139th Tranformational Gate – San Fancisco, CA : Rebooting Audrey 3.0

The main objective of this site and my blog is to bring awareness to the many modalities and opportunities that are out there to heal, inspire, and promote wellness. It will soon be obvious that I am a big promoter of spine health. In many ancient traditions and current practices, the spine and the breath are gateways to transformation and awareness.

I have been in NSA (Network Spinal Analysis) care for about 8 years and am a big fan of the work of Dr. Donald Epstein: www.wiseworldseminars.com (Update: https://epienergetics.com/). He also brought to this community SRI (Somato/Body Respiratory/Breathing Integration) and has been talking a big game about his latest modality that brings it all together. I attribute my journey into wellness and complete transformation into the person I’ve always wanted to be largely to NSA, SRI, and the supporting soul family it has provided me. I can’t say enough about the work and think everyone should give it a try.

I am heading out tonight to the 139th Transformational Gate here in SF. I think this is roughly my 15th Gate..???!! I usually attend Gates in Westminster, CO twice a year, once in February, President’s Day weekend and once in September, Labor Day weekend. I remember the first time I went to the Labor Day weekend Gate and made the conscious choice that no matter how transformative both events may be, the Gate would serve me better than Burning Man. I’ve chosen the Gate every time.

Tonight the Gate is at the Westin (seems to be the hotel brand of choice for Wise World events). I will commute home since it’s not that far away. I usually like to stay at the hotel of the event – - sometimes dealing with people outside of the retreat can be jarring. But I plan on being home and hopefully resting and having some downtime at night. Tonight we just need to register and then Donny has a talk starting at 8. He always has something poignant to say and it’s nice to see those familiar faces and get a little grounded before we “take off” tomorrow.

I am heading into this retreat after having quit my job on Monday and setting the plan in motion to relocate to the East Coast the first week of the new year. I was living in New York for 5 years before I moved out here to San Francisco and say New York me, was Audrey 1.0. Living in San Francisco, I definitely developed into Audrey 2.0. This weekend I am seeing myself rebooting the system once again and heading back east as Audrey 3.0. New Career, new aspirations, new apartment, new things to be grateful for.

Sometimes before a Gate I have the “Bring it” attitude and am ready for the change, ready to face it, and get psyched and fired up. Today, not so much. While I internally feel all those things at my core… I’m kind of sleepy and lacking energy. Could be because I have been off track with eating habits and exercise… Hopefully Donny’s talk and all the positive energy around me will lift me up. A good night's sleep will also help (I hope).

Friday Night

Oh, Donny! Before I share a few Donny-isms from the talk on Friday, it’s probably a great time to share an excerpt from the book I am shopping right now, THE SOUL TRAVELERS GUIDE TO THE GALAXY: 25 People and Programs that Will Change the Way You See the World. I wrote this about NSA and Donny.

One of my favorite things about this work is that all you have to do is show up. Granted, the first time you head to an NSA office might be because your back went out – - or maybe you can’t turn your head- but the effort required first in care is minimal. But that can also be the deterrent. Not everyone has transformative experiences in the first few months of care. You might have to keep in mind that you are retraining your body to release old patterns, and you are in it for the long term affects…I often say, Donny is an alien. As he works, he dips in and out of this world, weaving together the information that we use to function in our daily lives with that which is yet to be in our grasp. His one-liners are priceless: “Girl, you’ve been driving with the parking brake on, and it stinks, pee-yew”, and his innovative, brilliant technique is by far the most direct and attainable discipline available. Donny delivers his lectures with a crass New York accent, which is inviting and equalizing. During his retreats, you are challenged by your out-of-this-world experiences but are reminded of your humanness when he speaks…

Since the Friday night session is just a talk for the most part, it’s easy to jot down the priceless wisdom. This time 

Donny covered 5 topics:

1. What is a must in life?

2. What is vibrating in harmony about?

3. The Network Wave

4. Acceptance

5. Going Beyond

What I think is great is that he covers these topics from an individual standpoint and then from a global perspective. How do these things transform you, and how do these changes impact the world. Donny for sure believes his work is having an effect on evolution – - as I think all types of healing work does. He also said ” A magical life creates a magical legacy.” That one I liked a lot.

A few sweet Donny-isms that make you think:
• Your past never happened the way you remember it
• What’s keeping you in pain is a metaphor for your old story
• The spine is the back of the mind
• You have to have a breakdown to build up
• Focused attention changes the architecture of the brain
• Our relationships are homeopathic remedies. What you suppress will be apparent in your partner

Saturday & Sunday

I will say right off the bat – - the San Francisco Gates are never as good as the Colorado ones. There’s something about being 6,000 feet above the buzzing of the world below and the clean, crisp air of Westminster. Last year’s SF Gate was in the center of downtown, which seemed off, and this year they tried the Westin at the airport. Eh. There’s still a vibration that doesn’t match up with the energy needed for a Gate…. even if you never leave the hotel.

What happens at a Gate? Well, the weekend portion is comprised of 6 entrainments from one of 15-20 NSA Practitioners that have flown in from all over the US (Update: World). The 6 adjustments are split into 3 on Saturday and 3 on Sunday, with other activities, like SRI and Salsa dancing, in between. Like your visit to your regular NSA office, everyone gets checked in one room. Since there can be up to 500 participants, split into 2 groups, you are usually in a really big room. Each Practitioner has 4 tables and Donny has about 6 in the center of the room. People rotate on and off the tables until everyone in your group has been entrained. Having a series of adjustments in a row really allows you to leap forward in your level of care. Mental or physical issues that might have taken 2-3 months to work through can shift in one weekend. Socializing with the Network community is also a big part of the Gate. Being surrounded by like-minded people for the weekend is a great opportunity to talk about consciousness, mindfulness and to get the support you might need to work through some issues.

So how was it? My review is that it was wholesome and nutritious. Obviously everyone will have a different personal experience, and that sums up mine. I definitely had some major reorganization in my body,  with no stories going through my head about the past, the present or about my future – - which is great. The only thing I realized by Monday morning is that I am fully embodying my new career. I already am a writer, wellness guru and all the other things I know I already am. I am owning all of my gifts and am ready to serve. I also reconnected to the part of me that wants to treat my body with respect and choose better things to eat. I was hoping I would return to my senses. I started the Blue Print Cleanse today – - stay tuned for my review on that tomorrow.

Overall, the Gate was fun. Lots of laughing and not too much suffering. Quite a few newbies, which also contributes to the tone of the experience. There are some unspoken rules at a Gate, and if you don’t catch on quickly, there can be some frustration. Fewer kids than usual, which was a nice change – - things seemed quieter, and fortunately Charlie, who runs the Musical Meditation class and performs throughout the program, was there. They did it last year without him, and all I can say is a Gate is not a Gate without Charlie Tweet.

Highlights for me were, of course, seeing my first practitioner, the father of my Gateways (my friend called him that, so true) Dr. Peter Fisk, who is now in Fort Collins, Colorado, and the Practitioner I just call the Earth Mother Goddess, Dr. Judy Scher, who splits her time between Colorado and Santa Fe, NM. She is having a free tele class on Tuesday; I posted the link for more info under “People” for now. I love getting entrained by them and feel we have a soul connection – -  like they are specifically here to help me reach my greatest potential. There are so many great Practitioners; everyone brings their own greatness to the Gate. Check out wiseworldseminars.com to find one nearest you.