Raj Girn: My guest today is Eliana Gilad, who is the founder of the Voices of Eden Ancient Wisdom and Healing Music Institute. She will be walking us through her methodology of how to tap into our feminine traits and use them to build professional and personal and soulful alignment. We will also be talking about her new bestseller entitled Emerge Triumphant: Thrive Through Uncertainty, because it directly relates to this. It’s a book that accounts and revelations from ancient truths about feminine leadership that has been buried by the patriarchal narrative we are taught about history. So intriguing and I’m absolutely excited to have Eliana on.

Here is our conversation:

Raj Girn: Eliana, what an absolute pleasure. Thank you so much for giving us your time to have this really important discussion.

Eliana Gilad: Thank you for having me. I’m tickled to be here and we’re going to have fun.

Totally. I can’t wait. Folks, before we begin, I want to preface our conversation by sharing that Eliana’s mission is to use the power of voice and rhythm as conscious tools to help humanity grow towards a better tomorrow. The promise for people to be their own leaders. How about that, guys? Let’s get right into it. Eliana, I got to ask you: I want you to start right at the beginning, but the beginning that I’m asking you to start is that point where you were pulled away from a corporate career and led into an eat, pray, love. path of self-discovery. What was it that pulled you away? That’s the first thing. I want to know what it was.

Maybe some of you can relate to this. I don’t know. Maybe it’s just me. I don’t think so. But we’ll see. Imagine this. You’re in your suit. Whatever that looks like. You’re in your office, or these days behind your computer, and they call you in for your review and they say, “We’re not firing you. We’re just not continuing your position. And we’ll keep paying you but look for another job because the market has changed and we’re not continuing in this area.

This was 30 years ago in the recession in the West where it hit in California real hard. And at that point, I was like, what am I doing on this planet Earth? Because I would go from position to position and I would look better and I’d earn more. And from the outside . . . I’m from Hollywood. We like to achieve our enlightenment here. Achieve, achieve, achieve, achieve. And it looked great on the outside. But every rung that I went up, I felt worse on the inside. And so at that moment the turning point was, you tell me “look for another job, we’ll keep paying you, but look for another job.”

And I heard that word job. I was like, so help me now in that like I will die on the spot. I don’t think I was born to do a job. What, pray tell, was I born to do? That question. Since I was born, I came into this life conscious and from day zero until that moment when they said, look for a job, I was like, what is my role? Because I knew that we each have a voice. That part of the game of life is to discover what our place is and then to express our unique voice and to share our gifts with the world. I just knew that coming in. And so I would go to every one of these positions and make the best of it and my creativity.

And then after a year or so, maybe two years max, it’s like, no, no, no. So I decided I just can’t do this anymore. I cannot look for another job. But do you know that the voice inside goes? What? How are you going to survive? You’ll die. And there was something deeper inside of me that was calling, but I had no words for it. I had no support. I did not grow up in and I was not in an environment where I was supported to listen to myself. I was living and grew up in an environment where we’re the fine family, where work and you’re a good person and you do for everyone else and you ignore your own needs because that’s selfish.

And if you’re a woman and if you’re a powerful woman, that’s a B-I-you know what. And at that point, I could see the writing on the wall of what’s happening now. I remember thinking, you know what, in another 20, 30 years, everything’s going to fall apart at the seams. And if I dare make my changes now when I don’t have to, then when everything falls apart I’ll already be on the other side and then I’ll be able to come back and be of service. And ever since I was a little girl, I never felt the United States was home. I said “When I’m big I’m going to have friends all around the world and go visit them.” And I’ve pretty much lived my life that way.

You know, now when I’m looking back in hindsight, it’s 20/20. Hindsight’s 20/20, right? And the last thing about answering your question is that I saw that. But I didn’t have any precedence. There was nothing to tell me that I’d be fine. Yet the you know, when you have, “Well, look, go get another job.” So I’d make more money and look better and feel worse or jump off into the unknown and die. You know?

Those were the two options that you saw for yourself.

Those were the two options. But I knew what this one was going to get me. I didn’t know what this one was going to get me. And I was more terrified that I would get that. I’d keep going this way and I’d get to the end of my life, and I would have everything that we say we want, but I wouldn’t have myself and I wouldn’t be at ease with myself if that happened. Why was I born? And that terrified me much more than the terror of dying here. And that’s it in a nutshell.

We can hang up right now, because that’s it in a nutshell. You know, at every change and in the midst the uncertainties and the sudden changes or that inner angst and anxiety and secret depression that you don’t even know you’re in because, well, that’s just the way it is. And you show up every day to be there for others and do your best and do whatever your habit shows you to do. There’s nothing wrong with that either. I mean, that’s a choice. There’s no right or wrong.

Absolutely. And it’s interesting that you said which death should I pick? Because they’re both taking me to some form of death. And there’s such a prophetic thought process behind that there that I want to ask you this question. You talk about the immense impact of the story of prophetess Miriam in the Bible, who, for those of you who don’t know, is the oldest sister of Moses. Can you share about what it was that inspired you about her story specifically to write the book? Like, what was it?

Yeah. Well, number one, I’m a member of the Levi tribe. I was born into the same tribe on both my mother’s side and my father’s side. And people have asked me, “Well, how do you know?” And I was told that. I just know that. I didn’t question it. And I went to Hebrew school, maybe in the Hebrew school. It’s just I knew that. But my family didn’t sit around talking about this at all.

When I was eight, for some reason, I don’t know what, my aunt, my dad’s sister bought this singer. It was this magenta and she’s like this with the ’60s bouffant. And she’s singing in this ancient language. And she gave it to my dad for his birthday, and he never listened to it. And I don’t know why she gave that to him, but I took that record and I learned every song by heart. It wasn’t about singing. It was this resonance that I felt.

And I folk danced as a child. And it was that resonance and the rhythm that moved me. It had nothing to do about the words. I didn’t know what I was even singing. I didn’t care. It was the consciousness of. It’s funny you ask that because I’m remembering when I used to dance. What motivated me about the dance was the music. And what motivated me about the music was when it was a woman’s voice and there was the frame drums. It just got me in this groove and at ease with myself. And I remember people would tell me this is a folk dance.

That was my social life from eight years old. And I taught it from eight years old until the mid-twenties. When synthesizers came in I was out because it took away that, you know, there were no more vitamins in the music.

Eliana, so you wrote this book Emerge Triumphant: Thrive Through Uncertainty, and you were inspired to write it through the story of Prophetess. Miriam. Now, for all those people out there who don’t know her story, they can go read about it, they can do their own research. What I’d like to establish here is what is it about her story specifically? What was it that she represented that you’re bringing to the table in this book?

What she’s bringing is a feminine leadership and a different type of feminine leadership that is established in your own self worth. Feminine leadership from the aspect not a woman or man, but feminine leadership from the aspect of your answers are inside of you. Feminine leadership from the aspect of you are the instrument. And when you dare resource yourself and dare to speak your truth, you’re being a leader. First of all, you cannot lead anyone else if you’re not first being a leader to yourself. Think to yourself and see the truth. Know who’s going to follow you. If there’s just an a on a deeper level, there’s going to be a disconnect.

“When you dare resource yourself and dare to speak your truth, you’re being a leader. First of all, you cannot lead anyone else if you’re not first being a leader to yourself.” ~Eliana Gilad

Absolutely. Agreed. And the thing that really interests me about some of the research you’ve done and what the book’s about and what it’s really honing in on are feminine traits and how they can be used for self-discovery, self-awareness, and how effective that can be in creating self-leadership. Now, we’ve lived in a world of patriarchal perspectives since the beginning of written time.

You are putting that on its head by saying that without the feminine element to add to the masculine element, you’re not a whole you, you’re not truly stepping into your leadership. That’s the sense that I’m getting out of what you’re saying. It’s almost like we’re missing a whole 50 per cent of a skill set that comes from the feminine side, that if we were to hone into that, we will be able to truly step into great self-leadership. Your thoughts on that?

Correct. Because when we develop the skill set of listening, of patience, of going out of our minds, because the answers and the changes that we’re experiencing today are of such proportion that the mind cannot figure it out. That’s good for engineering or technical things. But when the essence of everything is coming apart, you need feminine skills which are in a womb space, which are intuitive and they don’t make sense and they’re murky. And think about contractions in birth. It’s messy and it’s bloody and there’s pain.

And none of us grew up like that. It can sound contrarian, but it’s nature. Well you know, invaded cultural. I don’t have to tell you in our country that in wintertime things come apart so that when we develop that skill set, then it provides a balance for the other and we can use our brains, we can use our intellect in a much more effective way.

And number two is that beyond that, what I’m really proposing is a whole other paradigm because masculine-feminine, it’s yin yang, black and white. It’s still part of duality, but there’s a whole larger game out there, and we’re part of it. And that’s true self-leadership connecting to that and through the story of Miriam, through the exercises in the book, it helps you to continue to connect to that place so that you have an experience of it because it is not something that you can understand.

So what’s really interesting about what you said is that oftentimes when people hear what defines feminine traits, a lot of men switch off. A lot of men are like, “I’m a man, so I don’t need to worry about those things.” What would you say very succinctly to anyone out there who feels that feminine and masculine traits are based on gender and not based on all the tools that each individual and human has at their disposal? What would you do to help them kind of get there?

Fantastic. To help you I would invite you to go watch my second TEDx talk called Trust Your Silent Voice. It’s what I started to say about with Miriam, how she inspired me to write the book. Is that in the process of researching for that second TEDx talk, all of these years I wouldn’t dare speak the way I’m speaking now because so off left field, you wouldn’t understand or, you’d want to send me to the loony bin. And I found research to corroborate this thing. A vibration parting water particles from the University of Zurich.

Just a preface to everyone. You know, your understanding and your belief, and correct me if I’m wrong, is the fact that Miriam, through her voice and through the music and everything that was happening at that time at the Nile was able to part the water through the vibration of the rhythm and the voice tones. Am I correct in my understanding?

You are understanding correctly and the other missing piece that we didn’t know in a cognitive way that we didn’t establish that will be helpful for listeners is that in ancient times it was practice that leaders would avail themselves. They would go to two temples and two sacred places that were akin. We don’t have this today in modern society, but then a temple was let’s say, a combination of a spa, of a hospital, of a university of a community center, a university all at once. And we wielded power of sound.

The structures themselves were made for and by sound, and this was a regular practice to retreat to these places and to avail themselves through the provinces of special applications, sonic applications that would bypass the cognitive mind and connect them to higher mind. That would then provide them with clarity. It would go beyond monkey mind, to a greater clarity, to a greater calm, and from that place be able to make decisions and know what to do next.

This was practice. We see it in the hieroglyphics, in structures in ancient Egypt. We see it in ancient Israel. And my work has been like . . . But it’s not written down anywhere. And it’s a hard thing to speak about because it is not sequential and cognitive like we’re used to learning things.

And that’s why it’s even more important that this book is available because if we’re taught to think with a masculine mind, everything is structured, everything has a hierarchy. Everything is like, Ts are crossed and Is are dotted. This is the world that we’re conditioned into fitting into like we have to be a piece of the jigsaw puzzle of what has been created in this infrastructure from a masculine perspective.

“This is the world that we’re conditioned into fitting into like we have to be a piece of the jigsaw puzzle of what has been created in this infrastructure from a masculine perspective.” ~Raj Girn

What I’m hearing Eliana say here is that we’re missing a whole other element of how we should be able to utilize just what’s available in the world. That’s not just matter-based, but is also what’s in between matter. It’s almost like the black and the white is male and the grey is female and and they fit together. And without each other, there’s something missing.

Right? And then there’s the entire palate.

Absolutely.

There’s the screen upon which the black, the white and the grey appears. And that is our nature. And it’s this is very wonderful way to answer that question that you asked before of, well, male and female. They say, how can a masculine and feminine? Well, men have hunches.

And in preparing for that TED talk, I had a very cognitive organizer who every time I would send in my presentation, they’d go, “Oh, no, that’s too spiritual. We can’t use that word.” The proof of the pudding was I finally just gave up. I said, “Okay, well, how would you? You’re the one who invited me. What is it that you’re wanting? And how would you describe this?” And whatever he said, I just wrote it down. So that corroborates so well with what you’re saying now that we think that we need to fit into these little boxes. What beautiful boxes there are. But am I a box? Are you a box?

Mm hmm. Absolutely. But here we are, Eliana. We’re in a world where boxes are being created for humans to fit into. So irrespective of people like you and people like me who create our own existences, and that’s a whole other show I’m going to stay on point with the purpose of this show.

A lot of people are working in environments that are box. Whether they’re entrepreneurs, whether they are in C-suite, whether they are employees on any kind of level of employment. Everybody. And here’s the point that I want to make here. What is it that’s in the book that you feel in these boxes that we all live in that we can glean from the book to help us live better within those boxes?

Yeah.

And because we live in them right now.

I think that’s what stops us from being true to ourselves, because we’re terrified that if I’m true to myself, I have to leave my box. You’re even referring to that, you know? Oh, there’s this whole other world that you don’t have to leave anything. You’re so powerful. You are so wonderful. You are in your C-suite, in your corner office, in your cubby, wherever you find yourself. And it’s important because you are important and it’s not.

The difference is, it’s not what you do. It is how you’re showing up. Be you. Imagine if you’re a middle manager, you have people above you. You’ve got people to answer to all around above and below that. How are you answering to yourself? And this book, the fact in leadership is you imagine yourself as the CEO of your entire universe right there in the C-suite.

Or anywhere else down the freeway.

Anywhere, to the trash collector, to the janitor. That part is the box we’re each in. We’re each playing a role as a particular box. And that’s beautiful. Why should we? Why change that? It changes all the time anyway.

Absolutely. So what through your experiences, Eliana, have you learned to be the most valuable lesson? Let’s pick one because I know there’s many. What’s the most valuable lesson that just keeps showing up as a repetitive lesson that you’ve learned about the power of tapping into feminine traits to ensure that you’re constantly evolving as your own leader?

Stop giving your power away to what anybody else says, how things look, what the profit margin is going to be, what the bottom line is, whether that’s money, a goal, a whatever, because your power matters. And when you connect to your power, everything else has a chance to change because you’re showing up in your clarity, in your brilliance. And there is no one else like you. No one else has your voice. And your voice really makes a difference.

“When you connect to your power, everything else has a chance to change because you’re showing up in your clarity, in your brilliance. And there is no one else like you. No one else has your voice. And your voice really makes a difference.” ~Eliana Gilad

I love what you just shared there. And it brings us back to your institute. So I wanted to ask you, if people pick up your book and they’re like, this is really something that I want to be able to move into more with my life. I know that you have an institute. What can people expect to get if they were to come to your institute? Will the early learnings of your book allow people to be able to deep dive a certain methodology or belief system or things that you talk about in the institute? I just want to see if there’s a connection between the two for people.

I just I love this interview because it’s such a perfect manifestation of, is there a fit? Can I fit in my box and can I be me and am I going to die? You know die one way or the other. And that’d be that exact question. And people asking is why? As a result the book reached international bestsellers within in six different categories within 24 hours. I’m astounded. Thank you. 

Because people need it. People need it. You have to go on this journey.

But my life has been people going, “who’s this weirdo?” It’s like because it doesn’t fit into where I show up, it doesn’t fit nicely into a box. And so as a result, like I’m saying, times have changed. Evidently, it is resonating now. And so I have crafted a free two-hour workshop. And I’m so excited about it because that is something that I can give a service like I’m coming full circle from that 30 years ago, in the corporate world, of being of service to others who are going through similar things now to like you’ll experience in this workshop, there is an embodiment of it’s experiential.

It’s not a cognitive workshop, which is why it’s two hours. You really get a chance to experience what this is because I could speak until the cows come home and it’s not going to mean diddly squat. You know what you experience, you’ll know and what you will receive from there. What I promise is that you will leave the workshop . . . It’s called Three Keys To Thrive Through Uncertainty And Emerge Triumphant. You’ll receive practical tools and experiences during these two hours in real-time. Bring whatever is on your mind now. I promise you, if you show up and you participate in your own way in your own time, you will gain clarity. You will know.

I love that. So let’s send people to find out more information. Eliana, is there a website where people go to find out more? And if they’re intrigued enough to join the program, how can they do that?

If you’re intrigued enough about the book, go to the voicesofeden.com/book. And on that book site is a one-minute book trailer which if the thing of the workshop intrigues you, take one minute of your time and go watch that trailer because you will know at the end of that one minute, I guarantee you, whether you want to know more. You’ll experience it because there’s footage there and these healing sounds that I recorded live in Galilee at these healing sites.

I love this.

If that really interests you, you can click either on the yellow bar at the top or go to EmergeTriumphantNow.com and go sign up for a free workshop that you determine at your own time. Our clients are on five continents around the globe.

That’s amazing. So is this something that you go in and you sign up and register for and then you participate live with you? Or is it a pre-recorded where you journey them through.

I’m putting the finishing touches right now. For the launch of the book I did one live and it was so powerful and people keep asking for it, but I can’t be . . .

So you’re pre-recording it?

So I’ve pre-recorded it but I’ve added things in and exercises in there is an experience of a recording, there’s an exercise I’m not going to break it to you here you just, if this speaks to you, trust your gut and go. It’s recorded at the ancient site of the parting of the seas, where I go and at dawn I pitched a tent. It’s so powerful.

This is incredible. This is the stuff that you come to The Transform Your Confidence Show for folks is to hear stories like this. This is the kind of thing that is a game changer in your life. Just look at the courage of Eliana, guys. I mean, I’m listening to her story. I’m so fascinated at which death she chose. She chose the death that gave her the rebirth into a purpose-driven life. What could be more incredible than that? I mean, hats off to you, Eliana. I’m so pleased that you came on this show.

And I want to leave everyone with something here. Is there anything that you feel that we haven’t touched upon today that that people need to know about today’s topic so we can round things off? And the topic again is how feminine leadership traits can work to build the life you desire. Any final thoughts?

Well, I said it before, but it’s coming up again. Feminine leadership begins inside of you, whether you’re a woman, a man of whatever sexual orientation you are. There’s no sexual orientation, no dogma here, no belief system, no religion, no politics. Whoever you are, you’re beautiful. You’re important. There is a reason why you are here. And we need to hear your voice. Your voice makes a difference. It really does.

“Feminine leadership begins inside of you, whether you’re a woman, a man of whatever sexual orientation you are. There’s no sexual orientation, no dogma here, no belief system, no religion, no politics. Whoever you are, you’re beautiful. You’re important. There is a reason why you are here. And we need to hear your voice. Your voice makes a difference.” ~Eliana Gilad

How are you going to use it today? And my wish for you and my invitation to you is that when you hang out from this wonderful experience that we’re sharing together here. Wherever you are in the globe, that you do something kind for yourself today, for you, because you really deserve it. And when you do that, you’re filling your well and you will have so much more to offer others. What’s wrong with that?

Thank you so much. Choice words. Guys, think about this for a moment. How feminine leadership traits can work to build the life you desire. So this is not a conversation about stepping into your femininity and ignoring the masculine traits that you have that the conditioning of our universe has taught us to do and be. This is about finding the missing thing for you. And oftentimes, because there’s so much resources and support for learning the male traits, what I feel Eliana is bringing to the table is, you know, tools and ways in which you can tap into, hone and utilize your feminine traits so you can kind of bring things up to a level playing field.

And what’s better than being able to live a 360-degree life that’s purpose driven? Nothing. And that’s the opportunity here, guys. So if you, your man or someone out there that you feel really needs to understand this whole ideology of what feminine traits are, how they can be honed in to and how they can help to really amplify the journey of self-leadership in conjunction with the masculine traits that we have so readily available resources for.

Then I want you to go and just step into buying this book. It’s really important that you share this with everyone that you know, because I feel that this is a landmark book that every single person needs to have the opportunity to be able to read and learn from.

Eliana, what a pleasure you have been. Thank you so much for your time.

It takes one to know one.

Thank you, my dear. Well, guys, this is definitely something that absolutely everyone should tap into and hone and implement into their daily lives. So go grab your book, go to the website, and also make sure that you find out a little bit more about how to deep dive this further, because I think it’s going to be something that’s going to shift the way that we choose to utilize the energy that’s in our universe. I really want you guys to be in a place where you can step into your own leadership is the most powerful way to be.

Folks, I really hope that you got some real value from today’s show, and will share it with everyone you know who you feel needs to get today’s learnings. I also hope that you go and subscribe to the YouTube channel at The Open Chest Confidence Academy so that you never miss an episode when it drops every Wednesday.

You can also download The Transform your Confidence Show on podcast platforms and you can read all about it if you’re like me and for further reading just hop on over to theopenchestconfidenceacademy.com/media/podcast and I’ll see you next week for another invaluable episode packed with insights and learnings just like this one to help empower your work, your life and your spirit.

Take care of yourselves.

To contact Eliana Gilad: Web, LinkedIn, Facebook