Minefields and Goldmines

A favorite quote by Jeff Brown that I reflect upon is, “I cannot help but marvel at the human capacity to overcome tremendous suffering and find a way to go on. It would be one thing if we released all our holdings right after the trauma, but that we continue to carry them and still find the faith to believe in a better tomorrow is simply heroic. I think of the shadow material that takes up space inside many of us- repressed emotions, unsaid words, armored musculature, collective trauma- and then marvel at our capacity to weave optimism, faith and determination into the heart of it. Minefields and gold mines sitting side by side in the inner valley. Let’s stop looking for our heroes ‘out there’. They live within us. We are so profound.” We all have our past stories. Most of us can share an experience or a chapter that others listening would shake their heads in disbelief, sharing their compassionate heart with us. We often focus our thoughts and feelings on the negative aspects of our stories, while others would not hesitate to point out to us our strength, our growth, and our wisdom, our gifts in the moment or our perseverance. We are able to witness it in others, but we often have a difficult time to see this for ourselves.

Then with time and grace we learn to rise above and move forward. It is in this moving forward that we often do not take the time to completely process and heal from the wounds of our story. We bury, we stifle, we deny and we move on. Many times this is done as a survival tactic as we don’t believe we have the tools to face the pain. But the truth is that our soul holds for us all the parts. Our soul balances the dark and the light. It longs to be full and bright and alive.

With soul care we are able to walk the minefields of our pain and past and uncover the gold within. As we uncover the reality of our story and face the truth and embrace the richness that lies there waiting for us to discover it, we find ourselves peeling away layers of the survivor. Those are the layers we buffered ourselves with to escape the pain or loss. Those are the layers that also weigh us down so that we often become stuck or in negative patterns that do not serve us.

Our profound beauty is that we hold all of this at once. We may not be aware of it. We may not know what to do with it all. We may not understand our potential, but there is hope. The services of a soul care practitioner can bring to light what our shadows are, they can retrieve pieces of our soul we have lost, they can build bridges for us to cross over from our story to our truth and live the glorious life designed for us.

Blessings ~ Lisa

©COPYRIGHT 2012 Lisa Meade

Change Takes Time

Transformation takes time. Growth usually is gradual. Forward movement happens step by step. It is the natural unfolding of the way things are. Our spiritual growth is no different. We want to rush things, push fast forward, and jump ahead. The truth is we really only should move forward when we are ready. Any action made in that direction that is premature often proves to be costly in some way. Spirit knows this and continues to keep us in step and on our path. It is our ego that wants more than what we are ready for.

Relationships become stronger the longer we are in them and the more we are able to invest in them. Our life experiences add richness and depth to our story. Experience takes time and opportunities to use our gifts and talents. If we attempt to rush any of these then we short-change ourselves and those we are connected to. We run the risk of not learning the fullness that we are meant to. We take the chance of acting on assumptions instead of knowledge. In our haste we create scenarios of possible negative outcome.

To really change and transform our lives and become our most brilliant self it takes time. It is an honor to be in this process. If we view it this way then we are able to appreciate the different levels of the work ahead of us. There is more than one opportunity, more than one big event that will bring us to this transformational place. Living our life authentically means embracing all the lessons, even those we were not looking for, and allowing them to unfold for us. It means being a recipient with integrity of our present moment’s offerings and being with the energies as they instruct us, heal us, awaken and mold us….then we can move forward to the next step of the journey.

Blessings ~ Lisa

©COPYRIGHT 2012 Lisa Meade

Not Worth the Worry

Regardless of where we are on our path we can rest assured that we have golden opportunities ahead of us waiting for our arrival. We don’t often think of it that way. It is even harder to have our thoughts go that way when we are feeling stuck or less than. But if we could remember this, then we would have a very different perspective to our learning curve. It also gives us a fresh take on those we meet on our path. It really does not matter who is ahead or behind in practice or knowledge if we believe we are exactly where we are supposed to be at this given time. Instead we can celebrate the fact that we are all being given the opportunity to receive gifts and lessons that are timely, appropriate and hold greatness for our next step on our path.

We live in a society that instills competition and measures progress differently than the way of the soul. The soul does not compete. The soul expands and reduces, as we need it to. It affords us chances to shine brightly or to dim our light and embrace pause. The soul knows nothing of measurement or gauge; it only remains present, in the moment, bringing focus and intent to our expression, engagement, and receptivity. If we can learn to trust and live within that simple truth, the pressure is off.

We wear ourselves out with our thoughts and worries of failure, lack of being enough, competency and more. Our acceptance of what is would allow us to be open to what is unfolding within and around us. Our receptivity would be heightened. Our possibilities would be endless and our growth would be natural and true to whom we are.

We like to believe we are in control of so many things in our lives that we truly are not even close to managing. It gives us satisfaction, surety, confidence and power, but they are all false senses of themselves. When tested by life’s natural unfolding of stressors and challenges, we quickly learn we are not in the driver seat and we become worried, scared or stressed. If we never go to this place of false control, then we perceive our life’s path differently and we move with the flow acting only in the moment and not looking back with concern or forward with trepidation.

Blessings ~ Lisa

© COPYRIGHT 2012 Lisa Meade

The Service of Soul Care

Today among the post-Election Day newscasts there is also the coverage of another storm heading our way here on the east coast. My heart goes out to the people who are still suffering from the storm last week. Many still have no electricity or heat. Many have lost their homes all together. It feels overwhelming to think about. Like many others, I have donated food, clothing, household goods and money, all in hope that whatever I have to offer can in some way bring relief to the recipient. But I have also been offering more on a daily basis since the storm began. I have used my calling as a soul care practitioner to call upon the healing energies of the Universe. I place focus on this time calling upon my spiritual guides and seeking ways to bring supportive energies to those in need. I have used my shamanic tools to gather these energies and send them out, much like a prayer, to meet the needs of those receiving them.

Living this way is part of my everyday. I maintain a connection to the sources of my practice so that I can be of service, so that I can bring focused intention and so that I can be open to do what I may be called upon to do. As a soul care practitioner I spend a good deal of my time working in spiritual realms in service to those who need soul retrieval and soul healing. I have spirit guides that help me. I have a community that supports the work I do and shares my connection to the realms of the soul. And I have tools, much like the soul stick I used to gather and send out these collected energies.

There are cultures where soul care is part of every day life. The culture accepts it, honors it and relies on it. In today’s American culture not everyone is aware of the services I offer or understands why they would have a need for them. We are accustomed to seeking medical intervention when our body suffers, but whom do we turn to when it is our soul that is suffering?

There are many ways in which a soul care practitioner can bring relief and healing to their client. Living through a crisis, like Hurricane Sandy, surviving a serious accident, losing a loved one, being fired or laid off from a job, overcoming a serious illness, or going through a split of a relationship are just some of the examples in which soul care may be needed. These events can happen far back in our lifeline, even in childhood, and still we may be suffering from the effects of that life event.

What do some of the symptoms look like when soul care is needed for recovery and healing? Many times one may feel lost, sluggish, alone and disconnected. One may have lapses in memory of significant times in their life. Or one may struggle to break negative patterns and move forward; they feel stuck. These are only some of the more common symptoms of soul suffering. Others can include anxiety of unknown origin, ongoing nightmares, eating issues, body image issues, excessive fears that keep someone from living the life intended for them, feeling stuck in the past, ongoing obsessions and more.

As a soul care practitioner I bring my services to the people of my community and the clients who come to me. Working with a soul care practitioner will provide opportunities for the soul to be healed and pieces that have been lost along the way by any of the ways discussed to be retrieved, much like missing pieces of a puzzle, and so that the soul can function in more complete way. Now the full image of what your life is to be begins to present itself to you and a wholeness is felt and experienced.

Every person responds differently to soul care. For some there is a sense of immediate relief and the client will express a lightening, as though something has been lifted off their shoulders. For others, the response may take some time. Slowly dreams will return, memories will be restored, and an awakening on many of the body’s levels will be experienced.

Soul care can happen either in person or from a far. Because the soul care practitioner works in energy fields and other spiritual realms, the client does not need to be in the shaman’s presence. The realms that the soul care practitioner visits during their work are outside of our day to day.

If you feel you could use the service of a soul care practitioner, contact me. I would be honored to speak with you and offer you support and assistance. Bringing healing and completion to your days is what I am called to service to do. To learn more you can find me at www.womenwithinsight.com, or https://www.facebook.com/WithinsightsWalkoftheShaman. I additionally offer my soul care services at a discounted rate on Tuesdays and Thursdays through https://www.facebook.com/ShamanicSoulCare

Blessings ~ Lisa

©COPYRIGHT 2012 Lisa Meade