09/02/2026
CHOP WOOD. CARRY WATER.
There’s a saying:
Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.
After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.
I think we often misunderstand what healing is supposed to look like.
We imagine the big breakthrough. The moment everything shifts. The moment we finally “get it.”
And then we think, Great. I’m done.
But maybe the wood doesn’t disappear.
Maybe we simply relate to it differently.
Before the shift:
“Why do I have to keep doing this?”
After the shift:
“I get to do this today.”
The challenges are still there. The seasons still change. Life still asks us to show up.
Healing isn’t about escaping the human experience. It’s about becoming more present for it.
I don’t believe in the idea of one session, one ceremony, or one experience fixing everything forever.
A powerful experience can open a door. It can shift your perspective. It can reconnect you with something you already know deep down.
And then you go home.
You live your life.
You chop your wood.
And there is new wood.
That’s the work.
Continuing to look within.
Noticing what is changing.
Listening to your intuition.
Letting go of patterns that no longer fit.
Coming back to yourself, again and again.
That’s what my work is about.
Not fixing you. You are not broken.
Creating space to listen, reconnect, and explore what’s underneath.
Upcoming gatherings
CACAO CEREMONY
Friday, September 25
6:00–8:30 PM
Hammond Museum
$80
-baum to register
An evening to slow down and come inward through ceremonial cacao, guided meditation, reflection, and connection.
REIKI CERTIFICATION
October 24 & 25
10:00 AM–4:00 PM
Katonah
$100 to register
-baum
Two days of Reiki training, practice, and connection. Lunch included both days.
All details:
www.tesabaum.com/classes
I also offer 1:1 sessions in Quantum Healing Hypnosis, Reiki, and Akashic Field Healing.
For sessions and more information:
www.tesabaum.com/services
[email protected]
You don’t graduate from life.
You become more present for it.
And sometimes, that means simply chopping wood and carrying water.
✨My work offers another pathway for self-discovery and can complement traditional medical or mental-health care.