Healing Scarves:  high fashion modeling, psychology, and prayer.

Human psychology, the fascinating power of the unconscious mind, and the meaning of life have  captured my attention  most all of my life.  My mother told me I was a psychologist since age 2 and even early years in life I had an inclination for observing the healing effect of listening so that others are heard and understood. 

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My earliest memory was in first grade at age 6, when I helped a classmate get over her shyness in class. I like to think of her as my first client. 

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After high school I went to Paris to study dance. It was here in the fashion capital of the world where I stumbled into the fashion industry, and began my whirlwind career as an international model. 

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My work-related travels took me to different countries and provided a perfect environment to read and reflect on human philosophy, spiritual practices and at the same time, touching, seeing and feeling beautiful attire and accessories. 

I was continually donning lovely haute couture and pret-a-porter designs modeling for illustrious houses of fashion such as Chanel, Christian Dior, Hermes, Missoni, Valentino and Yves Saint Laurent, as well as designers such as Georgio Armani, Karl Lagerfeld, Jean Paul Gaultier,  Kansai Yamato, Issey Miyake, Oscar de la Renta, and Donna Karan.  

Modeling involves a lot of traveling alone, which gave me lots of quiet time to think, reflect and study what I eventually called ‘the practice of presence’.

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I learned ‘mindfulness’ skills to help me deal with the chaos of a constantly changing fashion industry. Being more an introvert, I was able to go deep within while staying awake and highly alert. When alone, I read snippets and books on states of being from philosophers such as Gurdjieff, Whitman, William James, Plato,  I Ching, Bagavatam, and most importantly to my Christian roots, faith and upbringing, the sacred scriptures of the Holy Bible. 

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I almost always wore a scarf to keep me warm and feel protected while traveling, and provide color to my otherwise monochromatic travel clothes.  I think I wore my Missoni scarf all over the world while gaining so many wonderful memories of meeting talented and diverse people over my modeling career.

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Fast forward to 2018 when my older sister told me about SOZO and one day I saw a flyer for it at church.  I  participated in a life changing session  and then soon after took a  SOZO Art session.  I had never before had any curiosity about painting, and I had never even picked up a brush to paint anything my whole life (not since at 4 when  'painting by number' turned me off completely to try any type of art!). 

During an art healing session in SOZO, the purpose is to have 'God' in one of the three forms of the Trinity guide answers to five questions (for which you receive answers from the Lord) as they are painted onto canvas.

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If you are interested to learn about SOZO or wish to have a session, please contact Bethel Church (where SOZO healing sessions originated) online resource to learn more about booking a session with a trained facilitator here: https://www.bethelsozo.com/book-sozo

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My first SOZO painting turned out to be a self-portrait as a spiritual warrior in training and I journaled about this discipline and practice of spiritual warfare.

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I began to paint more and sought to listen to what God has to say to me through other means than my conscious thoughts. I read a book about Keys to Hearing God's Voice (Mark and Patti Virkler) and realized I could converse and abide with God more consciously and intentionally.  

What does SOZO mean? 

SOZO means to be Saved, Healed and Delivered.  SOZO is mentioned over 100 times in the Bible. I was brought to my knees feeling lost amidst problems and I yearned for an aware relationship with Lord Jesus, and  help in figuring out how to move forward.  Have you ever felt that way?

This occurred just before the pandemic hit the USA, when I needed to quickly reinvent myself into more of who I really am - again. 

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Because my coaching, training and consulting practice in applied psychology with leaders who have complex problems, helping their strengths come to bear in situations is priority. Painting (without a plan) as a spontaneous and creative past time has helped me renew myself and 'process/integrate' client impact on me more quickly.  This helps me turn the burden over, put warfare on canvas, pray over the person and situation and let Holy Spirit be in charge. 

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I did not consciously think about picking up a brush to paint, but God must have  planned for me to do it and knew that way back at my birth and during my modeling career.  Jesus came to me in dreams and He came in a vision during my SOZO healing session too, so I knew something was happening to me.   I just had to stop being in denial about it, I did not have a group to discuss this with until around 2018 and the fellowship has been reassuring.

Within a year of that session, I painted and journaled with acrylic paints brushed on many types of paper with no goal in mind at all, other than to enjoy it.  Some days I painted on index cards and poster board, and paper plates!  This became a favorite time out activity to do with worship music intending to  cleanse my unconscious, express a deep part of myself, worship the Lord and bring forth what the Holy Spirit wants me to see.

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I see hidden within the paintings  scenes I’ve witnessed over my lifetime:  Supernatural angels, Holy crosses as weapons in spiritual battles,  Trees of Life blossoming and bearing fruit, whispering light feathers falling, sea shore lapping waves, ethereal misty clouds, and special encounters between people over the world.  Some paintings have women of diverse cultures wearing scarves over their head.

Eventually the desire to put these onto fabric and wear them, (and dance and worship with them too) occurred.   

And then, Healing Scarves was born.  

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