You may have caught wind of Lionheart Institute of Transpersonal Energy Healing from the articles we’ve run on LaLaScoop, most recently “How Emotional Reactivity Sabotaged My Relationship” by Laura L. Fine, the founder and director of Lionheart, who is now lined up to write a bi-monthly column entitled, “The Hidden Truth in Relationships” for our “awake” section under “breathe.”

Laura is an Energy Healing Therapist, holds two Masters degrees – one in Marriage and Family Therapy and the second in Theatre Arts, and is an author of four books, including Taming the Restless Mind and The Best Kept Meditation Secret on the Planet, The Exceptional Therapist: The Energy System of Healing, Laura’s New Heart: A Holistic Healer’s Spiritual Journey Through a Transplant. So let’s just say, she’s pretty well versed in this relationship stuff!

She and her team of soulful teachers and practitioners have created a beautifully safe “vessel for self-transformation” at Lionheart Institute that enables students to grow personally, spiritually and professionally. Their workshops, intensive retreats and certification programs can be taken purely for one’s own self-healing or to begin a walk down a path of healing others.

And, well, I have now indulged not just on a cerebral plane through her articles, but now spiritually and kinesthetically through Lionheart’s four day “Awakening” intensive retreat. And wow, was it an indulgently magical experience! I still feel a warm light glowing within me, and tensions I’ve held onto for years falling away.

What’s so wonderful and unique about the Institute’s teaching is that they fuse subtle body (or energy) work with a psychology base. There is in essence an art and a science fused together here, so there is reason and knowledge supporting what they teach and do. The training taps into the cerebral and intuitive. Through holding space, skilled and thoughtful questioning, and incredible energetic bodywork I (along with my fabulous cohort totaling 14) experienced the beauty of reciprocated healing throughout every moment of each super packed day. And, magic was born.

There were moments of gentle realization to cathartic releases, as we learned to tap into ourselves deeply, harness our chi, open up and activate our chakras and enable the same in others. Sweet and powerful meditations commenced new phases of our learning throughout the long weekend along with beautiful poetry that compelled us to feel, to think, to sense, to connect.

Jonathan Bessone, co-founder of Embodied Awakening and Director of Education at Lionheart Institute (photo: courtesy of Lionheart)

Deborah Allen, energy therapist and pain management specialist and lead teacher at Lionheart Institute for Transpersonal Energy Healing (photo: courtesy of Lionheart Institute)

Julie Migneault, founder of Thriving Healers and teacher at Lionheart Institute of Transpersonal Energy Healing (photo: courtesy of Lionheart Institute)

Isabelle Errico-Dossi, graduate and Dean of Students for Lionheart Institute of Transpersonal Energy Healing (photo: courtesy of Lionheart Institute)

Rita Burgos, founder of Rebuild | Recovery, graduate and guest teacher at Lionheart Institute of Transpersonal Energy Healing (photo: courtesy of http://www.rebuildrecovery.com)

The faculty of the Level 1 “Awakening” intensive retreat including Deborah Allen, Jonathan Bessone, Isabella Errico-Dossi, Julie Migneault and Rita Burgos was loving, supportive, skilled, knowledgeable, experience and professional. They created an incredibly safe space for our eclectic group to bond, take risks, learn, and feel deeply. I seriously fell in love with everyone. There was an intimacy created within in our selves and within the group that was profound, beautiful and freeing. Somehow looking into the clear open eyes of my cohort became the place I, and so many of us, found comfort in times of trepidation and simply within the joy of connection.

As I left each day, my perspective shifted towards the light of the positive, opening in a state of awareness and awe. The drive from the Westside beaches to San Fernando became swifter in my mind’s eye, as if I were just rolling up and down the hill. Its nuts how perspective truly shifts “known” reality. I could feel places in my body sink into and open up into ease, even my lock jawed TMJ let go a gang of its grip. Seriously, even my face looks softer. But, more importantly, I feel so much clearer and better and happier.

Every moment was precious.

I leave you with a poetic description of one of my meditation experiences and a schedule of upcoming workshops and programs. Sign up to awake, transform, discover, heal, feel, reflect, find your inner power and your inner calm, and maybe so much more!

Tranquility within light 
beaming from within
my inner self
emerges in the earth

Wet ivy leaves
cloak my body
laid down
up to my neck
down to my ankles

Exposed, only my face illuminating
through the warmth of the sun
reaching across
and down to my giddy toes

Come in
Come in
Join me in this earth
above the still waters

And, then we awaken
my limbs
dip into the
water to 
sense the bearing of no weight

Ligaments and muscles
stay and sway
like lapping waves

Touching the surface
one hand suspends
caressed by 
the edge, a gentle cradle
between all that is underneath
and all that is above

One hand upon my heart
lovingly holds and compels
all at once
beyond time

I rise
My face towards the beaming light of God
as sparkles stream in sweet suspension  

Soft submerged slickness between my kneading toes
massages what’s behind my hand
And I feel
the earth
the water
the light
synergistically 

And I am becoming one

Come in
Come in

by Rochelle Robinson