Book cover of Where did you go? on a starry background

Book review: Where did you go – connecting to your loved ones who’ve died

My mum and I had one of those strangely close but often dysfunctional relationships. She loved me intensely, but didn’t have good boundaries, didn’t protect me from predators and, throughout my adolescence, treated me too much like a friend and not enough like a child. Despite all that, I feel emotionally complete about my relationship…

laundry folding meditation

Simple ways to incorporate meditation into your daily life

Meditation comes in many forms and varieties. But all its many paths lead to the same place – inner knowing, access to our wisdom and the ability to focus (and re-focus) our minds. Plus meditation has a host of physical and psychological benefits, including reduced anxiety and blood pressure, improved mood, memory and immune response,…

woman standing with arms outstretched in front of hundreds of floating balloons

The hidden dangers of positive thinking

Sometimes, thinking positively can hurt you. I know, it doesn’t sound like the kind of thing you expect me to say. I teach people how to raise their vibration and connect with their inner self, after all. But I also I teach people how to look, with emotional honesty, at the losses they’ve endured and…

expressive writing foundations of practice book review

Book review: Expressive writing as a way of healing

A year ago I was in a very different place with my health than I am now. I weighed 30 lbs more than I do now. I was exhausted, recovering from things my health team couldn’t quite nail down but decided was a combination of adrenal fatigue, post viral syndrome, a reactivation of Epstein Barr…

the art of communicating book cover

Book review: The Art of Communicating – learn to speak with compassion and kindness

I picked up the Art of Communicating by Thich Nhat Hanh at a little bookstore in Manzanita, Oregon, while I was on holiday. It called out to me. So I took it home. It took me a while to actually start reading it. (I have a massive pile of non-fiction, yet can’t seem to stop…

Book recommendation: When Things Fall Apart – how to heal when life seems dark

I believe in synchronicity. I believe that when you put out a sincere request for help, the universe answers you. It may not always answer in the way you expect. The trick is to be open to what you receive and notice if it matches up in some way with what you need. I’ve had…

zen meditation

Why meditation is vital for your spiritual development

When I first began studying Spiritualism, one of the first things I learned was the purpose of meditation is to “know thyself.” I honestly didn’t get it. I know myself, I thought. I’m Joanna. I’ve been living with myself my whole life. But I didn’t really. I knew a shallow layer of myself, the one…

A Spirit guide

Why do you need to meet your Spirit guides?

When I teach people about setting and maintaining boundaries with Spirit, someone usually asks this question: How do you deal with a pushy Spirit? My answer: Have your gatekeeper deal with them. I call my gatekeeper my bouncer guide. When I picture him, he doesn’t look anything like a stereotypical nightclub bouncer, but that’s part…