Open residents wanted at healings

By: Carol Feineman, Colfax Record Editor

That's to share her longtime gift - her ability to serve as the conduit between a spirit guide and a person during psychic healings.

Two "brave souls" were at her first drop-in healing clinic last month at the Bridges To Healing office in the Colfax Central Building. Last Friday's clinic attracted seven individuals.

And at the next clinic set for Aug. 3, Edwards hopes "as many people open to a healing" attend.

It's not a subject the Colfax resident brings up, though, in everyday conversation.

"I'm kind of particular of who I talk to. You can get a feeling of who's open," Edwards explained. "People who come to Bridges to Healing and get massages and yoga are more open to healing. I wouldn't just walk down the street and say 'I do healings.' People would say, 'yeah, let's put her in the loony bin.'"

Edwards, 43, graduated from the Berkeley Psychic Institute's clairvoyant training program in 1996.

"Some people say, 'do you believe in spirits, do you believe in God, do you believe in the afterlife,'" Edwards said. "It's all the same thing, these references. Some churchgoing people might not be open to the word 'spirit' but a lot of them have said that, when someone passes away, that person came back to talk. It's just different verbiage."

Edwards, a full-time funeral pre-planner, offers the clinics in her spare time "for fun" and stresses she's not a healer.

"It's not me doing it. I'm only the in-between person. It's my spirit or healing guide I communicate with and they communicate with that person. I don't touch anyone," she said. "I give the people a hello from the spirit. So that spirit-to-spirit communication is open to healing the person. Healing can be whatever they wish for themselves."

Edwards said she has participated in hundreds of similar healings the last 11 years.

But the Colfax clinic is the first one she has led.

"I'm doing it now because our community is ready," Edwards said. "Lot of times, if you say something about it, people won't say anything. But then, they'll start asking questions. If they're just curious, I say, 'come in, you never know.'"

That was the case Friday for Michele Candler, a Colfax stay-at-home mom, who had never participated in any healing clinic.

But Candler's friend, Bridges To Healing owner Beth Madsen, encouraged her to stop by Friday.

"I was definitely skeptical," Candler said. "I was open to it but skeptical."

Candler's opinion changed five minutes into the session.

"I think it was interesting. I felt very itchy within the first 5 minutes. Then (Cindy) talked about certain auras I have and then I got relaxed," the first-timer said. "Everyone walked out with smiles. I had smiles; I'd definitely do it again."

And it was a simple 15-minute process for Candler.

"Cindy talks, walks around, pulls negative energy out. It reminds me of meditation," Candler explained.

The idea for a clinic evolved through recent discussions between Edwards and Madsen.

Madsen is donating her space for the monthly healing clinics to "help promote and support a professional healing environment for the community."

"My whole business is what technique and method of healing works for one person might not work for another person," Madsen said. "Massage might work for someone, Reiki might work for someone else, yoga or Pilates might work for others. This healing clinic might support any or all of the above or just be another bridge to healing."

Why else is the healing clinic a good idea to try?

"It's fun and something different and new. If that doesn't work, we always provide animal crackers and other fun yummy treats," Madsen added.