I have created this page for you to have a look at some of the other writing I do, apart from blogging. Please enjoy!
The Heart of the Healer Publications:
Reclaiming Our Ancestral Roots & Natural Rhythms
One thing that really drew me initially to the Pachakuti Mesa Tradition is its immediate connection to Pachamama and the elements that sustain all life upon her. Commercialism reigns supreme in an era of environmental destruction and corporate greed. Many of us are drawn to travelling to other countries and immersing ourselves in other cultures because we feel that they are more rooted to sacred Earth spirituality. Some of us are drawn to the incenses, rituals, chants, and yogic philosophy and practices of India. Some of us are drawn to the mists, greenery, mysticism, and Celtic lineages of Ireland and the British Isles.
In this day and age it is not uncommon to feel disconnected from our earthly and ancestral roots. We are likely to feel hundreds of years, maybe thousands (or even more), removed from our deeper earthly connections. Yet every single one of us is descended from somewhere that was once inhabited by people who truly honored the Earth on which they lived. In essence, we are not really so far from the ritual practices and Earth honoring wisdom that we are all birthed from. I have personally experienced some beautiful ancestral connections and remembering through my PMT mesa practice. Although it is primarily a Peruvian lineage, it has brought me closer to both my Native American and Celtic roots. Ultimately, we can all claim this Earth honoring wisdom as an integral and essential part of who we are. (Keep Reading)
Frustration, Hopelessness & the Dance of the Mesa
The very first time I heard don Oscar speak, I knew that I was going to become a student of his. It was the way that he spoke, and the words that he used – along with the underlying passion that came across like the clearest crystal through him. This was a teacher that walked his talk. Upon hearing the word “pachakuti”, and learning its meaning, the truth behind these teachings was driven home for me even harder. As taught by don Oscar, “Pachakuti” means World Reversal. I could definitely get on board with that. It certainly does feel like the world is being turned upside down!
There is not a whole lot that makes sense in the way of political climate, responses to climate change, or environmental stewardship. Yet finding this work, and understanding that we truly do hold power to create positive shifts on the more subtle levels with our mesas and intentions – this provides hope. Not only does it provide hope, but it provides empowerment and focus for those of us who understand not only that something can be done, but that it needs to be done. (Keep Reading)
Journey into Q’ero Tradition: Exploring the Energy Field
Since I began my journey with the Pachakuti Mesa Tradition, I have been studying more and more about the traditional healers of Peru. As a yoga practitioner and instructor, I am drawn to the information that cultures around the world hold regarding the human energy field and energy centers. Further to that, I never tire of learning how energy cycles around through our fields, and what the different beliefs are pertaining to energy field constructs.
How do our fields react and interact, and how these energies translate into our thoughts, our actions, our present health, and our health for the future? How can we clear our fields when we need to, how can we recharge them when we need to, and how do we best know when to do so? These are just some of the questions that drive me to keep learning and practicing. And it is because of these questions that I have found a home in the PMT practice.
In my childhood, it came very naturally – as I believe it does to all children – to see energy and work with it. It was so prevalent in my routine; wash my face, brush my teeth, comb my hair, clear my energy field, balance the energies. I had a conscious daily routine of energy clearing and balancing that I practiced as a child. I was a Dreamer, as in my dreams were always very vivid and I learned the language of my dreams in such a way to decipher messages and teachings. (Keep Reading)
The Sanctity of Food and The Web of Life
As a practitioner of the Pachakuti Mesa Tradition, I have learned that one of the reasons people are drawn to become mesa carriers is a great love for the environment. This includes everything that nurtures Pachamama, and everything that Pachamama nurtures all of her creatures with. On the physical level, the main thing that nurtures life on Pachamama is food. As we are nurtured, we can practice llankay – putting our beliefs into right action – by taking care of what we are given and giving back however we can.
There is a wonderful movement taking place the world over to reduce food waste. There are so many reasons that this is important, when we think about the amount of energy that goes into the planting, growing, harvesting and packaging of food. And in the end, as a world community, a large percentage of this food goes to waste.
I am the founder of a food recovery project in Canmore, called the Canmore Food Recovery Barn. It is an integral part of our project and mission to hold the sanctity of food in the foreground of our work. When it comes to the governance of food, two key factors come into play. These factors are Food Security and Food Sovereignty. The latter has been more of our focus, although Food Security is also a nice side effect of any food recovery program. According to Food Secure Canada, “Food Sovereignty is the right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems.” (Keep Reading…)
Finding Calm & Clarity at the Center of the Storm
There is just something about spring here in the Canadian Rockies, these majestic apus. I live here with my family for these mountains, for the outdoor activities we get to partake in, and the magic and rebirthing that happens this time of year.
It is always a long winter, and we try to get out and enjoy the winters as much as possible. Even as July nears, snow remains on the peaks. Hiking through the canyons is equally refreshing and inspiring, as the melt-off begins to flow into dancing streams and dramatic falls.
As the days become longer and the weather gradually warmer, June can feel much like September. There is much rushing around to finalize the end of school tasks just as with the start of year tasks. This is also the time of year when my children and my dance students are rehearsing for their year-end dance performances.
Some of my classes are coming to an end and some new ones are beginning. There are some goodbyes, alongside some early preparations for the start of a new school year and dance season. My teen ballet class is performing as “Tornadoes” this year in a production of The Wizard of Oz, and watching their spiral movements I have reflected upon the transformational power of Pachamama’s storms. (Keep Reading…)
Elephant Journal Publications:
The Stars Are Within Us
The end is near.
The time is night. The poles are reversing. The ice caps are melting. The globe is warming. The Mayan Calendar is ending. Jesus is coming. It’s the zombie apocalypse. Shift happens.
By now we’ve heard it all in one form or another. What we end up believing is our choice. It is hard to deny that something big is going down. Hard to deny, I dare say, by anyone.
It is very apparent that the world is in a time of massive shift. No one can truly know what is coming, though many have asserted to know. Yet with the eyes to see and the ears to hear, we feel it in our bones. Our hearts may flutter with excitement, while our chests may clutch in fear. This shift is collective in its nature and much is being asked of us on a spiritual level, which breathes into all levels of the emotional, mental and physical self… (Keep Reading)
Breaking In New Shoes
Just the other day I heard the most wonderful saying:
There is no path to enlightenment, there is only stepping out of the darkness.
Bam!
The world is shifting, flowing into new territory, and I see more and more that people are placing others upon pedestals less and less. We are all human, all fallible and there is no means to an end. We came from the spirit realm, we know it well. And this is to where we shall return.
Earlier tonight, I was spending some quality time with my eight year old niece.
She was having fun goofing around, and one of her plays included her donning a pair of over-sized heels, turning to the door and exclaiming, “Oh my, it’s midnight!” Then, running for the door she kicked off one shoe and left it behind, leaving us all laughing so hard we were in stitches.
This got my sometimes over-active mind thinking later in the evening, sometime around midnight.
Sometimes, we need to kick off our old shoes and find a new pair; to bring closure to one cycle, moving from light of day to dark of night, momentarily allowing the world and all beings upon it to rest before we give birth again to the light… (Keep Reading)
The Spirit of Give & Take
“Only after the last tree has been cut down, only after the last fish has been caught, only after the last river has been poisoned, only then will you realize that money cannot be eaten.” ~ Cree Proverb
Lately there have been plenty of childhood memories surfacing for me.
The other night I watched a show about a man who is traveling the globe to take part in the lifestyles, ceremonies and rituals of indigenous cultures in the hopes of learning their ancient ways, and telling their stories before they die out for good.
Brilliant, I thought—absolutely brilliant.
This brought me to recall the time I was preparing to move to Ireland, and over a cup of fresh organic coffee, I said to a friend that it was part of my plan to attempt to learn some Irish Gaelic. This was just something I always knew in my heart and my soul that I would do. “Well,” he said, “now why would you do that? There’s a dying language.”
I was a bit surprised, as to me it was obvious. “Well that’s precisely why,” I replied.
Reflecting on this, I remembered the “tests” I would put myself through as I was growing up. Even though we never had much, I was always getting rid of things. I refused to accept or play with dolls, opting instead for one well loved stuffed bear. Along with that, my music collection, clothes and a bed, my room was filled with what I was content with… (Keep Reading)
Breathing Happy Publications:
4 Ways to Be Happier Being Less Perfect
We all know this, yet most of us somehow continue to forget it. No human is perfect. We make mistakes and should be able to move on. However, some of us seem to really struggle with moving beyond our mistakes or imperfections. Basically, this makes us miserable, and at times like these we could surely use a dose of happiness injected into our lives.
Part of being human and truly being happy is learning to let go of negative feelings toward imperfections. Some things we just cannot change, no matter how hard we try; and trying to reach ultimate perfection will never happen. Let’s stop worrying about what we can’t do and rejoice in what we can do. Loving ourselves – imperfections and all – is the quickest way to find happiness in life.
This begs the question, how does one change years of negative thinking? How does one stop striving for perfection? It takes courage and a lot of work to move beyond this type of thinking, but it can be done successfully. Here are just a few things we would all do well to remember that will increase happiness in life, imperfections and all… (Keep Reading)