Wendy's Blog |
Sacred Soul: The Yoga Shamanic WayApril 13-15, 2018 | The Christine Center in Wisconsin You may have heard me rave about the energy & beauty of the Christine Center in Wisconsin stared by Franciscan Sisters. It is truly a spiritual healing center and so excited to be offering a magical retreat for you at that sacred space.
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The negativity was swirling around her.
Anger. Frustration. Rage. She could feel the waves of emotions crashing into her with a surging force. Dancing from one thing to the next.
Mow the yard. Get my walk in. Clean the kitchen. Write a blog post. Weed-wack around the trees. Promote the Women’s Awakening Festival. Drink some water. Teach a yoga class. Clean the bathroom. Did I eat lunch? Sneak in a few pages of reading. Hop on the kayak. Return client texts. Sneak in dinner. Return client emails. Ahhh…I could go on and on. For this redhead (and I am sure you too) are hard to slow down during the season of fire. Intuition is seeing with the soul. ~ Albert Einstein
I love LOVE love that each moment of every day is a new opportunity to live in bold ~ no apologies ~ this is who I am ~ truth. And now onto growing your truth. Are you a person reading this because you want to know the secret to turning up the volume of your intuition? Then, I must first begin with a WARNING from your intution. I asked him, What was your favorite part about school? Without a flinch, “summer!” Ha. This is how a recent chat went down with my boyfriend. Me on the other hand, I loved all of school. So much so, I saved old paperwork and played teacher during the summer breaks. Insert all the neighborhood kids lined up in lawn chairs surrounding the pool as I paced the front, I think waving a stick, as I gestured into understanding 1 + 2 using 3 trees in the yard. Think there was a clue back then that teaching was a life gift I was meant to share? I mean, come on, what kid takes a break from swimming to teach? Yep! This one.
As life progressed from 3rd grade, the love of learning stayed with me. I satiated all that teachers were willing to share, the stories that books would etch in my heart, and the wisdom that nature seeped into my cells. You see, my only wish through all the years of sitting at desks, was that the walls would come down and we would be under the blanket of the sky learning from the teacher that never judges or holds anything back. Mother Earth and all of her creatures! In my life’s work, I use her sage teachings wisely, along with spirit animals, all the elements and much more on my path as a shamanic practitioner, energy life coach & yoga teacher. And, I continue to be the most eager of students as I learn throughout all of the Seasons. So I guess, you could say that summer was one of my favorite parts of school too. With Earth Day just around the corner on April 22nd, may you find moments to step out into my most favorite classroom, the one without walls. See you on your yoga mat or elsewhere as I continue to share my hearts love ~ teaching! P.S. Earth Day Yoga Saturday, April 22nd 9am Ottertail (we will be on the beach if mother nature’s warmth gives us a hug or inside…with the windows open) xo Wendy The snow crunched under my snowshoes as I ventured through the woods. Nina was frolicking all the while picking up on every animal track in her nose vicinity. We were both in nature bliss. Just what my body, mind & soul was craving after a week of mental dervish — I could have sworn the universe was on a tilt-a-whirl all week. And I just knew within my bones that I needed to ground myself. To feel the earth hug my feet.
All was fine and dandy, the trek had worked, so I turned for home and eventually trudged up the hill behind the house. I called for Nina to join me. She looked at me from afar and then turned the opposite way. Despite my calls, she was determined to track those unwavering scents. And what did I do, I lost my cool. Anger, fear, and almost all out rage bubbled inside. It took me over. I called for her louder. Ya, like that was going to work after she clearly had looked at me and turned away. Rationally, I knew the loud yelling was getting me nowhere but it was as if a giant fire had been ignited and there was no water in site to douse it (if only I had realized the snow all around me I could have face planted in it to put out the flames — but alas, that would have been too easy). Instead, I raged. I feared. I realize now I was raging from all of the unpatriotic chess moves that were played this past week. My rage was fueled by the consumption of global fear and anger. I know I am sensitive. I know we are all connected. And clearly, I was picking up on the collective human consciousness. And while I once listened to the band Rage Against the Machine, I’d rather not rage against the brilliance of my DNA — for the DNA gets all out of alignment when we allow strong emotions such as anger or fear to flood our system. So I made a new call (this time to myself) to override the emotional hijacking and return to my heart’s code. To activate this love in an instant, I turned to yoga. I left Nina outside and I fell to the ground in child’s pose. I thanked the earth for holding me. I asked her to take my anger and I channeled that fire into compassion, gratitude and peace. Yes. Peace. I switched my thoughts, went home to my breath, allowed my body to feel, and guess whose nose soon pressed against the sliding glass window? Yep, Nina chose to come home to momma at peace…not angry momma. Go figure!? Until our peace laden paths cross again, Wendy As 2017 begins, I have felt drawn towards the beauty of:
power & peace. action & stillness. speaking & silence. The yin & yang of life. And these words cross my path “Silence is not silent. Silence speaks. It speaks most eloquently. Silence is not still. Silence leads. It leads most perfectly”. ~ Sri Chinmoy Most perfectly indeed. We are not one without the other. In wholeness, Wendy 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 |
Wendy BillieInternational yoga instructor, Shamanic Practitioner, life coach, and more! SubscribeCategories
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