“Blessings by Donna” is a culmination of some of my life experiences and life purpose. I have been working in the Alternative Healthcare Field for over 27 years. As a Community Social Entrepreneur, I seek different ways to make connections for positive change in communities.

As a young mother of four, and wanting to supplement family income and remain a stay-at-home mom, I bought a catering route and a few tried and tested recipes from my girlfriend for $500. The route needed some upgrading so I purchased a used bright yellow Volkswagen bus, and painted “Delicious Delights” in bright purple on each side panel. Once the FDA licensed and approved my idea, I installed a refrigeration unit in the bus to keep the goodies fresh, and served healthy, homemade lunches, drinks and desserts to workers in the Industrial Area in Santa Rosa, California. It was gratifying to feed those who worked hard to serve the public and my children loved gleaning an afternoon snack from the route in the afternoon after returning home from school. After a few years, I sold “Delicious Delights” and the
route to a local commercial deli to expand their business.

My entire life I have been health conscious and physically active. Still wanting to supplement family income and combine it with staying physically fit, I created “DanceAerobics,” an aerobics class with dance steps. I invited ten friends to come work out with me at our neighborhood ballet studio, equipped with a springboard dance floor and full-length mirrors. I choreographed a few dance routines to lively music and developed a following of over 400 men, women and children in my community. I specialized in assisting men and women who were 50 pounds or more overweight or had limited range of motion – teaching “modified” aerobic classes as well as high-impact classes. It was a real joy to witness their transformation as they discovered the benefits of regular exercise.

In my late 40’s I relocated from Sonoma County to Paradise, California and created an alternative therapies business. After studying and training for a few years, I became an Advanced Body Worker and Nutritionist. My clientele began with one loyal client, word-of-mouth referrals, and a $50 used massage table. As the clientele expanded I rented a chiropractic office close to my home and established “SPA Therapy Wellness Center,” specializing in treating stress and pain with massage, alternative therapies and modalities and recommended supplementary nutritional protocols. I enlisted 14 therapists and served over 1,000 clients for 16 years, also accepting referrals from the medical community.

I continued to learn and study different modalities to incorporate into my training, and began studying self-healing with a Master Healer. It was at this time I was offered an opportunity to travel as an assistant for Universal Soul Service to India. I accepted and travelled throughout the country offering
individualized consultations and self-healing techniques to the masses. This experience opened my heart wide to realize the unity and connectedness we have with all humanity. I cherish the rich and miraculous moments I experienced working with the holistic communities of this ancient country.

Returning to the USA a year later, and desiring a deeper connection in my own community, I created
“Women’s Empowerment Gathering,” in my living room with seven neighbors. The business model for this venture is to provide a confidential, safe space for women to speak honestly within a sacred space
of non-judgment and non-criticism. After a few years, this small group expanded to on-line gatherings.

The format is simple: A becoming present in the body and moment Mindfulness Mediation, followed by a round of check-in, followed by a round of uninterrupted listening and sharing. As this process happens, an invisible web of thematic connection is spun for authentic, meaningful awareness, transformation and healing. Out of this has sprung my core belief that as one woman expresses her truth and wisdom she empowers herself and all women.

The most obvious next step for me in my 70’s was to enroll in a two-year long Mindfulness Meditation Certification Training offered by Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield at Spirit Rock in Marin County, California. I am a recent graduate and currently offer Mindfulness Meditation sessions to the residents at Ivy Park Assisted Living in Santa Rosa California. I believe there is a great need and desire for mindfulness in this type of community. In my own community in Sebastopol, California I offer regular Mindfulness Meditation sessions as a community service for people who support each other by cultivating relationships that contribute to a vibrant, purposeful, loving community. I am available for guest
Mindfulness Meditation sessions by invitation in other communities.

My vision since creating “Women’s Empowerment Gathering” has been to broaden the format to include all genres of people. So my latest venture is a collaborative effort “Coming Home to Yourself,” an experiential opportunity to practice conscious community, our true nature, and share what we love, need and want more of in our lives. The same concept applies where a safe environment is created to explore the many facets of self with permission to be fully seen and heard. Becoming the best version of yourself is your natural inheritance. It is your true nature. Healing is simply releasing the limiting beliefs and fears that are holding you back from doing exactly that. On the other side of healing you
become more resilient, more self-sufficient, more empowered.