Seeking the Path Through Pathways

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I know that I’ve shared before in this post that I’m now here in France and hoping to share with you my adventures and insights in this next chapter of my life.  But as I’ve also emphasized in the same post, the Philippines and Manila will always be home.  And so, even part of this new life in being in a foreign country is looking back on the lessons that has brought me where I am today, and sharing with you about people, places, and stories from back home.

Today, I’d like to tell you about something quite personal to me but also, in sharing it here, I’d hopefully help a few, or even just one or two of you, if you are indeed seeking something more meaningful and extraordinary, especially amidst the stress of daily life—whether it’s work, relationships, traffic…heck, just life in general.

Are you going about your daily life overwhelmed by anger and sadness you can no longer ignore? Are you feeling you are without balance and harmony in your life? Are you looking for answers and you don’t even know where to start with your questions? Do you feel a certain emptiness that is becoming more and more evident? Do you feel an inner longing to live a better life but don’t know what is missing? You don’t know where to start? Or are you simply so stressed in your life trying to earn a living… you are losing yourself in the process?

Have you recently encountered a difficult and exhausting experience, one that has left you all worn-out and feeling useless? Are you having a series of events in your life one after the other that has left you questioning your very existence? Are you in the midst of extreme dislike of the self? Torn between love and hate? Guilt and confusion?  Between reason  and insanity? When everything that is happening to you doesn’t seem to make sense anymore?

If you are experiencing some or all of these conditions, do not be horrified, there is a perfectly good explanation for what you are experiencing… you are hearing the “whispers of your soul, prompting you to start looking within. We are all looking for answers and ways to live a happy, joyful life.

I want to introduce you to Pathways Healing Center.  Some call it a spiritual center or a support group.  I myself like to think of it as a wellness and spiritual sanctuary.  I know about Pathways because it’s spearheaded by Jackie, a personal friend of mine who has become not only one of my cherished friends but a dear confidante and teacher.  For lack of a better term, I can even call her my guru.  But one defining thing about Pathways is that they’re really not into labels, names, and is definitely not affiliated with any religion, belief system, or one esoteric leaning.  As such, they welcome people of all ages, gender, gender identities, religions, social status, esoteric practices, and walks of life.

But what is Pathways exactly?  As the name suggests, they’re a healing center, but this is healing that’s focused not just physical healing but on inner, deeper healing and self-discovery  that’s focused more on the psychological, metaphysical and spiritual aspects of individuals and families.  For sure, so many people have come to Pathways who have been healed of their physical illnesses (cancer, abuse, addiction), but I don’t want to take away from the emphasis of the deeper healing that Pathways facilitates that goes beyond the body.  They do this by focusing on spiritual creativity and using tools and practices that are proven, ancient, holistic, and integrative (open to all religions and beliefs)—such as guided meditation, counseling, psycho-spiritual readings, prayers, chakra and auric cleansing, alignments, energy healing, and incorporating even yoga and astrology.  Usually people go to them with a specific need and they tailor the so-called “treatment” for the seeker.  For sure, esoteric, mystical, and cross-disciplinary (think of it as cross-training for your soul!). The methods may be  different, but the overall focus is on inner healing, awareness, balance, happiness, and ultimately, a deeper connection with the Divine.

Now, I know how religion can be such a divisive and iffy issue, but what I’m talking about here is a focus on spirituality, which transcends religions.  Ultimately, it’s a personal choice —for example, you can have your astrological chart read to serve as a guide and still go to Mass and believe in the power of prayer.  I guess the only people who will find themselves not welcome in a place like Pathways are people who are closed off when it comes to matters of spirituality and cannot accept that religion and spirituality are personal and transcendent.

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I guess the best way I think I can describe Pathways is just to tell you about my own experience with them, as I believe my own experience is my best testimonial.  I first felt the healing benefits of going to the sanctuary of Pathways a few years ago when I was going through a life-changing breakup.  Jackie and I did a chakra alignment session coupled with our usual girl talk about life, love, and why that particular point and crossroad in my life was a necessary part of my journey.  That journey was ultimately for me to value the gift of self-love.

If you want me to attest to results, I did that clearing and alignment session with Jackie on a February day and by early May that year, I’ve met the man who later on became my husband.  But perhaps that’s oversimplifying things a bit—during that time, I also traveled a lot (and that in itself has its own healing properties!), prayed a novena to St.  Joseph for a good husband (my Catholic roots), and basked in the support and love of girlfriends and family.  It was all about clearing out the past to make room for a better and brighter chapter in my life, and understanding the flows and rhythms of the lessons of life. Putting them all together  (including marathon talk sessions with Jackie which never felt like healing sessions, but they were) and looking back now, I realize it was my own curative recipe for not just mending a broken heart, but on a deeper level, it was my path to forgiveness, greater awareness, and love.  And up to now,  I can still say that finding the love of my life during that journey was just a bonus.  After all, it was the realization that I was on a journey to become my best self and that includes loving myself and being Love—a journey which I am still on today.

And Pathways has definitely been an indispensable part of that journey.  From time to time, I’ve found myself in situations where I needed guidance in making me feel more centered, less stressed, and focused on what’s really important.  We all do.  We can all do meditations and prayers by ourselves at home, but most of the time it’s better when there’s a guide or a teacher who can help us and prompt us in our practice.  Throughout the years, I’ve went to Pathways and never drove off without feeling more centered and relaxed.

Tucked away in a quiet street in one of San Juan’s winding neighborhoods, Pathways literally offers a sanctuary from the agitation of daily life in the city, as pictured here.

I’ve gone to them when I was diagnosed with a medical condition and Pathways helped me to understand how my physical illness was my body’s way of perhaps tuning in to a different vibrational frequency, and how the illness can be a manifestation of repressed emotions and issues.  That said, I was never careless and still followed my doctor’s orders with the medication and today, my condition is normal.  What I want you to understand is that yes, we go to the doctor and they give us medicines as treatment, but I also found myself needing more than that—I wanted healing and wellness from within and a refuge from chronic stress, which Pathways as a wholistic healing center, has provided for me.

One night, I even brought along my mom, who’s a staunch Catholic, to also help in her continued treatment for a medical condition.  She is the ultimate busybody and after her session in Pathways, Jackie advised her that she simply needs to relax.  I know that that’s something doctors may from time to time say to their patients, but Pathways gives the space and the sanctuary for you to actually practice breathing and relaxation.  And most of the time, it just takes a few moments of your time, to practice stillness, and yet for some people that can be the hardest thing to do.

From time to time, Pathways also offers teaching sessions or short courses on topics ranging from prosperity consciousness and attracting love, to more esoteric themes as karmic connection and financial astrology.   I’m particularly interested in their ancestral healing sessions, which involves tracing your ancestors’ unresolved issues or emotional trauma to help in releasing you and your family from the karmic patterns and tendencies that may still be influencing and disrupting the current generation of your family.  This is not all New Age hocus pocus, but is actually integrated with the fundamentals of psychology and science (for example, see the concept of a genogram).

Pathways is really a place, a collective, for people who want to deepen their practice on their spiritual journey.  Or if you’re a seeker who just has questions, they provide a serene and inviting space for you to ask and seek answers without fear or judgment.  Or maybe you just want to supplement your relaxation, not just with yoga and exercise, but with more spiritually-focused practices, then Pathways is for you.

In Pathways’ own words:

We are neither a medical nor a religious organization. The healing we refer to is the healing of the separation between our lower and higher selves. This separation creates our victim mentality that generate feelings of strife, sorrow, desolation and unhappiness. These feelings will eventually translate in our outer life as being failures.

We go beyond any form of exclusivity or distinction that creates separation from one another. We bring Spiritual Education, the education that will teach you how to co-create your life and participate in the continuity of life on earth. We are teachers of Ascension into the Fifth Dimension of existence – one that is geared towards ONENESS & UNITY…

If you’re interested,  and if you are on the path, you may get in touch with Pathways Healing Center by phone at +639279235578,  through Facebook, or email at blueunicorn.pathways@gmail.com.   You can find more information about Pathways and what they do through their blog, Blue Unicorn.  All sessions are by appointment only.    Pathways is a non-profit organization and has charitable programs.   Support and donations are welcome.

I wish you love and light always.