Monthly Archives: November 2013
Land Fill Harmonic
I posted this video on my Facebook page a little while back, but when I saw my dear friend Laura Bruno posting it this morning, I was like, “Yes! That is such a timely video/message worth reposting.” I love the empowering and inspirational symbolism that it shares. Not only is it literally so beautifully demonstrative of our creative potentials when nurtured, but also is an example of working at the deepest levels with the challenges and old rubble and turning it into new energy and beauty that has far-reaching effects. Pure alchemy at work and integrative healing that “sees” the light in all things. Not only is music so healing, but it bridges and unites, as it is a universal language, just like the heart of love it is created from. <3
Space is Filling & Only 1 Month Left to Pre-Register & Receive Discount for March’s Reiki Renewal Retreat
Come join me and explore my favorite Crystal Cove Beach, as we integrate a beautiful weekend of expansion together
Don’t forget that there is only one month remaining to take advantage of the Early-Bird Special $100 Off Discount for the upcoming Reiki Renewal Retreat in Laguna Beach, California.
The deadline to pre-register is December 12th. There is very limited space left. So if you are from out of town and intending to join, you may want to at least get in your deposit, as the rooms are on a first come, first served basis. So if you have a specific room need/choice, let me know.
A $500 non-refundable deposit will book your room and hold your space. A payment plan for the remaining balance is offered with full payment due by February 20th.
All details about this empowering and experiential retreat weekend can be found here:
Reiki Renewal Retreat – Spring Equinox in Laguna Beach, California March 20th – 24th, 2014
If you are a local and not staying overnight, but coming for the classes and day’s food and activities, you also won’t want to miss out on this special. Message me for rates in accordance with your class and daily activity choices.
Even though I can accommodate locals joining, there is a limit to the amount of students I can have in the classes, so again, this is on a first come, first served basis and it appears I’m getting close to max. Once I receive current confirmations, I can better let you know how many spots I have left.
I’m so looking forward to our weekend together and meeting the special group of souls that feel called, including those of you I’ve had pleasure of getting to know online. Very exciting!
Add a Little Lavender Love into Your Life
The nostalgia of lavender can bring to mind long summer days, nature’s magick, childhood memories, nurturing baths, tender moments, and of course our enchanting faery friends.
Perhaps it was yesterdays’ “summer-like” weather while we enjoyed a beautiful hike, or maybe it’s just been my own faery craving, but I decided to make some little lavender muffins last night to add to the morning pleasures we’ve been enjoying.
My vegan, gluten-free lavender muffins and lavender-infused dandelion “honey” drizzled cornbread
Be it biscuits, scones, or cornbread, they’ve been much more fun with the lavender-infused dandelion “honey” that a little faery friend of mine freshly brewed up for me. 🙂 Thank you!
I’m currently not much for putting lots of time into food preparations these days, unless inspired or having a gathering, but am so grateful to have access to the plethora of healthy food options where someone like myself that likes to eat organic, non-gmo, vegan, gluten-free foods can find so much to satisfy that is easy and quick.
And, personally, I love lavender-infused foods. Maybe it’s the faery me, but I find flowers and herbs very tummy-and-taste-satisfying, not to mention add a fresh zest that takes you on an “Eden experience.” I also gravitate to the more exotic kombucha flavors (over basic ones) that infuse such things as lavender, elderberry, hibiscus, orange peel, chamomile, fresh-pressed ginger, bilberry, honeysuckle, and red clover.
But, on the topic of lavender, it is not only beautiful, fragrant, and calming, but also extremely powerful with many natural remedy uses, along with the yummy baking, gourmet cooking, and tea infusions you can enjoy it in.
You can explore its many uses online or in books, of which some include in food and drink, in body care and natural household products, in an aromatic sachet, in flower arrangements, essential oils, and remedies, as well as you can create your own. I find that everyone is unique and there are different things that work in different ways for each person. So while you can find much information on lavender uses out there, it’s always good to find what works best for you.
For instance I love lavender in my food and drink, and the fragrance is very enjoyable to me, however when it comes to essential oils, I have personally found peppermint to be my go-to over lavender for soothing clarity and fresh relief that feels both calming and invigorating to me. There just isn’t a black and white guideline you must stick to except your own body’s gauge.
That being said, lavender is known for many to be most useful for relief of anxiety, nervous tension, and stress, as well as good for aches, pains, muscle and joint stiffness. If you’ve ever gone to get a massage you’ll note how lavender is most always used in your session.
In general, lavender is a powerful plant remedy with both physical and uplifting emotional benefits that include being a good sleep aid (helps with insomnia), aiding fatigue, good for insect bites and stings, mild burns and cuts, nausea and motion sickness, skin problems, sunburn, dandruff, cold sores, earaches, headaches and migraines, menstrual cramps, infections, etc.
Everyday Miracles by Tania Marie
So if you’re feeling the need to nurture yourself a bit more these days because of the intense energies, over-stimulus of things in the environment, or the challenges of change, perhaps lavender may be one way that supports you to relax into the flow of life more with ease and embrace.
Try taking a lavender-infused bath, have a lavender massage, use an oil burner to fill your space with lavender breath, enjoy some deep breaths of lavender steam inhalation from essential oil placed in a bowl of hot water so you can breathe the vapor, soak your feet in lavender oil infused warm water, make a lavender compress, or simply enjoy some lavender tea.
However you bring some lavender into your experience, your life will increase in enchantment. You will find another way of connecting to nature that will heighten your sense of honor, gratitude, and partnership with Earth.
Scorpion Wisdom for Deep Healing, Transformation & Limitless Perception
Attribution: “Mike” Michael L. Baird
Lately I have found my body wanting more rest to feel at its best and to allow for the shifts being processed, to integrate. I feel big transformation taking form and this calls for being mindful of creating the optimal environment for this to take place and making sure to get back to, and remain in, balance to support that.
So I’ve been staying in bed a bit longer in the mornings, doing more of what I need to do for me, as well as am experiencing very deep sleep and dreams. And if I have a busy week, get up before sunrise multiple times, or over-extend myself in any way with a lot of appointments, too much driving, am not feeling in the flow of a current project, or anything that pushes outside of my natural flow, then it will show up right away in telling me to stop, rest, and walk away from things for a while, so I can return refreshed and renewed.
Force and over-drive is simply not a reality I choose to create. That’s the old and I’ve been committed to repatterning back into following what’s natural, so I listen and implement the advice my body’s frequency emits to me right away. And I do love all the messages and encounters along the way that are beautiful guide posts and support, as well as confirmations to the process.
A couple of nights after the New Moon in Scorpio Eclipse we experienced on the 3rd, I had a very powerful dream that has stuck with me, bringing forth more of the prevalent Scorpio energy that I have felt in the collective frequency field, as well as in my own. Not only do I happen to have a lot of very significant people in my life that are Scorpios right now, but there is a great deal of alchemy to learn from this Scorpion energy that can be tricky for many.
Without going into detail about my dream, I was on my way to Egypt for another journey (which has its own significance), and upon arrival there and out walking, I came upon 3 giant, one to two foot Scorpions in my path. They were not threatening at all, but one did start to follow me, stopping when I would, and starting up again when I did. It stayed a distance just enough back to let me know it wasn’t in attack mode, but instead almost following like a friendly companion shadow, as well as protector, keeping me aware at all times what is there.
This is a good message to always be mindful of in life: being fully conscious and tuning into all of your senses, not to mention, to always be extra aware of the underlying energy within you and working with it in productive ways, rather than letting it run-a-muck.
The dream went further and had some beautiful meanings for me, but it also triggered me to share this post in regard to honoring the collective Scorpion energy to help shed some light in experiences you may find yourself in and that are taking place globally.
I have seen a lot of Scorpio energy showing up in big ways for people and in situations I’ve been observing. And this energy can carry mixed feelings and experiences for many, as it penetrates to the core of things and takes us very deeply through the dark, which ultimately reveals our light. This can sometimes be very challenging for people to handle, as the energy of Scorpio takes a bit of mastering to understand its beauty and not get stuck in the unproductive patterns that it can easily draw forth from you. They are brought up in order for you to integrate and transmute, alchemically turning the energy into something that can be of benefit. It does take some courage to go where Scorpio will take you, but very strong medicine it is, indeed.
Yet its intent is not to make things harder, but rather to support regeneration and teach you how to zero in on the core simplicity of you, under the layers of complexity. This can sometimes leave a sting as a reminder, but this temporary effect can lead to lasting, new and meaningful beginnings.
Scorpio is about your need for deep involvements and intense transformations. While we aren’t all Scorpios by astrological birth sign, we all contain within us each of the elements and energies of the 12 zodiacal signs that we are processing, integrating, and moving through in life. And, with different collective astrological influences we experience together, we will have to confront and learn to skillfully apply these energies, in our lives, in order to integrate wholeness.
Skillful application of Scorpio energy includes: regenerating, transforming, cathartic, giving birth, complex metamorphosizing, healing, renewing, musical, penetrating, probing, researching, joining, piercing, erotic, sexual, intense, magnetic, powerful, emotional, mysterious, occult, hidden, deep, complex, psychological.
Unskillful application of Scorpio energy can include: power-hungry, destructive, violent, annihilating, sarcastic, death-oriented, obsessive, fixed, extremist, excessive, overwhelming, lustful, desirous, jealous, possessive, resentful, revengeful, vindictive, cruel, secretive, nonrevealing, deceptive, paranoid, suspicious, distrustful, repressed.
I see the Scorpion as such a powerful symbolism for sweeping clean the inner landscapes to reveal your authentic guidance. Not to mention, is such an exciting and impactful messenger of transformative magick.
There has been a lot of “Scorpion-like” energy lurking in many forms for us to embrace. And these sudden “attacks” you may feel are merely triggers to remind you how to dance with Scorpion, rather than get stung. The trick is not to allow yourself to wallow or drown in the well of its numbing venom, but to understand how to dip your bucket in and retrieve just what you need to heal and cleanse you into a refreshing new perspective and course to take.
It takes your inner eyes and heart to see the beauty of what to others may seem foreboding. Scorpion’s complexity can truly be a wonder-filled map to your inner treasure.
Some of the symbolic meanings of Scorpion’s medicine include: energy, power, warning, mystery, healing, stealth, strategy, survival, protection, rebellion, attachment, aggression, retaliation, transition, mysticism, resilience, guardianship, self-defense, altered perception, boldness, dynamism, seduction, secretiveness, sexual energy, control, transition, passion, literal and symbolic death, transformation, transmutation, solitary – being alone, rebirth, regeneration, attacking from the rear, reflecting dark and negative energy back to its sender…. (all of these are without attachment to positive or negative, as it is within the context that you apply and use the wisdom productively)
A lot of people will focus on death, darkness, and treachery when thinking of Scorpions and Scorpio energy, but this is only the ego’s way of attaching fear and control to things that we would rather not vulnerably penetrate into, in order to receive the true pearl of wisdom at the depths of the ocean.
Scorpions are also associated with the Sun, so they will have qualities of energy, vitality, clarity, focus, and radiance (to name a few), as well.
Scorpion energy will also point to our need for protection (creating boundaries, which has been an important topic these days, seeing also where you may be over-protective, afraid to be vulnerable, are being controlling or feel controlled over), isolation (the need to have a balance of quiet and content solitary time, as Scorpions are very solitary creatures), and deep passion and honor for the beauty of our bodies and the sexual energy that is full of potent, creative potential. We can channel this sensual dance through us in many ways drawing it up our Chakras and igniting that Kundalini flow through and into manifestation. Our sexual energy is not something to fear, hide, repress, abuse, or be ashamed of, nor is it channeled in only one way. I have had extremely potent experiences of moving that energy through me while painting and it has created something amazing.
Some brief ancient connections about Scorpions:
In Samaria they are associated with the Sun and in ancient writings Scorpion-men would guard sacred gateways leading to ascension, pleasure and enlightenment. (I found that interesting in relation to my dream, as Egypt has been a huge symbol of these for me and what I experienced there, even in this life, has been the most profound of any of the transformative experiences at sacred sites I’ve had)
In Greco-Roman mythology the Scorpion takes on death symbolism. (Artemis used it to sting Orion’s foot, which led to his death and then later Zeus made it a zodiac sign in the stars)
In Egypt and Tibet the Scorpion, as omen, is made into a protective amulet and was a powerful guardian to them of what they believed sacred – soul evolution. Egyptians believed in life-after-life: one life’s end leading into another life in the Afterworld. And so the Scorpion was a symbolic sentinel of the mysteries of this Afterworld. The Scorpion was connected to the Goddess Selket who was a guardian of transitioning souls and protected the canopic jars and rituals associated with the mummification process that preserved things for the next life.
In Africa the Scorpion it is held as healing and its venom used for medicinal purposes. Because its sting was considered to have intense healing qualities, as well as was powerful enough with one sting to also be lethal, it was highly honored and respected. In African aboriginal lore, the Scorpion is associated with life and so-called death too and because of the hallucinogenic effects of its sting, it was seen as a symbolic catalyst for reaching altered states of consciousness.
Scorpions, therefore, also carry the message of limitless perception and are shamanic creatures. And, as a master of survival, able to live in the harshest of environments, it becomes also a symbol of strength in adversity.
To me, physical death is not something I fear at all, but nor is it something I believe in the definition of what others have come to know it as. To me, it is simply a transmutation from one form into another – like caterpillar into butterfly. And so, the Scorpion showing up does not have to have that foreboding quality, as I mentioned. It all depends on your perception, how you will interpret the meaning into your life.
I know that having the giant Scorpions show up is hugely synchronous to my feeling major transformation taking place right now for me, among other things. I believe it is also tied into why I am seeing an extraordinary amount of Hawks daily, whenever I am out – no this has not stopped, but only increased. Definitely a time of transition from one phase of life into another, on all levels of experience, whatever that means and whatever form that wants to manifest as.
And so, the Scorpion can be a symbol of freedom in general and freedom from limiting beliefs on death and change.
“Rising” to the Magickal Awareness of You – Interview with Epona Rise Retreat Centre’s Founder, Hillary Schneider
I love hearing about, connecting to, and co-creating this beautiful new paradigm with other visionaries. So many amazing souls are shining their lights these days within the creative and healing arts world and it is these very souls that are paving the way to a new reality that not only is focused on authentic self-expression, but weaves co-creative community, love, and rhythms of natural harmony into the collective frequency field.
We’re about to meet another of these super-inspiring souls in today’s guest interview.
Hillary Schneider is an amazing, heart-based soul that is sharing powerful work through her own unique gifts. I feel so blessed to know Hillary and from the instant we connected online, it’s been a beautiful and synchronous flow that we know is simply a reconnection continuing on.
We are all reuniting with soul families these days and it is increasingly, more rapidly, and more instantaneously taking place with conscious awareness. Why? Because we are, together, integral threads to what is collectively being woven as a new reality. And that recognition, implemented into action, is the foundation for shifts we are creating.
Hillary and I connected, as I said, via the web. She found me online and followed a nudge to reach out. I, in turn, reciprocated, feeling something amazing there energetically 
between us just from onset of reading/feeling the energy in her email. Shortly after, we connected via telephone and it was such a beautiful resonance of family, through hearing and feeling resounding expressions and experiences. During the course of our “reconnecting”, we have come to find so many parallels between our experiences, much in common, and a ton of magickal synchronicities.
And, no sooner did we connect, did it become evident we would be co-creating and collaborating together.
Very soon we will be sharing our venture together, which is looking to be in the summer of 2014. So stay tuned for an upcoming announcement on a special retreat in British Columbia at Epona Rise Retreat Centre that we will be offering from our hearts and the horse’s hearts to yours, in likely June of next year. I’m overflowing with joy and love about this for many reasons, and have already been connecting with Hillary’s beautiful horse family there in my wake and dream experiences.
But today’s post is focused on this star-light, Hillary, who is beautifully weaving her love in service.
Hillary Schneider Bio:
Along with her many years and extensive background in working with horses, Hillary has also received intense and in-depth training in both the Co-active coaching and leadership model through the Coach Training Institute, and the equine experiential learning field through Horse Spirit Connections in the art of FEEL. Both trainings have aided Hillary in her development as a gifted facilitator and helped her blossom in her unique skills as leader who is intuitive, wise, gentle, calm and fierce! Hillary is strongly committed and passionate in her partnership with the wise and incredible teachings of the horses. She is grateful and honored to be engaged in this sacred union with the horses and is excited at the opportunity to bring their teachings out into the lives of others through the space that has been created at Epona Rise.
Inside Hillary Schneider – A Short and Inspiring Interview:
Tania: Did you always know what you wanted to do in life and if so, when did you first have that clarity?
Hillary: I knew from an early age that my purpose would involve horses in some capacity but I didn’t know exactly how that would manifest. I also know I was born, in some extent, being aware that I was here to fulfill a purpose and that this form that I was in was not “it” and there was a reason for me being here. The horses came into my life early on and have been a guiding light from very young. That, coupled with a strong knowing and desire to be on purpose in some capacity, helped draw me to my purpose and clarity on what it was I was meant to do during my time on earth.
Tania: I find your work to be so unique and a beautiful expression of you. Can you share a little bit about what you do and what you find enriching about it, both for self and others?
Hillary: Loaded question. I will try not to write an essay 🙂 I run a retreat centre where I support others on their path of growth, discovery and awakening all through the way of the horse. The horses are my partners in the facilitation of others, I call them access points or gateways, they provide a really powerful space of reconnection for us to remember who it is we are and begin to rediscover and heal our relationship with our inner voice, spirit, and help us ground into a purpose that is uniquely ours. From my own process of self growth and discovery I have found 
that not much compares to the power and wisdom of the horse, they just create this really powerful space for us to really see ourselves, our brilliance and connect to who we are in a way that just transcends all boundaries that we may have that has kept us from really tuning into ourselves. For me personally I have always felt most grounded and aware of myself when I was with the horses – the clarity, depth and knowing and touching the depth of who I am has come from being with them. They have also helped me with my own struggle of being in the body and learning how to embrace my humanity and also take claim of the gifts I have brought with me during this lifetime. I have watched others that have come into their space just transform and become so much more present in themselves and empowered in who they are when they are with the horses. What I love most about being with them is that they really help us awaken to our own inner wisdom and remembering that all the answers we have are within us, our intuitive senses 
sharpen, and we begin to learn how to be in flow with nature and our own cycles. They also provide a loving non-judgmental space for us to see ourselves in a way that feels really safe and sacred for people to be vulnerable and open during the process. Horses are so intuitive and cannot be lied to, in that way they provide such a pure and honest mirror for ourselves, which some people are afraid of because they fear they will only see bad. This is so not true. The beauty of the horse is that they mirror our brilliance. We do a good enough job putting ourselves down and painting distorted images of who we are. The horses remind us of our own purity of spirit which is really beautiful to witness in others as they come into the space with the horse.
Tania: Please tell us a little about your background and training in both Co-active coaching and leadership and how this partners with your equine training in the synergy of the services you offer at Epona Rise Retreat Centre.
Hillary: I was fortunate to grow up in a house where personal growth and development was valued, and with my Dad being a leader and teacher for CTI – Coach Training Institute (one of the top training institutes for personal and professional coach development) – I grew up in a culture and space that really fostered an empowered state of being in relationship. We were always encouraged to express ourselves and were listened to in those expressions. It was actually through my training with CTI in 2006 that I was led to this way of being with the horses. I had just recently left what I thought would be my career of being a horse breeder and was lost as to how I would come to be with the horses. 
When I was taking the courses I became aware of coaching with horses and the rest was history. I find the coaching will help support people in their process and the tools I learned on how to powerfully empower others has fit beautifully with what the horses naturally do for people. The leadership program really helped me understand who I was as a leader and what my unique gifts that I bring into the space are. It helped me really know my impact which has given me the space to help others do the same. The beauty of the horse is that they help us really integrate the learning on such a deep level and also provide us with instant feedback so we are able to really see, feel, sense and know who we are being and showing up as in each moment. The Co-Active coaching model aligns with what I do with the horses because it is all about seeing people as creative resourceful and whole, and being partners in the work and equals in the process. It is seeing people and knowing that they have all the answers within and there is nothing to be fixed and no solution that needs to come from anyone other than the person. It is empowering them in their own wisdom, greatness and resourcefulness which is what the horses really want for us. To be authentic, congruent and empowered in who we are and knowing that we are so much more than what we think and there is so much available to us within ourselves.
Tania: How did Epona Rise Retreat Centre come to be?
Hillary: Epona Rise Retreat Centre is a life long dream come manifest. I have always wanted to live on a farm and have a retreat centre. I didn’t always know what I wanted to do there, but I always felt that this was a space I was meant to create. It has been a vision I have held for many years and this particular space we are on now came about quite magically! I moved out to BC (British Columbia, Canada) from Ontario, two years ago, after feeling a strong pull that I needed to 
be out here. Before that time I had been doing the work with the horses out of other facilities until it was time to have my own space. Within a year of being out here I felt the push that it was time to find the space to run the work full time. And so I got really clear on what I needed for the space, allowing the horses to provide their input as well and I put it out there. Within a month a friend drove me to a farm that she thought I would love, which I did but I didn’t have two million dollars to buy, so driving away from the farm that day I said, “ok peeps, if it is meant to happen 
help make it happen.” Within another two months I received an email from the real estate agent I was working with that she heard of a place that came up for lease and low and behold it was the very same farm. The power of manifestion and intention setting! That was a year ago and after I manifested the space I went from 1 to 5 horses, the horses I have with me were donated or given to our program because they can’t be ridden anymore due to injury, or old age. The work we do with them here is all done on the ground being in the space with the horses, so it was also a way to give the horses a second purpose and to help shift 
the consciousness of how we hold them. About a month before I was to move onto the space I spent three days in meditation, in nature and with the horses on finding the name of the space that was to be. I find names such a symbolic and powerful thing so I wanted to really create some awareness and feel into the space that was being created. “Epona” came in strongly. She is the Celtic goddess of horses and I really felt that my mission on earth was in such deep resonance with what she represented. I feel like I am fulfilling a purpose that aligns to her energy with horses, women, children, nature and the earth. She was a beautiful symbol to pay homage too. “Rise” comes from “moon rise” and wanting to provide a space where people rise to the consciousness and awareness that they were meant to and rise above the mundane to experience something profound and magical! That is how the space came to be. This is our first setting. There is a bigger property that I hope to call my own one day that will be our home sometime in the future so stay tuned for that!
Tania: What is it about the horses that you feel makes them such powerful teachers, or better yet, as you put it, “co-facilitators”? Please share about how they play a role in the healing at Epona Rise.
Hillary: I have touched on that a little bit and just to expand some more, as prey animals they have a natural heightened sensitivity and intuition to what is happening in their space. They are able to discern and connect to what we are holding within us that we are sometimes and most often not even connected to. They 
have a purity of vision and connection to energy, emotion, and what is happening to us internally and they mirror that and interact with people according to what they pick up and feel the person is needing. They are honored in the work as teacher. They are co-facilitator and we work together to help support a person in their process. I look to them to guide me and they will look to me to help translate and be messenger for what they are trying to communicate with others. Everything I do here is in partnership with them, from the programs I run to each session I facilitate, I am in constant communication with them and co-creation. They guide the space as much as, if not more than, I do in some capacity. They are aware of things before I am. I joke that I am often the last one to be privy to what is going on:) What is so amazing about this work is that I am blown away every time. What I watch them do with people is amazing. I never know what is going to happen in a session or workshop because I can’t predict what they are going 
to pick up on or how they are going to respond to each individual, that is the beauty of it, it is so present-moment-unfolding. There is a deep trust between us in the process and a real intuitive flow to what is going on. I really allow them to dictate and lead what we do with someone and how that is going to unfold and my part is creating the space for them to shine in their gifts and purpose in helping us awaken to ours. They are truly amazing animals and I feel deeply blessed and honored that I get to co-create and live in partnership with them.
Tania: Have you always felt connected to animals? Explain the relationship you have with them and how that developed.
Hillary: Yes I have, always. More so than people, animals have always felt more kin to me than humans. I remember most of my childhood was spent pretending to be a horse or acting like one! They have been my companions in life and so deeply part of my growth and also safety in a human world 
that has often felt harsh. I feel like my soul is very intertwined with the animal kingdom, they are my messengers, my guides, my teachers, my strength and are a big part of me being who I am today. They have truly been a saving grace in my life and a place I have found comfort in very dark places in my life. What I love about the space with the horses that is created here is that it creates an opening for the other animals to come and have their wisdom be shared. We often have eagles, herons, birds, my dog and cat that will take part in sessions here, as well, and become integrated into the teachings for others who come here. Every animal here, or that shows up, is witnessed, heard and received as teachers and wisdom keepers.
Tania: What would you consider is the mission you are creating the space for at Epona Rise and are there any programs that you especially love and people that you feel especially called to serve?
Hillary: My mission and an anchor for me with Epona is really honoring and fullfillment of purpose. It is a space that provides fulliment of the purpose of the horse and of myself. My hope is to help others connect with my clarity to theirs. Honoring each person’s unique journey, and honoring every person, animal, and being in their voice, in their wisdom, in their strength and teaching others to do the same. I am particularly called to help people whether that be women, children, or men in awakening to their purpose, and living a life that is in alignment with their unique 
truth. Working with sensitive people, especially youth and young adults, is another area that I feel especially called to serve. The horses have taught me so much about my sensitivity, how to honor it, and how to be with it in a world that often feels really overwhelming at times. They have taught me about grounding, sacred space and boundaries and how to be true to who I was. There is also a resonance to work with those that are struggling to be in human form, as this was a big part of my own journey. There is a reason why we are in a human body and the horses taught me how to honor and embrace this, and to heal my relationship with humanity. This is who I want to help and the horses have been such a powerful teacher and space for this. I do think though that everyone can benefit from the horses and trust that whoever is meant to come into the space will be led here!
Tania: What is a typical day at Epona Rise like for you?
Hillary: There is no such thing 🙂 haha! Typical day…well there are daily chores that have to get done everyday so my morning usually is feeding the horses hay and connecting in with them, making sure they have had a good night, and everyone is well. Good way to get grounded first thing in the morning too! Then I will either move into a walk with my dog, and then sessions, or if I don’t have sessions in a day I usually spend it writing, or spending time on the business. Typically I will schedule 2 sessions a day, about 4-5 
days a week, – maxium 3. Each individual session with the horses are 90 minutes in length. Then late afternoon there is another feeding with the horses where they will get their grain, fed hay, and I usually clean out their shelter, and again spend some time out in nature and in their space grounding from the day. Each day is a bit different and I really just flow with the currents of the day. At least 1-2 weekends a month we hold workshops with the horses as well. Then there is always yard care and house care in there as well 🙂 I also spend some time at the end of each day meditating and journaling before I head to bed for the night and tune into any intentions or energy I wish to create on the space.
Tania: To me, you are a shining example of exactly why I enjoy doing these interview articles – a courageous soul who is living her dream and following the authenticity of her heart. I applaud you and honor the beautiful way in which you have woven your intentions into the manifestation of your heart’s calling. Can you please share how you have been able to turn your dreams into a reality and what advice you would like to gift others that you have found to be the most valuable along your journey to create this?
Hillary: Great question and thank you!! I am so passionate about this because my desire is to inspire others that it is possible to live a life that is in alignment with your purpose and you can live a life of your dreams. For me, perseverance and holding the vision has been key. I held onto this vision with a vice grip – it’s what got me through the times when I didn’t know how, when, where, why and felt lost and just persevering on the path. Knowing that this step will get me to where it is I am meant to go, even if it didn’t seem so at the time. Letting yourself dream is a huge one too! We don’t allow ourselves to dream enough or dream big. I spend a lot of time creating dreams, vision boards, dream boxes… it is part of a ritual that I do at least every 3 months – putting intentions out into the space and just taking steps towards those dreams, following urges, intuitive guidance, and taking action when I feel guided. Faith and trusting the process is also important, which I am not always so great at! It is hard, but there is always some part of me that believes! Also, surrounding yourself with people that support and empower you in your dreams and reminding you of your beauty, strength and wisdom. That is huge! I am so grateful for the people in my life that have really helped me and supported me in the process, and continue to do so. Give yourself the freedom to dream, be bold in your dreams and your actions, take a leap of faith!! I moved out to BC without any idea of why, or a job, or anything, and just trusted that I was meant to be here. I think really what has worked powerfully for me is a combination of connecting in with my heart and spirit and setting intentions, and then taking action in the physical, asking for help, and big and deep gratitude to my peeps ( who I call my helpers in the unseen ). Prayer and surrender are just as powerful as well! And just keep going. Don’t lose hope. A big one for me was “don’t quit right before the miracle occurs.” And to remember just because we can’t see things happening doesn’t mean there is not something occurring beneath the surface. I love that image of a carrot growing underground. It takes time to nourish something into the light and we have to sometimes be patient with that process and learn how to enjoy the journey along the way!
Tania: What inspires you the most in life and really gets your heart pumping?
Hillary: Great question!! Gosh this is hard to answer, life inspires me! Being on a path that is so aligned with purpose is inspiring. Nature and the horses inspire me and I think the search or seeking of knowing the depth of myself and of others, and watching and being a witness to the awakening of our spirits. Music and dance, and what is coming up for me is the whales. I love love love being out on the water and being in the space with these amazing animals. They inspire me. I feel so in awe of their presence and bigness. I think if I wasn’t doing the work with the horses I would want to be out in the water with the whales! My family inspires me, my friends and community, and the people that have come here to experience the horses always create such joy for me. Deep connections and connecting with others has been rich. I am inspired by the simple, ordinary, and extraordinary experiences in life, and within all that we walk through life with.
Tania: If there was only one thing you could tell all little girls and boys just embarking on their life journeys, about what you have found to be the most important piece of information that has changed your life, what would you tell them?
Hillary: That you are never too young to be know who you are, and what your purpose is, and that there is nothing wrong with who you are. You are a unique and beautiful soul. Don’t ever forget that. Hang onto your dreams like they were precious gems and know that you have wisdom inside of you that is so needed, is valued, and is meant to be shared. You don’t have to live a whole life here to be of service, or to know things that will serve us, the planet, and humanity. You are worthy. Follow your heart, ask for help, and believe in yourself and your dreams. Stay true to you. All will be well. Trust the process and don’t give up on the dreams of your heart!
And thank YOU, Hillary, for sharing and living from your heart’s dreams that you have made a reality. You are truly an inspiration to us all.
You can learn more about and contact Hillary for her services here:
Hillary Schneider
Founder and Creative Director
Epona Rise Retreat Centre
www.epona-rise-retreats.com
https://www.facebook.com/EponaRiseRetreats
The Gayatri Mantra Around The World
Deva Premal’s beautiful version of this ancient prayer and most sacred of Mantras felt like a powerful way to start today. My good friend Amy (whom I had the chance of “bumping” into at Sunday’s Deva Premal concert in Escondido) passed along this video that takes you around the world as Deva sings to all sentient beings across the globe. I love this Mantra and even have it etched into my left forearm as part of my “spiritual skin” and I sing it sometimes when doing distant Reiki sessions and while I paint, hike, or am just being with myself.
Love and blessings to each of you.
True or False? I Am Perfect Just As I Am
Self worth.
Self love.
These are likely things you have come to know as being so vital and important to embrace within yourself – the source from which the rest of your life will reflect – and yet they are the very things that present the most challenge and can undermine all of the positive work you have invested into changes you desire, when they are not exercised and nurtured within.
The way you value yourself can show up in many different forms that are not always blatantly obvious. That can be the times you settle for something less than what you desire – be it a job, relationship, friendship, or even verbal/emotional abuse. It can even be depriving yourself of an experience you don’t feel deserving of, censoring yourself out of fear of judgment, wanting to please everyone else, or wanting to fit in to some social or cultural obligation, not allowing yourself to experience happiness in the moment when something wonderful happens, working yourself hard without giving yourself time to do something you love, not honoring, being grateful for, and rewarding yourself for every step you’ve implemented, and of course when you are looking in the mirror and allowing something beyond your true worth and beauty to speak to you in a way that makes you feel unattractive, not good enough, embarrassed, ashamed, or worse.
It also shows up when your food choices are riddled with and driven by guilt and the never-to-be-satisfied drive to look like some ideal others have created to be of worth, rather than authentically chosen from a vibrational reflection of your body. And yes, it even is there when you obsess with guilt over having to make up for eating some fun foods with forced, stringent bouts of strict eating, juicing and cleansing obsessively (rather than in natural flow with your body’s rhythms), over-exercising, and even using spiritual practices in the form of an ego “sentence” ruled down upon you to make up for doing something you think is “not” spiritual.
Even the things that can actually be healthy balances in our lives can become obsessions of an ideal, fabricated from within the doctrines of its origin, as being deemed “the way” otherwise you aren’t on “the path”.
And which path might that be, is what I would ask?
These and more, are ways in which we undermine ourselves, forget our value and the importance of loving ourselves unconditionally, just as the Universe loves each of us. They are ways we avoid hearing the authentic messages within our very being and body and instead place the power outside of ourselves when we listen to untruths.
Something becomes true for you only because you give it power. It becomes your reality because you choose it. That doesn’t mean it is “the way” or “the truth” or the “ultimate reality”. It merely means that’s where you’ve temporarily decided to invest your decision making process for what you are choosing to learn in the moment. And at any moment you can choose to invest in yourself, instead, and actualize a new reality that is authentic to you and brings you great inner and outer harmony.
And all of this pertains to both men and women, equally.
We have learned to see not from our own heart’s vision, but through a filtered lens fabricated from conditioned societal patterns that are being driven from fear of self-love. Much of the images, advice, and protocols to take, make it appear that if we really loved ourselves we would do this and that, which creates a vicious pattern of chasing after the very thing they say is the reason you are doing them for. When in actuality, if you come to truly understand your worth and love yourself for the authentic beauty of who you really are right now, you would realize the false distortions these stories are telling you. You’d recognize how you are perfect in your imperfection. You’d recognize that you don’t have to prove something to anyone else. You need only to be true to you.
Hard to imagine, right? with everything bombarding you otherwise, but it is the truth.
It reminds me of a “house of mirrors” that you experiences at fairs, carnivals, and amusement parks. These mirrors present distorted reflections that can be either humorous or frightening. In this case, the information we’ve been conditioned to believe is a fabricated mirror like these that present a distortion, which feeds off of our level of self worth, or lack of. If you have a low level of value and love for self, the false distortions we see and are told, take hold and start to become the frightening reality you believe in. If you have a high level of self love, value, and confidence, then you find the humor in the distortion reflected and mirror back the real reflection, which shatters the source from which the fabrication came.
In fiction, battles sometimes take place within a hall of mirrors because this is a great way to symbolically show the trickery potential of a villain. In this case the villain is merely a shadow aspect trying to get our attention and help us to evolve into the empowered, loving essence of who we really are. It’s really not a devised plan to deliberately hurt you, although it does when we choose to give power to that story. It is a way we have created to get our attention via different messaging triggers to realize our wholeness and step back into it.
I often see, even within the spiritual, new age, and healthy living realms, these idealized versions of a particular body type and life style that are being marketed as the ideal to live up to. I see the same obsessions with looks, weight, surgical body alterations, hard-core exercise to push the body to the extremes, and even comparisons of yogic abilities, the right clothes and image, what your life should look like and where and how you should live, and can sense and hear even the jealousy over spiritual abilities you feel you need to attain to be like others, etc.
It’s the same kind of mass-marketing media projections, just under a spiritual guise of the need to turn back the hands of time and be these sculpted lives and bodies that reflect your so-called spiritual achievements.
No, you don’t have to be a certain weight, have flawless skin, no traces of cellulite, be muscularly chiseled, have a flat tummy, no wrinkles or white hair, be able to bend backwards, take only one deep breath per minute, live on juices alone, be a fluid psychic, channeler, or have some huge mystical experience, or speak and feel “bliss” every other word and every second of your day, nor do you have to become proficient in everything, have a certain type of “job”, or move to some exotic location and live by a new set of spiritual rules that don’t align with who you are.
You CAN have these things and may even be led to them or manifest them at some point, but they aren’t pre-requisites to your being on a spiritually enlightened path, nor something you need to “attain” in order to feel worthy. As long as they are natural extensions of your personal frequency match, then they just may naturally happen for you simply from relaxing into loving and flowing with the heart of who you are and emanating that through everything you do consistently and with every being you encounter.
However, none of these make you any less than or greater than. They have attached definitions creating their “ideal” nature by some people, but the Universe has no judgment, attachment, or final destination for you to arrive at. All there is is the now moment for you to unconditionally love every single part of you and your experience, which will provide the real benefits and lasting fulfillment these other false achievements seem to promise.
And, by the way, you were born worthy. Worthy of the abundant being that you are to have an over-flow of wholeness in your experience.
Now, more than ever, is time to relax into the nature of you, as we are globally responding to a call to “return to natural harmony” and that means both within and without. You can’t expect to honor the natural cycles and flow that are inherent in Earth’s experience, if you don’t honor the same for yourself.
And yet, while I share this, I know this is not so easy to always practice in your life. But I do promise, it gets easier, the more you release the judgments and self-punishing ways you defeat your true power. I know that the stories can feel so real at the time you are experiencing them, but they really mask and take you away from committing to the love of you.
Obsessing over things is a diversion where we invest time and energy into feeling bad over something or punishing ourselves for not being enlightened, for example, because we have a pimple that day. So you then disempower yourself by looking at what you did wrong to create the thing you’re focusing on as a problem, rather than relaxing into continuing to hold your light and strength, knowing that everything is just a cycle of your transformation, shifts, processes, and is perfect. That one thing does not define you unless you give it permission to. But nor is there a “problem” with it either.
And guess what? When you do focus on it and find fault with it, then others will mirror that too. But when you feel beyond it and relax into the experience that “just is”, you will find that nothing in your experience changes, and likely will increasingly be beautiful and helpful to others, because you stood in your reflection of self love and acceptance.
There are many reasons why we adopt habits opposite to our true nature, which include childhood conditioning and past life experiences, but the bottom line is, we do not have to continue to feed the ways in which we sacrifice ourselves for instant gratification. If you want your children and the children of the world to love themselves, then you need to be an example of that for them. This doesn’t just extend to the dialogue you choose to speak to them with, but the dialogue they hear (both literally and subliminally) that you are speaking to yourself through your actions.
We are constantly bombarded by advertisements for everything under the sun projecting an idealized version pushed as “the way”, products to aid physical appearance and to achieve impossible body-stereotypes and over-blown lifestyles, and negative thought patterns about the satisfaction of belonging and joining in with others doing the same. It’s no wonder there are challenges of stress, anxiety, and some degree of self esteem issues as a result.
Even the focus of negativity and violence in news, movies, and attacks from one group on another, and sometimes even within a group all play on the insecurities and fears within, adding to a lowered sense of inner strength and weakened solidity in your centeredness.
Are you striving towards a particular devised end point, or are you living in the now point where all is in divine perfection?
Scientifically, it’s been shown that all emotions create chemical responses in the body and these convert into matter. Dr. Masaru Emoto also demonstrated this when observing crystal structures of water and how they react to thoughts and words creating balance or chaos in response to the “alkalinity” or “acidity” of their source. So what you feel about yourself will have an effect on your mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being. When this is depleted, you are susceptible to things in your environment, as well as are capable of fighting a battle AGAINST yourself, rather than joining in harmonious co-partnership WITH yourself.
When you think of these statements below, what do they bring up for you?
I love myself unconditionally just the way I am right now
I am perfect just as I am
There is nothing more I need to do in order to be deserving of my love and love from others
I feel safe to be exactly who my heart naturally desires to be
I deserve to be happy and balanced
I deserve love
I see everything and everyone with loving eyes
My life is a beautiful reflection of who I am
If any of these things feel uncomfortable or even impossible to say without some kind of cringe, heaviness, tightness, sickening, or painful emotional reaction, then you can start to understand the source of things you’ve been challenged with. It’s not something to get down on yourself for or to berate and judge yourself about when you find a hidden gem such as a core belief because, until now, you likely hadn’t been taught or shown how to feel anything differently, nor been supported with how to shift this, and in some cases may not have made the connection of what you’re experiencing being connected to how you felt about yourself.
While affirmations have been the go-to quick fix for this, it is only a part of the story, as it never addresses the core issues of how to integrate the old foundation before you try to layer it over with a temporary new structure. Collapse at some point the new will, because it never really addressed the foundation it was built on. So there will be a process, which doesn’t have to be drawn out, to rebuild from the ground up in order to have all of the years of judgmental conditions become realized messengers directing you back to you.
But back to specific ways your level of self love and worth can manifest. One such way that has come up on my radar to touch upon is a very debilitating experience called “body dysmorphic disorder”, which stems from self-worth and distorted body perceptions being weighed against societal stereotype ideals.
About 1 – 2% of the population experiences the severe form of this disorder with a larger percentage showing milder symptoms of the disorder (equally in both men and women).
I watched a documentary on this many years back that I still very clearly remember. It really demonstrated how deep this can go and truly is heart-breaking to witness. But this “distorted” way of viewing things about yourself can also take on offshoots of less severity, which can be very subtle and seem hidden to you as a normal part of your daily repertoire. And then can be more associated to things like obsessions and compulsions of OCD, or even social anxiety, eating, and depressive disorders. Some of these are avoidance techniques our ego provides us with to take us on a course away from responsibility and committed action, which would come from empowering and embodying our Higher Self potentials.
To shed some light on this, body dysmorphic disorder is a type of chronic mental illness that fixates you on thinking about a flaw, or flaws, in your appearance. This absorbs your focus and some people can end up spending their entire day, when it is severe, thinking about the flaw and trying to find ways to “fix” it. The flaw can be something minor that is overblown, or can be imagined since a distortion takes place in how the person views themselves – kind of like the hall of mirrors I shared about earlier – and this can stem from many core emotional reasons from life experiences, including something someone may have said that they couldn’t shake and stuck with them, something they heard or saw their parents say to each other or themselves, from media, from watching peers, from a chemical imbalance (certain biological and environmental factors may contribute including genetic predisposition, and neurobiological factors such as serotonin malfunctions in the brain), from a childhood or past life experience, etc….And it can become so challenging and even shameful and embarrassing to the person that they will not want to leave the house, or want to be seen by anyone, or spend hours getting ready in a way that helps them to hide their flaws so they can have some bit of temporary relief.
It becomes a very intense obsession about body image that reflects a decreased sense of self value, unembraced, and can cause a huge amount of distress that impacts fuctionability in day-to-day life. This, in turn, can create even more damage to the person’s physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Some people that suffer from this experience may also become pre-occupied with cosmetic procedures, excessively exercise, or purchase every new product on the market to try to “fix” the problem, but will never find satisfaction because the root of their experience has not been addressed.
I’m not a doctor, so not only do I not diagnose, but I also do not prescribe any certain protocol treatments. That’s between each person and the experts sought out for support, to find and tailor something that aligns with individual needs, on a person-to-person basis.
What I will say, however, is that many of us at some point or another have or have had something we don’t like about our appearance, or about ourselves in general, whether small or large, temporary or permanent, and these may have caused you pain or distress in another way, which still comes down to our ability to learn how to love ourselves all over again, the way our soul innately knows as truth.
Whether you experience subtle or poignant reflections in your life from a sense of lowered self esteem and self worth – and this can manifest also as the kinds of, as well as lack or abundance of, opportunities, experiences, and intents you are trying to create in your life – the bottom line is that at some point, if you want a different experience than what you have, you will need to choose to see yourself, embrace yourself, support and nurture yourself, cherish yourself, relax into yourself, and love yourself just as the Universe does – unconditionally and unequivocally.
Lee Harris ~ November 2013 Energy Forecast
Thanks Laura for posting Lee’s “on point” forecast. I think you’ll find Lee’s message to hold some gems of wisdom that will be meaningful to you. All of it based around the theme of things being very fragile right now and showing us a different kind of flow that is in the most aligned way, which isn’t the way we are used to in many cases – but reflect the highest good. He also shares about gratitude, which mirrors my 21 Days of Gratitude post from yesterday and that when we stop focusing on loss and pain and are just grateful for all things, small and big, this is when we are truly alive and exuding vibrancy that has far-reaching effects. Making the best of things rather than focusing on perpetuating a state of misery will help you to hit a bigger level of flow where what you are able to do and experience magnifies. There will become a point where you don’t “need” to keep searching, reading, etc… because you simply become the experience. Lee shares that if we can learn to swim the wave, be flowing and open-hearted, and ground the feminine integration into our lives these will be of most benefit to us and have profound effects. The more you want to fight, the harder things will be, so it’s good to stay aware of the masculine/feminine dance that takes place in your experience, so you can keep balanced. Lee shares that in the coming years we are going to see some amazing new heart co-creations that will be community and humanitarian based and this exciting “potent pregnancy” energy, as he calls it, is going to birth some amazing creations worldwide. We are seeing a lot of this in the beginning phases already and these are the things that are products of the work we’ve been doing that will shape a new experience for us all. Enjoy Lee’s message!
21 Days of Gratitude
Here is a beautiful and simple opportunity to deepen and expand your heart experience in a way that will positively impact your life and nurture the transformational shifts you desire.
The Mentors Channel and award winning cinematographer Louie Schwartzberg partner together to bring you a different form of life meditation through an experiential journey that couples stunning sensory experiences of audio and video with inspiring shares from visionary leaders.
You can embark on this three week heart adventure at the link below.
21 Days of Gratitude Presented by Louie Schwartzberg
This is a wonderful way to ignite conscious living from your heart and remind you how important it is, but remember not to stop at just these three weeks of practicing it. Like with anything, embodying this as your breath of life consistently will have the greatest benefit to you and everyone you touch by your example.
“We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.” ~Thornton Wilder
“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” ~John F. Kennedy
“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” ~Oprah Winfrey
“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” ~Epictetus
Celebrating Creative Community & Your Part of that Web
Santa Ana Art Walk
How did you create your own sacredness around yesterday’s New Moon energy? What intentions did you set and what commitments to your unique expression have you made?
My experience was, for me, the perfect, integrative, and intentful way to put closure to the weekend and to celebrate initiations of the new. I found another layer of clarity to my own focuses and welcomed more awareness all around. The day started in a morning hike and ended in four hours of sacred music for the heart and soul.
This weekend was also a very full experience of observing things that ran the gamut from simple to layered complexities, from the natural to the out-of-balance, and from experiencing sacred creativity, authenticity and community to witnessing duality, separation, illusions, denial, and fear.
I observed people’s choices reflect to them the stories they have chosen in what would be considered by some to be nice and not so nice experiences. I watched how easily illusions can consume people into addictive, hidden patterns that are slowly destructive, yet soulfully chosen for exponential growth opportunities. I also saw raw courage, vulnerability, connectivity, and instant transformations as result of responsibly embracing the learning provided in choice, which all created a fortified field of mirroring reflections to unfold.
In either case, the truth is, it all just IS. I can analyze it and attach a judgment or I can observe and move in and out, being honoring of “free will,” which knows exactly what it is doing in the grand scheme of things.
And such is life…a unified tapestry of wholeness that we can either choose to stay stagnant in the story of any one thing without taking personal responsibility, OR realize the fluidity of life and that all experiences are inherent in coming to understand the depth of creation itself, the perfection of what it is you have created to teach you, and perhaps doing so without staying stuck in victim or bully roles.
I choose to create what is a reflection of my truth and when not in an environment reflecting that, will hold the space of my heart’s authenticity and use the experiences playing out, as a way to further expand and deepen.
And even if the moment moves me through varying degrees of emotions and thoughts, in the end I am always left in grateful awe of how divine everything plays out. It truly is a masterpiece in creation.
That being said, it is a powerfully transformative time (as this Solar Eclipse New Moon in Scorpio gifted) presenting opportunity for major change and new beginnings, if you truly desire it and have the courage to go deep into the heart of you.
GuruGanesha Band
There were a lot of beautiful celebrations this weekend of visionary creativity being shared that I would like to bring back around the focus to.
Saturday night’s Santa Ana Art Walk Showcase with Orange County Creatives was the first of the collective, co-creative community celebrations. It was great to see friends that came out to support. I enjoyed talking with people that were interested to know more about crystals and my pieces and I loved talking with the other artists, viewing their work, and holding the energy of that co-creative space with them.
But it is the young artists putting their work out so courageously (for the first time) that I especially enjoy connecting with, as I love to support them in their passions and help to inspire them to continue to follow their dreams. That is a huge part of why I do what I do. I know what it feels like to be out there on your own in many ways, and yet there is so much value to that journey.
The life of a creative visionary is a gift that will bring a full circle of experiences, including the ups and downs in extremes at times. It is my hope to help keep the train chugging along the track they have chosen and to help lesson the down time.
“When we feel passion for something, it is because we are remembering what it was that we came here to do. The more passion we feel, the more in alignment with Source we are, allowing this energy to pour through us with no hesitation. This is the way it was meant to be.” —Karen Bishop
Sunday brought a gathering of vegan authors at the Animal Advocacy Museum’s Vegan Book Fair celebration, which was a wonderful showing of new authors sharing a wide variety of topics from natural health and global recipes, to the economics of the meat and dairy industry and the truth behind food labels. Again, another community supportive event promoting things of benefit to society through expressive means.
Deva Premal & Miten
And, as mentioned, the Solar Eclipse New Moon evening ended perfectly at the gathering to celebrate sacred music, love, peace, and connection at the Deva Premal & Miten and GuruGanesha Band Escondido Concert. There was a ton of love in the concert hall of 1500 resounding hearts together in sacredness. One of the beautiful highlights was when Miten invited all of the men to stand and sing to the women. This was such a powerful experience of nearly half the participating gatherers standing in the power of their Divine Male in full honor, vulnerability, and integration of the Divine Female. Singing sacred chants, feeling the power of silence, and dancing in community creates a resounding vibration that has profound rippling effects.
Yes, the creative arts of all genres hold an intrinsic value that has meaningful impact, individually and collectively. And the younger and older creatives, alike, are helping to form a new heart, body, mind, and soul, collective experience.
More can be found on this topic in my past post: The Intrinsic Value of Creativity and Art: Cultivating Your Inner Artist
If you are on the brink of bringing forth your creative passions, I highly encourage you to keep firmly committed to that path, as it will reward you tenfold, not to mention will have far-greater impact than you can possibly try to foresee right now. Even if it’s not about creating a career out of your passion, your creative life force energy is so important to cultivate in terms of just shifting your entire vibration more into the abundant authenticity of you. And this will, by default, be an example to others to mirror that natural flow you embrace.
I want to thank my visionary musician friend, George, for sharing the passage below with me. Although it speaks about singers and musicians, I would say it is talking about ALL visionary creatives creating through ALL of the mediums and formats available – be that word, image, form, sound, movement, and any sensory and extra-sensory expression.
And if you are currently a creative artist or healing arts visionary, replace your modality in the following passage, but do not allow yourself to be replaced, as there is no other like you and YOUR creative expression is much needed in the world. YOU are much needed in this world. And in our unique, creative self-expressions, TOGETHER, we create beautiful music that holds the key to shifting paradigms.
You have a song to sing. It is why you are here. Don’t let someone or something silence your beauty, as your beauty will help inspire another’s.
