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. Aug 5

    Ted Lasso Was Right: Stay Curious, Not Judgmental

    What do sports, healing, Ted Lasso, and the nervous system have in common? More than you might think. In this episode, I unpack a conversation that has been sitting with me for weeks—a discussion about professional sports, collective emotion, and whether something can be both deeply beautiful and deeply flawed at the same time. We explore why humans have gathered around sport for thousands of years, why shared experiences regulate our nervous systems, and why anything powerful enough to unite us can also expose what's unresolved within us. This isn't really an episode about sports. It's an episode about human behaviour. About collective healing. About learning to think beyond black and white. In this episode, we discuss: Why humans are biologically wired to seek community and shared experiencesThe history of sport as a tool for peace, grief, and social connectionWhy sports don't create emotions—they amplify what's already thereThe difference between healthy passion and dysregulated group behaviourWhat domestic violence statistics during major sporting events really tell usWhy removing the "vessel" rarely fixes the underlying problemThe importance of supporting organizations and communities that align with your valuesTed Lasso's greatest lesson: staying curious instead of judgmentalHow to participate in any movement without losing yourself to the crowdIf this episode resonated with you, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation over on Instagram @alannacrawford_, or share this episode with someone who loves understanding why humans behave the way we do. If you're enjoying The Summit Effect, don't forget to follow the show, leave a rating and review, and share it with a friend. It helps more than you know. Thank you so much for listening, and I'll see you next week.

  2. Jul 1

    Summer Energy

    In this episode, we explore what summer is actually asking of us. We unpack the science behind why we naturally feel different during the longer days, why our nervous systems crave more light, movement, and connection, and how working with the energy of the season can leave us feeling more alive instead of more exhausted. Through a personal story from a recent trip to Banff, we talk about the difference between productivity and presence—and why joy isn't something you earn. In this episode: Why every season has a different purpose and how nature offers a blueprint for our own livesHow longer daylight regulates your circadian rhythm and influences hormones, mood, energy, and sleepThe role of serotonin and why natural light supports emotional well-beingWhy humans are biologically wired to expand during the summer monthsSummer as the season of bloom: visibility, expression, joy, community, and connectionThe surprising lesson that came from leaving work behind and embracing an unplanned adventureWhy the "90s Summer" trend reflects our longing for presence, not just nostalgiaReflection questions to help you participate more fully in this season of lifeSummit takeaway: "You don't need to earn summer. Nature isn't asking you to accomplish more right now—it's inviting you to participate more. Summer isn't the season to force the harvest. It's the season to bloom, to be seen, and to experience the life you've been working so hard to build." If this episode resonated with you, I'd love if you shared it with someone who needs permission to slow down this summer. Tag me on Instagram @alannacrawford_ and let me know what's on your summer bucket list—I genuinely love seeing how you're bringing these conversations into your everyday life. If you're enjoying The Summit Effect, leaving a rating and review on your streamer. It is a great way to support the show and help more people discover this community. Thank you for being here, and I'll see you next Wednesday.

  3. Jun 25

    Its Never Just Yoga - With Aneta Pietruszko

    In this episode, we welcome the very first guest to The Summit Effect: my dear friend, Aneta Pietruszko, owner of Burlington Power Yoga Canada and co-owner of Soulfull Yoga and Wellness Retreats. Aneta's journey didn't begin in a yoga studio. It began in the corporate world, where anxiety and panic attacks became the breadcrumbs that ultimately led her toward a completely different life. Together, we explore how our bodies often speak long before our minds are ready to listen, why movement can become medicine, and how healing isn't always something that happens on a treatment table. This conversation is about the science of nervous system regulation, the spirituality of following your intuition, and the many forms that energy work can take. Whether you've ever rolled out a yoga mat or not, this episode is an invitation to notice the breadcrumbs your own life has been leaving for you. In this episode: The difference between success on paper and feeling aligned in your lifeHow yoga became more than exercise—it became a pathway back to herselfWhat it feels like to hold space for hundreds of people in a yoga classThe many ways people process emotion through movementHow teaching yoga is a form of energy workWhy Reiki helped expand—not create—Aneta's understanding of healingHow music, intention, and presence can change the energy of a roomThe art of creating playlists Community as medicineLearning to trust the breadcrumbs that continue to guide us throughout lifeSummit takeaway: Your life rarely changes because of one big moment. More often, it changes because you finally decide to follow the breadcrumbs your body has been leaving for you all along. You can find Aneta on instagram: @anetapie_ or @burlingtonpyc or @soulfullyogawellness

  4. Jun 17

    What Happens During Reiki? Stories, Signs, and the Sessions That Stayed With Me

    In this episode, we pull back the curtain on Reiki. What actually happens in a session? How does energy communicate? Why do some sessions feel deeply emotional while others create profound shifts in direction, purpose, and healing? I shares stories from real sessions that have stayed with me over the years, explore the role of free will in energy work, and explain why Reiki is less about being "read" and more about remembering how to listen to yourself again. This is a conversation about healing, intuition, grief, love, trust, and the limitless potential of reconnecting with your own energy.  In this episode: What Reiki actually is (and what it isn't)Why energy workers often don't remember sessions afterwardThe difference between "doing healing" and facilitating healingWhy participation and integration matter in energy workReiki, chakras, auras, and energetic communicationThe role of free will in intuitive and mediumship workEthical boundaries in energy work and spiritual practiceHow spirit communication can support healing when invitedThe importance of approaching energy work with humility, reverence, and curiositySummit takeaway: "Your guides can only lead you where you're willing to go." Reiki isn't about someone else having your answers. It's about clearing enough noise that you can hear your own. Resources & Links: Learn more about Reiki and Osteopathy at The Summit CollectiveFollow along on Instagram: @alannacrawford_Listen to previous episodes of The Summit EffectInterested in a Reiki session or training? Reach out through the clinic website www.thesummitcollective.caIf this episode resonated with you, please leave a rating and review. It helps more people discover the show and supports the mission of helping people reconnect with themselves through both science and soul.

  5. Jun 4

    How To Get To Where You Are Going When You Have No Idea Where To Start

    Have you ever felt like you know something needs to change, but you have absolutely no idea what that change is? Maybe you're feeling stuck, disconnected, frustrated, or simply aware that your current life no longer feels aligned—but every time you try to figure out your next step, you become overwhelmed by how big the change feels. In this episode, we're talking about one of the most common questions I hear in clinic: "I know I want something different... but I don't know where to start." We'll explore why your nervous system often keeps you searching for certainty, how overwhelm can lead to freeze and avoidance, and why clarity rarely arrives through more thinking. Instead, it comes through surrender. I also share one of my favourite practices from Marianne Williamson's A Return to Love—the Four Questions—a simple but powerful tool that has helped me navigate some of the biggest decisions of my life. In this episode, we discuss: Why feeling stuck is often a sign of disconnection, not failureThe difference between wanting change and knowing what change to makeHow overwhelm activates the nervous system and creates freeze responsesWhy we cannot jump from fear to gratitude overnightFinding relief and courage as the next emotional stepWhat surrender actually means (and what it doesn't)The physiology of surrender and nervous system regulationWhy intuition is easier to access when the body feels safeThe connection between stillness, creativity, and clarityMarianne Williamson's Four Questions practiceHow guidance actually arrives in everyday lifeThe role of trust, action, and co-creation in personal growthWhy fear keeps us attached to outcomes—and how to move through it Remember: You do not need to fix your entire life today. If this episode resonated with you, please rate and review the podcast. It helps more people discover the show and allows us to continue bringing meaningful conversations where science meets soul. Connect with me: Instagram: @alannacrawford_

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.