The deep inner journey thickens

During my almost 9 month stay in Bolivia, I have had the pleasure of meeting amazing, strong women who are grounded, connected, attuned to their feminine and very wise. I have learned a lot from these women; regarding the sacredness of ceremony, the importance of being a strong female today and the power we each have to affect all of which surrounds us.

I feel blessed by their presence¸ example of leadership and guidance, all of which has inspired me to begin taking steps in developing and owning my leadership skills within the compounds of the jail Knitting Peace has taken me into. From this space of deep inner knowing, I have felt called to develop a weekly program for these incarcerated women that could provide a safe and nurturing environment for healing. The program would consist of weekly classes targeting specific topics of discussion, and would last between 60-90 minutes once a week. As the weeks go by, the topics of discussion would also progress and deepen, creating a momentum and sacred bond between the participants.

My Bolivian mentors have enthusiastically agreed to join me in this effort, we have put our hearts together and set the intention of developing a weekly class that deals with topics such as self healing, empowerment, freedom to choose, family planning, affirmation setting, honoring oneself,  communicating with kindness, heartcentered listening and much much more. Our intention is to provide a safe space for healing, releasing that which no longer serves and providing skills that allow for the opportunity of personal freedom, self forgiveness and higher vision.

I am very excited about this new phase Knitting Peace is paving the way for! I am also trusting that we will be guided perfectly, allowing only that which is in service to the highest good to come forward. I also know that our team of facilitators will expand and many angels in human form will come forward to share their wisdom and experiences so our group of women will grow all the more for it.

So, this goes out to all my heart centered friends… the invitation is yours. We know the power and joy of being of service. There is great need for soul centered leadership here, and I welcome any and all assistance in facilitating or adding to this program.

Thank you for listening, ~Namaste

Taking Reiki to the jail

Recently a Reiki Master from Cochabamba expressed interest in coming to La Paz to facilitate a Reiki workshop inside the prison I work with through Knitting Peace. I initially had mixed feeling about presenting a Reiki workshop inside the jail, since Reiki is not a common practice in Bolivia, and I was concerned there might be little interest.

With the approval and support of the lead Capitan within the jail, the workshop was held in a small room which contained stacked plastic chairs. Since we had no idea how many women would show up, I optimistically laid out about 20 chairs to make sure we had plenty of seats available for everyone. As more and more women showed, the chairs seemed to multiply and the space seemed to expand. Almost 40 women participated, many of which are part of my team of knitters. It was beautiful to watch these women laugh and in some cases cry, as the Reiki Master explained the existence and purpose of our energy bodies, and how blocked energy can be released and healed. Many women courageously spoke of their past experiences, learned beliefs of what it meant to be a woman, what it meant to be an incarcerated woman and the fears they had for their children. It was touching to hear these women express themselves authentically in a group setting were not all faces were friendly.

The Reiki Master skillfully and quickly explained the power and purpose of Reiki, and how these women could help each other heal through the practice of Reiki. Inside this jail which holds about 200 women and 70 children, Reiki could prove very useful for harmonizing and healing within those walls. The women became excited to hear that they could actively participate in the healing of their friends and sisters within the jail.

The last part of the workshop was dedicated to giving the group of women the official Reiki Attunement, which they received with openness and joy. After the attunement, we practiced Reiki in pairs making sure each participant left the workshop knowing how to practice Reiki on themselves before applying it on others. It was very endearing to watch the women attune to their energy, ask that their hands be guided to go wherever healing was needed, and work in harmony with each other. The room was full of laughter, childlike play, curiosity for the new sensations they were experiencing and ultimate connection with Source.

Weeks have passed since the class, and the women continue to stop me in the corridors with questions of hand positions, expressions of gratitude for the workshop and eagerness for the Reiki Level II workshop, which we will be holding in October.

It doesn’t seize to amaze me that regardless of background, spiritual upbringing, culture or race, we humans are all bound by a common basic need to express love and receive love. I find it fascinating to experience this from inside a jail, were one might presume the last place to experience love. I am in gratitude for these women, and all they teach me. They honor me with their trust and again and again prove to be a blessing in my life.   

~ Namaste