Monday, November 11th
9:30am -3:00pm
Northampton Friends Meeting House, 43 Center Street, Northampton
Climate activists face fear, anger, sadness, and despair on a daily basis. We are often so busy taking action that we don’t give our hearts enough space. This gathering will be a place to bring our broken hearts, hold them with compassion, and source healing and energy to go forward. The workshop will include gratitude practices, a despair and empowerment ritual, and an invitation to deeper connection with each other. We will leave with tools to nourish ourselves and increase our resilience.
The Work That Reconnects invites people to have a felt experience of their integral place in the web of life, and find new perspectives and tools to take into the world in this time of global ecological and social crisis. The workshop will be a carefully designed and facilitated experience that will involve structured interaction in pairs and small groups, guided meditation, a grief ritual, group discussion, and movement. You will be invited use all parts of your being including feelings, spirit, and body as well as your mind. The experience will follow an arc from giving gratitude, to honoring our pain for the world, to finding fresh insight, and finally, setting intentions for going forth. Participants should make sure they can plan to stay for the whole time.
Facilitators:
A workshop with Joanna Macy in 2014 inspired Anne Goodwin to become a facilitator of the Work That Reconnects, and she has since produced and led many day-long and weekend events around New England. She is a volunteer organizer with the grassroots climate movement Mothers Out Front, and leads an activist singing group in the Boston area.
Emily Koester first learned about The Work that Reconnects at a weeklong training at Rowe Camp and Conference center in 2011. Since then, she has tried to incorporate its philosophies and teachings into everything that she does, and has been leading workshops of her own in the Pioneer Valley since 2017. An Early Childhood consultant and mother of three, Emily appreciates the outdoors while hiking, snow shoeing, and kayaking.
Please bring lunch; snacks will be provided.
Suggested donation: $10-15 to cover expenses; no one will be turned away for lack of donation
For registration and further information please contact: