barbara techel

Come Nourish Your Soul this Sunday!

Photo credit: Lisa Morris Miller

I’m excited to share with you a special free virtual event I’ll be taking part in this Sunday, March 28th at 1:00 pm est and the best part? You are invited to attend!

I’ll be one of the “life liver” panelists for this inspiring and uplifting event. Please also stay tuned here on my blog for another free virtual event I’m putting together as another way for us to connect and guide us through these uncertain times. Hint: It will involve connecting with the wisdom of animals and oracles, plus journaling prompts and being together in community with like-minded souls.

VIRTUAL WOMEN’S CIRCLE hosted by Lisa Morris Miller

Lisa is the author of The Heart of Leadership for Women: Cultivating a Sacred Space, a seriously good writer, with a seriously hilarious sense of humor.  She’s an expert facilitator, teacher, and guide–especially for women–who brings to life perennial wisdom that provides the compass for a life of meaning, intuition, and well-being today.

Show up, Fill up, Pass it on.

Join Lisa and experts in mind and body health, therapeutic arts, and more, on Sunday, 1:00pm EDT, for an hour of nourishment.

Using Zoom, we’ll gather again from far and wide—each of us bringing the wealth of wisdom we’ve learned and earned—to contribute to the sacred healing space created. You can remain silent, or, participate with your voice during Q&A and large group chat moments.

Details and R.S.V.P here.

Hope to see you there!

xo,

Barbara

My New Book, “I’m Fine Just the Way I Am” is Now Available to Order with Bonus Gifts (limited time)

I’m so excited to share with you that my new memoir, I’m Fine Just the Way I Am – Healing Emotional Pain through the Wisdom of Animals and Oracles is now available to order! 
 
The official launch date is April 22, 2020, but I’m offering this limited window of opportunity between now and then for you to order a copy of my book which includes bonus gifts (ordering and details below).
 
The thought to write another book happened one morning two years ago driving down a country road. It flashed quite quickly across my mind but then as quickly I tucked it away.
 
At the time, I was deep in the muck of going through a dark time and finding it difficult to cope with taking care of my special needs dog, Gidget.
 
I had no idea at that point how things were going to unfold, but somewhere in the deepest part of my heart, I thought maybe, just maybe, my story could help other women.
 
A few weeks later during an animal reading with friend and animal communicator, Dawn Brunke, I’d learn that Gidget was fine just as she was despite her health issues even though I was feeling challenged by it all. Her invitation to me was to see subtle perspectives I wasn’t considering and to see life sideways.
 
She also encouraged me to understand inner focus and details and how she really wanted me to get this. She said it was her final teaching to me.
 
While I didn’t at first fully grasp what she meant by seeing life sideways, I was open to exploring what insight this could bring me.
 
During that reading, Dawn also mentioned that perhaps I’d write a book about this someday even though she hadn’t known I’d just had that thought two weeks before.
 
She said that maybe a great title would be I’m Fine Just the Way I Am.
 
I still recall how my hand immediately flew to rest upon my heart. It struck a chord deep within me. Though, I wouldn’t know the full extent of its meaning until I embarked on the deep inner work that I was being called to do.

Little did I know I’d be taken on a journey to explore a significant and painful recurring vision that has plagued me for over two decades.
 
I wanted more than anything to be the best I could be for Gidget and also for myself. I was so very tired of suffering and the endless inward berating I’d done to myself for years.
 
After that reading with Gidget, I’d embark on an inward journey and employ a myriad of tools — each serving as a building block to self-knowledge and healing. 

  • I learned to trust my intuition and trust in the process.
  • I learned to dance with the wisdom of not only my dog, Gidget, but with a snake, a wolf and a horse. Each had a poignant message to help me heal different parts of myself.
  • I gained insight I’d not have considered by incorporating oracle cards and identified patterns that no longer served me. I also discovered ways in which I could course-correct when I fell into old patterning and repeated my never-ending story.
  • I paid attention to my dreams and worked with a dream analyst to understand how my dreams were guiding me to believe in the wounded little girl within me.
  • I incorporated the power of forgiveness and ceremonial work.
  • I accepted help from others who were beacons of light guiding me to listen to those parts of myself that felt shame and guilt.
  • I took part in life-enhancing breath work that took me to feeling the core of my wounding and healed me on a level of understanding that I was never alone, always loved, and most importantly, that I was worthy.

I’d come to understand that the turmoil in my life wasn’t happening to me, but rather for me.
 
All of this was integral in helping me transform my pain and accept it both as a gift and the path I was meant to walk in order to finally understand that I’m worthy just as I am
 
Bonus gifts included with pre-orders (until 4/21/20): 

  • Animals as Oracles – Oracle cards and messages from four of the animals I write about in the book that helped guide me in profound and powerful ways. This is a PDF that you can print and cut out the photo of each animal and use them as oracle cards if you wish. Plus pages to journal your thoughts on what each animal is personally offering to you to help guide you.
  • An inspirational 5 x 7 graphic to encourage you to embrace your worthiness and know that you too, are fine just the way you are. This is a PDF you can print, cut out, and put in a favorite frame. Place it where you will see it every day to remind you that you are worthy just as you are…and that you matter.
  • Coupon with a special discount toward one oracle reading and guidance session with me.
  • Special drawing: Your name will be entered in for a chance to win one of five oracle reading and guidance sessions I’ll be giving away.

**After you’ve placed your book order send an email to Imfinebookgifts@gmail.com with your name and order # for your bonus gifts.

Please note that bonus gifts will be emailed on or around April 22, 2020, along with notification of winners of the five oracle reading giveaways.

In closing… to my Gidge girl, I can never thank you enough for being you and walking so lovingly beside me. I miss you. But I’m so honored to carry you in my heart and the beautiful teaching you instilled within me.

xo,

Barbara

P.S. The e-book version will be available sometime in May.

Hitting Milestones with Signs of Support from the Universe

Snow heart I discovered on a walk

Part of my day on Tuesday was preparing and addressing envelopes to send out complimentary copies of my new memoir to all the wonderful people who supported me along the way. 

Each time I hit a milestone like this I feel a whoosh of love run through my heart – and I know it’s Gidget. While she may not be here physically, I have felt her presence every step of the way, and I’m so grateful.

The books are now in the mail and on their way to the recipients. While writing is such a solitary endeavor it truly takes a team to bring a book into the world.

Writing a memoir for me has also meant that I have to first live my experiences before I share them. And then re-live them again as I write them. There is so much personal growth involved in the process for me.

In many ways, I’m welcoming this new phase as it is more linear, left-brain thinking as I am in preparation mode of getting ready to release it. And just an FYI that pre-ordering my new book, along with some bonus gifts is coming soon. 🙂 I hope you’ll stay tuned!

I also appreciate how the universe supports us with confirmation nudges along the way. Just recently I shared here on my blog about my story and an encounter with a snake that is included in a new book by my friend, Dawn Brunke, called Awakening the Ancient Power of Snake.

Reading Dawn’s book I learned about another author, Tera Thomas, who wrote a book called, Opening My Wings to Fly: What Animals Have Taught Me.

I read it in two days. It was hard to put down! Tera’s book is about how animals in the physical and non-physical have been some of her greatest teachers. She also shares her many experiences in communing with them, whether in dreams, meditative journeys, or in real life and how they have helped her become a better human being and live in harmony with them.

At times in my own life, I’ve thought I was losing my mind with how animals were showing up and trying to guide me – especially snake! It’s not something society often talks about and honestly not something many are even open to – this way of communing with animals that bring us messages we most need to hear and understand.  Reading Tera’s book, on the cusp of releasing mine, felt like connecting with yet another kindred spirit.

I’ve worked through much darkness to get to this point. Discovering other’s who have walked similar paths and their encounters with animals have been welcome validations. So to all the other authors (and animals!) who have walked before me, I say a big thank you! Just another welcome reminder that we never walk alone.

xo,

Barbara