Emissaries of Divine Light, British Columbia: Hodiyin


			HODIYIN - Whitehorse, Yukon Territory
			HODIYIN P.O. Box 20444 Whitehorse, Yukon Territory Y1A 7A2 Tel.: (867) 668-3747 Email: evelarde@polarcom.com
			COMMUNITY
			Hodiyin - A Navajo word meaning "Sacred Place" - had its beginning 30 years ago in 1976 when Eleanor Velarde (shown at right) went to live and work on the Navajo reservation in Arizona, USA. During her 15 years in the communities of Rough Rock and Rock Point, she became a member of two Navajo families, from whom she learned much about Native ways. In 1982 Eleanor took a six month "time-out" from Navajoland and lived in a tipi in the Yukon Territory, during a challenging "50 below" winter. This could be called a Vision Quest: the necessary lessons were learned which paved the way for her to meet the Emissaries at Sunrise Ranch in 1985. After attending Spiritual Expression class at Green Pastures in 1986, Eleanor began operating an Emissary Centre from her Rock Point Navajo home, with attunements, Sunday morning gatherings, and weekend specialized services as the main focus. Many visitors were welcomed, and Hodiyin was unofficially born. Spiritual leadership class at Edenvale in 1987 and World Service Class at Sunrise Ranch in 1988 followed, and the connections between Navajoland and Sunrise Ranch and Educo expanded. In 1991, an opportunity presented itself for Eleanor to move to the Yukon, to initiate a spiritual community on the Crag Lake Farm of Dr. Don Branigan. On 160 acres bordering Crag Lake and framed by scenic mountains, the northern Hodiyin came into form, and existed happily for three years. A series of other picturesque rural Whitehorse-area locations have served as Hodiyin facilities, until November 2005, when Eleanor established the current Hodiyin in a peaceful country setting, convenient (15 minutes) to the healing waters of Takhini Hot Springs and an easy 30 minutes to Whitehorse. Currently, through November 2007, the older wood-sided house with pine interior is being transformed into a straw-bale co-housing project, which - together with another building on the property already renovated with straw-bale - will serve as home to seven members of the fledgling community on Ten Mile Road. When completed, the common house will have space sufficient for: group workshops, specialized one-to-one service, individual private retreat, lovely cooking and dining area, and the healing energy of a peaceful sanctuary. Additionally, visitors may enjoy contemplative walks through spruce forest on the property as well as along the 30-minute walk to the world-famous, scenic Yukon River.
			ATTUNEMENT
			"Since I moved to the Yukon Territory in 1991, attunement has continued to be central to my service. Continuously since 1992, I have offered a weekly healing circle in Whitehorse at which attunement plays an important role. For these same 14 years, I share attunements and offer spiritual counselling every week to inmates at the Whitehorse Correctional Centre. Attunement finds many friends among the First Nations groups I work with. Of course, I also share attunements regularly as part of my daily life and work." — Eleanor Velarde
			SPIRITUAL EDUCATION
			In 1990 a 5-day "Art of Living" course was offered with approximately 20 participants. In 1992, Dorothy Williams returned, along with Johnathan Beals, to facilitate another 5-day "Art of Living" course for 8 participants. Hodiyin interfaces with the communities-at-large through Eleanor's facilitation of themed workshops, specialized one-to-one services/retreats and healing circles ( for adults and children ), offering spiritual counselling, attunements and other body-mind-spirit techniques to the general public. Throughout her Yukon years, the themes of Eleanor's group workshops have emerged from her Emissary education, including Introduction to Attunement sessions. Her one-to-one services include chakra balancing, cellular memory clearing, breathwork, Reiki, whole health planning, heartspace mediation, healing circles and compassionate listening to name a few. Current workshops and many individual sessions focus on "Right Use of Power," expansion of work done with the Emissaries by Cedar Barstow. Eleanor was also responsible for the creation of Northern Light Touch, a well-received newsletter with Emissary themes, which had world-wide circulation during its three years of publication.
			WORSHIP
			Worship has taken various forms in Eleanor's Emissary offerings since 1986. Currently, her service area contains several thousand square miles, including all of the Yukon Territory and extending into eastern and southeastern Alaska, and western Northwest Territories. "I have felt a special sense of family with the Emissaries of Divine Light in British Columbia. The Whitehorse Emissary Centre is a branch of EDL B.C./Yukon and I have been happy to be the EDL representative in the far North for 15 years now." — Eleanor Velarde, on offering a northern perspective and a steady vibrational presence.
			Emissaries of Divine Light, B.C. P.O. Box 1120, Aldergrove B.C. Canada V4W 2V1 Tel. ( 604 ) 856-9401 or ( 604 ) 856-3388 Fax. ( 604 ) 856-3298 website: www.emissariesbc.com e-mail: office@edenvaleretreat.ca © Emissaries of Divine Light, British Columbia 2003 Web Design by Carrie Sundahl Return to Top of Page