On today’s episode, we welcome Mariko Frederick, a spiritual teacher and healer who shares the extraordinary experience of crossing the threshold between life and death, and what she learned from it. Her story unfolds as one of transformation and awakening, beginning with a life that seemed to check all the boxes of success: a thriving career in Chinese medicine, a close-knit friend group, and a newly married life filled with promise. But as Mariko recounts, life’s script dramatically shifted when she experienced a near-death encounter that would change everything.Mariko’s near-death experience began unexpectedly after visiting a practitioner who was not licensed, leading to a life-threatening injury. What followed was a profound journey beyond the veil of this world. As Mariko lay feeling her life force slip away, she was met with a decision. "I think I'll just let it fall," she recalls, referring to the weight on her chest that felt like iron. In that moment, she died. But rather than death, she was greeted by a presence—a radiant light, warmer than the sun, a light that seemed so familiar, as if it had always been there.Floating above her body, she witnessed her husband in the kitchen, brewing a medicinal tea, unaware of the spiritual shift that was taking place. Mariko describes feeling a deep love for him, knowing he would be okay even if she were no longer by his side. In that space beyond, she also experienced a life review, seeing not only her life as it was but as it could have been had she fully lived out her soul’s purpose. The review began with a moment from childhood, where she hurt another child intentionally. "I learned we are never to hurt someone on purpose," she shares, and that realization has stayed with her.In her life review, Mariko was guided through moments where she was "soul-aligned" versus when she was "ego-aligned." These moments, she explains, were not about judgment but about understanding the energy we emit when we live in harmony with our true nature versus when we act out of fear or insecurity. Her guides, benevolent beings of pure love, supported her through this process, showering her with love so intense it would have overwhelmed a human body. The message she took from this experience was clear: it was not her time to die; she had more work to do on Earth.The depth of Mariko’s spiritual awakening came with an understanding of her true nature. In that moment of realization, she felt herself dissolve into the oneness of all existence. “I was never Mariko. I was never a rock climber. I was never anything I thought I was,” she says. “I am love, I am joy, I am peace. This is who I am.” The simplicity and clarity of this truth resonated with her, not as an intellectual understanding but as a felt experience of universal connection.After being told by her guides that she had to return to help people, Mariko came back into her body with a new sense of purpose. Her path forward was not to follow conventional routes of medicine but to honor the guidance she received. Her story is one of a soul remembering its divine mission and living in alignment with that truth. Mariko's journey is not just about surviving death; it’s about living life in a state of conscious awareness and service. SPIRITUAL TAKEAWAYS: Soul Alignment vs. Ego Alignment: Mariko's experience teaches us to live in harmony with our soul's purpose, recognizing when our actions come from fear or insecurity, and choosing love instead.The Power of a Life Review: Whether during life or after, a life review offers insight into our choices, helping us see the impact we have on others and how we can better align with our higher self.We Are Infinite Beings: The realization that "I am love, I am peace, I am joy" reminds us that our true essence transcends the roles and identities we hold in this lifetime.In this profound conversation, Mariko Frederick takes us on a journey through death and...