A series of classes and workshops led by Cheryl Downey will be held at Joyful Connections, in Spring Lake Park (near Blaine), during March and April. Downey, a shaman and grief-healing practitioner, is a retired hospice chaplain with a master’s degree in Divinity.

Downey has partnered with Amy Nesdahl, Reiki master and owner of Joyful Connections, to bring this series of classes and workshops to those who are ready to deepen their self-awareness and empower their lives.

An introduction to Shamanism class will be held from 7 to 9 p.m., March 16, wherein participants will become familiar with the powers of the four directions of the Sacred Wheel to discover their own energy patterns and reveal their essential nature. They will learn the importance of energy movement and balancing as well as sacred shamanic tools and their usefulness in shifting energy.

A Mother Energies class will be held from 7 to 9 p.m., on April 19, at which participants will learn the characteristics of each of the Mother Energies: Nurturing Mother, Rainbow Mother, Death Mother and Crazy Woman. They will identify their experiences of these energies in themselves and recognize the Mother Energy they are by nature. They will create their own Sacred Wheel to ground their understandings of the Mother relationships and learn the importance of allowing and honoring each of them.

A marHealing the Heart of Grief Workshop takes place 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., on April 30, wherein participants will move through shamanic teachings and guided visualizations in all directions around the Sacred Wheel to discover where they hold onto grief energies. They’ll capture their healing and insights in sacred art and close with gifts of Reiki as personal healing blessings.

“Grief energies want to shift and move in freedom so as to release what no longer serves us and deepen the space for power to live. However, we tend to want to control—even stop—that movement, for many reasons, both conscious and unconscious,” explains Downey.

Cost: Classes are $35 each and the Grief Healing workshop is $75 (bring sack lunch to this one). Location: 950 County Hwy. Rd. 10, Ste. 117, Spring Lake Park. For more information, visit Joyful-Connections.com or SacredWheelCenter.com.