A Shifting of the Heart

“Feeling more alive carries distinct qualities that differentiate this healing from other forms. Bodily joy is the primary characteristic: it is an enlivening, an inner knowing of what it means to be a spiritual-soul-bodily being. It is an experience of levity that also makes us realize that we have been living too much within the force of gravity… When our experience of embodiment shifts to a new sense of the living body, our relationship to symptoms changes drastically. Symptoms become for us unrecognized possibilities rather than indications of something gone wrong.” ~ Robert Sardello

Winter is Nature’s time for rest and deep internal quieting. Winter asks us to slow down and be more contained and protective. It is easy to feel isolated and disconnected. As we begin to emerge out of winter, we feel the frozen places thaw, the sap begins to rise and run, taking us into the muddy in-between places. We want to jump into the warmth and the exuberance of spring and often the impulse is to jump over what needs to be waded through. Early spring is often a challenging time for many people. Transitions require patience and consciousness. We can attend both needs by coming together for communal connection and life-affirming celebration and sharing the deeply soothing, self-reflective, and nourishing patience practice of Continuum.

Continuum is a holistic embodiment practice that increases awareness by cueing the mind and body to slow down with audible breath and subtle biological movements. Continuum enhances our ability to rest into what is, to be in the Here and Now, and to be happier in our own skins. By reconnecting to what is alive in each of us with more empathy and compassion for ourselves, we may find it easier to perceive the same in others & offer that gift out into the world around us.

I came upon a short video of an interview that the author James Baldwin gave many decades ago. “There may not be as much humanity in the world as one would like to see, but there is some,” he said. “There is more than one would think.” He spoke with gravity and moral conviction, his eyes boring into the interviewer, who was off-camera. “Walk down the street of any city, any afternoon, and look around you,” he continued. “What you’ve got to remember is what you’re looking at is also you. Everyone you’re looking at is also you. You could be that person. You could be that monster, you could be that cop. And you have to decide for yourself not to be.”  ~ Excerpts from “A Humanist Manifesto” by David Brooks, (The Atlantic, Oct. 24, 2023)

Leaning into the wisdom and words of writer James Baldwin, in these two Shifting of the Heart workshops we will hold an inquiry around what it means to practice what David Brooks calls Defiant Humanism. How do we witness the people around us without making assumptions or being judgmental?  You could be that person. That person could be you.

Every person is sacred. Every person deserves to be seen, and given just and loving attention. We may later decide that the person we are looking at is venal or cruel or wicked—but at least we will have tried to fully understand them before making those judgments. The rot that pervades our democracy comes in large part from our failure to do this. Despite the prejudices of the postmodern ideologues, history shows us that it’s possible to enter into a compassionate understanding of people who are different from ourselves.~ David Brooks

Shifting our culture to a more spiritual, moral, relational, communal culture begins with a small group of people finding a better way to live together. Come dive into these communal waters with other intrepid explorers. Let your living, moving body show you the path to healing what limits you and restore your creative potential this spring.

“There are moments of suffering that interrupt your life and remind you that you are not the person you thought you were. They come through the basement of your soul, revealing a cavity below. You can either be broken or broken open by them.” ~ Paul Tillich

Every human being longs to be seen and fully heard by others; to know that each one of us truly matters. Embodying the practice of seeing and hearing others with this kind of clarity begins with giving this gift to ourselves. The longer format classes of Continuum are specifically designed to create a time and space for you to listen and sense deeply, exploring what it means to be in a human body-mind. Breath, vocalized sounds, meditative awareness, visual imagery, and simple, biological movements will help you recover and restore sensation and increase the innate fluid movement responses of your body that get lost in the speed of modern life and the cultural quicksand of fear, sorrow, and pain. Think of these workshops as a personal retreat, or spiritual bath. Give yourself the gift of rest, reflection, acceptance, compassion, discovery, and inspiration.

Everyone is welcome. Appropriate for all ages and abilities. Bring your curiosity and an open mind, and you’ll have everything you need!

Please wear comfortable layers of clothing you feel most cozy in, have a notebook to write in, and a full water bottle on hand.

HOW DO I REGISTER? ASK A QUESTION?

Contact Megan!

email: [email protected]

phone/text: 413-772-0078

Suggested tuition: $75/single workshop or $125 for both when paid by first workshop

What if my resources are limited? Please do not let personal circumstances prevent you from attending. Pay From the Heart ~ offer the amount your heart allows.

Payments can be made via:
1) checks or cash brought to the studio
2) VENMO  @meganbathory-peeler