Sleepless in Seattle - Openhand back on the Road

Love the photos, shares, and beautiful energy of all you amazing and magical periwinkle trailblazers!

Resplandor En! Blaze On! :)

Hannelore this is wonderful - lots of room to move and no baggage to hinder you! Yahoo.....

On my way back from Seattle I was given a large window seat with lots of leg room, but due to an error on my part my suitcase did not make it home with me. I wondered why I had created this and asked the universe, "show me". The answer quickly came, YOU LEFT YOUR BAGGAGE BEHIND.

Synchronicities often come to me through music. I want to share this song with you all - Don't Give Up by Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush. With love, Sandra

don't give up
'cause you have friends
don't give up
you're not the only one
don't give up
no reason to be ashamed
don't give up
you still have us
don't give up now
we're proud of who you are
don't give up
you know it's never been easy
don't give up
'cause I believe there's a place
there's a place where we belong

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJWurqWTeSk

Wow - what an incredible journey this has been!! Feeling the intensity of the pull to attend the retreat only days prior to it beginning, I hopped on board at the last moment. There is no denying the fact that I was meant to be there. I have attended Openhand coursework in the past, however this was the most catalytic experience for me to date. I journeyed into the depths of past life karma, through layers that have been buried deep in my soul's cellular memory. I felt the excruciating pain of existence, and the profound presence that resides beneath this. Thank you Open for taking us on this journey, for surely we could not have ventured there on our own.

What stands out for me is a deeper sense of knowing that I am not this experience. The freedom I feel from knowing this has ignited and illuminated the fire in me. Just prior to wrapping up the retreat I experienced assisted soul motion with Margaret. My body began moving into waves of density within my field. I flowed through them like a ship gently breaking through the swells of the sea. When my body came to a place of stillness Margaret gently asked me to feel into my current state. The sense of peace and emptiness was profound, and what expressed from me was pure magic. I started to laugh, and the laughter continued to escalate and express from a place deep within me. I laughed like I have never laughed before. I was resting in the absolute joy of my soul.

To my fellow soul travelers - deepest gratitude to each and every one of you. I felt a soul connection with all the participants like I have never felt before. We were incredible mirrors to one another in so many ways.

Margaret and Kim - your presence was felt on so many levels. Thank you for holding the space for this intense and profound work. And to Kim, thank you for all the work you undertook to make this retreat possible.

Open - The gratitude I feel towards you and the work you do is difficult to put into words. You truly are a bridge in guiding souls on the path from the old world into the harmony that is unveiling in the new world, a world where we experience the majesty of our true beingness and the wondrous depths of our soul.

The signs and synchronicities have been ongoing and awesome. Yesterday as I sat on the shore of the sea I watched two birds play together in flight as they rode the wind currents. One was a black bird and the other a white seagull. My darkness and light can dance and interact beautifully at this time. The are both grace and clarity in motion, guiding me on my path towards home.

Much love,
Sandra (Bird)

Woohoo!!! What a journey we are on. Biggest waves of gratitude sent rippling out filled with unconditional love, curious joy, tranquil peace from this humble heart to all...from all to this humble heart

I could fill pages with all the dynamic shifts through self realizations. Seismic activity breaking through in multiple densities on various planes.

Open, thank you for blazing a trail while simultaneously orchestrating an alchemy of energetic harmonious breakthrough symphony of souls expressing authentically!

Kim, Jen and M, so grateful for your dedication as facilitators. Each blessed with gifts from beyond allowing light to shine and shimmer radiantly. Thank you to everyone for each and every reflection.. I admire the vulnerability beyond words!!

The Universe continues speaking so bluntly, eloquently, humorously in all it's complex simplicity. Enjoyed a fantastic night/day in Seattle following the retreat. As I was exiting the plane, I looked down at a sticker on a suitcase and in capital bold letters was.... ALL IN

Much love,
Erica

Wow - such beautiful, soulful sharings here! I feel so blessed to be part of this gathering. So much of the journey for me of late has been to open to the realities of what is happening on our planet - not to simply make the personal changes and then put the blinders on, but to truly feel how I feel in response to what is happening. So many beautiful messages, and the most poignant one came in the form of the second silver spoon I found this week. This spoon was meaningfull in so many ways - but one of them was that it was inscripted with silver roses all down the stem. Just that morning, Erica, Kim and I had walked along the sea and smelled the most amazing white roses...commenting that it was strange to find a rose hear in this place - and realizing it was planted with purpose...finding this rose engraved spoon, brings such a sense of connection and support...the silver thread of connection to soul family that seemed to pierce every cell with a silvery musical vibration...like a high pitched tuning fork. (or spoon hahahah). Also having lately felt how supported I am in being the open flower but am I also being the stem,planted in the ground?...and now this stem with flowers all the way down felt like such loving confirmation.

The journey home was one of opening through the dissonance...watching the Heart of the Sea - the journey of the whaler who comes eye to eye and heart to heart with the impacts of our human distortions. A part of me wants to turn away and cocoon myself from the heartache of it all...Stopping on the way home from the airport to sit by the ocean...the place I am pulled to is littered with noise and tension...I go to put on my ipod and meditate, but alas, it isn's functioning...so now to just open to the gift of it all...sit there and hear it, feel it and find me through it...incredible! It's amazing how strong I can feel who I am through being in environments that stirs up inner conflict...like the light in the dark and how apparent the stars are when all the lights are out.

I did pick up a hitchhiker tick along the way...and had an interesting exploration with my vacuum today...something going on with sucking up energy perhaps.

You are all so incredible and unique...just love the dance of seeing the multitude of reflections...stirring up what's unconscious within and bringing it to the surface as we recognize ourselves in the other. Each of you touched something deep within. So much love for all of you!

Open, Kim and M! What can I say, but you are each such precious gifts - holding the space, catalyzing the realization of who we truly are, supporting with presence, grace and supreme insight. I love you all!

Overflowing with love and gratitude, Thank you!
Jen

Open was absolutely brilliant, inspiring souls to go deep on the journey we participated in together. I am grateful to each and everyone of you for bringing your full selves and having the courage to express you. Watching and feeling the transformation of souls during these courses fills me with so much joy and aliveness. I am grateful to serve and be a part of it. At times the love inside is so intense it feels my heart may burst.

The interplay with the universe is so beautiful, it keeps bringing me to tears. I don't want this feeling to end. A sense of trepidation creeps in when I think of entering back into the density of life but it's a false shell and not fixed. There is nothing worth trading this feeling of connectedness. I know to just keep fine tuning, softening, allowing and expressing. Each moment being new, allowing myself to move from that space. This sense of will rises up to express me at all costs, seeing the masquerade.

My plane flew over the Grand Canyon while I was watching Everest reminding me of this epic journey of ups and downs. My excitement builds at the metaphor of the challenges ahead as I feel myself sailing through the space between.

Keep digging for the nuggets of soul gold and shine on my fellow travelers.

With a heart FULL of love,
Kim

WOW! WOW! WOW! The force is strong young Jedi! :) My trip home the magic was everywhere! First we were a little late leaving as Margret had to catch the ferry so we were not sure we would make it in time ..but of course we walked right on and the time was perfect.... At the airport Ann and I had the most soul connecting conversation I felt like I really made a lifelong connection those few hours before boarding the plane.
I sat down in my seat and the first thing I saw was a card in the seat across from me it said FEEL....Better. LOL got it feeling IS better than thinking! The tv screen in front of me came on (I didn't turn it on) As i reached to turn it off the words on the screen said Trails Blazed Daily! Yep Im in..! Lol
Smiling to myself and silently thanking the Universe for these messages I look over at the person next to me reading a book and the words jump off the page "Bringing you that much closer to what you want". ....Ok now I'm feeling like Im in an alternate Universe..everything I look at is speaking to me Im laughing and crying at the same time in total Awe of this experience!! This in incredible! BTW I'm reading 5 Gateways as all this is happening.. The energy is coursing though my entire being I want to get up in the plane and dance, jump up and down and yell "This is a Magical Universe!!!! Wake up wake up wake up!!!!! The next thing I see is on the screen of the person across from me UNLIMITED OPTIONS AVAILABLE ....WELCOME ABOARD! Now I just accept with immense gratitude that I am in the flow my soul is speaking directly to me and I'm totally tuned in. i close my eyes and surrender to the amazing energy flow I'm feeling in my body.
As we land and are getting ready to exit the plane the little boy in front of me catches my eye ..we lock eyes and I smile. He says "hi" I respond and ask him if he liked the plane ride. He says "yes! I got to watch a movie with my favorite song. What song is that I ask? He starts to sing.. the wheels on the bus go round and round.. I know this song so I sing with him "The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round, the wheels on the bus go round and round all through the town. Everyone around us is laughing! I realize then the entire energy of everyone around us has increased and everyone is smiling, laughing and being very gracious to one another instead of the usual pushing to get off the plane as fast as possible. Again I send gratitude for the incredible experience I am feeling..... As Im getting off the plane the sign before the exit catches my eye..."Thank you for paying attention"
Thank you Open for teaching me to Pay Attention!
Thank you all for an incredible experience! Till we meet again my soul family sending you all much love fellow travelers....
xoxo

As I reflect and look back on the last week I feel all the new and renewed connections with all of you. Thank You All!!! I will be processing the newly awakened energies within me for some time. The full magnitude of the experience is just starting to land as it was a bit surreal at times and intensely familiar at others. Sometimes I felt like there was no one in here and then the ego would come back and disturb the peace. Day to day "life" has already started to creep into my personal space somewhat,Sigh. Feeling You All now through the Ether is a great comfort and inspiration. Lots of Long and Gentle Hugs to All my Soul Siblings, Treebrother

I miss you all so much. Thank you Open and everyone else for being part of such an amazing, magical retreat!

The energy of the retreat is definitely still flowing through me, creating shifts. On the second leg of my trip home the woman sitting next to me asked about my trip. All I said was I was at a meditation retreat. She started asking questions and we talked the entire flight. Towards the end of the flight I shared that I was trying to figure out what my true calling is. Her response literally moved me to tears. She said "You are already doing it. I feel so much better after sitting next to you and talking with you."

I was overwhelmed. I was not trying to do or fix anything for her. All I did was come from my heart and be fully present with her during our time together. The airline had changed my seat on that flight without asking me if it was ok. I wondered why but didn't question it. Now I know it was the flow bringing us together. I may have helped her but she gave me an equally beautiful gift.

Thinking of you all and looking forward to seeing you all again soon!

Much love,
Ann

Dear Friends,
What a magical week that was! I am deeply grateful for meeting you ALL. We have co-created a bundle of energy and I felt it wanted to flow through me most of the time. This strange new sensation kept me awake for 3 out of 4 nights, so I can now add "sleepless in Seattle" to my life experiences. I found myself looking at the moon and stars, smelling the white flowers in the middle of the night, pondering the intelligence behind this mysterious flow. And I thought to myself, what a wonderful world!

Sometimes I felt like a small being, flooded with energetic Niagara Falls, at other times I was the river of energy watching energetic streams joining in, flowing through and branching out again, changed. So, on day 5 my body was tired and confused, but my spirit was in awe of this strange and perception-expanding experience... :-)

My greatest take away from this retreat is a question: When do I allow the energy to flow through me and when do I say “stop, it is time to rest”. I always feel like allowing and that somehow things will be all right, but then at times the energy makes me feel shaky and overwhelmed. So perhaps it is more about working with it and allowing throughout the process and less about giving a permission at the beginning of it? Another question that wants to be asked is: what is it really that makes me tired? Is it the lack of sleep or the resistance to not sleeping?

Journey well, my fellow Travellers. Let us be gentle on ourselves. Slow down each day and provide the space to connect with the newly found presence. Allow a safe passage for your feelings in their full rawness. They do not need to be fixed, transformed or even understood. They just want to be held and lead you to the buried fragments of your soul that long to come back home, to You.

Kim: Heartfelt thanks to you for organizing the event and mostly for your very special, warm, and encouraging presence. It allowed us all to dive deeper into the vulnerability.
Christopher: You rock! I hope you'll join the Openhand community and we'll see you again in person or on a forum.
Open: Big bow to you for being there for us 100%, thank you for bringing such profound alchemy to each moment (how do you even do this?!).

With love.

M.

I love these photos! And what a beautiful retreat area...my kind of place! I could feel the energy from here!

love, tigger

hello and welcome back! tuning in and sending love from Austin, TX! wishing y'all an amazing retreat :)

Country to country!! Just a few days ago I was reflecting on the Openhand movement...astounding...yes Open the realization that we Not alone...we are together... is deeply moving...I'm with all you beautiful souls. Much love...xo Joann

Northern Lights!! Hope you were able to see the glorious display! There's nothing like watching the energy make it's way through the night sky..gloriously dancing waving ribbons of vibrant colors. Let the Magic flow!! See you all soon

Much Love
Erica

Open, let Thor's thunder roll at the Seattle 5 Gateways Retreat, too..!! :)

Having read this post, I watched an episode of sitcom 'Friends'.
In a scene, Phoebe and her fiance are watching the game. All of a sudden, Phoebe goes: 'Please let the Knicks win... Thank you, THOR!'

Interesting synchronicity. I also googled 'Thor', and as it turned out, the actor's wife shares my surname, Pataky :)

wishing you all well,
Márk

Seattle!! Geoff and I SO wish we could be there with all of you. We know you will have the BEST of times. I have felt it building for awhile... especially now with the energies moving around and through. Can't you just feel it? Sparks in the air.
We will be following along with you, Open - in our meditations and prayers as we surrender even more into life here.
We are with you everyone...
Hugs all around from both of us.
Jan xo

Welcome back to the Pacific Northwest Coast Open! I'm waiting to hear back if there is still a spot open. My car broke down the other day, so if there is an empty cushion, I'll beam myself down via the Yankee Clipper.

Much love,
Sandra

I'm feeling the spirit of Chief Seattle shining down on Open and Kim and everyone else gathering together on the west coast in one of my most favourite cities!

I'm there with the rest of the light brigade including Cynthia and Trinity, flying free!

Mucho Amor, amigos/amigas!

Cathy