I engaged in a process to write my Islands of Healing story by following a writing guide which Michelle created.

Through this process, islands emerged as my personal metaphor for healing. Travel to different islands throughout my life were a catalyst to connecting to the healing properties of nature.

I focus my work on the essence of the Hawaiian islands, particularly the island of Kauai. “Kauai and the rest of the Hawaiian Islands are geologically, geographically, biologically and (spiritually) unique. The 132 islands, reefs and shoals that comprise the State of Hawaii extend for nearly 1600 miles from the “Big Island” of Hawaii on the southwest to Kure Atoll at the northwestern end of the archipelago. These dots of land are the Earth's most isolated islands, lying in the middle of the North Pacific Ocean some 2400 miles from both the nearest continental land mass, North America, and other islands of Polynesia in the South Pacific Ocean. The islands of Hawaii were one of the last places on Earth occupied by humans. Such was due to Hawaii's geographic location, itself a direct result of its geologic uniquenes” (Blay & Siemers, 2004).

Hawaii is a place where the main elements of the Earth's surface and subsurface interact in a dynamic, and often dramatic fashion.

The emergence of my Islands of Healing story cultivates a parallel process of human transformation where shifts in consciousness require an interaction of dynamic forces, similar to the forces of nature.
For example, I demonstrate a process of shifting the rocks in my own life through volcanic activity into flowing lava, which creates new life forms.