Uncategorized – HEAL MY VOICE

Co-Visioning Circle by Beth Terrence

The mission of Heal My Voice is “to support women and girls to reclaim personal power and step into greater leadership in their lives”.

Many non-profit organizations I have engaged with over the years struggle to live and actualize their mission. Heal My Voice, through the vision and leadership of founder and director Andrea Hylen, has not been one of them. As I read the mission of Heal My Voice, I feel like a living testament to it. I know I’m not alone in this. I believe every woman who has stepped into a Heal My Voice program has had some experience of reclaiming their personal power and stepping into greater leadership. And many other women, and men, have been inspired by hearing the voices of women through the stories that Heal My Voice has helped to birth and release into the world through books, radio show and social media over the last 11 years.

When Andrea asked me to facilitate a program to help bring Heal My Voice to a completion at the end of this year, I felt a lot of emotions. There was a sadness in knowing this organization, which has been a foundational part of my personal and professional growth over the last 9 years, would be ending. And, yet as Seneca said so beautifully,

“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.”

As Andrea and I came together to vision what would be a meaningful and intentional ending, I was already in the midst of a few big things in my life moving to completion. This started with a major period of caregiving, loss, and grief that began in mid-2018 as I supported my father in navigating the end of life and was immediately followed by walking with my dearest friend, Bud, on the last leg of his journey as he transitioned in January 2020. During this time of letting go, I had found an anchor in graduate school, finally at age 54, and I was moving toward graduation as we entered 2021. I was also completing a facilitator program in one of my core spiritual practices, Feeding Your Demons®. Although I felt very full energetically and emotionally, Andrea’s invitation stirred something deeply in my heart and soul. When I entered my first Heal My Voice program, Inspired Voices, in 2012, I did not consider myself a leader in any way, shape, or form, but as the mission states – I had learned to step into greater leadership through this journey. I was coming full circle!

Circles have always been at the heart of Heal My Voice programs. And, so it felt fitting to come together in circle as a foundational element for our closing ritual. In 2019, after participating and leading many circles over the years in holistic and spiritual programs, including Heal My Voice, I was introduced to the field of restorative practices; this became the focus of my graduate studies. “Restorative practices is an emerging social science that studies how to strengthen relationships between individuals as well as social connections within communities…though new to the social sciences, restorative practices has deep roots within indigenous communities throughout the world (IIRP Website, 2021).”

Diving into a graduate program in restorative practices allowed me to reflect on and deepen into my own experiences and understanding of the power of community and the circle process itself. I was introduced to the term “Co-Visioning” by my advisor and professor, Frida Rundell. “Co-vision is a fluid and dynamic process that is dependent on reflective-practitioner context and the group’s intent; it supports how “I-would-be-in-the-world’ and is an invitation to be in relation to others in a genuine and equal way (Rundell, 2020).” It was clear that Heal My Voice had an organic process of co-visioning that was a major part of the power of this program. Heal My Voice circles have always offered an experience of safety, and a container of sacred space where vulnerability and authenticity emerge organically. Having the language and context of co-visioning, allowed our “final chapter” to become even more potent!

Our closing co-vision journey followed the nine-month Heal My Voice process, which has been time frame in our programs for envisioning and birthing our stories together. The dynamic themes for each month offer a roadmap to self-exploration and awakening. Moving through 2021 and living in such uncertain times has been challenging in many ways. Having a container for the journey allowed for each woman who participated to reconnect with themselves, spirit, and community. From my own experience, I know this was a powerful anchor. And from the richness of each woman’s sharing, I once again felt the incredible gift of coming together in community, exploring deepening connections, and allowing authenticity and vulnerability to emerge.

The theme of endings and beginnings was one that emerged strongly throughout the year. And here we are at the ending of Heal My Voice. It has been an honor and joy to walk this last leg of the Heal My Voice journey, supporting Andrea in bringing it to completion, and journeying one more time with the amazing visionary women who dance together in this heart-centered community. I know our paths will continue to intersect in many beautiful ways, through creative collaborations and future endeavors.

As we closed our last circle together, I found myself both crying and laughing. I felt a sweet sadness that often comes from endings and beginnings; it stirred up my tears. Laughter came as I reflected and remembered my very first Heal My Voice circle, when I wasn’t even sure I could show up and share my voice in a group of women. Even after many years healing, being with a group of women was still incredibly terrifying for me due to my trauma history related to my mother’s mental illness. Yet, the safety, sacredness and support of Andrea and this beautiful community of women allowed me to keep showing up and opening my heart. Now, here I was leading the final circle of Heal My Voice. Being supported in reclaiming my personal power and healing my own voice had allowed me to step into greater leadership. Mission accomplished!

I’ll leave you with a collaborative mystical poem created by the women who participated in our monthly co-vision circle this year called “Nurturing Self-Love”.

References

International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP) (2015-2021). What is restorative practices? https://www.iirp.edu/restorative-practices/what-is-restorative-practices.

Rundell, F. (2020). Co-vision for caring professionals. [Unpublished article].

Beth Shekinah Terrence, MS, is a traditionally trained shaman, holistic practitioner, and restorative facilitator. She has worked in the field of transformation and healing since 1996. Beth’s vision is to create a healthier and more nurturing world by supporting those she serves in finding hope, healing, and a deeper sense of connection and belonging. She offers integrative shamanic healing sessions and programs to individuals and groups in Annapolis, MD, and virtually. Beth is also strongly committed to supporting organizations and systems in building cultures of health, well-being, and inclusivity. She is known for her engaging and experiential programming, which includes holistic workshops, retreats and trainings.

Over the last 9 years, Beth has participated in many Heal My Voice programs and has had her stories published in Inspired Voices, Harmonic Voices, Tender Voices and Feminine Voices. She has co-facilitated several programs, including Harmonic Voices and 30 Days of Writing, with HMV founder Andrea Hylen, and has served on the board of directors.

Beth lives in Annapolis, Maryland with her loving partner Mario, and their two cats, Paolo and Xena. She loves to spend her free time writing, hiking, meditating, and lying on her hammock looking up at the sky!

Contact information:

Website: bethterrence.com

Email: beth@bethterrence.com

Phone: 443-223-0848

Ending

What is ending this year?

For me, it is Heal My Voice. After a three-year process of completing free study guides for the books and a year of Co-Visioning in a group of twelve women authors, the business structure of Heal My Voice is closing. I am in the process, and everything will be finalized by the end of March 2022.
It’s time to expand where I point my attention. I will share more of that in 2022.

The books will continue to be available. The website will stay up for another five years. We will continue to highlight women’s voices on the Facebook Page. Visibility for women’s vulnerable, powerful, inspiring, wise voices will always be important.

Since January 11, 2011, 200 stories were written by 125 women in a nine-month program of healing trauma, loss and grief through writing, speaking and stepping into greater leadership. Women from around the world joined in a Secret Facebook Group and on weekly community calls. Sharing their experiences and process in the small group and then on Blogtalk radio shows. Celebrating each other on social media and taking new awareness and strength into their homes, communities, businesses, and the world.

Endings deserve attention, reflection, and gratitude. Gratitude for the journey, the growth, lessons learned and the experience.

Beth Terrence, the President of Heal My Voice in 2021, led the Co-Visioning group beginning on January 11 2021 and ending in October. We celebrated the tenth anniversary of Heal My Voice and then followed the monthly Heal My Voice process:

Listen

Discover

Explore

Expand

Express

Connect

Reflect

Awaken

Celebrate.

Beth and I met monthly to discuss the focus of each call then gathered with women in a Co-Visioning circle of 12. Beth led us in the process for 90 minutes.

In the Co-Visioning process in 2021, each of the women reflected on what was shifting in their lives – on the inside and the outside. Conversations focused on what was ending and what was ready to be birthed. The vulnerability and heart felt sharing were a blessing to the end of this amazing 11 years with women in the Heal My Voice and Heal My Voice Sweden communities.

Over the next few months, there will be blog posts shared by some of the women authors.

I am grateful for the opportunity to heal and reclaim my voice and to witness the hearts and minds of the courageous, inspiring, visionary women I met along the way.

The books are available at Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Andrea%20Hylen

Also on Amazon and can be ordered from your local bookstore.

Andrea Hylen, Founder of Heal My Voice and The Incubator: A Co-working Space for Cultural Creatives. Life Scientist. Live house-free. Widow. Mom of Adult Daughters. Grief. Writing Sexuality. Evolutionary Woman

Exchanges, Gifts and offerings

Over the past 2 days (the first weekend in March 2015), 20 women gathered for conscious conversation at two locations—a living room and a yoga studio—in different parts of Maryland. There is something energetic about authentic sharing. People are willing to not only be vulnerable but to take emotional responsibility for their journeys—their losses, their learnings, their Living. Its a rich environment for anything from tears to laughter to emerge. We did both!

In the present, each voice finds it way to the exchange. In the moment, I am listening, sharing, absorbing, drinking tea and eating cookies. But later, even two days later, I feel fed, and nourished by these soul exchanges. I pay tribute to each individual’s offerings and our gifts to each other. Thank you all. Here are some of the morsels that stayed with me.

Our stories are not what happen to us. They are not the events of our lives. They are what happen inside of us.
We are here because of the people that came before us. We carry them forward.
Karmically, you cannot be a victim without having been a perpetrator. I could see myself from the position of an Observer in the moment of being a victim and my heart opened from the point of view of the perpetrator.
As an adult, you can choose never to be a victim. At the same time, you have to discern and remember to take care of the inner children who went through the experience.
I didn’t know.
All losses that occur, be it a death, a move, …we carry the loss in our whole body system and something will happen to release it.
That is one of the powers of writing, of deep exploration of ourselves, is to learn where we shut down the natural essence of ourselves.
I remember the moment—walking into the hospital room where my (baby) son lay after his second open heart surgery. My parents were having a conversation about the loss of their son. It was the first time they had shared their feelings. He enabled that space of healing for them.
That sense of loss is something I carried through my lifetime. I wasn’t able to reclaim what I had lost of myself until after she was gone.
And that is universal. When we do have loss of a person, a relationship, we lose a part of ourselves. Its just the journey of life to reconnect with that in a new and beautiful way.
Today I know peace begins with being true and honest with myself.
My mentor tells me I don’t yet fully honor what my inner child went through.
I had done a lot of inner work but its so surprising to me, just last week there was another layer. I had to be present and nourish my inner little girl. Its work, but we have to do it!
What happens after the release..after the deep intense crying or grieving? A shift, an opening occurs for discovery, for something new.
This community, this connection to each other, gives us support to do the hard work. From past experience, I know the release, I know the freedom that comes with letting go.

Can you hear the souls singing as each women speaks her truth? I sure can. The exchanges, gifts and offerings went on in conversations afterwards and beyond the weekend. There were many more morsels. These are just a few. Thank you to all who came.

An Author Interview: The Caregiver’s Companion by Carolyn Brent

Caregiver Companion Author Carolyn A Brent Talks About Caregiving and Offers Tips

Today I have the great pleasure of being the host on Day 6 of the Virtual Blog Tour of author Carolyn A. Brent whose book The Caregiver’s Companion: Caring for Your Loved One Medically, Financially and Emotionally While Caring for Yourself is celebrating its big Amazon launch on January 27^th2015.

Carolyn A. Brent is a nationally acclaimed author, speaker and caregiver advocate. She has dedicated her life to preparing caregivers and their loved ones to face end-of-life issues. Carolyn is the founder of Caregiver Story, a non-profit organization that provides free medical, legal and wellness resources to the public.

Yesterday, Carolyn visited Renee Baribeau at http://bit.ly/1C6ayPd, where she interviewed Carolyn on the subject of self-care, overcoming guilt and reconcile death/maintaining stance as primary caregiver.

Today, I’d like to share with you a recent interview I had with Carolyn when I got to ask her on the subject of Caregiver preparation support for the loved ones who soon need it. I hope you enjoy it.

——-

Andrea Hylen: What are some of the things we should consider when selecting the caregiver and the executor of the will?

Carolyn A. Brent: When selecting a caregiver it’s best to identify what type of caregiving services are needed. The following are a few examples:

Selecting Family Member – Are you prepared to take on the responsibilities of caring for your loved one? Are you willing to change your life, as you know it to be, so you can care for your loved one? Do you have the time required for such a commitment? Do you live close by? Do you truly love your ailing loved one?

Do you like your ailing loved one? Do you look at your ailing loved one as a burden? Is the idea of your ailing loved one living with you a joy, a mixed blessing or a burden?

Selecting Independent Caregiver – Are you prepared to pay an individual who offers caregiving services for a fee?
Selecting a Home Care Company – Does your loved one need 24hour home care services?
Selecting Referral Services – Some home care companies only provide referrals and background screenings. Do you need more services?
Selecting Registries – Registries are companies that coordinate the scheduling of caregivers. Are you willing to have different caregivers caring for your loved one?
Selecting Private Assisted Living – Are you financially prepared to pay the national average monthly base rate of $3,550, which Medicare does not pay for?
Selecting Long-Term Care – Nursing Home –Are you aware that you may have to spend more time acting on behalf of your loved one as his or her “caregiver advocate?”
Selecting Hospice Care – Is hospice an option you would be willing to consider at the end of life?

More details are in The Caregiver’s Companion – Chapter 3: Moving Your Aging Loved One into an Assisted-Living Facility or a Nursing Home

——-

Andrea Hylen: My parents told us they have a living will and it is with the lawyer. Should we all have a copy of it? What types of things should we ask about that now so we are prepared in the event we need it?

Carolyn A. Brent: First of all, I am happy to know your parents have an attorney who has created their living will. Perhaps your parents feel comfortable with only the attorney having their legal documents (records). However, it would be best if your parents provided a copy of their living will to the person they have chosen as their executor. Additionally, there are two questions I suggest asking your parents. 1) Are all legal documents (Estate Planning) updated? 2) Do they have an executor? If not, it would be best if the attorney (third party) shares with them why an executor is needed.

When selecting an executor choose a person you TRUST with your LIFE! And you are confident —will carry out your final wishes for, end-of-life care planning and foundational estate planning. I highly recommend the following five items:

Durable Health Care Power of Attorney (Health Care Proxy)
Durable Financial Power of Attorney
Advance Medical Directive (Living Will)
Last Will and Testament
Revocable Living Trusts

More details are in The Caregiver’s Companion: Chapter 6: Crucial Emotional Conversations— Chapter 9: Crucial Legal Conversations

——-

Andrea Hylen: After we follow your suggestions and set up agreements on caregiving, how often should we review our agreements? It is possible my parents could live for another 15-20 years. We have had several family members live to 100 years old. We want to focus on continuing to create memories of living and don’t want to always be talking about possible illness and death. And how do we create memories of living while supporting a graceful ending to their lives?

Carolyn A. Brent: Agreements should be adjusted according to the needs of your loved one. When it comes to caring for a chronically ill person— today may be the best day your loved one or you will see for a long time. The key to caregiving is flexibility. Yes, having a plan of action is definitely something you and your family should prepare. Also remember to plan for the sudden and unexpected emergencies as well.

As you are aware people today are not only living longer, they are also living sicker—making aging and caring for elderly loved ones more complicated than ever before. Keep in mind, The Caregiver’s Companion is an extensive guide, which outlines a step-by-step process so caregivers know what to do and what to ask in most every situation that may arise.

Every day celebrate the life of your loved one—create family legacies now! Make every moment count by “Making Caregiving A Family Affair.” It’s the great memories of your loved one that will carry you through—those tuff times.

More details are in The Caregiver’s Companion: Chapter 4: Emergencies and Life-or-Death Decisions

———-

I hope you enjoyed this interview with Carolyn A. Brent and that you’ll check out her book on Amazon January 27, 2015:

The Caregiver’s Companion: Caring for Your Loved One Medically, Financially and Emotionally While Caring for Yourself

Thanks for reading! Please share your comments and thoughts below. I love reading your feedback.

AND… be sure to follow Carolyn tomorrow when the next stop on the Virtual Blog Tour is Jackie Ruka, who will be interviewing Carolyn on the subject of self-care. To visit that “stop” on the tour, go to http://bit.ly/1C06aDI

Thirty-One Days of Blogging Summary

By Andrea Hylen and Beth Terrence

The last 31 days have been filled with information and resources and ideas about writing, inspiration, leadership and the voices of women.

This blog is going to be a listing of all of the blogs in one place.

Stay tuned. I am traveling over the next few days. It may take us the month of August to update this blog with all of the details.

We will return! Thanks for being a part of our community.

Creating Connection With Ceremony And Ritual

By Beth Terrence, Heal My Voice Author, Facilitator And Board Member

One of the greatest diseases of our times is the sense of disconnection that is felt with ourselves, others and the world. By bringing ceremony and ritual into our daily lives, we can begin to reconnect to the sacredness and beauty of life. It can be a way to rediscover ourselves, to align with our soul purpose and to deepen our sense of connection with all things. In many ways, we can view our writing as a ritual and we can also incorporate ceremony and ritual in our lives in a way that supports our writing.

Many people come from backgrounds where ceremony and ritual was some part of a religious upbringing. For some, that is something that is continued on special occasions , during religious services or maybe even in daily life. For others, it is something that may have been abandoned as life progressed in new ways. For some, it may not have been part of growing up at all. Writing is a way we can reconnect with ourselves, too. By being intentional, we can use our writing as a form of ceremony and ritual or we can also create ceremony or ritual to support our process of writing.

In our Heal My Voice programs, we take time to honor our choices and transitions. We suggest using ceremony and ritual in a variety of ways to enhance writing and life. We encourage participants to create ceremony and ritual to support their process of healing and transformation, to celebrate their stories as they are emerging and ultimately upon completion. Although most Heal My Voice circles are a virtual experience, it is clear that during this time we enter into sacred space and upon completion we emerge back into the world “a new woman”.

Using ceremony and ritual is a way to honor and acknowledge the changes and transitions that we all experience in life.

Some of the ways that ceremony and ritual can support us include:

Paying tribute to important life events and honoring our transitions
Being in harmony with the seasons and rhythms of nature
Creating sacredness in our lives
Honoring our ancient traditions or creating new ones
Releasing attachments to energies, relationships and situations, which are no longer serve us
Calling in energies and intentions we wish to bring forward
Evoking an ecstatic state of being and connecting at a soul level
Helping to heal our fundamental spiritual wound – the illusion of separateness from creation
Supporting specific healing for ourselves, others and the world
Aligning our energy with the present moment
Helping us to be more fully conscious and awake
Gaining clarity and understanding our experiences
Accessing spiritual guidance and wisdom

Ceremony can be something we do individually, with others or in community. However we choose to create it, ceremony is a way to step out of the busyness of our lives and the world of linear time into sacred space where deeper understanding, healing and wisdom resides. Ceremony, in and of itself, is a paradigm shift. It can help us to focus on our visions and intentions and begin to draw them into the world of matter, allowing them to become manifest.

Rituals are specific rites or tools we use as part of ceremony. They can also be used to create sacredness in any moment. Many shamans begin the day by honoring the directions and connecting with the elements of nature. Many people begin their day with meditation or prayer of some kind. Whatever it is, beginning the day with some type of ritual or spiritual practice is a powerful way to move consciously into your daily life. Some ways to create ritual include:

Lighting a candle
Setting an intention
Burning sage or other healing herbs such as sweet grass, yerba santé or cedar
Setting up an altar and arranging spiritually meaningful articles or pictures on it
Drumming, rattling, chanting, singing or listening to music or sounds of nature
Reciting prayers silently or aloud or reading from a sacred text
Cultivating a meditation practice
Being in silence and honoring the sacredness that comes from that space

As a practicing shaman and healer, ceremony and ritual is a core practice for me. It is not based on any one religion or tradition but on generating a strong connection with spirit, receiving guidance and living in an intentional way. Whether you choose to practice ceremony and ritual with others or on your own, it is important to create practices that support you in the present moment. Here are some questions to consider in creating a ceremony or ritual practice:

What is your intention? What is the reason for the ceremony or ritual?
Will it be personal, with another person or group?
What elements or tools need to be gathered? What preparation needs to happen?
What will the structure of the ceremony or ritual be? Who will perform it? Where will it be done?
Are there any prayers, readings, songs, poems, and dances, etc. that you wish to include?
How will you open and close the ceremony?

Ceremony and ritual can be a beneficial part of daily spiritual practice. It can help to align our energies in the present moment and to bring increased harmony to our lives. Take some time this week to consider what you would like to create in your life and how ceremony and ritual may support that process. Explore whether there is some ceremony or ritual that might support your writing process, too. Whether it is creating a ceremony with a specific intention or incorporating a ritual into your daily life, notice how this experience invokes a deeper sense of connection with yourself, others and the world.

Many Blessings,

Beth

Beth Terrence is a Shaman, Holistic Health & Wellness Expert, Speaker and Writer. She has been working in the field of Holistic Healing and Transformation for over 18 years. This path evolved from her own healing journey through fibromyalgia and the impact of trauma on her life. Beth found that by taking a holistic approach to life and well-being, she was able to achieve of a state of happiness and wholeness that she never imagined was possible. Her mission is to support others in cultivating a heart-centered, balanced and joyful life through discovering the healer within.

Writing has always been one of Beth’s greatest passions. Since childhood, she has written poetry and kept a journal. Participating in a Heal My Voice project opened the door to Beth stepping forward in the world as a writer. Her stories are featured in Inspired Voices: True Stories of Visionary Women and Harmonic Voices: True Stories Of Women On The Path To Peace. Beth joined the Heal My Voice board of directors in May 2013. Additionally, she is the lead facilitator and program developer for a Heal My Voice program that brings writing and creativity to women in addiction recovery at Chrysalis House in Crownsville, MD.

Beth is available for Integrative Transformational Healing Sessions & Programs by Phone/Skype or in person in Annapolis, MD. She offers a variety of classes, workshops and trainings on Holistic Healing, Transformation, Writing and Creativity in the MD/DC/VA area and virtually. Beth also writes regularly on her own blog, The Heart Of Awakening: Searching For A New Paradigm, an online resource for transformation and healing. To learn more about Beth’s Integrative Transformational Healing Services, visit http://www.bethterrence.com.

Beth’s Take A Break Summer Special Offer:

20% Off All Sessions By Phone/Skype Or In Person In Annapolis, MD Thru July 31st…

Integrative Healing Sessions may include Shamanic Healing, Bach Flower Remedies, Zero Balancing, Body/Energy Therapies, Meditation, Holistic Self-Care and other holistic resources to support transformation and healing on all levels – body, mind, emotion and spirit.

Learn more about Beth’s Take A Break Summer Special Offer and Integrative Transformational Healing Services in July’s Discover The Healer Within E-News…

Where To Connect With Beth:

Website: www.bethterrence.com

Blog: http://theheartofawakening.wordpress.com

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/bethterrence

Twitter: @BethTerrence

Contact: beth@bethterrence.com

Finding Our Voice, Living Our Heart

By Beth Terrence ~ Heal My Voice Author, Facilitator & Board Member

Being vulnerable doesn’t have to be threatening. Just have the courage to be sincere, open and honest. This opens the door to deeper communication all around. It creates self-empowerment and the kind of connections with others we all want in life. Speaking from the heart frees us from the secrets that burden us. These secrets are what make us sick or fearful. Speaking truth helps you get clarity on your real heart directives.” – Sara Paddison, The Hidden Power of the Heart

It took me until my early thirties to really accept that in order to live a life of authenticity and truth I needed to make a paradigm shift. This shift was based on moving the guiding force in my life from the mind to the heart. I’ve been blessed to have many teachers along the way who have shared their heart wisdom and who have helped me to find the courage and strength to access my own vulnerability.

I grew up in a world where “everything was okay”, all the time. Even when things were really not okay, when they were chaotic and at times, insane, the messages I received were that we didn’t talk about that, we just said, “I’m fine, everything is okay.” Needless to say, it was very confusing and it didn’t take long for me to have the awareness that what people share with the world and what is really going on in the their lives, let alone inside themselves, is vastly different.

The “I’m fine, everything is okay” was my paradigm for a long time. Even as I began to do some deeper work, to explore my inner landscape, and to access my emotions, there was still a part of me who held onto to that pattern. In fact, at times, it still emerges today. I believe this pattern is inherent for many of us and is one of the great obstacles to shifting into the new paradigm.

I see this on both the personal and collective levels. As individuals, when we say, “I am fine, everything is okay,” and it is not what we are feeling, we are denying a part of ourselves and we are denying our own truth. We are also putting a wall around our heart that is then forced to hold in and suppress what our true experience is at that time.

On a larger scale, we all see and experience things in the world that are not okay. And, we do focus on those things and address them in a variety of ways. I wonder what things could look like if we all really spoke up about our true feelings about what goes on in our world. Most often, it is anger that is the driving force to speak up and/or take action. But if we were to go into the depths of our heart, what would we share about our world and what might we feel that really needs to be spoken?

One of the tools I have found that supports this opening is the process of Council, which is based on traditional talking circles used by many indigenous peoples. When we come together in a council or circle, our intention is to share our hearts and our truth, tuning into what is arising in the present moment. A talking piece is used to indicate that whoever is holding the piece is the only speaker at that time and the others circle members are listening until it is their turn to have the piece.

The council process can support communication, self-awareness, collective wisdom, relationship, community building, and peacemaking. Council is one of the tools we utilize as part of the Heal My Voice Chrysalis House Program and it’s principles are inherent in the structure of all of the Heal My Voice projects.

Although Council is usually done in a group, the principles of Council are a powerful tool that can be used in creating a shift into the new paradigm and particularly in breaking the old pattern of “I’m fine, everything is okay”. It is way to step out of the mind and into the space of the heart to access our deeper feelings and allow truth to emerge in a space of safety, respect and acceptance, both with ourselves and others.

Here are some of the basic principles of Council, which can be used to support a group process or as a foundation for living daily life in a more authentic and conscious way:

1) Listen from the heart. Take a few moments to drop down from the head into the heart space. Whether you are in circle listening to others, or tuning into your own heart wisdom, listen with openness, knowing there is no need to give advice or feedback. We often feel that we must have answers for other people and really what we need is to be heard and to have our heart sharing witnessed. So much healing comes from the place of listening and sharing. As we listen from a heart-centered place, we are being more fully present and allowing our own vulnerability to emerge. Also, where we really need to begin this shift is in listening to our own hearts and being willing to hear our own true feelings without trying to suppress, resolve or fix them.

2) Speak from the heart. Take a few moments to be still, to drop from your head into your heart and allow what is true for you in that moment to be arise. This may be something you need to practice with yourself as well as others. Before we are able to become vulnerable with others, it is necessary to be willing to be vulnerable and truly honest with ourselves. Speaking does not have to mean words; it can include sound, song, and even silence. In Council, the intention is to speak what will serve you, the circle and the highest good. This is a great way to think about what we need to communicate.

3) Be lean. Focus on what is important and what is really at the heart of the matter. We often have many thoughts circling round and round in our minds but when we drop into the heart space, it takes few words to express what we feel and what is important. This practice fosters clarity and understanding.

4) Be spontaneous. When you allow yourself to drop into the heart space, you may be surprised by what arises. We often think we are going to talk about one thing and then when we allow ourselves to move below the surface, something very different emerges. Allowing ourselves to be spontaneous and let go of agenda allows for playfulness, real-ness and our true voice to emerge.

One thing I would like to add to this list is patience. Shifting into a heart-centered way of being is a process. The heart moves much slower than the mind. As the energies of our world are moving faster and faster, the need to slow down and drop into this heart space is even greater. I encourage you to take some time to explore your heart, to access your vulnerability and to allow your deeper truth to emerge.

I’d love to hear your thoughts, feelings and reflections.

And, if you are ready to explore this more deeply, I invite you to join me for Love Yourself, Live Your Life Summer Breakthrough Teleclass Program starting 7/22. Learn more…

Beth Terrence is a Shaman, Holistic Health & Wellness Expert, Speaker and Writer. She has been working in the field of Holistic Healing and Transformation for over 18 years. This path evolved from her own healing journey through fibromyalgia and the impact of trauma on her life. Beth found that by taking a holistic approach to life and well-being, she was able to achieve of a state of happiness and wholeness that she never imagined was possible. Her mission is to support others in cultivating a heart-centered, balanced and joyful life through discovering the healer within.

Where To Connect With Beth:

Website: www.bethterrence.com

Blog: http://theheartofawakening.wordpress.com

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/bethterrence

Twitter: @BethTerrence

Contact: beth@bethterrence.com

Writing as a Daily Practice

By Kathleen Nelson Troyer

Heal My Voice Author and Board Member

I have been wanting to establish a daily writing practice for myself for a long time. A few weeks ago I decided that it was time to listen to and act on this desire. I set a goal for myself to write for a minimum of 15 minutes every day without any judgment or editing.

I haven’t missed a day yet. I find myself looking forward to my writing time every day. Most days, I take some time to meditate before I start writing. I find that it helps me to be grounded, connected, and present before writing. Sometimes the writing topic gets decided during the meditation.

I’m feeling good about this new daily writing practice. There are days when I sit down and the words flow freely and before I know it an hour has passed. And there are days where it feels challenging to complete 15 minutes. This writing is for my eyes only, so I don’t feel the need to edit myself. In fact, the less I edit myself, the more freely the writing seems to flow. Almost every day has had some form of automatic writing. The wisdom that has come through has felt playful, expansive and surprisingly nourishing. It is like my soul is speaking to me through my writing. How cool is that??

Since I can write about anything, I am finding myself writing about all sorts of things. Some days I write questions for myself, take a few breaths and then write the answers to the questions. One day I wrote an outline for the book I am writing this year. And several days I have added items to my to-do list after the writing period was done. Most days, my soul reminds me that I am guided, guarded and protected at all times. That is always a welcome reminder…:)

I am a big believer in doing something every day that brings you closer to your desires, goals and dreams. Developing this daily practice of writing supports my goals and helps me to stay connected to my inner wisdom, which by the way is one of my core desired feelings.

I want to invite you to join me in developing a daily practice for yourself. It may be writing or it may be something else that you desire, but haven’t carved out the time and made the comittment to yourself. There is something magical about being so committed to something that you carve out time every day for it.

How often do you write? Do you write daily? Do you have any rituals that you do to establish a writing space for yourself? Any tips for aspiring writers?

Please feel free to share any questions, answers or thoughts in the comments section below.

Here’s to developing a daily practice of your own!

Kat

Kathleen Nelson Troyer is the founder of Gently Moving Forward and CEO of Jigsaw Staffing Solutions Inc. She works with organizations and individuals as a human resources consultant, trainer, career coach and mentor. She is passionate about facilitating aligned connections between people and organizations. Kat coaches her clients to become more congruent in their work and personal lives.

Kat has been studying human potential, psychology and transformation for the past 25 years. She holds master level certifications in coaching, NLP, and Ericksonian Hypnosis. She has an expansive toolkit of holographic, mindset, and healing modalities. Kat believes in the power of forgiveness, love and gratitude to create massive positive shifts in our lives.

She leads intensive individual and group retreats and facilitates family and systemic constellations. Kat lives in a seaside cottage with a magical garden about 25 miles south of San Francisco near Half Moon Bay, California with her fabulous husband John, their dog and three cats.

Kat has participated as an author in three Heal My Voice book circles: Empowered Voices, Harmonic Voices and Voices of Feminine Leadership. She wrote the blessing for Voices of Love. Her experience with Heal My Voice has helped her to step into greater leadership in her business and her life. So much so that she joined our board.

Kat’s upcoming events:

Join Kat for her 4 week tele-class Gently Moving Forward from Clutter to Clarity this coming September. Tell her that Heal My Voice sent you and receive a free extra coaching session to support you during the program.

Journey Into Being Retreat November 2nd through 5th.

Join Kat and and Empowered Voices Author Coach Elizabeth Love in the Outer Banks of North Carolina as we retreat, vision and align with our ability to powerfully move forward and claim the life we desire. We will explore the natural beauty of Crystal Coast and call on our higher selves to bring aligned clarity into our lives. Expect deep connection, laughter and profound growth, in a loving and safe environment. Space is filling up quickly. Reserve your spot now! It is going to be amazing!

http://gentlymovingforward.net/journey-into-being-retreat/

Gently Moving Forward around the web

Website: www.gentlymovingforward.net

Facebook: Like the Gently Moving Forward Page for daily inspiration.

Twitter: @dailykat

Contact: kat@gentlymovingforward.net

Indiegogo Campaign Spring 2014

Letter from Amber Scott, Board Member

From Amber Scott, A Heal My Voice Board Member:

January 28, 2014:

Nine dedicated women gathered for an extended weekend on a snowy island, beside a frozen lake, around a cozy fireplace to structure and execute the vision, plans, programs, roles, and fundraising for Heal My Voice. The silence of nature encouraged our voices, while the beautiful window view kept our energy high through hours of discussion and strategic planning for a year packed with programs to empower and support women and girls globally to heal, reclaim their voices, and step into greater leadership in their lives and the world.

Since the birth of Heal My Voice 3-years ago by Andrea Hylen, this is the first time the board members were able to come together face-to-face to focus our attention on strategic planning. Our lodging and meeting space was lovingly donated by an anonymous donor. We prepared each other soul food, filled-up our gas tanks, purchased plane tickets to fly across the country and invested countless time and energy into the mission and operations of HMV. We are extremely juiced and continue to hold space for an abundance of volunteers, resources, and funds to organically and magnetically manifest.

NOW is YOUR chance to make a difference in the lives positively impacted by HMV. We ask you to head over to the HMV website and click the donate button. Our immediate desire is to receive with love and gratitude at least $2,222 to reimburse travel expenses to our dedicated board. We invite additional funding to support our healing book circles and exciting new projects including a scholarship fund.

May you be blessed and receive 10 times back that which your heart gives. Without you, none of this would be possible.