Hi over there. Even with all the troubles of the times, here we are, in the midst of this one wild and precious life. And it’s passing. What a fierce gift.
This week has included the passing of beloved poet and heart-in-human-form, Andrea Gibson. Beloved elder Joanna Macy, who has had a huge impact on my life and so many others, is in her transition out of this body and into a wider, timeless place. One of my Tibetan teacher’s teachers passed away last month, at nearly 100 years old. My teacher said of him with great reverence, “He did what he came here to do.” And dear Andrea said shortly before dying, “I fucking loved my life.” Phewwwww. I’m pierced. You?
I remember when Mary Oliver died several years ago, I felt so strongly in my bones that it was our turn to take up her mantle and declare, “My work is loving the world.” There are countless ways to love the world. May we let ourselves be deeply touched by the lives of these ordinary, incredible humans who became extraordinary because they did what they came here to do. They loved the world. In such unique and brilliant ways.
Even as those of us who love them feel grief at their loss, may the ways they touched us inspire us to carry their work forward, in our own ways. As John O’Donohue wrote, may we do at last what we came here for and waste our hearts on fear no more.
It’s in that spirit that I’d like to share a few upcoming offerings that Carl and I hope will be of deep support to living a life that matters and doing what you came here to do, to not wasting our hearts on fear. As my friend Francis Weller said in a conversation earlier this week, “It just doesn’t make any sense to go it alone during these times.” Carl and I are holding nurturing, respectful, inspiring community spaces to help you resource yourself deeply so you can do what you came here to do; so you can liberate your love for the world.
This Sunday, July 20th, we’re hosting a 90-minute mini retreat. We’ll explore the rich terrain of intentional receptivity in A Thousand Ways to Listen. Listening with the finely tuned instrument of your own body, listening to your inner life, listening to the living Earth, listening for what is calling you, listening to the world behind the world… Growing our skills to listen well is such an essential skill. We’ll meet on Sunday at 11am MDT. You can read more and register here. Just $35. Recordings provided.
On Thursday, July 31st, we’re hosting another 90-minute mini retreat on another topic dear to our hearts and important for these times: Reweaving the Tattered Cloak of Belonging. For so many of us, belonging can feel threadbare and confusing, or rooted in self-negation. During this mini-retreat, we’ll step out of the wounded approach to belonging – that of cutting off aspects of ourselves in order to fit in – and step into adult belonging – by weaving ourselves into intimate, caring connection with our bodies, our places, and our communities. 5 pm – 6:30 pm MDT. You can read more and register here. Just $35. Recordings provided.
We have two more Pockets of Flourishing workshops coming up in August – the last of this series of 90-minute mini retreats. Read more and register right here. And to those of you already signed up, we are so excited to be with you!!
As I shared last week, for those who are women+ and want to go deeper than 90 minutes together, my once-a-year, 9-month intimate women’s circle is now accepting applications. As one of my teachers used to say, “Increasing complexity requires deeper roots.” And hoo baby, are we in times of increasing complexity! When we have our roots deep in the soil of our bodies, in our felt connection with the Earth, in our own heart values, and in a supportive community, strong winds can strengthen our heartwood rather than topple us. I love love love hosting this group. I offer one cohort local to northern Utah and one cohort all online for our global community.
During these trying times, we truly have no idea what might unfold between now and next May, which is when Women Embodied: Deepening Our Roots concludes. It is such a gift to invest in deepening our roots in a nourishing community circle and in wise practices that offer reliable refuge and support during unsteady times. It’s a circle where you’re welcome as your ordinary self in all your wisdom and confusion, and in the mess and beauty of real life. It is a soft landing place in a hard world. You’re warmly invited. Many women tell me that they find great healing in being with other women in a circle that is free of competition and the less-than-life-giving ways we may have been met by other women in our history. We can help each other flourish. And in Women Embodied, we do. This is an intimate circle of no more than 12 people per group. And as a reminder – there is a $100 discount on WE if you register during the month of July. I hear from so many how their time in this circle, whether they come once or deepen year after year, ripples benefits into their inner lives, their relationships, their work, their community. I’d love to invite you to join us.
I’m hard at work on the webpage for our year-long depth training, called Refugia, which will begin in early November. We’ll be sharing more details on this potent offering which – y’all – I’ve been cooking up for years (!!) very soon. I think it will arrive right on time. This depth training, Refugia, will be meeting weekly online for a year, going deep into practices and weaving many threads we find potent and powerful toward ripening the kinds of adults and elders the world so needs. This will be for a circle of 45 people and all genders will be welcome to join. Look for more details and an invitation to apply to Refugia, this offering coming straight from our hearts and years of study, teaching, and practice, coming soon.
Carl and I hope you are finding many ways to lean into nourishing community and to free your love for the world. It truly matters. More than ever.
On another note, our beloved kiddo is off at camp, and we are enjoying a few weeks of precious couple time without Boy Wonder – for the first time in 15 years!! We recently celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary in early July and are going to keep the celebration rolling. I loved this line from a recent newsletter from Courtney Martin: ‘None of this is promised, so don’t miss the chance to celebrate your dumb luck and gorgeous community. Aging, as we can feel right now so acutely from the headlines, is a privilege. If you get to do it, evolve, celebrate, evolve, celebrate, mourn the real losses and limitations, and evolve, celebrate.’
It feels so good knowing you’re out there being you.
May you be blessed and may you bless.
May you celebrate.
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