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“To Serve with Love”
An Interview with Adjunct Faculty member Sonia Choquette, Ph.D.

by Mary Grace McCord

It wasn’t spring fever and it sure wasn’t the summertime blues that had 200 conference attendees dancing in the aisles recently in Phoenix. Several audience members say they reconnect at Sonia Choquette’s seminars year after year, adding that each event—though completely different—builds on an empowering, life-changing theme.

Inspired by Sonia’s teachings, one former executive shared his testimonial of leaving corporate America to learn how to paint with light, succeeding as a stained glass artist. Another attendee reported that Sonia’s teachings moved him to write his first lyrics, produce and perform his first song, in honor of “going with the flow” of intuition.

These were only two of the spontaneous announcements; another one of the students was an Elvis impersonator from Reno, with a glittery wardrobe and blue suede shoes.

Renowned author of eight books, 1998 metaphysics doctoral alumna Sonia Choquette has been known to move in some powerfully heady circles—with The Omega Institute, Conscious One, Hay House Publishing and Mishka Productions (not to mention AIHT!).

But Sonia’s most powerful friends are the ones who guide, guard and go with her daily, moment by moment. Some she says are angels; others she calls helpers. Sonia travels in the company of spirit guides, facilitators, masters, joy guides and even the occasional wannabe tag-along. This notion of having virtual busloads of friends in high places is far from elitist, she adds. It’s not even unusual.

“At birth all of us receive incredible gifts of protection, ease and higher wisdom. Sometimes help comes dramatically and without question, adroitly shifting the energies in a moment of danger averted. But more often, day in and day out, our spirit friends are helping us navigate the mysterious maze, the routine ‘rush hours’ of life. The more we allow, acknowledge and invite our spirit guides to help, the stronger their connection.”

At international conferences and seminars, Sonia brings a musical vibe to accompany her sixth-sensory teachings: a West Coast guitarist whose stage presence adds lyrical “layering” to the messages, and whose calming, healing and invigorating muse may sometimes include crystal singing bowls, chanting and drumming.

But don’t mistake fun for folly. There’s work at these workshops, but it’s not the kind of work that anybody minds. It’s heart work that often releases tears of joy—and that, we know, can be a very good thing!

Vibrations caught up with Sonia Choquette at a recent Mishka workshop. After the conference Sonia and musical collaborator Mark Stanton Welch graciously shared their intuitive insights and a song or two.

Vibrations: Years ago, a phone interview helped open so many students’ eyes to the amazing power and the accessibility of sixth-sensory intuition. Later that year, you joined our adjunct faculty. What has been your own experience with distance learning?

	All Shook Up? Commenting on the day-to-day, easy ways that each of us can receive Divine guidance, Sonia Choquette likes to tell audiences, "You don't have to watch and wait for Elvis to appear." According to guitar accompanyist Mark Stanton Welch, working with Sonia brings frequent manifestations of humor, grace and, this time, even The King!

Choquette: For one thing, that it can change lives. Growing up I watched my mother’s artistic talent develop and blossom right before my eyes—thanks to a correspondence program!

She was very intent on learning how to paint, and you may recall from our first interview that from her I developed my own psychic abilities as a young girl. My mother learned the patience and self-discipline to practice, practice, practice on her own, without the energetic distractions of a formal classroom.

Her intuition led her first to distance learning and then her intuition led her to pray for Spirit guidance when her creativity felt “stuck.” In Divine response, a Renaissance painter actually showed up in her dreams, which helped her address a specific challenge with technique. This same painting would soon win its first national contest.

Vibrations: Now that’s a best-of-both-worlds affirmation! You also said your mom designs some of your swirly “active-wear” skirts, suitable for dancing. Her name is Sonia, as is your older daughter—who is a third-generation psychic. How do family members deal with Sonia, Sonia, which Sonia?

Choquette: (Laughs) We’re all psychic, so we just know…! But let’s add that my other daughter, Sabrina, is equally intuitive.

Vibrations: So your husband just doesn’t even have a chance, right?

Choquette: Oh, I wouldn’t say that—but he might. In his work and in his temperament, Patrick is a linear thinker, very five-sensory. His left-brain logic brings balance to all of our right-brain intuition. His energy is grounding and ours is more ethereal. In workplaces and communities, we all learn to appreciate and value each other’s mindsets; to exchange yin and yang approaches every day.

Patrick is also a gourmet chef whose creativity feeds our heart and soul, not just the tummy, with his loving intention to nurture the family and bring us together. When we choose what and how to do things based on an intention to serve, with love, intuition will come in as its own reward.

Vibrations: Intuition has been called mastering the moment. Let’s discuss what, exactly, Your Heart’s Desire workshops are all about.

Choquette: Mark and I want people to see that being fearful is a prison of one’s own making, and of one’s own choosing. When you learn to instinctively always trust your vibes, then negative thoughts about the economy, the environment, jealousies and insecurities lose their power to make us unhappy.

Listen to your intuition and trust your gut. Affirm with gratitude that you are wiser today than you were yesterday, because every time we flex the muscles of intuition we get clearer and gain wisdom about what we want.

Within the law of attraction, we don’t even have to worry about how to get what we want. We faithfully surrender the “how to” and this means we are free to be whatever we want to be. We attract into our lives the thoughts we entrust with our energies.

The message is to meditate about what exactly it is that we want. Give energy to it by journaling, talking about it, praying for it and reaching for it every day. The clearer we are about what we want, the more quickly, easily and eagerly the Universe can respond.

Vibrations: Your collaboration in teaching about intuition with songs, humor and dance movement really brings it all to life, and so memorably. Even the way you met, as Mark tells it, sounds like a most auspicious moment.

Welch: Wait! This is my favorite story! About 10 years ago Sonia and I were on the same program at a Unity conference in Sedona. Right as we were introduced and shook hands, it started raining—but just on us, not all around us. Can you imagine? In Native American folklore, sudden raindrops symbolize the surprising gifts of the Universe.

Choquette: I tell people we’re like The Blues Brothers (movie). “We’re on a mission from God!”

Mark’s family lives in Santa Cruz and mine is in Chicago, so there’s not a lot of rehearsing. I think and I hope that audiences can sense that there’s no rigid format when we’re teaching. Our intention is to connect with the energies you bring, and then invite Spirit to lead.

Our inside joke is, “So what are we gonna do, this time?”

“God knows.”

For more information: www.soniachoquette.com

In their next Mishka seminars, Sonia and Mark join the semi-annual “Celebrate Your Life” conferences: in Scottsdale Nov. 10-12, 2006 and in Chicago June 22-24, 2007. Visit www.mishkaproductions.com for the full schedules.