The Dharma Path
The Path of Service To Others
Guffa Ceremony with Laura
From the time I was very young I was connected to the spirit world. I remember looking up at the sky when I was young and seeing spirits flying everywhere. I never knew what they were and somehow felt most at peace when I was in nature, or playing music ( I sang and played guitar). Years later when I started to study shamanism, I began to understand what I was seeing as a young child.
I was raised Catholic and still to this day, have a deep soul and heart connection to Jesus, the Mother Mary and certain saints. Mostly Joan of Arc ( my patron saint) and St. Frances.
When I was eighteen one of my schoolmates invited me to my first yoga class. It was 1972 in Baltimore on St. Paul Street. That night was the beginning of a whole new life for me. Two months later, I moved in the yoga ashram with my 1 yr.old son and thus started my education as a yogini, meditator and Dharma girl.
I have learned so much in my life. For sure, knowing that my path is about sacred prayer and supporting many who need spiritual guidance and healing.
I will be writing more about the specifics of where I have travelled and the teachings given in my Stories of Transformation.
Here, I would like to share some of the photos and they may give you a better glimpse into my spiritual background.
This was in Nepal at a celebration for Lord Vishnu. There were many devotees of Lord Krishna there that day and I was delighted to be able to pray and chant with Maya, Amma and many others.
Rose and Nepali Sister at Guffa. The Guffa Ceremony will be a story I will write about. It is an initiation the shaman goes through to be challenged with their compassionate heart. The ceremony is always done in a place where their is suffering. Traditionally, we do it near a graveyard , because in the Tibetan tradition, this is the place of hungry ghosts ( spirits who are lost). I had a profound experience and this was the end of the week we were all there. The local people came nightly to express their gratitude for all week we were doing prayers and ceremonies for the mountain village.This beautiful sister, Sita, became my friend. Even though I could not speak the language, we were together for a week, sharing our lives.
The first guffa with drum at a Shiva Temple
The first Vision Quest Lauren and I led in the Shenandoah.
Lauren and I co-lead Vision Quest for years at Rune Hill in Spencer NY, where her and her family now live. I now lead them myself and the land in so amazingly magical and healing. It was made for people to come for this kind of work.
The Polarity Center and Shamanic Studies is based at
Mailing Address:
22 Bisbee Rd, Chesterfield, Ma, 01012
Email: rose@polaritycenter.org