I went to a workshop a bit ago- 3 days in the city, indoors with the sun shining through the windows. I was on the fence about going- I don’t like driving in traffic or early morning ferries, or sitting in a room all day, especially in the summer….. But boy, I was glad I went.

Some things are so helpful that we can call them life changing. We hear the thing we have always known but we understand it in a new and clearer way, and we practice it so that we have more choice and clarity, and it becomes ours. We have a flash of insight or a new awareness or just a small shift in our way of being so that we understand ourselves and others better. We become more effective, gentler, less likely to judge, less reactive, more gracious and forgiving, we have more capacity. And we know the world needs people with capacity, people who can hold suffering without taking it on and who can offer a simple invitation to others, the invitation to heal. It was a very useful workshop.

It was called Whole Heart Connection and it was offered by one of my favorite teachers, Thea Elijah. I studied with her extensively when I was a newly graduated acupuncturist and her teachings are one of the reasons that my treatments are as potent as they are. She taught me about the spirit of the points, about vibrational medicine, and the importance of intention. She taught me so many things- she is brilliant and insightful. She helped me deepen my understanding of the Five Elements and the powerful and elegant system that is Chinese Medicine and eastern thought, upon which I base my understanding of health and well being.

This workshop was not about acupuncture, it was about presence. It was about how to stay centered and how to uplift others. It was about communicating, but not verbally or through body language. Instead we practiced subtle, important shifts in our own inner world that could radiate out and impact others. Most of the exercises and practice over the three days were done without any words, but they were deeply moving. We learned about heart, about standing between heaven and earth, about the front and back body, and about the unseen forces that we can turn to. It is now hard to put into words, but the experience has changed me.

Being in the presence of someone who has a developed awareness and a desire to share is so uplifting and helpful! And Thea’s point is that we can all have this and we should go out, make this work our own, and share it. I know I will be using it in my treatments and also offering teachings on my upcoming kayak trips and on the retreat to Oaxaca.

In Oaxaca we work with a woman, Elizabeth, who similarly has deep understanding and awareness. She is an energy worker, intuitive healer and a ceremonialist and we gain the same inspiration for presence and capacity by being with her. The connection to the unknown can be strengthened by these kinds of experiences and that in itself can affect our lives in so many ways. Oaxaca is a place where the unseen world is honored, it is a place where magic lives, and that connection enhances our own capacities.

Join me to explore the inner world while sharing a rich adventure. There are still a few spaces in the August women’s kayak trip and the October journey to Oaxaca is still open. Call now or click here for more info.