Bonnie Blanchette is a volunteer chaplain assistant and a woman of deep faith who experiences the presence of God in all she meets. She has been working with cancer patients for over ten years and leading a cancer support group at Woodwind’s Health Campus for almost three years. She studied and worked with Qigong Master Chunyi Lin at the Spring Forest Qigong healing center as a Master Healer.
Bonnie created the Nourishing Heart and Soul support group to assist people living with cancer and their family and friends. The focus of her group is on staying balanced, finding peace and living as fully as possible. Nourishing Heart and Soul offers prayer and affirmations, inspirational messages and stories, guided imagery and other meditation techniques, gentle qigong movements, and self-help tips. For example, use post it notes with affirmations around your home. She demonstrates a brief breathing meditation and discusses the importance of setting intentions.
Bonnie stresses the need for incorporating spirituality into her daily life. Although she wasn’t particularly religious in her younger years, she shares a profound spiritual experience when she heard a voice say “You have a lot of love to give. ” This resulted in her going more inward and coming into her own heart. She now believes spirituality is about opening our hearts, and connecting with ourselves, by being present to own needs and also the needs of others.
She discusses how Qi Gong is about balancing energy, through meditation and active exercises. Bonnie shares a simple exercise which can be done sitting or lying down, one that can be very healing for anyone. Healing begins the moment people relax, then they leave with more energy and feeling better. Bonnie recommends doing whatever brings a person the most peace rather than trying to please others. Those with a peaceful presence are people who follow their heart and have a strong relationship with God.
For more information about the Nourishing Heart and Soul support group, which takes place on Saturdays at 1pm at Woodwind Hospital in Woodbury, MN, please contact Bonnie at [email protected].
Note: Well Within also offers QiGong practice groups and Bonnie co-facilitates a free monthly Healing Circle for Body, Mind and Spirit on the first Thursday of the month, from 4-5pm at Well Within.