Life Update

Hi!

I wanted to share a little life update with you. As many of you know, my daughter is in her senior year of high school (cue the proud mom tears and the how-did-we-get-here-so-fast disbelief). This year comes with a whirlwind of events, college applications, and milestones that I don’t want to miss—so I’ll be stepping back a bit from my usual full schedule of sessions.

Don’t worry, I’m not disappearing! I’ll still be offering appointments, just in a more limited way. Think of it as me practicing what I preach—honoring the seasons of life, creating balance, and tending to the heart as much as the to-do list.

If you’d like to schedule, I recommend booking early since spots will be fewer than usual. And if you don’t see something open right away, check back or reach out—I’ll do my best to find a time that works.

Thank you so much for your understanding and support while I focus on being present for my daughter’s big year. I’m excited to keep working with you (with maybe just a little extra coffee and tissues on my end).

Blessings!

Jill

A Sacred Walk in Sedona

There is a sacredness to getting lost within ourselves. We avoid this great freedom by busying ourselves with meaningless tasks and prioritizing things that don’t add value to the luxury of life.

In the quiet of our mind, and within the silence of walking and observation, the feelings and sensations in our bodies join together to form a singular voice; our souls song. When we are busied and have outside distraction, that voice is fragmented. When we can find quiet, mindful connection, the fragments become clear and singular. Our body responds to this unified voice and begins to move to the chorus and rhythm of this song. This is how we find our way to our passion, our calling, our souls work.

When we first begin to listen, the feelings that come can be uncomfortable and new. It may stir emotions that feel foreign and difficult to process. We can shift focus and self sabotage so we don’t have to look at the discomfort. Avoidance will only make the lesson harder to learn and this shift more painful. Trust the process. Release and lean into it.

Sedona, Arizona has been a place that I frequently go back to because of the energy and pull I feel from the land, its otherworldly majestic beauty, and the history of the people that once lived here.

The mountains that surround this mesmerizing landscape hold secrets of an ancient people and loss of water that is clearly evident by the deserted rock-filled streams and byways.

The ancient ruins that exist in and around Sedona are up in the hills and not easy to get too. They were once occupied by the ancient Sinagua and Ancestral Pueblo people. These ruins can be see up close along with cave paintings and remnants of broken pottery. Tucked under the rock face, these dwellings continue to exist because of the dry climate and limited exposure to rain. Being up close and personal with these ancient structures and cave paintings is liken to taking a walk back in time.

As I hiked these magnificent mountains with my companions, we took opportunities to meditate and journey, to connect with the land and the secrets it holds.

Those moments, together on the land, and connecting with its long forgotten people, will forever be etched in my soul. It was a homecoming.

Prior to our travel to Arizona, I did a lot of research on the trails, mountains and canyons that I was called to explore. When we arrived, I quickly realized that my research paid off!

Our first hike was to Boynton Canyon with a side trek to ancient ruins and Subway Cave. This 7-mile journey was our first walk back in time and started us on a 4-day spiritual deep dive. We climbed up to the ledge of an ancient cave dwelling and meditated. Our descent from that cave gave us a new perspective for the purpose of this tucked away place and the people who congregated there.

Our second day hike was the start of a photoshoot with the amazing Visual Brand Strategist Julie Gile and Model Misty Nagen. We hiked Soldiers Pass to take advantage of the open landscape views and get access to the Seven Sacred Pools.

The path leading to the pools was full of cactus and agave, deep orange/red packed dirt and a path of stone that was smooth from water that once covered the landscape. All around us the peaks of mountains with graduated bands of color created an otherworldly backdrop.

That evening we hiked to the Airport mesa for the glowing light at sunset. THIS is the place to take in the STUNNING sunsets of Arizona and the full Sedona skyline.

It was here we drummed, rattled, got painted and felt the embrace of the land and wind of the sky. It was emotion filled... drumming over the mountain and feeling the wind answer, “we hear you…we see you”.

Our final hike was back to Soldiers Pass and Brim Mesa Trail. This is where we were guided off trail by the spirit of the land which brought us out to our own private mesa via a dried riverbed. (Video Below)

This tucked away mesa is not obvious to hikers and we would have walked right past its entrance had it not been the for the sprit of the mountain and its people telling me to “stop” and redirecting my focus.

When I turned my body to look in another direction, I clearly heard “this is the way”…and began to follow the voice. My amazing companions fully trusting, followed. It was incredibly powerful to be guided and brought to our place of ceremony. It was a wonderful lesson in trust that ended with tears of gratitude and love.

The hike on that final day was a total of nine miles with a 1200ft elevation climb. It is a hike of endurance and stunning landscape. We were all tired by the end and welcomed the beautifully curated and natural food of the Chocola Tree (a favorite of Julie’s). There is something quite special about eating food that is made with intention in a space curated for the spiritually minded.

The Video from our walk with Spirit

On our last evening, we each made a Despacho to show appreciation for our journey and the many lessons during our stay in Sedona. These beautiful bundles were burned and given to the Divine, Pachamama, the spirit of the land, its ancestors, the great mountains that surrounded us and wonderful guidance that showed us the way.

As we packed our bags to leave, we made a final stop and said our goodbyes by meditating and connecting at Amitabha Stupa Peace Park. It was in this place we individually had a moment of prayer and meditation and then came together to meditate and chant in unison.

I recorded the sounds and my personal chanting from the Amitabha Stupa Peace Park and uploaded it to my podcast. If you are curious, you can check that out here...Breaking Beyond- Guided Meditation.

When I feel the emotion stir and the direction I am supposed to move begin to shift me, I pause. Fear and self sabotage are my greatest enemies. They like to remind me of past hurts and “what if” scenarios. *deep sigh* I have learned that I have to ask for help and I must listen to the guidance coming from within. (Feel your body! It speaks truth.) The chanting that morning and feeling the conclusion of my journey, brought me peace in the emotional chaos and solidified the “who am I?” questioning in my mind.

I feel blessed to have the consistency of great friendships and family who hear the chorus of my souls song… sometimes better than I do. When you connect more deeply within, your energy expands and you begin to connect to the teachings of the lessons and the energy around you assisting. Embrace it!

My calling in this life is to be a Shaman. A person who walks between this world and the world of spirit to bring healing. The land, our ancestors, the elementals, and the great guardian spirits have so much to teach us. They are only waiting to be asked. My hope, for each of us, is that we can each find a way to listen to our soul's song, connect to it and find our way home.

Divinity lives within us all. We just need to listen.

Many blessings, Jill

Photo credit: Julie Gile Photography, Misty Nagen, Brenda Matthew, and myself

The Meditation Studio

Owning a space to gather people together has been a deeply held desire for a very long time. When I started my meditation practice seven years ago it was completely virtual. My practice thrived in that virtual world but I always desired a brick and mortar place to bring others together.

At the start of 2021, I could feel things shifting in my practice. I could feel a change coming but wasn't sure what it was or even how to prepare. With little guidance or vision from my spiritual team, I just went with what ever presented and let connection lead.

By March I was seeing a local photographers face and name everywhere! I took it as a sign I could no longer ignore and reached out. I knew I needed new pictures, perhaps this was the push to update my visual media and website. We arranged for discussion/deep strategy dive into what I do, what my expectations were and what my plans were for the pictures. I really wanted photos that showed what I do as a shamanic practitioner that would help answer questions for my clients and students.

In June of 2021 we started! This day was the start of a beautiful friendship and our first shoot. I'm not the most comfortable in front of a camera and don't do well posing so I did what I know best; I started working. Julie captured some of the most amazing pictures of me doing the thing I love most, healing.

Following a more clinical type shoot we shifted our focus to the water to show off some of my work with my medicine bag, also known as a Mesa. During that amazing photoshoot we had an "illegal" fire ceremony on the beach (great shots though!), a romp in the woods with some mischievous fairies and created a Despacho (prayer bundle). This woman was all about just seeing me have fun and being my most authentic self.

What was all of this leading up to? Well I didn't know. I only knew I wanted to improve my website and create a photo library to illustrate more of what I do for students and prospective clients.

That August...I still hadn't really done ANYTHING with my photos. I launched into my next 8-week meditation class and got down to work. Around this time, my photographer invited me to a sound bath. I'm always a bit nervous networking and meeting new people and wasn't exactly excited to go. I have always had a hard time articulating a response to "what do you do?" and avoid situations that force me to answer and navigate the response to that question. Despite my nerves, I went and I'm so grateful for that invite. That beautiful night set me on the path to intersect with others who are truly meant to be in my world and set the wheels in motion for my next big adventure.

A week or so after the sound bath, I received a call from a wonderful woman (I actually met at the sound bath) informing me of a small studio space coming available in downtown De Pere. It sounded amazing and I had every intention of following up on it... but I didn't. (insert the eye roll from my guides here)

Two weeks later I receive a text message from the tenant of that space asking to meet! He felt I would be a great fit and wanted to see me in the space. We met in mid September and since then I have been full steam ahead in a whirlwind of opening a studio, launching a new website, and figuring out A LOT of things I didn't have to consider before. (in case you're wondering...YES, I finally put those amazing photos to use!)

On December 4th I opened my doors and welcomed my first students. At 6:30AM they filled my studio with their rosy cheeks and smiles ear to ear. It was honestly a dream come true.

I have so much to be grateful for. I truly want to recognize the brilliance and deep soulful beauty of my dear friend and photographer, Julie Gile. Her guidance and friendship are a big part of my saying yes and launching into this space.

The "Studio" is a space for healing. It's a meditation space but it's so much more than that. It is a space to gather, to hone your personal practice, to be with like minded people, and to get some accountability. It is a place to just be.

Do me a favor, say "YES" when the opportunity comes and walk through the door to greatness. You'll be glad you did! See you at The Studio!

The Studio Schedule:

Wednesday's	6:30-7:30PM
Saturday's	6:30-7:30AM
	7:45-8:45AM
	9:00-10AM

Photos by Julie Gile Photography,

Check out Julie!

By: Jill Lemke January, 2022