mindfulness

Spirit Soaring Friends. Come Join us!

Posted by Barbara Techel

 

Spirit Soaring Friends. Come Join us!
Me and Rachel

My life has been blessed with this lovely, young lady, Rachel. While I’ve known of her for quite a few years, crossing paths now and then, it was last September we realized we had much in common and similar passions.

Together we’ve facilitated a few workshops together and I so appreciate how much we compliment each other in our teaching. Best of all, I’ve found such joy in sharing meaningful and deeply rich conversation with her. Often I marvel at how wise she is beyond her years.

Today we met at her home and non-profit sanctuary, LaValley Nature and Equine Sanctuary to get a photo of the two of us together for our upcoming workshop we will be facilitating on June 24th, Walking Sticks & Mindful Walking Meditation.

We were only together for about a half hour, but driving home, my spirit was soaring. Her energy and passion for life is contagious and I always feel uplifted when I’m with her.

You may recall me mentioning a few times my love of donkeys and my wish to be involved with them in some shape or form. Well, Rachel’s sanctuary continues to be on the look out for two mini senior donkeys to take in. And when that day comes, if you hear a loud hoot and holler….well, indeed, it will be me!

Currently she has four senior horses: Hank, Nola, Dancer, and most recently joining the crew is Charlie. I’ve only been at her place a handful of times to date, but each time I’m there on her peaceful 24 acres my heart feels home.

I couldn’t help but think after being with Rachel today how vital it is to have friends that make our spirit soar. Those that see the glass as half full, instead of half empty. Those that look for the positive. Those that find inner peace in tough times. Those that see beauty in nature and animals.

And that is Rachel and why I feel blessed to call her friend.

We’d love for you to join us at Rachel’s serene and beautiful sanctuary for our workshop on June 24th. It’s our wish that your spirit will soar too after spending time with us, creating, taking time for YOU, and soaking in all the healing energies of nature. Come join us!

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For more details and to register, just click on the graphic.

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Intuitive Guiding Messages

Posted by Barbara Techel
Intuitive Guiding Images
My 2017 SoulCollage card

Last year I was introduced to using twelve images, picked at random, from twelve different magazines to intuitively help create my New Year.

Initially, I was intimidated. While I enjoyed going through the meditation process for each month that led me to choosing twelve different images, when it came time to get all those images onto one 5 x 8 card fear set in. I thought there was no way I’d be able to do it.

In the “normal” process of doing SoulCollage(r) we work with an average of 2-5 images per card. I say “normal” as there is no right or wrong way to do this process, just helpful hints and suggestions. But twelve images on a card? That really did seem impossible.

But I’m happy to report I did it!!…and was quite pleased and ecstatic that I did.

Well, then I was hooked, and repeated the process again this year, which I then also facilitated a workshop at my Joyful Pause studio this past Saturday on this very process which I learned from SoulCollage(r) facilitator, Andrea Thuler who lives in Switzerland.

Above is my card I put together for 2017, which I did a few days before I taught it to seven other wise and wonderful ladies. I have to be honest and humble here…I am in love with my card!  I look at it and I can hear and see my soul with clarity, which is such a beautiful thing.

It speaks to me of my uniqueness in who I am, how I want to continue to dance more fully into who I am, how I find strength and courage from my rituals of meditation, yoga, and listening to my inner voice, how I feel the light inside me burning bright again, how my inner compass is my true guidance, and how I want to live more and more from that wild and wise person that I know I am.

But what lit me up even more was watching the participants in my workshop, half of which were new to SoulCollage(r) as they went through this process…and the revelations that it presented for them.

To watch as many began the process of letting go of what no longer serves them and finding the strength to step into who they really want to be….well, let’s just say, it was magical, priceless, and left my heart with a very good feeling, which still vibrates within me today.

I’ve walked the journey of letting go, and continue to… as like everyone else, I am a work in progress….which is perfectly OKAY…we are unfinished women, with so much more to give, finding our way to shine in this world.

One woman said of the experience, “My soul gained a little serenity today.” I wanted to weep with joy from that statement as this is the calling I’ve felt drawn to for quite some time now…

to help and encourage others to open to their own souls whispers and wisdom.

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Wednesdays with the Wisdom of Dog: Mindfulness

Posted by Barbara Techel

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My dear friend Marie says that every thing we do, from washing dishes, cooking dinner, working, art, or anything in life really, is to approach it as a blessing.

It’s a way of being mindful and in the moment of each task that you do, instead of jumping ahead in your mind of what needs to be done next.

I can’t help but think how my dogs teach me about mindfulness. When I devote my total attention to them and not worrying about what I might need to do next, it is a blessing indeed with many rewards. I also have come to see it as a meditative practice, too.

Jon Kabat-Zinn was on Super Soul Sunday this past week talking about mindfulness. It struck me how he said that when you are taking a shower, he said, to just take a shower. Don’t think about what is ahead for the day. It won’t make those things get done any faster. Isn’t that the truth?

As I brushed Kylie last night I thought about this. And how just brushing her and not worrying about when dinner would get done or what I was going to do after dinner—it would all work itself out. It always does.

How much time we spend in this “what’s next” and “what if” thinking stage that we miss out on the moment right in front of us. And when in the moment, if we can practice mindfulness, how calm and at peace our minds can truly be.

Dogs do this every single moment of the day. Did you ever notice that? I know it’s why I love being in their presence so much. Even when I’m not practicing being mindful, oftentimes just seeing them reminds me to slow down, savor, and drink slowly from the gift of life.

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I think perhaps Gidget isn’t practicing mindful thinking in this photo as it appears to me as if she is saying, “When’s it my turn mom? I want to be next. Please brush me next.” Gotta love dogs.

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