Q&A
with Dina Biscotti Barnes
{by Chelsea Morning}:
Dina talks second
book, her latest event and what she would change her name to…
When I think of
Dina, I see a bohemian sun spirit, a barefoot mystic, a laughing,
dancing, Kwan Yin, listening to the sacred sounds of the earth,
interpreting the oldest layers of soul drenched creation. Carrying
with her the love-worn books of spiritual writings and speaking the
language of Om, she is simultaneously the free-spirited child running
with curiosity, the loyal, focused student, and the ancient one,
sitting still in peace with the moment. The author of the book, When
My Mind Met My Soul, sat down to answer a few of my questions and her
answers are brimming, like a hot cup of cosmic tea, with her light,
love, and healing.
I’m
excited to talk with you about your many practices; you’re a
certified holistic health teacher, an author, speaker, an intuitive,
ULC minister and a spiritual counselor. Which one came first?
Was it a natural progression into the other practices?
Everything is
intertwined in such beautiful ways. I would say being a hippy free
spirit and living in Northern California was what came first in my
awakening to Spirit. The books Teach Only Love by Jerald Jamplowsky
and Be Here Now by Ram Dass blew my mind. Then, what naturally
blossomed was a life of healing, well-being and spiritual seeking.
My own Spirit continues to expand in its desire to guide others to
their own spirit. All healing is a return to wholeness. I began to
realize or remember that the mind, body and spirit are divinely
connected. In my seeking, I have read stacks of sacred texts
revealing ancient wisdom teachings. With that, I began to hear
clearly my own soul’s voice. These truths that breached the
surface were so life changing for me that I began to write them down.
These soul truths turned into the book that came through me called,
When My Mind Met My Soul. This formed the platform to reach out to
others as a speaker and teacher and guide all with the desire to
heal.
What do
you offer as a spiritual counselor?
I’ve
recently gone through what was a major expansion in how I have been
guided to serve and offer spiritual counsel. For a few years at
different events and gatherings, I was offering holistic health and
wellness counseling with assessments. What I found was that people
tend to not be too excited to delve into the various area of their
own well-being for a variety of different reasons. In my own
spiritual growth, I see clearly that it’s not about me just telling
people this is how you could live, eat, exercise, meditate and then
they do it and all is well. I realized that it all traces back to
our spirit and to our soul. I can, through my own contact and
experience of living in union with my soul, help point the way to
your soul. I offer spirit counsel in the form of spiritual tools
such as Soul Guidance Cards, Spirit Writing, Numerology and
meditation. I have found that these open the door to focusing on
what our soul is working on in the present moment. I simply center
myself in love and prayer. As I open myself as a love channel for
the divine to pour through, what we both always experience is the
love that we are.
I love
your book, When My Mind Met My Soul! I enjoyed how it was
designed in a way that it could be read straight through, or just
choose a chapter, to gain a teaching, a thinkable moment to reflect
on. In the book you expressed how, “there are spiritual
outlets to plug into that charge up our spirituality,” meditation
being one of those ways, but that’s also how I would describe
reading one of the chapters in your book; plugging in, getting a
spiritual charge! Do you have any plans for writing another
book?
Thank
you! Meditation is the sacred way of reconnecting with your true
self. This is where the title came from. After a meditation, I was
guided to write about the experience. I realized that when my mind
met my soul, I knew all there was to know. We get so stuck in our
thinking mind and that can be so very toxic. We forget who we really
are. This is what awakening is all about. We awaken from our sleep
and remember that we are Spirit. Then our life takes on a whole new
feeling, knowing and experience. When we quiet the mind, we
experience what we call our soul, the Universe, God, presence, or
consciousness. We can plug into Source energy in meditation, nature,
art, dance or through reading passages from books that our soul
recognizes as truth. There are many spiritual charging stations. My
second book is nearly complete! What a love gift both books are.
The first is a book of spiritual awakening and this second one feels
like a guide to living in soul union.
You’ve
done Spirit Writing events at Chicory Hill Herbs, would you give a
description of what that is?
Just
as a chapter flows out of me and through me, so do what I call Spirit
Writings. As anyone who is an artist or a musician or creator of any
form creates, we know what it feels like when the creation creates
itself through us. I have come to know that when I move myself out
of the way, I become a divine channel. I hear and see and know from
my soul perspective. This is how the writing flows through me.
After I write a chapter or a Spirit Writing, I read it and it’s as
if I don’t even know where that came from. Yet, I do know. It’s
the essence of who I am. As we each connect with this powerful,
limitless essence that we all are, we find the true freedom of
existing as a soul. The writings contain a beautiful love mixture of
ancient wisdom, nature, animal spirits, present moment guidance and
so much more. What appears on the paper can be healing guidance,
spirits that have passed from this realm but are always eternal, or
simple images, feelings, and messages that bring just what is meant
to be heard. I always start in prayer, offer this love gift from my
heart to yours and just listen and allow the love to pour through.
Please reach out to me for a Spirit Writing at any time. I send them
to your email. I have Square or Paypal. I’ve been guided to
charge $5/writing. It’s a beautiful way to hear Spirit and I am
thankful.
You are
presenting an event here in Erie, with Beth Ann Church, called
Graceful Soul Healing Cruise. It sounds amazing! Let our
readers know all the good info on that; the what, where, when, and
how!
How
beautifully the Graceful Soul Healing Cruise is coming together. The
event is Saturday, June 16th
from 11 am to 2 pm on the Victorian Princess in Erie! Joining this
Love Boat experience will be local healers, vendors, and readers.
This includes massage, reiki, psychics, mediums, astrologers, and
intuitives. As well, there will be Yoga and Singing bowls. Whole
Foods Coop will be vending a delicious, nutritious vegetarian lunch
for purchase. The Victorian Princess will be vending a healthy Juice
and Smoothy bar. Vendors will bring sacred gifts, crystals,
orgonite, jewelry, oils and more! Secure your space NOW. Purchase
your ticket now at victorianprincess.com for 15$. This includes a
Lake Erie Tour. ALL PURCHASES AND HEALING SERVICES ON BOARD ARE CASH
ONLY. Tickets are going fast. Join us for a healing experience with
beautiful souls on beautiful Lake Erie!
10
“little” questions (because it’s the little things that mean so
much):
What
noise do you love?
Water
washing into the shore. Water is so healing for me.
What’s
your favorite smell?
Garlic.
It reminds me of home. Healing Garlic!
If
you were ever to change your name, what would you change it to?
What
an exciting question! Wild Child
As
a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I
used to say a Vet to help heal animals.
Do
you have a spirit animal?
All
spirit animals are my teachers. I’d say the Sacred Crow watches
over me. Most recently, A Siberian Husky came with a message of
following my own powerful instincts to guide me.
Do
insects have souls?
Absolutely.
Everything is alive in spirit. Insects are powerful guides. I
honor them.
7. What’s
your favorite herb?
Love mint…peppermint, pineapple mint, chocolate mint!
8. What’s
your favorite gemstone?
Recently beautiful, sparkly, lilac lepidolite!
9. What’s
your favorite essential oil?
sandalwood
10. What
is the universe trying to tell us?
To remember who we are and all is well.
