Daniel's journey
My journey has been about healing, feeling and right-brain phenomena, and it all began long ago with a mysterious shipwreck.
That fascinating tale - adapted from a story by Ambrose Bierce - gave me chills every time at age 8, and still does. On some level, I think a part of me knew that a deeper realm was calling.
The following year at age 9, what I thought was a an easy climb up a rock wall in my neighborhood ended with me dangling by my fingertips 20 feet up, panicked and thinking: "I'm going to die!" But mid-thought, the space wavered in front of me and - with a surge of energy - my body vaulted up onto the ledge. Seconds later I was standing on top of the cliff, quivering but unhurt.
I biked home in shock and bewildered. What had just happened? Adrenaline? Divine intervention? That was my first conscious experience of the deeper realm, and to this day it felt like something overshadowed me quicker than lightning. To this day I can still feel where my body lit up like a Christmas tree.
I never told anyone for fear of having my wings clipped, and the event soon faded as I moved on to some other adventure. But later that year, dad took me to see the Jonathan Livingston Seagull movie, and on some level my questions began to be answered. And although he never said the words, between that movie and the Richard Bach and Bermuda Triangle books on his shelf, I took it as permission to explore outside the box.
My first high school experience of the deeper realm was the "headache" acu-point that a friend showed me. Instantly my headache evaporated as I felt a strange sensation - what some call chi - drain down from my head, neck and shoulders. That feeling really got my attention.
Zen-like moments continued in high school sports: taking off running to catch a ball before it was hit; intuiting a pass before it was thrown and intercepting it. Although I was quick, I was not so much athletic as sensitive, and I was just as surprised as anyone when my body performed intuitively.
At 16 I broke a wrist in football practice and it didn't heal right, and that eventually prevented me from getting a college military scholarship. A decade later that hand was also the first place I ever felt chi.
At 16 as well, a teacher guided our class into an experience of progressive relaxation. I was stunned: it was my first conscious experience of my inner life and another huge shift in the direction of healing and right-brain experiences.
Around the same time, mom shared one of her books with me - Hope for the Flowers by Trina Paulus - about caterpillars going within and transforming into the butterfly they are meant to be. It was the perfect book at the perfect time, and I even cited it as the most important book I had ever read on my college application. I am so grateful for my mom's help with my transformation!
Fast forward a few years to the many magical moments of my college sophmore year studying abroad. There I was introduced to my second Richard Bach book - Illusions - and John Heider's The Tao of Leadership while traveling with my friend Marianne Herb. The magic was kept alive after homecoming by seeing Back to the Future with mom and dad's copy of Golf in the Kingdom by Michael Murphy - one of my all time favorites about the deeper realm.
I still thank my lucky stars for the zen-like moment that occurred the following year, when - still in culture shock - I had to guess on a section of multiple-choice questions in a final exam. At first I panicked, but then a strange feeling came over me that whispered: “put down ‘B’ for all of them.” I did, and as it turned out, “coincidentally,” 19 out of 20 of the answers actually were B. I like to think of that moment as getting an A in divine intervention.
A few months before college graduation I had my second experience of progressive relaxation with my dad's copy of Barrie Konicov's relaxation recording, which I still absolutely love and use frequently. I felt the same exquisite relief as years before in high school, and emerged from that experience wanting that feeling to be part of my lifestyle. And although I was only vaguely aware of it, I was beginning to choose a road less traveled: a path of the inner life, healing, right-brain experiences and feeling.
At age 19, following mom's lead, my sister and I were introduced to a family system healing group, and a few years later I resumed that approach, delving deeper into what John Bradshaw calls "original pain/original justice" work. For the next several years I breathed my way through powerful experiences of family of origin "maps" and "sculpts," and learned about messages, family system roles and rules, emotions, wounds and patterns, transactional analysis and other ways to understand and bring healing to generational family dynamics. And one of the greatest gifts I have ever received is having a safe harbor - what some call a safe container - to feel, voice, express, move, understand and let go of long-repressed emotion.
(If any of that strikes a chord with you, I invite you to read this short excerpt from an essay by Robert Bly and another resource is John Bradshaw's Homecoming series from PBS, and seek support in that direction.)
So with all that, it occurs to me that a good metaphor for my life's journey is "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea," the old TV series, representing my desire to take a deeper dive - beneath the surface of things - and fascination with my inner life.
The following year at age 9, what I thought was a an easy climb up a rock wall in my neighborhood ended with me dangling by my fingertips 20 feet up, panicked and thinking: "I'm going to die!" But mid-thought, the space wavered in front of me and - with a surge of energy - my body vaulted up onto the ledge. Seconds later I was standing on top of the cliff, quivering but unhurt.
I biked home in shock and bewildered. What had just happened? Adrenaline? Divine intervention? That was my first conscious experience of the deeper realm, and to this day it felt like something overshadowed me quicker than lightning. To this day I can still feel where my body lit up like a Christmas tree.
I never told anyone for fear of having my wings clipped, and the event soon faded as I moved on to some other adventure. But later that year, dad took me to see the Jonathan Livingston Seagull movie, and on some level my questions began to be answered. And although he never said the words, between that movie and the Richard Bach and Bermuda Triangle books on his shelf, I took it as permission to explore outside the box.
My first high school experience of the deeper realm was the "headache" acu-point that a friend showed me. Instantly my headache evaporated as I felt a strange sensation - what some call chi - drain down from my head, neck and shoulders. That feeling really got my attention.
Zen-like moments continued in high school sports: taking off running to catch a ball before it was hit; intuiting a pass before it was thrown and intercepting it. Although I was quick, I was not so much athletic as sensitive, and I was just as surprised as anyone when my body performed intuitively.
At 16 I broke a wrist in football practice and it didn't heal right, and that eventually prevented me from getting a college military scholarship. A decade later that hand was also the first place I ever felt chi.
At 16 as well, a teacher guided our class into an experience of progressive relaxation. I was stunned: it was my first conscious experience of my inner life and another huge shift in the direction of healing and right-brain experiences.
Around the same time, mom shared one of her books with me - Hope for the Flowers by Trina Paulus - about caterpillars going within and transforming into the butterfly they are meant to be. It was the perfect book at the perfect time, and I even cited it as the most important book I had ever read on my college application. I am so grateful for my mom's help with my transformation!
Fast forward a few years to the many magical moments of my college sophmore year studying abroad. There I was introduced to my second Richard Bach book - Illusions - and John Heider's The Tao of Leadership while traveling with my friend Marianne Herb. The magic was kept alive after homecoming by seeing Back to the Future with mom and dad's copy of Golf in the Kingdom by Michael Murphy - one of my all time favorites about the deeper realm.
I still thank my lucky stars for the zen-like moment that occurred the following year, when - still in culture shock - I had to guess on a section of multiple-choice questions in a final exam. At first I panicked, but then a strange feeling came over me that whispered: “put down ‘B’ for all of them.” I did, and as it turned out, “coincidentally,” 19 out of 20 of the answers actually were B. I like to think of that moment as getting an A in divine intervention.
A few months before college graduation I had my second experience of progressive relaxation with my dad's copy of Barrie Konicov's relaxation recording, which I still absolutely love and use frequently. I felt the same exquisite relief as years before in high school, and emerged from that experience wanting that feeling to be part of my lifestyle. And although I was only vaguely aware of it, I was beginning to choose a road less traveled: a path of the inner life, healing, right-brain experiences and feeling.
At age 19, following mom's lead, my sister and I were introduced to a family system healing group, and a few years later I resumed that approach, delving deeper into what John Bradshaw calls "original pain/original justice" work. For the next several years I breathed my way through powerful experiences of family of origin "maps" and "sculpts," and learned about messages, family system roles and rules, emotions, wounds and patterns, transactional analysis and other ways to understand and bring healing to generational family dynamics. And one of the greatest gifts I have ever received is having a safe harbor - what some call a safe container - to feel, voice, express, move, understand and let go of long-repressed emotion.
(If any of that strikes a chord with you, I invite you to read this short excerpt from an essay by Robert Bly and another resource is John Bradshaw's Homecoming series from PBS, and seek support in that direction.)
So with all that, it occurs to me that a good metaphor for my life's journey is "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea," the old TV series, representing my desire to take a deeper dive - beneath the surface of things - and fascination with my inner life.
Early on in my voyage, I was sustained by therapeutic experiences, inspirational books, music and mysterious and powerful dreams. I am so grateful for the dream interpretation method I took to heart from Gayle Delaney's Living Your Dreams.
So many of the dreams were absolutely stunning and still feel like they were just yesterday: being carried by a divine wind; meeting a guardian angel and hearing its name; hearing a foreign word sung over and over in a little boy's voice - a word that I later learned means perseverance; a very touching dream of a visit from mom after she crossed over.
In another dream, I - my physical body - was superimposed onto the cartoon landscape Charlie Brown Christmas TV special!
So many of the dreams were absolutely stunning and still feel like they were just yesterday: being carried by a divine wind; meeting a guardian angel and hearing its name; hearing a foreign word sung over and over in a little boy's voice - a word that I later learned means perseverance; a very touching dream of a visit from mom after she crossed over.
In another dream, I - my physical body - was superimposed onto the cartoon landscape Charlie Brown Christmas TV special!
Standing out under the starry sky with the Peanuts gang, my hand was upturned, and the twinkling star in the sky gently fell like a snowflake... into the palm of my hand! It was an incredibly joyful dream that would prove prophetic years later.
In 1988 I began healing movement through water exercise classes and by 1991 I was teaching it. In 1990 I was graced with Michael Whiting's gifts of healing movement. At that time I didn’t even know what chi was, nor that feeling it was even possible. I was just fascinated by the movements. After learning long and short chi forms with Michael, I continued to practice daily on my own, and I am so grateful for all his gifts. His devotion deeply touched me. Rest in peace Michael.
In October of 1992 a friend invited me to a demonstration of the power of crystals and I went in skeptical at best. I had the chance to lie down between several huge quartz crystals, and it felt immediately like putting on the ring in Lord of the Rings, sound effect and all: it felt like I was somewhere else and insulated by thick cotton.
Later that day the teacher told me that he foresaw that I would be known as a healer within the next three years. "How could that be," I thought. I was committed to my own healing, but never thought of myself as a healer.
But just a few weeks later, in November 1992 I felt the astonishing electromagnetic sensation of chi between my hands for the first time, and that feeling has been with me ever since. I knew that I had received a gift and had found my calling—working with chi and healing movement—and wanted to share it.
So the gift of my Charlie Brown dream above was an intuitive flash of the chi that eventually fell right into my hand.
From 1993 to 1998 I gradually learned a style of acupressure called Jin Shin Do® (way of the compassionate spirit) with my teacher Steve Schumacher. The creator of JSD - Iona Marsaa Teegarden - synthesized this unique and elegant system of acupressure out of the emotions, acu-points and wisdom associated with 5 element theory.
In 1988 I began healing movement through water exercise classes and by 1991 I was teaching it. In 1990 I was graced with Michael Whiting's gifts of healing movement. At that time I didn’t even know what chi was, nor that feeling it was even possible. I was just fascinated by the movements. After learning long and short chi forms with Michael, I continued to practice daily on my own, and I am so grateful for all his gifts. His devotion deeply touched me. Rest in peace Michael.
In October of 1992 a friend invited me to a demonstration of the power of crystals and I went in skeptical at best. I had the chance to lie down between several huge quartz crystals, and it felt immediately like putting on the ring in Lord of the Rings, sound effect and all: it felt like I was somewhere else and insulated by thick cotton.
Later that day the teacher told me that he foresaw that I would be known as a healer within the next three years. "How could that be," I thought. I was committed to my own healing, but never thought of myself as a healer.
But just a few weeks later, in November 1992 I felt the astonishing electromagnetic sensation of chi between my hands for the first time, and that feeling has been with me ever since. I knew that I had received a gift and had found my calling—working with chi and healing movement—and wanted to share it.
So the gift of my Charlie Brown dream above was an intuitive flash of the chi that eventually fell right into my hand.
From 1993 to 1998 I gradually learned a style of acupressure called Jin Shin Do® (way of the compassionate spirit) with my teacher Steve Schumacher. The creator of JSD - Iona Marsaa Teegarden - synthesized this unique and elegant system of acupressure out of the emotions, acu-points and wisdom associated with 5 element theory.
In my late 20s, while doing an acupressure demo for a client who had a totally bloodshot eye, I had another zen-like moment as I held two acu-points that flow toward the eyes. A moment later when the client blinked, my client's eye turned white and the redness totally vanished! "Holy $&#@," I thought, turning away wide-eyed. I never even knew that was possible!
I received my acupressure certification in 1998, and eventually came to think of chi as the spiritual "blood" that circulates through the body.
Incidentally, for nearly 20 years I have also been blessed with opportunities to share the experience of chi and acupressure with local high school students. The teacher and I present the concept of the force in Star Wars, enhancing physical and mental performance by increasing neuro-plasticity and responsiveness and bringing more of our right-brain online. We invite them to consider how most of us are starved for healthy right-brain experiences and a typical in-route has been alcohol and drugs. But chi is one simple, fun and healthy way to access our right brain, and I am honored to introduce that experience to students. Many students feel the chi the first time we do movements to relax mind and body, followed by chi sensing experiments. Recently, a few students credited their stellar athletic performance to their chi experience the same day.
That sure brings a smile to my face.
But back to my story.
In 1996, I had another experience of the deeper realm that I believe was divine intervention. My mom had recently passed away, and I had driven 3 hours north to her home, working all day to help my step-father sort through my mom's possessions. I had to get back home that night because I had to work early the next day. I was exhausted on the three hour drive home, had had a ton of caffeine but it wasn't working, had the window rolled all the way down, was using acu-points to help stimulate me, and was praying for "God wake me up, God wake me up," all to no avail: after 2.5 hours, my eyes closed and I fell asleep at the wheel doing 65 miles an hour on that interstate.
It felt like I was asleep for an hour, when my eyes opened wide to see headlights coming right at me! Miraculously, I was still in my lane but a driver on the other side of the road had fallen asleep at the exact same time on the opposite side of the interstate and their car had left the road and drifted into the the wide grassy median between us and started flipping!
I pulled over immediately, got out of the car and sprinted across the interstate, the first to arrive at that car wreck. There were 5 people in it, but none of them were hurt! I checked on everyone, and then made it back to my car, and suffice to say that I was wide awake for the rest of the drive home. And I came away with awe-struck gratitude and a new awareness: be really specific what you pray for!
Two other transcendental instances I want to mention here: the night my mom passed away, I awoke to a loud banging on the wall behind me 3 times on my left side, and years later - the night my dad passed away - I awoke to hearing dad's voice on my right side, joyfully singing out like a circus call for applause, "Ta Da!" Both of those experiences deeply comforted and reassured me.
Shifting gears again, my first experience of creativity, zen-like moments and movement coalesced in the mid 90s as I began teaching unique seasonal chi classes based on acupressure theory. My body began to express how chi rises in the Spring, expands in Summer, slows and pauses in Late Summer - like a roller coaster at its apex - dissipates in Fall, and sinks and turns inward in Winter.
I received my acupressure certification in 1998, and eventually came to think of chi as the spiritual "blood" that circulates through the body.
Incidentally, for nearly 20 years I have also been blessed with opportunities to share the experience of chi and acupressure with local high school students. The teacher and I present the concept of the force in Star Wars, enhancing physical and mental performance by increasing neuro-plasticity and responsiveness and bringing more of our right-brain online. We invite them to consider how most of us are starved for healthy right-brain experiences and a typical in-route has been alcohol and drugs. But chi is one simple, fun and healthy way to access our right brain, and I am honored to introduce that experience to students. Many students feel the chi the first time we do movements to relax mind and body, followed by chi sensing experiments. Recently, a few students credited their stellar athletic performance to their chi experience the same day.
That sure brings a smile to my face.
But back to my story.
In 1996, I had another experience of the deeper realm that I believe was divine intervention. My mom had recently passed away, and I had driven 3 hours north to her home, working all day to help my step-father sort through my mom's possessions. I had to get back home that night because I had to work early the next day. I was exhausted on the three hour drive home, had had a ton of caffeine but it wasn't working, had the window rolled all the way down, was using acu-points to help stimulate me, and was praying for "God wake me up, God wake me up," all to no avail: after 2.5 hours, my eyes closed and I fell asleep at the wheel doing 65 miles an hour on that interstate.
It felt like I was asleep for an hour, when my eyes opened wide to see headlights coming right at me! Miraculously, I was still in my lane but a driver on the other side of the road had fallen asleep at the exact same time on the opposite side of the interstate and their car had left the road and drifted into the the wide grassy median between us and started flipping!
I pulled over immediately, got out of the car and sprinted across the interstate, the first to arrive at that car wreck. There were 5 people in it, but none of them were hurt! I checked on everyone, and then made it back to my car, and suffice to say that I was wide awake for the rest of the drive home. And I came away with awe-struck gratitude and a new awareness: be really specific what you pray for!
Two other transcendental instances I want to mention here: the night my mom passed away, I awoke to a loud banging on the wall behind me 3 times on my left side, and years later - the night my dad passed away - I awoke to hearing dad's voice on my right side, joyfully singing out like a circus call for applause, "Ta Da!" Both of those experiences deeply comforted and reassured me.
Shifting gears again, my first experience of creativity, zen-like moments and movement coalesced in the mid 90s as I began teaching unique seasonal chi classes based on acupressure theory. My body began to express how chi rises in the Spring, expands in Summer, slows and pauses in Late Summer - like a roller coaster at its apex - dissipates in Fall, and sinks and turns inward in Winter.
It's a powerful way to connect to nature through movement and experience the energy of cycles in general. And magically, the perfect music appeared to express this experience even more powerfully. Check out our two minute video below and please give it a moment to begin to see and feel the power, because the music begins with an expression of energy when it is at its lowest and deepest: the winter solstice.
I was also certified in yoga and reiki in the late 90s, and shortly thereafter I took my first Hakomi workshop in Asheville North Carolina as part of my counseling credits for Jin Shin Do certification. One of the participants had recently had surgery and asked for some reiki on a lunch break to see if it could help with the pain. But instead of feeling an influx of energy, she felt pain leaving her body. That was a profound moment for me, and upon reflection I remembered that an intuitive had foretold the year before that reversing the polarity of energy would be a part of my path. That is part of the inspiration behind the Reverse Reiki™ that I eventually began offering.
In 1997 I was introduced to retired engineer Jeff Baugher. Jeff had been involved with holistic healing for decades and had a particular fascination with ritual space, parts work and the twelve archetypes of the zodiac... and it was contagious! From Jeff I gradually began to understand how archetypes are closer to us than our own skin, and can be befriended, strengthened and cross-trained.
In 1999-2000 Jeff and I began creating unique fluid movements - and partner movements - similar to tai chi - to connect to and embody the twelve archetypes. And because the movements celebrate the beauty and lushness of life and human nature, to make them more accessible to a broader audience, we distilled out the archetypes using simple universal language, and created other unique expressions of these movements such a
to help support your life, dreams, beliefs and goals.
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As Jeff and I began teaching the movements in 2000, that same year I also accepted Jeff's invitation to join the Mankind Project and began a three year training in Hakomi® mindfulness-based, body-centered psychotherapy. I graduated from that 420 hour program in 2003.
Hakomi uses a unique form of assisted mindfulness to invite a shift from the story to the storyteller, slow experience way down and stay down in the body instead of zooming up into the head, intellect and various belief systems. When that happens, mind and body bridge in fascinating ways and ahas, zen-like moments and core belief shifts can organically emerge. The Hakomi principles are mindfulness, non-violence, spirit-mind-body holism, organicity, unity and loving presence. I use the tools and principles of Hakomi in everything I offer.
I also attended Jeff Baugher and Becky Schupbach's Shadow Work® weekends for nearly 20 years, delving into unique experiential processes to embody the archetypes of Lover, Warrior, Magician and Sovereign. I had some of the greatest insights, epiphanies and zen-like healing moments of my life there, and their facilitation skills are absolutely amazing.
I am still a member in the Mankind Project, and I regularly facilitate balancing processes there. I consider ShadowWork and Hakomi the deepest personal growth work I have yet experienced.
From all of the amazing experiences and trainings I have had, over the years my style of working with folks has evolved into a unique mix of holding space, movement, mindfulness, warm-heartedness and humor. I have learned that people relax and show up more fully when received that way.
* * * * * * *
Writing this piece has been an amazing trip down memory lane, and it has also helped me connect the dots to other zen-like moments of long ago, especially near accidents and David and Goliath situations. There are just too many to include here, but I feel so blessed and incredibly grateful. And I have come to believe that zen-like moments, healing, grace and creativity are just waiting to happen if one is willing to slow down, relax, breathe and feel.
If you feel so inclined, feel free to schedule with me and together we can discover what would support your life, dreams, goals and beliefs.
Thank you for your time and attention, and bless you on your journey.
Hakomi uses a unique form of assisted mindfulness to invite a shift from the story to the storyteller, slow experience way down and stay down in the body instead of zooming up into the head, intellect and various belief systems. When that happens, mind and body bridge in fascinating ways and ahas, zen-like moments and core belief shifts can organically emerge. The Hakomi principles are mindfulness, non-violence, spirit-mind-body holism, organicity, unity and loving presence. I use the tools and principles of Hakomi in everything I offer.
I also attended Jeff Baugher and Becky Schupbach's Shadow Work® weekends for nearly 20 years, delving into unique experiential processes to embody the archetypes of Lover, Warrior, Magician and Sovereign. I had some of the greatest insights, epiphanies and zen-like healing moments of my life there, and their facilitation skills are absolutely amazing.
I am still a member in the Mankind Project, and I regularly facilitate balancing processes there. I consider ShadowWork and Hakomi the deepest personal growth work I have yet experienced.
From all of the amazing experiences and trainings I have had, over the years my style of working with folks has evolved into a unique mix of holding space, movement, mindfulness, warm-heartedness and humor. I have learned that people relax and show up more fully when received that way.
* * * * * * *
Writing this piece has been an amazing trip down memory lane, and it has also helped me connect the dots to other zen-like moments of long ago, especially near accidents and David and Goliath situations. There are just too many to include here, but I feel so blessed and incredibly grateful. And I have come to believe that zen-like moments, healing, grace and creativity are just waiting to happen if one is willing to slow down, relax, breathe and feel.
If you feel so inclined, feel free to schedule with me and together we can discover what would support your life, dreams, goals and beliefs.
Thank you for your time and attention, and bless you on your journey.