I also think that’s so important, but I haven’t seen the two connected together very often, so I was wondering if you could talk a bit about that? The role of the body and the health of our body and helping us to create those wonderful dream lives that we want.
Sara: Absolutely. That’s something that nobody talks about, but it’s very important because I give this example. Think about you being overly drained by your physical health issues. A lot of people experience this. Oh my God. It could be body dysmorphia. It could be like weight gain. Oh my God, I’m not feeling comfortable. It could be literally my stomach hurts and I’m having gas, bloatedness, all of those things. Okay? If manifestation, as we know, as we just said, is a vibration, what do you think is happening when you think like, hey, I wanna be a vibration of match for the happy version of myself that is living a life of abundance with a happy family life, but I’m over here and my body is literally dragging me down every day and I can’t even run with my kids because I’m hurting. So that’s where the missing link is for people. It’s kind of like, if you wanna feel good, you gotta feel good in your body. That’s the, the foundations of a house, that’s the foundations of everything. You cannot build the house without foundations. So take care of your body first so that you feel good and then you raise that energy, for energy is vibration.
Jo: Yeah, I like that. I think you wrote something about how when we are trying to manifest and we need that energy to be able to move easily through our body. And so if we’re not putting in the right foods or looking after ourselves, that energy’s not going to flow very well. So that energy that we wanna put out there to create or to attract to us abundance, that’s not going to be able to come to us.
Sara: No, it’s not. It’s not flowing. So don’t forget about the physical body. That’s what I’m saying.
Jo: And I think that’s really important too because as this podcast is geared towards a lot of writers and authors, we spend a lot of time staring at computer screens and sitting on our butts and, you know, like a lot of the work is like that. And so it’s easy to keep ourselves kind of awake and focused with coffee or energy drinks, or a food that’s not necessarily the most nutritious. What are some things that you might recommend, even just small steps, to start to bring our body back into alignment so that we can manifest easier?
Sara: Well, the first thing that I would say is really making sure that you adjust your digestive system. So if your digestive system is not working properly, then that’s a big deal and that means focusing on gut health. And that could mean hey, for a while, that’s what I started, I’m gonna start being gluten and free and dairy free just to take a break and see what happens. It changed my life at the time cuz I started feeling less depressed, less foggy. And I was like, oh my God. And then my energy started to rise in like a matter of like two weeks time. And I would say make sure that you focus on gut health, and start choosing organic high vibrational foods that are gonna raise your energy, and less processed food, less microwave foods. Think about that. That’s very important.
Jo: It totally makes sense too, even from just the idea of feeling good. Like it’s so much easier to get into alignment with our goals and the things we wanna create when we are feeling good. When we’re in a slump physically or emotionally or anything like that, it’s so much harder to attract all that positivity and abundance and that to us. So, yeah. So I find that so fascinating.
So how did it come about that you ended up contributing to this book Prosperity Codes? Because there’s oh, I can’t remember now, but I think there was something like 14 authors who contributed. So how did you end up being a part of that?
Sara: That’s manifestation. So I literally was thinking for a while, I wanna be an author, right? Like, I really want to. And literally the next week, after thinking about this, and I’m not attached to it, I was like, Yeah, I know that I’ll write my own book at some point, but I really wanna be an author. A week after my friend from Australia, which she’s in the book too, her name is Ka Ki Lee she texted me, she’s like, I’m gonna become an author, I think you should be in the book too. Here’s the link. Have a call with the publisher. And I was like, literally a call one hour later. And I got in there and I was like, Yeah, it felt absolutely a hundred percent right. And two months later we published it. So it was very fast .
Jo: Yeah. That’s amazing. And how did you find that process? Like did you enjoy it? Was it what you kind of expected the process to be like?
Sara: I think for my first time, that was amazing because I had other women, we had calls together, other authors. So we were very supported in the whole process, and the collective made a big difference for I would say, the first book that I, you know, participated in and published. So it was amazing.
Jo: Yeah, that’s wonderful. And I’ll make sure in the show notes too, that I do put a link to it because I have read your chapter, I have downloaded the book and I’ve read your chapter, and I want to make my way through the others as well. They’re just, they’re neat because the chapters are quite short, but they talk from personal experience. And so it really brings that idea of abundance and manifestation in that into the real world as well, which is really cool.
Sara: Absolutely. Mm-hmm.
Jo: But now you’ve got a really exciting endeavour or new book that is going to be out next year that you are working on. Can you talk a little bit about that?
Sara: Yes. So that’s my solo book, my health cookbook that is going to blend my Italian culture and cuisine, with the Ayurvedic knowledge that I studied for more than 10 years and practiced. So it’s going to be free, dairy free, and I have not shared the name of the book, but it will come out in the next few months. There’s a little bit of suspense kind of energy in there. And I’m really excited for this book. This is about my family, what I’ve learned through my journey with food. And I love making recipes. That’s my favourite part of the house, to spend time in.
Jo: Oh, that’s wonderful. So what was that process like? Because this time you are, this is like your independent project, right? This is your book, you’re not collaborating with others. So what was that like?
Sara: I’m still in the process. So right now I can tell you that I love being creative and it’s time for me. It’s nourishing when I’m in the kitchen and I’m taking pictures and I’m tasting the food. So I think I’m ready for my own project, and I’m literally channeling the energy of the second chakra, which is creativity, into my hands, into what I’m doing, or into my recipes or into the story that I’m writing. So it’s really cool. It’s my me time.
Jo: That’s fun. And so it sounds like you’re doing the photography yourself as well? So you’re doing the cooking, the writing, the photography, all of it?
Sara: Yeah. I hired a photographer immediately to take the, you know, book cover pictures and other main pictures of the book. But since I did food blogging photography before, I really felt that this is my project this time, and I wanted to take that on. I could have a photographer, I was just like, Oh, I just wanna be in my own space right now and have fun and in my own timing.
Jo: And so are you looking at publishing this independently then as well, so that you’ve got control with this or are you working with a publishing house? How are you going about putting it out in the world?
Sara: It’s the same publisher that published the Prosperity Codes book. And she has been my book coach. She’s very intuitive. We get along so well and I just got a yes, like I want her to publish my book. So it’s an independent publisher.
Jo: Yeah, Yeah.
Sara: But I didn’t wanna take that on myself. I wanted to have that support. I’m doing my whole project and then she helps me put in all of it together. So it’s really nice.
Jo: Yeah. That’s wonderful. That’s really cool. Would you have ever imagined back in, I think it was 2020, when you were going through the divorce and everything like that, that you would be a couple of years along and you would already be a published author and looking at putting out your own cookbook? Was that ever something that you could have imagined back then?
Sara: Honestly, no. I was such a survival mode that I was like, hey, if I pay my bills with this business, I’m happy. Obviously, I’m very determined, but this was a definitely a surprise from the universe, and I just felt it was the right timing. So, yeah. Yeah.
Jo: And have you found the process of writing the book and putting it together and that, has there been any times where you’ve had a little bit of that self doubt or anything? Or has it just felt right all the way along?
Sara: I, no, I don’t have any doubts then on this because, I practice and develop my intuitive gifts, and now I’m like literally channeling and hearing like spirit guides saying that’s what needs to be in the book. And I have a lot of confidence when I’m cooking. So I don’t doubt that at all. And I have a lot of help, literally people saying like, can I help you? Can I help you edit this? Can I give you any advice? And I’m like, of course. Like, universe has sending me a lot of help, even to balance ideas back and forth with people. So yeah, it’s feeling like a very flowing process, if you know what that means?
Jo: That’s wonderful. Well then, do you have any tips for maybe our audience who are working on their own projects but struggling a little bit, how they can feel a little bit more in the flow with their writing or their writing project? Is there any tips that you have that might help them?
Sara: Absolutely. I mean, I missed one step that I think it’s key for authors to understand here is, you’ve gotta follow the energies. Like I am not in the kitchen when I’m stressed out with my kids, like screaming. Like, no way. I set time aside to be in that energy and it’s kind of a ritual process. So I would say if you’re not feeling the energy or the inspiration, shift it. Dance, move, go for a hike, do something to get yourself back in the flow and then sit down when you fully focus. You’re gonna waste time sitting on the computer if the words are not coming through. And there is gonna be that moment when you feel the energy that you’re gonna write 20 pages all at once. So you’ve gotta be in tune with that. So I would say that’s one of my main tips.
Jo: Yeah. I love that. How do we become aware though of those energies? Like how do we pay attention to those shifting energies to know when our best times for writing are and when not to?
Sara: Well, one of the thing is connecting with your emotions. If you are sitting on the computer and you’re drained and you need the third cup of coffee to get you going, then I would say that’s a big no for you to say, look, you’re too tired, you’re too drained. Don’t write at 10:00 PM at night. I mean, some people can. I’m a morning person. I know I can’t. I would say really become more aware. When is the best time for you to have the space for it, and when do you feel more energized? We are all different. I’m a morning person. I’ve always been since I was a little girl, so I perform best before 2:00 PM. Okay. So get to know yourself or at least discover a little bit of this and then pretty much when you say, I’m tired, then stop what are you doing. Yeah. I’m exhausted. Don’t even go there. Take a nap and then come back to it.
Jo: Good advice. That’s fantastic. So, how can my audience connect with you? Because as authors and writers, we all have, you know, different passions and that, so some people here, will be so eager to get hold of your cookbook, others will want to get hold of Prosperity Codes, or some might even want to work with you as well. So how can they connect with you?
Sara: Yeah, they can find me on loveholisticliving.com, my website or other social media platforms like Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and yeah, connect there.
Jo: And you said you’ve got a wait list for your cookbook as well. How can people jump onto that wait list?
Sara: So as soon as you go on my homepage on loveholisticliving.com, it’s gonna pop up. And you can put your name and email or we can share the link at the bottom.
Jo: Yay. I will make sure that all those links go into the show notes as well. Well, thank you, Sara, that was so much fun. And just really great to have you chat about your experience writing and your experience with manifestation and all of that as well. So thank you so much.
Sara: Thank you.
Jo: Some takeaways from today’s show:
1. If you’re struggling to create and manifest the life you dream of, you need to push aside any tendencies towards playing the victim, ditch the excuses holding you back, and take action towards your goals. Become the hero of your own story.
2. Observe people who have reached the goals you’re working towards and emulate them. Ask yourself: how would I act today if I was making 10 K a month, or whatever your goal is?
3. Be very conscious of the words and thoughts you use as they determine your vibration and what you attract and manifest.
4. Unblock limiting beliefs holding you back by looking for the roots of those beliefs and then feeling and releasing the emotions that might arise from them. Also consider replacing those beliefs with new ones that better align with your goals.
5. Don’t underestimate the power of good body health in helping you manifest your goals. Looking after your body, through exercise and nutrition is the foundation for raising positive energies to aid in manifestation.
6. When it comes to writing, follow your energies. Don’t force the words to come when you’re not feeling it, shift your energy by doing something fun and active to find your flow again.
So it was such a joy talking to Sara, and a very timely reminder to pay attention to our thoughts, feelings, body, and health, as these things really can make a difference in whether we reach our writing and author goals or not.
To learn more about what Sara does, make sure you check out the show notes for links to connect with her and to purchase Prosperity Codes.
Also remember you can find links to downloading any of my books for 50% off for the month of October, and to join Carissa Andrew’s Rapid Release Roadmap in the show notes too. So if you’ve enjoyed this episode and are finding value in Alchemy for Authors, please consider leaving a review where ever you’re listening to this. It really does make a difference in keeping this podcast going. And otherwise I will leave you with my very best wishes for a happy, healthy, and prolific week ahead, my friends. Until next time, happy writing.