Director's Message for December

December 1, 2007

Season's Greetings,

Last year I facilitated a series of Colloquium style one-day events for men, spaced approximately every other month, commencing in January. Rich Manners and Mitch Roth assisted me by providing the extra support and encouragement for all to feel comfortable enough to open up and go deep. We averaged about 20 or so men per gathering and brought together a mix of participants who are familiar with the work we offer through our Men’s Center/Sacred Path Community events and others who were introduced to the nature of men’s soul work for the first time. We had fellas as young as 18 and those in their 70’s with men of all ages filling in the decades between. We discussed any and all issues, during large group and small group sessions, pertinent to each man with the intention of covering a broad range of topics that would fit into the relevant areas specific to one’s age. We met in a variety of locations including a hotel, a spiritual retreat center and a conference room. All venues seemed conducive to the personal nature of the work. Additionally, the lunches were sumptuous and added to the ambience and opportunity for intimate bonding welcomed by each setting.

In July, we convened at Holy Spirit Retreat Center for an overnight experiential practicum featuring Yoga, Conscious Breathing Sessions, Meditation and talks on Spiritual Psychology geared to stimulate discussion on Mindfulness and practical day-to-day matters of concern. As a result of those one-day events, and the positive outcome from this past Sacred Path retreat in October, I am inspired to host another series of one-day events that will be held in a Practicum format. Essentially, there will be opportunities for Mindfulness training that will include a variety of practices such as light Yoga, Meditation, Breathwork and Darshan teachings as well as small group interactive process sessions and community talking stick council time.

The focus of this new series is on Practical Mindfulness, which is the practice of being fully present within moment-to-moment experiences with relaxed, non-attached acceptance. Mindfulness training supports one’s ability to access the cognitive, sensory, somatic, and emotional elements of experiences in the present moment, thus enhancing one’s contact with spontaneous states of enlightenment. Cultivation of mindfulness facilitates the free-flow of creativity while engaging the wisdom of the heart. It fosters the ability to listen deeply with “beginner’s mind’ and opens up the possibility of moving beyond the limiting frame of self and other. Mindfulness training equips us to expand our perceived awareness of the nuances of the relational field in which we are always influencing each other.

The overall goal of this year’s cutting edge series of Mindfulness Practicums is to investigate how mind, brain and body work together in ways that enhance personal growth and healing, as well as to effect change on all levels by adding a larger philosophical and ethical context. Essentially these one-day events are opportunities for attention to Dharma, which is the basic ground underlying the contemplative teachings and practices which enlighten us to the transitory nature of all phenomena, including mental states. The willingness to be intimate with the mystical nature of one’s soul, in contrast with the mind’s tendency for attachment to the conceptual illusions about the world, allows us to more fully comprehend the distinction between self and selflessness. Our challenge today is how to find interior peace, compassion and wisdom within the heart of change as we engage with the exterior world.

In the first Colloquium last January I personally invited a specific group of men to participate. Out of that group, many of the men elected to continue with the series while others attended some of them. I am pleased to offer this new series to those that will participate. I look forward to the further development of a core group of men intrigued and invested in their process of improving the quality of their lives as they deepen their spiritual dimension and expand their relational capacity.

The first Practicum of the series will commence on Saturday, January 26, 2008. I believe you will find this to be a great way to kick off the New Year as we set our intentions in action on the Sacred Path. If you feel called to participate in this event, register right away. Reservations will not be held without an actual commitment, so please make yours today by completing the registration form on our blog or web site. Since enrollments are limited, a waiting list will be formed so that spaces can be filled should they become available.

In the spirit of the season, I wish you and your family a Happy Hanukah and a very Merry Christmas.

Namaste,
Stephen

To download the January 26, 2008 Practicum Flyer, click HERE