Wendy's Blog |
…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.
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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 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 As I sit here typing, I am at the tail-end of leading (& partaking) in a Fall Yoga Detox 3-week series. I am not a rookie at seasonal detoxes but this time it seemed different. Not seemed different – it was different. I didn’t feel hungry or deprived as some of you may think pertains to a detox (ok, there was one emotional day where I really wanted a glass of wine), but I realize that was only because I wanted to be comforted. That want was fleeting because I found the comfort elsewhere. I was comforted in the realization that I am my own best friend. Big bold realization, right?! How about you? Do you feel all comfy cozy at home with your true self? If not, where are you seeking the external comfort? When you cleanse out all the “false sense of security junk”, you can see clearly through the door. The door that reveals the light of your soul’s truth & in that place there will be no turning back. Because you will realize this is the happiest of all places. If you have been feeling the desire lately to rid your life of unwanted, mind cluttering toxins, and to step into your true joy, maybe you picked up on some of our collective energetic vibrations. For when one person does the work to heal & become their radical self, that energy helps everyone step into their unique truth. My unique freak flag is up in the air, what about you? Little BONUS: I’m happy to share a fun yoga detox music playlist with all of you. It is more than fun. It is powerful! Each woman who participated in the yoga detox shared a favorite song which is the compilation of the yoga playlist below. It is their way of flying their unique flag…enjoy! ************** Knowing – Lucinda Williams Dream – Priscilla Ahn Magic – Coldplay Listen to the Lion – Van Morrison Gimme Shelter – The Rolling Stones A Case of You – Joni Mitchell Fool In the Rain – Led Zeppelin Night Moves – Bob Seger Every Rose Has It’s Thorn – Poison You Are for Me – Kari Jobe The Story – Brandi Carlisle By the Grace of God – Katy Perry (Everything I Do) I Do for You – Bryan Adams Hey Jude – The Beattles 1000 years – Christina Perri How Can I Keep From Singing – Enya Put a Little Love in Your Heart – Mary Mary *************** Keep the music rolling and feel free to reply to this blog with your favorite song. Your unique addition will help the authentic collective conscious flow.
Until our unique journey paths cross again, Wendy I can still feel the wind blowing through my hair. I grew up riding my silver bullet moped all over the town of Minot, ND where I had the pleasure of open roads and wide lanes (Kramer would have loved it; insert Seinfeld episode reference). The gas friendly mobile took me so many places and instilled a freedom at a young age my memory loves to recall.
But right next to the freedom memories, I have scars on the knees that remind me of the many gravel road crashes. The tears. The pain. The sadness of spending what little babysitting money I had saved to mend the blinkers lost in the moments where the magic bullet hit the ground and left me on bended knee. We have all skinned up our knees a time or two in our lives but when we let the emotional pain of the injury linger on …and on …it etches a scar deep within well below the surface of the obvious. In yoga, we call these etched in mental or psychological impressions; samskaras. They become embedded so deep within us that they can create emotional patterns that cause pain and discomfort or conversely; joy and freedom! Enjoy this short 12 minute audio where I was interviewed on Health Matters radio talk show. I explore the body & energy connection: The Body & Energy Connection with Wendy Billie on Health Matters Talk Radio Yoga. Breath. Awareness. All amazing tools to break through the old samskaras. Until our paths cross again, Wendy Billie I was living smack in the middle of the busy-business of Washington DC. The energetic buzz was palpable yet on one particular evening I was being comforted by my quiet fireplace lit condo in Dupont; soothed by the stillness of the night. I felt grounded. I felt calm. I felt ready. I had decided to take my 15 years of yoga practice & study up a notch and head to where the roots of yoga’s amazingness originated. India here I come! And like many major life decisions, I turned over my fate to Google to find the ideal training institute. Well, I didn’t completely let an inanimate piece of technology be my only magic worker. I also employed an intuitive tool I had been using to help me select web pages to click on. I used the energy I could feel in my hands as I scrolled through the myriad of selections and voila. There she was; The Sattvik Sedan. I had no idea what”Sattvik” meant which was even further validation for me to learn more. And here I am several years later sharing with you the blissful meaning of Sattvik. It means living in harmony with a dynamic stillness. Sattvik is exactly what I needed to learn then and now. Here is a huge life lesson pulled from the ancient teachings of Yoga (& Ayurveda) philosophy: The happiest of all lives is a busy solitude. ~ Voltaire Go ahead…enjoy the vibrant feeling of “getting things done”- be dynamic. But notice at the same moment busy-ness is happening so is stillness. When those two forces find a happy marriage; that is when radiant bliss comes out of hiding and smack into the middle of your life. Here is powerful intention statement just for you: I choose to live in dynamic stillness.
Until our paths cross again. In love & light, Wendy When I was in the 3rd grade (or maybe 2nd grade), I was handed a block of red clay and was given the freedom to create whatever I wanted. My tiny fingers started moving and before me I had molded a little Indian man sitting cross legged in front of a pot. Rising up from the pot was a snake and it was obvious to me that this was possible as I had also placed a miniature clay flute in the man’s hands as he brought it to his lips and played a sweet tune that made the snake dance.
Fast forward to northern India as an adult. I was sitting across from an Indian man who was teaching me about kundalini rising. You see in Yogic tradition it is believed that a serpent lies coiled at the very root of our being (known as kundalini). As we move and work on controlling our breath, this serpent begins to rise up our center along invisible lines or better to call them psychic spiritual centers (since that is what they are). As this serpent grows, so do we as our energy ignites and our spirit awakens to our highest and most divine potential. For years now, I have been practicing this beautiful dance with yoga. And my inner knowing has blossomed, or should I say has risen, and has guided me to expand my consciousness as I extend my wings and double my yoga life with the ancient healing practice of shamanism. Through my shamanic work, animal spirt guides have been my loyal messengers. Recently, I got a nudge in my heart (during a meditation post yoga practice) to write this little blog for you. And within a matter of 24 hours I saw three hawks that were literally standing at attention waiting for me to notice. Here is what the these feathery friends wanted me to know as quoted by Dr Steven Farmer: You’re caught up in too many details, so step back so you can see the greater perspective on the situation. Stay alert and focused on the task before you, eliminating as many distractions as possible Ahh…thank you my hawk friends and I have your feather close by to remind me to take the broader view. Oh yes, the picture is of a necklace that popped into my life last weekend. Of course it did! A serpent and a feather…with a little charm that says “inspire”. Look for my next article called “The Owl and Me in the Window”. Until our paths cross. In love and light, Wendy Billie |
Wendy BillieInternational yoga instructor, Shamanic Practitioner, life coach, and more! SubscribeCategories
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