Wendy's Blog |
Lean in a little closer ~ she said. I stepped forward and hugged her warmly ... I could feel her arms drip down in attempts to embrace me in return. The direct exchange of loving energy floated between us ~ and the tree (and I) smiled in unison ~ soaking in the profound connection we were sharing.
Have you hugged a tree lately? Have you gotten in real close to nature and listened to her wisdom? POSTPONED: New Date & New Lication coming soon!! 🌀✌🏻 Draped in the New Moon energies ~ I will be guiding you to receive “whispers from nature”.
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Movement. Mala. Meditation. Roll out your yoga mat on the beach and let Wendy Billie & Mother Nature serve as your guides as you move your body, mind, & soul to awaken and harmonize the 2nd (sacral) chakra & the 5th (throat) chakra energy portals. These powerful spiraling energetic forces within you will help ignite your creative essence as you then design a unique gemstone mala.
The negativity was swirling around her.
Anger. Frustration. Rage. She could feel the waves of emotions crashing into her with a surging force. Hugs. Tears. Yoga. Music. Nature. Animals.
In no particular order, all have helped soothe my soul. For I have been in mourning. I have been sad for the anger that rests in people’s hearts. I have been sad for the fear that leads many in the place of love. But mostly, I have been sad for the segregation. For within the depths of my soul; I know & believe that we are all ONE. And thankfully, gratitude for that belief is winning over the sad darkness. Gratitude for a heart-wide-open yoga community that comes together to move, feel, and heal. For the first time ever, I was close to canceling yoga class so I could mourn in solitude. Because the last thing I could see myself doing was talking. And when I teach, inspiring words tend to naturally flow from my lips. But instead of canceling class, I turned to music to speak for me. Along with the hugs, tears, yoga, nature, & animals…maybe some of the music below will soothe your soul. Four ~ Deuter Hands ~ Jewel Killing the Blues ~ Robert Plant & Alison Krauss Gold in Them Hills ~ Katie Melua Our Day Will Come ~ Amy Winehouse Never Too Late ~ Three Days Grace Light ~ Al Green High Tide or Low Tide ~ Ben Harper, Jack Johnson & Friends Sound of Invisible Waters ~ Deuter Haven’t Met You Yet ~ Michael Buble Somewhere Over the Rainbow ~ Israel Kamakawiwo’ole Kindred Spirit ~ Deuter Keep Your Head Up ~ Andy Grammer In love & light always ~ Wendy Blow through me, around me, and within me.
Each of us has a connection to the elements of nature. Water Earth Fire Air For those of you who are creatives & visionaries, or for those of you who hop from one task to the next, from one idea to the next…you embody the qualities of Air. And now that we are in the Fall season…Hold onto your hat! You may be in for a whirlwind of thoughts almost like a “I’m going crazy” like state of mind. Because as the Fall season greets us with blowing winds and colorful falling leaves, the element of Air becomes dominant. Adding to the already Air within. In yoga’s sister science of Ayurveda, the air & ether elements are referred to as Vatta. (pronounced: vaw taw) When Vatta takes over and dangerously dips into the I’m spinning or should I say blowing out of control energy, everything seems like a Vatta Gotta. I gotta do this. I gotta do that. But, if you employ some simple grounding and nurturing rituals during this Fall season…your Vatta Gotta will morph into creative energy. This energy will guide you towards gracious action as you flow into this magical season of change. Oh ya…a couple of my favorite grounding rituals: warm baths sprinkled with your favorite essential oils (my Fall season blend favorite is lavender, cedar wood, & patchouli)…a few sprinkles of each will do the trick. Post soothing bath, warm some avocado oil (or any oil you like to use on your skin) and massage it in using a twisting motion called Abhyanga (twist like you are ringing out the skin). And, you can’t beat a yummy cup of chai post a soothing yin yoga class. As the clouds swirled and the rain surrounded women from south to north and east to west, their unique souls gathered as ONE. The winds headed the call of Spirit as rain clouds were pealed away and held to the perimeter of the sacred land. An opening, a window, a valley towards clarity had been created. They stood in a portal of awakening. Voices shared wisdom, hands brought healing, music guided them to move their hips and dance on mother earth’s belly, and then they heard the undeniable vibration. Awake! Awake to the power & beauty that lies within! They stood in the middle of Mother Nature’s Portal. They were being called back to the root of the feminine. To their goddess essence. The Women’s Awakening Festival image was seen everywhere as the feminine stood on the inverted lotus flower patiently awaiting no longer to rise from the false sense of self that had been lingering amongst her family & friends. She was ready to be authentic, vulnerably raw, and uniquely herself. She held a spiral of goddess energy in her hands and once released into the universe; there would be no turning back. She would speak her truth. She would awaken to the intuitive gifts guiding her to heal so she may in turn help the world flow with the grace of nature. Until our paths cross again my sweet friends, Wendy …To be human is to become visible while carrying what is hidden as a gift to others… ~ David Whyte The wisdom of nature’s spirit guides will always keep me curious and in awe like a little girl realizing for the first time there is a man in the moon. I live in a place where nature smiles on me daily yet my soul reminds me when needed of my love for the energy amidst majestic mountains. Thus, I decided to heed my inner calling as I ventured to the Evergreen, Colorado area. The night before I hopped on the non-stop jet, that was to take me lurching through the sky, I turned to my Oracle Cards. I asked a simple question: “What do I need to make my trip soul fulfilling?”
The card I turned was “Meadow: Vulnerability” — It is time to step out into the expanse unknown and expose your true self in all aspects of your life. Oh how true that rang for me! As I’ve been truly shedding the safety zone of who I used to be & am fully letting my colors shine of nature girl – shamanic yoga – spirit guide believer – and inspirational mover and shaker for others to shine! Let me digress for one moment. Oracle Cards. Maybe they are new to you? You may have heard of Tarot Cards? The cards are wisdom cards used to help with spiritual guidance. I once read the difference between the two described as: Tarot Cards follow a set structure to guide you while Oracle Cards are like the rebel without a cause. There is no set structure to follow and you can let your wild hair down and make up your own rules as you receive intuitive & spiritual guidance. I resemble those comments so I’ve recently welcomed a relationship with Oracle Cards. The deck in which I pulled Meadow has 48 cards and they are called “Earth Magic”. Oh ya! Now, you know why they are my favorite. Ok, back to the story. So, I finally land my butt on that magical jet plane which is streaming me across great Grandfather Sky and I decide to pull out the cards. I ask a very similar question and then: Shuffle. Shuffle. Shuffle. Guess what card turns? Yep, Meadow! Fast forward a bit to our safe arrival to the wonderful chalet in the mountains. I introduce my dear friend and traveling buddy to the Earth Magic cards our first morning (post coffee of course). And, guess what card I pulled (after much shuffling)? Yep, Meadow! Did you remember that there are 48 cards…yes at this point I needed to double check myself…but I was beginning to get the intuitively guided spiritual message the cards were laying down for me. On that day 3 of the obligatory Meadow card, we decided to head to Indian Hills Hot Springs. It is raw, natural and maybe a bit old school for those of you who like posh hot spring establishments, but for this nature chick, it was perfect. I slid into a hot pool in a cave surrounded by dark rock covered walls. As I gazed up, my power animal guide Jaguar showed up. She was so clear I thought for sure someone had drawn her face in chalk (insert disclaimer: even as a spiritually guided shamanic practitioner, there are times when things are so crystal clear that I have to wipe my eyes in questioning if I just made that up in my mind). Nope, I could see her on the cave wall and no one had been into those steamy pools with chalk. As I was spending time getting an intuitive message from my dear spirit guide friend, my gaze shifted to the left and a falcon appeared. Falcon? Was it a falcon or condor? I didn’t have google images with me in that dark cave so I just asked “Show me if you are a falcon” and the nose started to point down indicating – yes indeed – it was a falcon. My friend and I had a great chat about the significance of Falcon spirit guide messages on our drive back to the beautiful mountain abode and of course their guidance was spot on for me. After a restful nights sleep, our bodies were craving movement after soaking for so long in the hot springs the day before. So we asked our host for a hiking trail recommendation. And guess where she said? “Elk Meadow”. You hadn’t forgotten about the Meadow card of vulnerability yet had you? Well, I hadn’t! Soon after our chat with our wonderful host & coffee was satiated into our cells, we plopped down on the deck floor with the great sky as our witness (and I believe there were 3 deer resting in the sun behind us too…no kidding…they had to take in what was about to happen next). I shuffle the Oracle cards and jokingly say to my friend “wouldn’t it be absolutely crazy if I pulled Meadow again?” Shuffle. Shuffle. Shuffle. I spread the cards and grabbed the one that was calling to me. Yep! Meadow again!! We both looked at each other with eyes as big as an owl on alert and just then…a falcon flies over our heads. A falcon! We were laughing so hard with spiritual awe, joy, and just pure giddiness with how magical and obvious life can be when you just ask AND listen. My girlfriend paused for a moment between her snorts of laughing and says: “And..Cue Falcon Man“. He must have been around the corner somewhere. Always grateful to the great mysterious Universe and all of her spiritual helpers. Especially grateful to those sweet spirit animals who know I am watching and listening as they show up to make this life journey special, powerful, and in flow with all that is. Until our sacred paths cross next time, xo Wendy P.S. After we hiked that beautiful Elk Meadow trail, I felt my raw vulnerability exposed under the guise of nature’s help. The next day the Meadow card was not selected. I had heeded her wisdom. She crawled out of bed and made the conscious choice to nurture herself. Making her way into the living room, as the rising sun shined his glory on her, she slowly began to move her body. Her breathing was her best friend as she flowed into movements of twists, bends, and extensions. She knew each shape her body took had a name but in that moment labels were far from her thoughts; she was in the moment to just be.
For days (maybe even weeks), her thoughts had returned to questions that all of her outward searching could not answer. She was ready to awaken the intuitive nature of her soul’s wisdom ~ for there is where she knew clarity would come. As her body and breath began to slow into a state of rest, she found herself seated ~ unable to move. She would soon begin to realize that she had tapped into an ancient secret of the yogis from India; meditation. It was in that moment she began to ask the questions that burdened her mind. And then ~ she sat in stillness ~ ready to receive. Yoga prepares you for meditation. Over 5000 years ago, yoga was created to prepare the body to sit for long periods of time. It was an energetic tool to help you meditate. For in times of meditation, we shed the stresses that our mind has trouble letting go of and we allow ourselves to wake up to the beauty within and all around. Mediation prepared me for You. Not long ago, I was sitting on mother earth in my tipi. I had received a message that I was to lead a Women’s Awakening Festival and while I knew that was truth; I didn’t know where to start and surely google would not give me the answers I sought, so I turned to meditation. I asked my inner knowing, my state of pure awareness or consciousness, to merge with the wisdom of nature all around. It was in that moment I began to feel a spark through the core of my being and I was able to envision a festival to help women heal; heal as they shed the old labels of who they were told to be and choose a new look of authenticity. Within those visions, I saw hundreds of women gathered around a stage, I heard lovely music and laughter, I saw women creating art, movement, and meditating, and I felt vibration of loving support all around as I saw nature grinning. Women’s Awakening Festival prepares you for You. On Saturday, Aug 20th, my meditative vision is coming to life! Women are gathering at Ottertail Lake to raise their vibration as they ignite their intuitive strength and beauty. Along with the guidance of holistic healers & artists from Minnesota to North Dakota to Iowa, each woman will begin to step onto a path that is uniquely theirs. Are you ready to Celebrate YOU? Join the tribe at wendybillie.com Our hands fold together at the end of yoga class as our soft gaze looks up into the mystery of the world. The energy is pulsating through the room as we collectivity have shifted it to being a sacred place of utter acceptance and honor. We then silently bow our heads saying to each other “namaste”. This is the scene at the end of every yoga class I guide. But even off of the yoga mat, when that sacred word is spoken or written, I instantly feel a calm peace wash over me. For the depth of its meaning is forever etched into the sweet memory of my mind, body, & spirit. “The light & love in me honors the light & love in you” How can it get any more real than light and love? For some though, seeing themselves as pure light and love may be hard to grasp. I have guided so many yoga newbies on their journey in the midst of conservative small towns and have many times witnessed people sit in silence when the word namaste is spoken. Maybe the silence is the fear of the unknown; “what am I really saying?” Maybe someone has a soar throat. Or maybe, the cat got their tongue. When I started to fully embrace the beauty of sharing namaste with others, this is what I knew I was truly saying to them from the depths of my soul. I see you. I feel you. Who I am honors who you are. You are pure beauty. I hold sacred space as you speak your truth. I see your light through the darkness We ALL want to be loved. We ALL want to be accepted. We ALL want judgement to leave this world forever. So my dear friends, let NAMASTE ring from your lips and be typed in your texts.
Until our paths cross again. In love & sparkly light, Wendy The Billie extended family was all together on Thanksgiving. It is during those packed house family gatherings that the wooden sign I gifted my parents rings true: “as far as anyone knows, we are a nice normal family”. Ahh the irony in the gift. While I would say that we are all nice (well almost all of us), all normal? …that would be difficult to sell the most liberal of jurors. But, the uniqueness that we each possess is what makes me love them even more. For if the household was full of a bunch of Wendy’s …oh my…you wouldn’t know what to think as you saw the house floating away by the guidance of magical unicorns. And suffice to say, one of my brother-in-law’s isn’t a firm unicorn believer. The morning after games ensued into the wee hours, my sis and I slid sleepily into the kitchen wearing the same shirt with these words boldly plastered across our chests: Wake Up and Be Awesome Well, my sis wasn’t looking sleepy as she had already donned her makeup and looked glorious like she always does but yes, I was the one with the hair reaching the heights of the ceiling thanks to the curly hair war with the pillow (hence the cropping of the photo in this blog post).
But I digress. Back to the story. The unicorn non-believer brother-in-law takes one look at us as he sips his coffee and emphatically states “I could never wear that shirt. I’m not a morning person”. I just smiled and said it means a lot more than being a morning person. And I love him for the confused look on his face, yet a spark of interest sparkled in his eyes, for we all wake up a little more each day. Are you ready to Wake Up! and Be awesome? Yoga and meditation are gateways to help you Wake Up! and Be Awesome. I’ll see you on your mat and if you are brave enough to wear the cool shirt…send me a message as I have a couple left For Sale. In love and sparkly unicorn light, wendy
I am dating a recovering adrenaline junky. Well, maybe he isn’t in full recovery as he screams down the street in any fast car he can get his hands on but he has stopped shirtless motorcycle wheelies. Baby steps.
Is driving fast a big deal? Heck no as my mini cooper corners like she is on rails. But when we surround ourselves with incessant intensity (& noise) that is what we are nurturing inside as well. Because… Everything is energy. Our precious aura’s pick up on everything. And then we wonder why we can’t slow down the monkey mind or get rid of the anxiety. Re-insert the boyfriend who says he would never be able to meditate because his mind goes non-stop. Ahh…the immediate gratification & instant results society we live in. Meditation takes a slow dedicated practice (probably the same as he needed to learn to hold a motorcycle wheelie for 2 city blocks). If he only knew how I was picking on him…sshhhh. Let’s take this one step deeper and hop off the pavement onto a different path; a spiritual path. If you are on one, do you wonder why you aren’t receiving the intuitive wisdom to help you make decisions everyday that are in your highest and best purpose? Your inner knowing and your spiritual posey are ALWAYS there waiting for you to slow down and listen. Slowing down for you may mean sipping a cup of tea as you silently watch the lake freeze over, or cultivating inner stillness on your meditation cushion, or melting onto your mat in a yoga class…whatever speaks to you…just be sure to…give it a second. Enjoy my all time favorite Louis CK interviews as he hilariously brings the point home.
Until our paths cross again…wrapping you in love & light,
Wendy The jaguar was roaming through tall grass perpetually searching. She was a mirror reflection of my questioning mental energy looking for the right place to call home. And then, her feline gentle eyes looked at me and said “wherever you go ~ your home is always inside yourself”. My journey as a shamanic practitioner has been humbling and awakening. The simplistic yet powerful truth is revealed to me again and again, and as I grow, I am inspired to share the energetic wisdom with others. I’ve always known myself to be a seeker of truth and since I landed in a small lake town of Minnesota mother earth provides the nourishment to ground me in the now. The earth element helps us to feel at home within ourselves. But so often, we loose our stable footing in our quest to be it all and do it all. Life moves fast and we try to move faster which can easily spin us into searching mode away from the knowing within. I welcome you now to slow down your quest for just 8 minutes of yoga. Feel the earth and ignite the meridian energetic pathways that help connect you to the home within; making your connection with the outside world a smooth voyage. 1. Come to your hands and knees and separate your legs wide. Setting your ankles on the floor, slide your butt back to rest between and as close to your heals as your body allows. Extend your arms outstretched in front. Now, melt your stomach & chest towards the earth and bow your head down. (If your head doesn’t touch the ground, rest it on a soft pillow or folded blanket.) Feel your breath rise and fall; paying particular attention to the breath as you exhale. Be still for 5 minutes. ** Tip: Set your phone timer to a soothing quiet chime to notify you of time completion. Being startled by a loud alarm will erase some of the calm earthy opening ** I am at home with myself. I am grounded. I am connected to my current world.
Be sure to float gratitude out to the wisdom of your energetic body and the spirit world that is always by your side; particularly mother earth with this exercise. Until our paths cross again. Shining love and light on you, Wendy Billie |
Wendy BillieInternational yoga instructor, Shamanic Practitioner, life coach, and more! SubscribeCategories
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