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Greetings!
This month I decided to take a Sabbatical and...'feed my Soul'!Click on this picture for some joy at the beach! It may take a moment to stream but I think you will enjoy it!  |
This is Gus and Izzie with me on the beach last Sunday. We have been spending the month of March in Beaufort, SC with some of the horses (Cierba and Zorro) and Jana, our newest member of the Epona Ridge team who is helping me to plan for some of our programs later this year!
Jana adds so much joy being an Abraham-Hicks student as well as a Reiki practitioner. Her certification in Reiki Levels 1 and 2 were done here at Epona Ridge and I asked her to share some of her special Reiki experiences with you in THIS newsletter.
Included in today's feature article section are some ideas on feeding YOUR Soul in the
4th Key to a Joy Filled Life'. I hope you enjoy it!
As always, I am deeply appreciative
that you are joining me in this wonderful journey, listening within and
finding the life we are meant to live!
We hope you can join us for a
workshop this year and please remember to send this on to anyone you
feel might enjoy and benefit from these programs.
Thank you so
much for your support and I would love hearing from you!
With Warmest Regards,
Barbara
Alexander
Epona Ridge
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The Path of a Healer
Jana shares her journey...
 | The impetus that drove me to learn Reiki was born in my work as a certified equine and canine sports massage therapist. I would work on the muscles of my horse and dog clients and would get great results, but I always felt that something was missing.
When I learned about Reiki, I felt I had found the link to a greater connection to the animals true selves. It was as though I had been working on one of those huge puzzles made up of hundreds of tiny pieces and had not been able to finish it. The picture looked fine at first glance, but it just didn't feel 100% complete.
I have found that animals are exquisitely sensitive to Reiki energy and that combining this work with the massage therapy has a profound effect on them. Many horses who are too sore or too anxious for any deep muscle work are soothed by Reiki energy and can experience the same - and sometimes better - results without my ever laying a hand on them.
Interestingly, my clients' people often feel an improvement in their own physical and/or emotional state from simply being present during a session with their horse or dog. And that's just one part of what makes Reiki so special!
Client feedback:
"While I
believe in energy work, in my experience with it over the years, any
result has always been too subtle to notice a difference.
However,
the other day I fell and got a pretty severe cut on my leg. It was
beginning to show signs of infection so I asked Jana to do Reiki on it.
I also have a bit of a
shoulder issue from time to time, which can be very painful and
restricts range of motion for several days, so I asked that she do some
Reiki with that as well.
I slept through the night with no pain
(the pain from this normally wakes me in the night). And then all pain was completely gone the next morning.
As I was changing the bandage on my leg I discovered that all
signs of infection were gone! Nothing subtle about any of that!"
-- Joan M.
I
believe that when I offer Reiki to anyone or anything - humans, plants,
animals, events, etc. - I am
not actually healing them. The
subject of my focus is healing his/her/itself by opening to the
universal and abundant energy that is all around us. I am like a "magnifying glass", serving to focus and expand on the
innate abilities of those with whom I work.
Providing a
method to help my community with healing and well-being gives me a sense of satisfaction. Everyone seems to be moved by Reiki once they experience it for
themselves.
Finding the right teacher
I had heard about this healing modality from
several people. When
I found the Epona Ridge website, I thought it was too good to be true.
How "lucky" that this perfect learning opportunity was right here in
Asheville!
Of course, I don't believe in luck. I believe I
created (and co-created) this discovery and am forever grateful for the
experiences I've had with Barbara and her herd.
Learning Reiki has provided me a
tremendously powerful tool that supports me in addressing issues whenever I feel "stuck". Even as I work with clients, I can feel Reiki working for me as well. What a gift!
You can learn Reiki
pretty much anywhere these days... even over the internet. And, I
believe there is a place for that, certainly. However, my experience
learning from Barbara was nothing short of magical.
I remember walking down the stairs near the
Picadero that first morning and feeling like I was walking into another
world. A sense of peace and serenity washed around me and I felt at
home. The air positively sparkles at Epona Ridge.
Barbara had
created a beautiful, safe, almost womb-like retreat space which lends itself perfectly for the "journey
within." I loved having the time and space to journal, learn
about myself, open up to my truth, make myself vulnerable, heal parts of
myself I didn't even remember needed healing, and bond with new
friends. I even found my mentor!
Please feel free to contact me with questions you may
have about my experience learning Reiki from Barbara at Epona Ridge.
I'm excited about the future and hope to
meet you all soon!
Best Regards,
Jana M. Kellam
Epona Ridge
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Reiki Certification: The Heart of Healing Workshop
May 20-23, 2010
Reiki is a powerful healing process
that is more about a way of Being than it is about doing... True
healing comes from a clear intention, uncluttered by resistance.
For
a student to master the true Sacred Art of Reiki, takes a unique
kind of dedication: one where the healer/teacher learns to open to their
Universal Connection and allow the loving, Reiki energy to come
streaming through them as a clear channel, without attachment to the
outcome.
This workshop is not just about the methodology and certification. It
offers a way of Being that includes the Wisdom of the Horse as you
walk the path of the Healer.
It is a lifetime of expansion.
For more information go to: Reiki at Epona Ridge
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Learning Reiki at Epona Ridge
Lynne's Story
'Thank you so much for providing a space for us to "be" Reiki, because learning to "do" Reiki is just a small part of the process.
I was in the Reiki Level 1 workshop and what a profound experience it was. I came just to learn Reiki, but I gained so much more.
I experienced many amazing shifts within and around me during this workshop.
Incorporating reflection with the horses, time for introspection, the labyrinth, the video and too many other tools & experiences to mention brought this learning to a deep, spiritual level... which I assume you could not get in one of those quick weekend workshops.
How wonderful it is to be able to share this gift with myself, family, animals & nature and to live in harmony with my Reiki intention ...'
Lynne Sullivan
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Feature Article: Feeding Your Soul
The 4th Key to Living a Joy-Filled Life!
Why are some people able to stay connected to their
inspiration? Why do these people have joy-filled and abundant lives?
In
other words, why do some people easily flow through life and seem to be
living their dream? How did they find their inspiration and their keys
to a fulfilled life?
- Because inspired people make it a priority to 'feed their Soul'
At first you may need to set yourself up for inspiration to flow, until it becomes a joyous habit. Inspiration comes through our inner voice, but you must be able to quiet the mind in order to hear it. That might be a challenge!
You can begin by setting aside time for inner and outer silence, which will allow your inner voice the chance to be heard.
This means turning off the TV, the Radio, the iPod (unless you have an inspirational book recorded), put down the paper, the phone, the computer and sensationalized media of any kind.
Now that you have cleared the slate, deliberately focus on things that are inspiring to your soul, like a good self-care book, health-based magazines, inspirational books or personal ritual ... DO THIS FOR A SET AMOUNT OF TIME EVERYDAY. Start with an hour, if you can, and expand from there.
I began my self-care ritual by setting aside time in the morning to have a cup of tea, curl up in my comfy chair and find a favorite self-care book to read. The morning is when the house is quiet and I can focus on the things that I am learning. I started by spending at least one hour doing this before I began my work.
At first it was hard to stick to this plan everyday, I had begun to sneak a peak at my computer just to read my emails before I took my self care time ... you can probably figure out how that turned out... I had to get back to reseting my priorities because I could really tell the difference in my days!
I found that as I stuck to a routine, I began to see a personal energy shift. I had more inspiration and I was far more effective, and happy...
Now I make a conscious choice to schedule in the sacred time to 'feed my Soul'.
I do this annually with retreats (my own get away time for personal growth and life appreciation), monthly healing body work, daily moments set aside for inspirational books or movies, and several opportunities throughout the day for breathing in the nature that surrounds me in a mini state of meditation...
As an added bonus to a life with healthy self care, try including some really good friends and beloved animals... and it just doesn't get any better! You will have one more incredible piece of heaven on earth...
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About Epona Ridge
For more information on Epona Ridge please go to our website.
Thank you for joining us on this journey with the horses! We are so happy to share this joyous adventure with you!
May your days be blessed and your life filled with joy!
Epona Ridge
Asheville, North Carolina 28804
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