I was first introduced to the Universal Principles by observing my mother. 

I was first introduced to the Universal principles by observing my mother. She was a spiritual pioneer of her time. Spirituality in the 1960s was called “New Age” thinking and, like health food stores of that time, was considered weird and outside of mainstream society. From a small child, I was drawn to this world like a moth to a flame.

Mom was quiet and gentle, and kind. No matter what the struggle, I always felt better when I was with my mom. Her home was sprinkled with Crystals and beautiful baskets of coloured stones, collections of china angels and bookshelves lined with the writings of great thinkers and the spiritual teachers of her time. She loved nature and animals and had a passion for wolves. She had a hand-drawn portrait of wolves in their natural setting on her wall that followed her from home to home. Now it is displayed lovingly on my wall. I was drawn to all the things she loved, and I enjoyed talking with her about life.

We had more than these things in common. We were both highly sensitive people, and we both had a deep desire to know ourselves and to understand the meaning of our lives. As a young child, I remember feeling fearful and easily frightened by life. I was repelled by any content that was dark in nature. Whether it was scary movies, the evening news, camp ghost stories or even the negative moods of others that I observed around me, I would become easily and deeply frightened at even the smallest exposure to negative concepts or ideas. My mom was used to family and friends telling her that I was too sensitive to live and that I needed to toughen up. She listened to their remarks but never took them to heart. She knew me and understood me. She accepted me for who I was and just allowed me to be myself. She, too, had been judged for her sensitivity as a child. She was different from her other siblings because of her gentle nature and her interest in spirituality.

Once a month, my mom held a study group at our home on popular spiritual texts. A small group would gather together to discuss the Universal Principles in these readings, and the group would share their ideas and experiences. I would sneak out of my bed and sit hidden away on the staircase, close enough to listen but remain unseen. You might say that I learned about the Universal Principles through osmosis. Taking in information incrementally over the years of my childhood, asked questions and listened to the answers intently. I was unaware during this time that this foundation of knowledge would be the beginning of my own life journey of self-discovery.

My teenage years were challenging. Like most teens, I was spreading my wings and testing my boundaries. My parents were busy with work and the demands of life, so I learned to navigate my world on my own. My strong intuitive guidance was like a compass that kept me safe and free from many of the pitfalls that befell my friends during this time. I always kept myself on the periphery of my friendship circles and chose not to partake in drugs or other dangerous pastimes that my friends were drawn into.

As I approached my late teens, my interest in spirituality and the Universal Principles grew. I could often be found in Mom’s office, curled up with one of her precious books. I left high school in grade 12 and decided not to go to college or university. I was eager to get out of school and into the working world. I decided to take a one-year aesthetician course. I worked as an aesthetician for two years when I began to feel bored and unsatisfied with my work. During this time, I felt my intuition guiding me back to school. Turning 20 was a pivotal time in my life. I decided to apply to York University in Toronto, Ontario as a mature student. I gained a lot of clarity about what I didn’t want by leaving school early and working in a profession that was not my passion. After one year in a Bachelor of Arts Program, I decided to apply to the Faculty of Education at York University. This was a four-year program that I would complete alongside my Bachelor of Arts Degree. I was accepted and graduated from the university with a double degree and a passion for teaching. From the moment I entered the Education Program and began to work with children in my practicums, I knew that teaching was my calling. It wasn’t any particular subject that interested me; it was having a platform to teach children about self-esteem and give them an opportunity to discover themselves while learning the required curriculum.

My mom was also an avid journalist. She kept a record of her adult life from the time she was in her early 20s. She used journalling as a tool to explore her feelings and to connect with her intuitive self. I observed this practice throughout my childhood, and then I began my own journalling practice. By the age of 20, journal writing had become a pivotal tool in my life.

Meditation and Reiki were also part of my mom’s daily practice. We had many conversations over the years about Energy and how meditation and Reiki were tools for us to connect to that universal energy. Everything is Energy, she would say. I didn’t understand the true meaning of her words until years later when I began my own practice of Reiki and then Meditation.