A Walk in the Forest

I grew up like you probably did, with no awareness whatsoever of my own Inner Wisdom. This changed dramatically and unexpectedly when I was about 30.

Faced with a difficult decision, my head was spinning. Should I stay in Boston where I loved my life, or move to California to be with the man I loved? The stakes were high. We’d both decided we could no longer tolerate a long distance relationship.

I went for a walk in the woods, the arguments for and against this move swirling around in my mind, like a crazy cyclone. I didn’t go looking for an answer and I certainly didn’t expect to find one. But when I paused for a moment in the silence of that forest, it came to me as clear as the path that stretched out before me through the woods. The move to California to be with Jim was the right decision. It was as simple as that.

All confusion dropped away. There was no longer a shred of doubt in my mind. I felt totally comfortable and at peace with my decision. What a relief!

At that moment in the forest, I discovered a powerful inner resource I knew I could trust – one I’d never known before. 30 years later, Jim and I are happily married. This is what I’d hoped for. But that decision – based on complete trust in the guidance of my inner wisdom – created other benefits I could not have anticipated.

I longed to be able to more dependably access that source of clarity I’d discovered. Little did I know that my move to California would open up the way for learning how to create that connection…

The Most Powerful Healing I’d Ever Known

I first met Steve Gallegos, the founder of The Personal Totem Pole© Process, soon after moving to California. The truth is, when I first heard about the Personal Totem Pole© it scared me. What if I encountered ugly things deep inside while trying to connect with my inner wisdom? What if I went in and never came out? But the work came highly recommended by a respected colleague, so I decided to give it a try.

In my first session I met all seven of my chakra animals and received valuable and meaningful information from each. None of my fears materialized. In all, it was a positive and illuminating experience.  My second experience with my Personal Totem Pole© was an epiphany that profoundly transformed my life.

While in the first encounter the imagery progressed smoothly, in the second session I felt blocked. I suddenly became aware of a painful tension in my right temple.

Steve suggested I return through imagery to the first time I experienced such a sensation.

Instantly, in my mind’s eye, I found myself in front of the refrigerator in the house where I grew up. This little four-year-old was terrified because she had just spilled the milk. In my house growing up spilling the milk was a very big deal.

Steve suggested that I tell the little girl that, even though she had spilled the milk, she was still lovable and that I loved her.

I was aware that spilling the milk really wasn’t such a big deal. I knew I needed to tell the little girl that she was okay, even though she’d made a mistake. As a practicing psychologist, I’d told my clients such things countless times – clients who had done things a whole lot worse than spilling the milk.

Instead, I felt absolutely and very painfully stuck. I couldn’t offer consolation and support to this little girl. I shared her horror at what she had done, all the while realizing how ridiculous that was.

Suddenly, out of nowhere and completely unbidden, the Chakra Guide of my Heart, which is an Eagle, appeared and wrapped its wings around that little girl, consoling and protecting her. Eagle assured the little girl that she was lovable and that Eagle loved her.

I was overwhelmed by the pain of recognizing the self-hatred I had carried with me all of those years, coupled with the enormous relief of releasing that burden at last.

For the first time in my life, I discovered unconditional love, and there it was, right inside of me! This was simply the most powerful healing I had ever experienced.

Since Then

Since that time, The Personal Totem Pole© and other applications of Interactive Imagery have been my own path of learning, healing and growth, a deeply spiritual path. As both psychologist and life coach I know Interactive Imagery to be the most precise, efficient and effective tool for helping people transform their lives for the better.

Almost thirty years later, I remain in awe of the ability of each person’s Inner Wisdom to impeccably guide them to create a more satisfactory life – a life of greater contentment and well-being. What has been evolving for me recently is my understanding of the process.

I am coming to recognize that the source of Inner Wisdom is the Divine Nature found within each of us – that source of unconditional love and connection to the Great Oneness that each of us carries within. I have come to expand my vision for the true goal of the Personal Totem Pole© beyond learning, healing and growth. I now see it as opening up a Path of Joy for anyone who chooses to embark on it.

I hope that you will join me on that marvelous Path!

Namaste,