Embody the Sacred

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Embody the Sacred

Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Embody the Sacred, Alternative & holistic health service, New Milford, CT.

Teacher & Practitioner of Contemporary Shamanism, Reiki & Tarot for empaths, healers and spiritual seekers who wish to grow their gifts and confidence to serve more clients & the earth Offering classes, healing circles and training in Cross-Cultural Energy Medicine, Reiki, Contemporary and Core Shamanism, Andean Mystical healing traditions, Intuitive Tarot readings, space clearings, private healing sessions and more…distance healing and classes available.

03/17/2026

For Peace by John O’Donohue💚☘️

✨As the fever of day calms towards twilight May all that is strained in us come to ease. We pray for all who suffered violence today, May an unexpected serenity surprise them.

✨For those who risk their lives each day for peace, May their hearts glimpse providence at the heart of history. That those who make riches from violence and war Might hear in their dreams the cries of the lost.

✨That we might see through our fear of each other A new vision to heal our fatal attraction to aggression. That those who enjoy the privilege of peace Might not forget their tormented brothers and sisters.

✨That the wolf might lie down with the lamb, That our swords be beaten into ploughshares And no hurt or harm be done Anywhere along the holy mountain. The Great Turning

— from Benedictus (published in the US as To Bless the Space Between Us*)*
Photo from the Peace Project

03/07/2026

The Path of the Wounded Healer

Have you ever felt like your greatest struggles were actually preparing you for something else, and might have even shown up as part of your soul’s purpose leading you down a path of healing and profound growth?

For myself, I didn't choose the path of healing. In many ways, it found me.

I was a sensitive child — deeply affected by other people's emotions and energy, easily overwhelmed by conflict, and aware of a connection to the spirit world that I didn't understand and honestly, that scared me most of the time. I was shy, prone to night terrors, and had no idea that the very sensitivity that made life so hard was actually a gift in disguise.

Then came the challenges that were my greatest catalyst on my own personal healing journey that directed me onto the path (and definitely not willingly!) of the Wounded Healer.

As a senior in college, I was diagnosed with malignant melanoma. That brush with death sent me spiraling into a severe anxiety disorder and OCD that no amount of therapy or medication could help. I described it once as living in mental prison with no way out, where you can never rest. It was truly a dark night of the soul.

I knew I wasn't going to give up, so I kept searching for what might help if Western medicine couldn't, and that's where I was introduced to yoga, nutritional therapy, chiropractic, meditation and other techniques. And I started to feel better.

Then in 1997, on the eve of my dear Dad's 70th birthday, I was hit head-on in a near-fatal car accident at the age of 30. Two shattered femurs. Two collapsed lungs. A liver laceration. Broken ribs and sternum. I was given a 50/50 chance of survival. I spent eight days in the ICU and five days on a ventilator.

In the car, I felt like I was given a choice. Whether to live or die. And I chose to stay. Though I realized I couldn’t do it by myself. I asked God for help, and I felt this light come into my body — an embrace of unconditional love and divine grace — that I have never forgotten.

That accident became the event that led to the greatest transformation of my life and catapulted me onto the path of deep personal healing and of my soul’s purpose, as a healer and eventually my greater purpose as the humble teacher of great heroes in the field of spiritual and holistic health.

It led me to Reiki, which healed a limp I had carried for over a year and restored feeling in both of my feet — in just five days of self-treatment. It led me to massage therapy and becoming a massage therapist myself, to energy medicine, to natural healing remedies such as herbal medicine and flower essences, to a Master's degree in Integrative Health.

It eventually led me to study with indigenous Shamanistic healers and medicine people from the Andes, Ecuador, Peru, North America and Tibet — teachers whose names and lineages I carry with deep gratitude and humility. That showed me truly the path of healing is through the foundation of the spirit and our deeper connection to all that is, including our sacred relationship to the Earth Herself.

And then on through a difficult divorce, the loss of my beloved father to Alzheimer's, the heartbreaking losses of beloved pets and many other initiations life has brought my way — the path has continued to deepen.

None of this was the life I planned. But it was exactly the life my soul called me to.

This is what many traditions call the path of the Wounded Healer.

And here's what I know to be true right now, in this moment we are all living through together:

We are in a collective dark night of the soul. The regime in power here in the U.S. represents the most abhorrent elements of our shadow: the abuse, the greed, the grifting, the misogyny, the power imbalances, the racism, the lies…

The racial reckoning, the aftermath of a global pandemic, the environmental crisis, the political chaos, the fracturing of so many systems we were told to trust — it is a lot. And for empaths and sensitives, it definitely is A LOT.

Because we don't just observe what's happening in the world. We feel it. In our bodies. In our energy fields. In our sleep. Sometimes we wake up in the morning already exhausted and we don't even know why — until we realize we've been absorbing the weight of the collective fear and pain around us.

If you are an empath or a healer, you may be finding these times particularly overwhelming. The sheer volume of suffering, injustice and uncertainty can feel crushing when you feel everything as deeply as we do. And it can be incredibly hard to know what is yours to carry — and what isn't.

But here is what the wounded healer's path has taught me, over and over again:

The very sensitivity that makes these times so hard for us, is also what makes us so needed.

The world doesn't need us to have it all figured out. It needs us to have done our own healing work — enough to hold steady, hold space, and help others find their way through their own darkness. Our wounds, when we do the work, become our medicine.

You may be on this path if:
1. Your own health crisis, loss or trauma sparked a search for deeper healing — and conventional medicine alone wasn't enough. You found yourself drawn to holistic modalities, energy work or spiritual practices that actually helped you move forward.

2. You've always felt things deeply — emotions, energy, other people's pain. You may have been called "too sensitive" growing up, or felt overwhelmed in crowds or around certain people without knowing why. That sensitivity wasn't a flaw. It was a gift waiting to be understood.

3. You have an unexplained connection to the spirit world — maybe since childhood. Vivid dreams, a sense of presence, intuitions that proved true. You may have kept these experiences quietly to yourself for fear of what others would think. I did too, for a very long time.

4. You feel a deep calling to be of service — not just as a career choice, but as a soul-level pull. Helping others heal doesn't feel like work. It feels like purpose. And in times like these, that calling may feel more urgent than ever.

5. Current events hit you harder than most — the news, the suffering, the injustice lands in your body like a physical weight. You care deeply about the state of the world and the people in it, and sometimes that caring feels like it might swallow you whole.

6. Your greatest struggles have become your greatest teachers — and you've started to sense that everything you've been through has been preparing you for the work you are here to do. Not in spite of these difficult times, but because of them.
The path of the wounded healer is not always easy or glamorous. But it is profound, purposeful and more deeply needed in the world right now than perhaps ever before.

If we can learn to tend to our own energy, honor our sensitivity as the sacred gift it is, and do our own personal healing work — we become a stabilizing force in the chaos. A light in the darkness. Not because we have all the answers, but because we have walked through our own darkness and found our way through.

If any of this resonates with you, and you could use some support on your own healing journey as an empath, spiritual seeker or healer yourself, reach out to me.

You are not alone on this path — and those experiences that felt like they were breaking you may have actually been shaping you into the healer you were always meant to be. 🌿

03/05/2026

“Power of the people is so much stronger than the people in power…” U2

If more of us come together we can turn this whole ship 🛳️ 🇺🇸💙🤍❤️around.

A lot of pain and loss has already occurred, but we can change for the better by coming together.

03/03/2026

For empaths, healers and spiritual seekers feeling the weight of these times…especially the collective stress, fear and uncertainty.

It’s more important now than ever to find a safe space for tending of the soul. 🌎🌿

Energy healing and cross-cultural Shamanic practices offer a sacred space to:

🪶 Release discordant energies, burnout & grief
🪶 Restore your vital life-force and soul energy  🪶 Reconnect with your spirit guides, power animals & ancestors and the deep wisdom of Mother Earth 🪶 Come home to yourself
 This is earth-honoring, holistic and spiritually-based healing work that is grounded, practical, and deeply transformative. Not a quick fix, but a real journey back to wholeness.

“That was one of the most powerful healings I’ve ever received.” — JB, Danbury, CT

A portion of all sessions supports indigenous & environmental causes. 🌱

📍 New Milford, CT + Virtual worldwide 👉 Book a session — link in bio

02/25/2026

✨When you’re empathic and intuitive, life transitions, the chaos of current events and emotional experiences can affect you deeply—especially after a loss, divorce, illness, job change or a spiritual awakening.
 ✨With over 25 years of experience, I offer private sessions integrating Shamanic Healing, Reiki, and intuitive Tarot guidance to help release energetic and emotional blockages, support the healing of known traumas, help calm your nervous system, and help restore clarity, calm, and inner strength.

✨This work gently supports recovery, helping you feel more grounded, resilient, and reconnected to yourself.

🙏🏻Sessions available this Friday at the Angel Cooperative, in Ridgefield, CT, please book through

02/20/2026

Hayagariva, Amitabha Buddha’s most wrathful form of warrior compassion, for overcoming the most harmful and rampant ego attachments. Known as the guardian and protector of the temple. 🙏🏻❤️

Justice. Goddess Sophia…sapientia Dei. The living embodiment of Divine Wisdom. Bringing clarity and balance to the scales of justice. Looking at victims and perpetrators with eyes 👀 open, and a jewel to empower sacred wisdom and righteousness at the third eye.👁️ 💙

Bhadrakali representation of Divine Feminine energy, for creation and destruction of negativity while nurturing and protecting her devotees.

She emerges from the third eye of Durga.
She is also known as the protector of the Universe 💙🔥

Hayagariva from Buddha Wisdom from Laura Santi
Bhadra Kali from Kali Oracle
Gratitude to my Tibetan and Hindu teachers 🙏🏻

02/20/2026

Our magical girlie next to my distance healing wolfie. I got this little stuffy years before Dinah came to us. Someone knew we would eventually find her. 🐺🤍🩶🖤

02/18/2026

I just finished this very detailed article by wellness author and physician, 🙏🏻

Unfortunately, the wellness space has always been a hot bed or a hot mess, for those seeking power and control, building ego-driven empires, and to have more power and influence over others.

Don’t get me wrong. There are a lot of amazing and wonderful people in this field as well. But it is not without its shadow and abusive, cultish seedy underbelly. And what’s particularly harmful, is that those seeking these services are often dealing with trauma and are very vulnerable to influence.

My heart goes out to those who are feeling betrayed or let down by Deep@k or another wanna be guru, or sham spiritual influencer, or an Insta Shaman 🙄

It’s important to use discernment, honor any red flags, despite someone’s apparent reputation, how many books they have written, or how many followers they have on social media …don’t put anyone up on a pedestal, because even these well-known and famous spiritual teachers are profoundly flawed humans.

and it’s OK to be human, we all are, myself included. But it’s what we do with that humanity, are we using it to cause harm, or to be in service of others.

Don’t give your power away, and look for people in your local area who are well respected, have experience and solid training in their areas of expertise, and help empower you on your spiritual journey rather than to rely solely on them.

Take care of yourself and honor your grief and disappointment. 🤗

02/17/2026

Discover a gentle yet powerful path to emotional and energetic cleansing and balancing with Basic Level Integrated Energy Therapy®.

We will learn to connect with the Healing Angels of the Energy Field to support and empower to process old emotional cellular memory patterns such as guilt, shame, anger and fear without the need to relive old traumatic stories. IET helps release the issues from our tissues and replace them with positive, empowering energy from the Angels.

In this class you will:
* Receive the Basic Level attunement to the Angelic Healing Ray
* Learn how to identify and clear stored emotional energy patterns
* Practice hands-on techniques you can use immediately
* Gain confidence working with energy for personal and professional growth
* Discover how IET complements Reiki, massage, and other holistic practices
* Leave prepared to offer full Basic Level IET sessions both for self, others, in-person and distance healing

It’s a wonderful complement to Reiki, and the two practices work beautifully together.

February 22, 2026
10am-5pm
The Angel Cooperative
51 Ethan Allen Highway
Ridgefield, CT

02/16/2026

Join me to discover a gentle yet powerful path to emotional and energetic cleansing and balancing with Basic Level Integrated Energy Therapy®, which includes a powerful attunement. 😇

We will learn to connect with the Healing Angels of the Energy Field to support and empower cleansing old emotional cellular memory patterns such as guilt, shame, anger and fear without the need to relive old traumatic stories. IET helps release the issues from our tissues and replace them with positive, empowering energy from the Angels.

In this class you will:
✨Receive the Basic Level attunement to the Angelic Healing Ray
✨Learn how to identify and clear stored emotional energy patterns
✨Practice hands-on techniques you can use immediately
✨Gain confidence working with energy for personal and professional growth
✨Discover how IET complements Reiki, massage, and other holistic practices
✨Leave prepared to offer full Basic Level IET sessions both for self, others, in-person and distance healing

It’s a wonderful complement to Reiki, and the two practices work beautifully together.

February 22, 2026
10am-5pm
The Angel Cooperative
51 Ethan Allen Highway
Ridgefield, CT
(203) 431-2959

02/15/2026

I had the opportunity to ask a diverse group of college students (about 30 of them) what were their main concerns right now about our health care system. The students responding came from freshman to senior classes, from various majors with an interest in holistic health.

The top concerns for about 95% of them?

The COST and affordability of health care or any type of health care services, AND the discrepancies or INEQUALITY of treatment offered based on socioeconomic variables (such as race, class, gender, insurance coverage etc.).

Do you know what NONE of them mentioned in terms of their top concerns about health care right now?

-Tylenol
-Food dyes
-Inoculation schedules
-Organic food

There’s nothing wrong with exploring the safety and effectiveness of these particular items, but in terms of PRIORITIES, maybe affordability and equal access might be a bit more important.

Obviously this was a very small group of students responding to this question, but the consistent answers are worth exploring.

IMHO, human rights and equality should be part of the foundations of public health.

02/09/2026

What an amazing and unifying halftime show yesterday. Loved the cultural references, dancing and special guest appearances. The reading of the names of the countries and territories was so beautiful. Thank you Benito for sharing your talent and artistry with us. This is the Age of Aquarius ♒️ 🇵🇷🇺🇸🙏🏻💙✨🎶🎵

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New Milford, CT
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http://www.embodythesacred.net/

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Deana Paqua and Embody the Sacred’s Story

Offering self-healing and self-empowerment through the sacred, including classes, training programs, healing sessions, readings and more in cross-cultural energy medicine, contemporary shamanism and holistic health education. Learn tools and techniques to enhance your personal health and wellness, transform trauma, boost your intuition and connection to Spirit, and walk the path of your soul’s mission in a way that is of service to our beloved Mother Earth/Pachamama and all sentient beings.

Learn universal healing tools (shared with permission) from the indigenous tribes of the Andes, North America and Tibet along with your own ancestral healing traditions and the land where you live. Learn contemporary energy healing tools for supporting your immune system, grounding and protection, relieving pain, and developing a personal spiritual practice that honors your own personal path and beliefs. Connect with the healing power of your personal team of Spirit guides including Guardian angels, Power Animals, Ancestors, and Nature Spirits to enhance your health, work, relationships and living your soul’s purpose.

Deana Paqua, MA, LMT of Embody the Sacred, is a teacher, student and practitioner of Cross-Cultural Energy Medicine, Contemporary and Core Shamanism, and Holistic Health education in practice for 22 years. She is also an Adjunct Professor in the Holistic Health division of the Health Promotion Department at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, CT. And is also a Licensed Massage Therapist, Usui and Karuna® Reiki Master Teacher, Integrative Energy Therapy® Master Instructor, Flower Essence and Plant Spirit Energy Medicine Practitioner, and Ordained Minister. She found her personal path of healing through recovery from cancer, a severe anxiety disorder and a near-fatal car accident in 1997, which was her “crash course” in self-healing. Now, she gratefully lives her soul’s mission as the humble teacher of great heroes in the hills of Northwestern CT with her partner Keith, her 88-year old Mother, and their two rescue dogs, Lexi and Charley.

Visit embodythesacred.net for more information.

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