This Wednesday Sandbox gathering we gather around the fire to heal. Fire is a great way to get in touch with our primitive selves and create a sacred container for healing. You can speak your prayers to the fire, sing them, dance them or write a poem to burn. Either way the passion of the flames will fire your desires to the heavens. Because fire represents passion it is particularly suited to healing issues of the heart and diseases of low energy, but any healing is possible!

Fire, fire burning bright
Fan my flames
See my light
Accept my prayers for one and all
Joined hand in circle
We hear your call

The healing fire 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 June 30, 2010 at 12:11 PM and has received 619 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

This Wednesday Sandbox gathering we learn how to co-create relationships without drama with Michael Rios. What would relationship be like if everyone took 100% responsibility for their own feelings?  What if every surge of emotion was seen as an invitation to connect with essence and rise to a new level of awareness and love?  What if we made the commitment to never again blame another person for our feelings? 

The more we do our own inner work, the more available and loving we are in the moment.  We no longer cling to rules and impose agreements that we hope will keep our partners from triggering painful emotions in us; we welcome those emotions, work through them, and delight in our connections whatever form they might take.  There are many paths to spiritual and emotional growth; join us as we walk the path of open-hearted relationship.

And avoid having to clean up post drama blood from the shower stall ever again! :-)

Michael Rios (http://michaelrios.com) has been creating and living alternative lifestyles and personal growth experiences for over 40 years; currently he lives at Chrysalis, an intentional community in Arlington, VA (http://www.chrysalis-va.org). His favorite social organization principles include guerrilla capitalism and responsible anarchy.  He regularly co-organizes "New Culture" events aimed at creating a culture based on awareness, compassion and freedom rather than on fear and judgment (http://www.cfnc.us, http://www.nfnc.org).

The workshop 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 May 27, 2010 at 2:22 PM and has received 1263 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

This Wednesday Sandbox gathering we go into a very deep relaxing state with a gong meditation by Werner. The mind can't keep thoughts going during the gong for more than 90 seconds and hence these are very restful and deep meditative state. It heals all the cells in the body. Werner has a 38" large sonic gong and he will play it with chakra activation. Gongs have been used since ancient times to awaken us to the infinite reverberations of Being, within our own consciousness, vibrating in infinite frequencies of silence. Similar to the sound of the ocean, this complex sound of the Gong, can not be comprehended by the linear mind, mind becomes suspended, and awareness drops through to a primordial state.
 
Like the sound heard and felt in the roar of a waterfall, or the surf of the sea, listening to the sound of the Gong creates an opening that goes beyond hearing, beyond mind, into a state of reverberation of consciousness onto itself, opening the awareness beyond the self-identification with mind and its conditioned patterns.  It is therefore used as a form of therapy, creating an opening for transformation.

In a "Gong Concert"  I usually begin by bringing the listener into physical and emotional "present moment."
Then I work with the body awareness to lead the listener into a deeper state of awareness and connection to self and core issues.
In the next stage the listener holds a deep intention for  any desired transformation or healing to occur, affirming that all is well.
Then I ask the listeners to direct the sound of the gong to each individual chakra for clearing and empowerment.
After this activation, the listener is invited to bath themselves in the symphonic sound of the Gong, as we would bath in the warm rays of the sun at the beach, or a gentle breeze in spring.

During that main portion of the concert, the listener is encouraged to let any energy freely move through and clear from his system, with the intention to let go of all that does not serve, and inviting in new live affirming patterns of energetic flow and healing.................
By that time the listener is usually deeply immersed and  dissolved in the symphony of sounds and experiences a source of deep wellbeing within him/herself.
After a while the waves of sound subside and the listener settles down into the source of all sound, the sublime silence of being, feeling the sounds of the Gong reverberating in his/her awareness long after the outside sound has stopped.

It is a magical and primal experience, difficult to put into words, but a deeply refreshing opening of Self to itself within oneself.

I hope this gives you a feeling of what to expect from a "Gong Concert"

The gong 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 May 25, 2010 at 12:40 PM and has received 581 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

This Wednesday Sandbox gathering we tame our inner critic with Core Energetic Practitioner Barra Kahn. How loud is the voice of your inner critic?  Is it screaming at you from time to time?  Or is the volume low, providing a constant drone?  The inner critic is what keeps our mask (idealized self image) intact, and difficult to move.  We get caught in a cycle in which it is nearly impossible to be authentic.  In this Sandbox workshop, we will explore how you want to be seen, what you perceive will happen if you are not seen this way, and what you "miss" in life by keeping up this appearance.  For those interested in going deeper, we will explore lower self work around the actual voice of the inner critic.  Bring your inner critic with you, and we'll give him/her a good workout.

Core Energetics is the bridge between psychology and spirituality. It is the first western psychotherapeutic approach to incorporate the spiritual aspect of being with modern psychology and body psychotherapy, making Core Energetics a truly holistic and integrative therapy. It is an evolutionary therapeutic approach that seeks the integration of all aspects of our humanity - emotional, physical, intellectual and spiritual. This evolutionary process is built on the foundation of the work of Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Wilhelm Reich, and human development theory, the study of new physics, spirituality, and ancient charka and human energy theory.

Core Energetics is based on a deep understanding of the ways in which energy and consciousness work together in the transformative process of healing. This evolutionary process of healing encompasses knowing and revealing your whole self- your beauty, your defenses, and your dark shadow. This transformation is achieved gradually by bringing consciousness and movement to the core's overlaying defensive structures.

The result is the release of a vast amount of energy, which can then be used in the service of mental, physical and spiritual health. This creates vitality, greater life fulfillment, joy and pleasure.

Certified practitioners of Core Energetics must go through their own deep therapeutic process as well as to complete a rigorous 4 year post graduate training program.

Barra Kahn is a Certified Core Energetics Practitioner (CCEP), a professor of Communications at GMU, focusing on developing Interpersonal Communication skills both for groups and individuals. For nine years, Barra was on the faculty and Artistic Director of a national drama conservatory.  And just for fun, Barra has been teaching Ashtanga Yoga for 30 years. You can reach Barra at barra3 at gmail dot com or 703-786-7065

The workshop 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 May 15, 2010 at 12:12 AM and has received 594 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

This Wednesday Sandbox gathering we view and discuss the movie The Quantum Activist and learn about the scientific evidence for God and how you can create the reality you want. There is a revolution going on in science. A genuine paradigm shift. While mainstream science remains materialist, a substantial number of scientists are supporting and developing a paradigm based on the primacy of consciousness. 

Suggested donation $20 for dinner and movie.

Please RSVP here.

Dr. Amit Goswami, Ph.D, a pioneer of this revolutionary new perspective within science shares with us his vision of the unlimited potential of consciousness as the ground of all being, and how this revelation can actually help us to live better. The Quantum Activist (http://quantumactivist.com/)tells the story of a man who challenges us to rethink our very notions of existence and reality, with a force and scope not felt since Einstein. This film bridges the gap between God and Science. The work of Goswami, with stunning precision and without straying from the rigors of quantum mechanics, reveals the overarching unity inherent in the worlds major religions and mystical traditions.

Meet the man behind the message as Dr. Goswami tells how he moved away from the religious teachings of his childhood, to seek his path in nuclear and theoretical quantum physics, and how he has come full circle, through quantum insight, back to the very religious axioms offered as a youth. With a poignant relevance to the problems of our day this film follows Dr. Goswami as he demonstrates how our mistaken views of reality have led to our current environmental, social, economic and spiritual crisis; as well as the means of correcting these errors. At stake is nothing less than our survival upon the planet. The Quantum Activist is a film for our time. It is a film for all time. It is a film whose very subject transcends time.

Witty, profoundly insightful and colored with humor, the Quantum Activist brings you Amit Goswami’s vision of the universe. Steeped in the verifiable facts of Quantum Mechanics, Dr. Goswami dares to pose the question, “What are you doing to participate in the creation of the reality we all share?”

Amit has recently appeared in the blockbuster movie "What the Bleep Do We Know?", the award winning "The Dalai Lama Renaissance" and authored over a dozen books from textbooks on quantum mechanics to consciousness and the New Science.

The movie and discussion 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 April 28, 2010 at 2:41 PM and has received 1305 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

This Wednesday Sandbox gathering we learn how to manifest your dreams in the face of negativity and pressure with clues from the movie Frost/Nixon and the book Ask and it is Given by Abraham-Hicks http://www.abraham- hicks.com/

Frost/Nixon is one of my favorite movies - not just because of the drama and seeing powerful people operating up close and behind the scenes. But also for the way that David Frost successfully manifests the project under very difficult circumstances. Manifesting in the real world can be challenging - especially if other people are saying negative things about your project or get angry with you. Learn how David Frost manifested the most successful independent TV show in history (the interview with Richard Nixon) and how he dealt with lack of support from the TV networks, lack of money coming in, internal fighting in his team and pressure from Nixon staffers to gut the meat of the show.

Frost had not read Abraham-Hicks at the time (it wasn't written until 15 years later!) but he used many of the techniques from the book Ask and it is Given to shift his vibration, stay centered on his vision and deal with fear and negative external events. You too can use these techniques to create what you want in the real world, even when not all your ducks are in a row to start with (or if some ducks are fighting with you and each other!)

The playshop 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 April 15, 2010 at 2:05 PM and has received 1245 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

Here is the schedule for the Sandbox Sleepover weekend

• Friday
  • 4pm doors open for early help
  • 6pm general arrival time
  • 7pm dinner
  • 8pm opening fire circle and check in
  • 9pm Aural Sex
• Saturday
  • 7am Sunrise yoga
  • 9am Breakfast
  • 10am Morning circle
  • 11am Finger painting
  • 1pm Lunch
  • 3pm Gong mediation
  • 4pm Buddhist meditation (developing bodichitta)
  • 5pm Group healing with Millie
  • 7pm Dinner
  • 8pm Fire circle
  • 9pm TBA
• Sunday
  • 7am Sunrise yoga
  • 9am Breakfast
  • 10am Morning circle
  • 11am Contact Improv dance
  • noon Lunch
  • 1pm Closing circle, pack up and depart

If possible be at the Opening Circle to create a safe container, all other parts are ok to drop into or out of - be at choice!

Bring a sleeping bag and towel.

This entry was posted on April 2, 2010 at 2:54 PM and has received 479 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

This Wednesday Sandbox gathering we learn about sex as a celebration with Tantra teacher Om Rupani from NYC. The word 'Celebration' to me epitomizes human abundance.  It is a state marked by lavishness, sharing and joy.  Our celebrations hallmark what we cherish, what we want to preserve and nourish in our lives, in our relationships and in our culture.

So what does it take to make our sex into a celebration?

Come explore the possibilities! 

This evening will start of with a few ideas and discussions and exercises to explore the notion.  Where it ends up will depend partly on you the participants.  Come play!---as much as you want, from any position that you want.  It's all perfect.

Om is a photographer and a sex educator.  He shoots fashion and portraits of beautiful women by day and teaches people how to have better sex by night. He was born and raised in the great city of Bombay/Mumai.  Like many other sensible Indian lads he started his career in the direction of engineering and medicine, but then the Muse called and that was that.

He has been with the same fabulous woman for 21 years.  He started studying sexuality and relationships some years back mainly to make his own life better and sweeter and more vibrant.  Along the way that student heard the call to teach and share and hold space for others.

He was the director of the NY branch of OneTaste Urban Retreat Center for over a year and taught all their courses on sexuality, communication, and Orgasmic Meditation.  He has studied Tantra with various wonderful teachers.  His two biggest philosophical/spiritual influences are Osho and Eckhart Tolle.

His teaching style combines psychological insight with hands-on sensual practices.  His goal for his students is to help them become Masterful at Giving and Masterful at Receiving---and face and play with all the monsters they encounter along the way. 

For more on his teachings visit: www.OmRupani.org
To see his photography visit: www.OmRupani.com

The workshop 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 February 25, 2010 at 8:02 PM and has received 1357 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

This Wednesday Sandbox gathering we learn how to ask for what we want and explore our desires and needs. Many of us are afraid to ask for what we want in a relationship for fear or either not getting it or of having the other person give it to them out of obligation. Asking for what you want is an act of trust. You are taking a step into the unknown – not knowing how the other person will respond. We are giving up control because when we chose to relate we don't know what the answer will be. And in my experience it is better to practice lots of asking and getting some No than to avoid asking and then making asking a request mean more than it does.

This week we will practicing saying what we want, what we don't want and from who. And renegotiating these requests when we notice that our feelings have changed. Oh my goodness what if others get angry or upset by our requests? We will work with that energy too! We will work with some of the skills from Susan Campbell's book Getting Real.

[Some text from copied from http://www.susancampbell.com/datinghelp/10truthskills.html ]

The workshop 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 February 24, 2010 at 11:30 PM and has received 1288 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

This Wednesday Sandbox gathering we learn how to make our life more balanced. The Spring Equinox is near on March 21st and it is a day of 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness balancing light and dark. What a great time to look at how our home/work/pleasure are balanced and learn ways to improve.

The workshop 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 February 24, 2010 at 11:14 PM and has received 531 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.