women’s circle

Finding Clarity through Tuning in and Really Listening

Posted by Barbara Techel

I share with you today the book trailer I made for my latest memoir, Wisdom Found in the Pause – Joie’s Gift.

When I decided to write this book, I wanted more than anything for people (especially women) to read it and know that they deserve to take time for themselves – that really, it is imperative in order to live the life they want.

A part of me felt vulnerable at times for sharing my story about grief, letting go, and not knowing what was next, because I’d thought I’d had it all figured out, and then realized we will have many transitional periods in our lives. I also believed in my heart that many others were going through a similar transitional time, or would be in the future.

While I envisioned being in the place I am today, a new direction of helping and encouraging women to take time for creativity, stillness, and looking within to listen to their own soul whispers, I look back now and see that every step I took until this point was necessary – even though at times it felt like I was in murky water and I’d never get out of that questionable place.

Putting together this video today is just another way in which I want to encourage others and let them know that is perfectly okay to be in a space of transition – to see it as a gift – to sift through your thoughts with gentleness.

I hope you will enjoy the video. And if you are a reader of my blog who lives nearby, I’d welcome you to take time just for you during a winter women’s creative sacred soul circle I’m facilitating at my studio, Joyful Pause. It begins January 19th, and you can learn more about it here. I’ve extended the early bird pricing because I truly want to be of help to others.

Thank you for sharing and subscribing to my blog updates.

Welcoming the Light. Gathered in Wise Women Circle.

Posted by Barbara Techel

Welcoming the Light. Gathered in Wise Women Circle.

Last weekend I was putting the finishes touches on preparing for a Talking Sticks workshop which I held at my studio, Joyful Pause, this past Wednesday on the Winter Solstice.

The drum, loaned to me by my co-facilitator, Rachel, lay on the ottoman in my writing cottage with the Talking Stick on top which I’d created with Rachel a few weeks before.

Welcoming the Light. Gathered in Wise Women Circle.
My heart intention for 2017 is to focus on offering more workshops to provide moments of stillness, sacred wisdom and reflection for women . It’s something I’m feeling called to do, even when fear tries to take over.

When I saw the light cascading over the drum and my Talking Stick, well, I couldn’t help but feel this as confirmation. 

The early evening sky an hour before the workshop was glorious in it’s shades of pink, coral, and purple as only a winter sky can be. So much promise in that sky, I thought.

As six dear, wise, soulful women gathered in a circle for meditation and drumming, the light within my inner world ignited.

Afterwards, as each took a spot at a table with sticks, beads, string, stones, and totem jewels before them, I found myself in a meditative trance watching them, as if I was wrapped in a sacred cocoon.

As everyone worked on their Talking Sticks, I took a moment to place my stick, along with Rachel’s, on the altar and lit the candles. When I stood back to look, everything coming into full view with the backdrop of one of my tree Goddess paintings, and I suddenly felt very moved. 

Welcoming the Light. Gathered in Wise Women Circle.
It was then that I realized that within the darkness where the roots of a tree lie, there is also light that comes in from above, nourishing them. Just as it is for each of us when we pause in moments of reflection and open to it.

After journaling with our Talking Sticks, we gathered back in circle to talk about the experience. As each person held their Talking Stick it was a practice in our intention of speaking, while others practiced attention in listening…really listening.

For the closing ceremony we each laid our Talking Stick beside the drum in the center, paying tribute to silently witnessing each other where we were in the moment, and what we hope to move toward…each of us wanting to be a divine spark of light that contributes to this world in a healing way.

It was palpable and I was quite moved.

Closing with a Cherokee prayer I read, we then all mindfully began to shift our awareness to saying goodbye for the evening.

But not before taking a picture of the altar we had created as one with the spirit of each of us infused within it.

It was then I was struck again, seeing the altar through the lens of my camera, that I realized our altar with drum and Talking Sticks resembled the sun… a reminder that the light is always there. 

It is always there.

The world will be saved by the Western Woman. ~Dalai Lama

*The next Talking Sticks workshop will be on Saturday, March 4th. Time TBD (mid-morning). If you wish to be notified when registration opens, you can sign up here.

Thank you for sharing and subscribing to my blog updates.

Message from Hippo. Welcome Home to Who You Are.

Posted by Barbara Techel

Message from Hippo. Welcome Home to Who You Are.

For over three years I’ve been giving thought to forming a women’s circle, which I’m in the process of preparing for, and gearing up to do, in the new year. I’m also collaborating with another young woman to offer a workshop on a Native American tradition about Talking Sticks. It will be December 21st, on the Winter Solstice.

As I move into this new space in my life I’ve been asking for guidance from the deck of Animal Wisdom Tarot cards and also from my deck of SoulCollage(r) cards I’ve created the past two years.

My question is simple as I shuffle the animal cards and my SoulCollage(r) deck: Please provide guidance for me around facilitating workshops for women.

Shivers ran up down and my spine when Hippo is the card that has revealed itself on three separate occasions in the past seven days when I’ve posed my question and Hippos wise message of Welcome home to who you are. Each time I think of this message it just makes me so happy.

And the SoulCollage(r) cards I’ve been drawing which have not been the same, but they have revolved around what I feel are reminders to follow my heart and are about the lessons I’ve learned around keeping myself grounded, going within often, and trusting in my intuition.

The first time I posed my question for guidance around doing workshops, the SoulCollage(r) card that came up was one of my spirit animals – the animal that came to me during a guided meditation in 2014 – Wolf.  The message I received at that time was to continue to open my heart and follow the fire within.

The other two cards that surfaced during two different occasions are reminders for me that no matter what I may do going forward, it is important to take time each day to refill my own well with time for reflection and meditation in some form.

And so it is. And I’m recalling when I decided to write my first children’s book – how I had feelings of fear and excitement all at the same time – and not sure where it would take me. And how I went on to write another children’s book and now two memoirs. I can’t say as I ever saw that coming or really ever planned it – but followed what felt right.  And oh, what a journey it has been!

And in many ways, I feel like it has led me to where I am today – venturing into somewhat new territory as I give thought to doing more workshops in my studio, Joyful Pause. I don’t know how it will all unfold, but trusting that if it is meant to be, I will continue to be guided.

Thank you for sharing and subscribing to my blog updates.