By Denise Barnes
Karena Neukirchner is an intuitive reader, healer and teacher who has studied and taught at Psychic Horizons center for sixteen years, as well as studying at the Colorado School of Energy Studies for four years. See if you can relate to any of her big growth cycles over the years.
Karena came to study at Psychic Horizons through her husband signing her up for a class on women’s intuition. That’s an unusual entry! He himself had studied a bit with a teacher from Berkeley Psychic Institute. One day he just let her know, “I signed you up for this class, Women’s Intuition. You’re going.” They both then took classes for about ten years. Today Karena teaches classes and guides a wonderful monthly Planetary Healing service. (If you ever feel unsure of how to help the planet, this service rocks!)
She was young when she walked through the doors of the center, in her early twenties. Like so many new students, Karena wondered who she was exactly. Fresh out of college, she soon acquired her massage therapy license and that was going well. She liked her work. Plus, she was happy in her marriage and soon to be a mom. Some areas of life were going well.
She’d realized in college though, that her religious upbringing no longer spoke to her or rang true. This created an identity crisis, as her church made up most of her social circle. It wasn’t OK to question things. She knew spirituality was key for her – just not the dogma anymore. She had to let it all go.
Her day to day focus at the time was mostly – well, survival. Her emotional landscape was chaotic, often with high anxiety and that sense of always being on edge. There was a lot of worry, even though she worked hard to take care of business. And then from the outside world, there was a feeling of always being judged – and never quite measuring up.
Karena’s inner critic at the time was “massively gigantic”. There was the outside judgment coming at her, as well as her inner judge continually noting her shortcomings. Day to day challenges were fraught with tension and uncertainty. Anxiety is so common today. But it’s a stressful way to walk through life!
Enter Psychic Horizons (PH) School and tools. Karena notes she was skeptical and never would have landed at PH if it weren’t for her hubby’s idea. “Psychic?” She didn’t think she was. That was not a word that would be used, never mind appeal, to someone with her religious background. Well, her skepticism was fine at PH – there’s always room for questioning and experimenting. No dogma to wrestle there! You can find what works for you.
Looking back, Karena realized she was indeed psychic / intuitive from an early age. She might have said she paid more attention, or read body language better than others. But yes, she had this knowingness, and she was sensitive as a kid. This helped explain some of her past experiences. Though others might have disagreed with her, her inner knowing was pretty spot on at times.
The other huge turnaround PH provided was in the simple acceptance teachers gave her. It felt like a first time that she was seen and accepted for who she really was. PH directors Mary Bell Nyman and Hope Hewetson – just “loved me for no reason”, she laughed. That openness and receptivity, enabled her growth and self-acceptance.
Karena started to experience improvements, and much more relaxation and clarity. She could see the tools were working. At that point, her mind started to get out of the way – that analytic side – and even more wellbeing resulted. She started to feel better, and trust herself and her sense of things in a whole new way.
Another key piece that brought more growth and ease was learning that her inner critic – was wrong! She found that who she is on a deeper level – on that soul-spirit level – is a lot bigger and stronger than the ego self’s limited view. Seeing Karena today, it’s clear she stands in her power and in her center. She exudes joy, clarity and amusement. A very different picture that the one she was heading for, before PH.
That shift, that freedom to connect with her true essence, versus what ego would say? Nothing short of a miracle. Her daily meditation and energy clearing practice has also been life changing. This helps her trust her inner guidance and choose more wisely. She feels it’s moved her “light years ahead”.
Many struggle to make that meditation practice consistent. Karena struggled with this for a while too. She said it helped when she stared therapy and calmed her nervous system a bit so that she could sit more quietly. Good to know!
Are you considering trying a class at Psychic Horizons? Karena would encourage you to jump in and give the tools a try. There are easy ways to get a taste of the offerings – from short workshops to the class of How to Heal Yourself, the foundation for further learning.
The journey for many humans can turnaround, like it has for Karena, from anxiety, and from living in shame and judgment – to (ahhhh) self-love and acceptance. So much more relaxing and creative! It just brings about a deep exhale to hear the transformation that’s possible, those leaps between “before” and “after. It’s never too late to nourish that seed of growing who you really are, on the soul and spirit level. Invitation: The Real You – Please Join Us!
