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“When we travel, we actually take three trips. There’s the first trip of preparation and anticipation, packing and daydreaming. There’s the trip you’re actually on. And then, there’s the trip you remember.
May I be awake enough to notice when love appears and bold enough to pursue it without knowing where it will end.
To learn to swim in the ocean of not-knowing- this is my constant work.”
As I sit down to write this post, I’m a few days out from my 37th birthday & what would have been my father’s 70th. Just a few weeks from now I will be honoring the 12th anniversary of his passing.
The aftermath of his sudden death introduced me to the depths of darkness I didn’t know existed. Two months into mourning, I decided I needed a little light. Swirling in office his chair, I googled adventures. Bike the California coast. No, too easy. Bike across America. Perfect. I smiled and felt like myself again, my father’s unpredictable wild card.
Long training rides became my therapy. My easy 20 mile weekday rides would always include a visit and chat at his gravesite. When the big adventure finally arrived, I flew myself out to Seattle and joined a team of insane individuals who also thought it would be fun to bike 3,300 miles in 48 days.
I think it’s worthy to mention, before I started training I had no idea how to clip into a bicycle. Let alone a bicycle (my father’s) that was technically too big for me.
This trip was dangerous and demanding on all levels - physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
It was the perfect cocktail. Medicine for my soul.
After my body adjusted to the rigor, I started to find a sweet rhythm with my rides. Breeze through the first 20 miles and then snack break. Another 20 and lunch. But then, when I rolled into mile 60, I’d find myself alone in my pace, and that’s when they came. The flood of tears, the roaring, the yelling, the gripping of my handle bars, the curl of my stomach that took my breath away.
It’s taken more than 3,300 miles to process my grief, but that adventure taught me how working with the body can help access and release deeply held emotions and trauma.
I’m inspired as a bodyworker to provide sessions that support people who are living with grief, loss and emotional pain. Since I do not offer talk therapy and hold close to my scope of my practice, people often ask what that means.
It can be as simple as giving your grief permission to be in the room with us. Sharing what’s real and present in your life right now. When we invite the dream body to remind you what was going on in your life when the back pain started, it can shift the pain from being a nuisance to an expression yearning for compassion. Other times, the presence of your grief, whether you verbalize it to me or not, will show me how and where to work with you.
Bodywork takes us deeper into our journey with grief. It’s a tool and companion. We all know massage helps us to feel grounded, centered and peaceful. But I’m here for the real stuff. The tidbits of insight, the deep integration breath, the remembering of abandoned body parts, the invitation back home into your heart.
So to draw this sharing to a close. I believe it’s next to impossible to define exactly how bodywork helps to process grief. We could speak poetically about this for days on end. It really is a mystery, one that doesn’t want to be confined to words.
But I invite you to join me at mile 60, let’s ride the breakdown together, so we can let the light back in.
Of all the flowers in the world, did you know that roses have the highest vibration? No wonder they tell us to stop and smell the roses, and soak in those good, good, good, good vibrations.
To get scientific on you if you’re not immediately buying into the woo-woo theory, chew on this. Roses vibrate at 320 MHz, while the natural human body vibrates at a frequency somewhere between 62-78 MHz. Given their high frequency, when we connect with roses (energetically, physically, spiritually, emotionally), they are able to heal lower vibration feelings, emotions and physical ailments. And this isn’t a New Age thing. Rose petal fossils have been found across America dating back 30 million years, and have been used in foods, medicines, cosmetics, ritual and perfumery.
Roses are also powerful healers of relationships, and given the current state of affairs in the United States and across the globe, we could really benefit from their petal power. It takes a village they say, and it always amazes me how taking care of our own energy field can have positive rippling effects on those around us.
A healer and mentor of mine introduced this Rose Bath Ritual to me just a few weeks ago, and I immediately knew it would become a monthly staple (if not more often) in my wellness routine. I had been noticing over the last couple of months that I was attracting the same pattern and story into my life that would leave me feeling depleted, frustrated and unsupported. I knew the repetition of events was the universe trying to get my attention, and as the sentiments accumulated, my body started to react and my overall energy field felt sluggish and bogged down.
Enough was enough, the universe got my attention and I was ready to make a shift. I made a plan to do three baths in close succession. After bath two I felt like a new woman. I had more energy and I felt like I had turned the corner in letting go of my attachment to the unhealthy pattern.
Here are the instructions for this sacred bathing ritual.
You will need:
Shower or Bathtub (or do this outside!)
Red or pink Roses (fresh or dried)
Honey
Wooden spoon (or a stick)
Optional nice additions: Incense (palo santo, sage, cedar or your personal favorite), candles, crystals, a spiritually significant tool
Steps:
Create your prayer. Before you begin, find a quiet place to sit down and close your eyes. Put together a sweet and meaningful prayer that you will speak into the water. This is very personal but I do recommend thanking Mother Earth, sacred water, mystical roses and healing honey.
Cleanse your bathroom. Before you begin, clean and organize your bathroom. Add candles to invite in Spirit and use an incense (sage and palo santo are great) to cleanse the room. If you don’t have incense, you can chant “Om” the universal sound of oneness and creation or you can extend a prayer of purification, using words that resonate with you and speaking from your heart. Once this is complete, place any crystals or spiritual tools in meaningful places throughout the room, or even in the bath.
Prepare the Rose Water. Pick the petals off as many roses as you like. Put them in a pot with warm water. Simmer on low for minimum 20 minutes (the longer, the better). Add a scoop of honey with a wooden spoon and stir the water clockwise. Repeat your prayer into the water as many times as you like.
Prepare your bath to a soothing temperature. If you have a shower, skip this part. You will instead pour your rose and honey water over your head and body.
Pour the prepared Rose Water into the Bath. Stir the roses into the bath water in a clockwise direction repeating your prayer. If you are in the shower, repeat your prayer and pour the water over your head.
Gather the petals and rub them all over your body.
Enjoy the experience for as long as you like. Keep track of the experience in a journal and write down how you feel emotionally, and what types of experiences come into your life. Repeat this ritual a minimum of three times.
When you’re feeling ready to get back into your massage routine, I want you to know and trust that I am strictly adhering to state and county health department regulations to keep everyone as safe and healthy as possible. We know at this time that social distancing and staying at home is still our best option in flattening the curve, especially for those who fall in the high-risk category as outlined by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. It is important that each client evaluates their personal and household risk factors before scheduling a session and if you are unsure, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re all in this together.
Here’s how the new and improved 2020 sessions will flow:
All clients and Kat are required to wear a face mask during the entire session, from entrance to departure. While lying face down, a pillow case will be secured under the face cradle. This serves the same purpose as the mask limiting the spread of particles and is found by many to be more comfortable. You are of course welcome to wear a mask instead or in addition to the pillow case.
The waiting room is now the great outdoors or your car. Please send a text upon arrival and wait for response. Clients will enter through the back patio door, limiting exposure.
Upon arrival, every client will need to conduct a symptom check, including temperature, before receiving massage. If you have a fever, symptoms, or anyone in your household has a fever or symptoms we will reschedule your session. It is necessary for all of us to co-create a healthy community environment and to hold to stricter standards. (There is obviously NO charge for an appointment canceled for COVID related symptoms.)
Contactless payment options available - Venmo and Paypal
Meticulous hand-washing (singing “Happy Birthday” twice) as well as disinfecting the massage table, tools, and all contact surfaces at our offices with either a bleach solution or an EPA-approved product for emerging viral pathogens expected to be effective against COVID-19.
The K’intu Wellness Healing Room is equipped with a Austin Air Hepa air filter
Please bring your own tea or water bottle as no beverages will be provided at this time. There is a bathroom in the hallway outside of the office suite.
Thank you for taking the time to review our safety protocols. If you have any questions, doubts or hesitations, please reach out. I look forward to working with you when the time feels right. Until then, may you be well, may you be happy and may you be safe. Lots of love.
Hello, friends!
I’d like to fill your body, mind and heart up with some exciting news! I am thrilled to announce that I am opening a K’intu Wellness Healing Space starting in early July 2020. For those who don’t know, this is my second big creation in life. The first was opening Yoga Room Cusco, a yoga studio, apothecary and retreat center in Cusco, Peru from 2015-18. Cautious, mindful and careful is the name of the game as we move slowly back into physical contact. But oh boy, I can’t wait to unveil the plans I have for this space!
K’intu Wellness Healing Space is located at 3450 Penrose Place Suite 140 in Boulder, Colorado. I am sharing a three suite office with an incredible woman and healer, Afra Moenter, founder of Rocky Mountain Center for Epilepsy. Our third suite-mate is TBD, I’ll keep you posted on who shows up!
Now it may be an office of three, but here is the GREAT news. My space has it’s own patio door entrance. So you’re in, you’re out, no waiting room necessary!
I want to share a little bit about how I came to share an office space with Afra (especially when we are amidst a global pandemic). My very dear friend and neighbor, Suzanne, invited me to plant veggies in her garden this summer. I live in a ground floor condo, so moving a plant out of a pot is a VERY big deal! One day while working in the garden I said, “you know, I think I’m ready for an office. It makes sense. And I feel like it’s just going to fall out of the air, it’s not going to take long to find.” Suzanne paused and then said, “you know I have a friend who is renovating an office. I’ll ask her.” I put my hands back in the dirt and let the universe do it’s thing. And…. voilà!
Afra is doing an INCREDIBLE job renovating the office suite. I feel beyond lucky that this will be K’intu Wellness’ first roots in Boulder (well, second to my living room). Every aspect of the renovation comes from her deeply rooted intention to create a cooperative vortex of healing. Ya’ll it’s going to be so good. Please next post about protocols and precautions.
It seems quite likely that for as long as our species continues to evolve on planet Earth, the catchy phrase “these sure are crazy times” will be 110% applicable to any and all situations. Buckle your seatbelt everybody.
How have you been during this quarantine? Have you been angry, sad? Inspired and motivated? Did you at any point collapse, give up and throw in the towel? Did you question your life, your purpose, the way you live? Did you meet a neighbor in a new way and take the time to hear their stories instead of just recognize the sound of their car parking or door closing? Did you become more acutely aware of how every breath, thought and action we take, affects those around us? And were you affected or newly enlightened to the deeply rooted inequalities in access to resources that lace the fabric of our society?
I could answer yes to these questions and ooze with the detail. In summary, the quarantine was a rollercoaster, with plenty of ups and downs, and curves you didn’t quite see coming. And as we begin to navigate the slow trickling back into “normal” life, I know many of us are questioning how to take those first new steps.
Perhaps the best advice we can give ourselves is the way we encourage a baby to keep crawling, lifting, falling, and lifting again, finding their feet to stand.
The only way forward, is forward. Equipped with the lessons of this experience. Ready and willing to adapt and ride out the hiccups.
At one point during the quarantine, my teacher Teresa told me it’s like we are all riding on the crest of a wave. If you look down, you will fall, so keep looking ahead.
Psst, no judgment here with this question (speaking to myself and all those reading). When you’re going about the regular hustle and bustle of your day (before 2020 or what life looks like in the corona days), when you recognize the feeling of gratitude rising within, how long do you take to reciprocate and extend back your appreciation? Do you take any action, symbolic, physical, or verbal, to give a proper thanks to the person, object, place or experience? Or is it just a quick thought, “Wow I’m so glad I have a comfortable and safe home, a car that works, a family that loves me, a job that fulfills me, the opportunity to visit this country, to meet this person, a body that functions…” At best maybe a pause, a quick reflection or maybe a message sent, “Thanks for your help today, I appreciate what you did for me, thank you for your time!” We all know the ease of gratitude when things are going swell, but how likely are we to give thanks to the tough stuff, to the hard road, to the losses, failures and suffering? And not once we’ve overcome it or turned a page, but amidst the uncertain, scary and most challenging moments of our lives, can we pause and open a window to give thanks?
I ask this question because as we move through the Coronavirus pandemic, global consciousness is awakening to more potent realizations of how we need to protect, conserve and honor natural resources, the gifts of Mother Earth.
In the high Andes, there is a sacred tradition, Despacho or Pago a la Tierra, “Payment to Mother Earth,” It is a sacred ceremony performed by the Q’eros, direct descendants of the Incas who live in five communities at 4,000 meters above sea level. The Q’eros lived isolated in the rural and remote mountains until the 1970s, when they perceived it was time to visit neighboring towns of the Cusco region and share their practices.
Living in Cusco as an expat, you quickly integrate despachos into your way of life. For celebration, loss, for a new home, for a business, struggling or thriving, for a relationship, for health or healing, and especially in the month of August, as the entire month is dedicated to Pachamama in the Andes.
Despacho translates to “sending a message or care package.” The ceremony is both a symbolic and physical act of love that empowers and reinforces our understanding of the interconnectedness of all energy in the universe, all beings, elements, spirits and sacred places
I started out asking about how long and what we do with our feelings of gratitude, because the Despacho Ceremony takes time. It requires one to purchase supplies, contact and reciprocate economically (ayni - the Quechua word for reciprocity) to a Q’ero, and take a few hours out of one’s day to sit in ceremony. To sit on the earth, come together in a circle, listen to the wisdom of the Q’ero, close your eyes, reflect and extend your unlimited prayers of gratitude and hopes for the future into k’intus and the Despacho offering.
While this experience is beautiful, I have seen first-time ceremony goers be both captivated and lost in the experience, mostly because it is something they are not accustomed to. Mostly because, it takes time. It’s not a quick thought. It takes effort an internal gaze and dedication.
But at some point within the ceremony, I’ve seen each first-timer embrace their internal “a-ha moment.” When body, mind and heart align in a more empowered way, and there is an acceptance and understanding of all that was, all that is, and all that will ever be. A moment when there is a fluid joining to the essential unity we share with all that exists.
During the Sacred Elements Journey to Peru Retreat, we partake in a Despacho Ceremony with Q’ero Victor Chura Quispe on our Earth day at Samadhi Sacred Valley. It is both a mystical and practical way to identify and integrate our intentions for the journey, acceptance of the past and our dreams for beyond.
But what about right now? Amidst the insecurity and global pandemic? What could happen, how could our prognosis as a collective shift, if we all, in our own way, took the time to send our own message and care package to Mother Earth, our dear Pachamamita?
Up next on the blog is how to create your own Despacho, in honor and respect of the traditional ceremony. In the meantime, I encourage myself and all of us, to take more than just a moment, to pause and think of something we can do to give back to life, give back to the unconditionally generous Earth. Sing a song, paint a picture, meditate in nature, call an old teacher or mentor, plant flowers or a tree. Whatever you do, remember that your intention is the most important ingredient. And it is an enlightening reminder of one’s strength of spirit, to be able to give thanks during the rough times.
Be well friends. <3
I like the way my teacher Teresa refers to Machu Picchu.
“It’s the boss of the Apus,” she says.
And it’s true. Maybe you’ve read about Qorikancha, Apu Salkantay, Sachsayhuaman, Inkilltambo, Apu Veronica and now thanks to Instagram, Rainbow Mountain of Apu Ausangate. But it’s Machu Picchu on you’re mind when you hit CLICK to purchase your first trip to Peru. I know that’s how I was first drawn to Cusco. At the podium of a Catholic Church at my father’s funeral, I tapped my heart three times, took a deep breath, and announced to the universe and those sitting in the pews:
As I stand here looking out at the Church and seeing all the hearts you’ve touched, I want to know what you are experiencing and if you are ready for the next adventure I’m planning. I’m thinking about hiking Machu Picchu this summer in your honor, and I’ve said it more than three times, so you know that I’m serious. Make sure you write Peru in your planner. And make sure you look at the stars tonight so that we have had a chance to share something today. I know you are there, waiting for me. Behave yourself. See you at the airport. Love always and forever, Katherine.
Six months later I was in Peru. On paper I was there to complete an internship for my Masters in Economic Development back in Spain. In my heart, I was just beginning to scratch the surface of my lifelong mission to understand life, death and our purpose between that inhale and exhale.
More than a million people visit Machu Picchu each year. They have now capped daily entrance to 2,500 people a day (before up to 5,000 people visited!). So when you say Machu Picchu and Peru are on your bucket list, take a number, get in line, the bandwagon’s leaving the station.
But why? What is it about this ancient citadel of the Incas that has become such a hot place to visit? Do you feel the same pull to visit the other Seven Wonders of the World (the Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China, the Colosseum, the Chichen Itza, Christ the Redeemer or Petra)?
“In the variety of its charms and the power of its spell, I know of no other place in the weld which can compare with it.”
- Hiram Bingham
While writing this blog post, I reached out to my friend and our retreat guide, Miguel Belota, who has extensive knowledge and experience exploring and guiding tourists through the sacred ruins of the Andes. “What is it about Machu Picchu?,” I asked.
“Machu Picchu is a Master Piece of a higher state of consciousness, created during a time when humans had the ability to harmoniously integrate into the cosmos and interact intimately with living nature. It is one of the most potent places of energy to receive and give light, peace and love” he responded, short, sweet and potent.
His response confirmed for me that all of Cusco’s visitors, diverse and unique from faraway lands, all at varying depths of opening their consciousness, harbor a strong yearning to evolve, grow and taste a more meaningful life than the one we’re so commonly shown in modern day society. And according to Incan Legend, our visits are a critical part of moving into a new Golden era.
Since the 1970s, it is believed that the center and core of the Earth’s spiritual energy has shifted slowly from the Himalayas to the Andes, rooting itself through Peru and Bolivia, magnifying the potency of places like Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca. During the primacy of the Incan culture, Wiracocha, the creator of the Inca World, sent different forms of wisdom to the four corners of the Earth, as means of preservation of the culture. Today, those who feel called to visit Cusco, are bringing elements of this wisdom back and in turn experience more than just a trip, but a profound pilgrimage, sometimes intense spiritual awakening, that up levels their consciousness in ways they could have never imagined. Even if you just came for the selfie and hashtag and don’t believe in the woo-woo spirituality, I guarantee that at some point during the journey home, you’ll notice that something has shifted, evolved, opened or maybe even ignited.
“I was vibrating for nearly two months after we came home from the Peru retreat,”
-2019 Sacred Elements Journey to Peru participant
“I can’t wait to go back, I want to bring my husband and son and share the magic of those mountains with them.”
-2019 Sacred Elements Journey to Peru participant
Woven body, mind and heart in Peru
I know this feeling all so well. After my four months in Cusco, I returned back to Spain, and then six months later found myself in Lima, and not too long after, I was living in Cusco working for GirlSportWorks. When the one year contract job finished, I couldn’t leave. I had a dog now, so that slowed me down a bit. I didn’t know why I was supposed to stay, I just knew there was no where else in the world that I wanted or needed to be. That feeling of connection and love to the land quickly rolled into seven years of living, working, creating and guiding travelers through spiritually awakening experiences in the most sacred and beautiful places and ceremonies.
To quote the legend, Tina Turner, Sacred Elements Journey to Peru is a 10 day journey (optional 8-day) that is “SIMPLY THE BEST” of the most real and intimate invitations to soak in the raw healing powers of Cusco, and the loving spiritual energy of the Earth, that lies concentrated beneath your feet, supporting each step of your journey.
The flow of our retreat, from tours, local youth outreach and delicious meals in Cusco city, to the heart of the Sacred Valley, to an evening of camping in a Nature Sanctuary at the foot of Apu Veronica, all build upon on opening and aligning our bodies, minds and hearts to take in the ultimate conclusion of our experience, Machu Picchu. Reflecting on the trip, Machu Picchu may or may not be the place where your heart skips the biggest beat, or whee your soul shines through and illuminates the path forward to your heart’s deepest desire. But Machu Picchu is was struck the match, inspired the journey. Machu Picchu, we honor, as a Teacher and a Guide. He’s the boss, He put Cusco on the modern day map. But the depth of what He represents, goes far beyond the boundaries of this Incan citadel, and His honor is proud like a father, welcoming you home to this beloved, sacred land.
And so I fall back to the popular saying , “Life is a Journey, not a Destination.” But a destination like Machu Picchu isn’t a conclusion, a period, or an ending. It’s a Wonder of the World, so maybe making a visit will be the start of a wonderful new, golden beginning.
Find full itinerary here.
Email kat@kintuwellness.com to set up an information phone call.
Machu Picchu, Wonder of the World, Incan Citadel
For many years I dreamed of organizing a retreat to Peru for people who had just lost a loved one, as I met so many people during my time in Cusco who came there to do just that - grieve, release, open and reconnect to unconditional love. However, for this first special trip home, I envision a beautiful group coming together, united by all of our reasons, all of our callings and all of the discoveries that are waiting to be made once surrounded by the Apus, held by Pachamama and looked over by the crispy blue Andean sky.
