Register Here: Fall 2016 Active Hope Group
$185.00
Sept 26- Nov 14 Monday Evenings, 6:15-8:00 PM, Rudramandir, 830 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, CA
Intentions of this Group:
The purpose of this group is to find strength through community, to see and be seen, and to know that our responses to what is "happening in the world", be that overwhelm, fear, grief, rage-- are NATURAL and SANE responses to a world in crisis-- that these responses are actually our larger ecological selves communicating a message to us. Through "looking Goliath in the eyes" as a community, we intend to ignite our life force energy to be of service and give our unique gifts to the world at this time.
Feedback from past participants:
-deeper/renewed sense of community
-deeper/renewed commitment to their life's work
-moving through stuck emotions by acknowledging and being seen
-creative tools to tap into the larger ecological self
-more clarity on their own path
Important things to Know:
-For this group, you will need a copy of the book Active Hope by Joanna Macy, so there will be books for sale ($17) at the Free Intro on Sept 19th, as well as our first group meeting, or please get a copy from another source by the start date of the group.
- Once we begin, this will be a closed group. The Work that Reconnects takes us on an interactive journey through Gratitude, Honoring our Pain for the World, Seeing with New Eyes, and Going Forth in our work for the World. It is to your and the group's benefit if you commit to attending the majority of our gatherings.
More about the Work that Reconnects:
The Work that Reconnects is a series of transformational and creative interactive practices including meditation, partner inquiry, accessing wisdom from ancestors and future beings, and so much more. The practices follow a spiral, from Gratitude, to Honoring our Pain for the World, to Seeing with New Eyes, and into Going Forth in our work for the world. These practices were developed by Joanna Macy over decades of activism, buddhist study, and international grief and empowerment work ranging from nuclear healing work in Chernobyl to Sri Lanka's Sarvodaya Engaged Buddhism movement.
A Note on Finance
I have asked for what feels like a solid exchange for the energy it takes to facilitate this group, plus the rent of the space we are using. However, if you are unable to offer the full monetary cost of the group, and would like a work-trade discount or to offer alternative currency of some kind (marketing, bodywork, food, photo/video), please email me at jenmyzel@gmail.com.
More Feedback from Former Participants
"I learned about the Work that Reconnects and was intrigued by the weaving together of social and environmental activism with a spiritual worldview that nourishes and offers perspective and an antidote to burnout. Our small group sessions provided a structure for progressing through an ongoing spiral of repeating stages. We began with gratitude to the beauty of the earth around us and the ones who came before us (and the powerful resources that are available to us). Next we created a sacred container for the expression and witnessing of our own and others' grief for the profound imbalances and destructive traps that we as humans are perpetuating. Then we undertook an expansion of perspective through exercises that opened us to seeing our selves and our world with new eyes. Finally, we together envisioned ways to go forward with a renewed commitment to the paths that each of us was able to more clearly define. Through each of these stages, Jen Myzel guided us through interactive practices that were skillfully designed to open the heart and the imagination and to ignite creative energies for individual and communal healing. I hadn’t realized quite how much I needed to do this kind of healing work to revitalize my own hope. I was amazed at how powerfully effective this structure is for helping to create and strengthen the sense of community that is in our nature, and how we can mobilize ourselves so well when we awaken together to our strength and purpose. Through the eight-week class, Jen offered grounded and humble leadership. She is so present and committed to this path, and she led us through each stage of the spiral with insight and warmth. I strongly believe that the Work that Reconnects has great potential to channel the deepening consciousness that is part of the unfolding of our human story." - Chris, Mar-May 2016
"I realized that the things I was experiencing (intense emotions, bodily sensations, addictive behaviors) were all stemming out of disconnection. I realized that this was due to my own choice to isolate out of confusion for what I was feeling, which made me afraid to be in the community because I didn't want to spread negativity/sadness/tears. Through the group I saw that most everyone was feeling similar emotions, sensations and ways of numbing out which showed me that there was nothing "wrong" with me and that I am free to be as I am and show up anyway. It also re-inspired me and reminded me that I love collaborating with groups of people for a cause much bigger than our individual selves." -HM, Jan-Feb 2015
More about the organizer and facilitator:
My name is Jen Myzel, I have been a student of Joanna Macy's work since November of 2013. I am also a singer/songwriter, elementary school music teacher, and homesteader-in-progress. I weave themes from the Work that Reconnects into my music and sing of my love for life and deep desire for us to live in harmony with one another and Earth. I currently live in Richmond, CA, and love facilitating the Work that Reconnects, because I see it as a very important tool for the healing and strengthening of our communities. For more info about me, browse this website!