Monthly Archives: June 2019

Colin Tipping

Posted on by

June 30, 2019

Since writing to you last, I have experienced something new for my life that I’ll never forget! It will also inform me for how I might choose my own Life’s path! For two nights, on June 25th and 26th, I held vigil for Colin Tipping, my teacher of Radical Forgiveness, as he lay in transition from his physical to spiritual life.  Reading Colin’s account of embracing his journey with cancer during the past couple of years, invites me to integrate the idea that death is truly a transition, not an end! For someone who has touched me and thousands of others so deeply with his life-changing tools, how could this possibly be an end?

During the nights that I watched and listened, noticing his breathing, his eyes, his slight movements, while listening with my heart to the intuitive messages I received, I felt more than a physical presence. Although others in the “Tipping Team” described vivid conversations with his spirit as he “traveled in the ethers” beyond his body, my sense was much more physical. However, I allowed myself to take to heart any ideas that popped into my head to be valid messages from Colin. A few times, I had the idea that holding his hand seemed right. So, I did. I would hold his hand, still quite warm, and whisper that we loved him and he was free to go when he was ready.

Wednesday night, I played a solo Satori game in his room, acknowledging his presence as if he were there as Satori Game Master and champion for my endeavors to share Satori with increasingly wider audiences. I affirmed that in December last year he had dubbed me “Custodian of the Spirit of Satori”, a role I heartily, though timidly, embrace! I assured him that I am proceeding judiciously and told him about my meeting with Godfrey O’Flaherty, new CEO of the Institute for Radical Forgiveness just a few days earlier.

On Thursday morning, I was grateful for the arrival of Colin’s companion, George, who had agreed to stay close to him during his actual passing and for a few days afterward. George’s presence felt relaxed, even jovial, checking in with Colin with casual remarks and pats on his head. I was surprised at this, ha

Message to Colin posted by Regina in the bedside log.

ving been encouraged to be quiet and keep touch to a minimum so Colin could stay out of his body! But, here was George, stroking his head, and joking, “Looks like your beard is almost as long as mine!” and “How are you doing, Bro?”  I was content to leave Colin in George’s care and move on to the next leg of my journey – driving to Ohio to spend time with my 91-year-old mom!  First, though, would be a day’s rest, trying to make up for the two all-nighters I had just pulled!

I didn’t know when Colin would actually breathe his last nor how I would find out when it happened.  I just knew that I had helped by being present for those two nights so the others could prepare for the true event! Now, my contribution was complete. How I did learn of his passing spoke of intuitive connections of the heart, though! Friday, at 10:37 p.m. I heard the ping of a text message. It was from my friend, and first Forgivenesswalks client, Wendy, saying “Wow! Colin Tipping…”

I replied, “Yes?” Her reply: “He died”.  She sent me the email, which I had not yet seen, that had gone out a few hours earlier to the Radical Forgiveness Community announcing his passing. How perfect that she had been the messenger, someone who had been one of the first benefactors of my Radical Forgiveness coaching ten years ago! Even though we have had only occasional

conversations and texts since we both moved away from Atlanta, here she was, sharing this momentous news!

And now you can read it too, if you haven’t already as a member of the Radical Forgiveness Community. Here’s what Shari Claire, Colin’s creative partner, shared about three hours after he died.  Be sure to watch the video that’s linked after her quote!

“Colin had his final healing today at 3:44 PM EST as he graduated to the other side of the veil. He was surrounded by his wife, Jo Ann Tipping, his death guide George Poirier, his Chiron Brothers, and JoAnn’s spiritual sisters. We had a beautiful ceremony with prayers, singing, and laughter as we sent Colin off to his next adventure. He asked that I share a video he made where he talks about his experience. It is informative and entertaining.”

https://youtu.be/sQdGJI_WBYo

 

In joy,

Regina Reiter
Developer of Forgiveness Walks

Family Treasure

Posted on by

June 25th, 2019

Passing along a favorite family treasure

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another leg of my Summer Journey 2019 is complete. I stayed with my middle son, his wife and 3-yr old in Charleston, SC. This morning, I remembered that I had picked up some of my household stuff that my friend Cynthia had been care taking for me in Covington, GA. Turns out that Adam was happy to receive the huge bread bowl that had graced our family kitchen and turned out regular batches of homemade bread. He’s a dough maker too. What a heartwarmer to bequeath family heirlooms in person! The bowl had been made for me as a gift from my mom by Joan Weber, ceramic artist from Dayton, OH. Her work was her spiritual ministry and I always felt that making bread in that bowl was a sacred ceremony. It was inscribed with the words “Oh taste and see the goodness of the Lord Jesus Christ” May its blessings and sacred purpose continue to permeate and nourish all those who eat of its gifts.

Heart Connecting

Posted on by

♥♥June 22, 2019

Our first sojourn of Journey 2019 was in Decatur, GA to play with grandson Felix! Everything I was told about grandparenting being “the best thing” is true. Every visit is precious and being one who gets to lavish attention and love without the trouble is indeed the best! Our sojourn features other endearing connections…

John and I were hosted by my most generous and enduring supporters in Avondale Estates! They shared their luxurious Airbnb suite with us! If you have family visiting and don’t have guest rooms, Angie and Tom’s place would be a fine place to lavish attention on them!

Having lived in Decatur myself for twelve years (powerfully trnsformative ones as you know!) I have a long list of friends to connect with and not enough time to do it. That makes the two connections I made in the area extra special!

I visited one of my consistent readers and discovered that we both yearn to have conversations about relationships that jump right into the hows and whys and meanings of them. Our thirty-minute conversation brought validation and clarity for both of us! Scott emboldens me to keep sharing Radical Forgiveness tools and create space for these kinds of conversations. Yes, I love going below the surface, right to our hearts! Thanks, Scott!

Another heart connection made as we left Atlanta bound for Charleston, SC for lavishing love on another grandson, was in service of retrieving some stuff. When I sold my house in 2013 with no new house to furnish, I entrusted a few precious items to friends. My painting of a woodland path, beautiful ceramic bread bowl and grandmother’s tea set were at Cynthia’s farmhouse in rural Covington, GA. She was home! We talked. Again, we jumped right in to authentic revelation and exploration. With her, it was about conscious ageing! Although she said that I’m her model for moving into old age, I think that maybe I just make a good mirror for her grace, courage, and leadership. She’s the one who’s stepping courageously into her choices about recommended medical procedures, quality of life, and where she feels at home.

Heart connections are where I want to share my time! Each one is a more of energy and transformation on my journey! I want to have them, create them, foster them every day in every place! Maybe that’s why I love walking in Nature, for miles and miles, days and days. My walk from Maine to Georgia on the Appalachian Trail was a 2,175-mile Nature walk, with beauty all around!

Cynthia reminded me of a Navajo prayer she knows from her practice. That’s a good one to carry is into Summer!

With beauty before me

May I walk

With beauty behind me

May I walk

With beauty above me

May I walk

With beauty below me

May I walk

With beauty all around me

May I walk

May you walk in beauty, authentic conversation, and connection today.  If you need someone to do that with hit reply and tell your story! I’m here for you!

In joy,

Regina

P.S. I have an entire journey planned for exploring and transforming stories! Join me in November. Journey to YOUR Heartland

Angie and Tom’s place in Avondale Estates, GA https://abnb.me/BObDEiPavO

Celebration

Posted on by

June 17, 2019

Birthdays always help me review the blessings of being a mom. That’s a perfect time for reflection on what my vision for my son was. While pregnant, I created daily meditations with a music track called “Magical Journey” or some similar title. I can instantly recall the melody if not the correct name. I filled my belly with light and imagined my baby as a peacemaker. I knew my child would be my guide in becoming a generous, compassionate, and courageous person. I was certainly right about that! Here’s a quick list of the ways that showed up:

  • Courage to have a home birth, and not vaccinate
  • Generosity to breastfeed my baby for a long time
  • Compassion to let go of my food addictions and control issues and allow him the freedom to explore his own nourishment.
  • Courage to evaluate, to explore, and to educate myself about schooling and make choices I could implement conscientiously.
  • Generosity to provide a space for friends to play, time to ride bikes, tools and resources to create.
  • Compassion to admit my shortcomings and possible errors in creating a learning environment that fostered his most authentic and fulfilling expression in life.

I am touched when my son recalls songs that I brought him that he wants to share with his family. And when he takes loving care of his own son. Mothering an adult son brings fulfillment of my pregnancy vision – my peacemaker thrives in his light!

Thirty-seven years of being a mom has been a fulfilling journey in countless ways!

Celebrate Dave at 37! Thirty-seven years of mothering with gratitude for getting to be Dave’s mom!

 

 

 

Desert to Forest

Posted on by

June 15, 2019

Leaving Anza-Borrego Desert State Park at sunrise

Trees frame the Mountain view, Guadalupe Mountains, Texas

Border of trees at the Louisiana welcome center

 

1,650 miles east of our starting point, our third sunrise greets us with trees! What a contrast to the pink and purple sunrise innour departure from Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in southern California. What a difference in vegetation rain makes! Our Outer Journey has been a marathon of driving on interstate, mostly I-20. We veered off in Dallas, TX for a warm-hearted gathering with one of my nieces just north of Dallas. Seeing her new baby for my first time was worth the two-hour sidetrip! An extra bonus was that her sister with her two “middle-aged” kids and their mom, whom I haven’t seen in 14 years, were also meeting her at a restaurant! I made up a new name for her husband, but quickly realized my mistake and quipped, “Anyone else want a new name? I’m good at making them up!”

I notice as I write this that I feel comfortable and at ease with family at this time in my life. Could be age and experience and being one generation removed from these nieces and great niece and nephew. Could it also be that forgiving my parents and siblings was first on my list when I started using the tools of Radical Forgiveness 13 years ago? I remember how tense and defensive, reluctant to speak, and sarcastic I used to feel at family gatherings! So much inner judgement and feelings of unworthiness and criticism! Now, I love and accept myself, my life purpose, and the presence of my siblings as healing angels for me to really feel the pain of separation from Oneness in my human experience. Oh my! We did a fantastic job at that!

I am so grateful for having these tools of Radical Forgiveness to use to get a new perspective on ALL my relationships! I use them every day (well, most days! I still resist going into my feelings, choosing stuffing them and hiding out as the more familiar path).

It helps me to share these anecdotes with you to remind myself to keep using the tools, living this journey of being a spiritual being having a human experience. As I travel, I realize that there are unlimited opportunities for practicing my Inner Journey!

Deepening Practices

Posted on by

June 9,

In everything I do, I strive for deepening my sensory and spiritual experience. I’m pretty sure you do too!

I’ve picked up on some techniques from John Muir Laws (his real name!) through his Laws Guide to Nature Journaling. Two years ago, I launched a program at the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Visitor Center to provide a platform to practice what I’m learning.

Notice and Wonder is now a frequent listing in the Park’s Interpretive Schedule. In it, I offer five simple techniques to

  • observe more closely,
  • remember what we see, and
  • stimulate questions for further consideration.

Visitors love the deepening experience! And, I get to enjoy a couple hours of pure delight doing it, fulfilling my mission of enticing people to come outside and invigorate our hearts and minds, deepening our connection with nature and ourselves.

One of my challenges with Nature Journaling is having supplies on hand when I’m out. Cumbersome notebooks and pencils get left behind! As a backpacker, all of my gear has to be lightweight! I’m happy to report that on this week’s trip to Big Sur I had something that worked! A tiny bag with tiny pencils and a stack of tiny papers to draw and paint on. Oh, and one fine ink pen!

The tiny papers limited my focus to a small part of the expansive landscape to focus my attention. John Muir Laws calls this a landscapito.

I’m so impressed with myself for doing ten landscapitos on the trip! Here are two favs:

Mill Creek Picnic Area: what we thought we’re otters was Kelp!

Black Rock jutting out of the surf.

These tiny watercolors are valuable, not for what they are, but for what they do for me: deepen my observation, strengthen my body memory of my nature experience, and stimulate questions to consider!

What practices for deepening do you have? If there’s one you teach & want to share, by all means tell me about it!

If there’s a practice you wish you were doing more, tell me that too! We can support each other in doing it!

And, here’s another question! If I offered a virtual week of sharing Nature Journaling techniques with supplies included, coaching and support, would you consider it? Reply to this email and say yes or no!

To your deepening!

In joy,

Regina

https://johnmuirlaws.com

 

 

 

 

 

Big Sur and Dreams

Posted on by

June 7, 2019

One refreshing and challenging aspect of my partnership with Hiker John is that he takes  me to new places! This week’s place was an area of California that’s completely different from the desert! Big Sur. Meaning the big south, it’s the 90-mile stretch of the Pacific Coast between San Simeon and Carmel, South of San Francisco and 350 miles north of Los Angeles.  It’s uniquely rocky and steep, craggy oak covered mountains plummeting down to crashing breakers, broken by short stretches of sandy beaches.

Steep canyons thick with trees protect crystal streams that flow into the surf.  We camped four nights – at San Simeon Creek and Pfeiffer Big Sur State Parks and at USFS Plaskett Creek Campground. All were within 60 miles along California Coast Highway 1. In between San Simeon and Pfeiffer Big Sur we stopped for quick visits and short walks in several public areas: Elephant Seal Viewing area, Piedras Blancas, Salmon Creek Falls, Willow Creek, Mill Creek, Nacimiento-Ferguson Road, Kirk Creek, McWay Falls, and Sand Dollar Beach. North of our camp at Pfeiffer Big Sur, we also took one side trip to Andrew Molera State Park.  Each stop and walk had its own unique combinations of beach, rocks, streams, canyons, and even a vista above the “Marine Layer” of fog seen from atop the ridge of the Nacimiento Road.

What stands out for me most about this quick trip of short stops was the diversity of new plants and animals for me combined with the dramatic ruggedness of the cliffs. My list of new organisms includes Elephant Seals, California Condors, and Coastal Redwood trees. On our southerly return to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, we stopped at Morro Bay and added Sea Otters and Perigrine Falcons to my Life List!

On our first full day, we took a half-day cultural visit as well. Just north of San Simeon State Park is the William Randolf Hearst Castle. The $25 price tag for a tour of just one area of the castle seemed steep until I caught sight of the regal edifice capping a mountain from the tour bus that wound its way up for fifteen minutes!  I had innocently agreed to take the tour with John with no foreknowledge of the magnitude of the Hearst Castle, an elaborate Mediterranean village and column-lined pool, dripping with millions of dollars worth of Mediterranean sculptures, paintings, tapestries, and whole carved, gold-gilded ceilings. Glamorous Opulence could describe it in a couple of words.

Although the interpretation from our docent emphasized the social ambiance of the constant stream of celebrity guests, peaceful retreats for creative legends, and the flexibility of iconic architect Julia Morgan, something else struck me. The place was constantly under construction – for 28 years, halted and never finished at Hearst’s death in 1948. Having lived in an old house being renovated, I remember the nagging incompleteness and feeling of never-ending camping! Although today the place is quiet and stunning, I doubt it was so when it was a living place.

Another irony I experienced during our two-hour visit was that the castle, renowned for its festive, elegant life, alive with parties, bootlegged spirits, splendid dinners, and sports is now a nonliving museum showpiece, protected fastidiously, as it should be! Only water is permitted. No food or beverages. I was scolded by a docent for sucking on a cough drop while resting on a chair on the patio after our tour. “Are you eating something?” She interrogated me. “No food!” Busted. And hungry ’til we got back to our car forty minutes later. The documentary film about the castle encourages each of us to emulate Hearst and “build our dreams.” I reflected on this idea, wondering what the world could be if everyone built their dream. It seemed preposterous that there could be so many mansions, until I realized that dreams can take many forms, many less elaborate homes, works of art, gardens. Even public housing was someone’s dream! Or roads! Preserved Redwood Forests and beaches covered with slumbering seals, and undisturbed vistas. Dreams can be creations without substance like walks or dances or music, mathmatical solutions to the Universe or a feeling of peace in the place of turmoil transformed. Hearst Castle, modeled in physical grandeur, is a one kind of dream. Dreams can take so many forms!

My dream is to prosper enticing others to come outside where they can discover themselves as a vibrant column of energy moving between Heaven and Earth, love themselves just as they are, and step courageously into THEIR unique dream.

  • What IS that dream of yours? Hit reply and share it with me!

I heard from Mary, one of my successful hike coaching women! Mary’s dream is to fill her next class, Resolving Grief, with courageous people seeking comfort and resolution in a challenging life transition. Mary has helped me many times to see a different perspective and look at how my way of being either limits or expands what is possible! See this one for yourself! https://yippeelifecoach.com/grief

  • Feel free to share YOUR dream with meand the Forgivenesswalks Community! Reply now!

In joy!

Regina

Coastal Redwoods tower at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park

Elephant Seals slumbering near Piedras Blancas

 

Smooth rocks and crashing surf at Sand Dollar Beach.

Regina’s 2019 Journey Begins!

Posted on by

June 2, 2019

A bold new summer journey is about to begin! Starting with a four-day road and camping trip from our winter home and jobs in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park to San Simeon and Big Sur State Parks, we’ll travel East.

I have two ca-ute grandsons to catch up with, three sons, two daughters-in-law and a mom to visit in Georgia, South Carolina, and Ohio. We’ll also walk some distance on a trail, perhaps the Appalachian Trail in Virginia.

As we travel this year I’ll keep you posted on our Outer Journey. And you know me! I’ll be watching for developments in our Inner Journey too and how the tools of Radical Forgiveness and Forgivenesswalks help me turn troubles into blessings!

I also have some ideas about expanding the scope of Forgivenesswalks with a wider range of programs and services to help you walk into your dream with radiant fulfillment!

Leaving my desert home for a season. Happy memories of our Coyote Mtn view.

I hope you’ll follow along – and join me with your own journey!