Dina Kunin on Transformation (Health, Connection, Kindness)
Dina Kunin is an empathic healer and dog-trainer based in Minneapolis, MN. She begins by sharing about the long-challenges of immigration and ends up elucidating some essentials of positive transformation -- for any person.
Achieving Transformation: Dina Kunin. “It shifted my perspective that my life did not have to stay that way.” Reiki healer, harmonious dog trainer (family & child education, animal behavior improvement & relationship building), empath, stenographer, and more, Dina Kunin came to the US as Ukrainian Jewish refugee in her teens. In this interview, Ms. Kunin shares some of her personal story on overcoming that transition, takes us through one of her personal healing miracles, and shares powerful wisdoms related to personal healing and social progress (see Quotes section, below). Coming from a childhood where her grandparents “knew every leaf, plant and berry in the forest,” Dina goes on to share personal food and folk medicine regimens, talk about her work as a healer and dog trainer (aka. dog whisperer/human trainer), and much more. In this expansive conversation Dina is interviewed by guest editor and friend, Rev. Louis Tillman, and AllCreation exc. editor, Chris Searles, as part of our Envisioning Transformation collection.
Learn More
- Dina’s Harmonious dog trainer website
- Rev. Louis Tillman
PROGRAM
0:00 Intro
1:30 Hello, what’s your story
2:30 On migrating to the USA from Russia
4:30 What is Reiki?
> Definitions
> 6:30 Her practitioner’s perspective
> 6:50 Her Reiki-healing miracle
11:00 On achieving personal-healing / transformation
13:15 To “envision transformation” one has to believe it’s possible; experiencing transformation helps…
> 14:30 Manifestation & visualization is such a beautiful thing; We are so powerful and we don’t even know it
> 15:45 Breath. Matters.
16:15 How has Heath & Wellness impacted you, what do you recommend?
> 17:00 Dina’s regimens
> 18:20 Fasting, Resting, Sleeping, Healing, Regenerating
> 19:40 On natural, folk & food medicines and healing
>20:30 Dina’s kitchen/health staples
21:00 Louis asks about honey, food, community gardens, and … Crickets???
> 24:30 What is keeping us from protecting our environment
> 29:00 Wild locusts & honey
> 30:15 Crickets for manifesting good
> 31:00 Crickets for food…
32:20 Ahem,,, :) What institutional changes do we need?
> 33:00 Dina’s mantra in life
> 33:30 Framing her opinions
> 35:00 How do we bridge divides
35:45 Positive change is intergenerational
37:00 Are our Comforts creating despair? How do we move into being a convoy of hope as a Faith community?
> 39:15 Connection, Community, & Community-knowledge
> 39:50 Valuing our Elders
> 41:45 Give positivity
42:55 Is “Kinship “ the right thing to go for?
45:30 Louis inspired & grateful,,,
> 46:30 Yes: the essentials… We all have the same needs. > 47:30 Reconnect to our breath, our similarities
> 49:45 Connected care feels better
> 51:50 Breath: How to breathe
> 53:00 Creating peaceful feelings
> calming the dog
> breathing from your belly
55:45 What is your message to the world?
> Choose: Connection. Choose: Positive Mindset. <
56:25 How can we help carry that out?
> Choose: Kindness. <
> 57:30 Choose to do something good.
> 48:15 One action does make a difference.
58:45 What keeps you going?
> 59:45 Re-connection; Coming back into focus
> 1:00:25 Vision: That We Realize Our Power as a Human Community.
Quotes
Being compassionate is the key to all of this.
I have not been sick in years.
We take breathing for granted and most of us don’t know how to breathe correctly...
We all just want to be happy, and we want to be secure, and we want to be free. We all have the same needs, every single person in the world.
For me to get to a peaceful state I picture myself sitting by the ocean, and listening to the water, and feeling the breeze and wind in my air, and smelling that salt air, and taking those deep breaths. . . I’m able to transition into that actual state. . . We are so powerful and we don’t even know it.
It is always a balance of Western & Eastern Medicines coming together, but if I’m able to heal myself using natural foods that are available to me, that will always be my first go-to.
I do feel the younger people will prevail, but we have to help them.
Sometimes it’s just so overwhelming you don’t even want to think about, you don’t to even be there, so that’s why a lot people just numb themselves to this, because they feel if they can’t affect change then they just need to focus on themselves.
I know it’s cliche but, (our) similarities are so simple. You know, just listening to someone without having the need to respond, and just hearing their story — because our reality is only based in our perception and our experience of how we envision the world.
Even though it may not be your experience, and even though you may never be able to relate to exactly what they are going through…the humanity in all of us and just being compassionate — that is the key to all of this. Gratitude is the key to happiness, you know, being just mindful and grateful for things elicits peace for me.
Choose connection. Choose happiness. Choose gratitude. Choose positive mindset — because a positive mindset does not change your situation, but it does change the way you respond to things. That will help you transform your life.
Choose kindness. Choose to take a deep breath before you react in a situation. Choose to do something good, whether it’s on a small level, on a one-on-one level, just do something that is good that you can handle. We just choose to not leave our comfort zones.
I feel that we are all responsible for how things are going to turn out. And, because we are so interconnected, one action does make a difference.