It’s All New
Everything has changed, and “nothing” has changed – maybe you can relate?
You may have noticed some new things brewing at the Awareness Institute:
And now it’s September and we are again preparing for our annual Fall workshop series: Conscious Living (October 13-15) and Living Your Inspiration (November 10-12).
I was recently in a book club where we read the book Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler and the book begins with this powerful verse: “All that you touch you change. All that you change changes you. The only lasting truth is change.” So, change has been on my mind.
If you’ve been around for a while, you know that we’ve offered workshops by these same names many times before. My ego says, “The workshop titles are the same, so nothing has changed!” And yet we – individually and as an organization – are not the same. I have changed. We are different. Our workshops have evolved. You have evolved.
Since we resumed in-person classes and workshops last fall, things have felt different in ways that feel both personal and universal. When we gather as a community, I’m noticing:
My jaw and shoulders feel relaxed – there is nothing to prove.
Everyone is more tender – softened by years of varying degrees of loneliness and social isolation, we’re all hungry to rebuild community networks and feel part of something greater than ourselves.
There is more authenticity and depth – every time someone chooses to share from the heart I am deeply touched, deeply humbled.
There is more of a communal vibe – with smaller, more intimate workshops and classes, everyone who participates is an integral part of co-creating what unfolds. My presence matters and your presence matters. This has always been true, but it’s never been more clear.
And, of course, the changes I am noticing in our community mirror the changes taking place inside of me. It’s always “Hello, myself.”
In a world that is increasingly unpredictable, it’s never felt so important to gather as a community and practice being less reactive, less afraid, and less stuck in our old ways. Our workshops, regardless of their official titles, provide a forum for that vital work. Some days this internal growth feels exciting and new, full of infinite possibilities, and other days I catch myself in old patterns, discouraged and fearful – but always there is a sustaining awareness, the “I am” presence, and a supportive community to keep me company as I strive deeper and deeper into myself.
What comes next? I have no idea, but I’d sure love to find out together and hope to see you at a Wednesday night soon… or even better, at our workshops this fall.
Rebekah
Rebekah is a volunteer for the Awareness Institute.