Given that Colombia has over 87 different tribes of Native Colombians - known as pueblos indígenas in Spanish - who have inhabited this land since well before the Europeans arrived in the early 16th century, I believe that it is important to understand and connect with the traditions, culture and spiritual beliefs that are still practiced today by the indigenous people who live in the Sierra Nevada in Santa Marta (the Heart of the World).

Like many indigenous people and shamanic healers, the traditional Kogi people in this area believe that each of us travels this life with spirit guides and spirit animals who support, help and protect us, our family, friends, ancestors as well as pachamama (Mother Earth) herself. As a medium, spiritual teacher and intuitive coach I have worked with my own spirit guides for many years and understand that animal guides in particular can often begin showing up in your everyday life to provide you with help, support, assistance, offer love, healing and wisdom that you need at that point in time.

For me one of the spirit animals who has shown up and I have been drawn to work with over many years - even before I moved from Australia to Colombia - is the magnificent and beautiful Hummingbird - colibrí in Spanish - a small bird often found in this area that is capable of the most amazing achievements despite its small size, is capable of hovering, travelling great distances, flying backwards and feeds off the nectar of the earth. If you happen to see this amazing bird you will know just how beautiful, colourful and iridescent their feathers are as well as how skilful they are at moving, changing direction quickly and smoothly so they appear to be simply gliding from one place to another.

From a spiritual perspective if you begin to notice the Hummingbird showing up in your everyday life whether in the world around you, pictures, images or in the media then it is coming to provide you with the help, support, assist, love, healing and wisdom that you need. This spirit guide when it visits may be inviting you to:

• Have the courage to become who you were meant to be

• Confidently use your skills and strengths

• See and connect with the sweetness in life

• Open your heart up to love

• Be light in your emotional body

• Observe the world around you

• Fertility and growth

• Take time to be more joyful and playful

• Express and show how you feel to loved ones or people who are close to you more fully

• Dream big and make them into a reality

• Stay in the present moment

• Appreciate and enjoy the small things in life

• Lift up above negativity

• Embrace independence

• Take an optimistic perspective

• Be swift with decisions and choices

• Respond quickly and gracefully to any moves, changes in direction or opportunities that come your way

• Develop flexibility, adaptability and resiliency

• Flow and glide through life

• Rest and take time to feed yourself with enough (physically, emotionally or spiritually) to keep going

I have been lucky enough to spot this beautiful and fascinating creature and spirit guide here in the mountains of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and to have it share with me it's strength, resiliency and to continually open my heart up to more love, joy and abundance in life while also appreciating and being grateful for the small things and sweetness of daily life. I feel so incredibly blessed that this spirit animal came to me so many years ago and inspired me to have the courage to make decisions and choices to follow my heart and passion, to become who I am meant to be by travelling the great distance from Brisbane (Australia) to Santa Marta (Colombia) where I am dreaming big and making them into a reality. On the days when I find speaking Spanish and understanding the locals or culture a challenge, I remind myself to invite Hummingbird into my world to remind me to rest, take time for me physically, emotionally and spiritually so that I have the energy to accomplish what may have seemed impossible in fun, playful and loving ways.

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