Birthing Our Essential Nature through Group Silence Practice: Local and Virtual Sessions
Regular group Silence Practice eventually births a spiritual self-confidence that reveals direction in its quiet and mysterious way. By taking inquiring steps in this direction, we begin to birth the beauty, truth, and goodness of our essential nature. This is often a surprising and revelatory experience. A feeling of having arrived somewhere we have been all along, but not consciously recognized, is not uncommon.
When this happens within group practice, we begin to glimpse a new order between us that feels exciting and enlivening. Within the resonance of a committed group, we may find ourselves relating to others differently as old habits of relating recede. Within the wake of this recession, a heightened experience of Heart-connection surfaces. The energetic Heart begins to feel grounded and engaged, informing and guiding our individual and collective transformation.
We are in the middle of a struggle to birth — and live — a new order of spiritual awareness and intelligence. It is clear to me that this birthing requires three foundations: 1)our sincere and regular individual effort; 2) grounded and committed leaders who are themselves integrating this “new order”; 3) and a community of like-minded/hearted people within which to practice and consolidate (embody) this new order/intelligence.
Participant comments are available at http://lauramadsen.ca/testimonials/
FALL 2017 SILENCE PRACTICE EVENTS
Four options:
1. Vancouver’s next 10-week Tuesday Silence Practice series explores “Restoring Structures in Consciousness,” beginning Sept. 12 to Nov. 14, from 7 – 9 PM.
2. The Virtual 10-week Wednesday Silence Practice series explores “Restoring Structures in Consciousness,” beginning Sept. 13 to Nov. 15, from 4 – 5:30 PST.
3. An on-line 4-week exploration of the “Energetic Basics of Silence Practice Meditation,” and is TBA depending upon amount of interest.
4. To be done in your own time: “A Self-paced 30 Day Journey into Stillness” (a series of 20 minute reflections on the practice of Silence, with an on-line Q & A option for each day).
Descriptions & Registration:
Note: If this is your first SP series, and you have not spoken to me individually, please phone 604-222-4111 prior to registration.
The heart of Silence is manifested within the centre of our being as a fluid (non-local) relationship to the whole. At first, this seems like an impossibility because we are conditioned to identify strongly with “parts” rather than wholes. Each Silence Practice series focuses on strengthening our capacity to Presence Stillness and Listen deeply. By focusing on both the higher and more grounded energy that we have available to us, we begin to discover both a refuge and a wellspring within — “an already-present Stillness” that is also available “in Movement.” When we exchange with others from within this place, we begin to glimpse the enormity of our individual and collective potential to live from within a deep and abiding resonance with the Whole. It is here that the Universal Heart within begins to awaken and inform us.
Group Silence Practice is beneficial for 2 reasons:
1) We create a collective field of energy that supports transparency and trust in the unseen, unknowable mystery that sustains us.
2) We practice relating with others through higher levels of knowing that help to host a spaciousness for habits of “emotional contraction” and “over-conceptualization.”
1) Vancouver’s 10-week Fall Series: “Restoring Structures in Consciousness“
As we choose again and again to re-align ourselves with the depth and spaciousness of Inner Silence, “structures in consciousness” naturally begin to reveal themselves. These structures within which we co-habit could be described as “constellations,” “unconscious energy-agreements,” or “morphogenic fields.”
However we choose to name them, our awareness of these structures is key to their restoration. Learning to simply “be with” the emotional, mental, and physical flavours inherent within these constellations can be a challenging practice. Intentional group practice is an ideal place for this Awareness to surface within us. It broadens our capacity for relational wholeness and depth. Conversely, lacking an of awareness of these influences tends to create fractured relationships and distance.
Our most influential constellations are established in childhood as “family constellations” and “cultural constellations.” As a result they can “feel” quite “normal” to us. (i.e., That is what life is and who I am.) We wear them naturally until we begin to realize that these constellations have a momentum of their own within which we have unconsciously participated.
While we acknowledge their influence as part of our human history, and therefore our connection to our ancestors and the human condition, we begin to recognize that they are not the only story. To our surprise and delight, we discover that our increased ability to witness and presence these “structures in consciousness” is, in fact, a gateway to a Whole New story.
Please Note: This series will involve a weekly 20 minute “experiential” phone dyad.
Cost: $219.00
Cost:$179.00 (for previous series participants or payment before August 29)
2) Virtual 10-week series: “Restoring Structures in Consciousness”
(Description as above.) The series is conducted through Zoom. It is easy to access with no extra cost to participants.
Cost:$219.00
Cost:$179.00 (for previous series participants or payment before August 29)
3) A Virtual Exploration of “The Basics of Silence Practice Meditation”
Observing Finding a place to “see” ourselves without reaction or judgement.
Experiencing the Body through the Transpersonal Nature of Energy Earth, Cosmic, and creative energy flows that are availbable to us 24/7.
Yearning 1) Establishing an Inner Compass – increasing our ability for being Still and Listening. 2) How is our deepest Yearning showing up in Life? How does it reveal itself to you? (In what situations, people, or deliberation on our part?) 3) How do we attend to our Yearning on a daily basis? (Creative activities, meditation, Yoga, body movement, sound or singing, being in nature.)
Breathing into Challenge Using the breath as a means of exploration and integration with areas that are challenging to receive.
Cost: $99.00
4) A Self-Paced 30-Day “Journey into Stillness”
A series of 30 Reflections & Meditations that can be done at your own pace and timing. These 20 minute Audios also offer a Q & A option in the “Comments” section, which I reply to. After purchasing, you will receive the entire series. Enjoy!
Cost: $109.00
* Please respond in the comments section below for questions, or if you wish to join the Silence Practice e-mail list.
Previous Silence Practice Series:
Spring 2017 “The Way of the Heart”: The Universal Intelligence of the Heart emerges from within three distinct energy chambers — each with a unique flavour of transmission. When we learn to trust in these higher dimensions of the heart, we naturally begin to integrate (experience) their intelligence within the body-mind. A “knowing beyond our personal understanding” emerges from within us and between us.
Winter 2017 “The Gift of Engaged Stillness: Energy Awareness as Healing”: We naturally become Still and centred as we focus on our spiritual capacities of intuition and deep receptivity. Discovering ourselves as energetic beings with an innate receptivity to an abundant (always-present) flow of earth energies, cosmic energies, masculine & feminine energies, encoded heart-energy of Scripture (Judeo-Christian, Sufi-Islam, Buddhist Dharma, Bhagavad Gita-Hindu), inter-subjective energies of communion, and receptivity to the energy of Sound. When we are willing to explore beyond structures of concept and belief, we ground ourselves in energy-awareness and discover our innate capacity for healing.
Fall 2016 “Exploring the 3 Faces of God”: This series addresses the importance of following our divine impulse and discovering our root orientation to God/Self. There are three primary paths of God-relationship: I-I (God as first person – I Am That), I-Thou (surrendering to God or Bhakti), and I-We Faces of God (Bhagavad Gita’s “One in the Many and the Many in the One”). Experiencing ourselves through the eternal depths of these primary God-Relationships allows for an innate Trust to emerge within us: we begin to understand that “All is Well” and Life plays out within that.
Spring 2016 “Spiritual Practice as Waking Up, Growing Up, and Showing Up: There are 3 aspects of practice that are important if we are learning to “walk our spirituality in the world”: Waking Up (traditional spirituality or enlightenment), Growing Up (ingesting shadow or unconscious areas), and Showing Up (in the world in surprisingly new ways). The energetic Field of the group can be a powerful container for exploration. We all carry crippled traits that we “think” are “ours,” and try to “fix” before enlightenment, rather than see that they are different aspects of practice or direction of focus. Frequently, these are patterns of generational and/or collective wounding that need to be seen clearly, held tenderly, touched unconditionally. We do this by focusing on the energetic patterns, and leaving “the story” behind (as story often belongs to our patterns of defense & resistance.)
Hi Laura,
It’s lovely to have met you yesterday, thank you for holding that session in your lovely space.
I would like to sign up for the Oct. 22 Retreat – are you still holding the session? Have many people signed up?
Please let me know if I can come and I am happy to bring along a cheque or cash 🙂
Many thanks Laura,
Rosemary
Dear Rosemary,
We are a small group, between 5 and 8, as I have still not heard from everyone. It was delightful to meet you as well, and I look forward to practicing with you tomorrow. And yes, bringing $60.00 cash would be welcome. Thank you!