Sedona, Arizona
Photo by Skeeze Pixabay
The Sedona workshop with Dr. Joe Dispenza, and the experience, is one I will always, always remember. It has been about a year now as a follower of Dr. Joe Dispenza. And, for some 20 years, I have been a student of alternative philosophy including daily meditation for the past 7 years. Many mentors and masters have weaved their ways into my consciousness during this time and have spent hundreds of hours reading books, researching, and studying different philosophies. So, I was very open to Dr. Joe Dispenza’s teachings, primarily due to his scientific approach and blending Western and Eastern traditions are what resonate with me. Like Dr. Dispenza, I am educated, trained and experienced as a healthcare provider. He is a chiropractor by training, and I am a RN/N.P., Nurse Practitioner. Dr. Dispenza’s scientific and analytical approach to material that is often perceived as spiritual/mystical in nature are what I most appreciate.
A couple of Dr. Dispenza’s books I’ve read, part of my Kindle library, including a favorite called Becoming Super Natural. Many of his meditations are now a part of my meditation practice such as the Blessing of the Energy Centers, Morning and Evening Meditation. I followed his online Intensive Workshop and listened to dozens of his YouTube videos. So, to attend a live event has been at the top of my To Do List—but just haven’t had the time and resources to make that happen.
…hmmm, any upcoming workshops in Arizona…
I live in Arizona and decided to check his website to see if he was offering any workshops in my area. Dr. Joe travels the world and does mostly week-long advanced retreats. The website shows his schedule of retreats and workshops and one after another was sold out. I found a 5-day retreat that was being offered in Sedona, Arizona with alternative speakers and healers presenting. Dr. Joe was scheduled for one day of the 5-day event on February 21, 2020. Of course, the retreat was sold-out. I placed a request to be added to the wait list. For some reason, the email kept returning to me with an error sign. It wasn’t going through to the Dispenza team. I decided to call his staff and kindly ask that I be added to the wait list.
The staff member was pleasant and agreed to add me to the waiting list. I told her that I had never attended any live event, so I wanted to know what to do. She said just show up to the venue and see where you are on the wait list. Then she said something like, you are very unlikely to get into a 1-day event. It is Dr. Joe Dispenza after all! The waiting list is 400-500 people. I agreed that it was unlikely, but I wanted to try anyway. The staffer replied, “At least it’s a beautiful area and will be a lovely drive even if you don’t make the show!”
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Saguaros silhouette on an Arizona sunset
Photo by David Mark Pixabay
Visualize…
When I hung up the phone, I was discouraged but I decided not to be deterred. I used the next 6 weeks to visualize getting a ticket and getting a good seat to the workshop. I have been through many hardships and setbacks. I truly believe that I have transcended situations where others may give up or fail. I know this is due in part to my meditation practice and applying the principles I have learned.
I imagined walking up to the ticket booth and the ticket agent handing me a ticket with my name on it. Then, I see myself walking into the auditorium and the usher showing me to my seat. It’s a great seat toward the front of the stage on the left-hand side. I can feel the energy of the room. People are cheering and clapping—it’s electric and I am a part of it all! I then, get out of the image. I spend maybe 1 minute with this vision in my mind. If I feel good during this time, I will imagine the event longer. If I feel even slightly negative, I stop the vision and go on with the rest of my meditation. I know how important it is to really sense like I am there and feel really good in that moment. I did this every day during my morning meditation about 6 weeks prior to the event. I knew this would be my only chance to attend a Dr. Dispenza workshop in 2020 because I am moving out of the country June 1st to Portugal. All my time and money is going toward this move.
On to Beautiful Sedona
I drove to Sedona on Thursday night before the workshop on Friday morning. The resort holding the retreat was sold out, so I got a hotel room at a nearby hotel. I had a busy day in Scottsdale on Thursday and ended up leaving 2 hours later than I had planned. I was mad at myself for not leaving earlier in the day. I spent the 2-hour drive doing a gratitude/appreciation list for all the things in my life big and small that I was truly thankful to have in my life. I spoke the list out loud thinking of anything and everything I could imagine. When I was finished with the mental list, I repeated it from the beginning to end. I would pause for a few seconds feeling thankful for all the good things, people and experiences in my life.
Sedona, Arizona
Photo by Richard Hay Pixabay
“Do you need a ticket…”
I checked into my hotel then immediately drove to the resort holding the conference. I went into the resort and asked where I was on the waitlist. There were many people milling about with booths, posters and books on display for all the various presenters at the workshop. A woman directed me to speak with a Dispenza staffer. She was talking with a young woman, so I waited until she was finished with her conversation. I told the staffer that I wanted to know where my name was on the list for the Dr. Dispenza workshop.
The young woman in front of me turned and said, “Do you need a ticket because I just sold my ticket back?” I was floored! I was so shocked that I said, “I thought there was a long wait list and no tickets were available?” The young woman said, “Well five minutes ago that was true, but my ticket is now available, and I want you to have it!”
Immediately, I burst into tears just sobbing uncontrollably—Literally, I could not stop shaking and crying! I am sure this staffer and this young woman thought I was crazy, but I could not stop. Giovanni was the kind young woman who had flown to Sedona from Maui and sold me her ticket. Just five minutes before, she decided to volunteer as a helper for the event instead of attending. Talk about manifestations and synchronicity! If I had left Scottsdale on time, I would have never met Giovanni in line and never gotten her ticket!
I went to the ATM in the lobby of the hotel and bought Giovanni’s ticket on the spot. I hugged Giovanni and thanked her profusely. I called Scott to share the amazing news. The week before on Valentine’s Day I had given Scott a card that I wrote about how I admired his faith and trust that good things were happening to us. We were setting up a website/online business, as well as moving out of the country to travel and live in Portugal for the summer. We have gone through some tough times with finances, career changes as well as a chronic health condition. Many unknowns to our future, but Scott always holds steady. I knew getting this ticket to the sold-out venue was a sign from the universe that I was on the right path! I told him that from this day forward, I would never let fear of the unknown take me over. I will have faith with my Higher Self that I just need to take one step forward and the way will be made known to me.
Meditation
I went back to my hotel and did a Dr. Joe meditation that I have down-loaded on my iPad. It’s the Morning/Evening Meditation Series. At one point in the meditation, Dr. Joe says something like
“…ask the universe for a sign something will happen to you in such a way that surprises and delights you, that leaves no doubt that the universe is speaking to you!”
I literally jumped up from my meditation and said “It did! It just happened to me!” Again, I burst into tears and felt the hair stand up on the back of my neck! I had heard and practiced this meditation dozens of times, but never had the words rang so true as they did in that very moment!
Lots of Energy…
I attended the Thursday evening presentation with 2 inspirational speakers/healers. One performed an elaborate blessing ceremony to help set a positive tone for the speakers for the remaining retreat. I felt so thankful for being at the event. I returned to my hotel, but barely slept because I was so excited to see Dr. Joe in person! I showed up early Friday morning as one of the staffers suggested that the auditorium would fill up quickly. I got there 2 hours before the event because it was open seating and a long line had already formed. When I was allowed into the auditorium, Giovanni was checking our ID badges. Everyone had pre-printed name tags, but mine was handwritten with my name on it. Again, I gave her a big hug and thanked her. She directed me to the center aisle. I walked up toward the stage maybe 7-8 rows back and took a seat on the left side of the auditorium. The place was full of energy, music was playing, and some people were dancing near their seats or in the aisle—just like I imagined the whole scene in my visualization/meditation! This was really happening!
I met a woman named Tina sitting to my left. She had attended the workshop alone like I had, so we decided to be partners for the day. Thru his online Intensive Workshop, I learned Dr. Dispenza will explain complex ideas or scientific material and ask participants to explain the idea to the person next to them. This helps reinforce the new information. Tina had been gifted a ticket by a friend who could not attend the event. I told her my story and she was impressed! I overheard a Dr. Joe staffer talk about me to another staffer—I was very proud!
The auditorium was packed, and some people had lined up along the walls and the back of the room. The music became louder and the lights were flashing. A stage was placed in the center of the auditorium with big screens on either side for everyone to see the show. Dr. Joe Dispenza walks out to the center of the stage and gets a standing ovation! He is like a celebrity in a sense. He has slicked back blond hair; a crisp pressed button-down shirt and dress pants, a look that is professional yet approachable. He is very fit and looks younger than his age. He has a dynamic presence and is an excellent speaker. Anyone who can present spirituality, quantum field theory and neuroplasticity in a riveting and engaging manner, has my attention.
Dr. Joe believes that human behavior is based on mental programs that have developed over time thru upbringing, education, culture and so on. The majority of our behavior patterns are based on these programs. What you say and do today is virtually the same as yesterday. Real change does not occur because the same program runs continuously. We become what we think about. He states we are bombarded with negative beliefs that 95% of our thoughts and beliefs are negative. Surrounding ourselves with negative friends, family and co-workers reinforces these negative beliefs. Twenty-four-hour news stations, social media and the like add to the fatalistic approach of modern life. It’s no surprise that anxiety, depression and suicide rates of Americans is a real concern.
He paints a bleak picture, but quickly adds that we can break free from these negative thought patterns and programs thru making a few key changes. Meditation is part of this fundamental change. Dr. Joe has incorporated techniques that he uses himself and has developed over the years working with participants at his workshops. In one type of his meditations, he uses meditation to quiet the mind and tap into a new possibility, a new future that already exists in the quantum field.
Image by Gerd Altmann Pixabay
The Quantum Field…
Dr. Dispenza explains that the quantum field is an electromagnetic field that exists around us as an infinite field of possibility. All possibilities and knowledge exist now. We need to tap into this field thru meditation and imagery to access this knowledge. Along with meditation and imagery of a new future, the participant must combine this with an elevated emotion of positive expectation, positive anticipation. You must feel this new future is possible. As I mentioned earlier, I held an image in my mind of getting a ticket to the sold-out workshop, I coupled that image with feeling good! I felt excited in my heart and imagined that I really was in the audience. I did not feel over the moon joy. I just felt a pleasant feeling, a confidence that it was done. On days when I could feel my happy feeling drop or any doubt started to creep in, I immediately got out of that image.
I have spent some years re-wiring my negative thought patterns. In the past, I was the type of individual who would think the worst. I would doubt that things could change or that good things could happen to me. I think this was due to my upbringing, my Catholic guilt, my natural propensity toward worry and depression along with a very practical mind that developed from working in the medical profession. Medical decisions are based on data, proven research and analysis. Intuition, feelings or hunches are not encouraged in the world of medicine. Some co-workers would ridicule me for believing in God, the spirit realm or life after death, as there is no scientific proof these things exist.
Neuroplasticity…
Another key component to Dr Dispenza’s work is the use of neuroplasticity. This is the brain’s ability to learn and change continuously throughout an individual’s life. Any new activity that helps the brain focus such as learning to dance Salsa or learning Spanish, can create neurogenesis or new brain cells. In turn, neurogenesis can create new neural pathways or networks by learning new tasks. We can establish new habits, new programs and allow the old programs to fade into the background. We become what we think about. Why not create new positive thoughts/programs so that our mindset is one of positive expectation and happiness?
Image by John Hain Pixabay
Commit to…
Dr. Dispenza stated that you have to commit to making change through intention, elevated emotion, and just showing up and doing the work. People return to their lives after the conference, and if they return to their old ways then their life will not improve.
“…commit to making change through intention…”
There will be days when you won’t feel like doing meditation but do it anyway. Meditate daily. Spend more time around inspiring people. Reduce your time watching the news. Cultivate gratitude with a mental list of things you are grateful for in your life.
The changes that Dr. Joe suggests are easy to do, take little time in your daily life, and should not disrupt your current lifestyle much. Further, there is little cost involved since most of these techniques require changing your attitude or behavior.
Dr. Dispenza proved to be a thought-provoking, entertaining, and inspiring speaker. As a man in his late 20’s, he sustained injuries in a race that should have left him paralyzed for life. He overcame these injuries and has become a testament to changing one’s future. Dr. Joe told many stories of friends, students who have manifested healing, wealth, and creating happier lives. I was honored to see his live workshop. I look forward to seeing what other surprises are around the corner for me!
