| A note from Erin
What a time it is!
Ever since I read Francis Weller’s statement, “The task of a mature human being is to hold grief in one hand and gratitude in the other and be stretched large by them,” it’s been resonating in me.
I’m like a bell, struck.
It feels so very true.
I don’t want to be someone who grows gratitude and positivity, but lacks a certain empathy with suffering, or goes through my days without a willingness to let in the woes of the world in order to maintain my own well-being.
I don’t want to be someone who is willing to be touched by all the problems and sufferings of the world, but is sucked down by them into depression and then miss the beautiful side of life.
I want to become vast, to be stretched into utter openness – to welcome it all.
The photos of young Syrian refugees and the luminosity of the golden leaves; the horrors of terrorist attacks and the generosity of loving friends; the dear ones with serious health challenges and the sound of my son’s contagious laughter; the realities of racism and the appreciation of the lovely white roses I bought myself at Trader Joes yesterday morning; the gift that showed up on my doorstep from dear friends and the wish to send comfort to those suffering far and wide.
All of it.
And even more.
some images from our Tucson trip to meet Tara Brach, pictured above (including a bumper sticker I found so hilarious I had to snap a pic.)
Carl and I had the pleasure of attending a workshop with Tara Brach, a total kindred spirit and a wonderful human being, on the topic of Nourishing Loving Relationships in Tucson, Arizona, last weekend. What a gift! We got to stay in the cozy home of wonderful friends who have a 6-year old, a perfect playmate for our boy. We got to enjoy a gorgeous road-trip to and from Tucson, including splendid skies, stunning landscapes, and a treacherous blizzard that delayed our return by a day. It was wonderful in the aftermath of the Paris attacks, to be in a room with 400 people interested in growing their capacity to meet challenges with love.
And I’m not talking about woowoo love and light, but the nitty gritty work of looking at our own tendencies to contract, withdraw, become aggressive, and other such fun reflections. :) We love Tara’s podcast and were delighted to meet her in person, and adore that she resonates with many of the same poets and practices as we do. As I often say of such kindred teachers, we are sniffing the same trail. :)
She shared this poem on the weekend and I want to pass it along. I love it.
School Prayer by Diane Ackerman
In the name of the daybreak
and the eyelids of morning
and the wayfaring moon
and the night when it departs,
I swear I will not dishonor
my soul with hatred,
but offer myself humbly
as a guardian of nature,
as a healer of misery,
as a messenger of wonder,
as an architect of peace.
In the name of the sun and its mirrors
and the day that embraces it
and the cloud veils drawn over it
and the uttermost night
and the male and the female
and the plants bursting with seed
and the crowning seasons
of the firefly and the apple,
I will honor all life
—wherever and in whatever form
it may dwell—on Earth my home,
and in the mansions of the stars.
Kind of like the pledge of allegiance, but rather a pledge to honor all life. I love it.
And I love this reminder from Rilke:
Today is an exciting day for me. I’m opening registration for one of my very most favorite things in my life: Women Embodied Live 2016. It’s an incredible class and women’s group that is utterly unique. We work with Feldenkrais movement lessons, sitting meditation, and powerful Embodied Life practices. It’s currently more than half full with amazing alumnae, but I still have some spaces left. If you’d like to read all about it and find out how to register, just click here. I hope you will! Read what a few past participants have to say about it below….
MaryBeth Clark wrote of her experience, “How am I different after Women Embodied? I’m self-accepting. I’ve realized I don’t have to be different to receive my own warmth. Now, without changing a single thing about my circumstances, my life feels radically altered and filled with new purpose. Nothing about me is different — and everything has changed. If I could say one thing to someone who might attend Women Embodied next year, I would you tell them: Do it! Do it! Do it!”
Here’s what Audrey Clark had to say about participating in Women Embodied:
“By the end of these many weeks, I feel like I can exist with the painful, loving, broken, joyful and confused me; I can embrace all of these normal human experiences and not be tossed into a drowning depth.
I would recommend this experiential class to all women because then it would be such a more wonderful world! I would tell them how precious and strong they are and that having a wonderful inner life just opens your being up to fullness.”
And Janine Wood wrote: “After the course I’m feeling more grateful, more empowered, I listen differently, I’m more positive, I find myself choosing joy and happiness. I’m getting even better at laughing at myself and not taking myself so seriously. I don’t think I could have gone through this process of my step-father being near dying with such grace and presence. That’s not to say I didn’t have freak outs and meltdowns, but the timing of the course was so great for me for learning to let go of at least a little bit of my fear of missing out, and finding the beauty and sweetness in the sorrow and sadness of the experience. Being able to embrace it all. Such a gift! Thank you! I’d tell any woman considering it to “DO IT!”
Three-time participant LuAnn Burke wrote to any woman considering this course, “You will be accepted and listened to wholeheartedly. You will be seen. And you will probably feel more important to yourself than ever before.” And she goes on to say, “The more I come to classes the more I can remember the tools for helping myself with everything from aches and pains to difficult situations to dieting :-)
I can put these principles into any situation I come across and it truly helps. There isn’t one part of my life now that isn’t surrounded by our work. I’m more calm, more connected and more deep. Anyone that knows me and is around me sees that clearly.”
Today we are also opening registration for a super fun event I’m hosting with my dear friend Nan Seymour calledCreative Gratefulness. On the Sunday after Thanksgiving we’ll gather with 12 people in our cozy home in the Avenues neighborhood of Salt Lake City to enjoy a morning of creative fun for a cause. We’ll include Embodied practice, River Writing, and Rip and Sip (our slang term for doing torn paper collage while sipping tea or mimosas.) It’s gonna be FUN!!!! All supplies, snacks, tea and mimosas will be provided. (Though you might want to bring your journal for writing!) All proceeds will go to the Road Home and the Utah Food Bank. If you’re interested, read about it and register here. Spots will go quickly! Join us! Men and women welcome!
p.s. In addition to our Costa Rica retreat from March 25-April 1st 2016, I just got the dates for our Santa Fe retreat at the Inn on the Alameda which will be Sept. 16-18 2016. Woohooo! More details on both those events coming soon. All I can say for now? They are going to be awesome. I’m so happyyyyyyyyyyy!!! :) I hope you’ll mark your calendar and consider joining us!
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