Introduction to Shamanism

I have begun taking a 3 day workshop on Shamanism, one day a month for the next 3 months.

I recently became re-acquainted with a woman who was once my insurance broker and have discovered she is on her own personal journey of self discovery. A mutual friend kept saying, you and Angela should really get together, I hear you talking about many of the same things. I kept putting it off. Until I came across her on "facebook" and saw her company Divine Connections linked there. I of course checked it out. And became curious about just what it is she has been up to and just how my ex-insurance broker became this who new woman I never even knew about.

I contacted Angela and we set up a time to talk about what we have been doing in our lives. I had some questions about the types of services she offers and she in turn had questions on her own. I had questions about Shamanism; was it a religion? Was it about worshiping something or someone? Just what is it all about?

Knowing what I know now about myself I know that I have to learn more. I know that if I am curious and drawn to something then that generally means I have some lesson to learn about myself there.

As some of you may be curious as well I am going to let you know about my experience. The only thing I would have changed personally is I would have grounded myself more in my body before embarking on the "journeying"

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Journey 1

She did some drumming and invited me close my eyes and journey to the 'lower world' with the intention of connecting with a plant (my choice), I chose this one I found at Oceanstone on my last visit there.

My entry point was the circle at Oceanstone… to the brook, walking down the centre into the ocean. Underneath the rocks in the middle of the water there was an archway… my entry point. As I moved down this tunnel with clear walls and ceiling, that meandered down, and down into the earth, all of the sudden I am in a rich lush forest.

I found and spoke to the moss I discovered my last trip to Oceanstone. I was not fully connected to myself during this experience and I can fully remember being aware of the room I was in at the same time as being aware of my experience… in snippets, my consciousness kept going from this journey to my everyday reality, and back and forth. Then I was invited to come back through the tunnel and open my eyes. My thoughts I wrote down afterwards are as follows.

The moss taught me: Beauty is in everything. Stop… notice. Moss was the most vibrant green… living… I'm living. Look at all that is round you and breathe it in, there is beauty in everything. Don't pass it by.

Journey 2

Again she began drumming and invited this time for me to enter through an entry point of my choice and to locate my 'power animal' and discuss what information it holds for me.

I chose the same entry point, I found it easier this time. I had preconceived notions of where I would end up and what my animal might look like… or so I thought. As I went down the tunnel I was very surprised when I dropped on an elephant. In the Savannah of some sort.

I remember thinking, man this elephant is in the way, and I turned to try to find my power animal thinking this can't be him. But I turned back and looked at him, and I knew I should ask him. So I did. It felt very right. How can you miss an elephant? We 'talked' about it being okay to feel immense, huge, and heavy like I do when I am in full connection with myself. We spoke about my not always feeling safe to allow my god force to shine through and that I am safe it is something that I just must accept and embrace. I'm sure there was more, but I remember playing. I remember riding this magnificent animal and being sprayed by the mud. I remember the feel of his skin and his presence. In retrospect talking about it now, it was quite awesome in it's own way. Then I was invited to come back through the tunnel and open my eyes. My thoughts I wrote afterwards are as follows.

Connection with the elephant. Breathing myself into him and him into me. We are one. My feeling of presence… of knowing… of heaviness… of wisdom… of remembering who I am… my source… that is us all.

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In the past year I have been very blessed with the fact that I am awake and aware of the more that is out there. We bump through life most days without ever thinking about anything outside of our personal reality. Sometimes we know these things exist (like people from different cutures, people of different religions) but we shut out what doesn't impact us directly. Little do we realize that we each impact every single person and thing in our world, to one extent or another.

To learn about other peoples experiences or new experiences to you offers a greater understanding of the way you live your own life. I have found lessons in everything I engage in.

Life is good... tomorrow is a new day.

New Program/Workshops/Retreats

I'm in the midst of developing new programs to offer through Exploring our Potential Consulting (my business).

Conscious Parenting - is a weekend workshop that will invite parents (and parents to be) to consider a new way of parenting. To recognize parenting styles which they may employ now, but are not happy with and to choose to move through their world, as a parent, much differently... consciously. Read what participants had to say about the last Parenting Workshop here. The CD Living WELness ~ Single Moms: Struggles and Strengths is included with this workshop.

Reconnection Retreat - Not feeling quite right? Been slipping back into that restless sleep? Need a weekend to reconnect with yourself and have meaningful conversations with others? This 2 night experience will be at a luxurious location by the sea. Facilitated conversations that will invite you to slow down, breathe, and reflect on just who you have become in the world you have created... is it still serving you, are you feeling you are on the right track or do you need to re-focus on your intention of the unique signal you are in this world? An out of the box experience will await you on the second night, curious for more? The book Sekhment Rising is included in this workshop. Details will follow.

Explorigng Our Potential (work series) - four hours each, every 2 weeks until compeleted

• Decloaking
• Standing Along
• Stepping out of the Box
• Power of your Personal Potential
• Beneath the Bull and the Bravedo is Brilliance
  

Each of these 5 workshops will take participants deeper and deeper into discovering themselves, their voice, their intention, their potential... then the final workshop will bring them right back to seeing this very thing in each person they encounter. The book Fully Alive from 9-5 is included with this series.

Discovering Authentic Self - a total of 5 days to really become curious about your source, your authentic self. There will be two, 2 days sessions, a month apart, with one-on-one coaching in between, followed by a final session to check back in with discussions on just who else you can be. The book When the Horse Dies Get Off... and stop dragging it around is included with this series.

Letting GO - a 3 hour awakening to the "more" that is out there. In these 3 short hours you will begin to get curious, "are you living authentically" and come to the realization that by holding your intention high and letting go, Life Happens!

Watch for updates on the side bar under Products and Workshops in upcoming days.

Tomorrow is a new day and there is always more...

Conscious Parenting ~ Weekend Workshop

The first Conscious Parenting workshop was a roaring success (click here to find out what participants thought) and the Conscious Parenting workshop will now be offered on a regular basis.


This 2 day weekend workshop is being offered to parents or parents-to-be to consider a different way of living and nurturing their children’s brilliance and individual expression.


Through these sessions Lori will be inviting participants to discover a new perspective on parenting. Inviting them to find their authentic self and to consider how they can co-create meaningful family relationships with their children.


It is an invitation for participants to recognize their programmed behaviours (unconscious parenting) and to become more actively aware in the parenting behaviours (conscious parenting).

Date: July 14th and 15th, 2007 (Sat & Sun)

Location: Halifax Shamabhala Center, in the Snow Lion Room
1084 Tower RoadHalifax, NS B3H 2Y5

Time: 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (Sat & Sun)

Price: $85.00 for complete workshop, breaks, workshop manual, 1 CD from the Living WELness Series.


Your workshop guide is Lori Walton, certified WEL-Systems® Master Facilitator and Quantum TLC™ Facilitator.


To find out more please contact Lori Walton at (902) 461-9169 or e-mail mailto:potential@eastlink.ca


Exploring Our Potential Consulting 2007

Conscious Parenting Workshop ~ Testimonials

This course means so many things to so many people. Some thought I was crazy as I asked my mom to join me. What a big difference it has made in our life. We are better able to understand each other and feel where each other is coming from. During the session I had said some things that my mom was wowed about. She knew these things affected me as a child but did not realize how much they still affected the person I was and how it was preventing me from being the person I wanted to be. This enabled her to look within side her own self and feel things she had never felt before, accepted things she would have rather forgotten. And hold her head high as she know felt important.

Me and my mom have always had a great relationship, best friends if you will. Since this course I see my mom doing a 180 on everything she does now. She stopped letting people push her around and she speaks. Man I love her for that………………

Donna Hunter
Dartmouth, NS

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Just wanted to let you know that I felt your Workshop was a definite benefit.
Although the material being presented wasn’t new to me, I still learned from the experience.

I will definitely continue to promote your Workshop to my clients, as this was an incredible 3 days.

You created an environment where I felt comfortable to express myself without any fears of judgement.

Good Luck with your future Workshops and I look forward to whatever new experience that you’ll be offering.

Amy McNaughton RNCP/RSNA
WEL-Systems® Facilitator

Letting Go

Wondering what, imagining when, considering where, allowing my imagination to be free.

Where will I be in a year, in five, in ten? Where will I be tomorrow?

Will I allow myself to fly? Freeing myself of self doubt?

Or I will I not fully trust and keep myself smaller than I know I can be.

Letting go…

Trusting…

Inviting…

Allowing…

Creating…

Manifesting my dreams into reality.

World keeps turning 'round

Time flies by when you allow it to. I have been waiting and waiting for this upcoming week to arrive so the Diversity Forum will be over and done with. Not that I am wanting it to be over but for me when I am so involved with creating or co-creating something, when I have put alot of work, effort and me into it. I want to see it happen.

It seems for the past 3 weeks I really have not been doing anything but working on this Diversity Forum... not that it's a bad thing, I have fully, consciously devoted my time to the planning and other nuances that go along with trying to organize this event.

I also have a fantastic group I work with in my "day job" and I have been worrying that perhaps I have been neglecting my new co-workers... an unfounded worry as I made sure I communicated this with them. It is so nice to be working with a group of people who support the bigger picture of things by encouraging us (the employees) to become involved in these committees and groups.

I have so much to get back to. After the Diversity Forum is done for this year I am really going to work on creating a real basis of workshops and programs I can offer through my consulting business. I know travel will somehow be involved in all of this and I am really excited about doing a "travelling roadshow" as I've written it in my journal from time to time.

Lots of things happening with my eldest daughter and I lately too, this is for another post, another day. She is already such an amazing young woman, I am just so excited to watch her unfold day in and day out, always more than she was.

Tomorrow is another day, there is always more.

Aprés Workshop Thoughts and Insights

I sat down to write a piece or an article on my thoughts on my Parenting Workshop and it just didn't come out as I expected. Here is what did come out.

My thoughts on my Parenting Workshop... it wasn't about "parenting", just like it's not about "leadership" or any other nomilaization that is out there... it is all about stepping into yourself and knowing who you authentically are.

Opening up yourself to receive and relaxing into the feeling of the moment. Coming home to yourself in every single way and choosing to live your life by your own design.

This then outpours into your very essence, and you can carry it into all aspects of your life as you choose it. Whether that be relationships, parenting, leadership, home, work, whatever... it is simply who you are.

And choosing to create a future that is meaningful for you starts within... the power of one... yourself.

Awakening, realizing, remembering, reclaiming, being, coming home.

Standing witness to the sacred that is in you, in me, in each and everyone of us... in existence whether we choose to see it or not.

Connection, to self, to my source, to everyone and everything, we are all one though still very much unique individuals.

Choosing in the moment how do I want to live my life? Do I want to own it and shape it? Or do I allow my self to fall victim to it and be shaped by it?

Trusting in yourself, your soul, your instinct, your signal #1, to know it is the gift that will never lead you astray.

Knowing it, is as simple as breathing, relaxing, inviting and allowing yourself to know the truth of your own experience.

Life is good!

Completion of my first Parenting Workshop

Today was the final day of my very first parenting workshop.

I personally thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The energy that filled the room, the energy that came from each of the participants who showed up through the 3 days was simply amazing.

Each woman in that room brought so much to the workshop, they directed the flow of the days.

I can't begin to fathom the number of insights and awakenings that came into the awareness of each individual and the ones that will spawn from this workshop in coming weeks and months.

Nor can I fully fathom the impact they will have on others in their lives, the invitations they are now for their children and children to be to relax into their authentic self expressing with their own voice.

To know that if they want to, they can choose differently. To know that if it truly feels "right" to them they should say or do it and not worry about what other people think they should be saying or doing.

To step into themselves and welcome it. Welcome that feeling of peace, love, calm. The Bigheadedness is not a bad thing. Self acceptance, confidence and awareness are very different from Ego. To not feel guilt or shame for feeling "right" within your life, but to celebrate ti within your self knowing that this is the signal of who you are in the world.

I know that this is the first of many of this Parenting series of workshops I will offer through my new company Exploring Our Potential Consulting. I also am aware future programs will flow differently.

I am also working on Reconnection Retreats which will allow for participants to learn something new via an invitation for another to come in a provide an evening workshop, and alot of time to have facilitated conversations, reconnection and self reflection over the rest of the weekend.

In a few weeks time I am also very aware that I want to "give back" if you will to my work place. After the Diversity Forum and the planning for the Finance Conference I will take time to create this work event. I have yet to really work out the details but I want to create something at work where people can come and explore and step into themselves.

Witnessing the sacred as each woman discovered their authentic self, as each woman reclaimed a piece of their personal power that they had allowed to be taken from them. To claim their whole self as the brilliant being they are. Simply Amazing.

Tomorrow is another day... there is always more.

Diversity & Respect

I've been very busy over the past while with helping to plan a Diversity Conference at my work. It is going to be a fantastic event and the theme is "Diversity as our Future … Equity as our Potential", which for me really speaks of where it is at.

As I think about Diversity, I think of it in a much broader context as some of my colleagues at the planning table. I am thinking not of each of the identified groups (visible, gender, sexual orientation or ability), I am thinking of us each as unique individuals.

For me diversity is about respect.

It is about seeing the individual for who they authentically are, where they have come from, their hopes, dreams and aspirations for who they can become.

To look at their beliefs, values and attitudes and become curious about them.

Respecting them does not mean you have to agree with them.

Respecting them is recognizing this is a meaningful aspect of this other individuals life in which by learning about it can enrich our own. Or at least broaden our horizons and create awareness.

This can be taken to all areas and aspects of life. To embrace and respect another persons beliefs, traditions, lifestyle is simply that. Ask the questions, do the research, come out to learning events that will help you know something you didn't know before.

And RESPECT each other, don't impose your beliefs on others or your disapproval of another persons life, this ends up promoting ignorance, hard feelings, bigotry and hatred.

I know this is not the type of world I wish to continue living in. Person by person we can change this. Stand up and speak up in those situations where you feel you need to.

Those times when a group is gathered and someone makes a demeaning remark or tells an inappropriate joke, don't just laugh uncomfortable, do something, say something or approach the individual after the fact. 9 times out of 10 you weren't the only one there who may have been offended by it.

It all comes back to speak your truth, be clear and trust in who you are inside, your authentic self and don't be afraid to step out of the box or swim against the current. Doing so with encourage others to do what is meaningful for them. And our world changes, bit by bit, person by person.

Tomorrow is a new day... and there is always more.