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THE INSTRUCTORS
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About Cynthia ClintonI am the owner and founder as well as the primary instructor for most of the workshops I offer on this site. My brother, James Crist, is is a guest instructor and is owner/founder of his own fitness center in the South Sound area of Washington state. My Spiritual CredentialsAre spiritual credentials even necessary in this day and age? I still think they are because most people are used to orthodox religion requiring many years of training at a seminary and a life of sacrifice and relative poverty. The world has not changed enough for most to recognize that life is both church and spiritual teacher. It has not changed enough for people to recognize that anyone can hear the call and the real ministers in life are the people who had the vision and heard the call and took action to share it with the world. Raised 100% religion-free as a child, I've studied the religious experience and the mysteries as well as most of the world's religions. I was allowed to study or look at any and all of the world's religions, including the darker sides such as Wicca, Santeria, Voodoo, and Satanism - so I did. My parents wisely knew that looking at or studying something like Satanism doesn't make you a Satanist any more than studying nuns makes you a nun. It's healthy to look at it all and make an objective decision for yourself, going by what speaks to you - what resonates with you as truth. Most often it isn't any one religion, philosophy, or doctrine that speaks to us. It's a culmination of different things coming together - a little of this and a little of that, which then mixes with our own unique perspective. How many people believe 100% in their own religion? Very few. Most disagree with some points, even if they don't say so. Almost all of us have some unique amalgamation of different philosophies that reasonably defines our beliefs. We can believe in our own amalgamation 100%, even though very often this part of our heart is kept secret. On August 2nd, 2004, I was ordained as the Reverend Cynthia Denise Clinton, by a non-denominational church in California. This ordination allows me to do the following:
In February 2005, I was granted, by the same California church, the title of Spiritual Healer in order to more accurately describe the focus of my practice. In July of 2007, I was searching for something that was a bit more in tune with my approach and beliefs - something that was more in line with what I've been studying most of my life - so I became ordained as a Spiritual Humanist and my title is Ordained Clergy Person, or O.C.P. Does this mean I'm resigning my other ordination? No. I don't think that's required nor desired. As an O.C.P. I am authorized to perform: Marriage, Baby Naming, Hand Fasting, Commitment, Affirmation of Love, Invocations, Renewal of Marriage, Funeral, and holiday ceremonies. However, I may also perform any rituals or services I see fit as long as they break no law and harm no one. I am prohibited from performing ceremonies that involve exorcism, circumcision and animal sacrifice (but I've never been into any of that anyway haha). Some Q and A...There's a lot of scuttlebutt out there about "humanists", but just like Christians, there are many different flavors. Some questions and answers that may help clear the air: Q. As a Spiritual Humanist, am I an atheist? Q. Do I believe in Heaven or Hell? Q. Do I believe in Satan or the devil? Q. Do I believe a person has to go to church every Sunday to be a good person? Q. Do I have a church where I give sermons? Q. Do I have all the answers? Q. Do I wear a cross? Q. Do I live my life as a priest and wear priest-y clothes or a nun's habit? Q. Did I take a vow of celibacy? Q. Do I consider myself a priest, minister, pastor, rabbi, etc.? I've heard it said with some derision that anyone can become an ordained minister these days, which is pretty true, but it's what you do with it that's important. It's what you put behind your ordination that matters. It's your intent that makes it an important piece of paper... or a piece of junk... or just a joke. As with any title one can assume, it's what you bring to the table that establishes the meaningfulness of your title. The Backbone of my PracticeAdditionally, I have devoted many hours of study to the magnetizing flow of energy and guiding our vibrational offerings also popularly known as The Law of Attraction. This study is the backbone of my practice and it is this that I endeavor to share with as many people as possible. I knew when I was in 8th grade that I'd grow up and be a Rosicrucian - and I did! It was there I first studied about the vibrational world we live in. It was the late author, Lynn Grabhorn, who excited me enough about sharing that I've been a woman obsessed ever since. Later, I looked at the works of Abraham/Hicks as well as What The Bleep Do We Know? and The Secret. I have also been greatly influenced by the Toltec teachings of Don Miguel Ruiz, author of The Four Agreements as well as Carlos Castaneda. I've studied the Sedona Method, Scientology, publicly accessible bits of Avatar, and I gobble up anything else I can find. Even if I were to disagree with 99% of another philosophy or practice, there is at least one thing of great value. My Physical Fitness CredentialsI was a bodybuilder for over 10 years and later went on to study martial arts on and off for a few years. Me and martial arts didn't get along in some key areas. I didn't like the system of having "rank" in martial arts and others who may one day be real life opponents (as in bad guys) being able to tell my rank at a glance just by looking at my uniform when watching me leave class, etc. But I found remarkable benefit in their pre-training workouts. They didn't use weights or equipment, just good ol' calisthenics. Those were some pretty grueling work outs! I left bodybuilding with big muscles, but after 3 months, in martial arts, my muscles never looked better. They were more defined and I had more useable strength than I had from lifting weights. This experience led me on a personal journey of study in the field of calisthenics, which included a subject known as "combat conditioning". Along the way, I've developed no-nonsense workout programs that get the job done - with or without weights. The most fun are the outdoor group programs. I'm a certified fitness professional in Boot Camp and Group Kickbox. I *can* teach those styles, but I combine that knowledge with my own personal experience and teach my own brand of fitness. Do I love exercise? Honestly? Probably not any more than anyone else does, but I love what exercise does for me and that's the motivating factor. Why Do I Do This?Because I'm on a mission. I had a dream as a little girl. I had it every day of my life until I was 30. In truth, I don't know whether I still have the dream or not, but I kind of think that it has passed. I think it passed because I got the message when I was evolved enough. Click here for the dream. The message was that I had been charged with the duty here on earth to wake as many people up as possible, to turn them on to their own glorious light. Why me? In my dream it seemed like I was the only one, but I know there are more like me. I know there more people charged with the task of waking people up. You can see them out there doing their works and spreading the message in their own ways and in their own words. We all have a unique spin we put on things. Some people will understand me better than they do another, while others may understand or relate to another better than me. The important thing is that we are out there, helping people realize their personal power and turning them on to what it means to be spiritual beings having a human experience. We are at a pivotal time in history. We are on the cusp of a massive global shift in consciousness. Can you feel it? Like it or not, we are all a part of it. Believers and non-believers alike will be carried along in this change. Very soon, we will realize our true power and potential in this universe. My job in this change is to wake people up and turn their lights on so that together we can change for the better, the face of the world as we know it. :::sings... "this little light of mine/I'm gonna let it shine..." ::: As for the physical fitness part, it's part and parcel of the system and well... I have to work out anyway. Helping you fine folks sure does keep me motivated to stay on top of my own fitness! The world won't trust a fat fitness trainer, right? I know I sure wouldn't.
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