As a child I was naturally drawn to anything rainbow. I loved the colors of the rainbow. I loved the order. ROY-G-BIV. It sounded like a magical word to my ears. “Roy-gee-biv.” Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. There was an order that made sense and lined up. To me, it was indisputably the way things should be. It would bother me if I ever had a teacher or witnessed anyone who would illustrate the rainbow in any other order.
I incorporated rainbows and color into everything that I painted or drew. Art was another passion of mine that I was drawn to at an early age. I wanted to color and add to the natural beauty of the world. As I grew up playing with color and art, I also discovered crystals.
My parents were crystal lovers who were thirsty for knowledge. I remember attending crystal workshops at the age of ten and learning an invocation to cleanse my crystals that I still use today (and have included in this book). I quickly learned that crystals were found in beautiful rainbow colors and that there were certain ones I was drawn to. Rose quartz has always been my favorite.
I picked up pieces of knowledge here and there. I was a collector of information. I would file the bits away and incorporate different parts into my life. I began to learn the way of plants and herbs. I worked with my mom in the kitchen making tinctures that my family would use for a variety of conditions. I have always felt like I had a healer’s heart.
My parents became involved with a natural food cooperative where we would volunteer our time to receive a discount in groceries. I enjoyed my work (and the cute boys), so I became motivated to spend more of my free time volunteering. I began to learn about the differences in farming methods (organic versus conventional) along with different diets for different lifestyles (vegan, raw food, macro, food combining). My parents had made the choice for us to refrain from eating red meat (including pork) when I was around the age of ten. At the age of fourteen, I decided on my own to become a vegetarian after reading John Robbins’ book, Diet for a New America. Working and being around Gentle Strength Co-op got me involved in starting a yoga practice at about the same time. It was also the place where I first started learning about color therapy.
I kept collecting information as my path in life kept expanding. Through the many varied twists, I ended up on my own healing journey. When I was young, I collected knowledge. When I matured, I began applying the knowledge. In the application, I began to make more connections. It is in making these chakra connections that I was inspired to begin this book. I was shocked when I learned at age 39, the color of crystals correlates to the chakras! It felt like this was information that was so obvious, but I still had to be explicitly taught how the physical, emotional and spiritual are all connected to the world around us. Literally everything is connected. It is mind blowing.
My first choice for a career was art therapy. I loved the concept of how art could heal. It was later on that I realized I had used art to heal my own life. My second choice for a career was to be an art teacher. I actually became an elementary school teacher, As my son has grown, I naturally started leading art projects at home, teaching my son, nieces and nephews.
I began to feel drawn and inspired to teach children, starting with my own, about the chakra connections. I love teaching and sharing with my son, nieces and nephews. They have a natural thirst and come hungry for more. And while they are my initial motivation, I also have a strong desire to share with the rest of the world. I am my parents’ child, thirsty for knowledge, possessing the heart of a teacher and healer. (My parents have often joked that I should write a book. Well, Dad, here I am!)
Why the chakras? I first heard about the chakras at a young age. I have grown up with awareness and a basic level of understanding of the chakras, enough of an understanding to identify illustrations of the chakras and point to different parts of the body where they are located. I began to dive deeper.
The more I became involved in working specifically with the chakras, the more I began to see more clearly how it is all connected. Everything from the elements, to sound, food, music, color, feelings, crystals, plants, yoga poses, human conditions and more are all interconnected. There is a lot of information out there, but the information has been scattered. I wanted a way to compile all the bits and pieces of information in a comprehensive place to make it easy to share with others. When we better understand how everything is interconnected we are empowered with information to make better choices for ourselves.
My desire and goal is to teach the child within us how to look at the world differently and make the chakra connections. When we begin to make the chakra connections and see how everything in our life is related, we can begin to live a more conscious, well-balanced, and meaningful life. I have had unique opportunities at a young age to participate in experiences that planted seeds and provided me with a tool kit. I did not always use the tools, but when I was ready I knew where to look. My sincere desire is to give back and share what I have learned with other young people (including those young at heart!).
I began my Reiki Practitioner journey in 2021. It has been the most rewarding and transformational journey. I had the honor to learn from Usui Reiki Master Jimmy Gialelis. He is an incredible teacher who has laid a solid foundation for my path as an energy worker. In addition to becoming a Reiki Master Practitioner myself, I have been studying and practicing Sound Healing through the use of tuning forks and sound bowls. I continue to pursue further education as an energy healer and Reiki Practitioner.