In April, 2014, Joanne Keeshig wrote to me via email and shared her reflections on the life experience that showed up for her earlier in the year. Her letter is a very poignant example of how our life experiences present “for a reason”. She has given me permission to share her experience and reflections with all of you.

Aanii Diane,

I am writing to you from the hospital where I have been for the past week looking after my mom. She is palliative. I’ve been up here at Cape since early in January.

I ended 2013 and started 2014 saying this is my year. The year to do what I need and want for me; why then am I here looking after someone else? Not that I would choose to be anywhere else at this time. However, reflecting back to the transition from 2013 to 2014 and remembering what I said, causes me to say ‘hey wait a sec’. And as I remembered this and reflected, I recognized that there is unfinished business or rather culturally conditioned values, beliefs and attitudes that I need to become aware of within me as a result of my experiences with my family system. I realized that I needed to be aware where my body resonates and then breathe and acknowledge whatever it is so I can l move forward.

In the time that I’ve been here at Cape, I’ve answered a question that you asked me during the Level 2 program at Christian Island. You asked, “What do you enjoy? What brings you joy?” Well, I learned that I like to work with my hands. Since I’ve been here, I have been knitting and crocheting. I’ve even made bread. So in finally acknowledging this and being honest with myself, even tho, I like the money at the school board not to mention the pension and benefits, I am not completely happy there. I am still doing what I think other people would like me to do and not what I want to do.

What I want to do is to work for myself using my hands and to do what I enjoy and what I am good at. It seems I have always felt I had to choose one or the other but never both. And because I am not formally trained or have the work experience in the area of healing and wellness, I continue to go to the default program and work at teaching or safe jobs. So I realize I have been lacking self-confidence in a gift I know I have and in doing things I am good at and do well.

About a week ago, I was in Toronto to see to my apartment. While there and taking a shower, I heard a thought that said, "Just put what you can do on a business card". So following that thought, I contacted the girl who wanted to market me when she was supply teaching at the Headstart. She’s sending me a package soon. And I did do a business card and started to flesh out a business plan. It took the whole day on Tuesday to make the cards complete with logo and list of services.

I was intending to stay longer in the city to take care of my apartment but things with mom got intense and she was taken to the hospital. So I rushed back to mom. I have been here since staying in her room and being there to reassure her. She has lots of anxiety and this drives her intensity. Anyway it seemed that once I acknowledged my gift of working with my hands everything felt so natural! To top it off, a junk email I received on the first morning of being at the hospital with my mom had in its subject line "Helena, You are a healer" (my legal first name is Helena). I took this as an affirmation. So now I am contemplating a move which will allow me to manifest my business. And there was something else, a nurse mentioned to me that she is 51 and that nursing is a new career for her.

Since I’ve been here at the hospital with my mom, keeping her company and helping in her care, I’ve been wondering where everyone else is, my sibs mostly. Now I figure the time has been just for me and mom. I have had some real special moments with mom. And as my friend said to me, "I am here holding the space for my mom.” I am enabling her to put her bundle together as she prepares for her transition back to the Spirit. But for sure, this situation is creating within me an awareness of issues within our family system and its dynamics. I know I am learning lots and will be a different person because of it. I know my younger sister is reflecting back to me, my need to claim my personal power and to speak my truth. My challenge is how to do it with a kind firmness while keeping everyone or whoever intact, without hurting them in the process.

What am I learning in this time with my mom as I watch her struggle with pain and discomfort? I am learning about love. Every time I look at her, I see a most beautiful woman and I realize she is a reflection of the love I want in my life. For the first real time, I feel love. And I know this experience is changing me and pushing me to my fullest potential.

Originally as I began this letter, it was to say, “Hey help me figure this out, cause I’m not sure.” What it’s turning into is me recognizing and acknowledging myself; an acceptance of me for me.

It’s 4 a.m. and mom is resting comfortably for the first time in a long time. Up until now, she has been in a lot of pain and anxiety. At 8:30 a.m. this morning we are, as a family, meeting with the doctor to discuss what the options are as far as medications are concerned. There is no wiggle room as she has very fragile kidney function and the kind of meds needed to keep her comfortable will compromise what function is left. And once her kidneys are gone, then we’ll have about a week before she leaves.

So, Miigwech Diane for giving me the tools I needed and for helping me to prepare for this time in my life. Jo

Early this morning on Sunday, June 1, 2014, Joanne’s mother passed away. Jo wrote this Facebook message and then texted me to let me know….

Thinking of my mom. I am so proud of her to have completed her life’s journey with such dignity and grace. I am so honoured to have been part of her journey, to have sat with her, cared for her, spending long nights in the hospital. That she would allow me to hold her in times of anxiety and fearfulness. There wasn’t anything that I wouldn’t do for this most extraordinary woman, this Ogitchidaa Kwe, this doorway through which generations of life have poured forth. Miigwech Mom, Baamaanpii kowaabmigo

Thanks Jo for sharing and for being who you are! Sending you love, light and huge hugs to wrap you in warmth and kindness! Diane

The following testimonial was sent to me on April 26, 2014 by Amanda Bird via text message. She has given me her full permission (her name and all) to share with all of you. It demonstrates the powerful capacity of the body to change our lives!

"I just had one of the worst dreams of my life. It was very violent in all the ways that people can be violent. I was being abused, watching abuse, and giving abuse. I saw a few people in my life today behaving as tho’ this was no big deal. They were talking to me with a matter of fact attitude which did not match the circumstances in the dream. It was extremely disturbing….I woke up breathing like you taught us, before I was even fully awake my body was breathing and processing.

I have been working on what we talked about the other day and lots of energies have been moving. I’ve gone thru some big energy movement on all chakra centres and just kept telling myself to stay with me and not to give up on me and to keep breathing and keep expressing. What came to me once I really woke up was all the reflections (back to me) I did not see from those who are closest to me. I saw myself as a child and thru all of the stages of my life…the words that came were….the words related to what was passed on to me. Life has either been shoved in my hand or ripped out of my hand and so I carried that have been living the same way without being able to see me until now. I saw me and I saw my innocence. I was able to separate myself from my life traumas and see that it was just a "thing" (energy) that I have been carrying. This is energy that I don’t need to understand, but to just let go of. I realized that I have been either forcing life in or out, rarely accepting it with peace and love and rarely giving it with peace and love. This is a very big realization but I finally saw it!

Yaw:ko for your work! I am grateful that you do what you do and have shared with me and so many people. I have finally understood from an energy level about all of this! Mentally, I’ve known for awhile, suddenly my job, my relationships, and my self came clearer….and I could see what was underneath them. I saw my "MIND" and the dysfunctions it holds on to.

Everyday I have been meditating and practicing opening up to the universe. I have been learning to let go of the tug of war with life! In doing this, I have been finding my inner power and inner strength and love that is all connected to the universe and runs smooth and easy and in peace. Today, I cried tears of happiness because the vision that came thru my meditation was of myself as a spiritual teachers which is aligned with my name, kunalunkwastla-compassion. It felt amazing to me. I saw how that fits into everything that I do and everything that I AM. This is what I have learned from you….to accept myself, stay with myself and to pay attention to the signal. Yaw:ko Diane! This is the best healing work that I’ve done so far and the most peaceful kind I must add!"

And then again on May 2, 2014, Amanda texted me yet again:

Over the past few days, I’ve been able to see ego….Edging God Out! Also to see why I chose the parents I did and the experiences I chose to have thru this life-time. What a compassionate spirit I am to have been so brave enough to choose all that I have been through! Today, I saw the separation between the light that I AM & what we know as personality, from the level of the self-conditioned self. If we are unable to let go of the labels of personality and the things we think we are (and should be), then we can’t be the "I AM". The I AM that I AM is not tied down! I am always evolving….I’m beaming Diane and right now, I feel unburdened by all of the stories that the ego tells me! Now that’s an incredible place to stand! I don’t have all the answers and I don’t know what’s coming next and I’m not trying to get anywhere! This feels just wonderful! Man o’ man, have I been moving!

Amanda…I’m so happy that you have recognized what it means to be free of the ego! Your internal shifting and recognition of the "I AM" that "You ARE" just keeps on getting better and better! I am very moved by the growth of your consciousness and your freedom from the stories of your past that the ego loves to tell you!

The journey thru life for those of us who choose this path does keep getting better as we open and evolve ourselves spiritually. New opportunities will and do present themselves to us. We don’t always need to know where we are going or how we’re going to get there! But, Amanda, you will remember that in our conversation you did ask for more. I believe that this experience….(that you have shared with me and now with the others who will receive this post)…IS MORE!

And as you know, there will continue to be more and more coming your way as you continue to open, to unfold yourself and to move out into the world feeling safe, peaceful and protected! There is much abundance in the world and now that you are free from the stories that the ego tells you, I know that you will be able to see the abundance in all of its forms and to see more of what has been waiting for you! Yours is a powerful experience with a powerful outcome! Thanks for sharing! Diane

Hello friends!

A search for this YouTube video link was inspired by Janet Antone’s testimonial! In short, Janet adopted a new behaviour and then she started teaching her mother about the Quantum Energy Integration process that helped Janet to change her life! So, please check out this link:
http://youtu.be/POBEax0cdpQ

It would seem that we have an amazing opportunity to shift human consciousness!

About a year ago, I took quite an emotional hit at work and had to quit and move back home with my parents. At age 25, I was feeling like a failure and felt hopeless that I would ever be able to live the life I wanted to have. This situation led to three months of me being home sleeping away the majority of the day. I was moving no more than 5 feet from my bed and crying at the drop of the hat over everything and everyone. My mind never seemed to slow down with constant thoughts of "what will people think" or "does everyone hate me?" I felt like I was going crazy!

Then last November, I switched to SOAHAC as my healthcare provider and was diagnosed with mild depression and a moderate level of anxiety. With this new diagnosis, I began seeing a mental health worker and then, the pills started which helped my racing mind slow down. Although I was able to regain some light to my life, I hit a point where I questioned, "Is this all that I have to look forward to in my life? Just being content with what’s happening and how I’m living?"

Then, something amazing happened! My worker who had been suggesting that I go to Quantum healing mentioned this again and this time I said, "Yes" while thinking, "What could it hurt?" In mid-January of 2014, my first Quantum Energy Integration workshop happened at SOAHAC and I was one of a couple of people who were taking their first level one program. By the end of the 3 days, it was like someone had switched a light on! My mind became clearer! I realized I wanted more and it just so happened that a Level 2 program was happening only two weeks after my level 1. I signed up and boy, another big change happened! I realized that everything in life was possible and I was even more clear than I had ever been in my life! Again, I wanted even more! So, I was able to get on the list for an upcoming session at Oneida and there, I got clear on a lot of things for myself! I was able to let go of my need for validation and truly be open to the life that I wanted and knew I deserved. I BECAME AWAKE and READY! In declaring this, this is when things in my life truly took a turn! Up until this point, I was still lost on the job front. Not wanting to give myself away again to a job, I kept saying no to offers, then out of no where an old contact told me that she had so much work that she didn’t have time to do her own job. I took what she said as a sign so I emailed her and asked her to consider hiring me as her assistant to help take that load off of her. Using the quantum model and realizing, "I want this and I’m taking it! And if she says no, then that’s okay too, but I’m asking for what I want!" Then, the most amazing thing happened, she said yes! To make a long story short, I just finished writing out my own job description and that task helped me to answer another question that I had about myself. I found out that, "I am pretty talented and smart you guys!" Now I am able to work at a job where I can set my own hours at a pay I’ve always wanted!

In total, I’ve done 5 quantum workshops since January spanning levels 1 & 2 and all I can say is that I AM NOW AWAKE! I can get my own answers to the questions that I ask as long as I’m willing to see AND to stay out of my intellect/ego by NOT trying to figure things out! My answers just show up! And I have even better news! As of two weeks ago, I’ve been off my anti-anxiety medication and I’ve been doing just fine! I feel the feelings and various energies in my body and just breathe through them. I’ve even been passing along the quantum model to my mom to help her get clear as well! It’s great to have someone in the house who knows what I’m talking about! Even though staying in the body is not always easy because my ego tries to get in there whenever I take an energy hit to the body, I’ve learned that I can catch it and quiet the ego down and heal myself.

I am SO GRATEFUL for this model of wellness as it’s saved my life and brought me back to my authentic self for the first time! This program has also blessed me with a friend in Diane.

Janet Antone, Oneida of the Thames First Nation, April 16, 2014

The following is a comment made by one of the participants after she took part in the quantum energy integration program entitled, Ka’nikonhriyohtshera: Fostering Emergence of the Good Mind. She even gave me permission to post a photo of her artistic creation!

Just wanted to share one of the paintings that have come about since I was in the workshop…my creative block is gone!