Polly Behringer, The Founder of Finding Freedom

Polly Behringer
Jul 25
5 min read

Updated: 2 days ago

About Me

Hi! I'm Polly, and honestly, writing from this perspective feels a bit strange, but it’s time I share why I created this site nearly a decade ago. I’m passionate about alternative methods and modalities for holistic healing, wellness, personal growth, and releasing trauma stored within the body and mind... and our energy field. Throughout my journey, I’ve committed myself to exploring and sharing practices that foster healing, balance, and transformation. Always staying true to who I am, I struggled at times - hiding my eccentricities and unique differences to stay more mainstream.

This is the very thing that has kept me from growth. And I know I'm not alone...

Guiding 300+ people through meditation & power of journaling.

I come from a generation, culture, gender and sex, where most females of color struggle. As a woman navigating societal roles that often come with specific expectations, I've learned to embrace my authentic self beyond those boundaries. But I didn't realize until writing my own story, I was leaving myself out of the narrative of space I professionally and personally occupy.

I would appear on social media, often seeming to post isolated moments from the past. But that wasn’t the case; those moments were actually thoughts intertwined with other thoughts I was holding onto but choosing not to share.

As I was re-vamping my website for the umpteenth time, I realized I had overlooked an important area and left out key details. In one version, I’d highlight my academic background but omit my cultural journey; in another, I’d do the opposite.

“Sadly, we bury our feelings so deeply, masking our true selves, that by the time we come to understand there is no shame in being who we are, we’re already deeply damaged, and the scars of that silence have already carved their way into our souls.” ― Carson Anekeya

Now, I realize it’s time to begin integrating these elements to develop a more holistic understanding of the purpose behind Finding Freedom—delving into the modalities I’m passionate about, the shared threads that connect us, and the stories that serve as stepping stones toward truly grasping what is possible.

Education and Training

I'm a dedicated Health & Wellness professional, specializing in yoga, meditation, holistic healing and mindfulness development programs. I've been a certified yoga teacher with expertise in Yoga Nidra and meditation practices that promote deep relaxation and mental clarity.

4am yoga practice during auspicious hours

I studied Yoga Nidra at the Satchidananda Ashram in Virginia and went on to deeper my practice at the Satchidananda Integral Yoga Institute in Coimbatore, India, where I gained a profound understanding of traditional and modern healing techniques.

During this period, I was fortunate to study TRE (Trauma Release Exercises) with the founder and pioneer of this powerful practice. My training developed over several years; however, I ultimately chose not to complete it, as my purpose and how I intended to use the training were evolving in a different direction and away from their formal outline of practice.

At the age of five, I underwent a shamanic illness in Philippines. This incident did not awakened my gifts; it was part of an ancient selection process of becoming babaylan, Filipino shaman. There are two ways of becoming one, and my illness is one. I have the ability to see beyond the surface, utilizing my intuitive gifts alongside modalities that help release trauma, see moments of a person's trauma taking place and having all 8 of the clair senses.

Because of my internal struggle and public embarrassment of not being able to control the emissions of energy coming from me, I began to actively seek out knowledge and understanding to mitigate the damage it was creating around me. This led me to understanding the power of personal energy, frequency and emotional (energy in motion) vibration. I went on to study Quantum Healing with a filipino teacher. She taught me how to harness the chaos of the electrical impulse and energy I emit. This allowed me to align my other modalities, to help others expand, transmute and cultivate energy and tap into our natural ability to intuitively heal ourselves.

This was my first real step onto the path of learning how to funnel my energetic impulses and it's chaotic effects.

With a degree in Sociology, I expanded my passion for understanding socio-individuality and group dynamics through an intensive, year-long program at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. My interest in group dynamics, combined with my desire to serve as a life coach—integrating my babaylan abilities and utilizing alternative, holistic methods—naturally aligned with my path toward personal and transformative healing.

Something most don't know...

There are so many facets to this blog that I could easily drift into sharing interesting memories... Like how it didn’t fully register with me that I even had a college degree, despite having attended OU and starting work on my Master’s in Museum Studies. There are even more hidden stories behind that.

Trauma creates gaps in our lives—some of those gaps are like boarded-up tunnels leading to other parts of ourselves.

I want to share moments like witnessing the full Wolf Moon on my birthday in India, during one of the most challenging times in my life. Or feeding buffalos on a detour after lunch while undergoing training to learn how to channel my electric impulses. The voices, visions, and many near-death experiences I’ve had feel more like redirection —signs that led me down unexpected paths and shifts.

My Mission

My professional mission is to cultivate a space where you can discover inspiration, receive guidance, and access tools to nurture your mind, body, and spirit. Here, you can reframe your experiences, release trauma, rewire your thoughts, and find peace within a blissful body.

My personal mission is to embrace complete vulnerability, challenge the patterns of my thinking, and affirm my own self-worth—while also encouraging others to do the same.

Whether you’re just starting your healing journey or seeking to deepen your understanding, I am here to support and walk alongside you every step of the way.

What's Next?

You may have noticed that I’ve updated my website once more. I’ve struggled to seamlessly blend what I do, what I offer, a sense of professionalism, and my Filipino ancestral history into a website that truly feels complete.

The reason I held back was because I was hesitant to share my babaylan history, thinking it would make things more approachable if I omitted the very reason I'm here. But watering ourselves down contradicts the very essence of what I teach others.