I'm curious.
What is shamanism? The easiest way to grasp the power & beauty of this ancient healing system is to look at nature. You may notice the trees, stars, sun, moon, wind, water, rocks and more. But, do you really "see" them? Shamanic Practitioners, those who are healers using the shaman ways, believe that all of nature is alive with unique wisdom that can help the world heal, expand and flourish. You may feel your feet on mother earth's belly right now but are you aware of what she is saying to you? Shamanism is a mystical, magical, ancient way to attune to the guidance that is all around & within you. To access this wisdom, shamanic practitioners travel into the unseen where they access and then bring back information to help you wake up "or see" what needs attention in your current life. These unique messages help you heal, evolve, and shine into your highest soul purpose. Shamanism teaches us to listen, feel, and embody the divine messages/messengers that serve as our guides. It is beyond incredible to awaken to the truth as to why your soul chose to be here on earth at this time. For when we heal and tend to the divine essence of our unique soul, we are helping the entire world heal. As a fun fact, the first shamans lived in Siberia. Their teachings spread far and wide and reached our native brother and sisters and many more today.
How do I know if shamanic soul work is right for me?
Are you ready to seek a deeper connection to your higher self? To the radiant inner light of your soul? Are you ready to heal old karmic wounds and to release stagnant low vibration energy that is holding you back from flourishing and being well with your soul? Are you ready to turn on the magic in your life? To live in harmony with your true nature and with all of life? To connect with spirit guides that are anxiously waiting for you to notice them and to take their guidance to help you live your hearts desire? If you are willing to open your mind and bring with you a curiosity like a little child, shamanic soul work is calling to you.
What is energy healing?
Deep within us lies 7 main energy portals called chakras. When our souls were born into this body, those 7 chakras carried with them memory, their own DNA code. This energetic code communicates with your physical body and emotional body. And as we grow, those chakras are intended to spin, taking in radiant energy so that we can live in vibrant harmony with all of life. But, insert being human where we have many little (and big) life experiences that can throw our chakras into a tizzy tailspin of unhealthy excess energy. Conversely, the zest or energetic spark within them can be dimmed and the spinning of the chakra slows way down (sometimes getting blocked completely). Each of the chakras spiral into and feed one another so when one is deficient, all are affected. Leaving us in a state of ~ "I feel like something is off. Something isn't quite right; physically, emotionally, or spiritually". During energy healing, Wendy taps into the chakras and works to bring them back into a state of flowing harmony. Once this occurs, your ethereal body (the auric energy space all around & BEyond you) is able to connect to all that is and a cool thing happens ~ you and Wendy both receive wisdom to heal your body, mind, & soul ~ helping you to reconnect to the truth.
What should I know if I am new to yoga? Yoga is for everyBODY so come with an open mind and have your own unique experiences. Yoga is about finding balance between body, mind, & spirit leading to a healthy body and calmness of mind. Enjoy your transformed body, increased self-awareness, and radiant spirit. A few simple tips to help you reap the blissful fruit of yoga.
I've had some people say I shouldn't do yoga because it is against my religion. Can you elaborate on this?
Ah. This is probably one Wendy's favorite questions. After living all over the world, her soul guided her to a small conservative Minnesota community where this question has surfaced often. The first time it came up, she was in shock ~ but we only know what we have been exposed to or what we allow ourselves to see & access deep within. So after the shock (and a tad bit of defensive feelings) left her, she felt sadness. Sad that so many live with such a rigid fear gripping them. So here is some light shed on that question. Yoga originated in India over 5,000 years ago. It was an energetic tool that was used to bring a state of health and suppleness to the body so a person could sit for longer periods of time in meditation. Yes, it is a practice that invites a person to move, breathe, and feel so they can then "sit with" the depths of their soul in stillness without judgment. Sit as Wendy likes to say "in a state of awe filled curiosity". It is a practice to tend to the body you were given and awaken the light within ~ to truly care for your body, mind & spirit so you can have a deeper connection to all of life. As you read this, you may be one who has a strong religious/prayer ritual in your life. Here is the connection ~ praying is when we talk to God (or any name you give to your Divine Higher Power) and meditating is listening. Ah. Listening. Therefore, yoga is a spiritual practice (not religious) which helps you to attune deeper to your truth and all that you believe. In essence, it helps you have a closer relationship to the Divine guidance you believe surrounds you everyday while nurturing the body & mind that houses your beautiful soul.
How often should I do yoga?
Easiest answer. Whenever you want to feel and heal, venture to yoga. If you are only able to attend one class per week ~ that is wonderful. Carve out the time to treat yourself with the loving self-care yoga offers and soon you will learn what your body, mind, and spirit needs to stay connected and balanced. You will get a unique experience with each yoga class because no two yoga classes are the same with Wendy's teaching style ~ no two classes are identical, so feel free to release the little fear that popped up that says "I am new. Everyone else knows what they are doing. I'm not flexible. My body shape won't let me do yoga". My dear, those are judgmental messages of your ego mind and it is just trying to keep you from evolving. The ego likes comfort & likes to know things will be the same for it carries an illusion that is where safety lies. Yoga opens you up to evolve so you must loving quiet that ego and just show up to class. You will then know how often to do yoga. Each class has an energetic theme to help you get unstuck and feel amazing. While attending yoga classes sporadically will have its own physical and mental benefits, on-going practice is where you will truly feel the healthy physical benefits along with your spiritual-emotional energy centers becoming unstuck and flowing more freely.
I hear meditation can change your life! What do you recommend to get started?
Meditation can indeed change your life from the inside out. Meditation is a powerful tool to ease the mind ... just enough... to learn to "just be" and release any judgment that fills your thoughts and life. Where there is no judgement ~ there is freedom. Where there is freedom within and without ~ radiant perfect health resides. In a nut shell ~ meditation is listening. Listening without talking back. Listening to the stillness ~ to the wisdom within ~ to the life you are living. As prayer is talking and asking ~ you drop into meditation to truly hear the divine guidance and inner peace. All is well.... even in struggle...all is well. There is much research that supports a 3 min ~ 7 min ~ 13 min & 33 min + meditation practice to heal yourself and live a life of ease. I personally cured myself of asthma and of joint pain with both yoga & meditation. By the way ~ yoga is the pathway to help your body to sit with yourself in meditation. They are linked! They are one. Just as your brilliant light is linked to infinite Divine Love. Give meditation a try to access all that amazingness. I teach meditation workshop series on occasion ~ so stayed in tune with the events page. And ~ we dabble into formal meditation at some point in the midst of all yoga classes.
I've never been on a yoga retreat before. What are they like?
Wendy highly recommends you peruse the testimonial and "more praise" sections of the website to get a first-hand feel of the shamanic yoga retreats. Many students have shared heartfelt messages of their yoga retreat experience. In her humble personal opinion, Wendy says they are pure amazing-ness! Each retreat is wonderful and profound in unique ways. Wendy is a true gypsy ~ loving to travel and satiate new experiences. For the retreats, she often ventures to and scouts the "feel of the land" before creating the retreat. Each shamanic yoga retreat experience is therefore steeped in ancient, healing wisdom unique to the locations in which they are held. As your shamanic retreat guide, Wendy is fully tuned in and part of the retreat experience with you. In essence, she creates and hold sacred space for you to have an experience that your soul is longing for you to have. The retreats are filled with yoga, meditation, shamanic healing, adventures in nature, and a lot of fun. Students laugh, cry, share, and connect at a deep level. Many people travel solo on the yoga retreats, but they quickly find they are not alone as they are supported by a tribe of others that are synched in heart.
What are some books you recommend? Wendy gets this question so often that she decided to list some of her favorite books (at this moment in time). While she's read these cover to cover, the books below have been drawing her to them once again as she occasionally flips to a page for inspiration or bits of wisdom. She believes the authors were writing in natural harmony with Divine guidance.
Entering the Circle by Olga Kharitidi MD
Outrageous Openness by Tosha Silver
The Untethered Soul by Michael Alan Singer
Love and Power by Lynn Andrews
A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson
Earth Medicine by Jamie Sams
Wherever You Go There You Are by John Kabat-Zinn
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Night Flying Woman by Ignatia Broker
The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield
Broken Open by Elizabeth Lesser
The Valkries by Paulo Coelho
A Year of Miracles by Marianne Williamson
Stripped by Cara Alwill Leyba
Check back here on occasion to see what Wendy has added to the list. Her heart's desire changes just as the seasons of nature. And please let Wendy know of books that have moved your soul. xo
How do I know if shamanic soul work is right for me?
Are you ready to seek a deeper connection to your higher self? To the radiant inner light of your soul? Are you ready to heal old karmic wounds and to release stagnant low vibration energy that is holding you back from flourishing and being well with your soul? Are you ready to turn on the magic in your life? To live in harmony with your true nature and with all of life? To connect with spirit guides that are anxiously waiting for you to notice them and to take their guidance to help you live your hearts desire? If you are willing to open your mind and bring with you a curiosity like a little child, shamanic soul work is calling to you.
What is energy healing?
Deep within us lies 7 main energy portals called chakras. When our souls were born into this body, those 7 chakras carried with them memory, their own DNA code. This energetic code communicates with your physical body and emotional body. And as we grow, those chakras are intended to spin, taking in radiant energy so that we can live in vibrant harmony with all of life. But, insert being human where we have many little (and big) life experiences that can throw our chakras into a tizzy tailspin of unhealthy excess energy. Conversely, the zest or energetic spark within them can be dimmed and the spinning of the chakra slows way down (sometimes getting blocked completely). Each of the chakras spiral into and feed one another so when one is deficient, all are affected. Leaving us in a state of ~ "I feel like something is off. Something isn't quite right; physically, emotionally, or spiritually". During energy healing, Wendy taps into the chakras and works to bring them back into a state of flowing harmony. Once this occurs, your ethereal body (the auric energy space all around & BEyond you) is able to connect to all that is and a cool thing happens ~ you and Wendy both receive wisdom to heal your body, mind, & soul ~ helping you to reconnect to the truth.
What should I know if I am new to yoga? Yoga is for everyBODY so come with an open mind and have your own unique experiences. Yoga is about finding balance between body, mind, & spirit leading to a healthy body and calmness of mind. Enjoy your transformed body, increased self-awareness, and radiant spirit. A few simple tips to help you reap the blissful fruit of yoga.
- Wear comfortable clothing. Ensure your top fits tighter to avoid flapping in your face with some yoga poses.
- Avoid eating at least 1 hour before yoga.
- Inform Wendy at the beginning of class if you have any injuries or if you are blessed with carrying a baby in your belly.
- Yoga is not a goal to achieve. Let your body feel (deeply) and invite the wisdom that comes from going to the edge of your comfort zone ~ but please don't push your body to pain. If something feels nerve tingly, back off. Explore the body by breathing and feeling but don't be a dictator over it.
I've had some people say I shouldn't do yoga because it is against my religion. Can you elaborate on this?
Ah. This is probably one Wendy's favorite questions. After living all over the world, her soul guided her to a small conservative Minnesota community where this question has surfaced often. The first time it came up, she was in shock ~ but we only know what we have been exposed to or what we allow ourselves to see & access deep within. So after the shock (and a tad bit of defensive feelings) left her, she felt sadness. Sad that so many live with such a rigid fear gripping them. So here is some light shed on that question. Yoga originated in India over 5,000 years ago. It was an energetic tool that was used to bring a state of health and suppleness to the body so a person could sit for longer periods of time in meditation. Yes, it is a practice that invites a person to move, breathe, and feel so they can then "sit with" the depths of their soul in stillness without judgment. Sit as Wendy likes to say "in a state of awe filled curiosity". It is a practice to tend to the body you were given and awaken the light within ~ to truly care for your body, mind & spirit so you can have a deeper connection to all of life. As you read this, you may be one who has a strong religious/prayer ritual in your life. Here is the connection ~ praying is when we talk to God (or any name you give to your Divine Higher Power) and meditating is listening. Ah. Listening. Therefore, yoga is a spiritual practice (not religious) which helps you to attune deeper to your truth and all that you believe. In essence, it helps you have a closer relationship to the Divine guidance you believe surrounds you everyday while nurturing the body & mind that houses your beautiful soul.
How often should I do yoga?
Easiest answer. Whenever you want to feel and heal, venture to yoga. If you are only able to attend one class per week ~ that is wonderful. Carve out the time to treat yourself with the loving self-care yoga offers and soon you will learn what your body, mind, and spirit needs to stay connected and balanced. You will get a unique experience with each yoga class because no two yoga classes are the same with Wendy's teaching style ~ no two classes are identical, so feel free to release the little fear that popped up that says "I am new. Everyone else knows what they are doing. I'm not flexible. My body shape won't let me do yoga". My dear, those are judgmental messages of your ego mind and it is just trying to keep you from evolving. The ego likes comfort & likes to know things will be the same for it carries an illusion that is where safety lies. Yoga opens you up to evolve so you must loving quiet that ego and just show up to class. You will then know how often to do yoga. Each class has an energetic theme to help you get unstuck and feel amazing. While attending yoga classes sporadically will have its own physical and mental benefits, on-going practice is where you will truly feel the healthy physical benefits along with your spiritual-emotional energy centers becoming unstuck and flowing more freely.
I hear meditation can change your life! What do you recommend to get started?
Meditation can indeed change your life from the inside out. Meditation is a powerful tool to ease the mind ... just enough... to learn to "just be" and release any judgment that fills your thoughts and life. Where there is no judgement ~ there is freedom. Where there is freedom within and without ~ radiant perfect health resides. In a nut shell ~ meditation is listening. Listening without talking back. Listening to the stillness ~ to the wisdom within ~ to the life you are living. As prayer is talking and asking ~ you drop into meditation to truly hear the divine guidance and inner peace. All is well.... even in struggle...all is well. There is much research that supports a 3 min ~ 7 min ~ 13 min & 33 min + meditation practice to heal yourself and live a life of ease. I personally cured myself of asthma and of joint pain with both yoga & meditation. By the way ~ yoga is the pathway to help your body to sit with yourself in meditation. They are linked! They are one. Just as your brilliant light is linked to infinite Divine Love. Give meditation a try to access all that amazingness. I teach meditation workshop series on occasion ~ so stayed in tune with the events page. And ~ we dabble into formal meditation at some point in the midst of all yoga classes.
I've never been on a yoga retreat before. What are they like?
Wendy highly recommends you peruse the testimonial and "more praise" sections of the website to get a first-hand feel of the shamanic yoga retreats. Many students have shared heartfelt messages of their yoga retreat experience. In her humble personal opinion, Wendy says they are pure amazing-ness! Each retreat is wonderful and profound in unique ways. Wendy is a true gypsy ~ loving to travel and satiate new experiences. For the retreats, she often ventures to and scouts the "feel of the land" before creating the retreat. Each shamanic yoga retreat experience is therefore steeped in ancient, healing wisdom unique to the locations in which they are held. As your shamanic retreat guide, Wendy is fully tuned in and part of the retreat experience with you. In essence, she creates and hold sacred space for you to have an experience that your soul is longing for you to have. The retreats are filled with yoga, meditation, shamanic healing, adventures in nature, and a lot of fun. Students laugh, cry, share, and connect at a deep level. Many people travel solo on the yoga retreats, but they quickly find they are not alone as they are supported by a tribe of others that are synched in heart.
What are some books you recommend? Wendy gets this question so often that she decided to list some of her favorite books (at this moment in time). While she's read these cover to cover, the books below have been drawing her to them once again as she occasionally flips to a page for inspiration or bits of wisdom. She believes the authors were writing in natural harmony with Divine guidance.
Entering the Circle by Olga Kharitidi MD
Outrageous Openness by Tosha Silver
The Untethered Soul by Michael Alan Singer
Love and Power by Lynn Andrews
A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson
Earth Medicine by Jamie Sams
Wherever You Go There You Are by John Kabat-Zinn
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Night Flying Woman by Ignatia Broker
The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield
Broken Open by Elizabeth Lesser
The Valkries by Paulo Coelho
A Year of Miracles by Marianne Williamson
Stripped by Cara Alwill Leyba
Check back here on occasion to see what Wendy has added to the list. Her heart's desire changes just as the seasons of nature. And please let Wendy know of books that have moved your soul. xo
