intuition

The Fairy Who Came to Dance in My Writing Cottage

Posted by Barbara Techel

The Fairy Who Came to Dance in My Writing Cottage

My morning started with one of my dark chocolate coconut nibs being in the shape of a heart…and then someone on Instagram pointed out it is also smiling, which I didn’t initially catch. How’s that for a positive sign to start the day?

Dressed in my yoga gear with Gidget tucked under my right arm I walked twelve steps across the deck, through my periwinkle door, and into my sacred space that is my writing cottage.

As I began moving through my yoga poses, listening to an Eva Cassidy station on Pandora, I felt this presence with me.

It began as a small wisp of a flutter and a gentle nudge of a niggle. This presence swayed with grace within my imagination, beckoning me to join in.

But I was disciplined and didn’t have time for this whisper in my heart. I must move through my yoga poses as I do most days. 

And besides I was feeling shy. Go ahead, I thought, and sashay and sway all you want. I can’t join you right now.

But then it began to be a bit more insistent tickling my spirit with what it might feel like if I just let go and followed the path it was beckoning my soul to see…

And so to appease it, I decided to listen…and slowly I began to let go of feeling vulnerable…and soon enough my arms began to sway up, then down, and all around…and then my legs couldn’t help but join in carrying me where they may…as I smiled and frolicked with the fairy who came to dance in my writing cottage today.

The more I let go of “being seen”  the more my spirit soared…and the fairy’s wings flapped with utter joy at my willingness to finally open to the message she had been trying to convey to me.

The smile on my face grew wider and wider as I felt my wings being set free…dancing like no one was watching…and it was then I realized…

it was me…

I was the fairy that came to dance in my writing cottage today.

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Women Need Other Women – Shifting the Perspective

Posted by Barbara Techel

Women Need Other Women - Shifting the Perspective

I wish every day could be like it is the 3rd Wednesday of every month. 

I was part of helping form a Women’s Mastermind Circle, which began meeting in February. There are five of us – all visionary women, most of us in mid-life with one that is in her early 30s. We all have in common that we want to live each day from a place of intuitive intention and live from a place within that is at peace with who she is.

While we all ebb and flow with this to some degree, our gatherings help to remind those of us that may need reassurance. We also all have in common that we each live from a place of awareness of how we strive to live a life that is fulfilling and meaningful.

It’s so refreshing to be among a group of ladies who aren’t in competition with each other. We value each others thoughts, we practice deep listening, we offer what we can in support, and have compassion for where we are on each of our life’s path.

It has really had me  thinking of how we, as women, must begin to shift our perspective of each other. Where the competitiveness began among women can certainly be debated and there are so many things that have contributed to it, no doubt. But we have to begin with ourselves and how we treat each other in order for that shift to begin. Women can, and have been, so hard on each other.

All I know is that to be among these five ladies in this monthly circle has enriched my heart and spirit that I can hardly wait for the next month’s time together to come around again. And I know that being a part of this circle helps me as I move about in my world outside the circle to try even more to have compassion for other’s. Not that this is always easy in such a diverse and troubled world – it can certainly prove to be challenging.

But I believe that if more can find support among their own small tribe of women the shift can gain ground for more personal healing and ultimately on a global level, too.

Every month as I drive home from being in this circle of amazing women, I feel a fire of aliveness ignited once again of how important it is to have kindred spirits like this in my life. While I needed to move away from the corporate world over twelve years ago and needed much time alone, I’m now realizing how important it is for me to be around other women like the circle I’m part of.

Time alone feeds my soul in one way, while time with this dear tribe of ladies I have the honor of getting to know better, is feeding my soul in another with the result of feeling more whole and alive in a new way.

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My Perfectionist Kept Me Awake Last Night

Posted by Barbara Techel
My Perfectionist Kept Me Awake Last Night
My Inner Critic SoulCollage® Card

It was midnight when I found myself wide awake. Around and around and around in my mind went thoughts and worries about the workshop I’ll be facilitating tonight. Third in a series of five and tonight we will explore and create SoulCollage® cards for one or all of the following — Maiden, Mother and Crone.

I tossed and turned trying everything to talk myself out of my concerns.

As 2016 came to an end I knew in my heart I was being strongly called to facilitate many more workshops in 2017 and bring women together in circle to gently guide them to creatively tap into their intuition to connect with their True Self and live a more meaningful life.

In many ways this is new territory for me. Along with lots of researching and learning as I go it’s a new energy I’m working with that I’ve not before.

Most recently I was introduced to The Circle Way as a structure to help create a safe container for women to tune into their intuition, create and share their stories.

While I’m grateful to now know about The Circle Way and which I’m integrating in my workshops, it’s still new to me. I worry that I won’t do it “right.” And I’m realizing this is my Inner Critic, which is also disguised as my perfectionist, who is showing herself more often.

Even though I’ve done much inner work on myself, the thing is it is never “one and we are done” but that we will now and then be challenged. This is what comes with growing and evolving.

The good news is that I can now more easily recognize what is going on. So this morning I pulled the card I made to represent my Inner Critic.  Here she is in purple worried that others will talk behind her back saying she isn’t any good at this facilitating role.

And seeing in the background the Egyptian woman with her hands raised I heard her say, “Stop all the madness!”

It brought me back to my senses and understanding that my Inner Critic has my best interest in mind. My Inner Critic wants to keep me safe and protect me. She really means no harm. She just needed to be acknowledged for her important role in my life.

So I silently talked to her and said, “Thank you for your concern. I got this. You can now rest for awhile.”

It’s going to be a great night with my Women’s Circle!

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SoulCollage® cards are not sold, traded, or bartered to respect the artists whose images are collaged in the cards.