From Forgiveness to Freedom - The Gift Within Every Wound

Forgiveness is a word we hear often whether it’s in church, in therapy or in spiritual circles. We know it is something we “should” do to find peace. But what does forgiveness really mean? And, is their a deeper, more radical way to understand it; one that not only frees the heart from resentment but transforms the very wound that caused it.

The Traditional View - Christian Forgiveness

In the Christian traditional, foregiveness is often seen as a moral act, a virtue we extend to those who have wronged us. We forgive because we are called to rise above anger, because it is what God asks of us and because it brings peace to our own Soul.

This form of forgiveness says “you hurt me but I choose to release the anger so I can be free.” It is noble, compassionate and healing in itself. It clears the emotional field of bitterness allowing love to return.

But even in this traditional model, there is often an unspoken separation - there is still a “me” who was wronged and a “you” who did the wrong. The pain is aknowledged and released, but the story of victim and perpretator remains intact.

The Shift to Radical Forgiveness

Radical forgiveness as taught by Colin Tipping invites us into a higher level of consciousness; one that sees every event, every wound, every betrayal as part of a divine curriculum for our soul’s evolution. In this model, nothing truly “wrong” ever happens. Instead, everything that unfolds - no matter how painful - is an opportunity for awakening. The moment we shift from “why did this happen to me?” to “what is this showing me?” we move from victimhood to empowerment.

Radical forgiveness is not about condoning hurtful behavior. It is however about seeing the deeper perfection within the experience as we recognize that every wound carrieers a message and every person who triggers it is a mirror revealing something we are ready to heal.

The Gifts Hidden in the Wound

When we look at life through this lens, we realize that every moment of suffering holds the seed of transformation. The people who hurt us are often the very souls who agreed to play difficult roles so that we could awaken to our own truth, This does not mean that we deny pain or do a spiritual bypass. It does mean that we feel it fully, honor it’s message and then harvest the wisdom it offers.

Let’s look at some examples:

Abandonment If we hold the belief that we were abandoned by a parent, a partner or life itself, we often carry the vibration of unworthiness. From the victim’s view, abandonment means “I was left. I am not enough”. But through the eyes of Radical forgiveness, we ask ‘what gift is being offered through this experience?” Perhaps the abandonment was not punishment but rather liberation - an initiation into self sovereignty and emotoinal independance.

The soul might have orchestrated that very experience to teach us how to stand in our own power and to learn that we are never truly alone. Once we embrace that, the energy of abandonment dissolves as we realize there was never any real separation to begin with.

Betrayal: Betrayal can be one of the deepest human pains. It shakes the foundation of trust and safety. Yet, when we aproach it through Radical forgiveness, we begin to see that betrayal often mirrors an old beleif system - one that we are ready to heal.

For example, if my husband had an affair while I was pregnant, it would be easy to stay trapped in the story “ he betrayed me - I am the victim”. However when taking a deeper look, I might see that I have a long carried beleief that “men can’t be trusted “ or “all men evertually cheat” Perhaps that beleif took root in childhood when I perceived that my father left or turned his attention elsewhere, oven if he never actually did.

So, my current experience mirrors that unhealed belief, giving me a chance to see it clearly and release it once and for all. When I heal that energetic would coming from my deeply engrained belief system, I no longer attract experiences that validate it. The betrayal then becomes a teacher rather than a tragedy. In this light, there is nothing to forgive - only something to forgive and to thank

Healing the Body and the Belief

Every moment of unforgiveness holds energy - an energetic imprint of contraction stored in the body. When we carry resentment, judgement or blame, the vibration of that wound lingers in our cells, in our nervious system and in our energy field.

Radical forgiveness liberates that energy. When we choose to see the perfection behind the pain, the energetic charge dissolves. The belief that once held us hostage, releases it’s grip and the body naturally sihifts into coherence. Healing then becomes not about “letting go” of someone but about integrating the part of ourselves that was still holding on to the story.

The Freedom Beyond Forgiveness

True forgiveness is not something we do - it is something that arises naturally when we see through the illusion of separation. From this perspective, there is no offender, no victim, no debt. There is only consciosness expanding through experience. When we reach that space, gratitude replaces resentment. We no longer need to forgive because we undersand that everything happens for us, not to us. Every wound was an invitation to remember who we truly are - whole, complete, loved and always connected to source.

Radical forgiveness brings us home to our divine neutrality - the state of unconditional love that sees all experience as sacred. In closing, forgiveness in it’s highest form is graditude. It is the moment we look back at what once broke us and whisper “thank you for shoiwng me what I needed to heal”.

When we see through the eyes of Radical forgiveness, the heart expands, the body lightens and we step into freedom. We are no longer defined by the story of our pain but transformed by the wisdom it revealed.

To explore this teaching further, join us inside Living As Light - a journey of awakening from inspiration to bliss.

Let’s Work Together

If you are ready to move beyond old emotional patterns and begin living from a place of deeper wholeness, I invite you to explore this work with me. Together, we will uncover hidden blocks, release what no longer serves and restore the harmony that is your natural state of being. I invite you to a 30 minute free discovery call to see if we are a fit to work together for a transformatoinal journey. Drop me an email at lisa@divinavida.co

Unraveling the Energetic Threads of Trauma Bonding

Human connection is meant to be nourishing - a reflection of safety, love and mutual growth. Yet sometimes, the bonds we form are born not out of love but out of survival. These are called trauma bonds - powerful emotional and energetic attachments that keep us tethered to cycles of pain, control or dependency even when we know they are unhealthy.

What Is Trauma Bonding?

Trauma bonding occurs when deep emotional connection forms through repeated cycles of pain, fear and intermittent reward. It’s the energetic glue that holds together relationships built on intensity rather than stability.

Psychologically, it’s rooted in the brain’s survival response as a pattern that develops when periods of abuse or neglect are followed by moments of affection, apology or relief. The nervious system learns to associate chaos with connection and love with pain.

Energetically, a trauma bond is a corded attachment, a binding of frequencies between two people that form’s during heightened emotional states. It can occur in romantic partnerships, families, friendships or even teacher - student or healer - client dynamics. The intensity of the emotional charge creates a strong energetic imprint in the auric field which can be difficult to release without conscious healing.

Where Does Trauma Bonding Come From?

Most trauma bonds trace back to childhoo.d. When we experience inconsistant care, love mixed with fear, presence mixed with absence then we internalize confusion about what love feels like. Our developing nervous system learns that love requires self abandonment or that closeness inevitably brings pain.

Later in life, we unconsciously recreate those patterns, magnetizing relationships that replay the familiar dynamics. The inner child is not seeking pain it is seeking resolution. It longs for the moment when the pattern will finally heal, when the love that once hurt will finally become safe. But, because unresolved energy attracts what matches it’s vibration, trauma bonds often perpetuate the very wound we are trying to heal.

Dysfunctional Patterns of a Trauma Bond

Trauma bonds often look like “intense love” at first. There’s chemistry, urgency and a sense of fate but beneath that intensity lies instability. Some common energetic and behavioral patterns include:

• Push - pull dynamics: One partner pursues while the other withdraws creating cycles of chase and retreat that keep both nervous systems on edge.

• Addictive highs and lows: Periods of closeness are followed by emotinal withdrawl, criticism or chaos. The nervous system becomes addicted to the adrenaline of reconnection.

• Caretaking or “fixing”: One person becomes the healer/rescuer believing love can transform the other’s pain.

• Self-abandonment: Ignoring one’s own needs or intuition to mainain connection

• Energetic enmeshment: The auric fields overlap excessively whereby emotions, thoughts and even physical sensation blur between partners.

• Fear of Loss or Emptiness: The idea of letting go feels unbearable as if part of one’s identity would dissolve.

Trauma bonds thrive on intensity, not intimacy. They feed off of charge, not calm. That is why peace can feel uncomfortable at first as the body is not yet used to it.

Why Is It so Difficult to Unhook?

Breaking free from a trauma bond isn’t about willpower; it’s about nervous system regulation and energetic disentanglement. When we bond through trauma, our physiology literally adapts to the other person’s energy. The body releases dopamine and oxytocin which are the same chemicals that create feelings of love and trust even in moments of conflict or mistreatment. The subconscious equates survival with staying connected so leaving feels like danger.

Energetically, trauma bonds create cords in the emotional and mental bodies. These cords can act as two - way channels of energy, continually triggering old emotions or memories. Even after separation, one may feel the other’s presence, dreams or moods. This is why “just moving on” rarely works without energetic clearing and emotional repair.

Tools for Unhooking a Trauma Bond with Energy Medicine

Healing a trauma bond is both an emotional and energetic process. It’s about reclaiming the life force that has been invested in someone else’s field and re-grounding it into your own. Some supportive practices include:

1. Nervious System Regulation Grounding is the first step. Deep breathing, gentle movement, time in nature and somatic practices calm the body’s stress response. When the nervous system feels safe, the grip of attachment begins to loosen.

2. Cord Cutting and Energy Reclamation In energy medicine, you can visualize or facilitate the release of cords which are energetic threads that connect you to another person This isn’t about severing love; its about clearing entanglement. During meditation or healing work, imagine your energy field surrounded by light. See any cords that feel heavy or draining and with compassion, return their energy to them and call your own energy back home. Ask your higher self or guides to assist in sealing your field with pure source light.

3. Heart Chakra Healing Trauma bonds often live in the heart in the intersection of love and pain. Gentle breathwork, rose or green light visualization and flower essences like bleeding heart, pink yarrow or self heal can help mend the emotional body and restore authentic self love.

4. Inner Child Dialogue Reconnect with the part of you that first learned to associate love with fear Ask the child within “what do you need to feel safe now? Energy healing that includes inner child work allows those fractured timelines to integrate, bringing back innocence and wholeness.

5. Forgiveness and Boundaries Forgiveness is not permission for harm; it is the release of energetic charge, As you forgive, you dissolve the cords of resentment that keep you tied Healthy boundaries then protect the newly healed field, preventing reattachent,

6. Restoring Authentic Connection Once a trauma bond dissolves, space opens for true connection in relationships based on resonance, not rescue. Our body’s learn that love can be safe, calm and steady. This is the healing; when peace no longer feels like boredom and love no longer feels like pain

Trauma bonding is not a sign of weakness; it is the body’s brilliant attempt to heal through familiarity. When we approach it with compassion and energy awareness, we transform survival patterns into conscious power

Through the work of energetic clearing, inner child healing and nervous system regulation, we retrieve the pieces of ourselves that were once given away. As we reclaim that energy, we begin to live and love from wholeness instead of the wound.

Let’s work together

Every experience holds the seed of healing when met with presence and love. Through my work, I guide others through gentle awareness and release of what is heavy as we integrate what has been fragmented and return to the deep harmony that has always been within you. If you are interested, I invite you to book a free 30 minute discovery call with me to see if we fit together for a transformational journey together. Drop me an email at lisa@divinavida.co

Embracing the Shadow - The Light Hidden in our Darkness

When most people hear the term “shadow work” they imagine something dark or frightening - a desent into the hidden or forbidden parts of self. But the shadow isn’t evil. It isn’t the “bad” part of who we are. The shadow is simply the part of ourselves we’’ve learned to hide - the emotions, the memories, the traits we’ve tucked away to be loved, accepted or safe.

Shadow work is not about battling the darkness. It’s about bringing what has been forgotten or rejected back into the light of love so that we can live as whole, authentic radiant beings.

What is the Shadow?

The term “shadow” was first popularized by psychologist Carl JUng who described it as the unconscious aspect of the personality that the ego refuses to acknowledge. There are the parts of us that don’t fit the image of who we think we should be.

For some, the shadow might hold anger, jealousy, pride or shame. For others, it might hold brilliance, power, sensuality or creativity - aspects we once disowned because they felt unsafe or “too much.”

Energically, the shadow is simply unintegrated light. Every time we hide a part of ourselves - consiously or unconsciously - we fragment our energy field. We spend enormous amounts of life force keeping those fragmented part suppressed. Shadow work is the process of reclaiming that energy piece by piece with compassion and awareness.

Where The Shadow Lives

The shadow lives in the subconscious - the unseen realm that quietly shapes our choices, relationships and emotional reactions. It often reveals itself through projection.

Projection is when we unconsciously assign our disowned qualities to someone else. For example, if we’ve learned to suppress our anger, we may see others as “too angry.” If we’ve disowned our power, we may resent those who seem confident or strong. Life consistently mirrors our shadow through the people and situations that trigger us.

In that sense, every challenge and every irratation is a sacred messenger - pointing us toward what is asking to be seen, owned and loved within ourselves.

The Healing Power of Shadow Work

Shadow work is not about shame or self judgement. It is about integration. It is the alchemy of transforming resistance into awareness and fear into compassion.

When we bring the shadow to light, three powerful things happen:

1. We reclaim our energy. Every suppressed emotions or disowned quality consumes energy to keep it hidden. When we face it and integrate it, that energy returns to us as vitality and clarity.

2. We dissolve the illusion of separation. The shadow creates polarity - light versus dark, good versus bad. But in truth, both are aspects of one whole self. When we stop labeling parts of ourselves as unworthy, we remember our inherent divinity.

3. We deepen our compassion for ourselves and others. When we meet our own darkness with love. We naturally stop judging others for theirs. Shadow work softens the heart and expands empathy.

Why Shadow Work Feels So Hard

The shadow is often wrapped in shame. Shame whispers, “if anyone saw this part of me, they would leave.” It convinces us to keep hiding to keep pretending, to keep performing an identity that feels “acceptable’

But healing happens when we turn toward the shadow with curiosity rather than fear and when we bring loving awareness to the places we’ve rejected, shame begins to dissolve. The shadow only has power in secrecy; once it is seen with compassion, it loses it’s grip.

Practices for Integrating the Shadow

Shadow work can be both psychological and energetic. It’s a process of deep listening, reflection and presence. Here are a few ways to begin.

1. Notice the Mirrors Pay attention to the people and situations that trigger strong emotions. Instead of judging them, ask “what part of me are they reflecting that I have not yet accepted?” The outer world is always mirroring the inner one.

2. Feel Without Story When old emotions surface, resist the urge to analyze. Simply feel them in the body - the tightness, the ache, the contraction. Energy releases through felt presence, not through mental explanation.

3. Dialogue With The Shadow. In meditaton or journalling, invite your shadow aspect to speak. Ask it what it needs, what it’s protecting you from and how it wants to be integrated. Listening to your shadow is an act of self-love.

4. Energy Healing ad Integration Energy medicine can help dissolve the energetic imprints of shame, guilt or fear held in the body. As these denser frequencies are cleared, your true essence - your light naturally rises to the surface.

5. Radical Compassion Remember every shadow trait was born as a strategy for love and safety. It once served a purpose, when you meet these parts with gratitude instead of condemnation, they transform back into strength.

6. The Light Within the Shadow Our natural state is light, luminous, whole and divine. The only thing that obscures it is the illusion of separation, the belief that certain parts of us are unworthy of love.

Shadow work is the bridge back to unity. It’s the journey of bringing light to every corner of our being until there is nothing left to hide, nothing left to fear.

In truth, the shadow is not our enemy. It is the part of us that has been waiting the longest to come home.

Invitation to Go Deeper

If this reflection on shadow work speaks to your heart, you’re invited to take this wisdom deeper through our Living As Light journey - a guided path of awakening from inspiration to bliss. Each month, we explore themes like self love, forgiveness, intuition and shadow integration through teaching, practices and community connection. It’s a living experience of remembering who you truly are - light in form - love in motion.

Let’s work together

When we bring compassion to the places within us that ache, transformation begins naturally. In our work together we can create space for what’s been unseen to find it’s voice and your heart to remember its wisdom and freedom. Let’s have a 30 minute free conversqation to see if we fit together for a transformational journey. Just drop me an email at lisa@divinavida.co.

The Power of Intuition in Energy Healing

In an age driven by intellect, data and analysis, intuition is often misunderstood and often dismissed as unscientific or mystical. Yet, throughout history, humanity’s greatest visionsaries, healers and inventors have relied on intuition as their most trusted guide. For those who work in the subtle realms of energy and consciousness, intuition isn’t just a feeling - it’s a way of knowing, a bridge between the human and the divine.

What is Intuition?

Intuition is an innate intelligence that transcends logic. It is a quiet, immediate knowing that arises before thought - the whisper of the soul guiding us towards truth. It is not something we learn so much as something we remember: the original language of the heart, body and spirit communicating as one.

When you experience intuition, you might feel it as a sensation in your body, a clear insight, a spontaneous image or an unexplainable certainty. It does not argue or analyze; it simply knows. Modern science is beginning to validate what ancient mystics always understood and that is that the heart and the gut both contain neural networks capable of processing information independently of the brain. In other words, our whole being is hard wired for intuitive awareness.

Where Does Intuition Come From?

Intuition originates from the deeper layers of consciousness - the level where the individual self merges with universal intelligence. It’s where energy, emotion and intention converge into pure knowing. Some call this the Higher Self, Source or Spirit; others see it as the wisdom of the field, the Akashic record or the morphogentic field that connects all living systems.

Regardless of how we name it, intuition comes through when the mind softens and we allow awareness to expand beyond the rational. It is the language of energy - the way creation itself speaks to us.

Masters of Intuition

History is rich with individuals who trusted this inner voice and reshaped our world through doing so.

Rudolf Steiner: The founder of Anthroposophy built an entire philosophy and practical systems 100% on intuitive perception. His insights into agriculture, beekeeping, medicine and education weren’t born from laboratory data but from spiritual vision Steiner perceived that plants, animals and humans all express cosmic forces through form and rhythms,. From this intuitive knowing, biodynamic farming emerged - agriculture guided by lunar and planetary cycles and the consciousness of Earth herself.

Steiner’s Waldorf education model was likewise an intuitive download of how the child’s soul unfolds in seven-year-cycles. Steiner showed what happens when intuition is married with integrity and service: wisdom becomes practical.

Nikola Tesla: one of the greatest inventors of modern times, openly admitted that his discoveries came to him in flashes of inner vision. He said he could see the device in his mind…every coil, every bolt and he could run it mentally before ever building it. His fascination with energy, vibration and frequency was not a product of theory alone but of intuitive communion with universal patterns. Tesla’s insight into the numbers 3, 6 and 9 which he called “the key to the universe” points to his awareness that creation itself moves in harmonic resonance.

Edgar Cayce often called “the sleeping prophet” demonstrated the intuitive art of medical mediumship. Without formal medical training and only an eigth grade level education, he accessed information about anatomy, physiology and specfic treaments while in a self induced trance. His reading often described future discoveries in medicine and holistic healing long before they were verified by science. Cayce’s intuitive practice revealed how deeply the soul’s wisdom is connected to the physical body and how healing is both energetic and spiritual at it’s core.

These masters remind us that intuition is not fantasy, it is a faculty of consciouness that expands perception beyond the limits of reason. They accessed information that could not be deduced - only received.

Intuition in Energy Healing

For an energy practitioner, intuition is the compass that guides every session. When we listen deeply, intuition tells us where to place our attention, or our hands, our focus in order to discern energy blockages and to “hear” the emotional or spiritual stories that lie beneath the imbalance. It allows us to see through the layers of physical, emotional, mental and etheric and to address the true root of dis-ease.

During a session, a healer might feel warmth or tingling over a certain area, see an image flash in the mind’s eye or simply know that a particular chakra needs attention. These are intuitive signals from the energy field itself-the body’s own language of communication. When we honor them, healing flows effortlessly.

Learning to Trust Intuition

Trusting intuition takes practice and courage. At first, the mind may doubt what it cannot prove. But every time you act on an intuitive nudge and witness the accuracy of what unfolds, that trust grows stronger. Over time, intuition becomes second nature and is a constant companion that guides your healing work and your life.

Meditation, breathwork, grounding practices and time in nature all help to strengthen this channel. They quiet the noise of the analytical mind and tune your awareness to subtler frequencies. The clearer your own energy field, the more accurately you can perceive and interpret the intuitive information that flows through you.

Listening as an Act of Healing

Ultimately, intuition invites us to listen to energy, to the body and to the unseen intelligence of life itself. When we listen, we step out of the role of ‘fixer” and into the role of facilitator/observer witnessing the body’s own wisdom awaken. Healing them beomes a collaboration between human intention and divine intelligence.

The more we cultivate intuition, the more we live and work in alignment with the same creative force that guided Steiner, Tesla and Cayce - the pulse of univeral consciounsess expressing through the human heart. And, when we listen from that place, healing becomes not just possible but inevitable.

An Invitation to Go Deeper

If you are interested in learning more about energy mediciine practitioner training or journey more deeply into you own self discovery, please join us Please feel free to contact me with any questions at lisa@divinavida.co

The Forgotten Science of Frequency - Returning to Ancient Ways of Healing

For thousands of years, healing was understood as a harmony of energy, rhythm and vibration. Every culture from the Egyptians and Greeks to the Chinese, Indigenous peoples and Ayurvedic practitioners knew that the body was not just a collection of parts but an intelligent, living symphony of frequencies. Illness, they believed, was simply a distortion in that harmony; a distruption in the body’s natural vibration.

Today, modern medicine largely operates within the Cartesian model which is a system born from the philosophy of Rene’ Decartes, who separated mind from body, spirit from matter. In doing so, medicine became mechanical. The body was viewed as a machine; if one part broke down, it could be replaced, medicated or removed without consideration of the whole.

This model has achieved incredible things, surgeries, antibiotics, imaging technology but when it comes to chronic illness, emotional imbalance or energetic depletion, it often fails very quickly. This is because if focuses on treating symptoms not the underlying energetic distortion that gave rise to the symptom in the first place.

Ancient Healing and the Language of Frequency

Long before machines could measure brain waves or heart rhythms, healers worked directly with vibration.

Sound and chant: Ancient Egyptians used harmonic chants in their temples; Tibetan monks still chant specific frequencies to align energy centers in the body. Sound frequencies can entrain brainwaves, balance the nervious system and restore coherence.

Plant Medicine: Every plant carries it’s own vibrational signature - it’s frequency when used in medicine or ceremony, Plants help re-tune the human frequency to one of harmony and wholeness.

Energy and Touch: Practices like Reiki, Qi Gong or Pranic healing work by directing life force energy (chi, prana) where it’s needed, reminding the body of it’s natural rhythm and ability to self heal.

These ancient systems all shared one truth; healing is not about fixing something broken but it is about remembering balance.

The Cartesian Divide: A Model That Forgot the Whole

The Cartesian approach while rational and evidence driven, divides the body into isolated systems - cardiovascular, digestive, endocrine, nervous. Specialist focus on one system at a time often ignoring how they interconnect. A thyroid imbalance might be treated with hormones, but the underlying emotional frequency - perhaps fear, suppression or over-responsiblity goes untouched.

The result? Temporary relief, recurring illness and deeper disconnection from the self. The modern model sees disease as an invasion from outside forces; ancient healing understood disease as “communication” - the body’s way of signaling imbalance in vibration or conciousness.

The Frequency of Healing

Modern science is beginning to rediscover what the ancients always knew and everything is frequency. From the atomic structure of our cells to the electromagnetic waves our thoughts, all life vibrates. When an organ vibrates out of it’s natural frequency, due to trauma, toxins or emotional stress, disease begins to form.

Change the Frequency and You Change the State of Matter

This is the self healing principle every cell in the body holds - the intelligence to repair itself when brought back into resonance. Healing frequencies through sound, light, plant essences or intention help remind the body of the original pattern of health

Dr. Royal Rife’s work in the early 1900’s showed that every micro-organism has a specific frequency at which it disintegrates. likewise, modern quantum biology and cymatics demonstrate that vibration literally shapes matter. The body is not healed by force but the frequency as it restores coherence to the field.

A Return to Wholeness We are now standing at a bridge between two worlds - the analytical precision of modern medicine and the intuitive wisdom of ancient healing. The future of health lies not in choosing one over the other but in the INTEGRATION; combining frequency based healing with the structure of modern science. The body is not a machine to be fixed by is more like an instrument to be tuned.

When we shift our understanding of health from a mechanical process to a vibrational one, healing becomes not something done to us but something awakened within us.

In the end, healing is REMEMBERANCE. The remembrance that our bodies are living energy systems - luminous, resonant and capable of infinite self renewal when aligned with the frequencies of life itself.

An Invitation to Go Deeper

If you are interested in learning more about energy mediciine practitioner training or journey more deeply into you own self discovery, please join us Please feel free to contact me with any questions at lisa@divinavida.co

The Power of Intention Continued

The Power of Intention to Release

Every transformation begins with an ending.  We cannot carry the weight of the past and still expect to step fully into the light of what is calling us forward.

This is why release is the first act of transformation.

Release does not mean abandoning who you are or erasing your story.  It means creating space.  It is the conscious decision to put down the burdens, beliefs and patterns that no longer serve your growth and to trust that life will meet you with what is needed next.

And here is the truth:  release doesn’t happen on its own.  It happens through intention.

When you set the intention to release, you signal to your whole being:  I am ready for more light.  I am ready to clear the space for what is true.  Even if the process feels uncomfortable, intention steadies your heart and reminds you why you are letting go.

Think of it as preparing the soil before planting a garden.  The clearing makes way for new growth.

In the Living As Light journey, this is the first threshold; an invitation to name what you are carrying and choose, with intention, to release it.  Whether it is an outdated belief, a fear that holds you back or simply the heaviness of trying to control what cannot be controlled, release is an act of freedom.

Reflection for you right now:  What are you ready to set down so that you can walk lighter?  Take a breath, set an intention and trust that letting go is an act of love

The Power of Intention to Receive

Once we release, we enter a sacred pause – a moment of openness where something new can flow in.

 This is where receiving becomes the next step in transformation.

Receiving is not passive.  It is an intentional posture of the heart.  It is choosing to trust that life, spirit, and the universe are always moving toward  your good even when you can’t yet see how.

The truth is, many of us find receiving harder than giving.  We resist blessings because we feel unworthy or we close the door to support because we fear losing control.  Intention shifts this.  When we set the intention to receive, we create space for miracles to enter.

Receiving can look like listening for inner guidance, allowing yourself to be supported by others or opening to the beauty and synchronicity of everyday life.

In Living As Light this is the stage where we soften into trust.  The program invites you to notice how life is already offering you nourishment and guidance and to practice saying yes,

Reflection for You:  Where in your life do you sense an invitation to receive?  Pause, breath and set an intention to allow yourself to be blessed.

The Power of Intention to Embody

Release clears the space.  Receiving fills it with light.  Then comes the most vital step: embodiment.

To embody transformation is to live it.  Not as an idea but as a daily practice.  It is choosing, moment by moment, to align your words, actions and presence with the light that now moves through you.

This is where intention becomes visible.  Every small choice to act with love, to return to peace, to speak truth – these are the ways transformation takes root.  Embodiment is not about perfection; it is about persistence.  It is about returning, again and again, to the intention that guides your path.

In the Living As Light journey, embodiment is the flowering.  It is the place where you begin to recognize that light is not something outside of you – It is who you are.  Your intention to embody makes that truth tangible in the world.

Reflection for You:  How can you embody your intentions today -in your conversations, your choices, your presence?  Let your life become a living expression of your transformation.

Closing this series

Every state – Release, Receive and Embody – is woven through with the transformative power of intention.  Without intention, change drifts.  With intention, transformation becomes inevitable.

The Living As Light journey is an invitation to walk this path with presence, courage and trust.  If you feel called, let your first intention be simple: to begin.

The Transformative Power of Intention: Walking the Path of Living As Light

Transformation doesn’t happen by accident. It begins with a choice, an inner yes, that sets energy in motion. That choice is intention.

Intention is more than wishful thinking or hopeful daydreaming. It is a conscious act of aligning your energy, your focus and your heart with the reality you are ready to embody. It is both a compass and a current; it shows you the way forward and carries you into the new landscapes of being.

When we move through life without intention, it’s easy to feel scattered, pulled in many directions or caught in cycles that never quite shift. But when we choose to live intentionally, each step becomes sacred. Each breath becomes a chance to anchor light into the moment.

Intention as a Portal to Transformation

Every stage of transformation whether it’s letting go, awakening new vision or embodying wholeness, asks for intentional presence,

Intention to Release: Naming what no longer serves and opening space for what’s to come.

Intention to Receive: Saying yes to guidance, insight and the subtle ways spirit supports us.

Intention to Embody: Choosing to live from the heart again and again until it becomes second nature.

This is not about perfection. It’s about remembering, each day, that your focus and attention have creative power.

Living As Light: A Journey of Intentional Transformation

The Living As Light program was born out of this truth-that when we move intentionally through the stages of transformation, we begin to live from a higher frequency of being.

Each state of the journey offers a container for your intention:

A place to lay down old burdens

A space to deepen trust and surrender.

A path to embody the light you already are.

By showing up with intention, you shift the way energy flows in your life. What was once heavy begins to lighten. What felt unclear begins to shine with clarity. And what once seemed impossible, reveals itself as your next natural step.

The Invitation

If you feel called to walk this path, let your first intention be this: to meet yourself fully, here and now. From there, everything else unfolds.

The Living as Light journey isn’t about adding something new to you - it’s about remembering and reclaiming who you already are. Intention is the key that opens the door. Learn more here

Walking with Grief as a Teacher - Finding Grace on The Other Side of Anger

Grief is not an emotion – it is a sacred journey, a teacher and a mirror that reveals the depth of our humanity.  It takes us into tender spaces where time slows, asking us to sit with what has been lost and what has been transformed.  In its process, grief carries lessons of presence, patience and surrender.  It teaches us that healing is not about rushing to “get over it” but about allowing ourselves to walk through it with awareness and compassion.  When we honor grief as sacred time, we discover that is holds not only sorrow but also wisdom, resilience and the possibility of renewal.

One of the most challenging places on this path is anger.  As Elisabeth-Kubler Ross observed in her work on the states of grief, anger often becomes the stopping point because we are taught to fear it, repress it or turn it against ourselves or others.  Little girls are told it isn’t “pretty” to be angry; little boys are warned not to be “bullies”.  Yet anger is a natural and necessary part of grief – a sign that love has been disrupted and that something sacred within us demands expression. The key is not to deny or bypass it but to move through it consciously, allowing it to be constructive rather than destructive.  When anger is met with awareness, it becomes a doorway rather than a barrier.

On the other side of that doorway is profound acceptance, forgiveness and empowerment. Moving through grief with grace and consciousness reveals an inner strength we may not have known we possessed.  What begins as pain becomes a passageway into deeper compassion for ourselves and others who walk this universal path of loss.  In facing grief fully, we allow every stage of the process its voice, including anger and by doing so, we do not become diminished.  We become expanded, empowered and more whole.  Grief then is not the end of love but its alchemy, shaping us into beings who can hold both loss and light with open hearts.

Se amor – be love!

The Power of a Calm Nervous System

Imagine your body as a masterfully designed stringed instrument. When life is calm, the strings hum in harmony without assistance. However, when stress, grief and endless busyness are in the field, your body instrument, it can feel pulled too tight making every note it plays sharp and jarring.

Your nervous system is 1000% aligned with your body as it’s tuning fork. It remembers safety, rest and balance - but it can also forget if lifestyle choices keep you stuck in the busyness, emotional distortion and stress for too long..

Flower essences are like gentle hands that come to tune the strings back into harmony. They don’t force the change - they simply invite the body to remember it’s natural rhythm.

When you take a flower essences, you are not just ingesting a physical substance. You’re receiving the vibrational memory of a living blossom - the same memory that lets a plant reach for the sun, open it’s pedals and trust in the unseen forces that sustain life.

This week, give your nervious system a moment to exhale even if it is for only five minutes in the middle of your day. Hold a warm cup of cacao or tea and intentionally take three deep belly breaths in through your nose and slowly exhale through your mouth, Let your body remember what ease and grace feels like.

For more ways to bring vibrational medicine into your daily life, you can download our free ebook available on our website www.divinavida.co

Heart of Grace; A Quiet Companion

Grief has many faces…sometimes, it is a quiet ache…sometimes, it is a storm that catches you mid breath and sometimes, it is just the space left behind after love has shifted form.

When I created Heart of Grace, it wasn’t to “fix” grief because grief isn’t something that needs fixing. It is however, something that needs holding.

This flower essence blend brings together mimosa, the flower that teaches joy how to return, cacao which is the master heart opener reminding us the warmth that love brings us and peace lily the keeper of serenity in times of change. Together these three flower essences create a soft place for your spirit to rest while your hearts does it’s sacred work.

Heart of Grace will be available in early November but the journey can begin now. My free guide to flower essences will help you to understand how they work and why they are such profount allies in times of emotional transision. You can download the free ebook at www.divinavida.co.

Until then, know that healing is not about rishing forward. It is about giving yourself the grace to bloom again, in your own time.

A Conversation with the Heart

There is a place within you that speaks a language beyond words. It’s older than your mind, wiser than your logic and it beats in time with the rhythm of the earth. We call it the heart.

Science now tells us the heart has it’s own field of energy and intelligence. This energy field can be measured several feet outside the body. Imagine a garden that blooms and shifts with every feeling thought or memory that passes through your being. Flowers know how to listen and speak in this garden of your heart. No, not through sentences but through resonance. The way your heart remembers.

Flower essences work in this subtle, beautiful space. They are like an old familiar friend leaning in to whisper “you are safe, you are seen, you are loved”

This week, I invite you to notice your own hearts garden. What resides in your heart that possibly nature, the elements and the flowers can help shift for you. Feel the presence of any aspect of nature that speaks to you and allow it to find the places that need a soft embrace. If tears show up…let that energy move. You don’t even need to wrap your mind around the why and where did that come from scenario.

If you are wanting to explore this connection more deeply and to understand that this is truly ancient wisdom, please download my free guide that opens the doorway to flower essence healing and other forms of vibrational healing. You will learn their stories, their medicine and how you can begin your own journey with them.

The Subtle Healing Language of Flowers

There are medicines you can see hold in your hand and measure with a spoon. And, there are medicines that you feel. They slip past words and numbers, flowing instead into the quiet spaces inside of you - where grief rests, where joy stirs and where your nervious system remembers how to breath again.

Flower essences belong to this second kind of medicine.

They are not perfume, (often I have customers who open the bottle and smell it). They are really not even a tincture. They are the vibrational imprint of the living flower - the way it’s presence feels IN your body, captured in water, sun infused by nature and preserved so as to stabilize it for you to drink in.

If you have ever walked past a blooming tree and felt something shift in you - maybe you took a deep breath for the first time in awhile or you had a sudden memory that presented itself in your mind or you simply had an overwhelming feeling that all is right in the world for a moment then, you already know the language of flower essences.

It is a language of resonance, harmony and the way nature tunes you to her frequency.

I believe this is why flower essences meet us where other “medicines” cannot. They don’t force, they don’t demand - they invite and in that invitation, something inside of us shifts into the yes.

A Gentle Beginning: Heart of Grace

For those walking the tender road of grief - whether fresh or long lived, my flagship blend, Heart of Grace, was created as a companion. It holds the essences of mimosa, cacao and peace lily and is grounded in the crystalline structure of pink opal. Each of these elements serve as a quiet healer to the heart that is grieving.

Heart of Grace is not here to erase your grief. It is here to soften the edges, to help your nervious system release the held breath and to remind your spirit that even in sorrow, there is beauty.

This blend and it’s accompanying 5 day guide will be available for purchase in early November.

You can begin your journey of awareness with my free introductory ebook that opens the doorway to the history and the wisdom of vibrational medicine and how you can begin your own relationship with them now.

Get your free ebook about Vibrational Medicine on our homepage

In the months to come, I will be sharing more stories, rituals and teachings about vibrational medicine here on the blog. Each will offer you an invitation to learn, listen and remember what your body already knows. Healing can be as simple as a flower in bloom.

Distance Energy Sessions

“When the hands are further away, the Morphogenic Field is being accessed.  This field uses extremely high frequency energy to replace and regenerate all tissues.  This is how non-local healing is accomplished.” 

The concept of distance sessions has boggled the logical aspects of our brains!  However, there is more and more scientific research and data that is showing it works but we are just beginning to embark on the details of how it works.  Much of these explanations of “how” are coming from the quantum physics including dynamic systems theory, the Field, non-local  quantum hologram, time and space, universal hologram, etc.  Consider how long people have been praying; it has now been medically proven that prayers heal.  The healing energy of our thoughts intended for an ill person can actually change the energy frequencies that are causing dis-ease.

Most BodyTalk Practitioners utilize the techniques we learn in advanced training to facilitate distance healing sessions.  These techniques enable practitioners to access the alpha state, which utilizes the brain’s ability to draw upon the intuitive powers of the mind and tune into the client’s healing priorities. Given that everything in the universe is energy and frequencies, we simply tune into the frequency of the client to facilitate the session.  Think about how your computer can wirelessly connect to the internet or how we can operate the television with a remote or the garage door opener. It’s all energy frequencies tuned into one another to send and receive information. In this case the sender and receiver are both the client and practitioner.  The client is sending their energy frequency to the practitioner that tunes in and receives the information, listens to the client’s body’s priorities to heal and then observes the connections within the body that are going to re-establish harmony. The client then receives that information and their body makes the adjustments!

Once we understand that everything in the universe is connected to everything else in the universe and it is all accessible information, distance sessions become easy to understand and facilitate. Think about a set of twins and how even though they are miles apart, they just know when something happens to their sibling.  Any close family members or friends can have this type of connection. Similarly, studies of unborn children across the world from their fathers respond on ultrasound when something happens to their fathers.  This actually revolutionized the way people viewed the importance of father’s taking care of themselves, just as much as the mothers during pregnancy. In other scientific experiments live cells have been taken from the same person and taken miles away and what happens to one sample of cells is reflected also in the other sample of cells that nothing has happened to. We are far more connected than we realize, distance and time are not limiting factors. 

Biologist Rupert Sheldrake first presented his groundbreaking scientific theory of formative causation and morphic fields to the masses in his 1981 book,  A New Science of Life.  His theory took science beyond the limited mechanistic view that we are simply made up of matter and into a paradigm shift which expanded science to include observable evidence that we are also made of organizing fields. These fields are systems that self-organize, create structure, and have patterns.  Morphic fields are not a type of mass nor an energy, but are organized by energy.  Our morphic fields are made up of parts, which are in turn parts of wholes themselves. For example, cells in tissues, tissues in organs, organs in organisms, and organisms in social groups. Each is part of a whole, and that whole is a part of another whole. At each level the morphic field supports the structure of its whole, and organizes its parts (Sheldrake, Science Set Free).

Lisa has been offering distance sessions to clients for many years.  Her sessions include individuals, couples, animals (Animal Talk), corporations, environments such as homes, workspaces, crops (Plant Talk).  Literally, a balancing session can be done on any dynamic of energy.  If you are interested in a session with her, please visit her BodyTalk Costa Rica Facebook. Email to bodytalkcostarica@outlook.com or contact via Whatsap at 506 (country code) 8348-8286 to schedule an in person or distance session.  Credit to Sherry Gilbert, CBP content of this article.

Cacao...the Magic and the Mystery

Cacao..the Magic and the Mystery

Why do we love chocolate?  Why does it make us feel so good?  This is an amazing medicinal plant with so many complexities. In all honesty, as one of my number one plant allies, I will most likely write many blogs about this amazing medicine!  I get asked all the time “what is the difference between Cacao, Cocoa and Chocolate?” So, let’s address that right away.

 Cacao is the fruit of the Cacao Tree.  The pod starts as a very tiny flower and grows into a pod. The beans grow inside the pods which grow in abundance on the Cacao Tree.  The pod houses the beans covered in “cacao honey” (third image on the right).  The honey is what ferments the bean to make it so healthy and tasty.   Cacao becomes cocoa once it is no longer in bean form so, when we make a powder out of it, it becomes cocoa.  Cacao or cocoa become chocolate when milk and sugar are added.  Many artisanal cacao bean to bar producers use the term Cacao as their bar is usually 100% cacao, made from nibs.  Of course, the less sugar and milk, the stronger the medicine, with the actual bean being the best whole food medicine.  In this blog, I will use the term cacao as that is what we call our 100% products here on our farm in Costa Rica.

So, why do we love it so much?   According to an article written by Chris Wellham, The Medical Hunter, chocolate gets right to the heart of sexual pleasure by increasing the brain’s level of serotonin, the feel-good brain chemical.  Serotonin plays a major role in positive mood, emotional health, proper sleep and balanced appetite.  Decreased serotonin is a well known factor of depression.  Women appear to be more sensitive to chocolate than men, and so this could explain why chocolate is craved during PMS and the “moon cycle”,  when our serotonin levels are often lowered.  As Chris points out, one of the most influential compounds in chocolate is PEA, phenethylamine.  This chemical, which occurs in chocolate in small quantities, stimulates the nervous system and releases endorphins.  PEA also potentiates the activity of dopamine, a neuro-chemical directly associated with sexual pleasure. 

“After water, cocoa is the single healthiest substance you can put in your mouth. It can easily replace a number of psychiatric drugs for mood, plus it produces the same chemistry in the brain that occurs when we fall in love.” - Chris Kilham, WellBella

 

The popular drug cannabis (marijuana), contains a group of compounds called cannabinoids.  Of these, THC or tetrahydrocannabinol, causes the “high” associated when the plant is consumed.  Cannabiniods are found in only two other places.  One is in the human brain, where a mind altering cannbinoid named anandamide is manufactured.  This same extraordinary chemical is also found in chocolate. 

Anandamines’ name comes from the Sanskrit word, ananda, which means bliss.  Cannabis and chocolate and the human brain all share this bliss inducing agent.  In the human brain, ananadamide binds to the same receptor sites as THC from cannabis.  Anadamide produces a feeling of euphoria or that blessed out feeling we get when we consume chocolate.

I will address the many cannabinoids and receptor sites in the body at much more depth when we chat about the medicinal power of Hemp. Considered one of the worlds “Super Foods” and “Food of the Gods,” Cacao has over 700 known compounds for healing.  A few of the healing qualities are as follows:

• Antioxidant

            • Neurotransmitter repair

•Amino Acids and micronutrients such as magnesium, iron and zinc

• Cardiovascular health

• Healthy fats

• Thermogenic aid for weight loss

The Ancient Mayans and Aztecs used Chocolate for Spiritual and Ceremonial purposes.  In its purest form, raw and 100% cacao,  is a powerful aid when one is doing their “inner work”, especially if that inner work includes heart-based healing, as Cacao is the heart opener. Strong and powerful heart opening happens when you set your intention to heal with the medicine of Cacao.  The actual medicine is due to the “theobromide” that is in each bean.  Theobroma cacao means “Food of the Gods.”

Nutritional Value of Cacao

Cacao is rich in minerals such as iron, magnesium, calcium, phosphorous, copper and manganese. It is also a good source of selenium, potassium, and zinc while providing the body with carbohydrates, protein, and dietary fiber. In addition to this, the cholesterol content in it is almost negligible. It contains cacao butter, which is a mixture of monounsaturated fats like oleic acid and saturated fats, namely stearic acid and palmitic acid.

 

Antioxidant Capacity

A comparative research study has shown that cacao has higher antioxidant activity than black tea, green tea, and red wine. Antioxidants help to neutralize the oxygen-based free radicals that are present in the body. In addition to this, it is abundant in phenolic phytochemicals and possesses a high amount of flavonoids as well.

Improves Brain Health

Scientists have suggested that cacao may also have many benefits towards a healthier brain. Findings show that the neuro-protective benefits could also help with learning and memory functions, mainly because the cacao increases the flow of blood to the brain, which has the potential for curing vascular disorders.

 

Balances Cholesterol Levels

Cacao has hypoglycemic and hypocholesterolemic effects on both glucose and cholesterol levels, respectively. A diet containing it has also shown a reduction in triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, and glucose level.  At the same time, levels of healthy HDL cholesterol increased during testing.

 

Treats Diabetes

The consumption of cacao has been shown to be effective in improving insulin resistance and glucose metabolism. This, in turn, aids in regulating sugar levels in the body.  Free radicals aggravate diabetic complications by promoting oxidative stress, leading to cell and tissue damage. The free radical scavenging activity of cacao has shown therapeutic effects in treating and preventing this sort of cellular injury

 

Relieves Bronchial Asthma

Cacao beans contain xanthine and theophylline, which aid in relaxing bronchial spasms and opening constricted bronchial tubes. This facilitates an easy flow of air and is valuable in curing various allergies, including asthma and shortness of breath.

 

Manages Obesity

A study has shown the potential benefits of cacao in preventing high-fat diet-induced obesity. Consuming 100%  cacao helps in modulating lipid metabolism and reducing the synthesis and transport of fatty acids. Cacao has shown to improve thermogenesis, the mechanism of heat production in white adipose tissues and the liver.

 

Enhances Mood

Consuming cacao has shown antidepressant-like effects on certain physiological processes. Studies have shown that cacao flavonols help to enhance mood, combat depression, and promote improved cognitive activities during persistent mental stress. The presence of the neurochemical phenylethylamine in it also helps in enhancing feelings of contentment and promoting aphrodisiac effects.

 

Improves Cardiovascular Health

Studies have shown that cacao exerts beneficial effects on cardiovascular health as well. It is rich in flavonoids namely, procyanidin, catechin, and epicatechin, which have antioxidant properties and help in protecting the cells from damage while strengthening the heart. It also aids in improving endothelial function and stimulating the beneficial HDL cholesterol. It helps in preventing the formation of fatal blood clots, which can lead to stroke or cardiac failure. Blood platelets play an important role in cardiovascular disorders. Flavonoids present in cacao possess anti-platelet aggregating effects and modulate primary hemostasis, which is the measure of time blood takes to clot. All these health effects help in preventing the proliferation of various medical conditions like atherosclerosis and thrombosis, which are some of the prime causes of more serious cardiovascular diseases.

 

Treats Constipation

Research studies have demonstrated that the consumption of cacao husk exerts therapeutic effects in treating chronic constipation and bowel function diseases. As per the study done on pediatric patients, consumption of fiber-rich cacao products resulted in faster colonic, rectal and intestinal transit times. Another study also advocated that regular consumption of cacao products have shown to encourage better bowel function by a reduction in time to have bowel movements, increase the frequency of bowel movements, and make a softer consistency of stool without inducing any other side effects like gastrointestinal discomfort or abdominal pain.

 

Prevents Cancer

Cacao has demonstrated beneficial effects in inhibiting the growth of cancer cells without effecting the growth of normal healthy cells. Studies have provided evidence regarding the chemopreventive and anti-proliferative qualities exerted by the flavonols and procyanidins present in cacao. These healing effects have proven extremely valuable in the treatment of various types of cancer, including colon cancer and prostate cancer.

 

Reduces Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Cacao has been shown to exert calming effects on people suffering from chronic fatigue. The attenuating effects of cacao are attributed to the release of neurotransmitters like serotonin, anandamide, and phenylethylamine in the brain, which exert protective effects from oxidative stress on the neuronal cells and helps in combating chronic fatigue syndrome.

 

Skin Care

Cacao has also been found to be effective in maintaining good skin health. Research findings suggest that the consumption of flavonol-rich cacao helps in decreasing the effects of UV- induced erythema and reducing skin roughness and scaling. It also aids in enhancing skin elasticity, hydration, and density. Another study confirmed that epicatechin present in cacao aids in elevating the oxygen saturation of hemoglobin, stimulating the healthy flow of blood in the dermal tissues, and contributing to endogenous photo-protection. It is used in the preparation of various skin care products.

 

Treats Neurodegenerative Disorders

The presence of major flavonols like epicatechin and catechin in cacao has shown beneficial effects in treating neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. Research findings suggest that these phytochemicals have synergistic qualities, which aid in reducing the oxidative stress on the mind. This helps in preventing neuronal cell damage and exerts a protective effect on the cellular membrane against cytotoxicity.

 

Prevents Magnesium Deficiency Effects

Another benefit of cacao products is their role in preventing the ill effects of a magnesium deficiency in the body. An investigative research study has confirmed that the regular consumption of cacao products may prove beneficial in preventing the adverse effects caused due to a diet lacking in magnesium for an extended period of time.

Uses Of Cacao

Cacao mulch is a by-product and is produced from the discarded shells of cacao beans. Mulch is valuable in efforts to reduce weeds, regulate the temperature of the soil, prevent soil erosion, and increase the nutritive value of the soil. Roasting cacao beans releases its shells, which are further used to produce cacao mulch. Cacao mulch is rich in naturally available macro-nutrients such as potassium, phosphorous and nitrogen, all of which are valuable for plant health. Cacao beans have water retention capability which lends it to being protective of the impending fire.

Cacao – An Important Word of Caution

It has been my experience that when one consumes too many cacao beans at one sitting, the digestive system will tell you to stop as you may become nauseated.  There is also a small amount of caffeine in cacao which could affect your sleeping patterns.

Cacao, Retreats and More

Well, it has been awhile since I’ve chatted and updated. 2018 was a time of building a strong foundation here at the finca with production goals and lots and lots of planting. We have expanded the cacao planting to nearly 1200 trees, the guanabana to nearly 130 trees and our turmeric plantings to over 2000 plants.

The farm opened to tours in early 2018 and we enjoy showing off all the beauty and abundance of this magnificent and magical place. So, for cacao, we have added the recipes from the teas directly into a small vegan bar as well as or CBD oil infused chocolate bars. Our chocolate making teacher Gabrielle has entered our bars in a very prestigious competition in London and we will know in July if we win , place of show….but at least we showed up. Any accolades go strictly to Flory and her willingness to learn and create new and better ways of chocolate making. While it is in her DNA as third generation cacao farmer, she is first generation chocolate maker and we are so blessed that she loves her work!

We are now ready to open the healing home to those ready for lifestyle transformation using nature, sound, nutrition, energy work, body work and more. Please see our website for details on our retreats. We are pleased to add the gifts and talents of Adri our chef AND yoga instructor. She is a blessing to everything she touches and we are thrilled that she has said yes to Finca Divina Vida and we are certain our guests will be equally blessed by her love.

Journey to here...

What a journey it has been!  When I first arrived in Costa Rica, I believed I would be building a meditation/healing retreat center.  As these kinds of centers are abundant here, the country had a different plan for me.  First, I was to sit...do nothing..simply be... FOR EIGHT MONTHS!  While waiting for direction, I was able to connect with nature, fall in love with the birds, the plants, the monkeys and yes, even the insects...am still working on falling in love with the snakes.   Inspiration and insight finally came.

After deep reflection, connection and surrender, my passion for plant medicine came surging through my veins.  I attended a local plant medicine course here which further inspired me to the amazing medicine.  Following that inspiration, I attended a two week permaculture course and found an even deeper connection to all that is on the finca.  I found so much medicine and wisdom within the community I landed in and felt blessed to listen, trust and learn from these amazing locals.  See, I didn't land in the Costa Rican rainforest like most who end up in communities of fellow expats or, at least, neighbors that they know who speak English...oh no, I moved to a community way up in the mountains where I am the only gringa for miles!  Did I mentioned I don't speak Spanish...oh, so wishing I had learned when my brain was younger.  Fortunately for me though through total immersion, an angel for a farm manager and an amazing Spanish teacher,  progress is being made to teach an old dog a new language!!!

One of my main goals in my village is to empower the women by making available lessons in English, teaching them business skills, connecting them together with a common goal that benefits everyone...thus, the tea company.  Flory, the Operations Manager handles all aspects of business with oversight by me.  Our goal is to employ as many of the local woman to come together to learn, grow and nurture each other,  the tea company, our other products and to run the company as a community rather than simply as employees.  Much of the profit from the teas is going back into community projects such as the remodel of the church, the expansion of resources in a village with no water or phone lines.  There is always a need and we hope to be there to fill the needs that we can.

It is my great honor to be in this magical place with these magical people at this magnificent point in my life!!!  Pura Vida....Divina Vida!