in touch with essence, from which comes natural power, joy, love and abundance. Since childhood ‘I’ have experienced a series of spontaneous awakenings that have radically transformed my experience of living on this beautiful planet The integration of the openings into ordinary life took many years. I only discuss this if asked - spiritual experiences are simply that, experiences. What is, here, now, is ever changing and new and the stories are not the essence. As a result of that ‘story’ I have been drawn to mystical and spiritual teachings since early childhood and I am very grateful to have worked with extraordinary teachers, indigenous and western. A group leader and therapist for 18 years, I run transformational weekend, day and week-long retreats and evening groups in Bristol, Bath, Somerset, Andalucia, Italy, the Greek islands and the Hawaiian islands
I work as a spiritual facilitator with groups, in ongoing trainings and in one to one and couple sessions, creating a space for celebration of being, for movement through stuckness, sharing clarity of reflection and strategies of self-inquiry and tools which can facilitate a deeper realization of Love and Truth. I have a practice in Gloucestershire, Bristol and Bath where I use skills accumulated through years of study in Jungian psychotherapy, coaching, Huna shamanic healing, (Huna means hidden knowledge and includes ancient lineage healing (the ancient root of family constellations work), Circle Work, Self-Inquiry, Releasing, Time Line Therapy, astrology and NLP, combined with insights from deeply transformational life experiences and clear seeing of life, which began with childhood awakenings. Life is constantly going deeper for me, and yes life is very happy in a quiet way!
This work enables people to find a deep integration between body, heart and being.The more present we are, the more we can fully embrace insecurity, challenge, death, the darkness, as part of the human of life, as well as the light, the bliss and joy. The more we do this, mysteriously the more we find the magic, love and beauty in our lives that we would choose by preference! In Huna, a very balanced and powerfully healing modality, we only live spirit through the unconscious-to be with our feelings, or with those of another, is the path to the divine. It is the way to become deeply happy. Without our joy, tears, exuberance, tenderness and sexual passion we are less alive, less healthy, less available and less playful. To keep being here with whatever is touched in us or a partner or a colleague, however uncomfortable, however exquisite, is the only way we taste freedom, happiness.
The art of living happily is a surrendering to what is greater than or beyond our own individual demand or expectation or story. This, and this. Aloha - the recognition of the life and love in another and in existence - sounds simple and is an energetic shift as subtle as a butterfly’s wings, and yet in the worldly realm of cause and effect it can appear that such a shift becomes easier as a result of rigorous inner work, total responsibility and self-honesty.We then may choose to live our lives through power and presence, rather than force and control. We learn to take back our projections, let go of blame, tread lightly on our abundant, generous and strained to the limit planet, to be more intimate with ourselves and others and recognize our ordinariness and our magnificence both. Whenever we focus on living and circumstance, rather than life itself, we are confronted with paradox and there is always the freedom to let go and die to all we think we know so that we are released from the apparent opposites, duality, contradiction in the dream of life.
True spirituality is not about seeking a future enlightenment, nor about avoiding suffering. Doing a spiritual practice to attain anything in the future negates the very premise of God or Love or Truth right now. We cannot control ourselves, others or the world in order to experience openness on demand, but at any moment we can simply allow a present moment revelation of openness to all there is. We are not here to transform the world and create love on earth. In truth, we aren't here. Here is in us. Though we appear to be limited, though we exist in the world of duality. And experience all the wonder and pain of being human, we are and can live as openness, live as love.
The day circles and retreats give you space, away from the demands and busy-ness of everyday life, time to strengthen connection with themselves, let go - for good- of any baggage they might be carrying, embrace change and envision a heartfelt reality for the future, and to connect and get reflection from others. Deep and lasting friendships may happen too. And for those whose work is with people, it gives them a greater depth in that. These courses give approaches that are compassionate and honest and create spaces where trust, challenge, acceptance and an appreciation of the simple and sacred in life can be experienced, that help in the challenge to live awake and embodied, naturally.
I send gratitude to all my teachers, to all those who have joined me as participants in this work and to all those who will. I acknowledge with great love the lineages of teaching to which I belong, and those behind me and those in front of me. I give thanks for all the love I receive and all the love I give. Whatever your place within the web of Oneness that connects us all, I wish you happiness.
Read More Joy Hicklin-Bailey, January 2005
What inspires me is to see myself and those I work with find their aliveness, the power and peace of presence, and the natural flow of feelings, in ordinary life and in the workshops that I have the privilege of facilitating. I love to see people shed the masks, armour and uniforms required in so much of worldly activity, and come more and more to trust themselves, their feelings, their honest truth, and be led through and by these to the stillpoint, the silence the openness, the vastness, at the core of being.
Community, connection, presence, being, peace, intimacy, vulnerability, love, surrender.... these I value above all, these are the qualities I enjoy in the playshop of my own life. My passion is empowering people to live in the present, more awake,
Being Joy