Spiritual Breadcrumbs
By Dory Dzinski, LPC, NCC I
don’t recall hearing the word “spiritual- ity” until my early 20s. It wasn’t an obvi- ous part of my upbringing. But being that religion is one of the branches off of spirituality, maybe it was, albeit a slanted perception. I went to church with my dad and we would sit or stand in the foyer, prior to the main church area. The doors were closed between the foyer and the rest of everything so we heard the mass over the loud speaker. We didn’t actually hear much, however, because the men were busy talking about their week. So, basi- cally, there was nothing there for me. Nor was there anything spiritual about going to a Catholic school except the overt presence of the nuns.
“Hey, how did you start having a
spiritual practice?” is asked of many people who seem to have found their way. Some know the exact moment, and some respond, “Hmmm… I really don’t know. I guess it just found me.” That’s me. Basically, it was pain that brought me to spirituality, as it does for many. I was going through a divorce in the 80’s and was afraid of my future. I found myself sitting with a psychic. I have no idea how I found her, but I did. My reality cracked open and I found myself embracing concepts of synchronicity, mysticism, dream worlds, energy, and the presence of powers greater than me that love and guide me, in- cluding guides, power animals, and angels. It was a brand new world and I jumped in 100% and felt at home.
I kept following the inner urgings,
which were in response to the breadcrumbs along the way. (The trick, of course, is to
www.NaturalNutmeg.com 15
notice the crumbs, because they certainly are there.) My very first class at St. Joe’s in 1998 required a 20-minute presentation on some aspect of counseling - addictions, abuse, codependence, anorexia. I chose forgiveness, which the teacher questioned. But after the presentation, which included a brief meditation, most of the class had tears in their eyes, including the teacher – a priest – and I was urged to “take it on the road.” This would be my first break out as a teacher of spiritually related “stuff.”
I called West Hartford Adult Ed and told
them my name and that I had a 3-hour class on forgiveness. The only question the woman asked was, “What date were you thinking of?” Wow. Wasn’t ready for that. But after years of experiencing ease like this, I am committed to the notion that we are not meant to swim uphill when we are on the right path and do- ing what we are meant to do.
From there, I expanded into several
other town systems with the forgiveness workshop and then chakra studies. I even braved offering meditation and Reiki classes at Manchester Community College in 2001. The doors swung open wide and I have been teaching 14 different spiritually based topics there for 17 years now. I have taught at many colleges, town systems, retreat centers, hospitals, and corporations. I am a board-certified Licensed Professional Coun- selor, professional life coach and certified spiritual healer, just to name a few of my credentials. There are many more. How did this all happen? It just did.
When the previous owner, Jon, was
getting ready to transition the Door Opener Magazine many years ago, he invited me to take it over. I was not looking to be a pub- lisher or editor, but something felt right and it clicked. Of course, the answer was yes.
Botanical Therapy + Naturopathic Wellness Center
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44
