How do one-on-one guided visualizations work? Listen here or read below.
One-on-one guided visualizations start with your question or inquiry and, again, offers a story for you to connect to. With the one-on-one sessions, you are invited to share what imagery is coming up for you. As you do so, this creates the opportunity to influence the direction of the story and the questions offered to you – making your journey very specific to you. It means, you can go to a greater depth.
Once you have the symbols and the imagery, you will be able to connect to them long after the guided visualization is complete, continuing to tap into the gifts and inner wisdom that emerged for you during the guided journey. For many people this informs their day-to-day experiences as well as their access to their own intuition and inner guidance.
I am offering guided one-on-one visualizations – if you want to schedule a session with me you can find the link on this page. I would love to collaborate with you on a guided visualization that will help you access your inner wisdom and your inner healing power.
A voice recording answering the question: What is a Guided Visualization? Listen here.
Essentially, the person doing the guiding offers imagery – a story, if you will – that your mind, spirit, imagination can connect to – and offers suggestions that invite you to fill in the blanks with imagery or symbols that come to you. These symbols will have meaning to you and you are invited to interpret them to your specific question or circumstance.
Lady of the Lake
I wrote a blog post once – here is the link – on Is this Real or am I Making it Up? The mind doesn’t know the difference between what is real and what is imagined, so it doesn’t matter. What matters is learning to trust yourself and the images that emerge for you – and that is what guided visualizations offer.
My memoir, Embracing the Stranger in Me:A Journey to Openheartedness, describes my spiritual and healing journey over the first half of my adult life. It was, by and large, a journey of accidental discoveries. Along the way, I tapped into my ability to “see” spirit guides and to offer deep and profound guided visualizations for others.
I have been considering this kind of one-on-one offering for a while now. Recently, I was inspired by one of Lee Harris’s energy updates where he spoke about Sacred Arts Rising and the impulse to share creations in a new and different way.
Embracing my spiritual identity more fully, I have decided to offer one-on-one guided visualizations with the possibility of adding on a follow-up call. We are living in times of significant shift, change and upheaval. Our best recourse for finding our way is to be grounded in who we are – embracing all of who we are. This offering is one resource to support you in this journey.
What
A 1.5 hour guided visualization where you have the opportunity to connect deeply with yourself or with your guides for any of the following purposes:
To access your power and discover ways to live into it more fully.
To access your hidden or forgotten talents and gifts.
To meet a past and/or future self for guidance, messages or gifts.
To meet your spirit guide(s)/power animal(s) and ask them for guidance, messages or gifts.
The Process
This is not me relaying information to you. This is a collaborative process where I provide structure through the visualization, you tune into what is emerging for you and we have a conversation to stay tuned into what is true in the moment.
These are stand-alone sessions although some people like to do a follow-up to share what happened post the session and ask any questions that are lingering. This would be a 1 hour session.
Fee and Payment
$150 for the guided visualization session.
$225 for the guided visualization and the follow-up.
Payment can be made through e-transfer in Canada, sent to or through paypal from anywhere else, to the email kathy.jourdain@gmail.com. Sessions are not confirmed until payment is received.
“My guided visualization with Kathy connected me to my spirit guides, with vibrant imagery. I go back to this imagery over and over again for guidance and to tap into a revitalizing energy.”
“I gained valuable insights into patterns in my life that were holding me back and discovered gifts I forgot that I had that I now draw on regularly.”
“Kathy’s voice invites a journey, her questions provide great guidance in the experience and the inner resources that are illuminated offers profound insights into alternative pathways.”
Additional Resources – Journey and Visualization Recordings
What is a Guided Visualization? I speak about it in this post where you can also find a link to a 1 minute audio recording.
What happens in a one-on-one guided visualization? Access the post and short audio recording here.
What is a group guided visualization and how does it work? Access the post and the link to a short audio recording here.
In this post which includes a 7 minute voice recording, shortly after my memoir, Embracing the Stranger in Me: A Journey to Openheartedness was published, I talk about the Compelling Nature of the Journey – so much so that you have to respond to the call of life.
This journey for me was an opening to gifts and talents I did not think possible for me or available to me. I had imagined only “special”, “deeply gifted” and “powerful” people would have access to these kinds of gifts. The realization over time is that we all have access, we all have gifts. Most of us just need to find our way through the persistent story telling that tells us otherwise, that tells us that these experiences are not real, that we are making them up. The mind does not know the difference between what we imagine and what is real – which is why visualization is so powerful. Check out the post and 8 minute audio recording here.
One of two last remaining aunts on my father’s side of the family died in January and her celebration of life was planned for this past May Victoria Day long weekend. My brother and I quickly accepted the invitation to make the road trip to Cap Chat, Quebec to reunite with many of our French cousins.
Annual Pilgrimage
We remember well our annual, occasionally twice-yearly, trips to Quebec, to the homeland of our father, on the Gaspe Peninsula, St. Lawrence Seaway side, when we were young. Mom and dad would wake us up at 3:00 in the morning and bundle us into the back seat of the car, in the days before seatbelts, for the long drive. Back then it was in the range of 13 to 14 hours from Lunenburg to Cap Chat, on roads with no passing lanes, certainly no twinned highways and even a few dirt roads. Even today, once you get past Moncton, New Brunswick, no matter which route you take, the highways are not twinned, although from Halifax it is more like an 8-hour drive now.
When we did sleep, we would often wake in time for breakfast, disoriented in time and geography. There were a few places we predictably stopped – one a diner outside of Moncton and one a restaurant in Carleton, Quebec, neither of which exist today. Because we were on vacation, we could have clubhouse sandwiches, french fries and orange soda. A real treat.
We always looked forward to seeing our cousins – those who lived in Cap Chat and those from Rimouski or Montreal who happened to visit our grandparents at the same time we were there. Being among the youngest of the cousins though, there were many of the 20 or so I did not know from those travels. They were already off doing other things.
Traveling to Quebec every summer was not an option, it was an expectation. Dad was on a mission to get there and an even speedier mission to get home once the visit was over – it could be a real nail biter! Initially 2 weeks at a time, then 10 days, then a week.
DNA Imprinting
Year over year, we did this pilgrimage and it seems imprinted into our DNA as much as the biological lineage for my brother (because spoiler alert for some, I was adopted and did not know it growing up …. or even until my mid-forties – but that is the stuff of other stories, including my memoir, Embracing the Stranger in Me: A Journey to Openheartedness). In our adult years, my brother and I traveled together to Quebec just a few times – all for funerals.
Upon our arrival, we were warmly welcomed and embraced. Some cousins I had not seen for decades – as many as 4 decades. Others I had met again in more recent years. Yet, no matter how many years have gone by, the connections are genuine and feel recent.
Walking along the sidewalk in Cap Chat – or on the beach – it was like it was yesterday when we stayed at our grandparents’ house, the same house dad and all his siblings grew up in. Each step resonated. On the beach, I could feel the connection with all who came before and are no longer physically with us – grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, some cousins.
Cousin Relationships as Adults
Cousin relationships in adult years, and with the prevalence of social media, is far different than when we were shy children. We are grateful that pretty much everybody speaks English since we don’t speak French. Social media gives us a peek into people’s lives – travel, relationships, connections. It reminds us of who people are.
As someone not biologically connected to this family, it is interesting to observe the physical resemblances of siblings and cousins. Some have more unique characteristics, coming from their other sides of the family. Some cousins look like they could be siblings. There are, like in most families, very notable Jourdain characteristics. As a child and even young adult, I had no idea I didn’t look like the family. Now, although it is more obvious to me, my brain still “recognizes” me as a member of this family.
A curious side note: my brother and I both did not know I was adopted. When we found out, it seemed that it must have been a really big secret, because how could we not have known? Yet, everyone in the family, and pretty much everyone we grew up with in our small town, knew I was adopted. A secret so openly known, no one talked about it.
Generational Shifts
Generations in families shift over time. We move from childhood to adulthood, with a generation or two still ahead of us. Then, those generations are gone, and we are now the elders in the family. Most of us have families of our own for whom we are the oldest generation now, grandparents in our own right. It is good to have reminders of who our generation is in our extended family.
The last funeral I had attended in Quebec was with my father, also for an aunt. At that time, he was the last remaining of six siblings. My cousins who were there each acknowledged him with greetings, conversations and even a gift or two. There was a hospitality room where the family gathered to connect, have a few drinks with amazing food, and tell stories. My dad thought it was loud, that people drank a lot, that “it wasn’t the same anymore”. I told him the only thing that was different was the generations. I believe he was 85. The view from there was a bit lonely I’m sure, rooms filled with ghosts of memories from a different era, now filled with the next generation of adult children and their children.
Had my brother and I not gone to Quebec, I doubt I would have missed the experience. However, having gone, and now knowing what I would have missed, I am so much more likely to quickly accept the next invitation, which will inevitably come our way.
It is good to be reminded of who we are in the context of our heritage and shared memories or experiences. Our memories and our stories keeps the generations before us alive.
Many people have described personal or business challenges, set within the context of news cycles full of increased war, a challenged economy, high interest rates, higher prices for just about everything, increased debt loads and higher rates of homelessness. Personally, as an example, I have become price sensitive at the grocery store, which had never been the case. The cost of groceries is a common topic of discussion amongst friends and family.
With so much chaos all around us, it can be hard to focus on the good, the small gestures, kindness, the heartwarming stories. For some, it almost feels like we are not allowed to find the joy and yet not doing so only hurts us while not solving any of the issues we see, but have no influence over.
The Season of Amplification
And, now, we are in the “festive” season and the stress for many is more intense. We carry expectations about the holidays, about how they should be, about what we should do, buy, make or gift. Yes, it can be a season of joy and it is equally likely to be a season of grief and both at the same time. As I wrote years ago, ‘tis the season of amplification. Whatever we are feeling, we may feel with more intensity. So, how do we stay grounded, connected, nourished and supported amidst so much intensity and chaos in the world?
Embrace the Possibilities, Small Gestures, Kindness and Generosity of Spirit
So many possibilities. Seek out, remember and offer small gestures, kindness, and generosity of spirit. Offer a sincere compliment to someone and watch their face light up. I do this whenever I see someone bring vibrancy to their role or interactions or extend great service or courtesy to others. It makes a difference and it is easy to do. It is following through on noticing.
Connection and Relationship
Find connection in all ways that matter and especially through all forms of relationship. Relationship with loved ones and particularly with the little ones in our lives. Give them the gift of time and attention. All the moments I spend with my grandchildren or with Jerry’s, bring me joy and delight, as I see and experience the world through their eyes. The relationships I have with my and Jerry’s adult children are gratifying and provide sustenance.
Relationships with extended family, friends, neighbours and colleagues who care and who we care about. Relationship with nature, to stay present and keep perspective. Accessing the music, books and movies that make us feel, while reducing media and social media that drags us down.
Relationship with Self Also Matters
We can also offer small gestures and kindnesses in our relationship with self, taking care of mental and physical health and well-being. We might not be able to affect a lot of what goes on in the world, but we can influence and impact those within our circles of influence, including ourselves.
The Promise of 2024
As I look ahead, 2024 holds lots of potential and possibilities. Writing brings Jerry and me joy. We have a couple of projects we’ve been working on that we hope to see come to fruition in 2024. They are The Little Book of Great Grandparenting and Dancing on the Razor’s Edge of Change, both of which include contributions from friends and colleagues.
Jerry and I are beginning a very exciting partnership with a global company that will take our Worldview Intelligence work to new levels, new clients and new cities. We can’t wait to see what emerges as a result.
My Wish for Us All
My wish for you, for me and my loved ones, for the world, for 2024 and beyond, is for peace, hope, connection, joy, and prosperity. The ability to both sit with and work through the tough spots and varied emotional experiences that show up along the way. The ability to influence the world around us in extraordinary and positive ways. The ability to invite and entertain different worldview perspectives, so we find our way in the world with beauty and grace.
All the best of this Holiday Season, from me to you.
Most of us, if not all of us, have experienced shame at some point in our lives. The work of shame is so powerful that it shuts us down, depletes us of energy and makes us want to hide. It can rob us of vitality and voice. It can feel like shame is sending out signals that you are a person who has failed, that here is someone who wasn’t smart enough to figure out something, someone who misjudged a situation.
An antidote to shame is transparency, using your voice, sharing your story. From my own experience when I felt the power of shame, a few times over the course of my life’s journey, relief started with sharing my story with one or two trusted individuals who witnessed me in that moment. Their reactions – acknowledging, witnessing, validating, seeing the fullness of me beyond the particular situation for which I felt shame – was freeing. It restored trust in myself. Not immediately, but over time.
A partial definition of transparency is “the quality of allowing light to pass through” – and how uplifting to consider light passing through to our heart and soul, soul essence, the core of who we are. Transparency doesn’t have to mean proclaiming everything loudly to everyone – although those who do share profound stories that have been kept secret for a long time provide inspiration and hope for others who have experienced similar situations.
If you have experienced, or are experiencing, shame, know you are not your shame or your experience. Take the time you need to move through it. Find trusted spaces to share your story as transparently as possible and allow yourself to be witnessed into healing.
Our thoughts fuel our feelings. Turning attention to what is going on in our minds enables us to change our thoughts and, thus, change our feelings. This is why an antidote to distress is blessings, thinking about the blessings we have in life, things we can be grateful for.
This is not about seeing life through rose coloured glasses. It is about deliberately turning our attention to focus on something that can make us feel better, lift us out of distress, so we can function in our day, week, life.
For me, it is children, grandchildren, my partner, his family, remembering my journey over the last 13 years in my home and all I have been able to accomplish here, the longer journey of my life with all its twists and turns, memories of my parents and grateful when they show up in my dreams, the work I do, the joy in writing, my quirky cats, friends and people I know and am connected to in a myriad of ways, good neighbours.
Really, there is no shortage of things to be grateful for. Where does your list begin?
An absolute favourite. We likely first heard it from Christina Baldwin and Ann Linnea in Circle Practice. Jerry and I use it with every group we work with and we are often quoted for the statement, curiosity and judgment cannot exist in the same space.
When you notice you are judging someone or something, you are feeling defensive or are dismissing someone else or their views, curiosity is an antidote. Become curious about your own reactions. Be curious about the other person, group or situation. Why are they acting the way they are, saying what they are saying? How have they come to see the situation the way they have?
Curiosity provides a way to connect and to open explorations. It can also bring new insights and new learning. It can help us expand our worldviews and worldview experiences.
The power of tears is highly underrated. We have been taught to hide our tears (at least in my generation) and to apologize for them when they do show up. We’ve all heard it when someone tries to speak through their tears. Like expressing the emotions signified by tears is weakness. Or, as a life coach told me a long time ago now, “Kathy, you think your emotions make you weak.” She assured me there was strength in acknowledging my own emotional experiences and working with them. She was right.
Tears are an antidote to sadness, also sorrow, stress and many more of the emotions that sometimes feel like they will overwhelm. Tears release oxytocin and endorphins. These feel-good chemicals can help ease both physical and emotional pain. This can provide a sense of calm or wellbeing.
Allow your tears to flow. Even when with others. Stop apologizing if/when it happens. It is the most natural thing in the world and so healing.
Embracing the Stranger in Me 