My first introduction into the world of kinesiology and energy medicine came in 2007. Kinesiology uses muscle testing to identify what brings energy towards a person, what depletes energy from a person. On a personal level it helped me release trapped memories that held me in fear, and in rigid patterns, both in my body and mentally. Later Kinesiology helped me determine what food stuffs energise me, and which to avoid. I trained with some of the best to learn about Kinesiology and Energy Medicine. Ultimately its a practice that aims to bring ourselves into balance and harmony with ourselves and I am deeply grateful to the following teachers :

Maggie La Tourelle as a gifted and sensible Touch for Health Teacher who gave me solid foundations on which to build my practice.

Progressive Kinesiology Academy and Classical Kinesiology Institute to take my Kinesiology training further and deeper.

Donna Eden for her fascinating and truly enlightening understanding about how the energy systems for the body work with each other when in balance, and how to bring disrupted energy systems into balance.

Prune Harris for deepening my knowledge and understanding of energy medicine, and application on a practical day to day basis. She guided me to develop my extra sensory perception and took me to the edge of shamanic perception, which encouraged me to learn more about the unseen realms.

My learning about Shamanism spans several years now - with varied teachers and approaches. Key teachers to whom I am really grateful for their depth of knowledge and ability to hold steady and true to the core principles of this vocation are:

Caitlin Matthews and her husband John Matthews - from who I learnt about basic journeying skills and experienced the magic of tapping into other realms.

Alberto Villoldo and his wife Marcela Lobos, from whom I received the 10 Shamanic Initiations known as the “Munay Ki Rites”. These are seeds of spiritual potential, which come from the Andes and have been made accessible and digestible for Western Minds. If nurtured these rites have the power to work with you to bring more joy, abundance and clarity in your life.

‍ ‍And last but by no means least,

Chris Luttichau and the team he has built called Northern Drum. From Chris I have learnt the old ways, the ways of the heart, of personal responsibility and how to keep my energy clean and bright.

I am currently continuing my studies with both Marcela Lobos and Chris Luttichau - I have been studying and training with them for the past 5 years, and now getting to the place of being able to facilitate and to encourage others to find their own way

• to their hearts,

• to the way of love, and

• to be in right relationship with themselves and the world around them.

With Chris I have learnt and practiced the ways of keeping my energy clear and bright; with Marcela I am learning how to share the important and transformative Munay Ki Rites with others - so that they too can benefit from infusions of spirit and guidance for daily life.

My goal is to really help as many as possible

• to take the long journey from their heads to their hearts

• rekindle their sparks of joy and

• and to live their authentic lives.

“On the one hand, being a shaman is simply a job, or perhaps more accurately a vocation. On the other hand, It takes decades of intense learning to embody the role. It’s one of those jobs where you get better the older and more experienced you get. It is a lifelong invitation to serve the systemic wellbeing of the community, human and non-human, physical and non-physical” - Ya’Achov Darling Khan, Shaman: Invoking Power, Presence and Purpose at the Core of Who You Are

One of my earliest memories was of me gardening - I had some beautiful marigolds I was tending; a few years later I was given my own garden pot to plant up - it was in the front garden, on show to all the neighbours and I remember proudly receiving the compliments for the display I created. Later in life I was happy digging an allotment, and more recently have been found spending many hours weeding gardens.

The seeds of me were all there … I am a person who loves to be outside, loves nature and loves caring for Mother Earth. As my Shamanic understandings deepen, I realise that this is my sacred duty - to live in right relationship with the earth, and to encourage others to do so. In fact my surname “Hodge” means farmer - and I come from a long line of farmers .. it is literally in my DNA to care for the earth.

Working in a garden helps us to honour the seasons as they cycle round - from the depths of winter where little grows and mostly sleeps to the vibrancy of summer where we realise the beauty of what we have planted and nurtured. And once you harvested your own fruit and vegetables there is something special, almost magical about honouring the food we grew and allowing it to nourish us.

Gardening helps us understand how we can work with Mother Earth and support her to sustain us - whether it is a large field, an allotment, a pot on the patio or indoors pot of parsley.