Preface…I’m still processing all this so I have tried to break this into sections, so you can just scroll to what interests you…as my Dad will say, this is practically book and way too long but hey it’s my journey and this trip was spectacularly packed with so many wondrous experiences I can’t help myself…This is apart of three stories “shares” about my Shamanic Journey in Colombia, December 2016. Other posts are The Legendary Kogi & Their Wisdom and The Many Cristina’s
Before The beginning…
I believe my journey began before I even got on the plane. My body tends to react significantly if a big shift is coming and two weeks before the journey to Colombia my body began shifting in uncomfortable ways – it knew parts of me were about to die in order to be rebirthed. I had multiple heart openings and connections happen for me – all connected through the feminine energy within me. I see and feel these connections and openings on a much deeper level than ever before.
Laying The Groundwork
My first day in Colombia, hour really, I was unwinding in the deck pool thinking about how I wanted my heart to be more open and as I gazed up at the moon and one bright star two birds suddenly flew closely over my head in complete harmony. That same night we all witnessed a magical wedding, fireworks and then some salsa dancing and it was the beginning of an opening.
I know how to be alone and enjoy it but I’ve taken it too far and that is apart of why this is all significant. I can think of a million reasons I’ve had my heart closed, in so many ways, and I am a world-class expert in that matter. I have now shapeshifted my perceptions to be a world-class open heart human and I affirm I will stay that way.
It’s taken me a long time to get to here – my heart opening really begun in Guatemala when I had a beautiful conversation with a tree about it, and now on this trip it manifest in glorious ways.
Calling Forth My Femininity
On this amazing island, Mucura, we did a few journeys and one of the first was about finding your intent for the trip and John was saying go deeper and push harder but I felt nope, just the opposite for me – I felt a gentle energy come up and my intent was clear, to gently yet fully allow my feminine self to surface and blossom.
The next journey John led us through was a partner experience, to find your partners animal spirit that would then support them through what was about to come. Once you found your partners animal spirit you would blow it into their heart and head, super cool! My partner didn’t see an animal for me but instead light. He said he saw a bright light that he perceived as a light shining from my heart and connecting to the universe. This message deepened throughout the trip and by the end I was effortlessly seeing and feeling a continuous light circulating between my heart, nature and the universe.
Happy Discoveries
I rediscovered how it feels to feel! I’ve done so much deep energy work, years of healing that I needed to do alone and of course the journey never ends, how boring would that be! But now I’m open and ready to continue my journey walking hand in hand with whoever my person may be. I opened in everyway possible and maybe most importantly learned to love myself in such a deeper and different way its humbling, a great gift.
What Aluna Gave and Showed Me – Nature Opened It’s Arms Wide
This entire journey busted my heart and energy wide open and the gifts that came are amazing. My open heart embraced everything!
The Forest and Plants Opened to My Openness
I opened to the land, universe and trees in a profound way…I was able to actually see the life within them. In the past I’ve had strong feelings of connection with tress and I’ve even had conversations with them but this time I could physically see their life force and I know that is because my heart was fully open. I had an Avatar moment in the first Kogi village where we spent the night. I wondered to the jungles edge and saw what looked like veins of life, of light, flowing though this one particular tree and everything looked illuminated. I thought am I really seeing this and a friend with me said he saw it too so we stood there in awe. Later John told me there is a fungus that is phosphorescent and that is what I may have been seeing but I know it was deeper than that. I not only saw it, I felt it.
Later on in the journey I was standing looking deep into a bunch of tress with super big leaves and I felt them reach out and invite me to journey into them – of course I did – and I saw radiant light shimmering. My heart joined their heart and again physically saw and felt the radiance, it was magical. These plants offered me their light and I offered my open heart in return and I felt their happiness in our connection.
OceanMama Offered It’s Oneness…I Accepted
I’ve always been a forest girl, appreciated the beach and love it’s healing qualities but it was never my “go to” for connecting. On this journey I had two very significant ocean experiences. The first was with a new friend, Lisa, on the magical Mucura Island. We were lying in the ocean hammocks and she asked if I was interested in standing in the sand / water to connect with it, uuuhhh yes! We stood there for a few minutes connecting and we both felt something deep beneath us, reaching up into us. I viewed it as a crystal bed hidden deep beneath the ocean floor and I believe her experience was slightly different but we opened to each other and to the ocean and when it felt complete we just hugged. Beautiful.
My second ocean experience was after our tube ride down the Don Diego River, which needs saving and is mentioned at the end of my Kogi post. We slided down this amazingly beautiful river filled with and surrounded by life and this river runs into the Caribbean Sea. We landed on a small beach / peninsula where one side touched the river and the other the ocean, amazing! Most of us dove into the ocean –The waves were fierce! I’ve never swum in such powerful waves. I would dive under a large oncoming wave and the water was pulling me forward and backwards at the same time and I felt the oceans energy reach into me and my hair and body felt as if I was receiving a full inner and outer energy massage. The water was pulling me out to sea a bit and my fellow travelers began to whistle and call for me to come back – it probably looked like I was out of control but I only felt the oneness of it all. Huge sigh of wow, I will never forget that loving feeling.
A Bath of Light
We went and took a light bath in Kelp off the island and when you moved your body these radiant drops of diamond like lights appeared all around you – again light showing up as a message for me. You wear a life vest in a dipper like fashion so you can bob in the water and as I moved my hands and feet igniting the kelps light I made motions to open my chakras to bring in the light – it felt powerfully gentle if that makes any sense…
The Universe Opened
I’ve spoken to the universe / to nature since childhood but to have someone see the light between my heart and the universe was amazing and more so that it just kept deepening throughout the journey. In one of the sacred Kogi ceremonies they asked us to ask the universe for enlightenment. I found the wording I needed “Let the light of enlightenment flow through me” but I felt something was missing so I set the intent and energy that I was offering my fully open divine femininity to the universe for the gift it was giving me. I could feel the message was received and the ceremonial journey deepened for me even further. To fully offer my femininity, my inner goddess, and then receive the light and enlightenment back was profound and I opened and connected in a way that I can’t fully express. It was an ecstatic feeling that my open heart will forever be connected to.
Since home my connection has not failed, maybe a moment here or there but as soon as I open and connect to Aluna I feel the light of my femininity fully connecting to earth, the heavens and nature. I feel receptive. Connected. Embraced
Some Happy Homework For Staying Open…
In energy medicine we always say it’s not just about fixing your energy it’s about making that healing stick so I know everyday I have to fight to stay open and here are some of my ideas on how to do that, I hope some of it resonates with you.
Being Open To Life
There is so much to embrace in this life and I plan to live more fully. To love more, to have more gratitude, to be in service more…to play, sing and dance as much as I can and to offer my open heart more to heal Aluna as the Kogi call it – Mother Earth, Father Universe and Ocean Mama. Life is exciting, amazing and anything and everything can happen. Having passion for it all is definitely a heart opener!
Stop and Feel
I’m always rushing around and although I mediate and do my energy medicine I now feel a sense of peace after this trip. I have had a few moments of that urgent I must do this, blinders up, must focus feeling but I stopped myself and say slow down, clam down and I can feel the great benefits in this. It opens me which actually facilitates a higher level / quality of productiveness.
So now when I find myself with a busy mind or am rushing around possibly forgetting to even breathe I stop. I’m reminding myself to take my time to breath deeply and connect to my light, the earth and to the love in our collective consciousness.
Loving Yourself
It all begins within us. I want to feel every part of myself in complete acceptance and sometimes that can be a challenge. Self-acceptance…whoa…I am skilled in self-criticism but that has all changed and I am determined to keep it that way. I have to remember to love myself deeply and do anything I have to in order for that self-love to stand strongly within me. I see a new harmony between happiness and love being firmly grounded in openness. Also by slowing down the noise in my head, as Daniel Koupermann would say, is key in this.
I’ve always been passionate about showing, sending and using love in day-to-day life but this new openness is just more, deeper, it is for everything. Everyday I will greet life with an open loving heart. It makes me happy to be in touch with that on such a deep level.
Being Happy
We “played” a lot on this journey – John is a great jokester and it’s contagious. I think the openness of playfulness is important during this continuing journey. I want to lighten up and I don’t need to be so serious. I need to play in order to be happy and I can’t be open if I am not happy so…
The Kogi say we can’t be happy if we are disconnected from earth – so connecting to the earth and ourselves, as we are, is a beautiful and very necessary way to maintain all openings.
Being Vigilant
I have to be very mindful of slipping into my old ways…it’s easy and comfortable to fall back and retreat. In the past I’ve always talked about how happiness is a choice and now I know so is an open heart and I choose that. Everyday.
Get Physical
We have to move! Our energy needs to flow easily through us and movement creates openness. We need this for every level of our being; our energy systems need this – another thing to be mindful of. I can get stuck at my desk writing for very long periods of time, the entire day for sure and sometimes into he night. I find stretching and dancing around the apartment really helps me open and connect with myself, and it’s entertaining to me. If you get creative you can do both at the same time and it just completely shifts your perspective.
Affirmation: I am open. Open, open…be open…
