My purpose is to explore and express my love of beauty and the beauty of love. Here’s some of what I’ve come up with.

Portrait of a Yogi – Meranda Squires Shares Her Personal Practice to Freedom

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I recently traveled to the Tree of Life Sustainability Project & Retreat Centre with its co-founder, Meranda Squires. She had asked me to record a couple of yoga classes for her and to take some yoga pose portraits for her business – The Lotus Centre in St. John’s.

This turned into some nature photo/video play which, once back home, turned into the 11:11-minute video above – “Portrait of a Yogi – Meranda Squires Shares Her Personal Practice to Freedom”.

Having witnessed the love & beauty manifested through Meranda, I wanted to know even more.

In this interview, Meranda shares even more. Enjoy!

Interview with Meranda Squires

What is yoga?

Yoga is a state of consciousness where you don’t see division – you don’t see others as separate from your yourself. The physical poses are only the tip of the iceberg of what yoga is.

The whole practice of yoga is to dissolve the duality and the illusion of separateness so that the truth that is already there – unity consciousness – gets to be experienced by us and through us.

There’s nothing to protect anymore. There’s nothing to save or attack. So we can relax inside.

That’s the side effect of unity consciousness. There’s nothing that your ego needs to defend.

What is the meaning of all the physical poses?

My practices may look physical, but from the inside, it’s not physical at all.

Divine has chosen the physical world to express itself, so we make up yoga poses. As we do the poses and the pranayama (breathing), channels get opened up.

Stuckness and tightness start to release. Everything starts to flow and move because these exercise are designed for that purpose.

When I do poses and others start to do them, they get that effect. The meditation exercises and practices all help.

Eventually, there’s a dissolution of the physical, and you’re in the divine realm of oneness.

But you do need to start on a physical level and let the physical transform the body – so the pranayama and the stretching & holding of poses strengthens and opens you. There’s a transformation that happens over years.

There are two effects of yoga poses. There’s the immediate effect and the long term practice effect. After years of practice, something starts to open that you probably didn’t even know would get opened.

Different poses are part of the creativity of yoga. Nobody has to be perfect in all of their poses.

The yogis have decided to become a master in their field of practice. It’s not so that a person, on an ego level, can look good in a pose in a picture.

By practicing those poses, there’s a training of concentration and one-pointedness and a massaging of the ability to hold breath – and all of this is needed for the transformation of the energy.

It’s not superficial – in fact, if you decide to master these things, that’s where transformation takes place.

What has been your yoga journey to freedom?

Yoga must have come from a previous incarnation because the drive for freedom was very strong from a young age.

That’s probably why I had the parents that I had and grew up where I did, at the Ferryland Lighthouse.

That gave me the experience on a physical and family structure level of what freedom can be like. It opened my soul, my inner eye towards what the ultimate potential of freedom can be.

I have naturally been drawn to yoga and meditation since I was very young. My mother was a meditator. I was inspired by her.

When we moved to Toronto, I started investigating yoga. My first class was in the basement of a church in 1980.

From that point on, I met some people who had a guru and lived in India. They had an ashram in Toronto.

The first time I went to their yoga class, the teacher asked us to listen to the sound of silence. At first, I didn’t know what he meant – that there’s an OM sound and it’s always there. And so I finally had to let go of all the external noises. When I heard the OM, I had this epiphany, like “Ahhhhhhhh Wow!”

These little insights kept me inspired . “Oh my God, there’s so much more.”

I saw there was a lot to do with the body – I was already involved in dance, so yoga was natural for me.

I left for India when I was 20 in 1983. I stayed there for 17 years.

It became my new lifestyle. I felt I had come home to myself to be growing and interacting with other like minds, all devoted to personal transformation through meditation and yoga philosophy.

I had a teacher that I could access when needed. Truly, it’s so special to have this type of guidance.

I lived in a small apartment I rented from an Indian family. I went to Satsang, our daily gathering, twice daily.

My teacher spoke knowledge, we asked questions, we learned to public speak.

We sang chants, learned the scriptures, had beautiful walks in the mountains, had potlucks with my spiritual friends, and meditated a lot; hours and hours a day.

After 17 years of personal work , I knew it was time for me to teach.

So I returned to Newfoundland and set up the Lotus Centre in 2000. I have been teaching and learning ever since, and now I’m training others in this deep spiritual work.

Have you achieved the unity consciousness you described?

I would say I’m living the essence of yoga most of the time now.

But I still have karma and things that I’m working out.

Living the lifestyle that I live and teach, I’m still learning  lessons in all of that.

But I’ve made some choices that have made my life a whole lot easier to live. My state of consciousness is able to maintain that level that I want to live in. I’m getting better and better at it as I get older.

I feel that I’m opening up to a potential that all human beings have. The yoga lifestyle has been my key. I decided that I was going for it.

That freedom, that access to unity consciousness is all there,  all accessible. Yoga helped me improve the condition of my personal life, so I can live that state.

I remember when I came back from living in an ashram in Montreal, my mother here in Newfoundland asked me “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I said, “enlightened”. She replied “Oh! that’s a different kind of profession!”

Why do you teach yoga?

Yoga is my lifestyle and my profession – living the enlightened state and being an example for others.

Everyone has the potential. They just have to set themselves up to make that condition work for them.

That’s why I want to share it. Because in the same way I was lit up, I love watching other people get lit up – with this practice, with dedication.

I’m emotional thinking of how it can be passed on to others; how others’ hearts can experience a freedom that can not be experienced living in their normal everyday life.

People can live a normal everyday life, but yoga is the addition that is the freedom while living in an everyday life.

Why were you open to sharing your practice in this video?

There’s nothing more beautiful than sharing something that is so meaningful and valuable to me (spoken with tears in her eyes).

To be inspired by the Light, by divinity and to share that.

Thank you.

 

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Pondering Peace – a Visual Contemplation at Middle Three Island Pond

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There’s nothing quite like life to remind us how important it is to reconnect to our inner peace.

There’s no greater gift than inner peace – for ourselves and others.

Awareness is the first key. How easily do you notice you’re off kilter?

Being able to shift back to your True Self state of inner peace is the next step.

Sometimes, awareness is the magic ingredient that triggers an instant shift into a more peaceful way of being.

From awareness comes acceptance. From acceptance comes a letting go of resistance to what is. Then comes a realignment with the truth. Being. Doing. Inner Peace.

Other times, however, that shift can take a whole lot longer and the slowness of the shift does nothing to improve your inner chaos. It just adds a layer of frustration at how human you’re being!

I arrived at this Airbnb photo job for my friend Gordon Martin of People Places & Things hours behind schedule and hungry.

I’d done well so far that morning choosing love over fear, but with a couple of hours of photography ahead before I could mess up the kitchen, my inner grumblings (physical, mental & emotional) took over. I was now hangry!

In that state, it was really hard to see the beauty around me, much less photograph it.

I was aware of my state. I even laughed at myself. I confessed to Gordon & my traveling companion Joanne that I was having an unusually hard time shifting back to peace. My emergency protein bar didn’t seem to make a difference.

My wise Observer Self fully realized what was happening. But my little human self was having an inner tantrum. Can you relate? 

Finally, after I’d photographed the indoors, eaten a nice warm bowl of curry veggie stew, and headed outdoors doused in bug spray – I could much more easily focus on the beauty.

And what beauty!

As I was brought back to bliss by Mother Nature’s invitation to honour her beauty with my camera, my friend Joanne Best came back in time for a canoe ride on the very still pond. 

The week before, we’d arranged to meet so she could pick up 8 paintings to bring back to Earth & Sky Gallery & Healing Centre in Twillingate for the tourist season. Perfect timing! I invited her to join me for the first of my 3 nights at this cabin on Middle Three Island Pond in Torbay, NL.

As you’ll see in the video, her birthday despacho fire ceremony was a highlight of my stay. She’d co-created this prayer bundle & offering the night before with shamanic practitioner, Regina Wright.

For the next 2.5 days & nights, I thoroughly enjoyed my inner and outer state of peace – witness to the ever-changing weather on the pond.

The fog and rain were as beautiful as the sunshine. The pure stillness was as much a blessing as the 60 km/hr ripples on the water.

Mother Nature was reminding me that if I could find beauty in all her states, I needed to do the same for myself.  I too, in both my human and spirit states am beautiful. 

My experience of the first few hours didn’t have to taint my whole experience. It simply was.

I acknowledged and expressed it. Then I shifted – eventually…

This is the human experience – all of it.

And as the soul quenching call of the loons brought me back to the moment with gratitude, I knew that the next time my inner grumblings got loud enough to notice, it would be easier to come back to the here and now and appreciate the process of transformation – this breath at a time.

Nature photography is part of my self-care regimen – a wonder-full transformational tool. What’s yours?

May it become easier and easier for you to realign with the loving beautiful being that you are. And may this 17-minute video “Pond(ering) Peace” add a layer of love & beauty to your day. Enjoy! If the video quality is poor, use the little gear wheel bottom right to change it to High Definition (1080 HD).

P.S. If you’d like to contribute to my creating & sharing of these artistic videos, I gladly accept your donations by e-transfer (Canadians) or Paypal at [email protected]. Any amount is welcome in exchange for a credit (or dedication to a loved one) in my next feature presentation. It all adds up! Thank you!

 

P.P.S. I’m slowing down for the summer, giving myself permission to publish a post every 2 weeks until September. May you too find ways to relax and listen to the callings of your inner peace. 

 

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Pilgrim on the Faery Path – Video Poetry

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What splendour! The neighbourhood has been transformed!

For years I thought these intricate white starbursts of flowers were Queen Anne’s Lace. Turns out, I was wrong. It happens….

As an artist, the name doesn’t really matter.

If I was a forager, however, confusing these flowers as Queen Anne’s Lace could be deadly. There may be a mix of its six lookalikes in this video – not sure. But don’t worry; there’s no chance I’ll be drinking poison hemlock tea!

Instead, I’m grateful to have these lacy beauties infuse my eyes with beauty, my heart with joy, and my spirit with poetry.

Enjoy experiencing the magic of this faery playground in this new 5-minute poetry video created with photos from recent years.

Thanks goes out once again to Jacqueline Cook for her Celtic harp song, “Visions”.

Pilgrims on the Faery Path

Welcome pilgrims to the path
Each year you appear like an overnight sensation
A carpet of lace as far as the eye can see
Stitched in entwined splendour
Elegant, wild, and graceful
A wave of love & beauty sweeping
The valleys of my heart
Your flurry of Divine expression
An initiation of transformation
Manifested dreams frolicking in the breeze
Widespread, fleeting
A chaos of ephemeral exquisiteness

 

I am transformed by your presence
Your intricate lace infolding my heart
I feel you. I see you. I sense you.
I am you. You are me.
An invitation to slow down
As each step reveals a new vista of splendour
Both a macrocosm and microcosm of Divine Unity
Each flower a cluster of a hundred umbels
Infinite blossoming starbursts
Lining the path
As if the hem of a bridal veil
Hosting visitors at the celebration
Flowing back to the Ocean of Oneness

 

As you beckon me forward as if onto my Self
Intertwined with purity, freedom and expansion
I breathe in this magical faery playground
Listening to the heartbeat of nature elementals
I swoon as your scent infuses my soul
Meshed with the delicate fragrance of my inspired thoughts
Permeating every cell in my body
I bow my head to the ground
In awe of you, Mother Earth
Your breezy white-petalled dance
Caressing my reverence

 

For your lacy white spread
May be considered by some as a pest
But know that here in my heart
It’ll always be a welcomed summer guest.

 

P.S. I welcome donations of any amount to support my art sharings by Paypal or e-transfers (Canadians) to [email protected]. I thank my patrons with a credit (or dedication to your loved one if you prefer) in future video productions. Thanks for your support.

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New Day New Hope – A Practice in Patience

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May this artistic collaboration nourish your day with more than sunshine! May it somehow give you another glimpse at your own radiance and the difference your investment in your inner peace makes in the world.

Today is a new day. It offers new hope. What will you focus on today?

As a line in a song by Fearless Soul says,

“The grass is greener where I water it.”

So may this video also help remind you what part of your body, mind, spirit or relationships with others and the world needs watering.

Thank you to my friend Joan Dohey for coming out to play with me at 4am on the cliffs of Sugarloaf Trail, just above Quidi Vidi near downtown St. John’s.

Thank you also to Celtic harp musician Jacqueline Cook for generously offering her composition “The Reunion” to enhance the inspirational energy of this offering.

A Practice in Patience

What wears down your patience the fastest?

Technology does it for me. It’s my constant teacher in patience and stress-release. Can you relate?

The New Drone

Last year, as I was photographing the Airbnbs my friend Gordon Martin manages here in Newfoundland, he said in passing “You need a drone!”.

I didn’t think much of it, but it must have simmered in my subconscious.

At first, I thought these were huge machines that took up the whole trunk of a car.

Then, I found out from a drone pilot in an online business course I was taking that the small ones fit in the palm of your hand. And that if you have one under 250g, you don’t need a license or government registration.

So I bought the DJI Mavic Mini 2 as a Christmas gift to myself, just weeks after its release.

I hadn’t realized that you can’t fly it below freezing. So that definitely meant waiting a few months. But you also can’t fly it with winds above 35 km/hr. So my first practice run in an empty soccer field on this windy island had to wait until May 30th.

Then, on May 31, I took it up the cliffs with my cooperative and patient model Joan for some sunrise playtime.

Nerve-wracking! I sure hope drone flying becomes a little more relaxing & fun with practice.

I’d taken an online course and watched all the tutorials many times. I’d even gone out with Brad Wade of Asterix Drone Works to get a hands on demonstration and familiarization with his professional drone a few months back.

But this drone will definitely be a teacher in how to remain in my inner peace … even around flying technology  “under my control.” Yikes!

Video Editing – More Patience Needed

Can you believe it took 9 hours to create this 3:15-minute video? The first 6 hours were creative fun, The next 3 hours, however, pushed my techno-stress buttons while dealing with computer and iMovie glitches.

I’m still learning to create videos. There are bound to be issues.

True, banging my fist on the desk that one time wasn’t the most loving thing to do (for myself and the energy I put into the house & the video). But awareness is key. The next time I felt my patience wear out, I headed out into the backyard, removed my socks, and just stood in the grass breathing in the beauty.

I hadn’t expected to spend 9 hours at the computer after returning home at 7am from our sunrise playtime. So what?! Those hours weren’t a loss. They were an investment into this budding passion for videography.

And now I get to share it with you – and that nourishes my soul. I hope this video and post nourishes yours.

Be Patient With Yourself & Others

We’re all works in progress.

The day after my computer frustrations, I’m back into the pure joy of sharing the beauty of Newfoundland with you in the hopes that it provides 3 minutes and 15 seconds of joy, awe, and gratitude for how this planet nourishes our souls. Can you feel it?

Today is a new day. Every day is a new day – an opportunity to shed what no longer serves us (in my case memories of 3 hours of technical issues and fear that it will happen again next time) to truly be in the moment. 

New Day. New Hope.

Be patient with yourself, no matter what’s pushing your buttons. 

Know that every day, the sun rises – even if it’s behind the fog & clouds.

You are the expanse of the sky, not the weather that travels through it.

You’re amazing. This Earth is amazing.

There is hope in daily new beginnings – an invitation to see and be differently with yourself and others.

Today’s a new day. Be patient with yourself and others. We’re all learning to be the best version of ourselves. That’s an investment worth making.

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“Solo Retreat Down the Street” – the movie

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Say YES to your YES!

Doesn’t it feel good to say Yes! to your Yes!? 

It may not make rational sense, but your intuition is giving you strong signals that whatever is calling you is in your Highest Interest. It may be something as small as a menu choice or purchase or as big as a relationship.

You might think: “But that’s not in my budget.” or “I don’t have the time for that.” or “I can’t eat that, I’m vegan.”

Intuition doesn’t always make sense.

Trusting your inner guidance, however, can lead to growth beyond your imagination, limiting beliefs, and obstacles to your physical, mental and spiritual health. 

Your Higher Self knows what you need. Your Team of Divine Helpers – no matter who that is for you – is answering your prayers.

When you pick up on a sign that comes in through any of your intuitive channels (the 6 clairs as outlined in my free tutorial), and say yes! to turning intuition into action, great things happen.

First, you strengthen your connection with your True Self. You’re developing your intuitive muscles. This makes it easier and easier to recognize and live in alignment with who you truly are.

Second, you open up to whatever it is that’s needed in your life. Taking inspired action leads to the next best step – even when you can’t see the full picture.

My Yes!

A few weeks ago, I saw a post on Facebook for the Light Keeper’s Houses Airbnbs at Fort Amherst.

I got an instant YES!

I’d been aching for some intensive nature time away from my routine and home environment.

I got spoiled last year with several airbnb stays in exchange for property photos for 2 friends of mine. This opened me to my new passion for creating mind-calming, soul-soothing nature videos that I share on my YouTube channel (have you subscribed yet?).

But this time, when my intuition gave me the strong sensory messages that I needed to book this creative retreat, I hesitated.

“It doesn’t make sense to spend more than a month’s rent on two nights just down the street from my house.”

“I did just sell a few paintings….”

“Wouldn’t it be better to invest on a vacation outside St. John’s – somewhere I can’t get to regularly?”

And on it went for a few hours.

I even reached out to the owners to offer them an exchange. They were possibly open to it, but later in the season when the flowers were out and with a fresh coat of paint.

But my soul persisted. “Now is the time. You need this now!”

So, having learned over and over how good it feels to say Yes! to my Spirit Calls, I booked 2 nights. Instant relief! – always a good sign.

The owners, Peter & Nicole Gill, generously added a bonus night on the house! Thank you!

It all worked out wonderfully.

3 Nights & 4 Days of Shooting

I also know from experience that it takes me 2 days to decompress and calm down from the excitement of film-making. I’m outside at 4am and go to bed past 10pm in total creative bliss.

That’s so nourishing in so many ways, but it’s usually on the 3rd day/ night that I have more space to simply be.

And I got that! I got exactly what my body, mind & soul needed.

Without a car, I was able to get there with my equipment, clothing & home cooked meals for 3 days/nights – all on my bike.

It usually takes 20-30 minutes to bike there (depending how good a shape I’m in because of all the hills).

This time it took me 3 hours to bike the 5km. It wasn’t just the weight of the saddle bags, however. I kept stopping, setting up my tripod, biking past, going back for my tripod, etc.

Movie-making fun!

4 days / 3 nights of playtime. Fun! Fun! Fun!

What I found most amazing about this location is that I could see both the sunrise & sunset over the water from the same spot – sunrise over the ocean and the sunset over downtown St. John’s and the harbour. Wow!

Thank goodness for time lapses – that’s when I’d set up the camera and it would shoot several hours’ worth into a 30-second video clip – with clouds flying by or the sun climbing high into the sky in seconds.

You’ll notice how the one that shows both the sun & the moon is quite shaky. I decided to leave it in because it shows how windy it was. Even on my professional tripod, that camera was very shaky. At first I was disappointed, and then I recognized my need to let go of perfectionism.

With the camera busy at work, I could go indoors to warm up (temperatures near freezing to 10 degrees Celsius + wind chill), take my shower, cook, eat, read, relax, or spend hour after hour just staring at the weather and listening to Spirit.

Another opportunity to let go of perfectionism has to do with my sideway pans. I hadn’t realized that my camera settings had reset after my last iPhone system update. So I was filming at 30 frames per second instead of 60fps – so the pans staggered a bit. Again, live & learn and allow it to be what it is.

Each movie project offers opportunities to learn more about iMovie, my iPhone XI Pro Max and myself! Yay!

When I wasn’t “working”, I finished reading ” Journey of the Heart – the Path of Conscious Love” by John Welwood, which a friend had recommended. The book even became a main character in the movie!

Don’t you find the titles & passage I shot just perfect for this movie?

5 Days of Editing

Whether working on a painting or a video project, I work best in uninterrupted focused marathons.

When I got home, I spent 13/hours a day for the first couple of days and less on the next 3 for a total of 55 hours in 5 days editing this movie.

I share this because people often ask me how long it takes to create my artwork.

I had already edited some of the clips while on location and trashed hundreds.

In the end, I worked with 390 photos & video clips to make the final movie.

This was the first time I ever sequenced the transitions between clips with the music. I learned a few lessons there too – like any changes after the first run through means hours of jiggling with what follows to get the transitions back on cue. I’ll have to research if there’s a more efficient way of doing this.

I’ve still got lots to learn, but I trust you’ll enjoy the results. Enjoy this 40:44-minute “Solo Retreat Down the Street  (video top of page). It’s even better on the big screen if you can watch YouTube there.

Thank you to my Community Art Grant Donors

When I was sitting up on the cliff staring out at the ocean in a state of pure bliss, I received an intuitive download – the idea to ask for sponsors.

So I created a trailer (a fun iMovie feature) and asked for donors for my Community Art Grant to help cover the $900 expenses (Airbnb & music rights) and perhaps provide me with an artist salary for the full week’s work needed to create this inspirational video.

I’m constantly open to creative ideas on how to finance my life as a full time artist – making my passion for sharing sustainable.

It’s often a stretch of my comfort zones, but I was glad to ask. I found that better than putting ads all throughout my movie on YouTube, breaking the meditative mood.

So a big thank you! to the 12 who answered my call – contributing a total of $709.06.

  • Kerri Best
  • Leslie Bridger
  • Dorothy Corrigan
  • Elaine Dunphy
  • Jo-Anne Guimond
  • Deirdre McKiernan
  • Carmelita Morgan
  • Doreen Reglin
  • Johanna Rocco
  • Bev Sharpe
  • Judy Squires
  • Elizabeth Stamp

If you’d like to be a part of my next feature project, receiving a movie credit for a donation of any amount, please send an e-transfer (Canadians) or Paypal to [email protected]

Thank you!

 

 

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The “Freedom Dancer” Surprise

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painting of woman dancing with scarves

“Freedom Dancer” (12″ x 24″) – Sold

Want a feel-good story? Read on!

Amazing things happen when you follow the intuitive flow. Here’s a story of Universal orchestration involving 5 people on 3 continents and my new painting “Freedom Dancer”.

It all started when I dove into the intuitive painting process, not knowing what would evolve on this 12″ x 24″ canvas.

My friend Elaine Marie Dunphy, a name synonymous with “joy” and “dance”, kept cropping up in my heart & mind  – maybe even before the painting started.

I hadn’t connected with her in months, although always enjoyed her Nia Dance & chicken adventure posts on Facebook.

After multiple layers on canvas and visions of her in my mind’s eye, I finally followed through and sent her a message to see if everything was OK, letting her know she was very present with me in the studio.

When it came time to paint a main subject within the archway, I wasn’t surprised to feel a dancer come to light and to life.

Of course, I kept Elaine in the loop as the painting progressed, as well as all my Facebook Friends.

Sidebar – Being a Freedom Dancer!

Dance has been big in my life for as long as I remember.  There’s such freedom, such release, such joy in moving your body to music.

Apart from being scolded for performing a choreographed dance show to “These Boots are Made for Walking” for a boy in my bedroom at the age of 8, dance has always opened me to the pleasure of self-expression.

Being carried away by the rhythm in clubs as a young adult was thrilling. As the designated driver, I easily got drunk on music.

Later, I discovered the pure exhilaration of organized dance gatherings like Dancekinetics, Chakra Dance, Sacred Movement, Yoga Dance, and a bunch more in the various places I lived.

Here in Newfoundland, I met Elaine who introduced me to Nia, whose philosophy “is about connecting with your body, mind, spirit and emotions and giving yourself time to dance them all!”

The Quote

Was it any wonder, then, that I was moved to reach out to Elaine to write a quote about the benefits of dance to go with the blog post I was planning for “Freedom Dancer”.

She came back with this:

Finding joy through movement is the biggest gift I can give to my body, mind, spirit and emotions.
Become a sensation scientist. Shine the beautiful light that is uniquely you. The world needs more of that! Move your body your way and dance through life. Become a Freedom Dancer, like the one in this beautiful painting by Dominique. ~

Elaine Marie Dunphy – Nia on the Rock

As the blog post wouldn’t appear for a few weeks, I decided to include the quote on Facebook. I tagged Elaine, which automatically shared the images on her timeline.

A Message from Qatar

In comes a message from her brother Bill in Qatar.

Hi Dominique. We haven’t met but I’m Elaine’s younger sibling Bill…or Billy to her 🥰. So I’m teetering on the idea of surprising her with your gorgeous new Freedom Dancer painting. I was flying her to Portugal for her 50th birthday present from me and the summer of 2019 when it was supposed to happen wasn’t meant to be and didn’t pan out…so we then planned for 2020 and well yeah…obviously that was a write off. So bottom line is I haven’t celebrated her 1/2 century gift wise and this seems like a much more tangible and beautiful way to mark that bright light and colorful soul that is my full-of-joy sister. …I wanted to reach out and introduce myself to you before someone else scoops up HER painting…well of course your painting that has her name all over it…it is destined to be Elaine’s to enjoy and be reminded of her connection to you, her beautiful words she wrote about it, her connection to me and I think most importantly the connection she makes with all that cross her path as she introduces them to dance full of color and freedom and a release that I see so vividly in your expression in Freedom Dancer.

He just needed to double check with his wife in Portugal, yet another time zone.

A handful of messages later, the deal was done!

The Freedom Dancer Surprise- As Told By Elaine

It was a beautiful sunny day here, and I was out for a drive. My brother messaged me, so I pulled over to read it. It said:
Are you home? If not, when you get home, can we connect for a quick Zoom call?

Since I was parked on the side of the road reading this message, I thought – well, if it will only take a second, let’s Zoom right now. He said no, I need you to do it when you get home.

I spend a LOT of time online teaching, on Zoom, so the last thing I really wanted to do was get involved with a Zoom call as soon as I got home. The time difference between Newfoundland and Doha dictated that part! So glad I did!

Con joins me downstairs in my studio and we log into Zoom. I’m completely caught off guard when my brother says

please close your eyes and trust me.

Then I realized something was going on and Con was in on this….so I close my eyes,

Con steps out of the studio, returns, and places something in my arms. Bill tells me to open my eyes.

I just get this incredible feeling. I rip the yellow tissue paper, and I see the words FREEDOM DANCER. I just start to cry. Not the unhappy sad tears – literally happy tears and complete surprise!

I cannot believe this beautiful painting is mine! I dreamt of owning her. I even considered asking Dominique about putting her on a payment plan, as I felt so connected to her.

Except I didn’t do any of that – I quietly put it out to The Universe saying I really loved FREEDOM DANCER. She listened!! Then things unfolded as Bill’s story details.

After our Zoom call with Bill ended, I sent a teary-eyed thank you video to Dominique. We’ve been friends for many years, connected through mutual friends and our love of dance!  I always wanted to own one of her beautiful pieces of art for my dance studio. This week my wish came true!

Feeling very blessed about the whole story, my joy is literally bubbling over right now! It reinforces the connection that my brother and I share despite our physical distance.

Every time I visit my studio, it reminds me of this awesome Freedom Dancer Surprise!

 

As Told by Con, Husband & Collaborator

Background:  When I was a kid, I was a Star Trek and science fiction junky. So, my young life had lots of episodes where a force field surrounded a person and had a huge impact on their body, mind or both.

On to the present.

I was so happy to help out Bill in his quest to gift Elaine with Dominique’s beautiful artwork. He and I messaged back and forth, as did Dominique and I. I made excuses to Elaine about where I was going, etc.

I met up with Dominique, got the painting, booted it home, and hid it.

Elaine reluctantly agreed to do the Zoom call on the computer instead of the phone, grumbling and mumbling about how all this was unnecessary.

So she connects with Bill and is sitting in front of the laptop and camera, lights and audio gear all hooked up. Whew.

Bill says close your eyes for a moment. I put the painting in Elaine’s hands. She was probably tipped off by the shape of the package but she didn’t say anything and continued to unwrap it. She saw the words Freedom Dancer printed on the back of the frame. Immediately, she burst into tears. Happy tears but deep sobbing. Oh boy!

That’s when it happened: The force field hit me. Elaine was emitting so much emotion that she completely overwhelmed me. I was 2 feet away from her and it was a physical feeling as much as an intellectual or emotional one. What an amazing sensation!

So please imagine how Elaine must have been feeling. For her energy field to throw off so much power of feeling. Realize how much this special gift affected her!

I hope my memory serves my body well into my dotage. If I can hold onto that memory, I will be a fulfilled person for the rest of my days.

Well done, BIll. Well done, Dominique.

Thank You Universe – and all its moving parts

Well done everyone!

Inspiration is being moved to do something and following through.

We’re all moving parts in a Universally orchestrated manifestation for the Highest Good of all.

Intuition is useless without action!

We don’t need to know what the big picture will look like ahead of time. Often, we may never even know the impact of our follow-throughs.

This time, however, we did,

We all wanted to share this story to encourage you to follow through on your intuitive guidance, no matter how big or small.

Each one of us heard our calls and answered:

  • I unknowingly created this painting for Elaine and reached out to her as she repeatedly entered my heart & thoughts.
  • Elaine gladly responded to my request for a dance quote.
  • Her brother saw the post and acted on his desire to gift it to her.
  • His wife agreed.
  • Elaine’s husband jumped on board to coordinate the surprise.
  • Elaine opened to receiving the painting she wanted in an unexpected way.
  • No one else interfered by offering to purchase it before this could all happen.
  • and the story goes on –

Who knows how sharing this story might inspire you and others to follow through on their intuition… and the impact that could have on the world.

We are all instruments of joy, love, peace, etc. God, The Universe, Source Energy (whatever name you’re comfortable with) acts through us. Our job is to open to hearing and to act.

I can’t express how fulfilling it was to be a channel for the love and thanks being expressed to Elaine for all she is and all she does through this “Freedom Dancer Surprise”. I can only tell you there were plenty of tears of joy and giggles as the messages passed back and forth.

From the isolation of my studio, I got to connect with people around the planet to help co-create special moment for someone I care about.

Dance on Elaine! Thank you for being you!

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Title: “Freedom Dancer
Year: © 2021
Size: 12″ x 24″ (30.4cm x 61 cm)
Artist: Dominique Hurley
Materials: Professional acrylics & channeled energy work on gallery-wrapped canvas.
Genre: intuitive painting, visionary art, energism art, spiritual art, inspirational art
Price: SOLD
VIEW ALL AVAILABLE PAINTINGS
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Your Layers of Visual Symbolism

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We receive our intuitive messages through many channels – our inner and outer sight, hearing, sensations, knowing, smell & taste.

It’s just like in school. Some people are auditory learners. Others are visual learners. Others are experiential learners. It’s good to teach with many learning styles in mind. Same with my Divine Storytelling Time Packages.

Your Team of Divine Helpers, your Higher Self, your inner wisdom – whatever you choose to call intuition will find a way to get Guidance to you, one way or another.

When I co-create a Divine Storytelling Time Package for you, I help you tune into your intuition by channeling both auditory & visual symbolic data for you to decipher.

I don’t tell you what your story or Visual Gifts mean. The more you work with your DST Package, the more you’ll develop your intuitive muscles.

No one can understand the meaning like you do – these are symbols and scenes delivered for you by your intuition. I’m just the conduit. It’s up to you to interpret them, depending on the questions you bring when you listen to your story or look at your Visual Gifts.

When I was guided to offer this service, I knew that the 1-hour dream-like story I receive (mostly through vision) was the core of the intuitive reading. It’s like listening to a fantastic radio play, filled with meaning – the meaning you give it.

Another element of the DST Package is a Visual Gift, a digital photographic art piece based on the essence of that Divine Storytelling Time.

It too is filled with layers of visual symbolism that can provide clues, inspiring action to help you co-create your best life.

These are created with several layers of photographs from my extensive international collection. The location, background, or content all act as intuitive data for you to work with.

For example, I was recently inspired to create the Visual Gift above for a European client. I was moved to use the 7 different photographs seen in the slideshow below:

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1) The base of the round tower & moat at the Bishop’s Garden in Wells, UK
2) One of the famous artist studios on Fogo Island in Newfoundland & Labrador, shot during a huge wind/rain storm
3) a turtle, somewhere in the Caribbean
4) the offerings at a Sacred Earth despacho ceremony
5) Light tunnel at the entrance of our Botanical Gardens here in St. John’s during a Christmas Lights celebration
6) The entrance to a cave in the Czech Republic
7) little boat ride at Disneyworld going inside a cave to the song “It’s a Small World”
As the client sees and learns about the layers, it creates another space for memories & meaning to come up for them.
Together, these 7 layers create a new symbol-filled reminder & inspiration for the client on their Path to their Highest Good.

I also provide more visual & word-based guidance through a Spirit Calling Card spread that opens the story. These oracle cards are based on both my photography & paintings.

Divine Storytelling Time Packages are for those who want to uncover the layers of their Best Life, identifying for themselves the inspired actions they need to take to allow it to emerge.

They’re not for those looking for someone outside of themselves to give them all the answers.

The answers are within. I can help you Access your intuition (Step 2 in my Intuition Into Action Treasure Map), but it’s up to you to understand what your Team of Divine Helpers is communicating to you.

It’ll always be an answer to your questions – those in your mind, but also those in your heart. Those you can consciously identify today and those that will arise for months to come.

Are you curious to know what your story will sound like? What your Visual Gifts will look like? Are you ready to uncover the layers of symbolic data that can help you evolve the meaning of your life?

These Divine Storytelling Time Packages are still at the 1/2 price rate of $247 Canadian. I’m not sure for how long.

They come with a 1-hour story mp3, 2 Visual Gifts, a Spirit Calling Card reading and worksheets.

I channel the whole package at a distance, which takes about 5-6 hours, and deliver it via a download link in your email.

Are you ready for yours? For a couple reading? A family reading?  Book here.

Want to listen to a 6-minute story sample to see how to work with that component? Go here.

We’re living in challenging times. If you feel this style of symbolic-rich intuitive reading is for you, please take inspired action. Gift certificates available.

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Breathe Yourself Back into Alignment for your Golden Buzzer

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Have you ever had the feeling the Universe was giving you the Golden Buzzer- that judge’s decision to shower you in golden confetti on one of those Got Talent TV programs? When a performer so moves a judge to press that Golden Buzzer, the contestant goes straight to the live show!

That’s how I felt this week when I went skating for the first time in a long time.

May this story & video inspire you to breathe your way through your fear to realign with your Highest Joy, your Higher Self and your Golden Buzzer back to Life. (Note – the music makes this video – turn on the sound!)

It’s not like I was paralyzed by fear. Actually, my childlike enthusiasm was still present as I finally took my freshly sharpened skates to St. John’s public outdoor skating Loop in Bannerman Park.

I’d seen the tall orange fence and long line-ups driving by. COVID-19 had brought measures to limit the numbers of skaters on the ice. I’m sure part of me rationalized that it just wouldn’t be as enjoyable, so I delayed going.

I used to love skating!

2 years ago, however, I injured my arm skating at night on the Ottawa canal when my blade got caught in a crack and sent me flying. I’m still feeling the effects of that fall despite a couple of years of various therapies.

On the other hand (pun intended), I’ve been grateful for all the other benefits of that intentional body care. But back to my story.

So here I stood, on the edge of the ice, a bit shaky and wondering if I should ask someone to give me a hand up from the snowy walk to the rink.

Before you imagine a wide chasm or huge step, let me clarify that it might be all of an inch or two (2.5-5 cm) in height difference.

Fear is a tricky thing. A very small part of my skating past was interfering with the present, with my greater truth. “What ifs” were starting to enter my mind. 

I imagined saying to someone nearby “I’m a beginner – mind helping me up?”.

That would have been a lie, and I’m averse to lying. I’ve been skating on and off since I was a very young child.

Then I remembered.

This negative feeling, fear, was simply my Being’s way of communicating with me that I was out of alignment with my Higher Self.

I was letting my ego rule the show. It wanted to keep me safe, comfortable, small. Just becoming aware of my posture as I hesitated getting on made that quite visible.

So I did ask for help – not to a bystander, although there would have been nothing wrong with that, but to my Higher Self and All That Is.

I took a few deep breaths, connecting me to Spirit, and stood taller. I changed my frown to a smile and re-experienced in my body the joy of skating before I even got on the ice.

The ice was in great shape first thing in the morning. I didn’t need to look for cracks.

I took it slow for the first couple of loops until that confidence had a chance to spread through my body and mind.

And that’s when I got the Golden Buzzer from the Universe. A deluge of huge fluffy snowflakes fell upon my shoulders & the earth, congratulating me for re-aligning with love, joy, and my Higher Self. At least that’s how I chose to interpret it.

I stopped in awe, laughing and reaching for my camera.

This may not have been a world stage. No one there was even aware of my great performance. They didn’t need to.

A moment of fear was followed by a greater remembering, joy, and a breaking of a negative mental loop on The Loop. Bravo Dominique! You get to pass straight to Life!

Where is Fear Asking You to Breathe Yourself Back Into Alignment?

Fear is rampant in these COVID-19 times. Don’t let it stop you from your Live Show!

When you notice inappropriate fear trying to keep you small, trying to keep you from your joy, stand tall and connect to your Higher Self.

Let your breath inspire you (in-Spirit).

Ask whatever Higher Power you believe in for help. And know that as you re-align to your Self, the Universe celebrates with you.

May you experience your Golden Buzzer in whatever form it manifests, for all your feats of love – big or small. So be it!

 

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Goodbye & Hello

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Every day is a new day. No two sunrises are alike. These two videos show that clearly – the last sunrise of 2020 and the first of 2021 from Signal Hill in St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador.

What a feeling to be on Signal Hill for the closing of one year and opening of a new one.

We feel the transitions more easily because of a number on a calendar. New beginnings. New hope. New intentions. New plans.

But isn’t it true that every day offers you the same?

You’re not the same person 2 days in a row. Your experiences from yesterday and overnight communion with Spirit have the potential to change who you are – overnight!

Even on a physical level – you’re not who you were yesterday. Scientists have found “that the body’s cells largely replace themselves every 7 to 10 years”. You’re undergoing change all the time.

I had a partner who once told me something like “What I said to you yesterday was my truth at the time. Don’t hold me to it. My truths, preferences, opinions, feelings, etc may not be the same at all today. You’re waking up beside a new me every day.”

There was no taking much for granted – exhausting on one level, yet he opened up a door in my mind to so much more than just living through the motions of routine and expectations.

As these two sunrises demonstrate, no two days in the same location are alike.

Witnessing two in a row like this really brought this to heart.

Yes, we’re a new year. Exciting! New possibilities. New hope. Openings to new ways of being, doing, thinking, living, feeling.

What if we lived each day like this?

Filming time lapses for 2-3 hours in the cold as night turned into day gave me a lot of time to commune with my Self, Nature, my Team of Divine Helpers and the miracle of planets dancing with each other, lighting up our sky.

Even being spooked by a large fox darting in front of me in the pitch black was a gift … after the effects of fear down my spine relaxed. It encouraged me to dance, sing, chant mantras and prayers for my loved ones and the planet to make my presence felt until it became light enough to sit quietly and meditate on the changing weather while my camera did its thing.

So Happy New Year dear one. May each day be a new beginning filled with miracles and gratitude.

May you feel the limitless potential of each new day for yourself and your loved ones. May you see them as emerging more fully as themselves and relish in getting to know who they are today.

And may you tune in to your own inner Light to better see where your Intuition into Action Treasure Map will guide you each and every day of 2021 and beyond.

Namaste,

Dominique

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Embrace the Hugs

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Ready for a hug? May you feel totally hugged this holiday season as you enjoy this short video collection of hugs being stored in the wood wide web for you.

Go ahead. Open your arms & your heart to receive these hugs from those who responded to my birthday call for both tree-hugs & photos.

Then go out and hug a tree to keep the love flowing.

Not surprisingly, a few new tree-huggers told me how good it felt.

Try it. You just might like it.

Tune in to see which tree is inviting you in. Then connect to it and back to my friends and I – all of whom are giving and receiving hugs this way during these times of social distancing.

Thanks to all those who participated. I sure hope I didn’t forget any photos or names in the process.

Enjoy this holiday season hug-fest!

Love,

Dominique

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