Stoping Dakota Access Pipeline

UPDATE:

      The group made it to the Water Protectors with thedonations gathered. It wasn't a semi full; it filled a big truck bed. There was lots of water, among other items. I will address their trip in a forthcoming article when they return. Thank you all for your support! There are still four (4) days to buy your t-shirt. We need 15 more bought before we can do any good with the funds! Please help us reach this goal! Thank you!

So in the original article concerning the pipeline, I just included petitions and a mailing address for supplies to be sent. This post is going to be dedicated to My personal Tribe of powerful goddesses. Over the next couple weeks, two instructors will be hosting Buti Yoga and Zumba classes for donations for the cause. The group is leaving on November 11. They are planning on taking a semi truck of supplies down to the Water Protectors. To support this monetarily, you can buy a Hoosiers For Standing Rock t-shirt here. Some of the supplies these ladies plan on taking are as follows: 

UPDATED:
Mendards/Low's/Hardware Store Gift Cards
Gift/Gas Cards for the Trip
Firewood (Oak, Maple, Ash) 
Water 
Tents 
Winter Clothes 
Thermal Blankets 
Fire Extinguishers 
Milk of Magnesia 
First Aid Kits 
Small Propane Heaters 
Ropes 
Tie Downs 
Sleeping Bags 
Heavy Duty Tarps 
Walkie Talkies

If you are in or around the area of Ft. Wayne, IN and can donate any of the above materials, please contact Shelby Knepper-Seidel at (260)494-0002 or email her at belovebewell@gmail.com. 

Special Update: Time change for November 10!

The Zumba classes will be Monday nights at 6pm with a special event (Rave / Zumbathon) on November 10 from 6pm - 8:30pm! The address for Sud'n Impact is:

2429 W Main St, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46808

"We are now adding some Buti to the mix.   1.5 hours of zumba followed by an hour of Buti(tribal dance mixed with yoga).  You will not want to miss this!!!!! #peacefulwarriorsunite"

Please bring a donation to this event on November 10!

Thank you for your support.

A Cause For Celebration

I want to thank you all so much! I have just reached 1,000 views! I am still figuring things out here (like how to make my page look pretty and fix the links to look nice), so thank you for dealing with the ugliness while I bring everything together. I invite you to become a follower and help to grow this blog into something wonderful! It's just a click away in the upper right hand corner of my page above my 'About Me' segment.

My hope is to help someone along with their own journey by sharing the experiences that I have been through. If you need encouragement, I hope you find it here.

Much love to all my readers!

Women Healing Women

So this past weekend was absolutely magical! My spiritual journey is starting to pick up now. I can see where I’m headed, and I love it! I have new goals and plans for myself. Most of which will start coming into fruition in 2017.

So, this weekend I went on a yoga retreat with a group of the most amazing women! It was a very short two night stay, but it was so worth it. While we were there in Gatlinburg, TN, we really got to come together in sisterhood and as powerful women healing each other. There was no cattiness, no competition; just a bunch of women lifting each other up. Aside from the amazing yoga that we did, we also got Reiki II certified! I am so excited to begin my journey as a healer!

There were so many emotions that were brought out in me that I thought I had dealt with. I thought I was over my mother being an absolutely terrible human being. But I'm not. I thought I was stronger than I really am mentally. But I still have a long way to go. I thought I knew myself better. But the light was shone on all the spots I had left neglected because I thought I had adequately healed from the wounds of my past. However, I know where to go next, or at least where my next few steps should be. My little lantern doesn't shine as far as I thought it did; so I'll take baby steps to ensure that I don't miss anything. I am strong, but I can be stronger. I have healed, but I have more healing left. I do know myself, but there's so much I learn about myself everyday. It's truly unbelievable. Only two nights, and I discover all these new and wonderful things about myself. I will embrace the pain, for that is the only way I can heal and move forward. I will take baby steps to ensure that I will not run too far ahead before I am truly ready to move on. I will strive to be the best me that I can possibly be. And it's all thanks to these wonderful women who have welcomed me into their humble little tribe of loving, encouraging and empowering women!

My goals are to become Buti Yoga certified and to practice Reiki every chance I can so that I can be ready for the Reiki Master certification next year on our retreat. My goals are to become a buti yoga instructor and Reiki healer as well as a published author and artist. I have some lofty goals for myself, but I believe that everything is coming together quite nicely for myself.

Did I mention we also saw a black bear? He was the most adorable bear I’ve ever seen! He seemed nice enough to cuddle with, but we figured it was better to be safe than sorry.

The Dying Tree

There is a dying tree in my dad’s front yard. It had the Ash Bore Virus a few years ago, and my father has neglected to cut it down. It’s wilting, growing weaker. We even had to remove a substantial part in the middle of the branches. But still it stands, a sad symbol of what life has become for my family. But there is some hope to this story. See, somehow, there has been new growth; new branches with fresh green leaves have sprouted and begun to grow despite the wilting of the rest of the tree.

As I mentioned already, this is a representation of my family. Let me explain. The virus which infected the tree is a representation of the toxicity that was present in my family, causing the divorce of my parents. The part that we had to remove on the tree is representative of my mother. Like the tree branches threatening to fall on our house, she threatened to destroy our lives. The trunk is representative of my father; like the branches of the tree, it is nearly impossible for my siblings and myself to break the cycle of pain and brokenness without the support of the foundation, the base of the family. My father still aches with depression from the horrors he lived through with my mother. And finally, the new growth on the tree is representative of myself. Somehow, I have found a way to break the cycle for myself and grow anew.

Over my lifetime, short as it may be, I have faced many trials. My mother being an alcoholic and extremely abusive only lead me to choose self harm and a partner who would come to treat me just the same. Whether by divine intervention, the powers of the universe, luck, or whatever else, I was able to steal myself away from that terrible cycle. As I have mentioned before, when I left my abusive ex-husband, we had been living in San Diego. I had no one; no friends, no family, nothing. I called home and told them what happened; I drove myself to Las vegas where my grandmother met me to accompany me the rest of the way home.

She saw my distress plainly written on my face. She saw the healing that I was desperately in need of. My grandmother decided to take me on a slight detour on our way home; you know, since we were out there anyway. Our detour destination was Sedona, AZ. This was absolutely a magical and healing experience for me. This four hour visit lead me on my journey of healing, renewal and growth. Almost two years later, I have found peace and happiness on my path to healing.

Like the nearly impossible new growth on the dying tree in my dad’s front yard, I have found a way to grow and heal. There is hope; there is always a way. Find your tribe, those who would see you be reborn from the ashes. Seek the help you need to move forward.