“Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness. It took me years to understand that this too, was a gift.” ~ Mary Oliver
‘We are the mirror, as well as the face in it.” ~ Rumi
Life experience is inherently relational. Our interactions and relationships with others provide structure, meaning and context for our lives and are the bedrock of our implicit beliefs and conditioning. For better or worse, this conditioning influences our actions and behaviors, often as an unconscious undercurrent operating in the background. In the search for connection and belonging, we often unwittingly hide or disown parts of ourselves, thinking it will keep us safe, loved, and accepted, while building a fortress around our hearts. These hidden, vulnerable, disowned aspects are our Shadow, which is often at the root of our discord with others.
Do you find yourself overreacting in a way that is disproportionate to a given situation? Are you repeating destructive patterns or making the same mistakes, over and over again?
This workshop, which is part of a series of explorations aimed at bringing spirituality to life, will focus on wholeness and the ways that other people, experiences, and challenges can act as a mirror for ourselves. By honestly looking in the mirror, it reveals our light and dark, offering rich opportunities for healing. Join Aurora Hutchinson and James Foulkes as we witness and embrace the totality of ourselves, including our Shadow, gently mining its depths to reveal its healing gifts. Through yoga and other movement practices, meditation and inquiry, you will discover more about yourself, and be offered tools to begin the journey towards appreciating the conditioning underlying our assumptions, projections and judgments so that we may work with, and connect more effectively with ourselves and others. Bring an open heart and mind to this process of inquiry as we collectively deepen our inner work!
In this workshop, you will explore:
• Witnessing reactivity as it arises with self-reflection and non-judgment.
• Recognizing our conditioning to mitigate its influence on behavior.
• Embracing our Shadow.
• Understanding the importance of transparent communication that shifts blame to resolution.
• Practices that support integration through a grounded sense of wholeness.
Cost: $100
Open to All Levels. Space is Limited.