PROGRAMS
BEFRIENDING YOUR BODY:
TURNING OUR BODIES FROM ADVERSARY TO ALLY
Pain is no fun. It hurts and we often want to run from it or fight against it. But studies have shown this only creates an adversarial relationship with our body. Stress hormones are secreted, and our bodies are now in an internal fight between the real pain we are experiencing and our upset that we are in pain. Now we can no longer live the life we had been used to.
A key to feeling better is by befriending these painful situations with a loving and tender heart to make peace with our bodies. It is by learning how to befriend these challenges that we can become our allies instead of our adversaries and start to feel better.
CONSCIOUS AGING
In our youth-oriented society, most of us have grown up with a deep-seated fear and loathing of old age.
Growing older generally means uselessness, helplessness, wrinkled skin, and chronic illnesses. To counter this perspective, we desperately swallow our fears and pretend that 70 is the new 50, grateful when someone “compliments” us saying “you look great for your age.” This is the societal unspoken goal in life—to look young for as long as possible.
Yet the reality is that as long as we are alive, we are constantly aging. And, we are constantly dealing with deep-seated ageism that exists in this society. Agism is a social issue and not an individual “problem” that we need to handle alone. Rather, society has painted a very narrow and prejudiced perspective about what aging is about. We are given the doom and gloom projection and not the possibility of aging with purpose and awareness, or ways to cultivate joy which is a secret to staying young.
Therefore, the purpose of this group is to honor the many authentic concerns we share about aging while opening to a larger perspective about aging. Together we can explore many assumed beliefs we buy into, often unconsciously that actually impedes our ability to be our best healthy selves. In the community of like-minded souls we can both learn from each other and support one another in this stage of life.
THE SPIRITUAL ASPECT OF FORGIVENESS
Generally, when we think about forgiveness, we are reluctant to make peace with someone who has hurt us. They have wronged us, and we don’t want to forgive them. Yet, the spiritual practice of forgiveness has nothing to do with the other person. Nor does it have to do with forgiving the actions that were done to us.
Rather it has to do with our own healing so that we can be free of this upset that we are carrying against someone else. Forgiveness therefore is an inside job and helps our peace of mind and wellness and allows us internal freedom.
DEATH AND
DYING RITUALS
Many people feel that death is the enemy and something that we should never talk about. When faced with the prospect of losing people or even thinking about our own death, we are often clueless about tools that can help us through this process.
This class is intended to be both educated and experiential, helping us deal with issues concerning deaths that are rarely talked about.