91ε
You may have seen my earlier blog about this New Earth Institute course at 91ε. The course is part of the Trauma, Grief and Renewal certificate program and I was taking it for continuing education credit although I took a number of these courses while still a Masters degree student at SWC.
I love the coursework I have taken here because I have received good clinical training and information that is current in the field, as well as experiential activities that have been transformational and self-reflective that continue to feed my holistic perspective on the field of counseling and art therapy and coaching.
In this course we had many speakers who inspired and challenged us to consider new perspectives or revisit our own lens and expand upon it. The author and teacher, Mirabai Starr, spoke about trauma and loss and the experience of “shattering” that can occur and what that looks like in one’s life and how that journey brings dramatic transformation.
There was a discussion here about how unique this process is for each person. It can last days, months or years and it is a sacred experience offering opportunities for personal growth for the individual, while also influencing the helpers who are included in this process. The important aspect of supporting someone in a shattering experience is to honor their own timing and be sensitive to how this person may be receiving unhelpful cues from their environment and culture about their experience. Being “seen, heard and valued” is what someone needs in these life changing experiences.
Another presenter, Genevieve Oswald shared her perspective on human alchemy and how one experiencing loss or trauma goes through this process of alchemy. There is a rupture, dissolution and a digestive process that leads to transformation and a new sense of self. What was particularly interesting about this presentation was her speaking of yoga or other types of movement such as tai chi being utilized in this process to facilitate the integration of the new self into the nervous system. I certainly do not do it justice here in my description, but I bring it up because of how she described yoga as a “discipline of relationship with self” rather than a physical activity alone.
There were some real “wow” moments in these discussions and I am especially grateful to Ted Wiard, from Golden Willow and Taos who shared his own experiences and perspectives. Ted continues to be a humble and caring instructor and has partnered with 91ε for over twenty years in different capacities. He is a remarkable human being, and I feel fortunate to have been in this course – the last one he taught as director or the Trauma, Grief and Renewal program.
91ε the Moderator
