SpiritWalks

Reconnecting to Self through Nature and Personal Ceremony

I had the inspiration to create SpiritWalks in 1996, while serving as the Director of the Emotional Support Program at New Mexico AIDS Services. Six of my clients were women who had lost a loved one to AIDS – 2 sisters, 2 mothers and 2 wives. Having experienced many important deaths in my life, I knew that talking was only a small part of the way through grief, and I wanted to do something different for them, something having to do with Nature, which had always nurtured me, as well as providing a means for personal ceremony. I created GriefWalk. After walking the path for several days, selecting key spots along the way for personal ceremony, the day of the Walk finally came, and it was perfect. Nature showed up in a magical way and facilitated deep grief work. These beautiful women whole-heartedly participated in opening to their pain and love. I felt so honored. If any of the women who were there are reading this, Thank You!

It was such a powerful day; I knew I had to do more. I knew it was a calling and I became passionate about it!

I soon created and developed several other Walks, and put them all under the umbrella of SpiritWalks. Though there are themes to each Walk, no two are alike. Each is catered to the individual and is different from any other.

These Walks include:

GriefWalk

• Who are you in your life without the loved one you have lost?
• What unfinished business do you have with this person?
• What qualities have you gained from knowing him or her?
• How can you grow through this profound pain?
• How can you take care of yourself through these tidal waves of grief?

The GriefWalk is a day long journey using Nature as metaphor. We will walk in the woods, each step meaningful, each step mindful of the loss, each earth symbol a message to assist you through your grief. Unfinished business with your loved one will be addressed as well as who you are now, what the rest of your life holds, and where the blessings are in your grief. (Individual or group)

Walk Your Change

A one-on-one experience

Give yourself the gift of a full day (or two) of focused attention to your personal process in the nurturing forest. Walk Your Change is about taking your next step, and going a level deeper into your life journey. Let Nature show you what that is.

• What is your life purpose?
• Where are you on that path?
• Where do you want to be?
• What is stopping you?
• What qualities do you need to develop to walk through your resistance?

Using Nature’s guidance, we will explore these questions.

Walking Your Decades

This walk typically takes place at the beginning of a new decade. It involves some homework before it takes place. First you write reflectively about the decades you have lived so far – the major events, the important people, the feelings, your guides.

• What are the gifts you received from each decade?
• What do you want to take with you symbolically into the next decade?
• What do you want to leave behind?

We will walk a path, walking through the gates of each decade, processing all that holds charge for you, leaving unhealthy patterns behind, and culminating in crossing the threshold into your new decade carrying with you your hopes, dreams and commitments for the next 10 years.

Commitment Walk

This walk is about going a step deeper into commitment with your life partner. Let Nature show you where the stuck places are in your relationship. Letting go of old patterns that no longer serve the relationship and stepping into new and deeper ways of relating to each other will be the focus.

Stretch Your Body, Stretch Yourself Walk

This walk explores your fears and resistance. As you stretch your body on rocks, trees and soil, we will explore one thing that brings up fear for you. This could be a physical feat, recollecting a very scary time in your life, a dreaded admission of something held secret and ready for self forgiveness, or something as simple as sitting still in silence for a period of time, or perhaps meditating on the intricacies of a flower or snake. 

Connecting with Your Spirituality Retreat

Join a group of 6 – 8 wonderful women for 21/2 days in the tall pines. After intensive group discussion we will walk a wooded path, stopping at selected sites, guiding participants in ceremony to symbolize their own personal processes or rite of passage. Allow Nature to reflect your Self. Discover how your animal spirit guides can help you reawaken childlike wonder, lost beliefs in magic and your dreams and possibilities. Let the Heart of the Mother nourish your Soul.

These are possible titles or themes that your process may fit into – or not. We can decide together what your walk will be in or outside of these themes. No two walks are alike. We will create your Walk together, and see what Nature brings to assist or to change whatever we may have planned.

If you are interested in a SpiritWalk, and would like more information, please contact me at mmaulsby@hotmail.com.

Peace

Mary