A Flow-Filled Day of Beauty, Courage & Connection

Chris Altieri, my The Rose Path Co-Facilitator

💫 Flow, Cameras, and Healing Behind the Lens

I absolutely loved what happened Saturday. 🌸

On a soul level, I adore being spontaneous ~ showing up with my whole heart to create new spaces, ideas, and experiences.

Lacey and I were confabulating schedules, trying to carve out a full Saturday for something special here at The Hive. It felt both thrilling and challenging to gather so many beautiful hearts at once.

But when the Flow is at hand, it simply is ~ the Flow. ✨

With the exception of two folks, my day was completely filled with hair, makeup, and photos ~ a joyful, laughter-filled, soul-stirring day.

📷 Healing in Front of the Camera

For most of my life, being photographed made me deeply uncomfortable.

Not because I thought I wasn’t unattractive ~ but because I didn’t feel comfortable being seen.

I loved capturing landscapes and taking photos of my children, yet I was rarely in those images myself.

It wasn’t until my daughter entered the Caron Foundation at 15 ~ where family photos were used as a healing bridge, part of her therapy ~ that I realized:

I was missing from the story.

That moment cracked something open in me. 💔

As I sat surrounded by boxes of old photos, I saw years of memories without my own face ~ and tears just came.

I began to understand the importance of my presence in those captured moments.

So I made a promise to myself: to be seen, to be present, no matter how uncomfortable it felt. Thus, shadow work descended upon me organically. And, self-awareness began to have its way with me.

When I started my first business as a massage therapist, I hired a photographer. I felt nauseous with nerves ~ but I did it anyway.

Because it wasn’t about me anymore. It was about ”service.”

About showing up for those who needed to see me ~ heart first. 💖

🌹 Now, Behind the Lens

Today, when I take photos of the beautiful souls who work or study at The Hive, my purpose is clear:

to help them transcend fear, self-doubt, and the old stories that say they are not enough.

It’s not about makeup or clothes or perfect hair.

It’s about the inner light revealing itself ~ the sacred flame of healing that burns from the inside out.

I hold space for that.

I love people up from behind the camera.

I see their brilliance ~ their service, their lineage, their heart.

And in those moments, something greater comes through… beauty that is truth made visible. 🌞

💇‍♀️ The Goddess with the Brush

And of course, none of this magic could happen without the extraordinary Lacey Deremer ~ stylist, visionary, and owner of Mirror & Mane in Harrisburg.

There’s something Egyptian and goddess-like about her energy.

Tall, radiant, and fierce in the most compassionate way, Lacey has done deep inner work herself.

She’s a Shamanic Reiki Level 1 graduate and an artist of transformation ~ beautifying from the inside out.

Together we laughed, philosophized, and nourished ourselves with guacamole, salsa, and Neato Burrito bowls ~ because beauty also needs sustenance! 🌮💚

The day ended in a love fest of connection ~ hearts open, conversations flowing, new friendships blooming.

🌊 Rituals of Radiance

📸 There I stood, in photographer mode, witnessing the alchemy unfurling before my very eyes — and my heart. The Flow in action. As I took the photos, I shared them instantly with each person. They could feel the beauty oozing from their being — the outer glow meeting the inner radiance. They marveled at their own reflection, at Lacey’s artistry, and at the way love beautifies everything it touches.

It was humbling. It was heart-opening.

It was a truly cherishable moment with each one of them at a time.

(Yes, I made up the word cherishable 😜)

After the magic of those indoor head-shots, the day naturally flowed into its next expression. We gathered our laughter, our new confidence, and our open hearts ~ and drove to the mighty Susquehanna River for the second part of our session.

There, atop an ancient boulder, the women and men connected with nature ~ feeling the water’s power to wash away the old and call in the new. The light shimmered on the current, the breeze carried whispers of renewal, and I could feel transcendence in motion ~ beauty meeting bravery, earth meeting spirit.

A day where healing, creativity, and connection merged into one sacred flow.

And truly, that’s what The Hive is all about.

💛 A place where we remember that every moment ~ even a photo shoot ~ can become a living ceremony of transformation.