The Delicate Balance of Standing in Our Power

How much is enough and how much is too much? Learning to stand in our power teaches us a delicate balance at the most advanced levels.

As a standard of practice we are never taught how to become intuitively aware of non-verbal communication. Most leaders just go blasting their way into the wild blue yonder… and then there are those who follow in their wake.  Which one are you?

Joanne and her husband Mark came to work with me six months ago. They were Brittany’s parents and Brittany was one of the children that I had taught during a school program.  Brittany had learned so much about herself during her sessions with me that she wanted her parents to experience and learn the same things, in the hope that they would find a healthier way to communicate.

When they first arrived, we spent time getting to know the horses, but something very interesting happened.

Brittany had been working with me for several weeks and had learned about non-verbal communication. We talked about the dynamics between humans and horses and how they help teach us about human-to-human relationships.  She learned how to observe rather than react so she could get the information necessary to move forward.

When they arrived as a family, Joanne didn’t know much about horses or the teachings they had to share, but because of her daughter’s enthusiasm, she was eager to learn.  Mark remained quiet, partially listening and partially questioning what this whole thing was all about anyway.

As they learned about mutual communication and being open to feeling the non-verbal dance of connection, Joanne felt empowered and wanted to brush Cierba.  She was a bit timid around 1200 lb. horses so I stood near her and had Cierba on a long lead.

Joanne had the brush and she reached out to touch Cierba and Cierba stepped away. Joanne approached her again with the brush in hand reaching up to brush her shoulder.  Brittany watched as Cierba quickly snapped her head in Joanne’s direction, putting her ears back in warning.   Joanne said, “You know, I don’t think she wants to be brushed today.”

Before I could respond, Dad reached over and grabbed Cierba’s halter by her face band, took the brush out of Mom’s hand and proceeded to brush Cierba’s neck sternly saying “here’s how you do it Joanne!”  Cierba’s eyes were wide open as she rolled them to the side looking down at him in shock.

Mom stepped back and their daughter still stood there quietly watching. The dynamics of this family had come flying out in a matter of moments but nothing needed to be said. There was no projected shame, only the truth of the moment.

Brittany clearly and gently shared that this was much like how it was at home in so many other circumstances. She said that she was enjoying watching her mom and saw that she was aware of Cierba’a boundaries and that it felt to her like Cierba did not want to be brushed at that moment when her dad stepped in. No blame, no shame, just observation.

Brittany knew, from her past experience with me in her classes, that mutual respect builds healthy relationships.  She had learned that connection comes from tuning into our own intuition combined with the simultaneous awareness in connection with others.  Through relating in this way we can respond with mutual respect and learn how to create a healthy connection in relationship to humans or animals.

Brittany had learned this same lesson in much the same way.  The students had grown in their own intuitive awareness over the past weeks and it was so powerful to see this 12-year-old girl calmly evaluating and sharing in a nonjudgmental and positive manner what she had witnessed with her mom and dad.

We took a short break to allow things to settle and integrate into their awareness. I call it licking and chewing, because that is what the horses do. If you are patient enough to watch horses as they are learning, it seems they need time to think about what they learned and when it is settled in their mind, they start to lick and chew.  That is how you know when they are ready for more. Those who are conscious trainers always wait for those critical moments.

Brittany’s dad later shared that he didn’t realize how aggressive he had been until the experience he had with Joanne and the brush with Cierba.  It was obvious that he felt bad for his actions and that the awareness was a surprise and something he did not want to repeat in the future.

We all get caught up in habits that we have created over time.  Being able to learn about others and ourselves in this very special way opens our awareness to creating deeper and healthier relationships as we move forward towards a richer and deeper joy in life.

Read this article and others on our official site and get

Barbara’s audio meditation gift for a mini Heart-Alignment of Joy!

Barbara Alexander is President and Founder of Epona Ridge – a magical place where women have come for years to gain insight about their inner lives and seek a greater awareness of their hearts’ true calling. Barbara serves as their mentor and guide as her retreat participants go through their individual journeys towards true happiness, joy and inner peace.

Barbara has worked with over a thousand people in the Epona Ridge Retreat programs, teaching transformational techniques that shift core energy awareness and life experience.

After many years of a successful career as a business executive, Barbara has dedicated her personal and professional life to mentoring women and men, in building their life as well as their business with a stronger foundation for wellbeing and personal fulfillment.

Barbara provides techniques for enhancing the mind/body connection, personal core energy awareness and personal empowerment. You will love the feelings of rejuvenation and inspiration that you experience at the Epona Ridge Retreats.

Barbara Alexander

Epona Ridge LLC

Asheville, NC

For more information: http://www.EponaRidge.com

Info@EponaRidge.com

Finding the Magic From the Universe

How do we become even more clearly aware of our own true alignment through the twists and turns along the road of life?

When I reflect on this past year, I have come to have more clarity about my alignment with what brings me joy.  As I move forward I hold these questions in my heart:

*    How many people’s lives are better because I lived?
*    Am I having fun growing as I continue to expand my life?
*    Am I finding the magic that is here for me as a gift from the Universe?
*    Am I growing closer to aligning with the full expression of who I came here to be?

As you look back on last year you might ask the same questions.  I hope that it is for you as it has been for me… a comfort to know that it is within our grasp to shift our awareness of what didn’t work to that which provides inspiration for what we want to create.

I recently read a quote by poet Antonio Machado:

“Walker, there is no path; the path is made by walking.”

Sometimes our life path may feel like a lonely path, especially when we are blazing new trails. One thing I have learned from the women that I have had the honor to mentor, and which has become more powerfully clear each year, is that we are a community of seekers who understand the need for intuitive balance and we know that there is no other way than to follow our heart’s deepest calling.

This call of the heart is what guides us to reach for more in our lives as we choose the steps we will take along our own unique path. The gentle beckoning of the heart inspires us with those we love, as we choose what we do with our time, and as we create our experience in the precious life we came here to live.

Here we are, embarking on a new year with new awakenings and infinite possibilities!

The key to creating a glorious year is deliberate intention, but not just deliberate intention in relation to what we want or hope to eventually have. We must focus our intention on a broad enough goal so that we are aligned with our life’s purpose. It is crucial to align our goals with our life’s purpose or we may end up with a path that zigs and zags into something we don’t want.

My intention as I move into this year is to see the glory and the beginning of a great opportunity – an opportunity to bring more of the fullness of who I came here to be into my experience of life. As I continue to learn more about the subtlety of vibration, the more fully I understand the nuances of the corresponding effect.

This year I am listening more intently to the subtle call from within my heart and I can feel the anticipation beginning to build. This day and every day, I will wake up and make the choice to be happy. I choose to make this year the best yet in my life so far.

This is said to be a special year of awakening and I can’t wait to see the deepening of the work we are co-creating with the Universe, nature and the animals at Epona Ridge.  It feels as if we are learning how to calibrate with our heart’s intention, and in doing so, we are creating a resonance field that is palpable.

Many women are finding that they are gaining the ability to tap into this field to manifest their dreams, and in this year of awakening, it will surely become all the more powerful and exciting!

Join us in holding the intention of creating the greatest year ever – filled with joy and deep love within our lives… Every day we have the opportunity to create anew and conjure the feeling of joyous anticipation.

Allowing this intention to unfold as we create our own unique paths in life will open us to the true gift and magic that the Universe has to offer!

Read this article and others on our official site and get

Barbara’s audio meditation gift for a mini Heart-Alignment of Joy!

Barbara Alexander is President and Founder of Epona Ridge – a magical place where women have come for years to gain insight about their inner lives and seek a greater awareness of their hearts’ true calling. Barbara serves as their mentor and guide as her retreat participants go through their individual journeys towards true happiness, joy and inner peace.

Barbara has worked with over a thousand people in the Epona Ridge Retreat programs, teaching transformational techniques that shift core energy awareness and life experience.

After many years of a successful career as a business executive, Barbara has dedicated her personal and professional life to mentoring women and men, in building their life as well as their business with a stronger foundation for wellbeing and personal fulfillment.

Barbara provides techniques for enhancing the mind/body connection, personal core energy awareness and personal empowerment. You will love the feelings of rejuvenation and inspiration that you experience at the Epona Ridge Retreats.

Barbara Alexander

Epona Ridge LLC

Asheville, NC

For more information: http://www.EponaRidge.com

Info@EponaRidge.com

Do, Do, Do, Don’t!

It is a wonderful thing to stand where you are – and to know that you are either allowing joy into your life or that you are feeling the desire for something more deeply fulfilling.  Either one is a sign that your inner guidance is working to show you the way to go.

The guidance of intuition starts out very subtly – offering us opportunities to make healthy shifts along the way. Sometimes we rationalize with ourselves to go one way or another but when we go the wrong way, negative key indicators become increasingly more apparent.

For example, my eyelid started twitching last month; a physical manifestation that has served as a warning system for me over the years. I have come to understand this as an indication that I have started to get off track and need to realign with my Source.

It is so interesting to know that we can choose where to focus our energy. We can either focus our energy on the absence of what we want, or we can open our energy to the possibility of moving towards what we want. The core issue is the same, but the direction of our energetic focus makes all the difference. When we ignore intuitive messages from within and focus our energy on the absence of what we want, our inner warning system begins to activate and messages from it begin to manifest physically. The symptoms might be minor at first but if you refuse to listen, they will likely become increasingly worse until you have no choice but to listen and effect change in your life.

How do you recognize the warning signs when you are aligning with the absence of what you want?

Our bodies are giving us indications all the time and many times our first opportunity to recognize those indications is through our emotions.

Sometimes we are inspired to do more and more but when we feel a non-relenting pressure to do more we may be pushing ourselves beyond our own boundaries. Doing this creates disruption in our rejuvenating life flow and it creates a depletion that jeopardizes our ability to be wholly present for others or ourselves.

I had a friend that enjoyed all of her various work and volunteer activities so much that she willingly committed to working even beyond the waking hours she had in her day. She was married, her children were grown, and she loved being active and helping others.  Saying no did not come easily. The problem, however, was that she was so focused on getting things done that she ceased to listen to her inner guidance. She was oblivious to the initial key indicators that she was heading in the wrong direction.

Visiting with her became nearly impossible because she was simply too busy. Our conversations revolved around her burdens. She always seemed to be putting out fires and dealing with drama related to this board or that. After years of observing this, I recognized it as one manifestation among others of a larger life pattern that she had come to embody.

She was not only carrying burdens and putting out fires in her work life. She had taken the weight of those burdens into her physical body as well and developed chronic back problems. It seemed that at least once a year she would finally stop and rest… only because she had become bedridden with pain. No matter how much she wanted to get up, she just couldn’t.  As she pushed on, taking on more and more responsibility, she developed Fibromyalgia, a very painful disorder which created yet another level of forced self-care in her very busy world.

Forced self-care… what an oxymoron! After all, how do we become so disconnected that we have subconsciously created FORCED self-care in our lives through illness or pain? You would be surprised by how many people actually push it that far.

It is my wish to stay tuned in to my intuition and guidance so that I can expand my creativity, inspiration and the joy filled flow in my life so I do not have to contend with “forced self-care”.

I noticed the eye twitching last month and I knew I had to make a shift…

What are your personal key indicators that let you know when your life is out of balance or that you have taken on too much? Are you experiencing any of them now? Search within, listen, and take heart.

We can all get caught up in the need to DO, DO, DO. If you feel you are doing too much, consider developing a healthy and loving relationship with DON’T. Not doing has its own power and grace. Not doing can provide a fertile space for rejuvenation so that which we truly seek… that which we truly desire to manifest on the deepest levels of our being… can enter more fully into our lives.

Read this article and others on our official site and get
Barbara’s audio meditation gift for a mini Heart-Alignment of Joy!

Barbara Alexander is President and Founder of Epona Ridge – a magical place where women have come for years to gain insight about their inner lives and seek a greater awareness of their hearts’ true calling. Barbara serves as their mentor and guide as her retreat participants go through their individual journeys towards true happiness, joy and inner peace.

Barbara has worked with over a thousand people in the Epona Ridge Retreat programs, teaching transformational techniques that shift core energy awareness and life experience.

After many years of a successful career as a business executive, Barbara has dedicated her personal and professional life to mentoring women and men, in building their life as well as their business with a stronger foundation for wellbeing and personal fulfillment.

Barbara provides techniques for enhancing the mind/body connection, personal core energy awareness and personal empowerment. You will love the feelings of rejuvenation and inspiration that you experience at the Epona Ridge Retreats.

Barbara Alexander

Epona Ridge LLC

Asheville, NC

For more information: http://www.EponaRidge.com

Info@EponaRidge.com

Holiday Balance – Sustaining Inner Joy

Nestled in amongst the yearly busy-ness of our lives, the holidays offer us a safe haven, if only we can accept the invitation.

The holidays by nature invite us to relax and sink into an alternate space; a space in which the typical bounds of our daily lives and routines tend to shift and open up. The holidays provide us with a chance to bring joy and spice into the home and work places, to bring more depth into our interactions with others, and to nurture ourselves as we are surrounded by the collective spirit of love and light.

The holidays can be a busy, stressful time, but is it is important to make a priority of maintaining inner balance and joy. If we are working over the holidays, we are working within a different energy framework, as are those around us. The holidays provide a shift in the collective perspective as we are allowed and encouraged to focus more on family, nourishment, and the deeper meaning in our lives.

In order to support your own inner joy and balance, stay in the spirit of appreciation, integrate pleasant surprises into the home and workplace, fill your social calendar discriminately, establish meditative time for yourself, and let family members share the responsibilities of holiday shopping and meal preparation. Allow yourself to simplify wherever possible, keeping in mind what makes the holidays most dear to you. Let the things that cause you stress fall away and bring your focus to the things that make your heart warm. Allow yourself to make choices that truly support the experience you would like to have… even if, in the moment, those in front of you seem to be out of balance.

When with family and friends, be present, consciously letting go of preoccupations or stresses as soon as they come up. The best thing you can do for you, your colleagues, and your loved ones is to focus from within your heart and see the positive potential. Enjoy every moment as much as possible. When you feel you have too much on your plate, take a deep breath, and find that quiet place within… where your soul calls you forward to re-align with the life you came here to live. There is a great deal of love in the air during the holidays. Soak it in and enjoy this beautiful time of year. Take space to nurture yourself, your path, and your heart’s calling.

Lastly, there is a hidden blessing that the holiday season brings. If you are aware of it you can take advantage of it. As schedules, priorities, social interactions, and locations shift during the holidays, a space is opened up that offers us a chance to shift gears and settle into a different perspective. If we are open to it, the holidays can provide more than just a chance to enjoy quality time with family, delicious home cooked meals, and joyful communion in the spirit of celebration. The holidays provide us with an opportunity to step back, to view our lives from a different perspective, and to nurture the change we wish to create. Now is the time to bring awareness to our highest purpose as we head toward the opportunity to make fresh choices in the New Year. Let your heart lead you through your holiday journey this year so that you might truly bring joy to the world.

Read this article and others on our official site and get
Barbara’s audio meditation gift for a mini Heart-Alignment of Joy!

Barbara Alexander is President and Founder of Epona Ridge – a magical place where women have come for years to gain insight about their inner lives and seek a greater awareness of their hearts’ true calling. Barbara serves as their mentor and guide as her retreat participants go through their individual journeys towards true happiness, joy and inner peace.

Barbara has worked with over a thousand people in the Epona Ridge Retreat programs, teaching transformational techniques that shift core energy awareness and life experience.

After many years of a successful career as a business executive, Barbara has dedicated her personal and professional life to mentoring women and men, in building their life as well as their business with a stronger foundation for wellbeing and personal fulfillment.

Barbara provides techniques for enhancing the mind/body connection, personal core energy awareness and personal empowerment. You will love the feelings of rejuvenation and inspiration that you experience at the Epona Ridge Retreats.

Barbara Alexander

Epona Ridge LLC

Asheville, NC

For more information: http://www.EponaRidge.com

Info@EponaRidge.com

Not Enough Time in the Day

Sarah came to me a year ago, wanting to just relax and find a sense of rejuvenation.  She led a hectic life at home with a more-than-full-time focus at work.

Sarah had not taken many vacations. In her mind, sitting and doing nothing was not fulfilling, and most of the time she spent her vacations checking in with work and slipping in emails to the office.

After meeting Sarah, I could feel her desire for more in her life, as if she wasn’t sure if this was all there is, or if she could make a change somehow.  She wasn’t angry or depressed. She had just been on a steady diet of living with tension and being “on call” for the majority of her waking hours.

Like many women, Sarah was extremely capable and was a multi-tasking expert.  She had so much to do, explaining she was the first one in to work in the morning and the last one to leave at night.  “There just aren’t enough hours in the day,” she said.  When she really opened to what she was looking for, she realized that she wasn’t enjoying life, that she really wanted.  She wanted to know how she could find contentment in her life.

Sarah chose an alpha gelding named Zorro to work with in her personal session.  He was beautiful and very attentive to her.  She said she felt a connection to him right away, even though she had not spent any time with horses in her life. She always thought they were so majestic.

Sarah walked into the arena and Zorro came over to her.  After greeting her, he stood next to her side.  She reached up, petting his back, and he leaned into her hand for a deeper scratch.  “My dog does this,” she said.  “He loves a good scratch in places he can’t reach.”  Then Zorro stepped forward a few inches and she stopped.  “What’s he doing?” she asked, and I explained that he was communicating with her, giving her a message.  “Oh, he just wants more scratches, but in this place now.”

She continued to scratch his back and he leaned into her pressure, enjoying the deep tissue message.  But her arm was beginning to tire so she stopped and stepped back.  He immediately turned completely around to the other side and stepped up once again, lining up his side very close in front of her.  She had to take a step backwards.  “He just wants more,” she told me.

So Sarah started in on the other side, until her arm tired once again and she stopped. He stepped another step forward, placing his hind end right in front of her this time, but she stepped to the side.  He put his ears back and walked away from her and she felt sure she had hurt his feelings.  Then she stood there for a moment.

“It’s never enough, is it?” she said it more for herself than for me.  Sarah began explaining  what she had just experienced.  She said that it was the same thing she gets at work.  No matter how much she does, it was never enough, there was always more.  She said that at first she wanted the connection to this horse, and he gave it to her, but then it stopped feeling good.

Sarah had never learned how to feel when her boundaries were being crossed, even when she was the one crossing them, which was a pretty advanced awareness.  She had not set healthy boundaries so that she could have mutually healthy relationships at home or at work.  Throughout the rest of the retreat, she learned about her own core energy and how to adjust her energetic body with biofeedback from her greatest teacher, Zorro. He was amazingly consistent as he helped her learn.

He taught her, on the most subtle levels, how it feels when she was getting out of balance, and she knew it the moment it happened instead missing the initial signs.  She said it was like a switch had been turned on within her.

In that moment, Zorro completely relaxed and gently stood next to her.  This time he was respectfully close, but no longer pushing on her or asking for something she didn’t want to give.  Zorro released a heavy sigh.

Before she left, Sarah said she felt a deep sense of peace and gratitude, and that she had learned so much, on such a deep level…  she would never forget how it feels.  She knew that she could make that change she was looking for, now that she was aware from within herself.

Read this article and others on our official site and get
Barbara’s audio meditation gift for a mini Heart-Alignment of Joy!

Barbara Alexander is President and Founder of Epona Ridge – a magical place where women have come for years to gain insight about their inner lives and seek a greater awareness of their hearts’ true calling. Barbara serves as their mentor and guide as her retreat participants go through their individual journeys towards true happiness, joy and inner peace.

Barbara has worked with over a thousand people in the Epona Ridge Retreat programs, teaching transformational techniques that shift core energy awareness and life experience.

After many years of a successful career as a business executive, Barbara has dedicated her personal and professional life to mentoring women and men, in building their life as well as their business with a stronger foundation for wellbeing and personal fulfillment.

Barbara provides techniques for enhancing the mind/body connection, personal core energy awareness and personal empowerment. You will love the feelings of rejuvenation and inspiration that you experience at the Epona Ridge Retreats.

Barbara Alexander

Epona Ridge LLC

Asheville, NC

For more information: http://www.EponaRidge.com

Info@EponaRidge.com

Mind Control Isn’t What Makes You Feel Better

 

My Body Holds the Keys to a Wealth of Knowledge!

Many of us have heard about positive mental attitude or have tried mind control in order to feel better, but you may have found that it was not as effective as you had hoped, especially in an emotionally triggered situation!

Conceptual semantics are behind the confusion, in other words, it has to do with the cognitive awareness or perception/FEELING from your thought/mind control.

Controlling your mind and focusing on a feeling can be mutually exclusive and that is where we run into problems.

When you control your mind, by focusing on a better way of thinking, you may still be focusing on the same thought, even though you may think it is the opposite of that thought.  Sound confusing?  Read on and I will explain.

We have learned that through our discomfort, we can find the immediate contrast to a bad feeling, and we can shift our focus to that better feeling/emotion, if we really want to do what it takes to feel better and are willing to go there.

The key is in our focus on the contrasting feeling.

Here’s an example:  My dogs bark really loudly, and it feels like a free-for-all when someone comes to the door.  I tell them to stop, but with two large dogs, it feels overwhelming.  So I try some mind control:

I’ll think of the contrast, “It’s aggravating and I want them to stop barking!”, Here I was focusing on what I want, but that doesn’t feel better, in fact it fuels the fire!

Hmmm, focus on the opposite.  “My dogs are not barking, my dogs are not barking, my dogs are not….”  OK forget it, that didn’t work at all!

Rational thought: “My dogs are just doing their job.” So… maybe that helps a little.

“My dogs will get better as they get older.”… I am starting to feel better, but barely!

“I haven’t done a very good job at training them..”  Bad mom, bad feeling…

These are all examples of thinking to get what I want, which is always to feel better, but it can take quite a while to feel better this way, and many times we get stuck by still focusing on not having what we really want.

So I will try refocusing on the feeling that I want to have:  “I love my dogs.”
OK, now I am getting that warm and good feeling.

“We take care of each other and I feel loved by them”, that’s getting better.

“I can feel their joy when they see me and I am always so happy to see them too”  Now I’m feeling even better.

Once we get into that space of FEELING better, our inspiration comes to help us move in the direction to solve the issue.

“I really do LOVE my dogs, and we can learn together”  yea… much better!

“It would be fun to learn how to communicate more clearly, in a way that feels good to all of us.  Maybe we can go to classes together so that we can enjoy our relationship even more.”

Most of us allow our default setting to take us into an instant reaction.   We can make a new habit of listening within and following the guidance from what feels better and what feels worse.  We can always find our inner guidance to what we really want, the instant something happens.

It is not the bounce from the contrasting thought that actually helps us, it is the bounce to the contrasting emotion or feeling that we deeply desire.  It is from that place of emotional awareness, that we find the sparks of inspiration that can direct us more toward who we really are and what we really want.

Written by: Barbara Alexander, Founder and Director of Epona Ridge, Teacher and Innovator of Equine Experiential Learning and Coaching for Advanced Human Development.

Epona Ridge, a sanctuary retreat center for inspiration, is located in Asheville, North Carolina and offers life and career support, Reiki certification, facilitator training, individual workshops and retreats incorporating the teachings of Abraham – Hicks and the Law of Allowing. For more information see: www.EponaRidge.com

Taking New Year’s Resolutions to a Whole New Level!

I know it’s only November, and New Year’s resolutions are  usually contemplated in the days or moments just before the New Year, but this year -  maybe it’s time for a change!

Did you know that most people don’t keep their New Year’s resolutions past the first few weeks, and the majority fail in six months?

Many of us are looking for change, for something more in our lives, but are just not sure how to find what’s right for us. 

Research has shown that most people don’t keep New Year’s resolutions. In fact, we have found that they can produce the opposite effect, when we fall short of those resolutions during the first months of the year.

Change starts with a simple, yet powerful, epiphany that comes from a very deep and personal place inside of us: “I just can’t continue down this same road any longer.” said JimTaylor, Ph.D. Psychology Today.

Making shifts in our lives isn’t as hard as we have made it out to be.  We were never taught how to energetically line up with what want we really want in our lives, and in many cases, we are just reacting to life and getting caught up in the struggle.

This coming year things can be different!

You can learn how to find your inner calling by taking the steps to learn how to listen within.  By doing this, you will find that it brings clarity, peace and joy in the now and for your lifetime ahead!  See Sacred Choices and Choosing Joy!

 

Written by: Barbara Alexander, Founder and Director of Epona Ridge, Teacher and Innovator of Equine Experiential Learning and Coaching for Advanced Human Development.

Epona Ridge, a sanctuary retreat center for inspiration, is located in Asheville, North Carolina and offers life and career support, Reiki certification, facilitator training, individual workshops and retreats incorporating the teachings of Abraham – Hicks and the Law of Allowing. For more information see: www.EponaRidge.com

Following Your Heart, Finding Your Life!

 

I’ve heard from so many women that have studied Abraham-Hicks, Wayne Dyer, and Louise Hay. They understand the concepts, but the personal integration can be hard.

Following your heart, and finding the life you are meant to live, is one of the greatest journeys we can have. It’s about learning how to hear your own inner wisdom, and having the courage to follow it, no matter what anyone else has to say.

See the video above to hear more about this journey within…

For more on this…

Getting In Love With Your Life!

 

Are you feeling lost?

Are you feeling stuck in the experience of being:

• bored
• boxed in
• uninspired
• alone
• or even angry…

Many people have told me that they are feeling lost in their lives, waking up uninspired and moving through their days in a blur.

We are searching for our inner spark to be re-ignited, so we may change our path from the sense of being lost, to finding our inner peace, inspiration and joy.

There seems to be a growing desire to find something more in the life we have come here to live, and many of us are finding ourselves discontented. And from what I am learning, that is really a good thing!

This discontent is OUR wake up call!

A growing discomfort is the way that your body calls to you for change.

What if I told you that you have the keys to finding this inner spark within you, and that it is just waiting for you to get quiet enough to listen for your own guidance?

You may say, “But that seems too easy, I would have figured that out already… in fact, I already know that, I just can’t seem to do it!”

In our everyday lives, we tend to be focused on what isn’t working, we do this in an effort to find improvement.  Many times we are reacting to our daily experience and worrying so much we forget we are still manifesting… but manifesting in the wrong direction!

Maybe you have never learned how to support yourself through your focus, or if you have learned, you may have found that you weren’t getting the results you hoped for… but you have no idea why.

What if you had a problem with your horse?  Wouldn’t you try to find a solution instead of just ignoring it, and hoping it would go away?  How about if you were a golfer and your game was off.  Wouldn’t you practice over and over until you got it right, or seek out help and instruction to improve your game?

So what have you done to invest in yourself and your own growth?  What have you done to get support in expanding your life in the direction of joy?

It takes practice so that you can align with what you want in your life.

So if you are not in love with your life, now is the time to create a new habit: The habit of paying attention to how you feel, so that you may find all that you have been looking for and align your life, so that you will experience yourself flowing with inspiration!

It’s time to stop wasting any part of your life, it’s time to step up and live a more joyous YOU!

Written by: Barbara Alexander, Founder and Director of Epona Ridge, Teacher and Innovator of Equine Experiential Learning and Coaching for Advanced Human Development.

Epona Ridge, a sanctuary retreat center for inspiration, is located in Asheville, North Carolina and offers life and career support, Reiki certification, facilitator training, individual workshops and retreats incorporating the teachings of Abraham – Hicks and the Law of Allowing. For more information see: www.EponaRidge.com

The Knowing Field

We were outside in the woods, having walked down the trail to the spot where the Vortex is the strongest, when I had my first experience in A Constellation With Nature.

They said it was through a connection to the Knowing Field that we are able to access the truths we are seeking.

For a long time, I had felt the inspiration to expand this work with some of the ancient practices in nature.  Many things had been coming to me about creating a Medicine Wheel, a Labyrinth or a Life Wheel…

My intention had been to  ‘walk gently on the earth’,  which meant to get quiet enough to listen and in every step, honor and co-create with the nature and wisdom that surrounds me.

Walking gently… with myself, the horses, this land, those that come here…  I have found so many layers of awareness.

The focus for this Nature Constellation was to connect with the land here at Epona Ridge, to ask for guidance and input as this precious work continues to unfold…

I had no idea what was to come next, nor the powerful reaction I would have…

There were three of us, the facilitator, me and one other woman that represented  this land.  As we moved within the quadrants on the Vortex, we assumed the positions where we felt most comfortable.

The land stood tall, powerfully looking out into the distance… majestically standing and shining in awareness.  (Later she shared that it was a very unusual feeling for her, and that she was surprised with the words she spoke and the energy she felt during the session)

I found comfort standing behind the land and slightly to the right of her… my body was filled with love, admiration and the desire to support her powerful presence.

Within moments, the facilitator asked the land to turn and face me.

When I looked into her eyes, there was an overwhelming feeling.

This was not one of the usual conversations that I had had in my meditations of appreciation of this land… In comparison, those felt like one-way experiences…

This level of connection created something completely different.  I had an immediate sense of BEING SEEN, with complete intimacy and awe.

I instantaneously bowed my head with my hands to my heart and tears filled my eyes, streaming down my cheeks…

To my surprise, these words came rushing out of my mouth…

“I am so sorry,” I said. “Why?”, she asked in response.  “For taking the trees to create this place,” I cried.

“It’s okay, they are YOUR trees, too,” she said in response without even a blink, her focus clear and strong.

I asked, “Are you happy with what we are doing here? The people, this garden and all of this land?”  And she replied,  “Oh, yes… very much so!”

The tears continued to flow and I felt an all-encompassing blessing of appreciation, as I was filled with a powerfully grounded sense of love.

Within moments, I went down to my knees, feeling the reverence of the lifetimes that have come before me and all that are yet to come.

The facilitator asked the land to move and to stand behind me with her hands on my shoulders as I was kneeling there.

When I felt her hands, I sat up and looked ahead from having bowed so low that my hands had been on the ground underneath my face.

For the next few moments I felt the strength and deep connection that we all have on this journey together.

I heard in my heart ‘WE ARE CO-CREATING’…  and just then a gentle breeze blew through the trees signaling our abrupt completion.

I didn’t want it to end, it was an incredible feeling of being opened to the Knowing Field and connecting from that place of mutual honor and personal truth.

Words cannot adequately express all that happened in those few moments, this process takes you on an incredible journey…

Suffice it to say that it was wonderful and I felt a great sense of peace.

Life never ceases to engage and enthrall us when we are open to it!

Written by: Barbara Alexander, Founder and Director of Epona Ridge, Teacher and Innovator of Equine Experiential Learning and Coaching for Advanced Human Development.

Epona Ridge, a sanctuary retreat center for inspiration, is located in Asheville, North Carolina and offers life and career support, Reiki certification, facilitator training, individual workshops and retreats incorporating the teachings of Abraham – Hicks and the Law of Allowing. For more information, please visit www.EponaRidge.com