soulful-shout-out

I absolutely love the Soulful Shout Out series here on Soul Speak! I get to highlight and introduce you to beautiful people and their wonderful offerings!

qatana

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Today, I am happy to introduce you to my friend, Qatana Samanen!

Qatana and I met through the Quantum Leap Marketing Program, which we both took several years ago. I was immediately drawn to her loving heart and her sweet soul. She is filled with wisdom and warmth, and I’ve loved getting to know her over the years. She’s also a part of the Soulful Life Sanctuary, and I love that we get to connect there as well.

Qatana is a psychologist, hypnotherapist, and marriage and couples’ counselor who believes that our inner wisdom holds all of the answers. Through her wide array of loving tools, she helps her clients tap into this wisdom and embrace their life from a soul-filled, connected space.

She has put together an amazing free gift package for you that will help you tap into your own wisdom, which we’ll talk about soon! But first, let me introduce her!

Welcome to Soul Speak, Qatana! We both have had beautiful experiences that have shown us without a doubt that all of the answers are within us. We’ve been introduced in loving ways to our inner voice – our soul – and our lives were changed forever because of it. I would love for you to share about your experience with meeting your own soul.

The first time that I really became totally clear about my Inner Wisdom – that’s how I think of it, my Inner Wisdom – was at a time when I was facing a difficult life decision. I had a really good life in Boston. I was happy with my job. I enjoyed a supportive friendship network. I had an apartment I really liked. My life was great. The only thing was that I was involved with a man who was living on the other side of the country in California. It worked for a while, but at a certain point we both decided that being in a long-distance relationship wasn’t going to work for us anymore.

I’d gone out to California to help him recognize how wise it would be for him to move back East. He’d done a post doc at MIT and liked it there. It seemed like a no brainer for him to come back to Boston. He, unfortunately, didn’t see it that way. He made it really clear to me that with no job opportunities for him in the Boston area he wasn’t going to move there. He really wanted for us to stay together but for that to happen, I would need to move to California.

So, I was faced with this choice: Do I move to California and give up the satisfying life I’d built for myself, or do I stay in Boston and say goodbye to Jim? I’d had enough relationships in my life that started out great but didn’t work out so well. I felt reluctant to base such an important and disruptive decision on something that might not work out in the end.

I couldn’t reach a decision. The pros and cons spun around in my mind. I just didn’t know what to do. One day while still in California I took a walk in a redwood forest. I was walking in this forest, and it wasn’t like I was looking for an answer. But suddenly, it appeared. It came to me from deep within that the right thing to do was to move out and be with Jim. It came with such clarity. There was a certainty that took the place of all the doubt and confusion I’d been experiencing, which was a great blessing. Somehow I knew I could trust this knowing. It really felt quite wonderful.

So that’s when I first knew about my Inner Wisdom. It was such a relief when I felt such certainty about that decision. I knew that wherever that sense of security came from, I could trust it. That was something that was very new for me and very eye opening.

So, I moved out to California, moved in with Jim, and started a new life there. I have never regretted that decision for a moment. We’ve been married for 30 years. My marriage with Jim is a foundation for my life. It has turned out even better than I ever could have imagined.

But even more than that, what’s been so interesting to me is the direction my life took because I moved to California. I feel like that move opened up things that I don’t think would have been possible back in the Northeast. Most especially, among these is my having met Steve Gallegos, who is the man who originated the work that I do and having embarked on this path of Interactive Imagery and the Personal Totem Pole system. I’m not sure if it would have happened if I’d been in Boston. And the thing is this: I had no way of knowing that at the time I made the decision.

Once I knew about that source of inner knowing, I began to wonder how I might dependably connect with it. And it’s been through Interactive Imagery that I’ve been able to create that connection.

This is such a beautiful story, and I’m so glad you listened to your inner wisdom – it’s led you to such heart-opening experiences.

I am new to Interactive Imagery, and I would love for you to share more about it since I know that it’s been life changing for you.

The essential thing about Interactive Imagery is that the whole process is guided by the person’s own inner knowing. In fact, one of the phrases that we use is “Trust the process.” This means that we trust that whatever needs to unfold is waiting within. Our job is to be open and receive.

We all have spirit guides who are there waiting for us. They are eager to help us. They have so much to offer and so much to give. Here’s the thing: There’s no way for them to help us unless we turn to them and ask. Unless we invite them, unless we create an opening through which they can connect with us, there is nothing they can do.

One of the things that I love most about the Personal Totem Pole is that it creates that opening. It creates the opportunity for any person to open to and receive the wisdom that’s waiting for them inside – to be available and to avail themselves of all of the gifts that are there.

In Interactive Imagery, you invite the image of a guide to emerge. As you interact with your guides, you develop a deep relationship with the source from which they come, which is, of course, the soul or inner wisdom, or true nature, or authentic self – however you want to conceptualize it. The guides bring us all of the wisdom and knowing, the vast perspective and power, the beauty and unconditional love that those inner resources provide.

The images often come in the form of animals. Animals so eloquently express the qualities they evoke – a deer suggests gentleness and sensitivity, a lion great strength and majesty, a butterfly lightness and the miracle of transformation. Guides can also appear as people – a wise woman or man, or a religious figure – or things – such as a tree or the ocean – or even just as a color, or a vague presence.

By conversing with the guides you develop a relationship with your inner wisdom, while gaining perspective on whatever issue you are bringing to the interaction.

Interacting with our guides goes far beyond conversation. In imagery, of course, anything is possible. So, if an eagle appears, you can fly with the eagle. You can look down from the eagle’s perspective and see your situation in a new and different way, freeing you to recognize fresh possibilities that you’d never noticed before. Or, if a dolphin comes to you, you can frolic in the water with the dolphin and experience the pure joy of it. Or you can merge with the bear that appears to experience the strength and groundedness and power that is the essence of bear’s energy, an energy that lives within you that you may not have known.

The Personal Totem Pole is one way we can use Interactive Imagery, and it’s a wonderful way to learn about and more fully develop the different facets of the Self.

In the Personal Totem Pole, you invite a guide to emerge from each of the seven chakras. Each of the chakras represents a particular aspect of functioning, and by inviting a guide to come forth from each one, you are inviting the varied facets of the Self to appear and to share with you their unique gifts and the awarenesses that each brings.

After you’ve met with all seven of the Chakra Animals, you invite them to come together in a Council and that’s quite wonderful, too. Sometimes a person has a problem with one or another of their animals that they’re just not able to solve. It’s so heartening to watch all of the animals in the Council come together to help the person resolve the problem.

When this happens, people come into greater balance and inner harmony.  You empower yourself and enjoy greater well-being when you are able to draw on all of your resources, all of your strengths.  It’s really exciting when this happens.

This guided imagery sounds absolutely fascinating! Thank you for sharing in more detail about it.

We both share such similarities in that we were a bit skeptical and resistant to the very processes that opened our hearts. For me, it was realizing that I was communicating with someone on the other side, and for you it was trusting the interactive imagery process. Because it’s very common for each of us to resist what we do not yet know, can you offer some words of encouragement around this for someone who’s feeling called to leap into something that doesn’t yet feel comfortable?

I think that if you feel called by something, it goes back to trusting your own intuition, to trusting your own inner voice. If your voice is calling you to something, then being willing to give it a try – even if you have qualms about it – is an important step in honoring you own inner brilliance.

That’s actually the spirit that I went into Interactive Imagery with. I was very skeptical about the imagery work, when I first heard about it. Though the Personal Totem Pole process came highly recommended by a friend, it sounded entirely weird and flaky to me. I mean, I was on the faculty of the School of Medicine at Boston University at the time. That’s a pretty conservative environment. Animal images and the chakras? Give me a break!

To be honest with you, I was scared. I was afraid that I might find dreadful things inside that I didn’t really like – that I really didn’t like. I was afraid that I might go in there and get lost and never come out. I was afraid I might go crazy.

In the end, I gave it a try primarily because I owed a favor to that friend who so wanted me to do it. Despite my qualms and fears, I decided to just give it a try.

My first experience with the work wasn’t so bad. In fact, I learned some interesting things. My second experience with the imagery work was an epiphany. It changed my life. (You can read more in depth about this experience here.)

I really, really encourage anyone who feels drawn – not just to my work – I’m talking about any process that feels enticing to you – to take a chance.

Let’s face it. There’s a conservative part in each of us that is very, very resistant to change. At least what’s familiar seems safe, even though it may be high cost. Many of our belief systems and ways of doing things were put in place at a time when they seemed necessary for our survival. We all have that voice that tells us that if our ways of doing things or seeing things have helped us to survive, we may not survive without them. Trying new things can seem downright dangerous to that part.

We need to be aware of that voice and to be able to recognize it. We need to acknowledge the protective function of that voice, but we also need to say, “We needed that protection at one point, but perhaps it’s no longer as necessary as it once was.” Then, with kindness and understanding, we can encourage that conservative part to just give a small try to whatever it is that we feel drawn to. If it works out, that’s great and if it doesn’t work out – well, you just gave it a try and there it is.

So, that’s what I would recommend to people – to give it a try and see how it works for you. See how it feels. It may be that you feel like, “Well, that was good enough, but I’m not really interested,” or it may be that it will open up paths that you will be so grateful for, because they can transform your life.

How has your life changed since you opened up your heart?

Certainly Interactive Imagery has been life transforming for me. I feel like there is no way in the world that I would be the person I am today if it weren’t for the guidance and the loving support I’ve received from my guides and just the wonderful experience of connecting with my own inner knowing through these wonderful guides that I have been working with for over 30 years.

I am a much kinder person. I am a much calmer person. I have much less fear in my life. I love myself and I’m able to open to others much more than I ever would have, I am sure, if I hadn’t encountered this work. I’m less judgmental of self and others and I drive myself much less, which means that I experience a lot more joy in my life than I would have ever imagined possible.

I am infinitely grateful for the many gifts I have received through the years from my guides.

There are so many beautiful ways to connect with our soul, and I would love to hear some of your favorite practices and also how often you implement them.

There are many practices, as you say. For me the most fundamental practice is just allowing myself to relax and then asking for whatever guidance I’m looking for. I wait and allow myself the space of stillness and then I receive the wisdom that is waiting for me. I trust that into that spaciousness will come what I’m looking for, and it does.

So, if I’m in the middle of a session with a client and I’m unclear about which way to proceed or how to express what I want to say, I pause. I explain to my client what I’m doing, so they don’t think I’m spacing out. I uncross my legs and put my feet flat on the floor. I close my eyes and I just ask silently within, “What do I need to know right now?” or “What needs to be said?” or “What is the right path here?” By stilling myself in that way, the clarity emerges and I get what I’m looking for.

I do my own imagery work with a group that has been meeting for over 20 years. We get together in a retreat setting for four days, three times a year. We share what’s going on in our lives, we journey together and we share our journeys. I am so deeply grateful for this group and for the loving connection that has developed among us over all of this time.

Another way I connect with my soul that I value so much is to be out in nature. There’s a river near where I live and I like to go there with my dog, Zoe. We go almost every day. Sometimes my husband joins us.

I love being in nature. I love the beauty. When I’m in a forest or on the beach, I feel one with all that is. It’s so centering and so grounding and at the same time so expansive and so magnificent.

I believe that’s because being in nature puts me into closer connection with the great oneness. I believe that’s what our soul is really about – connection with the great oneness. I believe that’s where our soul comes from and it’s through our soul that we connect with all that is. Being in nature reminds me of all that.

The other way I connect with my soul is through meditation. I used to have a very sporadic meditation practice, but more recently I’ve been meditating every day. I have always found meditation to be very calming and centering and grounding. Now that I’m doing it more regularly, I find the benefits to be expanding. That calm centeredness is much more available to me throughout the day.

These all sound like such loving ways to center yourself. Thank you for sharing them!

 

freebies

 

qatana-PT-book-cover-796x1024Thank you so much for offering your Personal Totem Pole ebook for everyone! I would love for you to share more about it.

I designed the Personal Totem Pole ebook to introduce people to this process and the concepts around it. In it I talk about our Divine Nature and how we’ve become separated from it. I also present a brief overview of the chakras, the energy centers that structure the Personal Totem Pole. I then describe the process in some detail.

My favorite part of the book is “Tales for Our Times,” a collection of stories drawn from the work of my clients. The greatest challenge about the Personal Totem Pole is conveying how powerfully transformative the experience really is. “Tales for Our Times” presents stories of how the guides have helped people improve their relationships, start a business, and even lose weight. These tales provide a taste of the infinite variety, precision and wisdom available through the Personal Totem Pole Process and the profound impact this work has in people’s lives.

Click here to download her free ebook!

 

You’re also very generously offering everyone a free Personal Totem Pole one-on-one session. This is beyond amazing. Could you please share more about these sessions and what someone will take into their heart after meeting with you?

QS Meet Chakra GuideDuring this session, we’ll start by spending a little time talking about any issues you are bringing to the session. It’s helpful to put into the field the issues you are focusing on, those things in your life where you’re seeking guidance.

We’ll then go through a brief relaxation sequence. Once in a state of calm, you’ll first check in to find out which chakra we should turn to. Then you’ll call out and invite a guide to come forth from that chakra.

Then you just wait patiently. Once your guide appears, you first pay attention to anything you notice about your guide, any feelings you have toward your guide and how you feel in its presence. As you share these observations and feelings with your guide and notice its response, you develop a relationship with your guide, and through it, with your own inner knowing.

You’ll next discover what your guide has come to show you or to tell you, what it wants you to know for your learning and growth. As you explore with your guide whatever it has shared with you, your understanding deepens. Through all of these interactions you are developing a very personal and intimate relationship with your soul.

I’m offering this free opportunity to your community to encourage people to experience the power and beauty of Interactive Imagery for themselves. It’s my intention that people experience this immediate and direct connection with soul and the power and beauty of it, that they learn how exciting and deeply moving it is.

What each person will take into their heart will be the gifts of inner wisdom that are waiting for them. Each person’s experience will be unique, because each will be determined by the very personal and individual message that is waiting for them.

Click here to sign up for your free session!

 

What’s next on the horizon for you?

I’m delighted that you asked that question, Jodi, because I’m so excited about what’s on the horizon for me. I’m focusing now on the TeleWorkshops I have developed. I’ve been leading workshops in Interactive Imagery in general and the Personal Totem Pole in particular for over 20 years. I love the workshop format.

For some time I had wondered if it would be possible to do workshops over the phone, so that people from all over the country could connect and do this wonderful work together. I wondered whether it would be possible for people to develop the kind of deep, heart-centered soul connection that people experience when they are sitting in the Circle in a room together. I also was uncertain whether people could work effectively within a limited time frame. I offer day-long workshops in person, but my TeleWorkshops last for only 60 or 90 minutes. I also wasn’t sure whether people who had never met in person would develop the closeness that grows as workshop participants come together over an extended period of time.

So about a year and a half ago I started what I call my Inner Wisdom Circle, which is an ongoing group that meets twice a month over the phone to do imagery work. I started the Inner Wisdom Circle to answer these questions. I have been so gratified to learn that the answer to all of those questions is a resounding YES!!! People can learn more about the Inner Wisdom Circle at http://yourinnerwisdom.com/

Now I’m moving ahead with a Personal Totem Pole TeleWorkshop which features eight sessions to meet the seven Chakra Guides and to hold a the Council of the Guides. I’m very excited about this. In the first of these sessions people work with me individually to meet a Chakra Guide. (This is the session that I am offering to your community for free.)

People can learn more about their free session here. And the TeleWorkshop here.

I’m very eager work with the people in your community because I have such a feeling of likemindedness and openness to soul centered work in the people there. I really look forward to ‘seeing’ some of them in the Personal Totem Pole TeleWorkshops. It will be a wonderful experience.

What does your soul want you to know?

At this point in my life, my soul is calling me to really trust the process. In the imagery work I do, I trust the process completely. I know for sure that whatever needs to happen is going to unfold. I don’t need to make it happen. I trust my guides absolutely.

So, what I’m being called to do is to expand that trust in the process beyond when I’m journeying or facilitating someone else’s journey and to really live my life that way. I believe what that really means is trusting that everything is happening exactly as it needs to.

Sometimes I get impatient. I wish that results came quicker, or I had more of what I think of as success. Sometimes I get disappointed, or discouraged or even feel like a failure because the things that I anticipate or hope for don’t come about the way that I want them to.

So, what I’m being asked to do right now, what my soul is asking me to do, is trust that whatever it is that’s unfolding is happening exactly as it needs to. I don’t have to make things happen. I can trust that behind the scenes there are forces at work, beneficent forces that are eager for me to receive whatever it is that I most need. If I trust that, then I can feel much calmer and more relaxed and accepting. And I don’t need to work so hard!

I think I’m getting better at it. Certainly, I can look back at those times in the recent past – I’m talking about the last 5 or 10 years – when I was unhappy with outcome or when I was disappointed with how things unfolded. I can really see now how those disappointments led to other things in my life that were essential for my development. If I’d enjoyed the successes I’d dreamed of as an executive coach, I would never have taken the path that has led me to the deeply spiritual experiences of the last couple of years. So, I can enjoy much greater equanimity about those things in the past.

My work is to bring that equanimity into what’s happening in the present.

Is there anything else you would like to share?

I just want to share, Jodi, my deep appreciation and gratitude for your making this opportunity possible for me. I’m delighted to be able to share this work that I love with your community and with you. I just want to thank you very much.

Thank you, Qatana, for sharing your heart with us!

For everyone who has joined us for this beautiful interview, please be sure to sign up for your free guided imagery session and download your ebook below! These are such special and extremely generous gifts!

QS Meet Chakra Guide 150

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Big hug,
jodi

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