Silence Seeks the Gold

One of the deepest skills I have worked on in the past years is that of silent listening. Creating sacred peaceful space for one to share in. Whether it be a story of pain or celebration, questions asked in anxious energy or demands made in frustration, or whispers spoken out loud of possible dreams or deep rooted fears, the blank space of silence is needed and appreciated.

My shamanic mentor, Robin Rice, taught me to add to this silence the meta skill of having no opinion. If you are listening to someone and find your self thinking of your answer, judging against your life experience, problem solving or offering sympathetic words of advice you are not only failing to bring your fullest attention to the one sharing with you, you are muddying the energies instead of keeping the vibrations clean and open to the easy and gentle flow. You can prevent the person sharing the opportunity to find their own clarity. You may be leaning against the very door that important lessons and messages are trying to come through.

As you listen with open ears, you listen with an open heart as well. You can be fully present, be of love, see beauty in the darkness, witness hope where there was thought to be none and so much more. As a shaman I have learned this is my most valuable skill I can bring to my soul mentoring. Serving as witness to someone is a sacred honor. Often it is the exact medicine that they need most.

The don't need rushing waves to come in and cleanse them. They don't need someone verifying they have been in the perfect storm. They don't need someone to help them bail the water out of their ship. They need someone to listen; deeply, fully and openly so that both the listener and the speaker create an energetic still canvas. Within this sacred canvas possibilities surface, wisdom shines, healing is accessed and life unfolds. The uncomplicated-ness of it holds tremendous beauty. Its blankness beckons new creativity, opportunities and choices.

Keeping perceptions and opinions out of the communication is vital for the potential treasure trove of gold to be found. In the silence one finds their answers, their insights, and their truth. In the energetic exchange of the speaker and the listener the soul's story is shared and witnessed. The guides visit, the angels bless, Spirit heals and the soul breathes it all in. The alchemy is pure magic. It has stood the test of time; our ancestors listened with very different ears than most of us do today. The silence seeks the gold and allows it to shine as brightly as it needs to.

Blessings, Lisa

Bringing Presence to Your Support

There are times in my shamanic work that I am sitting with someone who is in tremendous suffering. I, no matter how much my tender heart may want to, cannot remove their suffering. Nor should I, for there are times that it is through our suffering that we find our healing. And yet the client sits before me, seeking my services; wanting to find relief and release from their pain and loss.

And so the work becomes one of being present. I bring my presence to the relationship we are sharing together. By doing this there is an expansion of the energies between us. There is a widening of the understanding, often first on a soul level, but then with time the heart and mind follow.

Pain is a great inducer of change. We all have pain in our lives. This is not about whether it is fair or not, pain cannot be measured by that scale. This is not about how terrible or unfortunate the pain is; for each of us suffering feels bad. But this is about the fact that when we are in pain it is a natural force within our soul to move away from it into an energy of change, to find a flow that supports growth, evolution and insight.

Supporting someone in understanding that their pain can become a vehicle of transformation is sometimes the very shift they need to step out of the hurt and into the healing. We cannot rid someone of their suffering or pain, but instead we can help them find that there is some truth in the pain, sometimes there is beauty there as well. In our suffering, if we can remain present, we can often find meaning. In this meaning is the next step that takes one out of their unbearable pain. It is an encouraging force that beckons them to look beyond the pain into tomorrow or at the least, into the next moment.

I have worked with those who have faced unbelievable suffering, loss and pain. In the moment, they felt there was no way out of it. But with time, remaining present for them, when they could not, space was created so that the energies could expand and shift. With time, tenderness, compassion and presence the soul found its way out of the wound and into the healing. The story did not remain stuck in the loss and hurt. The unfolding of the vibrations of the continuum of life brought the client to a place of healing and wholeness, away from the space of pain and brokenness.

The best medicine a shaman can offer to a client is that of being fully present to all that the moment holds. It is within that precise exchange of energies that the client feels witnessed, supported and held. From there the healing can begin.

Blessings, Lisa

Divine Beauty

Tell someone that they are beautiful and you may get one of many different responses. Depending on that person's story and beliefs around beauty it may be a positive reaction or a negative, or it could be indifferent. The response may also be based on what you are referring to when you acknowledge their beauty.

One indisputable fact is that we are all divinely beautiful. We have an essence of our soul that shines. Maybe not all the time, maybe not in a while, perhaps it is hiding or wounded, but underneath it all and somewhere in the busy-ness of our life, our divine beauty exists.

There is greatness to be found in embracing this divine beauty. It illuminates our soul. It empowers our actions. This type of beauty touches hearts. It also heals wounds and unlocks doors. It is the spirit of our being. And it is completely and entirely unique to you.

This divine beauty cannot be purchased or copied. It cannot be embellished or masked. It is so vibrant that it shines through the cracks of our insecurities, the bars of our bravado, and the shadows of our pain.

It often is seen by others before we are aware of its presence. Yet it is this very beauty that connects us to each other. It brings worlds together. It creates union. It fosters peace and it welcomes simplicity.

There are many in our lives who we can identify with this glorious beauty. We hold them in a tender and special place within our heart. We think of them far differently from the glossy magazine paged bodies or the cinema screen bombshells. And if by chance we discover it in someone who also exhibits outward polished beauty, we stress the divine beauty as far more valuable and appreciated, "She may have a lovely face, but her heart and compassion truly are where her beauty shines."

So think on this. What is your divine beauty? How do you express it? What do you do to allow it to freely flow into the world and touch others? How do you recognize it and honor it? We are all divinely beautiful and it is here that we need no redefining!

Blessings, Lisa

The New You Evolution

It is the time of year when people put their focus and energies into a New Year's resolution. Admirable, yes. But often disappointing. We create the perfect set up for failure, dissatisfaction, disappointment and more. Yet, our intentions are always so filled with hope, eagerness and optimism.

How can you begin 2014 with a new you evolution instead of the old resolutions? What would the theme of your evolution be? This often brings about a positive impact into your life as opposed to creating a specific goal that has restrictions and limitations that feel as though you have to give up, sacrifice or go without. We feel expansive and open as opposed to feeling like we are being constrained or being forced to go without.

These types of evolutionary themes bring in a different type of energetic focus. Think about something you feel is lacking in your life, something you would like to change, expand, broaden, or become more positive about. It could be relationships, it could be mindfulness, it could be creativity, movement, nourishment and so on.

Now expand within these themes. Let's say I choose creativity. I sit down and think of ways working on my creativity could benefit my relationship with self and others, my living environment, my work, my spiritual practice, my body and more. I allow myself to explore all the possibilities and there are so many. I leave room for the magic and miracles that this positive energy will surely generate. I invite others into the wonderful gift I am bringing into my life.

Notice that there suddenly is an energetic shift to this focus. Not once have I looked at what I must go without. When we approach our evolution this way, letting go of what is not good for us, no longer serves us or creates blockages for us is easier because we want the fresh space, the room, the abundance of time and energies to make room for the aspects that will fuel our evolution! We find ourselves excited over this new focus.

With the embracing of a New You Evolutionary theme you will find that your body, mind and soul will resonate. You will find ideas bubbling up of what you want and need. Your body will be charged with the changes. Your mind will explore the adventure you are taking it on. And your soul will delight on the possibilities you are creating, inviting even more to the journey day by day as you discover the new true you rising forward.

Happy New You, Lisa