All posts by Amy Laederach

Gallery of the Past & Incompletions

Today I share and express creations from my past, and in this process, have the opportunity to release my hold on the unfinished, the imperfect.  I carry “perfectionist” traits within my personality.  This has not served me well.  There’s always a feeling that the dance movement isn’t right, the painting isn’t good enough. I should be more spiritually conscious, meditate more, do more yoga. The list is endless if I allowed it to be. This perfectionist trait is a form of competition, not with others, but within myself.  It is a stifling energy. Why should I be so hard on myself? And so, as an exercise in letting go, I am sharing my old art work.  I’m not going to wait until I achieve the standard I hold for myself.  Goodbye to the “perfectionist” within.  As I open the doors to share and express the old and “unfinished,”  I make […]

Dance as a Path for Healing: Reclaiming One’s Self

During my elementary school years, beginning ballet turned to tap dance and eventually I switched to gymnastics; so by the sixth grade, I was no longer in the dance recital, I was in the audience observing it.  I recall this so vividly because there was a featured dancer on stage. A classmate nearby identified that dancer as me.  Obviously, it was not, for as I pointed out, I was sitting right there. By being mistaken for the featured dancer, my awareness of the ability to dance in relation to others was heightened.  Self-critique had entered my consciousness.  I dabbled in dance, whereas that dancer on stage was more committed.  I never knew who that dancer was, but looking back, it very well could have been my dear friend, Michelle, whom I met the first day of middle school. Michelle, my new best friend in the seventh grade, became my dancing […]

Puzzles & Pictures, the Past – Oh, My!

Summer has been a time of sorting for me. In the process of helping my dad clear out accumulated items of old from my childhood home, I have been inspired to do the same for the space in which my clutter resides. It’s been five years since moving, yet still, stacks of boxes await unpacking. Daily, I am aware of clutter, material goods taking up three dimensional space; but, intrinsically, I know it is a reflection of my mental clutter.  How and when am I to sort through these states of clutter, not only to clear my physical space, but also my mental space, my soul space? How do I make space for me to simply BE? In efforts to not be wasteful, sorting through material goods can be daunting given all the choices; keepsake, garage sale, e-bay, donate, recycle, trash, hazard waste. How attached am I to things?  What […]

Kindergarten, Clairvoyance & Pepperoni Pizza

Summer is here! Kindergarten is out!  Many of you may not know that I am involved in early childhood education.  I have just completed another, yes, wonderful year of kindergarten; but now it’s time for delights of summer: gardening, sleeping in, relaxing.  As much as I enjoy being with kindergarten children all day long, by the time June rolls around, I enthusiastically embrace the summer break.  With my new found down-time, I have ample opportunity for self-reflection. Feeling inspired by the joy I find in healing work, I wanted to share my experience in creative imagery as it relates to healing and spiritual growth. When working with a client on the intuitive level within a session, imagery will accompany the healing.  I’m not talking about images of clients’ past traumas or hidden secrets.  What seems to be very random images will appear to me.  Sometimes dolphins or bears show up.  […]

What’s In a Name?

  “That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet” – says Juliet to Romeo as written by William Shakespeare. I would agree with Juliet.  Who we are, our truest essence, is not defined by our name.  As Spirit, we are not bound by names, circumstances, physical limitations, job titles, archetypes, gender, even death.  We are free, limitless, eternal beings, here to express our love and joy with the world. Yada yada yada… Don’t get me wrong, I do believe that.  It’s just that spiritual awareness on that level is better expressed by people more spiritually aware than I, (i.e. Michael Tamura, The Dalai Lama, to name a few).  Jesus.  You know, people who actually live life that way daily.    I, on the other hand, am still in the inconsistency phase.    So, let’s explore another quote. “Rose is a rose is a rose […]

Spiritual Awakening-My Back Story

I have had friends and clients ask how I got into the field of Healing and Soul Education.  In my awareness, I did not grow up being clairvoyant, clairaudient, clairsentient or any of the “clairs.” I consider myself to be a “normal” person, as average as many of us think ourselves to be; so, when did my awareness of spiritual matters begin? As a child I attended a Congregational church.  I made golden spray-painted macaroni framed Jesus pictures, marched to the front of the congregation with flowers on Children’s day, rang bells in the children’s bell choir.  Upon confirmation,  I wrote about my beliefs about Jesus and religion. We were not told what to believe, but were offered opportunities to come to our own decisions. The church welcomed a questioning mind. At the time, the minister of the church considered himself to be a Universal mystic, but as a teenager, […]

Transitioning Beyond

It was a year ago this month that my dear mother transitioned out of her body, moving beyond an earthly life to an expanded life of higher consciousness and love. During her time in the hospital, I was able offer her a healing. Aware of the journey before her, I held space and witnessed love, compassion and healing come forth. Beautiful imagery accompanied the healing, providing a sense of nurturing care and unconditional love. A year ago, on this very day, we gathered for her Celebration of Life memorial service. I spoke to the congregation filled with family and friends and shared the essence of the healing. It was my belief that others may also find comfort and healing through the imagery; and as such, I now share them with you. In times of Grand Transitions, may you find peace, love and support along the way. A Healing Two Angels […]

In Search of Beauty

March, a time of beautiful, glistening snow, peaceful & quiet, a stillness of beauty as light reflects, creating diamonds shining forth, a sparkling joy to behold… PAUSE. What? Am I talking about late March in Minnesota? 2014? I wish it were beautiful and peaceful. I think it is safe to say that most of us Minnesotans have had enough of the cold. We are ready for spring. It was around this time some years ago when I so longed for the warmth of spring, but more so, beauty. March had reached the point in which the snow was melting, roads were wet. Mud was splashing and celebrating, for now was Mud’s time of year! Everything looked dirty. No signs of spring. No buds. Grass that did appear along edges of melting snow was brown and lifeless. Where was the Beauty? Within this black mixture of discards and snow, objects of […]

Healing Touch & Beyond

Healing Touch and other genres of energy-based therapy, can be explained in a very scientific, western medical model kind of way. Here in Minnesota, it is welcomed and offered in multiple major hospitals as a complimentary therapy for patients and staff. In its most basic form, it is beneficial in promoting relaxation, reducing pain, stress, and nausea.  Countless of studies have been conducted regarding the effects of stress on health and well-being.  One may simply note that by promoting relaxation through touch, blood flow improves, thus increasing the oxygen supply to cells, tissues, the brain, etc. Healing Touch was originally developed by a holistic nurse, Janet Mentgen, RN, BSN, and as such, Healing Touch Practitioners follow similar methods of documentation as do nurses. As a Certified Healing Touch Practitioner, I volunteered for four and a half years at Woodwinds Health Campus, a hospital in Woodbury, Minnesota. We were asked to […]

Umbrella

It is my intention to bring interests in healing, art and photography all under one umbrella.  As one may offer a companion, protection from the elements, by sharing an umbrella, I too, hope to bring together companions on life’s sacred journey; beauty, light, nature, healing, discovery, creativity, uncertainty, wonderment, vulnerability, joy, love, validation…   May these experiences find a sanctuary for expression and healing under the umbrella of Delightful Healing Arts.     Writing & Photography by Amy Laederach.