Kerri Richardson

“And the sign said ‘Long-haired freaky people need not apply’…”

– Five Man Electrical Band

My friend’s son, Mike*, is wrapping up his sophomore year in high school. He gets good grades, takes college classes in the summer, and is an overall sweet kid. Excited to be getting his license soon, he recently applied for a job at a local grocery store so he could afford the expenses that come with driving. Pretty responsible, I’d say, in this era of entitlement.

While speaking with the manager, Mike was told that he couldn’t work there unless he cut his hair; all males who work there are required to keep their hair above shoulder-length. Mike’s hair is long — about to his mid-back. But it is combed, clean, and well-kept.

I can appreciate the manager’s position — not wanting long hair around groceries. And Mike is more than willing to put it up, tuck it under a hat, or any other accommodation he needs to make — except cut it. But, those aren’t options for him. It’s cut it, or no job.

Mike made an interesting point – there are plenty of young women working at the store with long hair. They are simply required to wear it up. So, why is it any different for him? He says it seems a bit sexist.

It’s a thought to ponder. Why is it OK for the girls to have long hair but not the boys? Yes, it would be naive to think people no longer judge a book by its cover, but I know for me, as long as the person working at my grocery store is clean, helpful and friendly, I couldn’t care less about how they choose to wear their hair. I can also respect that some people may feel differently.

It’s a shame that this store is losing out on a potentially stellar employee over what, I think, is an outdated policy. What do you think? How important is the length of employee’s hair, or their overall appearance, to you and your shopping experience?

*not his real name

Image by somegeekintn

For my birthday this year, I decided to schedule a past-life regression session with a highly recommended practitioner on Cape Cod, Nancy Canning. A gift certificate I received had been sitting in my filer for a couple years, and now felt like the perfect time to dust it off and cash it in. Although I’ve done several group regressions with Dr. Brian Weiss, it’s with excitement and a bit of trepidation that I schedule the appointment.

I arrive at Nancy’s home and she begins to explain what I can expect. “Being under hypnosis is simply a very deep, relaxed state; somewhat like a trance, but the kind of trance we all enter into every day,” she says.

Ever drive home and not really remember the car ride? Trance.

Daydream out the window and have to snap yourself back to present? Trance.

Can’t get your child to respond when he’s watching TV? Trance.

When she describes it this way, I’m really looking forward to it. I love the relaxation of a staring fit.

“Most people have the same initial reactions after a session,” she says. “They don’t feel like they were really ‘under,’ and it seems like they were just making stuff up.” She goes on to explain that when you’re in a relaxed trance state, it’s nearly impossible to concoct your answers as you don’t have access to your imagination. She encourages me to just say the first thing that pops into my head after she asks a question — whether the answer be from a flash of an image, a word that comes to mind, an inner knowing, etc.

She brings me into her office where the regression will happen, and I settle into a huge, comfortable recliner with a pillow and blanket.

“What if I fall asleep?”

“People rarely do,” she says, “because you are engaged in conversation with me.” Occasionally, she has had people drift off, and she simply wiggles their feet to wake them.

I’ve chosen to transcribe the session below, with some comments, as I think that would be more interesting than just my summary.

So, here we go. Let the relaxation trance begin!

Nancy: Are you inside or outside?
Kerri: Inside

Nancy: What’s the environment like? Surrounding?
Kerri: Stone. Tan, flat, stone walls. Not boulders. Smooth walls. Flash of an image that looks like a Buddha statue.

Nancy: How large is this room? What’s it like? What are the furnishings?
Kerri: It feels very big. Expansive.

Nancy: What’s the temperature in this large room?
Kerri: Feels comfortable. Cool, thanks to the stone.

Nancy: What are the furnishings like in this room?
Kerri: Ornate throne looking thing. Continuous light that pours in. The light comes in and goes, in and goes — In a gentle, pulsating, ring-like shape.

Nancy: Any people in this room or are you alone?
Kerri: Feels like I’m alone.

Nancy: Begin to notice your own self in this large room. Noticing your clothing. What are you wearing?
Kerri: A robe, but not like a bathrobe. More like a monk’s robe.

Nancy: Are you male or female?
Kerri: Female

Nancy: How old are you?
Kerri: 38

Nancy: What year is it?
Kerri: 1690

Nancy: What is your geographic location? Where do you live? Where are you?
Kerri: I don’t know. It feels east. Like India, Asia, Nepal

Nancy: What is your personality like? What interests you? Are you outgoing? Shy?
Kerri: I feel very strong. When I imagine myself as a woman, I wonder if I’m really a man. I feel strong, confident. I feel very self assured.

Nancy: What is your life like? What are you doing here in this room?
Kerri: I’m standing. Looking around. Feels empty.

Nancy: What is this room used for?
Kerri: Guidance.

Nancy: Do you have a job here?
Kerri: Feels like people come for guidance and I’m the one they come to.

Nancy: Move later on in this day. Move to that evening. The evening meal. Be there now. Notice what that’s like. What’s your surroundings? Who are you with?
Kerri: Long, heavy wooden table. Candles in middle – hurricane holders/lantern looking things. I feel like there are people there with me. They feel mostly adult.

Nancy: What’s the atmosphere? Is it quiet and respectful or are people talking/loud?
Kerri: Pretty quiet. Calm. Not in any way frenetic. But a little bit of a buzz. Definitely other people’s energies in the room.

Nancy: Who do you dine with?
Kerri: There’s a man there. Feels like a partner of sorts. A spouse.

Nancy: Let’s see how you got to where you are. Go back to your teenage years now, perhaps an important event, celebration, etc. How old are you?
Kerri: 12

Nancy: What’s happening?
Kerri: I’m dancing outside. Kids dancing around a May pole, including me. Having fun. Many kids dancing are younger than me, but some my age, too.

Nancy: What kind of a young girl are you?
Kerri: Very full of life. Happy. Glowing.

Nancy: What is your name?
Kerri: Sarah (Comment: I was not very happy that this was my name. I said it with such disdain! I felt the name was too soft and mushy for how strong and impactful I felt in this life. Sorry to all you Sarahs out there!)

Nancy: Tell me about your family?
Kerri: I feel like I have brothers. Two.

Nancy: What about your parents? What is your father like?
Kerri: He is adoring. It’s almost like he’s sitting back watching us all dance and just smiling.

Nancy: And what about your mother?
Kerri: She’s a little shut down; removed. A little envious of him paying so much attention to the kids.

Nancy: Do you get to spend a lot of time with your father?
Kerri: Yes

Nancy: Move now a little later in your teenage years when you begin to decide what your future holds. How old are you now?
Kerri: 17

Nancy: And what’s happening at 17?
Kerri: I’m very introspective.

Nancy: What are you planning on doing as you’re moving out into the world? What’s next for you?
Kerri: I feel like I want to help people find their way.

Nancy: Do you already do this kind of work?
Kerri: Feels like a natural tendency.

Nancy: How does this show up as a teenager?
Kerri: With my mom. I feel a strong desire to be emotionally supportive to her. And to my friends, too.

Nancy: In addition to helping people find their way, do you also want to get married? Is that expected? Are you already married?
Kerri: Not married. Doesn’t feel expected. But I would like to, I think. Yes.

Nancy: Move a little bit later to a pivotal time. Perhaps a few years later. Some significant time when your life begins to move along its course. How old are you there?
Kerri: 25

Nancy: What’s happening then?
Kerri: It feels like that’s when I went into that big room. Plain looking room. Rounded doorways, but not with any doors. My robe has a rope belt. It feels peaceful and sacred in here.

Nancy: Notice as you come here as this young woman, what do you begin doing? What are your tasks? What happens here?
Kerri: I feel like I’m just helping out here. Showing people where to go. Also doing some sweeping.

Nancy: Do you live in this place?
Kerri: No, I live at home, and come here.

Nancy: Notice how it feels as you’re here now working in this place, being a part of it.
Kerri: It feels surprisingly loving for such a physically empty place.

Nancy: Now move to the next significant event. What happens as you’re here for a while?
Kerri: It feels like it’s unexpected that I’m the one who begins to give guidance.

Nancy: How does this happen?
Kerri: As I’m showing people where to go and explaining what to expect, I start talking to them more and helping them out.

Nancy: Notice how that feels for you…
Kerri: It feels a little good but mostly strange. Like I fear getting into trouble for overstepping boundaries. Almost like I’m looking over my shoulder in case someone “catches” me talking like this, because this isn’t my job.

Nancy: So what happens?
Kerri: People start coming looking specifically for me. There’s some male figure who would be the one they would go to who has a sense of what’s going on, and he seems aggravated.

Nancy: How do you handle this situation in which this natural talent is coming out of you, but there’s not the structure there yet to support it?
Kerri: I tell people to still go talk to him after me.

Nancy: How does that work?
Kerri: It seems like most people are willing to go through the motions for me.

Nancy: Move to that time when something changes here at the sacred place?
Kerri: I step into his spot and he steps aside.

Nancy: How old are you now?
Kerri: Late 30s.

Nancy: Be there now, be in the presence of these people. Notice how you guide them, how does this happen through you?
Kerri: It feels intuitive. I get a sense before they speak of what they need. I see myself placing my hand on foreheads. People kneeling. Feels like our time ends together with a strong and loving hug.

Nancy: As you’re helping these people, here in your 30s, notice how your life feels at this point in time.
Kerri: It feels great.

Nancy: Are there any plans to have children or is that not something you want to do?
Kerri: Doesn’t feel like it’s in the plan. These are all my children.

Nancy: Move now to the next significant event, later in life. How old are you now?
Kerri: 45

Nancy: What’s happening now?
Kerri: I’m definitely not in that building anymore. I’m outside. No trees, barren, dry, dusty, tan. I feel lost — emotionally, spiritually. I’m just wandering.

Nancy: What has brought on this feeling of lost-ness?
Kerri: A lack of purpose.

Nancy: Look back. How did you end up no longer doing the guidance?
Kerri: Some authority figure overrode the person who put me in that seat of guide. It feels political, manipulative. It feels like I have been banished in a way.

Nancy: How do you handle this change of events?
Kerri: I isolate. I don’t feel or see people around me. Although I can picture the home and the table. But I’m walking alone. I just want to be alone.

Nancy: Move forward to the next significant event. What do you do with your life? How old are you now?
Kerri: 47

Nancy: What’s happening there?
Kerri: I feel like I’m married and I just kind of keep the house. It’s so boring. So, so boring.

Nancy: And no more giving guidance?
Kerri: No

Nancy: What do you want as you’re here in your late 40s? What’s your state of mind about how you go forward?
Kerri: I feel low, sad, insignificant. Life feels very mundane. I do feel like there are kids around me now, but even they are boring. (Comment: I keep stressing the word,  “boring“. LOL Like I could not believe how incredibly b-o-r-i-n-g these people are and life is).

Nancy: Are these your children?
Kerri: Yes

Nancy: Do you do any kind of guidance or counseling at all?
Kerri: No

Nancy: Move onto the next significant event. How old are you there?
Kerri: 55

Nancy: What’s happening here at 55?
Kerri: I’m in my house and it’s empty of people. They’ve all left. It’s just me now.

Nancy: What’s happening as you’re here alone?
Kerri: Nothing. Very sad.

Nancy: Do you have friends? Do you reach out to people at all? Do you isolate?
Kerri: Isolate.

Nancy: What’s happened to your husband?
Kerri: He left. It doesn’t feel like people want to be around me. I don’t want to be around me.

Nancy: Move later in your life and move to the morning of the last day of your life. How old are you?
Kerri: 57

Nancy: How’s your health?
Kerri: Physically, fine.

Nancy: Are you aware that the end is near?
Kerri: Yes

Nancy: How do you feel about that?
Kerri: Relieved

Nancy: Allow yourself to move through that final day of your life and really release the body and float out. Notice how that feels. How does it feel?
Kerri: So free!

Nancy: As you take a breath and feel that freedom, look back from this higher point of view knowing that you chose to come into that lifetime from a soul level to learn lessons to grow. What were the purpose and the lessons?
Kerri: To embrace my natural gifts and make no apologies.

Nancy: How did you do with that?
Kerri: Did pretty well. Not as well as it appears. Although I was there giving guidance and loved that, I didn’t feel like I should be doing that. It feels very non-traditional that it would be me doing that. Maybe because I’m female?

Also, to connect with people.

Nancy: How did you do with connecting with people?
Kerri: Not very good. I saw “connecting” as just giving to them and not really letting people connect with me.

Nancy: What other lessons and experiences did you want to learn and have?
Kerri: I’m not sure…

Nancy: Now, present time Kerri, go back to past life Sarah, and see why your subconscious chose that lifetime to go back to?
Kerri: It’s pretty similar, but I feel like I’m doing better this time around. I’m learning to allow connections to go both ways. Also, by no longer doing what I loved to do in that lifetime, I saw how empty it made me feel. It showed how important it is to me to work with people in this way.

Nancy: As you look at that lifetime, what happened when you isolated, when you were no longer able to do guidance in that sacred place. The isolating, the stopping, the kind of going down hill. How is that impacting you in current time?
Kerri: I understand more the trepidation around continuing to really step into my own. Being outwardly visible, doing the work I do. I find that fear comes up and I need to know it’s OK to go ahead and do it anyway. Feel the fear and do it anyway. I can’t get that  from someone who just tells me it is OK. I need to feel that it is.

Nancy: Look and see how you’ve done with learning to move past obstacles that got the better of you. How are you doing with that same theme of moving beyond.
Kerri: I’m definitely making progress, but sometimes it feels like trudging through mud.

Nancy: Look and see what else you wanted to learn in that lifetime. What was that losing what you loved all about? Losing it and not going back into it.
Kerri: It felt like that was my life force that was taken away. (Comment: At this point, I ask Nancy to pause as I feel very dizzy).

OK, it feels very clear to me that I chose to end my life — I hanged myself.

Nancy: From the soul level, look and see how you feel about that?
Kerri: It feels like a shame, but then it feels fitting that when my gifts were silenced, that’s how I would choose to do it. Silencing my voice permanently with a rope around my neck. (Comment: I realize the correlation between how I died and my discomfort in this lifetime with anything close to my neck – tight necklaces, turtlenecks, etc).

Nancy: Does that come into this lifetime — having your gifts be silenced?
Kerri: It had, but less so know. A continuous work in progress…

Nancy: OK, now imagine a big kettle or cauldron over fire. And into that, each of you — Kerri and Sarah — pull in all that you are ready to release from that lifetime. Everything you want to let go. And let it burn down. Until there’s only ashes remaining. Now with only ashes, you plant them as if they were seeds and something grows from that which was released. What grows?
Kerri: A beanstalk. (Comment: I giggle at this answer, until she asks me the next question).

Nancy: What does the beanstalk represent?
Kerri: Strength, confidence, pride, beauty, sense of self, a way to get to bigger and better things. A gateway of sorts.

Nancy: Now thank Sarah for a life well lived and for doing her very best. It enables you to be all that you are now. Finally, ask Sarah if she has anything that she learned that she wants you to remember…
Kerri: Keep hearing, “Stay the course”

Nancy: Thank her again and allow her to move to the past.

I notice the right side of my neck and my right shoulder are very sore. I take some deep breaths and release as best I can. The discomfort goes away pretty quickly.

–End regression–

My first reaction when the appointment ends is that it’s much more “normal” than I had anticipated. I’m completely aware and present in the room, and am able to remember just about everything I said. I guess I was expecting to be in a zombie-like state.

I did fall victim to her predicted reactions — I wondered if I was really under, and if I was just making stuff up. But then I remembered what she said about every day trances and trusting that what I said is the truth in my subconscious. The effects of a regression can often be felt relatively strongly for days or longer before becoming a part of who you are, so I’m encouraged to pay attention to any new sensations or perspectives. I commit to take it, let it settle, and see how it feels.

Because the drive to the appointment is just under two hours, I treat myself to a night at a nearby bed and breakfast so I can be comfy and cozy (or so I hoped) and not driving in a car. After some dinner, I go back to the inn, get ready for bed, and attempt to watch some TV. I say “attempt” because I feel –um — not present. I feel disconnected from the room. While my body is here, the rest of me isn’t. I try to pay attention to the show on TV, but fund it really difficult. I just want to be home.

After I manage to fall asleep around midnight, I’m in and out of sleep all night. I wake up around 7:15 AM and feel exhausted, but for some reason, won’t allow myself to go back to sleep. I lie quietly in bed, wondering what’s going on. Then it hits me — there’s an energy disconnect between me and this inn. I feel like a square peg in a round hole. The guest room doesn’t necessarily “feel” bad, it ‘s just a mismatch.

So what’s the significance of all this? Well, I’m already pretty sensitive to energy before the regression, and have been consciously developing my intuition, but it seems the session has opened the channels even more. The night of my appointment, they were open a little more than I’m comfortable with, which is why I wasn’t able to reel myself back in. I was just absorbing the energy of the room that was not a vibrational match.

Once I was out and about and on my way home, I can feel myself becoming more grounded, yet still with the channels open — but now at a more comfortable level. Since the regression, I find I feel more expansive; almost as if my eyes are bigger, my lungs are bigger, my shoulders are broader. It’s hard to describe really. I just feel more open.

And Nancy was right, the effects resonate more and more as time passes. Immediately after the session, and later that evening, I was a bit underwhelmed. Of course I was expecting an earth-shattering experience like Brian Weiss writes about in his books, but, now that more time has passed, I do feel the impact much more deeply and have the sense it’s going to be with me forever.

*Photo by Pdro (GF)

This past Easter, I met a miracle man.

After spending the beautiful day on the beach, we’re heading home to cook Easter dinner. As we travel down the tranquil, seaside road, we see an older gentleman crossing the street. As he reaches the other side, he stumbles on the curb and falls — into the road.

Fortunately, the woman driving the car in front of us is paying close attention and stops abruptly, just short of the man lying on the pavement. Without much thought, I jump out of the car and run to his side, along with the astute driver of the SUV ahead of us.

We each take an arm, get him to his feet, and walk him toward a bench so he can sit and settle his nerves. On our walk, I learn that Dave, an Air Force vet, was an expert skier in his day, spending lots of time while stationed in Europe hitting the slopes of the Alps and other epic mountains. He had a “bit of an accident” years ago that makes him a little wobbly on his feet. Later, I learn it was much more than a “bit of an accident.”

More embarrassed than hurt, we get him to the bench, and I decide to keep him company while a neighbor goes to his apartment to get his cane. As we chat, I learn more about his “little” accident.

Years after his service to our country, at the still young age of 32, Dave is skiing Killington in Vermont, using brand new equipment. Before he knows it, in a moment he doesn’t remember, he flies off the trail and hits a tree. A moment that would change his life forever.

In a coma, the doctors give him a very slim chance at survival, however, his mother’s faith doesn’t waiver. Seemingly inspired by her belief, the medical team makes her as comfortable as possible as she holds vigil.

More than three months later, Dave wakes to find a bolt through his temple, unable to speak or move his body, and missing a large portion of his scalp. The doctors are stunned to see him awake; his mother, not so much. She refuses to let them take him off life support. But, the prognosis isn’t good, the doctors tell her. They say he’ll never walk again and probably won’t ever speak. Apparently, they don’t know Dave very well.

Each and every day since he completed months and months of extensive and difficult physical therapy and rehabilitation years ago, Dave rides his stationery bike for 36 minutes, does 36 sit-ups and 36 push-ups. Next time I see him, I’ll have to ask him the significance of the number “36″. He also walks a full mile, round-trip, to the water’s edge and back home. This trek, that he’s been making for 27 years, is the one he’s walking the day I meet him. He decides, this day, that he’s going to give it a go without his cane. With his crystal blue eyes glistening in the sun, and his smile beaming, he chuckles, “Guess that wasn’t the best idea.”

As we sit on the bench chatting, a small crowd gathers to look at a seal that’s popped up in the water. Could this day get any better? Dave taps me on the arm with his camera that he’s pulled out of his shirt pocket. “I’m a bit shaken. Can you snap a picture for me?” I take his camera and climb up onto the wall and capture the scene for him. “I zoomed in as much as I could, Dave. But I make no guarantees that you’ll be able to see that the black speck in the water is a seal!” Dave just seems impressed that I know how to use his camera without explanation. “I can barely figure that thing out,” he says. Maybe next time I see him I can show him a couple simple tricks.

While it is a scary way for us to meet, I’m feeling incredibly fortunate for having been at the right place at the right time. Not only to help Dave to his feet, but also to meet this miracle man who had to learn to walk, talk, eat, read and write all over again. And while he admits to me, in a whisper, that there were times when he wanted to throw in the towel and end his struggle, his beaming and contagious smile comes back across his face as he says, “But I didn’t.” And Dave doesn’t blame his struggles on skiing. It’s a sport he still loves, as it was a huge part of his life. “And,” he, says, “it will be again.” And I don’t doubt him for a second.

Image by Neil Rickards

Curious to listen in on how a coach works? You’re in luck!

As a guest on two Hay House Radio programs, I talked about coaching and what it’s all about, and also coached callers live. If you’ve been curious to hear how a coach works with a client, here’s where you can get a taste. Enjoy!

I was invited to be a guest on Coach on Call, Cheryl Richardson’s weekly internet radio show with Hay House Radio. Cheryl and I talked with callers and helped them see things in a new way and work through some of their blocks. We had great fun together — a powerful experience helping people far and wide! I invite you to listen in by clicking the play button below.

I was also excited to join Psychic Medium John Holland on his radio show, Spirit Connections with Hay House Radio. Having never had a life coach on his program before, it was wonderful to share with his listeners the deep spiritual benefit of working with a coach. To listen, simply click the play button below.

To request a media interview or invite Kerri to be a guest on your show, please click here.

Photo by Tom Grinsted

Do you often find that no matter how hard you search to find it, time remains elusive? Feel like you don’t have the “oomph” you need? The culprit may be energy drains that are invisibly tugging at you each time you come across them or even think about them.

Imagine your day. You wake to the startling sound of a blasting alarm clock. You drag yourself out of bed and, like every other morning, trip over the stack of magazines on your bedroom floor. As you shuffle to the bathroom you grumble, “I’ve got to go through that pile.”

You enter the bathroom to splash much-needed water on your face, and are greeted by the drip, drip, drip, of the faucet. In the back of your mind you hear, “I’ve got to get that fixed.”

After you’re dressed and ready to go, you get into your car, pushing aside empty food containers and coffee cups to get to the seat. You start the engine, look at the dash, and notice – No gas!

Upon your arrival at work, the I-wake-up-talking co-worker greets you with any news of the day, including traffic and weather reports, even though your body language is clearly delivering the message that you’re not a morning person.

You get the picture. Can you pick out the energy drains listed in only the first hour of your day? Here’s a hint – they’re any part you read that made you feel aggravated.

The annoying sound of your alarm, the stack of magazines, the drip of the sink, the messy car, the empty fuel tank, and the chatty co-worker are playing a large part in what is depleting your energy day after day.

And it’s not only the annoyances present that are slowly sucking you of your life-force. It could also be what’s missing. Are you happy with the relationships in your life? Do you have a good, solid friend you can share time with and rely upon? Is your home environment just as you want it to be – filled with beauty, whatever that means to you?

To help you identify what energy drains are in your life, make a list of 10 things you are tolerating, such as the dripping sink or the messy car. Now make a second list of 10 things that need handling in your life, such as the dentist appointment you should make or the complaining friend you need to have a loving conversation with to get her to stop dumping on you.

Make a commitment to eliminate three things from your toleration list and two things from your need-to-be handled list every week. When the lists are done, make new ones. Before you know it, you’ll have more energy to spend time with those you love, to charge after those long held-off dreams and goals, and to take better care of yourself physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Now imagine your day. You wake up to your favorite music. You climb out of bed and start the day with a full, deep breath and a nice, big stretch. You could walk to the bathroom with your eyes closed because you know there’s nothing you’ll trip over. You step into your beautiful bathroom that’s decorated just the way you like, and everything is in perfect working condition. You climb into your clean, fueled-up car and off you go to work where you have made your needs gracefully clear.

Don’t you feel lighter just thinking about it?

Image by Caitlinator