Experience the Spiral

Back in Sarah's garden on Saturday. (Sarah is the owner of Radiance, the store in Lancaster where I give journaling workshops.) This time, I was the workshop leader along with Christine Cappabianca. We were doing a workshop to experience Sarah's garden spiral in conjunction with Kundalini yoga and journaling. The concept was simple: we were going to spiral our day around the centerpiece of the labyrinth. Meditation, yoga, journaling, walk the labyrinth, silent lunch, journaling, yoga, meditation. The rains changed our plan a little. We knew they were coming so we walked the outdoor labyrinth between the sprinkles right after our first meditation. Sarah's labyrinth is a 7-circuit labyrinth which means it has 7 paths. These correspond well to the chakra system which is a system of energy centers on the spine. Chris led an exploration on these centers in a series of spinal exercises. I did the same with journaling, having each participant explore the messages of the energy surrounding these points. The rain turned the workshop into a very contemplative, inwardly focused, mindful event. Most of the participants were new to walking a labyrinth. We used an indoor labyrinth later in the day which gave a better sense of the geometry. (The herbal labyrinth is lovely and fairly zings with energy, but sometimes, the sense of line is lost among the ferns.) The silent lunch was interesting. It was harder than I thought it would be to be silent, but it held us in purpose. I found I didn't want to make eye contact because I didn't want to intrude on another person's thoughts. The day went so fast. We didn't get in all the things we wanted to do, but we were successful in what we did accomplish. The shared energy was a magnificent force. What is great for me, is the level of excitement I have for such events. I would have attended this workshop if I were not teaching it, so it was a double treat for me, as practitioner and teacher. I hope to have more such workshops in the future. I see the possibilities.

**A great site for people to start exploring labyrinths.

Manifestation and Flow

On Wednesday, I led a workshop on manifestation journaling at Radiance. We had a good turnout. The bulk of the workshop was spent making a manifestation collage for the New Year. Cutting and pasting images and words. Infusing them with intention as we glued them into place. The resulting pieces then gave us a visual on which to train our minds.

I like giving workshops because they allow me to study and practice the subjects that interest me in a way that gives my study purpose other than my own enjoyment. (In other words, I get to tell my husband that I am preparing to teach a workshop when, in fact, I am just reading about something that interests me.) Last month, my workshop was supposed to be about FLOW in journaling and in life. We didn't have enough participants to make that fly. I was hoping to do that workshop before the workshop on manifestation because I was going to concentrate on the phenomenon of flow (which I describe as a river of energy that moves us in the direction of our goals). When we align ourselves with the flow, we are able to accomplish things with more efficiency. In discussing flow, I was going to focus on impediments to the flow and how to move past them. You can see why I would want to address this before moving on to manifestation. Now, I will be giving this workshop in February. And yet, it is working according to plan. While we were collaging, someone recommended a book on flow that I had not read. Most of my research came from people who were looking at flow as a spiritual force, a universal energy reserve that individuals can tap into and activate as they simultaneously lose themselves in the collective.
The recommended book, one that I am half-way finished reading, is called Flow, The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. It deals with flow as a psychological experience which imprints on the quality of life. I find it fascinating as I see the same phenomenon through a scientific lens. The book is anecdotal enough to keep it from being dry, but this is no self-help tome. Still, it offers insights on personality and the mechanics of the optimal experience (Dare I say---happiness?) that can be used to question ones own practices. It is interesting that the more I delve into creative journaling practices, the more I learn about psychology. Jungian interpretation of mandalas, for example. Mandalas were another subject that I first approached from the realms of the spiritual and of art. Art, writing, religion, science: It's all interconnected.

Woman to Woman

Yesterday's Woman to Woman event was outstanding. I gave two journaling workshops, and took 4 other workshops, including illuminating the journey (making a spirit candle), Kundalini yoga, Yoga for Emotional Flow, and a workshop on reinterpreting your home decorating.
Can I just say how much I needed this day? The three months following the release of my book have been stressful, in more ways than I can go into on an online blog. And not just book-related. While I don't want to go into all that happened, I will tell you the end result. In an effort to cope with the situations at hand, I negated my own feelings. Because honestly--it just wasn't practical to add them to the mix. Now that the weather is clearing, it is obvious that these repressed feelings need a venue. I was stuck in more ways than one: my art and writing was suffering as well. Through my own journaling classes and the yoga instruction, I think I uncorked myself. Don't imagine me sobbing; it was more of a big popping exhalation.
What I realized is that I really need to connect to spirit; my own and that of the world around me. All kinds of women were at this workshops. All ages, races, ethnicities, sexual orientations. It was a sight to behold. Baby boomers trying belly dancing. Mothers making collages--with nary a child in view. Standing room only in some classrooms as women were clamoring to do something selfishly positive for themselves. I could feel the battle cry! More More! It was palpable.
So I am going to try to continue the spirit of the day. Allow myself to connect to my higher power, my peers, and my emotions. I plan to walk with friends (my first walking date is this morning). I will do more yoga. I wish it was in a studio with others, but I will be content with my home studio for now. I will start up my holiday handwritten journal (I always journal around this time of year to relieve stress). I am going to be making some more collages. AND I am going to be spending less time on the computer. With NaBloPoMo and online Christmas shopping, I got caught up in the swirl of things. And while it was fun, I think it sucked some of the spirit right out of me to be clicking from link to link in an aimless quest for what?

I'll let you know how it goes. I am hoping the process leads me through the fear and back to my art and writing.