Self Love Series: Lessons From the Gentle Barn

Hello.

Welcome to my peace filled space. 

Today’s post is dedicated to healers and those who require healing..to us All…

One of my favorite songs is Bob Marley’s I Know A Place.  Here is a snippet of the lyrics:

“When the whole world lets you down
And there’s nowhere for you to turn,
‘Cause all of your best friends have let you down, do-o-own.
Then you try to accumulate,
But the whole world is full of hate,
So all of your best starts just drift into space.

I know a place where we can carry on.
I know a place where we can carry on.
We can carry on, we can carry on,
we can carry on, we can carry on.”

I know such a place.  It is quite special to me.  But first, an introduction.  I seldom talk about my work as a healer, but today I will give you a glimpse.  When I share energy with you, I look past your outer shell into your Heart.  I rarely notice physical attributes, because those are quite earthly.  Instead I sense your vibration, I See you, I listen to what is behind your words and I Know you.  I look for what makes you unique and different, and I celebrate that uniqueness for it inspires me, teaches me, enriches my life. 

The “problem” is…that I look past your outer shell and I celebrate all that makes you unique; however, often it is the outer shell, or unique differences that allow you to form barriers around your heart or carry pain or redirect your steps to less than what your heart desires.  I love you..yet your mind says how, why, who me???  The people I choose to invest healing energy into are those who have pain so intense that they forget to celebrate at all, let alone anything about their being.  I love All, I choose to heal those who label themselves “unlovable”..

The pattern is the same.  I say I love you.  I then watch as the heart says ‘thank you’ yet the mind says a whole bunch of other things..and that love is so yearned for, yet deflected.  It is an internal battle I cannot touch..but I can work with.  And that is what I do..I work with that person in their most wounded spot..I work through a lot of stuff spewed at me, through barriers and smoke screens, through a lifetime of gunk..until we reach the core and that core allows a bit of sunlight in. Each ray of sunlight is healing love..and it is a struggle that often takes months..but I invest the energy because I believe in love and beauty of the world and freedom and I want you to experience that. 

My heartfelt wish is that there wouldn’t be a need for my healing abilities, or for Simon Hay\’s, or for Jenny Mannion\’s  or any other healer.  I know Simon and Jenny and am familiar with their work–I am so grateful for the healing that they provide, yet I see what they invest and I wish that pain did not exist.  We are born with hearts open to the world, to love, to create..and then a moment of pain happens and barriers form and adaptive behaviors begin and coping mechanisms arise.  I wish we loved so fully and so fearlessly that none of this would be necessary.  I wish we would know how to love and then the world’s teachers and guides would just teach us how to love more, enriching..a gentle, kind world..I wish..

I see emotional pain so great it is literally crippling, so intense some people choose to die rather than to live..and I cannot wonder why??? I can only allow my heart to open to pour love into it..

So..” I Know a Place”…and I would like to share that with you today.

This place is about 2 hours east of my marina.  It is a rescue farm where animals who have been beaten, broken, battered are taken in..animals who require intensive physical therapy and rehabilitation and then when they are physically healed require love to restore their trust.  It is called the Gentle Barn.  Each animal has a biography that saddens my heart..once loved then forgotten, abandoned, abused.  When I visit this farm,  I cannot help but think how each animal’s biography is probably representative of some people.  How you will look at the photos and think how cute, yet not know they have a broken back, bruised ribs, have been malnourished, left to die.  And how we may react the same as we relate to people, who may look so put together on the outside, yet inside have the same ‘story’.. or who may look different to us so we choose to not relate. 

 I visit this farm to remind myself of Love.  The energy while relating to the animals is amazing.  I am sometimes afraid of the largeness of an animal, or of the attitude, or of something I do not understand.  I put aside that fear and love them anyway.  Much like I do with people.  I touch each one to pour  love into them, and the love I receive back is pure.  I’ve learned to look past the animal’s outer shell, into their heart.  We can “blame” corporate America for some of the abuse, but surprisingly lots of it happened in domestic situations.  I choose not to blame, just to love.  The biographies for each animal are available in a pamphlet at the farm, and online…for more information, to sponsor an animal, or to make a donation, please visit the website Gentle Barn. 

I share this with you today in my series of self-love, because the animals are an example.  When I love my self fully, I surround my self with all that is good energy to me.  When I feel “less than” I allow “less than” into my life.  Sometimes we get so caught up in “less than”, life gets cluttered, chaotic, messy..and we forget all else.  As the creator of my moment, I can invest my energy in all that enriches my life and release all else..I have that choice..and so do you!  My friend Evelyn wrote an amazing article on self-care that includes some wonderful tips on how to incorporate self-care into your life.  Please take the time to read her article 70 Ways for Self-Care and may you open your heart to love. 

I also want to suggest this.  Perhaps you love your self fully.  Thank you–I celebrate that love!  May you then consider loving outside of your comfort zone, may you look past an outer shell and extend a smile, a kind word, a small gift of energy..to someone you may not necessarily understand or relate to, Knowing that you are sharing a gift. 

I appreciate you and all that you share!  Absolutely. 

A few images from this recent trip:

This llama fell in love with me.  I walked into the area, and the llama immediately came over to me, almost nose to nose.  Yes, I was a bit frightened and I asked the handler what will this llama do to me? She said she wasn’t sure but apparently it liked my energy!  I stood there trying to access calm, and decided I better turn my mind off and let my heart lead.  Almost nose to nose…fascinating!  I do this with people too..when my mind says what in the world will happen, I turn it off and let my heart lead and pour love into the situation..

This turkey was ‘saved’ around Thanksgiving time.  It took courage to get close to him.  His turkey wife was nearby and he was in protective mode.  I thought how proud and how beauty filled..and touching him was a treat.  Isn’t that how it is with people too..when I take the time to recognize their motivation (in this case protection) I can see past the barrier and into the relation. 

This was my most fear filled moment.  This pig is 1000 lbs!  His handler said he enjoys belly rubs.  Umm, great..  So, I stepped into the pen.  I said he is sleeping..and his handler said no he is just ready for belly rubbing.  Are you sure???  So, I breathed *lots* of calming breaths..my thinking was if we were wrong and he didn’t want his belly rubbed, he is big enough to hurt me in some way.  I tentatively reached out and rubbed his belly.  He nestled in.  1000 lbs nestling in is quite a sight!  When I realized I was “safe” I rubbed and rubbed and it was amazing.  My most fearful moment turned to my most magical because I opened my heart. No words.  Exactly how it is with people…may you let your heart wrap around that..

This calf is one of two adopted by Ellen DeGeneres and Portia.  These calves were rescued from a veal farm.  At the farm they break their backs and hold them in a pen for tender veal.  They arrived at this barn with broken backs, malnourished, and not trusting people.  This is my most touching moment.  I walked up to the calf who then nibbled the bottom of my shirt and began licking my leg.  I was thinking please don’t nip my leg..but I let her lick.  I love her…When I open my heart, I am surprised by the amount of love poured back in. 

I then found the owner of the barn and I told her thank you for the work that you do although I am sorry such a place “has” to exist.  She said it is her dream come true.  My dream is that one day there is no abuse..for now I shall be grateful for hers!

I love this little guy.  He was rescued from a petting zoo, where he was severely abused.  Sometimes when there are too many children around, he becomes afraid and stands on this log, which they call his security log.  I understand and I respect his need for space.  I think my boat is often “my security log”…

This guy is amazing…he is one of a stable full of horses rescued from various places.  So majestic, so power filled, yet so beaten down.  They are learning to trust people, as they learn to trust they receive therapy, massage, nutrition.  It is amazing to see the difference from when the animal first arrives to this barn and months later..with proper care, healing does occur!

You matter.  Your presence in this world is significant.  You are purposefully made.  You are loved beyond measure, exactly as you are, exactly where you are.  There is nothing to do to earn this love, nor is there a way to lose this love.  It is a well of unlimited, unconditional love that you may tap into each and every moment. 

Thank you for sharing energy in this space today.

Much peace,

Joy

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