The Vision

My desire to empower others through heart-consciousness began with a trip to Bosnia in April 1997. I was one of thousands participating in an evening vigil for peace in St. James' Church in Medjugorje.

The church, which holds 3,000 people, was so packed that every inch of space was taken with a person kneeling or standing. People from over 18 different countries had gathered. As I knelt on the marble floor in the back of the church, the leader asked us to pray the "Our Father."

As we were praying, a vision came to me of an old crone, wearing a dark cloak. Her shoulders were bent, but from the opening in the front of her cloak, I could see that she had a multi-layered heart from which women were leaping. There were women of all nationalities—old, young, angry, joyful women, and all of these different women were leaping from the old woman's heart. It was an incredibly powerful image that I will never forget.

Exploring the Meaning

While the meaning of this vision was not readily apparent to me, I knew that it would ultimately be life changing.

At the time of the trip, I was the Director of the Center for Professional Training and Academic Development at Old Dominion University, locked in an extremely work-intensive job. My sister had initially informed me that she would be taking a trip to Bosnia to pray for world peace. I had thought that I might be able to support her by helping with finances. Unexpectedly, she asked me to go with her. Even though my life was incredibly busy and my administrative job full of heavy responsibilities that were hard to delegate, I knew that this was an opportunity that I must take. It would allow me to step out of my current lifestyle and do some much-needed soul searching. I had so many questions: What am I doing with my life? Why am I here? What contribution could I be making?

Upon returning to Norfolk, I spent many hours meditating on the heart vision. Within a month, I knew that I would leave my university position and that my new work would include working with others, initially women, to authentically express themselves in a safe, healing environment.

The Birth of the Program

In my role as a business communications trainer and coach for more than twenty years, I had met many people, particularly women, who felt that their lives were fragmented and laden with heavy responsibilities. There was always more to do than possible, and balance was simply a concept but never a real possibility. So I began to design a program that I thought would provide others with a practical opportunity to create greater balance in their lives.

In trying to understand the meaning of the heart in my vision, I was led to the concept of heart consciousness and the works of Dr. Dean Ornish and the HeartMath Institute, among others. Repeatedly, the research suggested that the heart has a unique intelligence unto itself. I understood that when people accessed their heart intelligence, they were able to achieve greater life balance.

In 1998, I introduced the first "Leading from the Heart" program for women. This 8-week program became an evolutionary process, which guided and continues to guide, both women and men to greater life consciousness and a deeper understanding of themselves.