BEYOUROWN Meets Suki Bains

Suki Bains has grown up in different cultures and lived in different countries and has been exposed to many teachings, religions, spirituality, and belief systems worldwide. This position in life has given her a deep insight and a unique perspective to clearly see what is needed to write this book. She also is a deep empath and has spent the last 30 years of her life internally analysing, as well as offering advice and insights to family, friends, colleagues, neighbours, and even strangers on how they can connect to live and be empowered and heal. 

Suki Bains is author of a new book called How Do you Feel? This is a brilliant guide featuring exercises and explanations that will allow you to understand your whole self mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. How do you Feel? helps readers understand themselves inside and out, and helps them become aware of parts that are blocked, stuck, or misaligned. 

As Suki puts it, many people are unaware that it is the internal world, mind, emotions, feelings, thoughts, that can keep you stuck, and struggling and can cause you to unconsciously react and act in ways that do not serve you. Some days you will be reacting from an old wound, or old emotions, or an old thought based on a past experience, and you will not know how to move through or explain what you are going through. As a society we tend to repress emotions and this is why we never truly understand ourselves. It also contains a dictionary of emotions and feelings that will help readers understand and work with their emotions.

Thank you for interviewing with us today Suki, can you introduce yourself to us?

I am a new author! I have recently written and published a book called How do you Feel? It’s a guide to help you work successfully with the mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, and whole self. I would describe myself as an empath. As a child (over 30 years ago) I became aware that I could see and feel other people’s hurt, pain, and emotional struggles. Yet it seemed that all the adults around me hid these struggles. I couldn’t help thinking that we live in a world which focuses on outside appearance and does not teach us how to work with the inner world and this is why negative emotions and thoughts become stuck. I have spent many years exploring the inner world and looking at life through a holistic lens. I wrote my book because I wanted to help people work with the whole self. I am also a strong advocate for mental health.

Congratulations on your first book launch ‘How Do You Feel,’ can you talk us through the writing process?

The writing process came naturally to me. I dedicated my entire being to it. I took two years off work (my day job in an office) so I could have time and space to write without any interruption. I also wanted to keep my words pure and clean so I would take meditative steps to go inwards and connect to my inner voice and allow myself to dig deeper within to connect to that place that was guiding me. I also allowed myself to be guided by my own intuition and instinct and emotions. My book contains a dictionary of emotions and by writing these emotions and discovering the meaning and purpose of each one I started to build a stronger relationship with my own emotions. It was very therapeutic. It changed my own inner world. I also self-studied and researched topics of mental health, psychology, spirituality and neuroscience. There was some information that was hard to get hold of (for example, what happens inside of the body when an emotion passes) but I did my best to find the information that was available. My overall aim was to write a book with a clear voice and in a universal tone for people from all walks of life. It was also to make sure my words helped people see the inner world so they can work with it. I hope I achieved that.

Can you take us through your journey to where you are now as a new author since you work as a sales director in between? 

The journey was simple and clean. During the writing process, I made a conscious choice to take time off work to write my book. When my book was coming to an end and going through the publishing process. I had time to find a new job. My new employer was very aware I was writing a book and fully supported me. We agreed on a 12-month contract and a 4-day working week. This was a conscious choice so I could apply my full attention to my job and the additional day off would give me time and space to help me launch my book to the world. I am currently coming to the end of my contract with my employer and I am just starting my journey as a published author. How I move forward is yet to be decided. My heart is saying one thing. My mind is saying another. I need to align.

We admire that 50% of book sale royalties go to your chosen charity ‘Shaw Mind, can you explain why this particular charity is?

Shawmind charity aligns with my personal vision and goal. We both want to help normalize mental health. We both want to educate people (worldwide) to help them work with the mind and work with struggling thoughts, emotions, feelings, and emotional pain. Shawmind charity provides tools and resources to schools so children can learn to work with mental health, and it will also offer resources for teachers. It is helping the younger generation and I hope I am helping my generation and the older generation who missed out on this education at school.

Have you ever had a creative mentor? If so how has this benefitted you either personally or professionally?

I have not had a creative mentor, however, In the past, I have lived with an author and journalist. I followed her writing journey and she has always inspired me. I also have friends and family who have encouraged me to keep writing and my partner has helped me by giving me the time and space and security I needed to write my book. 

What outlets do you use for marketing your book?

I am using social media – Linkedin, Facebook, Instagram. I wanted to start with my personal and professional network first. I am also working with online media channels such as yours. I will soon be looking at ways how I can extend this to a larger audience and I will be looking at Radio, Tv, Podcasts, I will also be approaching businesses, mental health platforms, and supporters and approaching Online Groups.

Which methods are you using to build your own support network?

I started a Facebook page called How do I heal? This was during the pandemic when people needed help. This page attracted over 3,000 people and I started to receive messages from people who were desperately seeking ways to work with and release emotional pain. This gave me the support that I needed as a writer. I like connecting to my readers. I am also networking with people in the mental health field and contacting businesses and media outlets so I can reach a large audience. I have my friend Helen who was an author, and is now a publicist and is helping me bring my message to the world so I would personally like to thank her for her help. She has been a huge support. I have friends and family, and colleagues worldwide who are willing to support my book and the cause.

What is the best piece of spiritual advice you have received to date?

To connect a higher power. To connect to my higher self. For connection to a higher power, it helped me to turn inward and seek guidance from within. It allowed me to lay my emotional pain or struggles elsewhere. It helped me to surrender and gently let go. It allowed me to mentally see that there was something in life that was bigger than me. It also gave me faith and trust and hope and opened my mind to miracles. For connection to my higher self, this helped me move through low vibration negative emotions and e step out of negative cycles and circles. It allowed me to elevate my mind and body to a higher space and see life from a higher perspective and it helped me to connect to the emotion of unconditional love. Both have been great for my mindset and helped me in life during hard times.

Finally, What can we expect from you this year?

I would like to meet and connect with my readers so I will be planning online groups and a book road tour. I will be taking part in more interviews to help spread my message to the world. I am also going to be taking time out to write a teenage version of How do you feel? I want to extend my words and message to reach this younger audience. I really want to help them work with the inner emotions and feelings that come with life