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| June 25, 2006 |
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| July 2013 |
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| Opening the wedding ritual with smudging. My dear friend Thomas did the honors. He has known Bella even longer than I have. |
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| And calling forth the Four Directions. |
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| Acting silly with Tina in one of the circles for the Harmonic Convergence (August 1986) |
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| At the Woodstock House (August 1992) (woman on left with glasses is Christa Phillips; another teacher.) |
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| A visit to Woodstock after I moved to California a second time (May 2001). Ursula (R) has since dropped her body; Bob, that's my best friend; Bella, her smile always radiates joy, and Shubra, who used to live at the house. |
That first Saturday class became an every Saturday ritual. I would spend the entire day with Bella meditating and learning spiritual matters. Bella often had guest teachers and through her and her guests I learned many crucial things. Things that have stayed with me all these days. Things that have helped me live a healthier, more balanced and awakened life.
It wasn't just the classes I loved. I soaked in the sense of community that happened in that house. Bella would make a huge pot of soup for after class and we would all break bread and then sit around for hours sharing stories and telling jokes. For a young 17 year old who was so desperately seeking more out of life (more peace, more joy, more meaning), I found what I was seeking at Bella's. To have found that at such an early age was grace.
Even after I moved to Arizona for college and later to Heartwood Institute in California, I would stay connected. Every trip back to New York would find me at Bella's house. When I eventually moved to Jamaica for a year, I came back to the States once and made my way to Saturday's class.
Bella eventually moved upstate to Woodstock. Still, whenever I returned to live in New York, I would go up for weekend workshops or just to visit. And when I returned to New York I would find myself there many a weekend. What keep me going back? Bella is one of the most authentic teachers, without an ego, that I have ever met. She has healing abilities and knowledge that she brings to others in a pure, genuine, loving, mother energy. When you are with Bella, you know you are in the presence of a great master but by looking at her, by being around you, you see that she is still humble. I remember when Ammachi made her first visit to the USA. Bella hosted her in her house. She slept in Bella's bed. A spiritual teacher, with a small following letting another teacher with a following in her home like that is unheard of. Most teachers have egos that are big and proud and would not share their spotlight. Not Bella, she is humble and respects the presence of God in others. She respects that other's have gifts to share and is not afraid of that but rather welcomes any opportunity for Spirit to guide and teach her.
One of the things that has always struck about Bella is that she is honest about her own short comings as a human. I love how she can joke about her own humanness and then a minute later the intuition and wisdom of the Master she is shines on through , teaching her students the crucial lesson that we are both human and divine. And Bella has the patience of someone who has been meditating decades (which she has been doing). Bella can be so direct, so laser sharp in her ability to see the light and dark in others, that's it's almost eerie. It can only be attributed to the fact that she really does listen to the presence of God within. Yet that Bella can be so spot on and so honest but in a way that was kind and compassionate helped facilitate deep, primal healing within me. How I wished (and still wish), I could be like that.
While all of her students give her due respect for who she is, Bella is very relatable because she is human and accepts that. Bella is the mother of 4 children. Bella was married for years but when Spirit called she had to follow the path of teacher and healer, unmarried. That she can relate to the dynamics of family and relationships is welcoming and refreshing.
Back in the late 90's I started my own Transpersonal Counseling program in one of the NY prisons. It was a great group. I invited Bella to do a workshop at the end of the 12 week class. She came in with me for 3 days and worked with them the way only Bella could; The men soaked up her loving presence and knowledge. Deep transformation and healing occurred beyond the walls of that maximum secuirty prison. That Bella had graced them with her healing presence was a priceless gift. Their lives were changed forever, for the better as they were able to face their past and start to heal.
One of the things that Bella does the best in her work with her students is that she does not allow folks to spiritually bypass; Meditating and chanting and sweat lodges are all fine and good; but if there are emotional wounds left unresolved all the meditating and chanting in the world won't free you. Bella will lovingly yet firmly guide you back to your unresolved wounds and assist you in healing them. When she met another remarkable teacher, Christa Phillips, man, the two of them would do these workshops where the healing that occurred was so deep, so powerful. What would have taken years in therapy would be transformed in workshop. Partaking in those workshops and witnessing others was serious and scared.
Bella, who had her first spiritual calling in a Harlem bookstore has studied in India as well being guided by Meher Baba and other Masters. She has had Native American teachers and on her property there is a sweat lodge. Many teachers have only one way they will work. That can be limiting. Bella has always let Creator guide her and that has lead to learning many paths. As Satchidananda said, "The paths are many but the truth is one."
When Bella turned 60 she went to Machu Picchu. At 65 she walked the Camino Real. She always listens to Spirit for guidance and her wisdom and healing abilities have only deepened over the years.
When Don and I got were planning our wedding he long knew about Bella and the significant role she has had in my life. Bella is an ordained minister and so we asked her to marry us. In true Bella style, (always giving and gracious) she said yes and only asked for us to pay her airfare (her youngest daughter had moved to the Silicon Valley so she was excited about the chance to visit with her.) We had a most profound ceremony and ritual under her guidance. Bella gifted us with mandala beads after the ceremony which we keep in a special place in our home (but first, I wore them when we went to Africa).
The last time I saw Bella was more than six years ago. Don and I went to New York when Amara was just a peanut growing inside me. I have always wanted my girls to meet Bella, to be in her presence and to meet the person who forever changed my own life by giving me the loving, motherly presence and attention I needed and who provided a safe, healing space for me to face my own shadows and to be free. So it is with tremendous excitement that the girls and I are getting ready to go to New York and we will spend our last days with Bella at her Woodstock home. I am looking forward to answering all of Amara's questions about the many things she will see and experience there. Maybe we can even do a sweat?
I will end this with a link to Bella's website if you want to read more about her;
http://bellaspiritualteacher.net/
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| Don and I in the Congo, next to a Silverback, wearing the beads Bella gifted us. (July 2006) |
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| In Bella's house. Baba watching over. |
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| Peter, a new friend. |
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| Julia, an old friend, with Bella |
I slept the best I have in months at Bella's. The mountain air, trees, quiet and the energy of the house are all good rx. The girls also slept well and were content to explore outside where they found treasures and snails and saw chipmunks.
We got to visit with new and old friends while we were there. The few days we were there were perfect. And Bella, as usually was her same gracious, centered, truthful, loving, kind self. I am so lucky to know her.
