November 5, 2025 • 29 mins
What if you could stop piecing your wellness together and finally feel held from start to finish? We sit with Cheri-Ann Santini, founder of Amplify Holistic Healing in Closter, NJ, to explore a one-stop approach that blends yoga, sound healing, Reiki, hypnotherapy, and coaching into a single, coherent session. Instead of retelling your story to five practitioners, you set an intention once and move through a tailored arc that helps your body downshift, process what is stuck, and integrate real change.
Cheri-Ann shares how a love for yoga grew into a broader toolkit as students asked for deeper support. She explains Reiki in grounded terms—as a channel that amplifies the client’s own healing intent—and recalls a knee pain experience that made the practice visceral and clear. We dig into breathwork for anxiety, movement for resetting the nervous system, and sound healing for accessing parasympathetic calm when meditation feels slippery. The throughline is safety: when people feel seen and held, the mind softens its grip and the body finally exhales.
We also get candid about entrepreneurship in the wellness space. Passion opens the door, but discipline keeps the practice alive. From marketing to boundaries to showing up on the days you do not feel like it, we unpack the grit behind the glow. There is a lively detour into cultural attitudes toward risk, why American trial-and-error can accelerate growth, and how to pair boldness with a simple plan you can execute. If you are a stressed professional, an anxious teen, a burned‑out parent, or a founder wrestling the roller coaster, this conversation offers practical steps and a reminder that resistance can be a compass.
Ready to feel lighter and more present? Listen now, then subscribe, share this episode with a friend who needs a reset, and leave a quick review to help more neighbors discover the show.
Amplify Holistic Healing
Cheri-Ann Santini
84 Herbert Ave bldg a suite 108, Closter, NJ 07624, USA
hello@amplifyholistichealing.com
amplifyholistichealing.com
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Intro/Close (00:00):
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place
where local businesses andneighbors come together.
Here's your host, Doug Drohan.
Doug Drohan (00:11):
Hey everyone, how are how are you?
This is Doug from BergenNeighbors Media Group, and I am
the host of the Good NeighborPodcast.
Today we are joined byCheri-Ann the owner of Amplify
Holistic Cheri-Ann, welcome tothe show.
Cheri-Ann Santini (00:24):
Hi, Doug.
Thanks for having me.
Doug Drohan (00:26):
So before we we uh went on air, so to speak, we
learned that you were down thestreet from me.
You're in close to New Jersey,and that's also where your
studio is.
And uh we grew up near eachother because I grew up in Long
Island and you grew up in umactually, no, we didn't grow up
near each other because you grewup in South Africa, but uh not
not quite the same.
Cheri-Ann Santini (00:48):
So uh so we can see the beach, so yeah,
that's there you go.
Doug Drohan (00:53):
There you go.
I grew up near the water, sodid you just different types of
uh ocean.
Yeah, so Amplify HolisticHealing.
So tell us a little bit aboutwhat that experience is all
about.
Cheri-Ann Santini (01:04):
So Amplify Holistic Healing um was born out
of something that I was reallysearching for for a really long
time.
I have been looking for a placeuh where I could get multiple
alternative healing modalitiesin one place.
(01:25):
Um, you know, in the past,people had this idea that
healing is really linear, and Idon't agree with that at all.
I see it every single day wherehealing within the body happens
through movement, throughsound, through Reiki.
It's all these variousdisciplines coming together that
(01:47):
help you on your journey ofhealing.
So in the past, when I waslooking and on my own healing
journey, I would find one persondoing Reiki, another one doing
yoga, and I would have to go seethree to four, five different
people.
Not only was it extremely umtime consuming, it was
(02:09):
expensive, and it was in thisneed for myself, really, that I
was just like, this isunsustainable.
I I've been collecting anddoing all these modalities for
years.
I'm gonna open up this space.
Naturally, as a yoga teacher,people open up and speak to me,
(02:29):
and this happened many, manyyears ago.
So I decided to um get my lifecoaching certification.
Then I did Reiki, hypnotherapy,sound healing.
Sound healing has been with methe longest.
Um, before sound healing was athing out here, and I now
incorporate all of those thingsin one session.
(02:52):
Now, we uh if you were to visitme, Doug, at my studio and you
say to me, we'll sit down, we'llhave a little uh bit of talk
therapy, and then becauseeveryone comes with something
obviously that they'd love towork through.
We'd have some talk therapy,and then together you and I
would decide what course ofaction is best.
(03:15):
Uh, you know, you could belike, Sherry, I really feel like
I need a hypnotherapy sessionto work through these things and
um to close up with some Reikifor integration.
Whatever, it could be Sherry.
Today I want movement and thensound healing and Reiki to close
off the experience.
So within one hour to an hour30 with me, we would do up to
(03:44):
three different modalities, youknow.
So it's a really full,well-packaged um offering
without having to go see three,four, five different people and
just having to retell your storyover and over again.
Yeah, people ask me what I do,and I immediately, without
(04:07):
thinking, I always answer and Isay, I hold space for people.
Okay.
You come see me, you are safe.
I hold that space for you.
And whatever we need to workthrough, we work through it
together in a very robust, fullmanner.
Doug Drohan (04:28):
So, can you explain what Reiki is?
Cheri-Ann Santini (04:32):
Oh, absolutely, yes.
So, Reiki is the energy that wework with of everything around
us, right?
Now, I like to preface this bysaying that you are your own
healer, in that if you believethat you cannot be healed, then
(04:55):
you won't be.
Doug Drohan (04:56):
Right, right.
Cheri-Ann Santini (04:57):
Right.
So I've actually um turned onworking with some people because
they they walk into it withthis mindset of, well, prove to
me, I don't have to proveanything to you.
If you're really coming in withthis skeptical mindset, you
know, come see me when you'reready, you know, but maybe not
today.
Um, I basically just act as aconduit of this energy.
(05:22):
And this is why I name mybusiness Amplify, because I take
the energy that you're seekingand that you need for healing,
and I become a channel and helpamplify that energy and direct
it to where it needs to go.
I'm not healing you, I'm simplycalling in the energy that you
(05:42):
are yourself trying to pull into heal your own body.
I just come in and I amplifyit.
Before session, I don't eatsome days.
I don't eat at all.
I just love to be a very clear,open channel for whomever I'm
working with.
Yeah, and um, Reiki is a lotmore in-depth in that we um open
(06:06):
up energy spaces and feelsthrough symbols and healing
symbols, and it's just very,very beautiful.
It's a very beautiful practice.
I my very first Reikiexperience, I um was sitting
with my mentor and um my Reikimaster teacher, and um just
(06:29):
before going to see her earlierthat day, I injured myself, my
knee, and I could could barelywalk on it.
And I went to sit down withher, and she had no idea that I
had this much pain.
And she did Reiki on me, andshe came down to my knee, and I
felt this heat, this intenseheat of my knee.
(06:52):
And at the end of it, I said toher, I felt this, and she just
smiled and she was like, Well,it means it's working, okay,
good, you know, blah, whatever,moving on.
Okay, I leave and I live 10minutes from her.
On the way home, I start likemy knees start feeling better
already.
(07:13):
And I get home and I say to myhusband, I don't have any pain
in my knee.
This is crazy.
It's like 10 minutes later.
Not only did I not have anymore pain, I've always had
problematic knees because I ranmy whole life.
It felt like she reset thatknee to factory settings.
(07:34):
Wow, I know.
And I was just like, if if Ineeded to like really be a
believer in Reiki, like that wasmy own personal moment and
experience with it.
And I was just like, Whew, whatis this?
I need to know everything, Ineed to learn everything, and I
did.
Doug Drohan (07:50):
So let's let's go back there then.
So your um your journey towhere you are now, right?
I mean, we started off justtalking about your business, but
how did you and you grew up inSouth Africa and you had this
burning desire to live in NewJersey?
Um but yeah, so like what likeuh your experience, like how did
(08:11):
you get in?
Was yoga the first kind ofmodality?
Uh, or were you a life coachfirst?
Like, why why do you do whatyou do?
Like, how did you get to here?
Cheri-Ann Santini (08:22):
Yoga, uh yes, um, very good question.
Yoga was definitely the firstum of everything that came
along.
I never intended to be a yogateacher.
My first yoga class I took, ohmy goodness, like uh 16 years
ago.
(08:42):
And uh from the very firsttime, I fell hopelessly in love
with the practice.
Didn't know what I was doing.
I couldn't touch my toes.
I was a runner, I was gonnaslide and then I um wanted to
know everything.
I'm I'm just this way inclined.
(09:02):
I need to know everything thatthe I could possibly know about
a thing that I'm in love with.
Guitar is uh is that for meright now.
And um I then went and I took ateacher training, and I
progressed really fast in yogabefore the teacher training
because I was just obsessed withit.
And then I did my teachertraining because I wanted to
(09:25):
know everything there was toknow about the philosophy of
yoga, okay, and then um theopportunity opened up for me to
teach, and someone said, You'dbe the dream on my dream team if
you could teach for me.
And I was like, sure, I'll giveit a shot.
And it's not a knack for it.
So it started there, but thenpeople started.
(09:45):
Um, and through the yogateacher teacher training, I
learned sound, I heard learnedall these things.
Then um, as time progressed,people naturally open up to you
out of yoga after yoga.
I started doing one-on-one yogawith people, private yoga, and
um the natural next step was forme to you know become a life
(10:11):
coach so that I could come andhelp people from um a deeper,
better understanding, you know,give them some proper guidance
per se, you know, rather than mejust freewheeling it, I could
really help people.
I have that responsibility, Ifelt like so I did.
(10:31):
I became a life coach.
And as time passed, I then umadded Reiki to it as well and
hypnotherapy, and um, it wasduring this time that Amplify
was starting to uh form insideof my head, and it was just
time, yes.
Doug Drohan (10:51):
Wow, wow.
So when did you uh come to thestates?
Cheri-Ann Santini (10:56):
I came to the states in 2006, okay, yes.
Doug Drohan (11:01):
And uh well, so I mean, what has the um what's
that a long time ago, yeah.
Yeah, yeah.
Uh what has the like experiencebeen of owning your own
business?
You know, like you go out onyour own, and obviously you're
driven by this passion to helppeople.
Um but you know, I always say,like when I went off on my own,
(11:24):
that um there's a lot ofattractive things about being
your own boss.
Um, but with great power comesgreat responsibilities.
Cheri-Ann Santini (11:33):
Hey there, Spider-Man.
Doug Drohan (11:35):
Spider-Man, yeah.
And uh, you know, there's a lotyou have to earn to enjoy the
fruits of being a businessowner, and there's a lot of
things that go along with itthat could be a roller coaster.
So um, what has your experiencebeen like?
And if you don't mind, is thereany advice you could give to
anyone, whether they're in theum, you know, say the health and
(11:57):
wellness space that you're inor any kind of job, any kind of
vertical?
Cheri-Ann Santini (12:03):
I feel like you're absolutely right in
saying that, you know, um, inquoting Spider-Man there, um,
you know, it does take a lot ofresponsibility in opening up
your own business, obviously.
I feel that it was just numberone, I as much as I love
(12:27):
working, helping other peopleout, I was never satisfied in
just being that part of thepuzzle for somebody else.
Yeah, you understand?
I needed, I always knew that Iwould do my own thing and um
build my own thing.
(12:48):
It takes a lot of discipline.
And you know, I am veryfree-spirited and I don't like
necessarily enjoy conforming.
So this is my daily struggle,but my daily struggle always
turns out to be my biggestblessing when I sit down and I
(13:10):
pull focus and I um show thatdiscipline, right?
Yeah, um, practice thatdiscipline.
For those looking to get intothe wellness space, um I often
say this to people, you know,you if your heart's calling is
(13:31):
really there and you really havean appetite for it, for to
trust that things are going towork out in your favor no matter
what.
It's a little you're gonna be alittle bit delusional, you
know.
It's like, yeah, everyone wantswhat I have to offer, right?
Right, and um, believe it.
Yeah, um, if you have thestomach with that to not know
(13:57):
what's going to happen next,yeah, freaking go for it.
Go for it.
What were you waiting for?
Yeah, you know, it's likewhat's the worst that's gonna
happen?
It's not gonna work out.
Yeah, too, too bad.
Doug Drohan (14:13):
Yeah, I mean, listen, there's a bit of a you
know, you have to be a bit of arisk taker, maybe in in some
some ways to be, you know, somepeople don't like to fly without
a net.
They need that security, thatthat steady paycheck, even
though there's not no guaranteeswith that either.
Yeah, so many of us have beenthrough that.
But um, no, it's interesting.
I um, you know, as you weresaying that, I I just thought of
(14:37):
um, you know, there's justthere's a lot of unknowns.
And um, but when I was uh Ithink I was talking before we
came on air, I was in Europethis weekend and uh I was
sitting with friends from fromdifferent countries in Europe
and they were asking me, what'sgoing on in America, man, you
know?
And uh so there was a lot ofconcern about things that are
(15:00):
going on here, um, and you know,whatever, uh, you know, how
Europeans view us now as theymight have viewed us a
generation ago.
And I said, But the one thingthat's it's good about America,
not the one thing, but one thingthat I did highlight, and using
my experience as a as anexample, is that in America,
you're encouraged in a lot ofways to take risks.
(15:21):
I mean, there's so muchopportunity to be creative and
reinvent yourself.
And if you fail, it's okay.
And I think you know, thereason why Silicon Valley and a
lot of things that are have comeout of America, it's because of
our culture of creativity andand being able to try and fail
(15:42):
and try again.
And maybe some other countriesthey don't, it's not as
encouraged.
And you might be able to speakof this from I don't know what
South Africa is like, butcertainly in Germany and some
other countries, it might be alittle bit more conservative,
where you don't take those risksbecause it's it's just not in
their DNA.
Whereas in America, it's morein our DNA, and a lot of
(16:05):
generations of families grow upwith that.
Cheri-Ann Santini (16:10):
Africa's pretty conservative in that way
too.
It's like you have to find yourprofession and stick with it
for the rest of your life,regardless of your passions, you
know.
And I I think that you know, ifyou're really truly passionate
about something and yourresilience and you know false
(16:35):
falling over, you're stabbingyour toe, falling over doesn't
scare you, yeah.
And you're just gonna roll inthe dirt.
Um I mean, pick yourself up.
If you have that inside of you,then um go for it.
You know, I can't think of umanything more tragic, Doug, than
(16:57):
to see the line and just likewatch it from a distance without
actually trying to cross thatline.
You know, like I'm reallyspeaking from a heart.
Yeah, I just I if thisresonates with anybody hearing
it, hearing what I have to sayright now, we have this one
(17:19):
life.
This one life.
I believe that if you aredreaming about a certain
something in your head, there'sit's been put in your mind for a
reason.
Doug Drohan (17:32):
Right.
Cheri-Ann Santini (17:32):
Have the ability to see that dream
through, it wouldn't be with youotherwise.
You know, we just need to findthe courage within to be able to
step forth and make thosemoves, make those moves, yeah.
Doug Drohan (17:47):
Yeah, uh, you know, it's funny.
I was in the airport yesterday,and when you um come into the
airport, there is uh uh this NewJersey Hall of Fame kind of
list of all these famous NewJersey people.
Speaker 4 (18:07):
Are you on it?
Doug Drohan (18:08):
Are you on that Hall of Fame?
Yeah, you know, Jack NicholsonJack Nicholson, uh Susan
Sarandon, but Susan Sarandon,you know, Albert Einstein, even
though he wasn't born here, butfamous guy from Jersey and
Christopher Reeves and so manyothers.
And there was a quote, and I'mtrying to find it, but it was
kind of like along the lines ofwhat you're saying, um about you
(18:32):
know having a dream andfollowing it.
But yeah, there's also youknow, the risk, like, and this
is something that I heardsomebody say the the worst
advice you can give a graduate,whether it's high school or it's
a college graduate, is youknow, when they ask you, what's
the one key to your success?
And they say, follow yourpassion.
(18:53):
And you know, a lot of people,uh, you could say, was that tax
attorney passionate, or that wasthat accountant, you know,
who's really successful,passionate about accounting.
Yeah, and maybe they didn'twake up one day and say, I love
it, but you know, you you workat something, and if you
dedicate yourself to it, thenyou might find that that's your
(19:15):
niche, and then you do develop apassion.
Yes, but having a passion isnot enough if you don't have
grit.
Yeah, I think that's what I'mgetting at is like a lot of
people like we were saying, Oh,yeah, I want to own my own
business, I want to own a yogastudio, I want to do that, but
how many of them fail?
And I meet so many businessowners and so many new
businesses, and when I walk outof our meeting, I realize why so
(19:36):
many people fail in business.
And um, they might have apassion, but they don't have a
plan.
Yeah, or you know, in the wordsI I quote a lot of people, but
like Tyson, uh, everybody has aplan until they get punched in
the mouth.
Yeah, and when you start yourown business, you get punched in
the mouth a lot.
Cheri-Ann Santini (19:54):
There's a lot of it's very unsexy behind the
scenes, yeah.
Doug Drohan (19:58):
Yeah, exactly.
Cheri-Ann Santini (19:59):
Everybody sees the the glory, but they
don't see how you rolled up yoursleeves every day and they
don't see the tears, the thingsin between, you know, what it
took to get there.
Um yeah, and you know, I for methat is like when I look back
on it, it's it's like it playslike a beautiful little you see.
(20:22):
I'm gonna make everythingbeautiful.
Like I'll look back on it, it'slike I look back at this
beautiful reel that plays on mystruggle, my journey to get
where I'm at, and it's gotbeautiful music over it, you
know.
I look back on it fondly, eventhough I think a lot of people
would be like, um, oh hell no,like that's not for me.
(20:45):
She went through too much toget there.
Like, I would want to havesomeone pay a steady paycheck
every month, take care of myhealth insurance, you know.
Yeah, no, I um I guess uh Ididn't choose this life, it
chose me.
Doug Drohan (21:02):
So um, so who's who's a good um I'll call client
or patient?
Like who is coming to you?
Like if I'm uh you know,somebody's in pain, like you,
obviously, your first experiencewas knee pain, but yeah, you
know, you do things likemindfulness, like here we are,
we're in Bergen County.
(21:23):
Yes, we deal with a lot ofpeople that are in high stress
careers or just raising afamily, yes, going to all these
sporting events with your kidsand spending all the money on
club sports and all these otherthings.
Um is your, if I could say,typical or ideal client, the
(21:44):
person that's gonna come to youfor uh in a number of different
modalities.
So maybe they like I've takenmindfulness classes, right?
And a friend of mine is isdealing with uh cancer right
now, and she said thatmeditation really works for her.
And then her friend, ourfriend, these are my friends
that I was with in Munich thisweekend.
She teaches yoga, and I said,Yeah, you know, I've tried um
(22:09):
meditation, but she's like, Whatdo you mean tried?
And and I said, No, you'reright, because I I hate that
word.
Oh, I tried, no, you either doit or you don't.
Yeah, and the point is, I didtry it, but I my mind goes off
in different directions, andI've taken mindfulness classes
before.
So getting back to my questionbecause I'm like blabbering on.
I know I like learning.
(22:29):
I want to get to the point oflike, who you who do you help?
Like, who if I'm listening tothis, yes.
Uh who's an ideal client foryou if if there could be such a
person?
Cheri-Ann Santini (22:42):
I um right now I am seeing people across
the age spectrum.
Speaker 4 (22:49):
Okay.
Cheri-Ann Santini (22:50):
From young people dealing with anxiety.
Uh I was teaching someone howto breathe breathe again.
You know.
Doug Drohan (23:01):
Okay.
Cheri-Ann Santini (23:02):
Uh it's so it sounds so silly, but it's so
important to know how to connectwith your breath and yourself
again to help keep anxieties atbay to strengthen the mind as
well in that process.
I see a lot of um people comingto male and female for
(23:23):
hypnotherapy to help healhypnotherapy and Reiki, to help
heal past hurts that may havestopped them on their journey
from fulfilling their highestpotential or a block happened in
their life, and they want torevisit that or release it.
(23:46):
So I see a lot of people comein for that.
I have others coming in to seeme for movement, um, yoga
one-on-one.
And I offer movement and soundhealing.
Um that package together isvery powerful.
Yoga, sound healing, and reiki.
(24:07):
That when nobody when I teach acommunity class, when I'm done
in my class, Doug, nobody getsup.
Speaker 4 (24:18):
Really?
Cheri-Ann Santini (24:18):
Everyone just lays there and I hold space
with them until they're feelthey're ready to move again.
Speaker 4 (24:25):
Wow.
Cheri-Ann Santini (24:26):
It's a very, very powerful offering.
So I have I have the housewifecoming to see me, you know.
Um, I have businessmen andbusinesswomen coming to see me.
Okay, I have kids coming to seeme.
I have it's not just oneperson.
We all have something that wefeel we need a little bit of
(24:48):
hand holding with.
We need someone to love on us,to hold us, to hold space for
us, and to be in a place wherewe're safe, and that in that
safety we could begin to bloomagain.
Yeah, you know.
Um, think about it.
What places offer you that?
(25:09):
Yeah, not a yoga studio.
I love my yoga studios locally,each and every one of them, but
not one yoga studio, notYomasus, not any, you know,
right.
Where I really, and it breaksmy heart, like I really I feel
the sadness come over me rightnow.
What we're really dealing withthat I see a lot is loneliness.
(25:34):
There's so much loneliness.
People that are surrounded bypeople every single day, and
they are feeling like they'realone, yeah, and that breaks my
heart.
And I see and work with thatdaily, and you know, if you just
(25:59):
need a space to rest your headfor an hour, I wish I wish I had
uh background music going rightnow because we got it is just
uh people walk away from me likethey always hear this a lot.
I feel so much lighter, I canbreathe again.
(26:20):
I feel like I'm coming back tomyself, I'm getting used.
I feel like I'm back to myself,and I always just want people
to move toward their mostauthentic self because when you
are operating from that space,when you're honest with
yourself, you could serve peoplearound you in the best, best
(26:41):
way.
Whereas previously, if you'reoperating from a space where you
really closed or forget it,like it's not coming through,
you're unable to help people.
Doug Drohan (26:53):
That's great, that's great.
Cheri-Ann Santini (26:55):
Oh my god, yeah, I could that's amazing.
Doug Drohan (26:57):
Um, so how would people get in touch with you?
Like, what's the best way toreach you?
Cheri-Ann Santini (27:02):
I feel like Google My Name, uh Cheri-Ann
Santini, amplify her list tohealing.
You'll find me on Instagram.
You'd find me through mywebsite.
My website and Instagram uh hasa lot of information about what
it is that I do.
(27:22):
I try to keep it current withevents, workshops that I'm
having, um, new offerings, whereI'm doing community classes.
Try, try it.
If you're unsure, this you likethis is not for me, it's for
you.
It's for me.
Give it a shot.
You know, there's sometimeswhat shows up in life, and I
(27:44):
speak about a lot, isresistance.
If you have that resistance toanything, it means you need to
move even quicker toward thatpoint because the ego stops you
from growing your true self,it's gonna keep you comfortable
and it lies to you.
So in the moment you hitresistance, step a little closer
(28:09):
and faster toward that onething that's being resistance
your way.
Yeah, yeah.
Doug Drohan (28:14):
Wow, that's amazing.
Well, Cheri-Ann, I reallyappreciate you joining us.
Um, this was amazing.
Speaker 4 (28:21):
Exactly, thanks.
Doug Drohan (28:22):
And uh yeah, so we're gonna um just have Chuck
say goodbye, and uh you and I'llbe right back.
Cheri-Ann Santini (28:30):
Sure thing.
Doug Drohan (28:31):
All right, and and just you know, you said Shari
Ann, it's spelt C-H-E-R-I,hyphen an n Santini, Cheri-Ann
Santini, based in Cloister, NewJersey.
Cheri-Ann Santini (28:41):
That's right.
Thank you so much, Chuck.
Intro/Close (28:43):
Thank you.
Thank you for listening to theGood Neighbor Podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on
the show, go to gnpbergen.com.
That's gnpbergen.com or call201 298 8325.
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place
where local businesses andneighbors come together.
Here's your host, Doug Drohan.
Doug Drohan (00:11):
Hey everyone, how are how are you?
This is Doug from BergenNeighbors Media Group, and I am
the host of the Good NeighborPodcast.
Today we are joined byCheri-Ann the owner of Amplify
Holistic Cheri-Ann, welcome tothe show.
Cheri-Ann Santini (00:24):
Hi, Doug.
Thanks for having me.
Doug Drohan (00:26):
So before we we uh went on air, so to speak, we
learned that you were down thestreet from me.
You're in close to New Jersey,and that's also where your
studio is.
And uh we grew up near eachother because I grew up in Long
Island and you grew up in umactually, no, we didn't grow up
near each other because you grewup in South Africa, but uh not
not quite the same.
Cheri-Ann Santini (00:48):
So uh so we can see the beach, so yeah,
that's there you go.
Doug Drohan (00:53):
There you go.
I grew up near the water, sodid you just different types of
uh ocean.
Yeah, so Amplify HolisticHealing.
So tell us a little bit aboutwhat that experience is all
about.
Cheri-Ann Santini (01:04):
So Amplify Holistic Healing um was born out
of something that I was reallysearching for for a really long
time.
I have been looking for a placeuh where I could get multiple
alternative healing modalitiesin one place.
(01:25):
Um, you know, in the past,people had this idea that
healing is really linear, and Idon't agree with that at all.
I see it every single day wherehealing within the body happens
through movement, throughsound, through Reiki.
It's all these variousdisciplines coming together that
(01:47):
help you on your journey ofhealing.
So in the past, when I waslooking and on my own healing
journey, I would find one persondoing Reiki, another one doing
yoga, and I would have to go seethree to four, five different
people.
Not only was it extremely umtime consuming, it was
(02:09):
expensive, and it was in thisneed for myself, really, that I
was just like, this isunsustainable.
I I've been collecting anddoing all these modalities for
years.
I'm gonna open up this space.
Naturally, as a yoga teacher,people open up and speak to me,
(02:29):
and this happened many, manyyears ago.
So I decided to um get my lifecoaching certification.
Then I did Reiki, hypnotherapy,sound healing.
Sound healing has been with methe longest.
Um, before sound healing was athing out here, and I now
incorporate all of those thingsin one session.
(02:52):
Now, we uh if you were to visitme, Doug, at my studio and you
say to me, we'll sit down, we'llhave a little uh bit of talk
therapy, and then becauseeveryone comes with something
obviously that they'd love towork through.
We'd have some talk therapy,and then together you and I
would decide what course ofaction is best.
(03:15):
Uh, you know, you could belike, Sherry, I really feel like
I need a hypnotherapy sessionto work through these things and
um to close up with some Reikifor integration.
Whatever, it could be Sherry.
Today I want movement and thensound healing and Reiki to close
off the experience.
So within one hour to an hour30 with me, we would do up to
(03:44):
three different modalities, youknow.
So it's a really full,well-packaged um offering
without having to go see three,four, five different people and
just having to retell your storyover and over again.
Yeah, people ask me what I do,and I immediately, without
(04:07):
thinking, I always answer and Isay, I hold space for people.
Okay.
You come see me, you are safe.
I hold that space for you.
And whatever we need to workthrough, we work through it
together in a very robust, fullmanner.
Doug Drohan (04:28):
So, can you explain what Reiki is?
Cheri-Ann Santini (04:32):
Oh, absolutely, yes.
So, Reiki is the energy that wework with of everything around
us, right?
Now, I like to preface this bysaying that you are your own
healer, in that if you believethat you cannot be healed, then
(04:55):
you won't be.
Doug Drohan (04:56):
Right, right.
Cheri-Ann Santini (04:57):
Right.
So I've actually um turned onworking with some people because
they they walk into it withthis mindset of, well, prove to
me, I don't have to proveanything to you.
If you're really coming in withthis skeptical mindset, you
know, come see me when you'reready, you know, but maybe not
today.
Um, I basically just act as aconduit of this energy.
(05:22):
And this is why I name mybusiness Amplify, because I take
the energy that you're seekingand that you need for healing,
and I become a channel and helpamplify that energy and direct
it to where it needs to go.
I'm not healing you, I'm simplycalling in the energy that you
(05:42):
are yourself trying to pull into heal your own body.
I just come in and I amplifyit.
Before session, I don't eatsome days.
I don't eat at all.
I just love to be a very clear,open channel for whomever I'm
working with.
Yeah, and um, Reiki is a lotmore in-depth in that we um open
(06:06):
up energy spaces and feelsthrough symbols and healing
symbols, and it's just very,very beautiful.
It's a very beautiful practice.
I my very first Reikiexperience, I um was sitting
with my mentor and um my Reikimaster teacher, and um just
(06:29):
before going to see her earlierthat day, I injured myself, my
knee, and I could could barelywalk on it.
And I went to sit down withher, and she had no idea that I
had this much pain.
And she did Reiki on me, andshe came down to my knee, and I
felt this heat, this intenseheat of my knee.
(06:52):
And at the end of it, I said toher, I felt this, and she just
smiled and she was like, Well,it means it's working, okay,
good, you know, blah, whatever,moving on.
Okay, I leave and I live 10minutes from her.
On the way home, I start likemy knees start feeling better
already.
(07:13):
And I get home and I say to myhusband, I don't have any pain
in my knee.
This is crazy.
It's like 10 minutes later.
Not only did I not have anymore pain, I've always had
problematic knees because I ranmy whole life.
It felt like she reset thatknee to factory settings.
(07:34):
Wow, I know.
And I was just like, if if Ineeded to like really be a
believer in Reiki, like that wasmy own personal moment and
experience with it.
And I was just like, Whew, whatis this?
I need to know everything, Ineed to learn everything, and I
did.
Doug Drohan (07:50):
So let's let's go back there then.
So your um your journey towhere you are now, right?
I mean, we started off justtalking about your business, but
how did you and you grew up inSouth Africa and you had this
burning desire to live in NewJersey?
Um but yeah, so like what likeuh your experience, like how did
(08:11):
you get in?
Was yoga the first kind ofmodality?
Uh, or were you a life coachfirst?
Like, why why do you do whatyou do?
Like, how did you get to here?
Cheri-Ann Santini (08:22):
Yoga, uh yes, um, very good question.
Yoga was definitely the firstum of everything that came
along.
I never intended to be a yogateacher.
My first yoga class I took, ohmy goodness, like uh 16 years
ago.
(08:42):
And uh from the very firsttime, I fell hopelessly in love
with the practice.
Didn't know what I was doing.
I couldn't touch my toes.
I was a runner, I was gonnaslide and then I um wanted to
know everything.
I'm I'm just this way inclined.
(09:02):
I need to know everything thatthe I could possibly know about
a thing that I'm in love with.
Guitar is uh is that for meright now.
And um I then went and I took ateacher training, and I
progressed really fast in yogabefore the teacher training
because I was just obsessed withit.
And then I did my teachertraining because I wanted to
(09:25):
know everything there was toknow about the philosophy of
yoga, okay, and then um theopportunity opened up for me to
teach, and someone said, You'dbe the dream on my dream team if
you could teach for me.
And I was like, sure, I'll giveit a shot.
And it's not a knack for it.
So it started there, but thenpeople started.
(09:45):
Um, and through the yogateacher teacher training, I
learned sound, I heard learnedall these things.
Then um, as time progressed,people naturally open up to you
out of yoga after yoga.
I started doing one-on-one yogawith people, private yoga, and
um the natural next step was forme to you know become a life
(10:11):
coach so that I could come andhelp people from um a deeper,
better understanding, you know,give them some proper guidance
per se, you know, rather than mejust freewheeling it, I could
really help people.
I have that responsibility, Ifelt like so I did.
(10:31):
I became a life coach.
And as time passed, I then umadded Reiki to it as well and
hypnotherapy, and um, it wasduring this time that Amplify
was starting to uh form insideof my head, and it was just
time, yes.
Doug Drohan (10:51):
Wow, wow.
So when did you uh come to thestates?
Cheri-Ann Santini (10:56):
I came to the states in 2006, okay, yes.
Doug Drohan (11:01):
And uh well, so I mean, what has the um what's
that a long time ago, yeah.
Yeah, yeah.
Uh what has the like experiencebeen of owning your own
business?
You know, like you go out onyour own, and obviously you're
driven by this passion to helppeople.
Um but you know, I always say,like when I went off on my own,
(11:24):
that um there's a lot ofattractive things about being
your own boss.
Um, but with great power comesgreat responsibilities.
Cheri-Ann Santini (11:33):
Hey there, Spider-Man.
Doug Drohan (11:35):
Spider-Man, yeah.
And uh, you know, there's a lotyou have to earn to enjoy the
fruits of being a businessowner, and there's a lot of
things that go along with itthat could be a roller coaster.
So um, what has your experiencebeen like?
And if you don't mind, is thereany advice you could give to
anyone, whether they're in theum, you know, say the health and
(11:57):
wellness space that you're inor any kind of job, any kind of
vertical?
Cheri-Ann Santini (12:03):
I feel like you're absolutely right in
saying that, you know, um, inquoting Spider-Man there, um,
you know, it does take a lot ofresponsibility in opening up
your own business, obviously.
I feel that it was just numberone, I as much as I love
(12:27):
working, helping other peopleout, I was never satisfied in
just being that part of thepuzzle for somebody else.
Yeah, you understand?
I needed, I always knew that Iwould do my own thing and um
build my own thing.
(12:48):
It takes a lot of discipline.
And you know, I am veryfree-spirited and I don't like
necessarily enjoy conforming.
So this is my daily struggle,but my daily struggle always
turns out to be my biggestblessing when I sit down and I
(13:10):
pull focus and I um show thatdiscipline, right?
Yeah, um, practice thatdiscipline.
For those looking to get intothe wellness space, um I often
say this to people, you know,you if your heart's calling is
(13:31):
really there and you really havean appetite for it, for to
trust that things are going towork out in your favor no matter
what.
It's a little you're gonna be alittle bit delusional, you
know.
It's like, yeah, everyone wantswhat I have to offer, right?
Right, and um, believe it.
Yeah, um, if you have thestomach with that to not know
(13:57):
what's going to happen next,yeah, freaking go for it.
Go for it.
What were you waiting for?
Yeah, you know, it's likewhat's the worst that's gonna
happen?
It's not gonna work out.
Yeah, too, too bad.
Doug Drohan (14:13):
Yeah, I mean, listen, there's a bit of a you
know, you have to be a bit of arisk taker, maybe in in some
some ways to be, you know, somepeople don't like to fly without
a net.
They need that security, thatthat steady paycheck, even
though there's not no guaranteeswith that either.
Yeah, so many of us have beenthrough that.
But um, no, it's interesting.
I um, you know, as you weresaying that, I I just thought of
(14:37):
um, you know, there's justthere's a lot of unknowns.
And um, but when I was uh Ithink I was talking before we
came on air, I was in Europethis weekend and uh I was
sitting with friends from fromdifferent countries in Europe
and they were asking me, what'sgoing on in America, man, you
know?
And uh so there was a lot ofconcern about things that are
(15:00):
going on here, um, and you know,whatever, uh, you know, how
Europeans view us now as theymight have viewed us a
generation ago.
And I said, But the one thingthat's it's good about America,
not the one thing, but one thingthat I did highlight, and using
my experience as a as anexample, is that in America,
you're encouraged in a lot ofways to take risks.
(15:21):
I mean, there's so muchopportunity to be creative and
reinvent yourself.
And if you fail, it's okay.
And I think you know, thereason why Silicon Valley and a
lot of things that are have comeout of America, it's because of
our culture of creativity andand being able to try and fail
(15:42):
and try again.
And maybe some other countriesthey don't, it's not as
encouraged.
And you might be able to speakof this from I don't know what
South Africa is like, butcertainly in Germany and some
other countries, it might be alittle bit more conservative,
where you don't take those risksbecause it's it's just not in
their DNA.
Whereas in America, it's morein our DNA, and a lot of
(16:05):
generations of families grow upwith that.
Cheri-Ann Santini (16:10):
Africa's pretty conservative in that way
too.
It's like you have to find yourprofession and stick with it
for the rest of your life,regardless of your passions, you
know.
And I I think that you know, ifyou're really truly passionate
about something and yourresilience and you know false
(16:35):
falling over, you're stabbingyour toe, falling over doesn't
scare you, yeah.
And you're just gonna roll inthe dirt.
Um I mean, pick yourself up.
If you have that inside of you,then um go for it.
You know, I can't think of umanything more tragic, Doug, than
(16:57):
to see the line and just likewatch it from a distance without
actually trying to cross thatline.
You know, like I'm reallyspeaking from a heart.
Yeah, I just I if thisresonates with anybody hearing
it, hearing what I have to sayright now, we have this one
(17:19):
life.
This one life.
I believe that if you aredreaming about a certain
something in your head, there'sit's been put in your mind for a
reason.
Doug Drohan (17:32):
Right.
Cheri-Ann Santini (17:32):
Have the ability to see that dream
through, it wouldn't be with youotherwise.
You know, we just need to findthe courage within to be able to
step forth and make thosemoves, make those moves, yeah.
Doug Drohan (17:47):
Yeah, uh, you know, it's funny.
I was in the airport yesterday,and when you um come into the
airport, there is uh uh this NewJersey Hall of Fame kind of
list of all these famous NewJersey people.
Speaker 4 (18:07):
Are you on it?
Doug Drohan (18:08):
Are you on that Hall of Fame?
Yeah, you know, Jack NicholsonJack Nicholson, uh Susan
Sarandon, but Susan Sarandon,you know, Albert Einstein, even
though he wasn't born here, butfamous guy from Jersey and
Christopher Reeves and so manyothers.
And there was a quote, and I'mtrying to find it, but it was
kind of like along the lines ofwhat you're saying, um about you
(18:32):
know having a dream andfollowing it.
But yeah, there's also youknow, the risk, like, and this
is something that I heardsomebody say the the worst
advice you can give a graduate,whether it's high school or it's
a college graduate, is youknow, when they ask you, what's
the one key to your success?
And they say, follow yourpassion.
(18:53):
And you know, a lot of people,uh, you could say, was that tax
attorney passionate, or that wasthat accountant, you know,
who's really successful,passionate about accounting.
Yeah, and maybe they didn'twake up one day and say, I love
it, but you know, you you workat something, and if you
dedicate yourself to it, thenyou might find that that's your
(19:15):
niche, and then you do develop apassion.
Yes, but having a passion isnot enough if you don't have
grit.
Yeah, I think that's what I'mgetting at is like a lot of
people like we were saying, Oh,yeah, I want to own my own
business, I want to own a yogastudio, I want to do that, but
how many of them fail?
And I meet so many businessowners and so many new
businesses, and when I walk outof our meeting, I realize why so
(19:36):
many people fail in business.
And um, they might have apassion, but they don't have a
plan.
Yeah, or you know, in the wordsI I quote a lot of people, but
like Tyson, uh, everybody has aplan until they get punched in
the mouth.
Yeah, and when you start yourown business, you get punched in
the mouth a lot.
Cheri-Ann Santini (19:54):
There's a lot of it's very unsexy behind the
scenes, yeah.
Doug Drohan (19:58):
Yeah, exactly.
Cheri-Ann Santini (19:59):
Everybody sees the the glory, but they
don't see how you rolled up yoursleeves every day and they
don't see the tears, the thingsin between, you know, what it
took to get there.
Um yeah, and you know, I for methat is like when I look back
on it, it's it's like it playslike a beautiful little you see.
(20:22):
I'm gonna make everythingbeautiful.
Like I'll look back on it, it'slike I look back at this
beautiful reel that plays on mystruggle, my journey to get
where I'm at, and it's gotbeautiful music over it, you
know.
I look back on it fondly, eventhough I think a lot of people
would be like, um, oh hell no,like that's not for me.
(20:45):
She went through too much toget there.
Like, I would want to havesomeone pay a steady paycheck
every month, take care of myhealth insurance, you know.
Yeah, no, I um I guess uh Ididn't choose this life, it
chose me.
Doug Drohan (21:02):
So um, so who's who's a good um I'll call client
or patient?
Like who is coming to you?
Like if I'm uh you know,somebody's in pain, like you,
obviously, your first experiencewas knee pain, but yeah, you
know, you do things likemindfulness, like here we are,
we're in Bergen County.
(21:23):
Yes, we deal with a lot ofpeople that are in high stress
careers or just raising afamily, yes, going to all these
sporting events with your kidsand spending all the money on
club sports and all these otherthings.
Um is your, if I could say,typical or ideal client, the
(21:44):
person that's gonna come to youfor uh in a number of different
modalities.
So maybe they like I've takenmindfulness classes, right?
And a friend of mine is isdealing with uh cancer right
now, and she said thatmeditation really works for her.
And then her friend, ourfriend, these are my friends
that I was with in Munich thisweekend.
She teaches yoga, and I said,Yeah, you know, I've tried um
(22:09):
meditation, but she's like, Whatdo you mean tried?
And and I said, No, you'reright, because I I hate that
word.
Oh, I tried, no, you either doit or you don't.
Yeah, and the point is, I didtry it, but I my mind goes off
in different directions, andI've taken mindfulness classes
before.
So getting back to my questionbecause I'm like blabbering on.
I know I like learning.
(22:29):
I want to get to the point oflike, who you who do you help?
Like, who if I'm listening tothis, yes.
Uh who's an ideal client foryou if if there could be such a
person?
Cheri-Ann Santini (22:42):
I um right now I am seeing people across
the age spectrum.
Speaker 4 (22:49):
Okay.
Cheri-Ann Santini (22:50):
From young people dealing with anxiety.
Uh I was teaching someone howto breathe breathe again.
You know.
Doug Drohan (23:01):
Okay.
Cheri-Ann Santini (23:02):
Uh it's so it sounds so silly, but it's so
important to know how to connectwith your breath and yourself
again to help keep anxieties atbay to strengthen the mind as
well in that process.
I see a lot of um people comingto male and female for
(23:23):
hypnotherapy to help healhypnotherapy and Reiki, to help
heal past hurts that may havestopped them on their journey
from fulfilling their highestpotential or a block happened in
their life, and they want torevisit that or release it.
(23:46):
So I see a lot of people comein for that.
I have others coming in to seeme for movement, um, yoga
one-on-one.
And I offer movement and soundhealing.
Um that package together isvery powerful.
Yoga, sound healing, and reiki.
(24:07):
That when nobody when I teach acommunity class, when I'm done
in my class, Doug, nobody getsup.
Speaker 4 (24:18):
Really?
Cheri-Ann Santini (24:18):
Everyone just lays there and I hold space
with them until they're feelthey're ready to move again.
Speaker 4 (24:25):
Wow.
Cheri-Ann Santini (24:26):
It's a very, very powerful offering.
So I have I have the housewifecoming to see me, you know.
Um, I have businessmen andbusinesswomen coming to see me.
Okay, I have kids coming to seeme.
I have it's not just oneperson.
We all have something that wefeel we need a little bit of
(24:48):
hand holding with.
We need someone to love on us,to hold us, to hold space for
us, and to be in a place wherewe're safe, and that in that
safety we could begin to bloomagain.
Yeah, you know.
Um, think about it.
What places offer you that?
(25:09):
Yeah, not a yoga studio.
I love my yoga studios locally,each and every one of them, but
not one yoga studio, notYomasus, not any, you know,
right.
Where I really, and it breaksmy heart, like I really I feel
the sadness come over me rightnow.
What we're really dealing withthat I see a lot is loneliness.
(25:34):
There's so much loneliness.
People that are surrounded bypeople every single day, and
they are feeling like they'realone, yeah, and that breaks my
heart.
And I see and work with thatdaily, and you know, if you just
(25:59):
need a space to rest your headfor an hour, I wish I wish I had
uh background music going rightnow because we got it is just
uh people walk away from me likethey always hear this a lot.
I feel so much lighter, I canbreathe again.
(26:20):
I feel like I'm coming back tomyself, I'm getting used.
I feel like I'm back to myself,and I always just want people
to move toward their mostauthentic self because when you
are operating from that space,when you're honest with
yourself, you could serve peoplearound you in the best, best
(26:41):
way.
Whereas previously, if you'reoperating from a space where you
really closed or forget it,like it's not coming through,
you're unable to help people.
Doug Drohan (26:53):
That's great, that's great.
Cheri-Ann Santini (26:55):
Oh my god, yeah, I could that's amazing.
Doug Drohan (26:57):
Um, so how would people get in touch with you?
Like, what's the best way toreach you?
Cheri-Ann Santini (27:02):
I feel like Google My Name, uh Cheri-Ann
Santini, amplify her list tohealing.
You'll find me on Instagram.
You'd find me through mywebsite.
My website and Instagram uh hasa lot of information about what
it is that I do.
(27:22):
I try to keep it current withevents, workshops that I'm
having, um, new offerings, whereI'm doing community classes.
Try, try it.
If you're unsure, this you likethis is not for me, it's for
you.
It's for me.
Give it a shot.
You know, there's sometimeswhat shows up in life, and I
(27:44):
speak about a lot, isresistance.
If you have that resistance toanything, it means you need to
move even quicker toward thatpoint because the ego stops you
from growing your true self,it's gonna keep you comfortable
and it lies to you.
So in the moment you hitresistance, step a little closer
(28:09):
and faster toward that onething that's being resistance
your way.
Yeah, yeah.
Doug Drohan (28:14):
Wow, that's amazing.
Well, Cheri-Ann, I reallyappreciate you joining us.
Um, this was amazing.
Speaker 4 (28:21):
Exactly, thanks.
Doug Drohan (28:22):
And uh yeah, so we're gonna um just have Chuck
say goodbye, and uh you and I'llbe right back.
Cheri-Ann Santini (28:30):
Sure thing.
Doug Drohan (28:31):
All right, and and just you know, you said Shari
Ann, it's spelt C-H-E-R-I,hyphen an n Santini, Cheri-Ann
Santini, based in Cloister, NewJersey.
Cheri-Ann Santini (28:41):
That's right.
Thank you so much, Chuck.
Intro/Close (28:43):
Thank you.
Thank you for listening to theGood Neighbor Podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on
the show, go to gnpbergen.com.
That's gnpbergen.com or call201 298 8325.
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.