This Wednesday Sandbox gathering we go on a Samhein Shamanic Journey.

Samhein (or Halloween) is a time when the veil to the spirit world is thin. We take this opportunity to go on a shamanic journey. In shamanic practice part of the soul is free to leave the body, for example in dreaming. When we journey we do this deliberately with intent - the soul leaves the body, and may travel to a spiritual aspect of places on the earth, or may go within the earth, or above it.  

The journey occurs by shifting awareness or consciousness in order to allow part of your soul to leave the body.  A drum or rattle is frequently used.  The slow repetitive rhythm shifts the individuals "rhythm" so that he or she can journey.  Journeying like meditation is a tool for spiritual growth.  It is also a tool that can be used for healing, obtaining information, and working through psychological issues.

When you go on a journey you can communicate on a spiritual level. You can visit guardian spirits or spirits of the land. You can examine the health of your body or another's body.  You can also discover things about the world.

Psychologically you may a journey to work through emotional issues.  You may confront a deceased or living relative about past abuse.  A journey provides a safe environment to express anger, or to work through grief.

The journey provides a tool for spiritual growth because the individual can seek out evolved spiritual teachers.  The messages given often have an unexpected depth of meaning.

The journey starts after dinner at 8pm.  I invite you to join us, though as always what ever choice you make you will be honored in.

This entry was posted on September 28, 2008 at 2:42 PM and has received 604 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

This Wednesday Sandbox gathering we look at the healing energy of Reiki.

Reiki (pronounced "ray-key") it is an ancient Japanese practice that uses "Universal Life Energy" or " God directed energy" for natural healing. It is a gentle non-invasive method of hands on-healing that does provide balance to the physical, emotional, spiritual and mental issues in our life. In practicing Reiki healing you may develop personal and spiritual growth too. Reiki is very easy to learn, simple to use and can benefit everyone. It has nothing to do with a particular Religion and can be practiced by all. You can use it on family, friends, pets.

You don't have to be ill to experience the benefits! If you use Reiki every day, it can reduce the tendency toward illness and support the body's natural healing ability to keep healthy.

Note that  "healing" is not always the same as "curing". Our mindset (positive) makes a considerable difference in the outcome of what may happen. Illness is usually a message from our body, take notice, something is not right in our lives. Are we going in the right direction? Do we need to learn something? Forgive someone? Bring more joy into our lives? Release old memories? Make a healthy life change? Love ourselves more?

Ultimately if we want healing to be permanent we must take responsibility for healing the cause. Reiki healing may help with this too by allowing you to approach the changes in a calm, relaxed manner. Allowing you to let go of negative thoughts and attitudes. It can bring about greater self-awareness and your capacity to love yourself and others and can connect you with the the Divine. Reiki can transform your life in many ways.

We will look at what Reiki is, do some energy exercises and then share energy healing with each other in a Reiki share.

The Reiki share starts after dinner at 8pm.  I invite you to join us, though as always what ever choice you make you will be honored in.

This entry was posted on September 28, 2008 at 2:25 PM and has received 616 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

This Wednesday Sandbox gathering we look at Body Mod - extreme acceptance

All of us know that we should not pre-judge others. Does this acceptance apply to to people who modify thie bodies in beyond what is normal? Extreme is relative to perception. What is normal anyway? Everyone modifies their body in one way or another to show on the outside how they feel on the inside - whether it is clothing choices, hair style, make up or jewelry.

This gathering will have two parts. First we will show the movie Modify http://www.modifythemovie.com/index2.html that documents more than 50 body mods including tattooing, piercing, branding, scarification, bodybuilding, tongue splitting, implants, trans gender and more. Interviews with the modified and the artists who created them reveal their feelings on discrimination, addiction, spiritually and legal limits regarding our right to choose what we can and can not do to our own bodies.

Second we will do a boy mod sharing where we will share what body modifications we have made or want to make.

The movie starts after dinner at 8pm.  I invite you to join us, though as always what ever choice you make you will be honored in.

This entry was posted on September 28, 2008 at 2:20 PM and has received 639 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

This Wednesday Sandbox gathering we do Kirtan. Meditation doesn't come easy for many people. And that's where kirtan can help. Kirtan is an ancient participatory music experience from India. There is no need to mentally quieting the mind - kirtan can carry us effortlessly to a place of quiet, to stillness. The kirtan call-and-response chanting with ancient Sanskrit mantras calls upon sacred energies which serve to quiet the mind, remove obstacles, and bring us back to the center of our being.

Not musically inclined? Don't worry. Although kirtan involves music, the underlying art of kirtan chanting is not actually about musical ability or training-it is about the heart. Everyone can participate, regardless of age or cultural background. The purpose of this music is to get us out of our heads and into our hearts. Typically, the songs can last for 20-30 minutes each with a few moments of silence in between each song so you can soak it all up. The longer songs allow for deeper experience of the effects, and with the simple, repetitive lyrics (it's a chant, after all!) we really don't have to think much about the words. If you have a drum, or other percusion instrument please bring to play along as you chant. And if you want to dance to the kirtan that is fine too!

The chants begin after dinner at 8pm.  I invite you to join us, though as always what ever choice you make you will be honored in.

This entry was posted on September 28, 2008 at 1:56 PM and has received 613 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

Spontaneity.  Humor.  Flow.  Surrendering to the moment.  This is how community member Michelle James describes this month's CSL experience.  Get ready for an active, high-energy workshop using improv and movement to set our creative spirit on fire.

Improv for the Spirit

Saturday, 4pm to 6pm, Sept. 6

-- Falls Church, VA --

Potluck Gathering, 6:00 pm

ALL ARE WELCOME

 
We've been trained, traumatized, and socialized out of the natural spontaneity of our spirit.  This highly interactive session will renew your sense of trust and openness through laughter, awareness, letting go of perfectionism, and quieting the inner critic.

Michelle has performed imrov theater for 11 years, and is founder of the Center for Creative Emergence and the Capitol Creativity Network.  She is a pioneer in the field, using improv and movement for business and personal transformation.
 
Note:  Dress for comfort and movement.
 
This is going to be great fun--don't miss it!
 

Stay for POTLUCK FROM 6 TO 8PM-be sure to BRING A DISH FOR 8 PEOPLE (main dish, salad, side dish, bread & beverage, or dessert).
 
Invite along a friend if you like.  Can't make it at 4pm? - then just stop in at 6pm for the potluck!  No Need to RSVP - DIRECTIONS are below, as is info on OTHER EVENTS.

Saturday, 4pm to 6pm, September 6

-- Falls Church, VA --

Potluck Gathering, 6:00 pm


DIRECTIONS
to this month's meeting place (the home of Barra Kahn in Falls Church, VA):
 
 
From the beltway (I-495), take Arlington Blvd. (U.S. 50) eastbound toward Falls Church/Arlington.  In about 3 miles you will pass a McDonald's (it's off on the right on the service road).  Turn right at the next light, Annandale Rd.  Go 7/10 mile & turn left at the second light (Kerns Road).  Take Kerns through the light at Sleepy Hollow.  In a couple of blocks Kerns becomes Lily Dhu Lane.  Continue past the "Dead End" sign.  The house, 6438 Lily Dhu Lane, is a few houses past that sign on your left.  Barra's phone # is 703-941-8849.

This entry was posted on September 3, 2008 at 12:06 AM and has received 1768 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

This Wednesday Sandbox gathering we let our inner children out to play. Expect giggles, smiles and fun and games. In order to keep any inner critical parents out of the sandbox this whole gathering will be in the playful spirit of silence. Non-verbal sounds - laughter, animal noises and more are fine. Gesters and mime are good.

The last time we did this exercise I had uncontrolable fits of laughter. I went into an inner playful space of bliss - just as young children do. I know that the idea of not speaking for several hours can be scarey - but I invite you to cross that adult bridge of fear and embrace your inner child.

The silence begins when you arrive.  I invite you to join us, though as always what ever choice you make you will be honored in.

This entry was posted on September 3, 2008 at 12:02 AM and has received 616 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

This Wednesday Sandbox gathering  How often do we please others rather than ourselves? What effect does this behavior have on our inner life? What would happen if we played for two hours at asking for what we want and saying Yes or No – honestly – to other's requests? If this is a somewhat scary prospect, it must be the perfect opportunity to come and experiment with others in a safe space!
 
Kick the People Pleasing Habit and you will

• Get clearer boundaries
• Don't be afraid to ask for what you want
• Don't get anxious that you won't say no when you want to

Practicing saying No helps us be clearer on what we want to say Yes to and to who. Learning to hear No from someone else without having to turn it into a rejection story is refreshing too. Saying or hearing No can be hard at first, so we will loosen up first with some body movement exercises! Finally we will practice our skill in a play sandbox where you can ask for touch and decide if you want to accept touch or not from others.

Sandbox Explorations gets its name from the idea that when we take responsibility for establishing clear personal boundaries, it makes it safer for us and others to play together in a safe, authentic way. More connection, joy and intimacy result. So, if I tell you some clear basic ground rules about what it takes for me to feel safe in my own virtual sandbox, than you can safely get close to me and I can safely open to you.

"As a recovering People Pleaser whose 'theme song' (from A Chorus
Line:)  was "What I Did For Love" and who used to be (according to my
husband), "an emotional contortionist who would bend over backward to
please people.", I see oh so clearly my motivation for doing so. That
was an 'insurance policy' for being loved. After all, who wouldn't
love a caregiver who (in theory, at least) put other people first.

"I had great role models for that in my parents (Mom in particular) who
often put their own needs aside in service to others, so I learned
from the Masters. What I came to realize (just like on an airplane
when the flight attendant offers pre-flight instructions) was that if
I didn't put the oxygen mask on myself first, I couldn't put it on
anyone else since I was (metaphorically speaking), passed out on the
floor from oxygen deprivation. I became 'all gived out' and
experienced compassion fatigue. 

The games begins after dinner at 8pm.  I invite you to join us, though as always what ever choice you make you will be honored in.

This entry was posted on September 2, 2008 at 11:50 PM and has received 567 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

The September gathering at Nancy's place in Columbia
will be on 9/10/08. I had posted a piece awhile back about getting
the love you want and not settling for compromises. Basied on Gay Hendricks Loving Yourself book To that end, I'm sure there will be a lively discussion.

I also plan to teach the process for accessing a State
of being I call Divine Love that I teach in my Level 2
workshops. We are human beings, not human doers, but I
know for myself, I've done the route of going around
in circles looking in all the wrong places. When you
access this amazing state of grace, you realize that
you are your own best lover.

For more details on Nancy's events specifics here

This entry was posted on September 1, 2008 at 10:48 PM and has received 592 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

This Wednesday Sandbox gathering  Jim Guzel  will be leading an Erotic Art Share. Bring some Erotic Art that you have created and the story behind it. It can be visual, musical or performance-based. So photography, painting, drawing, sculpture, songs, instruments, costume and dress, body art, dance of any kind, strip-tease and mime are all good.  As we did an erotic poetry and story evening in May we will only do word art as part of a visual or performance piece. Note that if you were the subject/model of a piece of art, that counts too!  I call that "The art of being you."

As well as showing our sex-positive art we will relate the story of it's creation. Because art can help heal trauma, help us grow and express our inner most selves.
Art can be very spiritual in nature - for at it's heart all art comes from our creative source. And when I create art or perform it I often get lost in the moment (and drop out of my ego mind).

    "Did you say "performance"-based......I am always excited by the
    opportunity of performing!!!  ... I have plaster casts of my breasts
    and yoni, monologues on abortion and rape and a couple of "yoni"
    poems so I am armed.  And in any case, I'd enjoy being audience too."
    - Gail Hollies

Last time Jim lead Sandbox on the Erotic Photography topic we had a big crowd and lots of fun and lots of talk on the Sandbox list afterwards.  So I don't think that you want to miss this one.

The sharing begins after dinner at 8pm.  I invite you to join us, though as always what ever choice you make you will be honored in.

This entry was posted on September 1, 2008 at 10:45 PM and has received 562 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.