“These lives of ours, they are not ultimately for us. They are for the Great Weaving. We are becoming ancestors even now. And the lands will remember our behavior. How we were within, and with all living things. You who share this earth with me, we are moving through a moment of revelation. We birth and die-off many things. A shadow of malice sweeps over and through us, yet the sun of our soul cannot be eclipsed. Let us continue our sacred song and divine dance. This is the Beauty Way. And we are here to be beautiful in all the holy ways.” – Jaiya John
A note from Erin 12/30/25
Dear Beautiful Human,
I’d like to share a beloved poem to begin this almost-new-year newsletter:
A Thousand Years of Healing
From whence my hope, I cannot say,
except it grows in the cells of my skin,
in my envelope of mysteries it hums.
In this sheath so akin to the surface of the earth
it whispers. Beneath
the wail and dissonance in the world,
hope’s song grows. Until I know
that with this turning
we put a broken age to rest.
We who are alive at such a cusp
now usher in
one thousand years of healing!
Winged ones and four-leggeds,
grasses and mountains and each tree,
all the swimming creatures,
even we, wary two-leggeds
hum, and call, and create
the Changing Song. We remake
all our relations. We convert
our minds to the earth. In this turning time
we finally learn to chime and blend,
attune our voices; sing the vision
of the Great Magic we move within.
We begin
the new habit, getting up glad
for a thousand years of healing.
– Susa Silvermarie
Can you imagine leaning into this new habit of getting up glad to usher in a thousand years of healing?
Can you imagine tenderly putting a broken world to rest?
Can you imagine, we who are so lucky to be alive right now at such a potent time as this, could deeply attune to the Great Magic we move within?
I can. I hope you can, too. I’m entering 2026 with active hope and a heart intention toward healing, both personal and cultural. May we remember it’s not a quick process, yet that every drop in the bucket matters.
I’d like to share a few invitations to join us in such healing endeavors.
Firstly, Carl and I are deeply excited about this new year and look forward with great joy to Refugia, our 13-month training. If you’ve been considering it, we gently invite you to apply today.
As an embodiment mentor and long-time practitioner myself, I know from experience with countless clients and students as well as my own life, bringing this work into the body, into the felt, living moment, is the humble, exacting foundation for lasting change of all kinds.
Secondly, you’re invited to join me and Carl for a free 90-minute Zoom session about Refugia on Sunday, January 4th at 11 am MT for 90 minutes. Please join us, and feel free to share the invitation with anyone who you think might resonate. It will be rich. We’ll share a bit about the inspiration behind Refugia, we’ll read some gorgeous poetry, we’ll share about the learning territory we’ll delve into through the year, and we’ll make time for questions. It’s a no pressure gig. Sign up here to join us. All registrants will receive a recording, so feel free to sign up even if you can’t join us live.
Third, we invite you to mark your calendars because January 2nd is the day we’ll open the doors to our Memorial Day Grief Ritual Weekend Retreat in Salt Lake City. Spending time with kindred grieflings is one of the most sacred and beautiful parts of my life. If you haven’t yet experienced it, you might be surprised by how not only deeply moving and healing a 4-day grief retreat can be, but also how joyful, funny, full of song, poetry, deep connection, and spontaneous gratitude as well. Our brilliant colleagues and beloved friends, Alexandre Jodun and Alyona Kobevka are coming from the Sacred Valley in Peru to cohost this gathering, and I am so looking forward to it. I’ll be sending an email on January 2 to let you know the doors are open. The spots often fill quickly, so you may wish to mark your calendar so you don’t miss it.
Finally, we have a podcast to share: We are thrilled that our dear friend and mentor, Francis Weller, has offered to be a guest teacher in Refugia, and we’re so honored and grateful to have him! We are rereleasing a beautiful conversation we recorded with him in 2o20, as the material is as relevant as ever. We hope you treat yourself to a nourishing listen!
Wishing you all blessings in 2026 and beyond, including deep ease, vast peace, courageous kindness, nourishing relationships, active hope, lots of excellent music/food/laughter/stories/joy, and abundant beauty.
“We are here to be beautiful in all the holy ways,” wrote Jaiya John.
Luckily, we don’t have to engage in grand, epic actions to participate in the beautifying of our minds, lives, and world. Small beautiful acts can and do transform the world. May it be so. Cheers to getting up glad for a thousand years of healing!
From my heart,
Erin
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