“He who learns must suffer. And even in our sleep pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart, and in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom to us by the awful grace of God.” ~ Aeschylus
Hello and welcome to this sacred space called Spirit Women Institute. I am so excited to share with you what we are all about and how we can help you journey within your adversities, trials, and pains in life.
Are you a woman in transition?
Are you a woman who is experiencing one or more of the Dreaded D’s:
Divorce
Debt
Downsizing
Dis-ease
Death
Experiencing one or more of these can lead you to one or more of the Deadly D’s:
Doubt
Discouragement
Disappointment
Depression
Despair
You are probably at that bend in the road and realize that it is not a journey meant to be traveled alone. The road can be very long, and the path very dark and you see that it is too treacherous to go it alone. Everything you thought you knew to help you through, is failing you in the midst of the storm.
If you are like me, you have read all of the self-help books; you have attended all the personal development seminars and workshops; you have listened to all the audio programs; and you have followed every guru that promises you a life of balance and success. You have faithfully followed all of these programs only to find that when you are faced with something life-altering, some kind of loss or some kind of pain in your life, these programs and the knowledge you have amassed fly right out of the window. They don’t seem to support or help you during your times of trials. So, what do you do?
There may be nothing wrong with the information in the books, seminars, workshops and audios; you just have not been taught how to use them when you are in the midst of the storms of life. This was my story. For over thirty years, I have lived with chronic pain coupled with a lot of grief and loss. I was more depressed than I was happy. I did not want to get out of bed some days and some days, I literally could not. I had to stop working at my corporate job because every year by the time February 1st came, I had used up all of my available sick days for the year. One of my illnesses was debilitating migraines which left me bed-ridden in a darkened room for sometimes 72 hours. I also suffered from the pain of sciatica which had me walking with a cane for almost six years. I was in my early thirties and confined to a cane!
Doctor after doctor would put me on one treatment after another, only to run out of treatments and tell me there was nothing they could do for me. I was even told it was all in my head and promptly sent off to a therapist. I could not live the life of my deepest desires because I was so focused on the pain. Then, September 11, 2001 came and crippled me even more. Less than two weeks prior, I had lost my beloved life partner to a very quick and painful death. I was not prepared for the devastation of 9/11. Not only was my city brutally attacked, but I lost two of my dearest friends in the destruction of the World Trade Center. It was more than I could bear.
Then came the turning point in January 2002 when my apartment was getting new windows. I remember standing in front of that wide open window and hearing, “If you jump, the pain will go away!” Without thinking, I grabbed my coat and bag and ran out of the apartment – leaving it with strangers to work on the windows. I didn’t care; I was in crisis mode. I went to a Women’s Center here in New York because I knew there was an Al Anon group going on. I sat in, stunned and numb. I attended two more groups that evening. I just needed to be around people, and supportive people. I literally did not remember my near-near death experience until the third meeting. I shared my story with the room full of strangers, sobbing uncontrollably. Everyone was very supportive, I got names, I got phone numbers and I got promises of support. The pain did dull and I got through but not without going through more pain and more struggle. All of the self-help books, seminars, and audios did not help me.
Fast forward to today. I still deal with pain and loss, but it isn’t nearly as debilitating as it once was. Pain and loss are a part of life, they are inevitable; but suffering and struggle are optional. I learned that you don’t have to suffer and you don’t have to struggle, even during those moments of desolation.
My name is Carolyn Townes, Founder and Chief Spiritual Officer of Spirit Women Institute. I am a Spiritual Life Coach and Grief Counselor and I help women who are dealing with difficult life transitions such as dis-ease, divorce, and debt, loss of a job or the death of a loved one. Using my step by step spiritual practices, I not only teach them how to live within the pain but I journey with them through their loss and grief, helping them gain mastery over their emotions. Having traveled the road of pain and adversity many times, my passion is to be a catalyst for providing the support and the nurturing you need, companioning you through this journey of change and transformation.
If you are a woman going through a life-altering transition and are having a difficult time living your life while you are going through, you don’t have to go through this alone. Let me companion with you on this journey, helping you live with less stress, less struggle and less suffering, giving you more ease, more flow and more life to enjoy.
Sign up to receive the free “How To Get Your Heart’s Desire” ebook and begin the journey to creating your life as you desire.
I welcome your questions and look forward to working with you.
