The Summit Effect

Alanna Crawford

This podcast explores the space between physical anatomy and energetic intuition — where healing becomes something you actively participate in, not something done to you. Hosted by Osteopathic Manual Practitioner and Reiki Master Teacher, Alanna Crawford, The Summit Effect teaches you how to understand your body, trust your intuition, and reclaim your power in your own health journey and beyond. This isn’t about being “more spiritual” or chasing perfection — it’s about learning to SHOW UP as the truest expression of yourself and letting the ripple of that change everything.

  1. 3d ago

    What the Deck? Tarot, Intuition & Stepping Into Your Power

    This week on The Summit Effect, we’re getting into tarot: its history, how a deck works, and how I use it personally and alongside my work in clinic to invite reflection, explore choices, and connect with intuition. We’ll unpack the Major and Minor Arcana, the four suits, and how the imagery, question, and surrounding cards shape a reading. I’m also answering some common questions: Can tarot predict the future? Are the cards dangerous? Can you read for yourself? And does someone really have to gift you your first deck? Plus, I share how pulling the Page of Cups brought me back to the heart of why I created The Women They Warned You About—and why I care so deeply about women remembering who they are, finding community, and standing in their power. In this episode: • A brief history of tarot and the Rider–Waite–Smith deck • The Major Arcana, Minor Arcana, four suits, and court cards • How spreads give a reading context • How I use tarot for reflection and alongside Reiki sessions • Why I approach readings with choice and personal agency at the centre • How to turn a yes-or-no question into an invitation for insight • My approach to beginning a tarot practice of your own • The Page of Cups and the heart behind my upcoming women’s event Summit Takeaway: You can use tarot to explore what you’re feeling, what needs your attention, and what you want to do next. Take the reading as data, your choices are still yours. Join us: The Women They Warned You About An evening of reflection, connection, and remembering who you are—in support of Halton Women’s Place. We’ll begin with a guided group ritual focused on what we’re ready to release and what we’re calling in, followed by a collective tarot reading with Tarot Lori. Your ticket includes unlimited food and drinks, with fundraising prizes throughout the evening. Tickets: https://the-summit-collective.bloomtickets.ca/event/3452  Mentioned in this episode: • Big Deck Energy by Tarot Lori: https://www.tarotlori.com/ • Pamela Colman Smith video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ijj4ZBtNH7E  Connect with Alanna: Instagram: @alannacrawford_ The Summit Collective: www.thesummitcollective.ca If this episode resonated with you, share it with a friend or leave a rating and review. It helps more people find The Summit Effect—and join the conversation where science meets soul.

  2. Oct 2

    Fall Energy: What to Keep, What to Let Go

    After being welcomed into ceremony with Grandmother’s Voice at Bronte Creek, I’ve been thinking about what it means to live in relationship with the seasons. In this episode, I explore fall through Traditional Chinese Medicine and astrology—and how both can offer questions worth asking as we move from summer toward winter. We’ll move through Libra’s call for balance, Scorpio’s deeper look inward, and Sagittarius’s invitation to choose where we go next. I also share how I’m using Venus retrograde as a mirror for self-love, worthiness, and the way we speak to ourselves. In this episode, we discuss: Honouring what you’ve grown since springFall’s Metal element, and its associations with the lungs, large intestine, grief, and letting goThe questions Libra and Scorpio season can bring into focusVenus retrograde, self-worth, and what you believe you deserveRest, recovery, and choosing what matters as Sagittarius season leads us toward winterQuestions to consider: What am I proud of? What am I ready to put down? What do I want to make room for? If you’d like to gather with other women for a group reading and ritual with Tarot Lori, join us at The Women They Warned You About. Net ticket proceeds will support Halton Women’s Place. Tickets: https://the-summit-collective.bloomtickets.ca/event/3452  Grandmother's Voice: https://grandmothersvoice.com/ Spiritdaughter Podcast: https://spiritdaughter.com/blogs/the-spirit-daughter-podcast  If this episode resonated, share it with someone who might need permission to slow down. You can continue the conversation with me on Instagram at @alannacrawford_. And if you enjoy The Summit Effect, a rating or review on Apple Podcasts helps more people find it.

  3. Sep 9

    The Past Is Still Spending Your Energy

    Why can certain full moons and eclipses leave us feeling completely exhausted? In this episode, I explore Carolyn Myss’s concept of calling your spirit back: reclaiming the attention, time and life-force energy we continue sending toward past experiences, outdated identities and unresolved stories. I also connect this spiritual idea to what science tells us about learned protection, predictive processing and perseverative cognition—when the body continues preparing for something that is no longer happening. In this episode, we discuss: Why some astrological events may feel more significant than othersAstrology as a mirror—not a mandateWhat it means to live from an outdated version of yourselfCarolyn Myss’s concept of calling your spirit backThe subtle ways we give our power to the pastWhy choice is the fundamental power of the human experienceWhy protective nervous-system responses can continue after a situation has endedHow rumination can affect heart rate, blood pressure, cortisol and heart-rate variabilitySummit takeaway: Your energy is needed here. Your spirit is needed here. Your life is happening here. *This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical or mental-health condition. Always speak with a qualified healthcare provider about your individual needs*. If this episode resonated with you, please rate and review The Summit Effect. It helps more people find the podcast and supports the conversations we are building here. Follow me on Instagram: @alannacrawford_

  4. Sep 2

    The Shoulder, the Heart and the Things We Hold

    What if the shoulder is where you feel the pain—but not necessarily where the entire problem began? Lately, I have been seeing a pattern of shoulder and upper-arm pain in clinic without an obvious injury or clear mechanical onset. When the same presentation appears multiple times, I start looking beyond the painful structure and exploring what might be happening through all three layers: the physical body, the nervous system and the energetic or emotional body. In this episode, we discuss: Why the painful structure is not always the primary driverHow the neck, ribs, clavicle and shoulder blade affect arm movementWhy I look beyond the physical body when someone’s pain does not match their level of mechanical dysfunctionHow nervous-system state can influence muscle tone, breathing, pain sensitivity and recoveryThe shoulders and arms as tools of protection and actionWhat can happen when the body prepares to push, reach or protect—but we suppress the actionHow pain and guarding can reinforce one anotherHow I decide whether someone is ready to explore the deeper layersThe energetic relationship between the shoulders, arms and heart spaceThe Heart’s connection to summer, joy and connection in Traditional Chinese MedicineWhy working through all three layers can offer a more complete understanding of the pattern Summit takeaway: Sometimes the body is not holding one specific emotion. Sometimes it is holding the posture of an action it has been preparing to take. If this episode resonated with you, please rate and review the podcast—and share it with someone who might be carrying a little too much right now. Connect with me: Instagram: @alannacrawford_

  5. Aug 26

    What Dolly Parton Taught Us About Living on Purpose

    Dolly Parton once said, “Find out who you are and do it on purpose.” But she didn’t just say it—she built an entire life around it. In this episode, I share the clairsentient experience she had the day before Dolly’s passing and reflect on what Dolly taught us about authenticity, purpose, generosity and creating success that makes more room for other people. In this episode: Why finding yourself means refusing to cut yourself into more acceptable piecesHow Dolly built an empire in rhinestones without diminishing her intelligence, ambition or spiritualityWhy purpose is not what you say matters to you—it’s what your life repeatedly demonstrates that you care aboutHow Dolly used her success to create jobs, fund education and medical research, and support the community that raised herWhy someone else does not have to fail for you to succeedWhy people don’t have to understand what you’re building while you’re building itHow to use your gifts, influence, time and success to leave the world better than you found itThis episode asks us to consider: Because I was here—who had a better experience? Find out who you are. Do it on purpose. Wear the rhinestones, build the business, help your people—and trust that the right people will pick up what you put into the world. Follow me on Instagram: @alannacrawford_ If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review The Summit Effect. It helps more people find the podcast and allows us to continue bringing meaningful conversations and incredible guests to the show.

  6. Aug 19

    Think First. Ask Second.

    In this episode, I’m talking about why we might not always need another mentor, course, teacher or person telling us what to do. Sometimes the thing that actually builds confidence is getting our reps in, sitting in the discomfort of not knowing, and learning to trust our own ability to figure it out. We get into the science of self-efficacy, deliberate practice, autonomy, cognitive offloading and automation bias, and what can happen when guidance stops supporting our thinking. In this episode: Why my attempts to find intuitive mentors somehow always fall apart Why mastery experiences are one of the strongest ways we build self-efficacy Why the reps are what actually create confidence How “desirable difficulties” and struggling through the unknown can improve learning Why deliberate practice matters more than simply putting in the hours The difference between a mentor who gives you answers and one who teaches you how to think Why autonomy matters for learning, motivation and self-belief How cognitive offloading can become a problem when we outsource the exact skills we’re trying to develop What emerging AI research says about confidence, critical thinking and our reliance on external answers Automation bias and what happens when we trust an external recommendation over our own judgment Summit takeaway: Do the thing. Let yourself struggle at the thing. Refine the thing. And keep using your brain during the process. If this episode resonated, share it with someone who might need it. Continue the conversation on Instagram: @alannacrawford_ For all things Shanté Cofield: @themovementmaestro on instagram Podcasts: Maestro on the Mic and Promoting Curiosity Podcast Website: www.themovementmaestro.com

About

This podcast explores the space between physical anatomy and energetic intuition — where healing becomes something you actively participate in, not something done to you. Hosted by Osteopathic Manual Practitioner and Reiki Master Teacher, Alanna Crawford, The Summit Effect teaches you how to understand your body, trust your intuition, and reclaim your power in your own health journey and beyond. This isn’t about being “more spiritual” or chasing perfection — it’s about learning to SHOW UP as the truest expression of yourself and letting the ripple of that change everything.