Mary Ann B, RN, wants to connect to other healthcare professionals.
Fellowship for Intentional Community (http:www.ic.org) have resources and ideas and living situations for living lightly. Strategic Alliance proposed and also an inspirational resource for ATD facilitators and participants.
www.communitysolution.org “The Power of Community” How Cuba survived peak oil.
Contact Eve Libertone (and Chantal) for Bay Area book Club. eve@pachamama.org 415 312-0038 or chantalkrey@earthlink.net
Symposium at NTL, Friday, July 13 9-12PM, Waterfront Hotel, Jack London Square.
Article “Maxwell Park Neighborhood News by Sarah Hipolito In MacArthur Metro finishes invitation by Michael Foster, 535—5535 Recreation Centers or Krista Gulbransen, CBNAT, krista_gulbransen@yahoo.com. Highlighted paragraph says, “In 1974 they created a scholarship program with 10 shares of Omaha at $147.39. The fund has been growing ever since one donation at a time. This year’s $1000 went to seven college students, and when possible, scholarships are renewed for returning students.” Final paragraph says, “Michael Park Community Building Neighborhood Action Team (CBNAT) is currently recruiting helpers for the Second Annual Day in the Park, a family event that last year drew over 400 neighbors. Your contribution could be in planning, setup, tear-down, children’s activities, or entertainment. Interested in lending a hand and making new connections? If you have interest in the rest of the article contact adrienne@pachamama.org
Monday, July 16, 7:30-9:30 PM, John Perkins, Lynne Twist, Location TBA. Watch your email for details.
Lynne and Bill will present ATD at the IONS Conference, pre-conference workshop, August 8. See http://www.ionsnw.org
Awakening the Dreamer universal business card for personal use will be coming on a template through yahoo groups.
www.myfootprint.org
www.ecologicalfootprint.org
www.circleoflifefoundation.org
www.redefiningprogress.org
www.pachamama.org
www.greenfestival.org
www.bioneers.org
www.greenhome.com (Emily.greenhome.com)
www.stopjunk.com
Sunday, June 17
Drew Dellinger on The Need for A Social Justice Component
Echoes of Martin Luther King drawing us toward the future that integrates inner and outer, spirituality and social justice. Where do we go from here, “Chaos or Community.” But there was another book written 4 days after he was assassinated. They were the Massey lectures, 5 that he was invited to give on any topic that he wanted. These 5 talks were broadcast all across Canada. The last one, the 5th Massey lecture, was a sermon broadcast from his church in Atlanta, Georgia. It was the Christmas sermon on “Peace.” Then Drew went on….
Lee Glickstein on Relational Presence
This morning, Lee Glickstein spoke on Relational Presence and integrated some practical exercises. Here is a summary:
Presenting is about speaking out into the world about what you are passionate about. It is simple when you get what relational presence is all about. We can be more effective if we can remember to come from oneness.
We speak in the North from a sense of separation. The illusion is that we are separate from our audience. However, Indigenous people have been raised to communicate implicitly, from the Unity of the whole. They have no self consciousness. They do not question the assumption that they already belong to the tribe of humanity. Consequently they are always in what we call relational presence.
We can be very effective when we are relationally present. We softly listen for where people are longing to belong and reach into it. When we speak by connecting into our core, sharing from a deep place without separation, we naturally reframe our thinking in terms of belonging. By considering the aspect of belonging in the audience, we will dissolve any anxiety we have about speaking.
Relational presence is a muscle. We can develop it so that it seems like we are with one person at a time. Remembering that the Earth is involved in our presentation, will help us resonate with others. Grounding into that connection will bring us down, down, down, down into common ground with others. Then we can embrace ever larger pockets of energy, increasing the circle of energy we stand within. Rather than horizontally sweeping the room with eye contact, as most people do, we need to remember to be present and available to the energy vortices in the room. It is about speaking with the crowd …not at…not too.
We need to get out of our heads with our charts, graphs, presentations, CD’s, DVD’s, agenda, etc. At first when you practice relational presence, you may not be able to think and speak at the same time. It might take a long time to come. But if we remember that our heart is listening too, we focus on engagement. As we move and get into our intuition, wisdom, body, connecting to the energy coming from people, we start to move energy into the room. As we practice, it gets easier. Start facilitating audience listening by telling a personal story. Let them know what is being brought to them in terms of hopes and wishes.
So we can see it is about creating ever widening circles of energy, intentionally broadening the circle as we engage from relational presence. We need to know our script in advance so our bodies can be a signal that we are available, staying connected much as we did as toddlers. We can easily connect to people one by one from the center of the very large energy circle we create simply by being present. We learned how to do this in the exercises given.
Lee gives has a book called, “Be Heard Now! His web site is at www.speakingcircles.com
Presenting is about speaking out into the world about what you are passionate about. It is simple when you get what relational presence is all about. We can be more effective if we can remember to come from oneness.
We speak in the North from a sense of separation. The illusion is that we are separate from our audience. However, Indigenous people have been raised to communicate implicitly, from the Unity of the whole. They have no self consciousness. They do not question the assumption that they already belong to the tribe of humanity. Consequently they are always in what we call relational presence.
We can be very effective when we are relationally present. We softly listen for where people are longing to belong and reach into it. When we speak by connecting into our core, sharing from a deep place without separation, we naturally reframe our thinking in terms of belonging. By considering the aspect of belonging in the audience, we will dissolve any anxiety we have about speaking.
Relational presence is a muscle. We can develop it so that it seems like we are with one person at a time. Remembering that the Earth is involved in our presentation, will help us resonate with others. Grounding into that connection will bring us down, down, down, down into common ground with others. Then we can embrace ever larger pockets of energy, increasing the circle of energy we stand within. Rather than horizontally sweeping the room with eye contact, as most people do, we need to remember to be present and available to the energy vortices in the room. It is about speaking with the crowd …not at…not too.
We need to get out of our heads with our charts, graphs, presentations, CD’s, DVD’s, agenda, etc. At first when you practice relational presence, you may not be able to think and speak at the same time. It might take a long time to come. But if we remember that our heart is listening too, we focus on engagement. As we move and get into our intuition, wisdom, body, connecting to the energy coming from people, we start to move energy into the room. As we practice, it gets easier. Start facilitating audience listening by telling a personal story. Let them know what is being brought to them in terms of hopes and wishes.
So we can see it is about creating ever widening circles of energy, intentionally broadening the circle as we engage from relational presence. We need to know our script in advance so our bodies can be a signal that we are available, staying connected much as we did as toddlers. We can easily connect to people one by one from the center of the very large energy circle we create simply by being present. We learned how to do this in the exercises given.
Lee gives has a book called, “Be Heard Now! His web site is at www.speakingcircles.com
Workgroup Notes: Expanding Into Areas Without Existing Teams
We had great input from about 8 people, especially from Australia and Texas, where facilitators have offered introductory presentations from 30 min. to 2 hours to basically anyone who will listen. Both offer to speakto organizations and schools at many different kinds of functions, from breakfasts, luncheons, meetings, evening talks and board meetings. When at all possible they use one or two video clips, especially Eco-spots and Paul Hawken's Bioneers talk. When A/V is not possible, the words are spoken by the facilitator. As anywhere, finding the key person in any organization who is passionate like us is central to building a relationship with that organization.
In Texas Ingrid and Liza have had great success offering a unique and highly visible booth at the Renewable Energy Conference...obtaining hundreds of names of those interested in the Symposium and TPA. They follow up quickly with a thanks for interest, setting up a Symposium and inviting the newly interested to becme volunteers. Drawing new volunteers into effective teams is an ongoing challenge. In Australia they have developed a system of mentoring newcomers of all kinds, which hasproven to be a great means of support and development of interest in the Symposium.
When we are trying to expand into adjoining areas where a team has not been built, offering the symposium again and again to enroll new facilitators in that area seems to be the best means to both build a facilitator body, interest in ATD. Partnering with like-minded organizations and encouraging them to sponsor, host, provide lunch for and support the production of the Symposium inas many ways as possible is highly recommended.
We also discussed expanding into distant area without ATD presence, such as the MidWestern United States. It was suggested that we poll local friends and contacts for connections where we'd like to initiate the Symposium. For instance our families, local community and organizations may have contacts, chapters, friends, family, in, say, Cleveland, who can initiate introductions and possibly a venue/sponsor in Cleveland, as well as lodging. As with expanding closer to home, the key seems to be staying with the effort in a comprehensive way...continuing to explore new avenues and contacts, introductory exposure. Liza, in Texas, has also begun approaching like-minded organizations wherever she is traveling. Asalways, it's advisable to have read an article,etc., and know something about that organization and its recent activities and focus before walking in! She has actually enrolled new facilitators right off the bat this way.
In conjuntion with his interest in developing internet support for ATD, Dave Ergo also would like to see the creation of an onlinefile of facilitators by geographical location, an onlinefile of facilitators who arewilling to travel and where, and an online file of those willing to provide lodging and where.
In Texas Ingrid and Liza have had great success offering a unique and highly visible booth at the Renewable Energy Conference...obtaining hundreds of names of those interested in the Symposium and TPA. They follow up quickly with a thanks for interest, setting up a Symposium and inviting the newly interested to becme volunteers. Drawing new volunteers into effective teams is an ongoing challenge. In Australia they have developed a system of mentoring newcomers of all kinds, which hasproven to be a great means of support and development of interest in the Symposium.
When we are trying to expand into adjoining areas where a team has not been built, offering the symposium again and again to enroll new facilitators in that area seems to be the best means to both build a facilitator body, interest in ATD. Partnering with like-minded organizations and encouraging them to sponsor, host, provide lunch for and support the production of the Symposium inas many ways as possible is highly recommended.
We also discussed expanding into distant area without ATD presence, such as the MidWestern United States. It was suggested that we poll local friends and contacts for connections where we'd like to initiate the Symposium. For instance our families, local community and organizations may have contacts, chapters, friends, family, in, say, Cleveland, who can initiate introductions and possibly a venue/sponsor in Cleveland, as well as lodging. As with expanding closer to home, the key seems to be staying with the effort in a comprehensive way...continuing to explore new avenues and contacts, introductory exposure. Liza, in Texas, has also begun approaching like-minded organizations wherever she is traveling. Asalways, it's advisable to have read an article,etc., and know something about that organization and its recent activities and focus before walking in! She has actually enrolled new facilitators right off the bat this way.
In conjuntion with his interest in developing internet support for ATD, Dave Ergo also would like to see the creation of an onlinefile of facilitators by geographical location, an onlinefile of facilitators who arewilling to travel and where, and an online file of those willing to provide lodging and where.
Surrendering into family
So much to share, so much that could be said here and yet . . . I am viscerally present to the calm peacefulness of being always there all the time. After a beautiful movement exercise led by Facilitator Mary Chase we welcomed a guest speaker, Lee Glickstein, a presentation skills coach and author of the book "Be Heard Now." Lee teaches what he calls "relational presence" which is essentially a spiritual practice. Anyone who studies Buddhism, yoga, tai chi, presence practice (Eckhart Tolle), tantra and other forms of meditation as well as members of traditional indigenous cultures know this experience well. He brilliantly relayed how the practice he teaches drops us immediately into deep connection to ourselves, one another and the field of life energy we are immersed in all the time.
In this space we surrender to the moment, we release into being held energetically by Pachamama. Connecting to a partner through the eyes, the heart and the soul we feel deeply that we are family, each of us part of the human family and connected to one another. This pratice provides an opportunity for me to receive the gift of my innate connectedness and I am free from the anxious seeking of it through reaching out to another through my eyes, my energy, my words. I can just relax into the beingness that both share, there is nothing to do, nothing to say, only a profound experience of love and the filling up of the sense of emptiness inside.
I encourage anyone who reads this to choose this moment (all there ever really is) to share yourself with another person by just being with them, gazing into their eyes in quiet connection. If there is no one accessible now then get up and step outside, and allow the life energy pulsing in nature to come to you, let it in, feel the ecstatic love of the universe that is everyone just waiting to be embraced by you.
Know you are connected to this family, the community of the Awakening the Dreamer Initiative and we welcome you.
Blessings, Eve
In this space we surrender to the moment, we release into being held energetically by Pachamama. Connecting to a partner through the eyes, the heart and the soul we feel deeply that we are family, each of us part of the human family and connected to one another. This pratice provides an opportunity for me to receive the gift of my innate connectedness and I am free from the anxious seeking of it through reaching out to another through my eyes, my energy, my words. I can just relax into the beingness that both share, there is nothing to do, nothing to say, only a profound experience of love and the filling up of the sense of emptiness inside.
I encourage anyone who reads this to choose this moment (all there ever really is) to share yourself with another person by just being with them, gazing into their eyes in quiet connection. If there is no one accessible now then get up and step outside, and allow the life energy pulsing in nature to come to you, let it in, feel the ecstatic love of the universe that is everyone just waiting to be embraced by you.
Know you are connected to this family, the community of the Awakening the Dreamer Initiative and we welcome you.
Blessings, Eve
How can we make the symposium more participatory, interactive & dynamic?
On Saturday of the Global Community Gathering, in our Open Space discussion time, i asked the question, "How can the symposium be more participatory, interactive and, ultimately, more fun?" Reanne Stack, Steve Motenko, Pete Shoemaker and John Meade were the core group in our discussion, with visiting appearances from Leslie Whiting, Ingrid Martin and Mary Brown. I noticed the open space process itself was very dynamic and engaging! I loved being in the grass, and i love circles! Tribal (Condor) peoples throughout time, have used circles and council practice to surface wisdom that is larger than the individuals.
We began our dialogue with an improv game called the "yes and" game. Each person says a phrase, around the circle, the next person says, "yes, and . . . (adding their own idea or phrase)." I like the "yes and" game, because it creates a synergy in the group and sometimes humor or unexpected ideas emerge. I've noticed that if a group can stay with the "yes and" game long enough, something always emerges that is a gift to everyone.
Here are some of the ideas we came up with:
1. Vicki Peck and I co-led a youth symposium in Albuquerque, where we utilized a circle right after "Where are we now," where we had each person say one word about how they were feeling. (There was a lot of emotion in the room that i could feel, like helium in a corked bottle.) As we went around the circle, people shared, sadness, shock, overwhelm and grief. The one-word circle share created connection and relief for all of us.
2. Pete shared with us an experiment that a friend of his in Massachusetts tried, where the group was given two 10 minute blocks to have interactive discussions about how issues of sustainability and then social justice affect their personal communities. The down side, he said, was that the Spiritual Fulfillment piece felt like it didn't receive enough attention.
3. John suggested pairing people, having them close their eyes to imagine what it would feel like to walk out into an "environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling, and socially just world." As they emerged from this feeling, each pair was to create some kind of ritual or ceremony to honor this experience. Then Pete jumped in with the idea that this ritual could be some kind of high five ritual hand shake. His demonstrations of this possible celebratory hand/foot shake, were igniting and fun!
4. Ingrid acknowledged that short stretch or movement breaks help to move the energy and don't have to be long, but can be as little as everybody standing and shaking their limbs out for 30 seconds.
5. What would happen if we had the participants lead the symposium (or parts of it)? For example, the facts in "Where are we now," could be on numbered flash cards, drawn out of a bag, where participants read the cards off, in their numbered order.
6. Steve brought in Riane Eisler's 2 page story of a "Partnership School." I'm curious to explore further what this is about.
7. Reanne and John spoke of the benefit of storytelling, and perhaps a story that everyone in the room participates in telling, in an improvisational fashion.
8. Ingrid and I both felt the "Where are we now" piece of the symposium could be shortened to sound bites, so more time could be allowed for interactive excersizes. She suggested doing the section as if it were taking place in a "village of 100."
to be continued . . . .
We began our dialogue with an improv game called the "yes and" game. Each person says a phrase, around the circle, the next person says, "yes, and . . . (adding their own idea or phrase)." I like the "yes and" game, because it creates a synergy in the group and sometimes humor or unexpected ideas emerge. I've noticed that if a group can stay with the "yes and" game long enough, something always emerges that is a gift to everyone.
Here are some of the ideas we came up with:
1. Vicki Peck and I co-led a youth symposium in Albuquerque, where we utilized a circle right after "Where are we now," where we had each person say one word about how they were feeling. (There was a lot of emotion in the room that i could feel, like helium in a corked bottle.) As we went around the circle, people shared, sadness, shock, overwhelm and grief. The one-word circle share created connection and relief for all of us.
2. Pete shared with us an experiment that a friend of his in Massachusetts tried, where the group was given two 10 minute blocks to have interactive discussions about how issues of sustainability and then social justice affect their personal communities. The down side, he said, was that the Spiritual Fulfillment piece felt like it didn't receive enough attention.
3. John suggested pairing people, having them close their eyes to imagine what it would feel like to walk out into an "environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling, and socially just world." As they emerged from this feeling, each pair was to create some kind of ritual or ceremony to honor this experience. Then Pete jumped in with the idea that this ritual could be some kind of high five ritual hand shake. His demonstrations of this possible celebratory hand/foot shake, were igniting and fun!
4. Ingrid acknowledged that short stretch or movement breaks help to move the energy and don't have to be long, but can be as little as everybody standing and shaking their limbs out for 30 seconds.
5. What would happen if we had the participants lead the symposium (or parts of it)? For example, the facts in "Where are we now," could be on numbered flash cards, drawn out of a bag, where participants read the cards off, in their numbered order.
6. Steve brought in Riane Eisler's 2 page story of a "Partnership School." I'm curious to explore further what this is about.
7. Reanne and John spoke of the benefit of storytelling, and perhaps a story that everyone in the room participates in telling, in an improvisational fashion.
8. Ingrid and I both felt the "Where are we now" piece of the symposium could be shortened to sound bites, so more time could be allowed for interactive excersizes. She suggested doing the section as if it were taking place in a "village of 100."
to be continued . . . .
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