Befriending What is Difficult

Befriending What is Difficult 

This course is the first in a three part, 6 month series. This 8 week session, “How to be with What is Difficult” arises out of lessons and gifts from the challenges of the past two years of the pandemic along with a long time practice in mindfulness and the Focusing way of learning to befriend and bring curiosity to challenges. 

This 8 week session will be an intimate two hour class which will include break-out practice groups of dyads and triads and an invitation to practice between class sessions on your own and with other participants. Previous participants have noted a felt sense of significant safety and connection within the group.

Often our instinctual response to what is hard is to turn away and avoid-  at other times we tend to respond with a “fight” response of some kind- we vigorously engage and try to force the situation to change. Rarely are we able to take the Rumi "Guest House" approach of welcoming everything as a guest to the guest house of our lives.

And yet, when we can find an attitude of acceptance and curiosity, like the attitude we can learn to develop in our Focusing practice, we can create a little taste of spaciousness that makes everything easier to bear and paradoxically also allows change as we naturally discover a new relationship to what is hard to be with. We can then receive its gifts. 

In this first 8 week series we will explore new ways to look at challenging situations both large and small.  I will offer homework practices that can help to cultivate this valuable skill. Most of us find that life will be generous at offering us opportunities to practice being with challenges! Things as minor as starting the day without our favorite hot drink or as significant as a major loss or unexpected change in life circumstance all give us practice opportunities. 

As always this intimate two hour class will include practice in break-out groups and an invitation to practice between class sessions on your own and with other participants. Previous participants have noted a felt sense of significant safety and connection within the group.  In each case, your own felt sense will be in charge and supersede any instructions to the contrary!  The felt sense, in the moment, is alway the boss. We are, after all, cultivating our connection to our inner compass so that it may lead us to precisely where we need to be. 

Time and Dates for How to Be with What is Difficult

8 Mondays from 4pm to 6pm Eastern (US) time  January 24th to March 14th,. 2022

To register please send email indicating your interest.  Payment information will follow to confirm your place in the class. 

Cost: $200 for the 8 wk class.  Sliding scale and sacred reciprocity scholarships available.  Please do not let finances be an obstacle- Ask about Sacred Reciprocity and/or extended payment arrangements if finances present a an obstacle to your participation or you need financial accommodation.