Community
Welcome to my monthly newsletter, ATTUNEMENT!
Each month we “tune into” a theme related to mindfulness
and explore a creative practice and tune based on this theme!
This month of March we’re TUNING INTO the frequency of:
COMMUNITY.
Image by Roman Kraft
SoulCollage® founder Seena Frost writes,
"The boundaries that separate us from each other--time and space--are very permeable..."
In other words, our ancestors influence who we are (like it or not!), as do former/current teachers, friends, pets, relatives, partners, children, groups, and even places we've visited/lived.
These people/places/groups/beings are our COMMUNITY. Without them, we wouldn't be who we are today. American culture tends to celebrate individualism, but in actuality none of us exist in a vacuum. Who are the beings and places that influence your life?
Seena Frost, in her book SoulCollage® Evolving, shares some helpful prompts to get you thinking about what COMMUNITY might mean in your own life:
List 15 people (alive or dead) who feel very significant in your life.
Name 3 ancestors whose energy or personality traits you have inherited. Name one ancestor you might like to invite to be a special guide.
Name 3 teachers who influenced your life in a big way.
Of the great human beings in history, name 3 you'd like to consult about your life's direction.
Who would you call if you needed to talk to someone in the middle of the night?
Who would you want nearby when you are sad/depressed?
Who might you call when you're in a playful/social mood?
Name 5 people to be marooned with on a desert island.
Who inspires/encourages your deepest dreams for yourself?
Whose challenges push you and also help you grow?
Name some pets that have been precious to you in your life.
Name 2 actual places where you love to go/have gone in the past, places with special healing/uplifting energy (i.e. a special tree in your childhood backyard, a favorite camp, a beloved vacation spot).
Image by Hannah Vu
Who/what is in your Sangha?
A community of Buddhist practitioners (historically, monks) is known as a Sangha. Buddhist monk and mindfulness teacher Thich Nhat Hanh uses the term "sangha" to refer to "community" in the more general sense. He writes,
Members of your sangha may be your child, your partner, and a beautiful path in the wood. The blue sky and the beautiful trees are also members of your sangha...
We are part of the community (sangha) of the Earth, which includes countless beings and ecosystems. When I stop and consider the notion of COMMUNITY in my own life, it humbles me and reminds me that I am connected to so many and to so much.
May we remember that we are never alone. We are part of a community, and our community is part of us.
And may we remember the power we yield to influence this community through loving, mindful words and actions.
Creative Mindfulness Practice:
Make a SoulCollage® "Community Card"
SoulCollage® is a creative and therapeutic process that involves creating a personal deck of cards, each representing different aspects of the self, community, or spiritual journey.
The Community card category (or "Suit") is one of four suits used to categorize and organize the cards within a deck. The Community Suit represents the people, relationships, groups, places, and/or beings that have influenced or are significant to the person creating the SoulCollage® deck.
The cards in the Community Suit serve as a visual representation of the connections and relationships that shape a person's identity and experiences. They can be a way to honor and explore the various roles and influences of others in one's life, as well as to reflect on the dynamics of these relationships.
The Community Suit in SoulCollage® allows you to explore and celebrate the richness of your interpersonal connections and the communities that contribute to your sense of self and belonging. It can be a powerful tool for reflection, healing, and personal growth.
TRY IT! Grab some magazines, search for an image/images that evoke the energy of a person/place/group/being in your world, and arrange it/them on a larger background image that aligns with that image's energy. Then look at your card and complete the sentence stem, "I am one who..." in order to get to know this card.
Upcoming Events:
A Web of Love: Exploring the SoulCollage® Community Suit - Sat., March 9 - 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Enjoy a Saturday morning of community and self-care in this fun, interactive, experiential, creatively mindful workshop in which we explore the SoulCollage® card suit of Community. This suit (card category) honors and celebrates the people, animals, and places whose existence enriches our lives. You’ll be guided in creating and speaking from your cards, and you'll learn how to work with them to benefit your relationships and personal growth. If you’re new to SoulCollage®, I’ll email you some background info prior to the workshop/orient you to what you need to know so you'll be all set!
Sat. 3/9, 9:30-11:30am
The Be Sanctuary, 3360 Tremont Rd., Ste. 240, Upper Arlington, OH 43221Investment: $40
(but as a thank-you for being part of this email community, register using the coupon code 10OFF to attend for $30!).
Concert of Originals Songs and Sound Bath
Join me for an intimate acoustic concert of original songs, including a sound bath! I'll be performing tunes from my 2020 album Shine, and my 2022 EP Driftwood, as well as some unreleased material. Mark your calendar, and bring a friend!When: Fri. 4/12, 7pm
First Unitarian Universalist Church, 93 W. Weisheimer Rd, Columbus, OH 43214Investment: Free; donations gratefully accepted.
Creative Ways Into Wellness Weekend Retreat - Saturday and Sunday, May 4-5
Unplug, relax, restore, and create! Spend a mindful day, overnight, and morning at lovely Hueston Woods Lodge in College Corner, OH, home to Hueston Woods State Park (and just a few miles from Miami University, my alma mater!).
Your retreat weekend with me includes:
A welcome gift bag and journal when you arrive
Lunch and dinner Saturday; breakfast Sunday
Private room with 2 queen beds and lake-view balcony
Two SoulCollage® workshops and all materials
A guided Shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) experience
Two relaxing crystal singing bowl sound baths
Guided meditations and facilitated soul-nourishing conversations
Time for self-care activities of your choosing
Sat. 5/4 9:30am - Sun. 5/5 12pm
Hueston Woods Lodge, 5201 Lodge Rd, College Corner, OH 45003Investment: $497
Only 8 spots remaining!!
Original song by Katy Oberle (copyrighted with all rights reserved)
