The
Consciousness Collaborative Update
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Mark Your Calendar & Sign Up
On-Line!
August 7th
 Getting a Taste of What You DeserveThis Saturday, August 7th join Joanne Lutz for the opportunity to experience what it feels like to know you are deserving. Through self-compassion, you will discover that, even though you may not always get what you want, you are absolutely deserving! This stand-alone class provides an excellent introduction to the nature of the What's Next?! Workshop series. If you bring a friend, you'll receive discounted tuition. Read more about this special offer and sign up on-line. ~~~ First Class of Series September 25th What's Next?! Workshop AutumnWhat if what you want is truly possible? What would you choose for yourself? Through this series, you may discover the unique gifts that make you extraordinary and learn to trust yourself, in every moment, on your personal path to What's Next?!Register before August 6th and receive a $150.00 discount off tuition. Sign up on-line today. ~~~ August 18th Meditation ClassJoin Jamie Thurber for another evening of shared meditation. Each month offers a new path inward, in alignment with the solstices. Interested? To Save Your Space Email Jamie~~~ September 21st What's Next?! A Night of DiscoveryThis two-hour class, lead by Joanne Lutz, will introduce you to a new way to think about and "be with" whatever might be next for you. The evening includes a few simple methods to connect with yourself and visualize your possibilities. This class is offered through the Winchester Community Education program. ~~~ November 12th-14th Emotional Re-Education RetreatAn intense weekend workshop of self-discovery and healing, lead by April Prita Manganiello (with support from many members of The Consciousness Collaborative). This is a residential retreat in Essex, MA. Note - the summer Emotional Re-Education Weekend filled to capacity, to secure your space early, sign up on-line. Click the workshop you are interested in for full details about any of these upcoming opportunities.
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A Rousing Success!
The most recent Rousing Intuition Workshop, July 23rd - 25th, marked Beth Sutton's 17th year offering this fun and informative class. Participants traveled from Manhattan, Chicago, Denver and beyond to experience Beth's gentle, accepting style, and to share the journey of discovering more about themselves, learning what stirs one's unique creativity, and how to create the space to allow one's deepest knowing - intuition - to bubble up and be heard. One participant said, "Each exercise, every discussion, and the many opportunities for introspection nourished the many 'threads' of my being. Thank you for the compassionate space you held and modeled for each of us."
- JM, Massachusetts
Through stories, visual and movement arts, and conceptual study, students explored some of the ways people have described human nature and the learning process. These included work with the Buddha Families, the Temperaments, and Sensory Learning Styles. Participants were introduced to ways to use these descriptions to uncover further questions, deepen perception, and spark their powerful intuition. Looking forward to the next time this class is offered? Watch the calendar for this workshop in the Boston area this fall. |
Recipe of the Month
Sue Anne's Grapefruit & Honey Popsicles
A refreshing summer treat!
Ingredients:
- 1/2 pink grapefruit - 1/4 cup coconut water* (bottled or fresh) - 1/4 apple - 2 tbs raw honey - 1 tbs fresh lemon juice Directions:1. Blend everything up in a powerful blender for about 30 seconds until smooth. 2. Pour into ice-pop molds. (You can find them online.) 3. Place ice-pops in the freezer for about 6 hours or until completely frozen. *About Coconut WaterNot to be confused with coconut milk, coconut water is the liquid from the center of a coconut, and can be found in a can, bottle, or inside a young coconut that has been shaved into a little octagon-shaped white ball. You'll find these coconuts in the produce section of your local grocery store. Don't forget to spoon out the gelatinous coconut meat. It's wonderful in smoothies- and a great source of "healthy" fat! By the way, coconut water is one of the healthiest beverages you can drink. It's far more hydrating then drinking plain water because of all the electrolytes. Think of it as an all-natural sports drink. Plus, it has anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. Need more recipes? Check out the Recipe of the Month page for previously published eats. |
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Thank you to everyone who participated in the Reader's Choice poll last month. And the winner is...
"Abundant Relationships - gratitude and responsiveness"
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"Sometimes people just don't get things right. Did you hear me? People sometimes don't do the right thing...so, then you're left deciding how you're going to react to what they offer, because you can't make them change."
-Gran from The Friday Night Knitting Club, by Kate Jacobs
How much time do you spend wishing you could change the people you love? Even the simple things...if he would just put the dishes IN the dishwasher...if she would just kiss me good-bye...if he would only listen to what I'm really saying...if she would stop nagging me about that, then: things would be so much easier...I would be okay...we wouldn't argue so much, etc. Does any of this sound familiar?
Gay Hendricks, author of The Big Leap and co-author of Conscious Loving refers to this as "racing to occupy the victim position." From this place, we spend our energies blaming the other person, claiming to be a victim of their actions. (Read Finger Pointing.)
Of course, as 'Gran' states in the quote above, we don't have the power to make other people change. Our empowerment resides in our ability to respond to what is offered to us, rather than reacting in a familiar old pattern that leads us directly down the path to victim-hood.
Reacting is someone tripping you, and you returning the favor by punching them in the stomach. Your action is immediate and disproportionate to what has happened. You react from a place of memory - a time when you truly got hurt. "You almost made me fall you stupid jerk!" (PUNCH) This blaming reaction builds a wall between you and the other. And don't be fooled, YOU are building the wall. It's a defensive wall to hide behind, in an effort to avoid showing your vulnerability.
Responding is catching your balance, taking a breath, and speaking your truth. "Oooh, I just felt scared. I almost fell." When you respond you allow space and stay in the present moment. You take responsibility for your own feelings, and honor both yourself and the other by speaking what feels true for you - there is no blame. Through this truth, you create intimacy.
You've heard the cliché: the most important relationship is the one you have with yourself. It provides the jumping off point for all other interactions. If you do not offer yourself the space and opportunity to speak your truth, you expect that no one else will, either. And with that fundamental belief, a damaging recurring pattern is set into motion.
Consider trying something new. Reflect on the abundance that speaking your truth creates. In that moment, you create space. You respect yourself and the person you're speaking to, because you are sharing your vulnerability. As we appreciate these moments, we let go of resentment and blame. Feel your body fill to the brim with gratitude for each opportunity you have to choose between reacting and responding, mindful that this challenging situation afforded you a choice, a possibility, to create intimacy and experience abundance.
With gratitude, we experience abundance. That abundance fills us, and extends beyond our corporal beings, like the warmth of the sun, sharing light and nourishment with those who trip across our path. Imagine their gratitude...that's a recurring pattern I'd like to be part of!
With appreciation and abundance, |
 Super Hero SpecialAs health and wellness practitioners, we live a fast paced life, extending ourselves to others day in and day out. Because many of us are independent business people, we face the challenges of marketing, bookkeeping, on-going training and most important of all, being present to serve our clients. It can be easy to forget that we are human beings, not human doers. I have made it a daily practice to take a moment to slow down and breathe, checking in with myself to be sure I am serving my own needs. Because, if I lose sight of caring for me, who will I be sending to all of those appointments logged into my Blackberry? I encourage you to find your own version of checking in. The next time you put on your cape in the morning to go about your day with a superhero mentality, bring awareness to your own needs. Are you making time for the things you most enjoy? Do you feel supported in your body, mind, and spirit? What would that look like, and how can you make it happen today? To support you, I extend an offer to the amazing community of health and wellness practitioners (massage therapists, coaches, counselors, yoga teachers, acupuncturists, chiropractors and personal trainers). You and your colleagues are welcome to a 50% discount on ALL services provided at Underground Studios in Watertown, MA. I have recently expanded my practice to include services at this peaceful space, and together we are offering this special promotion. Running a business is challenging, and if you're not in full health, mindfully serving your clients becomes impossible. We invite you to take care of yourselves, and with this discount, hope to remove any financial hurdle that might prevent you from doing so. The following services will be provided with love at 50% off: Health and Nutrition Coaching
Thai Massages
Yoga Classes
Personal Training
I look forward to seeing you! Nathalie |
A Path to What You Deserve
 How many times have you told yourself, "I really want...(fill in the blank), but I shouldn't." Or perhaps you make a deal with yourself, "If I get this done, THEN I'll let myself..." So many rules and equations! What if you deserve to have what you want - no matter what? Imagine there is nothing to do, no list to complete, no bargain to make, you simply DESERVE. The rules, the if/then's, and the "but I can't," are born from an underlying belief that we don't truly deserve love, connection, happiness, and the full range of human experiences. We believe this, because we weren't always allowed to have them. Our needs didn't always get met, and so, with our creative survival gear, we tried to make sense of a nonsensical reality. We told ourselves that we didn't "get" because we didn't "deserve." Treat yourself to the experience of Getting a Taste of What You Deserve?! and truly know, in your bones, that you deserve what you want and need in this life. It's the first step to getting it. The power of truly knowing what it is to feel deserving will be a gift you offer to yourself, and take with you into your life.
August 7th ~ 9am - 4pm Fee: $129.00 SIGN UP ON-LINE TODAY!ask about the "bring a friend" discount" Facilitated by Joanne Lutz creator of the What's Next?! Workshop programs. This stand-alone class will give you a good feel for the nature of What's Next?! Workshop. If you're considering the series, you may want to try this first. For those who have completed the series, this new theme complements the six-day program nicely.
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Space...The Final Frontier!
The Consciousness Collaborative is happy to announce that we now have a "home sweet home" in Arlington, MA. "Our work is to hold space for our clients to grow and thrive. To mark our 2nd year in service together, I'm proud to share that we have a nourishing space to hold
us," says founder of The Consciousness Collaborative, Joanne Lutz. Many of our practitioners will be meeting with clients and offering a variety of classes and workshops from this new location. Watch for private and group cooking classes with Vitamin N owner, Nathalie Blitz, an introductory series of one-to-one sessions with the creator of Bodypeace, Dawn Lipinski, the Rousing Intution Workshop coming this fall, lead by parenting consultant, Beth Sutton, plus this will be the home for future What's Next?! Workshop programs, including the full series (starting September 25th) and Getting a Taste of What You Deserve (on August 7th), both lead by Joanne Lutz. We look forward to seeing you, and sharing our space for growth. |
What's Next?! Autumn 2010
"What's Next?! was TRANSFORMATIONAL for me!"
- Julie Punishill
Being all of who we are requires time, tools, practice, and choice. Through playful exercises, one to one small group coaching, lively discussion, and guided meditations, you will get to practice...practice...practice...trusting yourself to choose, in every moment, What's Next?! From this place, anything is truly possible!
Facilitated by Joanne Lutz, this workshop supports your ability to move forward, manifesting your passion and intensity, while facilitating the release of the "stuck" memories that hold you back. It's very much a place to shift gears and learn to string together your personal "just right moments" as described in the "Ahh...Summer!" column last month.
If you're ready to give it a try, mark your calendar for the Autumn series dates. And sign up before August 6th to receive discounted tuition.
Autumn Series Schedule
09/25 - Everything you need is already in you
10/23 - Discover your gifts
11/20 - What gets in the way of your gifts
12/11 - Feeling the flow
01/08 - Integrating
02/05 - What's Next?!
Read what past participants say about the program.
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Quote of the Week Contest
Each week, an informative, inspirational, provocative, or consciously amusing quote is posted to The Consciousness Collaborative home page. Once the quote appears, our facebook community receives an announcement, to check it out.
We invite you to get involved.
If you have a favorite quote that you'd like to share, click here. Each week, one quote will be selected to appear on the home page, and you will be credited for sharing the prose! If you've missed any of the great quotes that have been posted these past few months, read them here.
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Meditation of the Month
Connecting with the Earth
First, sit quietly and take in some mindful breaths. This will get you in touch with your body and bring focus. As you sit quietly, bring to mind a vast, tall mountain. Imagine it being formed and created, rising up from the earth. See it unchanged through many years of the wind blowing across it, the rain falling upon it, snow settling on it. For millennia the sun has risen and set, and very little has shifted. Too, feel such a groundedness in you, as you sit and feel your own body connect to the floor beneath you, which stretches down into the earth. Feel that strength rising up your spine, and breathe into the mountain that is within you. Allow yourself to feel the strength of the earth within you always, taking it with you as you shift into the activities of the day.
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