An Interview With Joni From The Dreaming Body....

I'm pretty sure Joni would love this house! Image from House of Turquoise.

If it weren't for Joni and Roger from The Dreaming Body my own body would be a lot less happier and pain free than it is right now! I see them every month or so for a treatment, and as their philosophies align with mine in many areas, I was curious to find out more about them as people, and what their home might look like! (They have interesting art work on the walls of their practice!).

So, with Joni's permission, I dug a little deeper to see what I could find out!

H.A.H. (Heartfire At Home): What 5 words best describe you?

Joni: Soft, gentle, kind, wise, sincere.

H.A.H: Do you have a favourite quote or saying you like to refer to often?

Joni: Let go of the outcome.

H.A.H: Finish this sentence.... 'I hope people will remember me....'

Joni: .... as one who lives a joyful, authentic life helping others to find their path of healing.

H.A.H: I hear you're going to be building a new house soon. Can you tell us a bit about it?

Joni: We purchased a corner lot that has quite a bit of slope to it requiring a custom designed floor plan. The slope enables us to easily create a two-story building to incorporate both our home and clinic while maintaining a sense of separateness between the two. The elevation of the second story will enable us to capture views of Mt. Buninyong and the valley below from our living area. All in all, we’re looking forward to being surrounded by nature and a neighborly community!

View from Mt. Buninyong - Image from Flickr

H.A.H: What is it about your business The Dreaming Body that you enjoy the most?

Joni: I love facilitating clients’ healing journeys and observing the transformations they experience. Life was meant to be lived fully, passionately and authentically but so often past trauma, injury, and emotional baggage gets in the way. Having a role in helping others to clear these roadblocks and return to enjoying life is exhilarating!

H.A.H: If you had a secret room you could decorate just for you, what would it look like?

Joni: My secret room would have a conglomeration of items that at first sight would have no connection. Only the curious, more preceptive observer, could discover the common thread through curious exploration.

Drawing the most attention, the major content of my secret room would be a large, four-poster bed. Reaching to the height of the ceiling, the bed posts would display meters and meters of continuous, fine chiffon draped in a mystical fashion to conceal the inner contents of the bed.

Candles with a soft aroma would offer gentle light to expose the contents. Brilliantly colored butterflies scattered and fixed to the fabric surrounding the bed would indicate the opening. Parting the folds of fabric would reveal a life sized stuffed leopard keenly aware and alert to its surroundings on top of matching leopard print bedding. Inside, this atmosphere would offer a stark contrast to fragile, fluttering butterflies surrounding the outside.

Why are these items significant to me and how are they linked? The butterflies in my secret room would remind me that beauty and gentleness can come from the change and struggle of metamorphosis and the leopard would remind me to utilize my inner strengths and rest in my power. Thus, the items found in my secret room simply represent personal characteristics that I have had opportunity to be aware of and develop through time and experience.

H.A.H: Have you 'gotta thing' for anything?

Image from Visualize via Flickr

Joni: I love the beach scene as it contains the myriad of life’s aspects all in one ---shifting sands, rolling waves, gentle breeze, hopeful sunrises, enchanting sunsets and mysterious moonlight reflecting on dark waters. Sands along the shore hold centuries of secrets erased by wind and sea--- proclamations of couples’ true love, children’s castles and moats, footprints of thousands who all have had their unique story and history. All there, yet in a moment erased away by wind and sea to offer opportunity for new engravings and creations from others on their journey.

H.A.H: Do you have any memories that influence where you get your ideas from?

Joni: I was raised in a rural area surrounded by wildlife. One such creature that became common to my younger sisters and I was the monarch butterfly. Every summer, we would search for caterpillars munching on big juicy milkweed leaves. When we were lucky enough to find one, we’d place them in a jar for a few days or weeks. With fresh supply of milkweed that we provided, the caterpillar would become fatter and fatter as it continued to eat over a period of days or weeks.

Image from Flickr

We struggled to patiently wait for the caterpillar to become fat enough to begin constructing its cocoon. Magically, the fat caterpillar became a compact, little green capsule. Again, our patience was tried as we waited for its transformation within the cocoon. Finally, the pivotal moment would come when it was time to emerge from it’s encapsulated state.

We all were captivated by the slow, tedious process. After hours of pushing and struggling, a beautiful black and orange butterfly would appear before our eyes. Eventually, it would begin to beat its wings. After a number of flutters, the butterfly would then ever so gently take flight. The miracle of transforming from a creature bound to creeping on the ground to a creature that could soar to new heights was complete.

I believe that my ideas regarding transformation, inspiring change, and limitless possibilities come from observing this remarkable event in nature.

H.A.H: You're from overseas, what is it you like about Australia and Ballarat in particular?

Part of Ballarat's Main Street (one side).

Joni: I love the culture and relaxed way of life that Australian’s follow. Everyone is friendly, quick to help others in need, and not too busy or stressed to embrace the moment. Not only does Ballarat have stores that essentially supply anything that you need, but it also has many cultural events and a myriad of social clubs. Yet, all without the noise and chaos of a metropolitan city.

H.A.H: What's your favourite colour and why?

Joni: Turquoise blue is my favorite color. To me, it represents calm, beauty, depth and richness all in one.

Image from The House of Turquoise via Thibaut

Thanks Joni for revealing some very personal thoughts, memories, ideas....

.......and your Secret Room!

Cheers,

Linda.

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Read 3 Other Interesting Heartfire Interviews!:
An Interlude With Allison Trentleman of Rocky Top Studios
Showcase Interview With Jodie from Ric Rac!
An Interview With Australian Artist Lauren Perkins

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