Episode Transcript
Hello, my name is Aziz and I'm the son of a divorced mother. She is really my superhero. That's why it's important for me to support women to share their uniqueness, their personalities, perspectives, and emotions about life. Too many women in this world feel alone. They worry about the judgment of others and they struggle with their mental health, but when they listen to the Rare Girls podcast where empowered women share their voices and tell their stories, many women will feel inspired to live a life of freedom and to overcome all insecurities. they will feel. It is a safe space to find their confidence, to remember their unique beauty and to feel their self-worth, and they will connect to the sisterhood of rare girls who encourage their success and support their dreams. That's what this podcast is all about. My guest today is Luce Imami. Luce is an Italian-Persian woman and a certified Nirvana briefing instructor living in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Her first degree was in Iran as an engineer in the marine sciences field. Her second degree she did in Milano, Italy in industrial biotechnology. She did theater in Quelidigrok and factory 32 Michael Rogers acting studio. After her graduation biotechnology in Italy she started to follow her dream as an actress and contemporary art performer in theater and she worked in different shows across Italy and also in California with noted actors and musicians. Her latest movie Dante La Divina Commedia was released at cinemas in Italy on January 2023. Following her passion and intuitions and her desire to be in the service to other people and be in the voice for other women, Luce became a nirvana instructor, which she is developing in Dubai. Nirvana is a system which will help you breathe correctly through a series of functional pilates and yoga exercises flow, leading you to slower and deeper breathing patterns diaphragm with prolonged exhalations that will replace your shallow problematic breathing all supported by theta waves that directly influence your relaxation centers through the process of brain entrainment. Her hobbies are art, cinema, theater, music, sport and dance. Luce lived for 16 years in Italy, one year in California, in LA, and recently for almost one year, she is living in Dubai currently. Luce, how are you today? Hi Aziz! I'm good, thank you so much for the great introductions. many things I did, you know, when you do introduction like this, it's amazing to reflect on the life that you had and the things that you've built. So thank you so much. I'm so happy on your podcast. This is amazing. Thank you for this possibility. I'm honored. I'm lucky, happy to have you here. And it's very true. A lot of people, if they take just some time to breathe and to reflect on their lives, they will realize they're doing much, much better than they think, rather than staying, running forward, running forward, forgetting all their achievements and for women that can be very empowering. And before I'll ask you other questions, I'd like to start with this one just to help you relax and start the flow, which is, if your friends could describe your personality, what would they say about you? This is really also a nice question because it makes you reflect also. When you see yourself through other people's eyes, it's always interesting because they always see true friends, they always see positive things in you and it makes you feel grateful because you think, "Oh my gosh, this is so beautiful. Yeah, I have this characteristic also." But if I want to tell you, you know, by words, how they describe me, they usually tell me that I am genuine, authentic, strong, courageous, who has so much passion and compassion, who is kind. Some of them tell me that I am so sexy also, and who sometimes is out of mind because of the risk that I take in my life. You know, they tell me, oh, you're out of mind. You don't like a stability and you suddenly decide to change your life. Yeah, these are the main things that they describe me. Thank you. I have so many questions I'll ask just about those few sentences you said and the talk about stability and all that. Well, to me, if I am growing as a person and I didn't know and realize that most people are not growing, they just relive the same day again and again and again, then of course, over time, you need to evolve and manifest or create that life that reflects the person who you became. And therefore, if you're not changing, then you're dying. I cannot do that any day. And I noticed something about your energy that your energy is flowing, it's bright, it's sunny. How was your evolution from being a little girl until having this energy today? What is the process? Because there might be a lot of women who might be in a process in their life where they think negatively, where they're not focused on the positives. So your journey can give them hope and let them know what you have overcome, what you're being through, especially to open up your energy so far. You know, as is we are all working process and we have to elevate our soul. It wasn't easy. And I can tell you, I am not perfect. I'm still working on myself. I'm still healing some part of my soul, which I think that they need so much attention still. But I think your question just reminds me when I was a kid, it's something was inside me, some voice always. And it still is inside me that is telling me, you can't give up. So you have to go on, you have to listen to your voice, even in very dark situation of my life, because I had a very tough childhood. I've lost my father when I was four and then I have trauma of sexual abuse and domestic violence, abortion in my young age, and so many other traumas. And even in so many dark areas of my life, which I was maybe started to give up and tell to myself, okay, I can't do that. But still, it was little sparkle, little voice inside me that it was telling me, you can give up. So you are stronger than that you did so many times in your life. So this time, also, you can do it. And this I think this curiosity to learn new things, discovering new things and working on myself, working on myself, I've worked so much on myself in every time of my life and every difficult time of my life, I started to understand what is the reason, I started to work on myself and to get better and improve improving, you know, every day, every day. So I think just listening to internal voice, because I think all women has this voice inside them. We are human beings and we are, you know, on this planet for the reason, when we understand, okay, okay, this life is like just a gift and it's given to us. So what do you want to do with this life and then you start to have the courage to go on and find your way. And for that also, you know, maybe you should try so many things. I've tried so many things in my life, so many things to understand what is my way, what is my path, how I can understand what is my mission on this planet. So it's not just having one thing or trying one thing and tell, "Okay, this is the thing that I have to follow." That's it. No, maybe you have to do so many things, experience so many things to understand which one is your way and then you start to walk on that way and growing up. I think it's doubt. It's just doubt. I love that. That's absolutely magnificent. And to know even more, you going through all those challenges, you growing every day, you trying all those things. There is a way to do it where you are channeling your masculine energy and a way where you're using your feminine energy as a superpower just for you. Just for you, how do you do it while staying feminine? How do you do it while not feeling that you're so far away from your feminine energy that you feel uncomfortable? How does that balance work in your favor rather than some people nowadays seem to need, especially some women, to be in their masculine almost all day and it feels very uncomfortable and sometimes it becomes such a habit that they don't spend much time in their femininity? - Yeah, that's absolutely true. And you know, I think in so many times in my life, my masculine part was so active. Because of losing my father, you know, we were three sisters in the Iran after revolution. We are talking about almost 36 years ago. So you can imagine how was the atmosphere and losing the father. You know, my mom was 33 years old. And being a young girl in Iran after revolution and losing your father, it was just like, okay, you have to figure out your life, so you have to be strong. So I think that is the beginning of being more in my masculine part. And very recently, I've just started to reflect, okay, I need to empower my feminine part. I need to empower it, and I need to have more connection with that because for so many reasons, I am suffering about same things and maybe it's the time to work on my feminine time. Having the balance isn't easy, it's not easy, but also so many times you can ask help. You ask help from other people who has the same experiences and they can show you the way. It's not just we have to do it by our way because we are not perfect at, and actually perfection doesn't exist. And so many times people can help us. For example, for me, here I shout out to my dear friend, Marina Savage, she in recent six months, she was so present in my life and she also reminds me this feminine part. And she told me, maybe you're suffering because you have to care about this feminine part. So, and then asking for help and, you know, going digging deep inside you also, because so many people I think they are afraid to digging deep down inside their soul and facing the true self and, you know, seeing, okay, which part is stronger than that part and what can I do to improve myself? Also, that is one thing that I think can help people to balance the things. I am working on it. So I am working on my feminine parts because of the experiences that I had in my life and so many difficulties that I had to resolve by myself because 17, 18 years living alone is not easy. And then I have understood, okay, let's work is still on it. So now it's a little bit balanced more than before but it's just to understand it, feel it and understand it and finding the way to make it, you know, in balance and create the balance between them. - Thank you for that. And I have a question related to it because when you use the word like your feminine side, it might not be clear to people. And you said your friends say that you're sexy. To you, what is the meaning and the definition of being a sexy woman? because to some women they could copy that from movies, TV series, Instagram, they think that's what it means to be sexy. And how is that related to the femininity or masculinity or energy, just relate what you spoke about balance in your feminine side, as well as the fact your friends comment about you and they use the word sexy to describe you. - You know, I think it's not about showing, you know, your body to be sexy, you know, it's something inside you to, you know, in your behaviors, or I think in my case is because I am so comfortable for myself with myself, with my body, with my, you know, identity, with who I am, how I am, I am not critical, you know, about myself, my body. I was maybe when I was younger, but when I started to grow up, you know, and work on myself, I became more comfortable. And actually, I can tell you that theater also helped me a lot, you know, to be comfortable with who I am, my true identity. And I don't push anything. So I am who I am. So I try just to, I think it's the energy, you know, people just receive this energy, my friends and also other people receive this energy that I am so comfortable with my body, with myself. And this feeling of freedom also for me, it's maybe you know, makes people to feel, oh, you are so comfortable with your body and you don't, you know, hide, but you don't show off so much. Is that just being comfortable with ourselves and not pushing and not trying to be somebody else. Just be yourself and accept yourself in the way that you are. Work on yourself to be a better version of yourself, but also be free and then people can receive that energy. Thank you. And you spoke a lot about working on yourself. Can you share a bit more? What do you mean with that? How can women be inspired to work on themselves? What is to you the best way to work on yourself that you recommend to others, what can they expect? And just share more so that people can have an idea if some women want to begin working on themselves or find new ideas to work on themselves and understand how to do it and what it means. You know, working on yourself is discovering your identity, your true identity and your throughout authenticity. I usually do that with books. I read the books, self-improvement books, I listen to podcasts, I ask help sometimes from some people who can give me beautiful advices, and I reflect so much on my past, present, and also what I want to be. It's true that we have to forget, you know, sometimes people tell you, "No, don't think about your past." But actually, so many times I think about myself, who I was maybe one year ago, six months ago, actually, and how I am also today. And improvements, you know, mental improvements, body improvements with, I do that also with Nirvana, as you mentioned, you know, body improvements, conscious breathing, being curious and learning new things. These are all the way that I think they can help for me is like that working on myself is just understanding, okay, okay, how I am behaving? How is my you know, my answer to other people? This is also improvement, because sometimes we don't recognize maybe how we talk with ourselves or how we talk with other people. This is also for me self-improvement. And also recently is not repeating same patterns. That's also the way that I am trying to work on it. All these things, you know, reflecting, going again, I can tell you digging deep down inside your soul, understanding the parts of your soul which needs healing and start to understand how you can heal them because every part and every you know everything needs different kind of healing. Thank you and I want to take this in a more metaphysical and spiritual way. How do you see or believe that the world works that makes you feel at ease in it? I mean do you believe for example, that we're all born in order to experience some traumas, and then it's our life purpose to heal them and to let go so that we're helping heal the universe without energy? Or do you believe that you have a destiny and that you're just experiencing it and fulfilling it? Or you believe that you have to trust yourself and that you are the creator and the queen and the manifestor of this universe. And so you manifested? Or in general, you think, no, nothing. If I don't do it, nothing will happen. What is your perspective and the way that you see your place in the universe and how your destiny or the future is happening? I believe so much in energy as is. The universe is all energy. And we can create our life and manifest what we want in our life. I believe in that. I believe it, you know, 100, 1000% I believe in that. And we can be the queen of our lives just by changing our mentality, changing our energy, changing our vibration. And in this way also brain waves, you know, in Nirvana, Nirvana works with theta waves. And this theta waves create so much, you know, creativity, intuitions, relaxation, which is energy and frequency. And yeah, we manifestation. Absolutely, absolutely. We can manifest and we can create all the things that we want, but we have to trust ourselves at the beginning. If you don't trust yourself, and then you know you can send the energy, that energy to the universe, and you can receive the same energy from the universe. But when you start to trust yourself and your potential, your power, and how strong you are and how you can manifest it and how you can, you know, receive the things that you really, really, really want from the bottom of your heart in deep layer of your soul that then you can receive them. Yeah, I believe in that. And it's so many times in my life, there were manifestations like this in so many episodes in my life. So I deeply believe in it. Thank you. And you spoke a lot about energy, about frequency, about vibration. What is your experience of that? How do you define it? How do you live it? Can you share a bit more? What is that energy? What is frequency? What is vibration? One, maybe what is your theory where it comes from? But also how do you see it in the world? How does it manifest? How does it create your reality? So so some people can understand your vision and perspective on what energy is. You know, it depends on the person also, because every person feels the energy in a different way. You know, I can't tell, OK, you should feel the energy in the same way that I feel it, because it's something, something happens inside you. It's something, you know, some vibration inside you. And when you are open, actually, when you have open personality, you can receive better this vibration. There's like some vibration I can tell you. I can do some example, you know, of the energy, which how it's possible to feel it between positivity and negativity is, I think good example is just look at ourselves, you know, our daily life. When we start our life in bad mood and suddenly everything starts to shift in a bad way. And suddenly your day just starts to go on in a bad way, negative way, you discuss with your boss, you can't complete your things. And if you reflect on that, you can understand, okay, I am vibrating the same things, this negativity and then the way of the physic is the reflection. Whatever we send, it will reflect it to us. It's a lot of physics actually, a reflection and receiving. And positivity is the same, you know, when you start to feel a little bit lighter, you know, connected and motivated. I think for me is that it's not easy to describe it, in the, you know, in the, like a materialistic things because it's kind of the particular vibration to feel. It's about feeling, being open to feel. So it's been, when you talk also about vibration and this frequency, and these are, you know, atoms also and molecules, various small, small little pieces. I always feel the energy like this and I reflect on it like this. If it's the right answer, but it's a feeling for me. - No, I can resonate very much with what you're saying when I feel people, I feel people are different in different ways, but they have this feeling that could be similar between groups of people. And it's like magnetism that they will attract themselves. Things that have that same, you spoke about light feeling or dense feeling or different shades of energy happening. So I understand fully and completely. - And sometimes rejection because you meet somebody and you can't connect with that person at all. So this is the rejection of the energy that means the molecules and atoms and also frequency is not matching. I think in that way, yeah. I'm not physicians, but I feel it. I believe in feelings and energy. - You're a feeling scientist and a feeling physicist, so I get it. Thank you for that. And tell me a bit more about Nirvana. Out of all the possible modalities for self-development, what interested you enough in it to dedicate your time to be certified in it, to do it, to teach others and help others with it? Tell me what is unique and your experience and change based on doing Nirvana. - You know, as you mentioned before, I have an art background and contemporary dance background. And when I was in California, I was participating in weekly events and performances in a studio in Los Angeles. And there we had, every Wednesday we had some events like performing arts, dancing. It was a mimo dance, like theater dance. And it was kind of a free expression of yourself and your soul with the music. and the connection is so strong. And all these years, I was thinking about how I can create something and how I can teach it in the good way, in the better way to other people. And I always was thinking about how can I do it? How I can create it? Because I love to create the things, I like creativity. And I started to just developing this. okay, how can be the way to tell to other people, you can express yourself, you can move in every way that you want and you can feel the connection with the universe because not everybody can move their body in the free way. When you tell to somebody, okay, just move with freedom, they can't do it. So I was always thinking about these things And suddenly in Milan, I've met, I was doing Pilates courses. I like also Pilates. And I discovered Nirvana through one of my teachers there. And the first time that I did Nirvana, it was just like, this is what I was searching all this time. It was just like suddenly a sparkle. Okay, this is what I want and I found it. And I felt it that Nirvana is my way and my propose and I have to start to developing it. And Nirvana, okay, has a connection with contemporary dance, which I did in the different way of movements of Pilates and yoga we do. And also it has award-winning mindful music because Nirvana works with a TETA music and TETA waves and different breathing patterns. We have three different patterns, 4/4, 4/8, 4/12, which you inhale in the same way for seconds and exhalation will change and it will be prolonged. But we do it with this, you know, tip, baton, ball sound and with this TETA music. And with the movements, it's just between Pilates and yoga and look like a dance. And it gives you not just relaxation, also it helps you to heal so many illness, chronic illness, nirvana. And it makes you feel relaxed, feel motivated, feel connected with the universe. And it creates so much creativity also intuitions in your brain. So this is the way that you know I just understood okay nirvana is my way nirvana is what I want to do and nirvana you know the the goal of nirvana and developing it in Dubai is not just teaching people to be you know how to be free to move their body and doing pilates yoga and doesn't matter if they don't have a technique or they are not professional but is also giving them this permission to share their experiences, you know, and feeling safe to share their experiences. Because so many of us, I'm sure out there, there are so many women who are afraid of sharing, you know, their experiences, the things that they lived in their life. Oh, also, you know, they're a little bit of the things that they think they are weak in it, their weakness. And also my goal is that, you know, not just teaching people to move through Nirvana, to to breathe through Nirvana, to connect to Nirvana, but also to be able to be courageous and share this. So it's kind of like your podcast, but with Nirvana. But Nirvana is for all genders, you know, men and women. Also kids, because I believe when we start, you know, to grow up our kids in the conscious way, we can also help the future of our universe and planets. 100% that's a beautiful purpose and mission. I will ask you as well about another thing. There are like three levels to being daring and brave when it comes to such a process and being a businesswoman. Most women at first they are not really open and free to express themselves fully and then they can evolve like you did in theater to become a starving artist where as long as there there is no money involved. They can be free to share, to open themselves up. Your friend Marina Savage spoke about that, that even when she had the business, she didn't like to touch the money or see it or anything. But when you are being the entrepreneur, the person who needs to make things happen in this world, how do you overcome any money traumas or put yourself out there by believing that you're helping people without letting any past traumas about money stop you or feeling, "Oh no, I'm happy to share all about the thoughts, but if I tell people, 'Come to my training, come to my courses, I feel bad,' I'm like, 'No, why?' or whatever it is." So all three levels, maybe they're evolutions of each other. So first, how did you open yourself to express yourself in order to become a theater actress? And second, from theater actress and maybe starving artist, how do you become a business woman who needs also to have a fair exchange of value where people give you money for the good things that you're doing. You know, I believe also my theater teacher also told us that who I start to follow theater, you know, means that that person likes to express her or his emotion and show to other people. And you know, maybe with showing to other people, you can also inspire them and help them. Actually, when you, you know, act or play one character on the stage, the people who, you know, is watching you, they can just put themselves at the place of the character. So when I started to see it, you know, on the theater from that point of view, I started also to open myself. And there are so many also training to open up to yourself. It's not just the things that happen in one night or one day. It's a training and it's a process. And I can tell you for Nirvana, my acting experiences helped me a lot. Just that openness is helping me also to be more comfortable to express myself and share my experiences and also share the experience of Nirvana and it's still at the beginning. I am developing it but I think yeah in the theater with training and also putting myself at the place of who is watching me and inspiring them because I like to be you know the point of inspiration also for people is really nice. Even one person is really beautiful. And then, yes, after that, I am using those experiences to develop also Nirvana and the communication with other people. And about the money, you've asked, actually, this is really-- I can tell you also important part, because you also learn something to monetize it. And if you have something, some idea or some talent, why not? why you can monetize it and you can offer that to people. For me, it's still at the beginning. Sometimes it's that feeling that you've told me, you're not afraid to tell people, "Okay, the course will cost like this." But then I start to think on the process that I did, how much I studied, how many things I did, and every day I am working on it, every day I am updating myself through so many things. And you tell you to yourself, I deserve that. I deserve that. And beside that, I am working in another, you know, I am doing another job also. And I always was thinking maybe I have to do the job that is my proposal of life. But I've also learned that it's not necessary, you know, that is your job should be your proposal of life. Maybe you need to have the job to follow your dream and your proposal of life. So that is what I am doing now. I have my job, which I do during the day, and then it will help me to manage my Nirvana things. At the beginning, every business at the beginning is not a shrine. It takes time and patience, so much. I should be patient because I'm new in Dubai, Nirvana is so new, nobody knows about it in the proper way. I am the only Nirvana instructor in Dubai, so it needs time and patience, but I am sure and I feel it that it will be bloomed in the very fantastic way. I'm so optimistic, I feel it. I like that optimism and self-belief and confidence is absolutely magnificent. To finish this, What are some words that you have that are important for women to hear or encouragement for any women who are stuck feeling stuck in their comfort zone and not yet blossoming outside into their potential by going out of their comfort zone? Anything to say before we finish? First thing, self-discovery and identity. Because when you discover yourself, when you know what is your identity, you also start to understand what you want from the life and what is the way. And going out from comfort zone, you know, is not easy because change always brings so much anxiety with itself because we go through so many unknown things and actually it puts our body and mind in the dangerous situation because we don't know what will happen, we don't know what we will do, but also when we think that change brings so much beauty and we can discover so many parts of ourselves which we didn't know that we have. It's really beautiful, you know. I can tell you I am discovering also that through salsa I started to dance salsa and shout out to my dance studio Freda's there with wonderful people, wonderful teachers and I am discovering even, you know, if I did theater and I did contemporary dance, but I am discovering so many new things, I am going out of my comfort zone. It's really beautiful, but self-discovery is really important, understanding your identity, understanding your potential. And for women, I think the most important thing is being independent as is. Even if they are with some partner or they are doing something, being independent is really important. Don't losing their identity for somebody else. No, say just no to the people who want to steal your identity and they are telling you that you are nobody. And don't be afraid of the change because once you just climb that wall and you arrive at the peak of that wall and you see, okay, I just, you know, figure out this step also. In other parts of the world, there are so many beauties and wonders to discover. Thank you so much, Luche. It was my privilege and my honor to have you here, to share your voice. I recommend everyone check out your page and learn more about Nirvana. You're the only one doing it in Dubai being an instructor and so it's very very unique and even before we finish what is the inspiration for your name Luce? Some people might be curious because I think that's a great thing to add. Thank you so much for asking. At first thank you so much you know I'm so happy to be together with other wonderful women on this podcast it's really beautiful and It's so much encouraging, you know, even for me who, you know, like to share her experiences, but it's so beautiful. Thank you so much. And the world needs more, you know, things like this. And luce means light. And it's, you know, because my Persian name is mah-ozar, which means fire light. And, you know, translated that in Italian for just, you know, because mah-ozar in in Italian was a little bit difficult because there's no H or Z in proper way in Italian language. So I just translated and luce means light. And also I can't tell you sometimes when I forget, you know, when I when I am down, or I just, you know, lose motivation, because it can happen during, you know, the life, I think about my name. And I tell to myself, you're light and you're fire. So you have to continue. This is also such a great inspiration and I thank my mom because she chose this name for me. So the meaning is light. Luce means light. Again, thank you so much. I'm so happy and honored and blessed to have spent this time interviewing you. I know this will inspire many women. I encourage you to keep going, to grow your Nirvana dreams, and to make your life in Dubai the best life ever. Thank you again Luce, I appreciate you very much. Thank you so much Aziz, thank you for this possibility, it was an honor for me. Thank you. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music)
