Well, it certainly has been a bit since my last post. After returning from my first trip to South America, jotting off to Charlotte, NC to be with my sister and her husband as they welcomed their little girl into the world and getting back to Seattle, I started thinking about what was next. The more obvious question was, how do I want to be of service in this world.
When I originally went to South America, I had promised myself that I would take a trip to the jungle to meet some shamans and sample the local spirit medicine known as Ayahuasca. I couldn’t find an affordable location during my first trip and the timing wasn’t working out so I decided I would make another trip specifically for that purpose later in the year. At least then I would be able to lug some gluten-free food with me to ensure I’d be satiated while relaxing to the sounds of the jungle.
Once I started looking into shamanism I immediately stumbled onto a temple in Peru that spoke to me. I knew this was the location I was meant to go and booked a trip for September 2010. As the time approached I spent many hours working through what my intentions were with a wonderful woman named Jenny Vires a local Seattle shaman I had met through a friend. After going through the amazing experience of a soul retrieval with her and doing some additional work, I headed off to the jungle for a couple of weeks.
After settling back into Seattle after all my travels I decided to open a studio space for my massage practice. Within a week of making the decision to go for it, my friend Drew told me of an office that was available next to his. It felt too perfect to pass up. Within 24 hours I was standing in my new office space. I'm so excited to have a space to relax, be present and offer for my clients.
As business grows, doing multiple massages in a day is getting easier and easier. I've been doing a ton of breath work and meditation to stay grounded during my practice and I can feel how much it’s helping already. In effort to take my breath work to the next level I’m beginning a Qigong series on Monday, Valentines Day, with Karin Collins.... not a bad way to show myself some love and learn a new method of self care tying into the amazing power of breath.
If you are at all interested in working with the breath, I also highly recommend Tanya Huges. She holds monthly breathing practice groups, more details are available on her web page. I've been attending for a few months now and can honestly say this is one of the most powerful meditations I've been able experience. Incorporating this into my morning routine several times a week makes me feel radiant; my plan for the next couple of months is to get up to a daily practice. At times, it has been an amazing way to channel my spirit and reconnect with my experience on Ayahuasca at the Temple of the Way of the Light in the Amazon Jungle. I haven't blogged about that deeply personal experience but let me tell you, it was mind blowing and life changing in so many ways. Using the breath to go deep within and quiet the mind has become a powerful tool and something I'm bringing into my massage work personally and for my clients. Come see for yourself!
