If you haven't had covid, I pray you never do. But I decided to share my experience with you, because there was an unexpected blessing involved that you might benefit from knowing.

Photo by Summer Lajoi, ListeningPines.com

It hit me so hard that, just to avoid the physical pain, I slept a lot. I had no appetite or energy, so I didn't eat, which led to constant queasiness.

But, even worse for me were the spiritual effects. I had little energy to walk the 8.5 acres of my beloved retreat center. When I tried to connect with the consciousness of the More than Human World, it either made me feel dizzy, or I felt nothing, which was horrible.

When I tried to walk, I felt compelled to brace myself against the cold, which had preceded the shivering and fevers I’d been experiencing. Or I felt weak or queasy, and I just wanted the experience to be over so could lay down and rest. I tried to appreciate the beauty around me but it seemed flat, the colors dull.

For me, this all lasted longer than it should have, because I developed a sinus infection. It seemed an eternity to be in a void without the support of the Beings that offer me so much Guidance and Support.

There were two elements that turned things around for me.

The most obvious was me finally listening to my sisters’ pleas to see a medical provider. I try to do things holistically, but the essential oils and neti pot treatments just weren't working well enough, even though they helped, I'm sure.

The other turning point was claiming my spiritual power. As I lay awake in pain one night, I thought about how Patricia Cota-Robles says that each of us can now fully embody our I Am presence, or the presence of the Divine within us, while we are still living here on the Earth. If that's true, I thought, then I should be able to heal myself.

I began sleeping holding a Biogenesis wheel in each hand. Biogenesis tools are infused with the Light that emerges during the process of creation, and they're amazing.

I also tried to stick to my daily practice of stating out loud spiritual decrees with a dear friend who is also trained in Biogenesis. She helped me see the Light at the end of the dark tunnel of illness which felt like it would never end.

It was hard to stay committed to this spiritual practice, partly because I felt so awful, and also because I couldn't feel the spiritual energy that flows during the process.

I am so grateful for her presence and continued affirmation that things would improve.

Day 12 of my Covid experience was significant. I had invited Summer Lajoie, a fellow Certified Forest Therapy guide, to come and take some photos of me. She is also a talented and professionally trained photographer who offers nature immersion photography sessions, and the results are stunning! Unfortunately, the physical symptoms of my illness, which at that point were due to the sinus infection, were so strong that I wasn't able to feel my connection to nature as deeply as normal, and I couldn't sustain it. Still, she took some amazing photos, and her superb guiding skills cracked open the door so I could remember what feeds my Soul.

Finally, 15 days into the healing journey, I felt strong enough to walk to the far end of our property where a huge willow tree grows. Rather than sitting next to it on a log stoop as I usually did, I felt prompted, by my I AM presence, I’m sure, to sit under the tree. Luckily, the snow had melted enough for me to sit comfortably on dry ground, facing the water, with my back almost touching the tree’s trunk.

My phone camera captured what looks like a wispy aura above the creek.

The air temperature was warm enough that I didn't feel a need to brace from the cold. And as I connected to the earth, which some people call grounding, my senses woke up gradually.

I’ve heard clients say that they can’t experience joy, and I believe this is because, when you wall yourself off from the emotional and physical pain you want to avoid, you also block the emotions you DO want, including love and joy, from flowing to you freely. I realized in that moment that in an effort to block the physical pain, I had built a wall between myself and the natural and spiritual worlds.

As I watched the water flow towards and past me, I gradually began to feel a sense of pleasure. I enjoyed the feel of the sun as it warmed my body. I extended gratitude towards the water, the tree and other growing things, the sun and the fresh air.

As I walked back to the house, the sun was beginning to set behind the ridge of the mountains, and it illuminated the winter blossoms in a magical way.

I stopped to capture the beauty with my phone. And that's when I knew, even before I started taking the prescription I had picked up an hour earlier, that I was on the road to recovery.

The sun transformed the thistle’s winter blossom into a magical vision.

Later that night, I had a dream where I was shown a bulletin board that I could use as a way to communicate with prospective clients. When I woke up, I realized the dream was a message from my Wisdom Keepers.

I've gathered together a group of Wise Beings who offer me guidance and support whenever I need it, and who help me remember what my Life Purpose is and how to live it. I call them my Wisdom Keepers. Sometimes they speak to me in the moment, through nature. Other times they come to me through dreams. And they usually speak through symbols and metaphor, which sometimes can take a while to decipher.

As the sun illuminated the moss, My I AM presence prompted me to touch the moss, which felt springy, and so full of life! It was as if my Wisdom Keepers were saying, “Remember the feel of life that flows through nature!”

I'm very excited to be offering in the coming weeks, three events that can help you learn how to gather and connect with your own group of Wisdom Keepers.

The first is a free webinar where you’ll learn what a Wisdom Keeper Council is, how you can use it in your life, why it’s REALLY important to have a Council if you have the sense that you’re not fully living your life purpose, and how to know if you are NOT living your Purpose. The Wisdom Keeper Webinar will take place March 18th at 12:15 pm MST. You can click here to sign up for the webinar.

The second event, Awakening Divine Purpose, is a day-long retreat where you'll gather and symbolize your very own Council of Wisdom Keepers to support you as you create a clear vision of your highest potential for your life. The Awakening Divine Purpose retreat will be held March 26th from 10 am-4 pm at Wild Divine retreat center in Cascade. Click here to register for the retreat.

The third event is a virtual 4-week Divine Purpose Coaching Group to help practice accessing your Wisdom Keepers when you need them and understanding how to apply the knowledge they share in your everyday life That group will be held at 5 pm Tuesday evenings, April 5-25th. Click here to sign up for the coaching group.

Hopefully, the practices described in this month’s blog will help you experience joy and deepen your connection with your spirituality and the natural world! And we would love to have you join us for any or all of the Wisdom Keepers events coming up.

Be well!

To Hell and Back: The Spiritual Blessing of my Journey through COVID