I taught English for 11 years and did my best
to be a trusting adult who listened to, respected and loved my
students. They, in turn, gave me far more joy and satisfaction
than I could have ever imagined.
When it was time to leave teaching in 1981, I had no idea what
my next profession would be. What I did know was that I needed
to take some time to nurture myself. Over the next year I explored
wholistic therapies that helped alleviate my severe allergies.
In the process of getting regular massages, changing my diet and
eliminating dairy, meat, wheat and sugar, I lost 35 pounds and
began to feel clearer, healthier and more energetic. I was learning
to take responsibility for my health. It was so exciting and empowering
that I began taking courses to learn more about massage and nutrition,
for my own benefit and to share with others.
The first class I took was in Foot Reflexology. Doing this
massage technique on myself helped to greatly reduce the chronic
tension in my neck. As I practiced on friends, it was very
gratifying to be helping them feel healthier and more relaxed.
Then I took a natural foods cooking class and learned about
whole foods and how to prepare vegetarian meals. This was a
new world for me, having been brought up on meat and potatoes
and canned foods. I read voraciously about different theories
of nutrition, finding out what my body needed to stay healthy.
I've continued eating mainly vegetarian and organic food to
this day and this has served me well.
In 1982 I went to Hippocrates Health Institute in Boston
and did their 3 month Health Ministry Program. There, to my
great delight, we got a taste of many different healing modalities.
As soon as I experienced Trager bodywork, I knew that I wanted
to learn it.
The last level of training was in San Diego in 1983. I flew
there from Montreal and completed the training with Milton
Trager. Then my life took an unexpected turn. A persistent
voice within guided me to stay in San Diego and enroll in a
Master's Program in Wholistic Health. I listened, although
it was a difficult decision to make. I never returned to Montreal.
I received the Masters Degree and completed a Holistic Health
Practitioner Certification from IPSB, a massage school in San
Diego.
The next turning point followed quickly a year later. A friend
handed me a brochure that said Elisabeth Kubler-Ross was giving
a 5 day workshop in California. My inner voice advised me to
sign up. I did, not knowing anything about it, but again trusting
my guidance. The workshop helped transform my life.
Elisabeth created a safe place for all of us to express our
feelings. She didn't let us talk about our feelings, we had
to yell and scream and cry them out. She taught us that emotions
want to move through the body, not be intellectualized. During
the 5 days, one by one, a hundred people knelt down on a mattress
on the floor and let out years of pent-up anger, sadness and
fear.
There was no question in my mind that I needed to learn this
technique Elisabeth called 'Externalization' and share it with
my clients. It was also perfectly clear to me that this was
the missing link in my own healing process.
For the next 6 years I made it my priority to let go of my
backlog of repressed emotions. Whenever old feelings of anger,
sadness and fear would come up, I took care of them. I gave
my feelings the time and the space they needed. I gave them
permission to come out of their hiding places in my belly,
chest, neck, shoulders and throat, where I had successfully
banished them for many years. To my relief they flooded out,
welcoming the chance to be free. My overflowing cup of old
wounds became an overflowing cup of love.
The process of healing my emotions was the most difficult
thing I've ever done. It was also the greatest gift I could
ever give myself. As my heart opened I was able to trust more.
Instead of reacting to life from fear, I began moving from
self-love and self-acceptance to create what I wanted in my
life. Anytime sad, angry or fearful feelings came up, I embraced
them. After feeling them and allowing them to move through
my body, I reconnected with the essence of my being - peace
and joy.
My counseling practice evolved as I listened to peoples' stories
and heard their desires to be free, to be healthy, to love
themselves and to create their life's purpose. I incorporated
all the healing modalities I learned, doing whatever was appropriate
in each session. Being in the moment, I followed my inner guidance,
allowing each person's process to unfold. Guiding and supporting
peoples' spiritual unfoldment has, and continues to be, a great
source of joy in my life.
In 1986 I began taking Hatha Yoga classes after years of
doing different types of exercise that never felt quite 'right'.
At the end of the first class my body sighed deeply and said
'Thank you'. I knew I had found what my body loved and wanted
to do. I 'fell into' teaching yoga 6 months later when my inner
guidance asked me to share some yoga postures with the women
I was teaching a 10 week course to at the time. We did 15 minutes
of yoga at the beginning of each class. Much to my surprise,
when the course was over the women insisted that I continue
to teach yoga. When I tried to assure them that I was not a
'yoga teacher', they insisted that I was. So after 4 years
of 'sharing' yoga, I went up to northern California and completed
a Teacher Training Certification at Ananda. I am very grateful
to be teaching this beautiful, healing form of movement that
elegantly supports me and my students in staying healthy, flexible,
centered and in tune with ourselves.
Then In 1992 I began a magical journey into the world of
color healing. I studied Aura-Soma Color System and Creative
Color. They are similar in that using and applying color to
the body has a beneficial effect on all levels of the being:
physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual. The high vibrations
of color help to facilitate the body's natural desire to come
into balance and harmony. The changes can be subtle yet very
deep. It works on the energy fields, the actual source of the
physical body, bringing them into alignment.
These two systems have greatly enriched my life. They've also
provided my clients with loving support to help awaken their
inner desires, move repressed emotions to the surface and facilitate
their body's natural healing abilities.
My journey has taken me down another fascinating path. As
a certified Interactive Guided Imagery Practitioner, I'm thrilled
to offer this transformative modality that helps people access
their own inner wisdom and guidance. Through imagery, the healing
process is greatly enhanced by providing a wealth of information
and insights. Meaning and relevance to issues and concerns
relating to the body, mind, emotions and spirit are revealed,
so that actions can be taken towards balance and wholeness.
AND THERE'S MORE ... Just when I think I have enough tools
in my tool bag, another incredible hands-on energy technique
called Quantum-Touch® comes into my life. Right after I
took the first workshop and began practicing it, my clients
reported amazing pain relief. Now a certified Quantum-Touch
Practitioner, this powerful healing technique is a quantum
leap in my 18 years of doing energy work.
Soul Retrieval. I feel like I've been preparing to do this
work for the past 20 years. The time is right for me to share
this with others. I believe that we're ready to call our parts
back, the parts of our soul essence that left us during difficult
times in our lives. It's time to integrate them and become
more powerful, more whole, more of who we truly are, so that
we can fulfill our purpose and uplift one another and Mother
Earth. It's a great honor for me to offer Soul Retrievals to
all those who hear the call....
A new path is opening up for me now. A decades-long journey
of deep transformation, deep clearing out of fears, is culminating
in the completion of my first book. This arduous, yet eminently
satisfying experience, has provided me with a treasure-trove
of insights into the writing process. As a result of uncovering
the 'author within', it feels natural and exciting for me to
lead a writing group. I welcome all who desire to express their
inner selves through writing, to join me in "Writing at
Soul Level."
Life has given me many opportunities to heal myself. What
bubbles up in this clearing is a joyful heart, peace of mind,
self-love and compassion to be with others in their pain. If
life is asking you to give your gifts and you feel stuck, fearful,
confused or lost, you may benefit from a Five Day Healing
Retreat at SEVA DEVA. Each day we'll do a three-hour wholistic
counseling session, which includes any of the modalities
that I offer. You'll have time to relax, be nurtured and receive
loving guidance on your healing journey. If you're
ready
for
some deep,
rich,
self-exploration,
allow me to share with you what has helped me live a more
balanced, joyful and creative life.
------------------------------------------
Every day I give thanks and renew my vision of wholeness:
to lovingly take care of all the parts of myself; to nurture
and appreciate my relationship with Dan, the love of my life;
to be of service in my Wholistic Health Practice; to care for
our beautiful home/Retreat Center, sacred gardens and precious
cats Pumpkin and Tyler. My family, although far away, always
has the most special and loving place in my heart. I am forever
grateful to them for their continued love, support and faith
in me. My friends, clients and students bring me great joy.
It's a rich, full, simple life. I have everything I need. I have love.
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