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by Mary Grace McCord Most of us are familiar with the quiet inner voice, informing and periodically reminding us that life’s joys deepen when we decide to serve others. A life of joyful service became Salle Merrill’s dream, while earning her undergraduate degree in social sciences in the early ’80s. Within the next decade, invigorated by certain seasons of life while wishing to shield herself and others from the agitation of life’s accompanying cold nights and rough edges, Salle’s ponderings led her to realize that calm tranquility was right at her fingertips. Realigning her energies as a massage therapist, she joined and then led a women’s wisdom prayer circle. Seeing people’s tension melt, right before her eyes, it was easy to envision that a higher-energy aura of inner peace could send peace-waves into external situations—flowing into how we interact with strangers as well as friends; how we move, intentionally, toward a universal wave of loving service. Inspired to the teachings of Unity by her mother’s growing consciousness “and a loving spiritual nudge,” Salle soon met a psychotherapist who was taming the final editing of a metaphysical epic novel, The Celestine Prophecy. It’s no coincidence that this is when her awakening heart met its match.
Jim Redfield was a man on a mission, Salle recalls. Soon she was, too, as their whirlwind courtship evolved into happily-ever-after. Their creative collaboration birthed the self-publication and high-energy promotion of the book’s early editions. The newlyweds’ idea of honeymooning was to visit hundreds of book stores, “covering our home state, then each surrounding state, back and forth, radiating outward, ultimately from Atlantic to Pacific, and internationally. Within a year we filled orders for more than 100,000 books…and wore out a Honda Accord.” Still smitten after more than a dozen years of Celestine globe-trotting, over the years the Redfields have been honored with humanitarian awards and have published 14 book titles and guided meditation CDs—plus a growing number of international translations—through Time-Warner Books and its media spin-off division. They transformed The Celestine Prophecy novel into a full-length movie that premiered in 2006. It is now available on DVD. Having lived on both coasts and amid the high energies of Sedona, AZ, the Redfields’ far-flung adventures always lead them home—to a family ranch or a beachside villa, a fluffy white pup and a long-haired cat. Twin canvas director’s chairs remind Salle and James that every day can be a metaphysical adventure. In recent years Salle Merrill Redfield has learned and embraced yet another way to be of service. She is a certified life coach who empowers clients whose lives are in transition, often due to grief and loss. Amid preparations to teach this spring and summer across the U.S., alongside the Redfields’ twice-weekly teleconferencing of a Global Prayer Project, Vibrations was delighted to catch up with Salle as she feng-shuied her renovated coaching office. Here, the clear open spaces of mid-century modern styling and the simplicity of white bead board have transformed a country cabin that’s nestled just outside Birmingham, AL. Vibrations: How did you decide to focus your coaching efforts on people experiencing grief and loss? SMR: We know that life is always changing—families will feel lost after a divorce and even when the split is inevitable, people feel stuck. There’s parental guilt and fear, often financial difficulties, and kids who sense these threats may act out. All my life I’ve been deeply touched by women who were “going it alone.” I see (this) in the people who work most closely with us. Even when you somehow manage to “get all your plates spinning,” the constant multi-tasking can leave adults without a moment’s pause to re-create. That’s when mind-body imbalance can upset all that we work so hard to create. I should add that this isn’t just a woman’s issue by any means, even though mothers are the more typical single-parent.
Vibrations: And often the nurturing force, at home and in the community. I imagine a lot of your coaching is by phone… SMR: Yes, and so I depend on what people tell me about their environment and their situation. I may ask people to honor their home life by making sure their surroundings serve them—and also that they serve their surroundings. It can feel so freeing, when we remove old objects that carry sad or disappointing memories. It doesn’t cost money to do a self-inventory. We can deep-clean our thoughts by removing whatever’s there that doesn’t help or serve us. Vibrations: Giving things away can be elevated to ritual, and it may deeply serve somebody else. I remember reading about rituals with your various film production offices, that you feng-shuied several spaces during different phases of the production. SMR: You know, there were workers sometimes who at first found our rituals odd…but I think, eventually, maybe they noticed that things flowed more smoothly when we stated intentions that honor the energies of objects as well as people. Vibrations: Alongside the clearing rituals, how did you energetically bless each new beginning? SMR: On the first day of filming, we invited spiritual leaders of various faiths and stated our intention to invite the highest energies to honor all spiritual paths. For Jim and me, our touchstone was Unity minister Jerry Bartholow… Vibrations: Yes! Rev. Bartholow serves as an AIHT adjunct faculty member. We’re going to interview “Chef Jerry” about his metaphorical recipes in Peace Soup. SMR: Jerry “flavored” the ceremony with a centering meditation and guided visualization that invited each participant to interactively assess how they, as divine creations, could authentically and effectively bring a life-changing parable to life.
Vibrations: One key to any form of meditation is simply the discipline of practice—while waiting for a traffic light, while putting the baby’s shoe back on for the third time, ideally while taking a few deep breaths as well. SMR: Deep-breathing is a simple secret with awesomely powerful benefits. It slows us down and brings us back to the current moment. On the movie sets, amid the cinematic retelling of a sometimes dangerous treasure hunt, groups of us meditated daily, “holding the center of all good intentions” to help cast members co-create their own conscious reflections. Vibrations: Over the years I have found a lot of help and wisdom in your books, The Joy of Meditating and Creating a Life of Joy. Your meditations and guided imagery CDs resonate with me because, for one thing, each session reminds us that 10 minutes of just quieting the mind is the great beginning of an effective meditation practice. SMR: In the sacred appointment that we make with meditative silence, we perceive the light of Divine energy. Emanating from Source energy it enfolds us from within, and then outwardly protects us. From this consciousness we magnify the flow by sending it to others. From the strength of two, it grows again and again.
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