Kristal Lalelei Hill

Creative Director of Design for Free People/ Creative Consultant/ Reiki Master/ Sacred Space Holder

@kristallaleleihill

Where were you raised? Has the landscape of that place influenced your work in any way?

I was born in San Diego CA, but my family moved to Tooele UT when I was just a baby. I was raised in a very small town, where there was just one High School so everybody pretty much knew everybody. Salt Lake City was a little under an hour drive from our house, just on the other side of the mountains. We lived up on the hills in a neighborhood and I had some really close friends, cousins and 3 siblings so we just played outside and ran free much of the time. The land there feels open, wild, but small in terms of the possible expression of self. I knew I was very creative from a young age, and felt limited by what I saw as the possibilities around me for creative expression or human inspiration. I loved going into the nature, camping with family and friends, and exploring consciousness in my own ways as a youth. My Mom was a travel agent, so I started traveling at quite a young age at the time. I remember going to other countries, Mexico and Hawaii in particular in the early 80’s, and it opened my eyes and heart to other ways of living. I developed a deep love of craft, traditional cultures, and was so curious and wanted to be immersed in the rituals and ceremonies of other cultures. I knew I would leave my little town to go explore the great world beyond.

How do you recharge your creative battery?

I have many personal practices, I take a lot of time to care for and nourish myself.

I start each day with Cha Dao, The Way of Tea. I usually have an hour for Tea and Mediation which anchors me into my most centered self on most days.

I create Sacred Bath Rituals using herbs, minerals, oils and sometimes crystals which are incredible at clearing & recharging. Water alchemizes, so when you’ve infused healing herbs and intention into the water and soak it can really get into your body through the open pores without going through the digestive system, it is incredible.

I have ongoing times set aside for Qi Gong, Acupuncture, Bodywork, and other healing modalities.

I spend time immersed in nature almost every day.

I listen to inspiring podcasts, music, mantras  or talk to friends.

And ideally I travel, which is still so inspiring to me.

I love to cook beautiful Plant Based Foods and deeply enjoy them with friends & family.

What book are you reading?

I have a big pile of books on my nightstand and I pick up whatever I’m in the mood for.

I’m currently rotating between:

Hilma AF Klint, Notes and Methods, by Hilma AF Klint

Of People & Plants, by Maurice Messegue

The Second Book of the Tao, by Stephen Mitchell

Siddhartha, by Hermann Hesse

Untamed, by Glennon Doyle

The Way of the Five Seasons, by John Kirkwood

What was the last thing that you fell in love with?

The moon two nights ago. I was in my little healing space at sunset playing my crystal sound bowls and tuning into the inner realms with Quan Yin as my inspiration. When I was finished, I lit a sacred dream smoke blend of Damana, Mugwort, Lavender, Rose, White Sage, Blue Lotus and went on a little walk on the lands, the sky was clear and the moon was a tiny waning crescent. I felt the perfection and majesty of it all, I felt the support and awe of the hidden realms, I felt the beauty of this creation of Earth. I fell in love with that moment. 

What do you love most about yourself?

I love that I am open and live much of my time from my heart.

I love that I can creatively express in a multitude of ways that light me and light others up, and that it can be physical or non-physical.

What do you think is the most important quality in a human?

To have compassion & forgiveness, for yourself & others

Do you have a spiritual practice?

Yes, I have an ever evolving way of experiencing and communicating with Spirit. I feel I have always had a deep connection to Spirit, but didn’t grow up in a religion.  I had some very powerful, transformative experiences during my youth, and later in my 20’s through Ashtanga Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, reading sacred poetry written by Rumi, and gathering in Moon Ceremonies. I later became immersed in Zen Buddhism & Vipassana Meditation, which then drew me to Cha Dao and Reiki as a form of spiritual practice for healing self & others. I have a deep love an reverence for the great mysteries and devote time every day to spiritual practice.

Who are your role models?

I’ve never really identified with having a role model, but I have many people that inspire within me aspects of self that I want to awaken or connect deeper to.

I feel that calling someone a role model is to put them on a pedestal, and that you are then putting yourself beneath them, so I prefer to be inspired by an aspect of someone that I can then integrate into myself.

I am inspired by people that live freely, and who not confined to social or unconscious programming, artists, healers, people living in harmony with the earth, people who follow their own inner way, people who have a spark and are not afraid to light up their life with it, people who are genuine, kind and compassionate.

If you could change one thing about our world, what would it be? Is there a individual or an organization doing work in this area that you want us to know about?

I would have people from all walks of life sit together and drink some tea in silence, to open hearts and connection to each other and all that is.

Global Tea Hut is a beautiful place to get immersed in Tea & Tao and find other practitioners holding space all over the world.

AYAM in LA and New Mexico has beautiful offerings of Tea Ceremony & other Ceremonial work.

Living Tea & Mountain Gate Tea House in Telluride CO has incredible teas & tea ware, and offer ceremonies as well.

Before I die I want to…

Experience everything I came here to experience, and learn everything I came here to learn. I want to live completely free, open myself up to deeper & more expanded levels of love.

All photos courtesy of Kristal Lalelei Hill