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is the author of the inspirational prose-poem and international best-selling books, The Invitation (now translated into over fifteen languages), The Dance and The Call: Discovering Why You Are Here . Her writing explores how to follow the thread of our deepest heart's longing into a life of meaning and purpose. Her latest book, What We Ache For: Creativity and the Unfolding of Your Soul, (Harper San Francisco, April 2005) offers reflections on and practical guidelines for finding and cultivating creative work that is not separated from your spirituality, your direct experience of that which is both what you are and larger than yourself, or your sexuality, the fire and sensuality of life lived in the physical world. Oriah has shared her insights and stories with audiences throughout the world at conferences and retreats and through radio and TV appearances (CBC, TVO, Oprah, NPR, PBS, Wisdom Network.) Blending ruthless honesty, humour, insight and compassion for our human struggle, Oriah seeks to inspire and challenge herself and others to live life fully. In addition to sharing stories of both her personal life and her years of training in an inter-tribal tradition of shamanic medicine, Oriah draws upon her years as a facilitator of spiritual retreats, as a social worker assisting women and families in crisis and as a student of philosophy in seeking to understand how we can be all that we truly are. While studying and participating in shamanic ceremonies, Oriah received the spiritual name "Mountain Dreamer" and was told that the name meant "one who likes to push the edge." Because she first shared the prose-poem "The Invitation" (in 1994) with those who had come to participate in ceremony with her, the poem and her subsequent books first appeared under the name Oriah Mountain Dreamer. This led to all kinds of interesting misunderstandings (Eg.- that she was an elderly or deceased Native American.) Interviewers often began conversations with,"Now that's not a real name, is it?" Oriah, while deeply honoring the spiritual tradition from which she had received her name, understood that in our modern culture such a name was bound to prompt reactions. She even admitted to sharing the prejudice of thinking that people using spiritual names like her own on a daily basis might be a little flaky! So she good naturedly explained when asked that Oriah Mountain Dreamer was a indeed a "real" name, although not her birth name. In the spring of 2006 Oriah and her publisher, Harper San Francisco, decided to release the paperback editions of the books The Invitation, The Dance and The Call simply under the name Oriah. In doing so, they hope that the books will be made available to a wider audience that will receive something of value from Oriah's insights, stories and meditations. Oriah is the mother of two grown sons. She lives with her husband Jeff in a home surrounded by forest stillness several hours north of Toronto. |