The
Consciousness Collaborative Update
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Register for Upcoming Events & Workshops
September 21st
This 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. ~~~ What's Next?! Workshop Autumn Beginning September 25thIf what you want is truly possible, what would you choose for yourself? Discover the unique gifts that make you extraordinary and learn how to come back to your most grounded self, even in challenging times. From this place, you may embrace What's Next?!Sign up on-line today. ~~~ Rousing Intuition: Listening to Your Inner Clarity October 15th-17thExplore ways to better recognize and trust the voice of your own intuition. Through a series of playful, active, and artistic exercises lead by Beth Sutton, you may begin to experience yourself, and those who challenge you most, in a new light. Register by Sept 15th and receive discounted tuition of $295.00Sign Up Today!~~~ Healthy Cooking Classes Mondays-Beginning October 18thExplore healthier options to your everyday meal choices. This series of four classes will focus on Easy Breakfasts, Vegetarian Options, a "Make Ahead Dinner," and Sweet Treats. To register, email Nathalie Blitz and use "Cooking Classes" as the subject line. Emotional Re-Education Retreat
 November
12th-14thAn 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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Save the Dates for...
Healthy Cooking Classes
Beginning October 18th, Integrative Nutrition Counselor, Nathalie Blitz will be offering a series of four evening cooking classes. If you are... - Uncertain about popular fad diets
- Have a health concern requiring an "upgrade" to your meal plan
- Want to impress your dinner party guests
- Or simply don't know what to eat!
This is the class for you! The group will be limited to five participants, so each person will have personal attention and hands-on experience. Class will be held in Arlington, MA on four consecutive Monday evenings from 6:30pm - 8:00pm, beginning October 18th. |
Attention
Super Heroes! If you are a health and wellness practitioner, you probably live a fast paced life, extending yourself to others day in and day out. You are a modern day super hero! But who takes care of you? How do you charge your batteries and allow yourself space to ground and be present. Because, in this line of work, presence is what it's all about! As a member of the amazing community of health and wellness practitioners (massage therapists, coaches, counselors, yoga teachers, acupuncturists, chiropractors and personal trainers), I extend to you a special offer. You and your colleagues are welcome to a 50% discount on ALL services provided at Underground Studios in Watertown, MA, a peaceful space where I have expanded my practice. Consider this an invitation to take care of yourself, so that when you put on your cape on in the morning, you'll have time of your own to feel supported in body, mind, and spirit. The following services will be provided with love at 50% off: Health & Nutrition Coaching
Thai Massages
Yoga Classes
Personal Training
I look forward to seeing you! Nathalie |
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"If you're not using it everyday, you haven't really learned it."
I love this quote. I heard it during a speech at my step-son's college graduation. The phrase conveys a personal truth for me. While I may learn something, unless I am practicing it daily - using it in my life, I haven't fully grasped the teaching.
For example, algebra and Latin seem a distant shadow; but truthfully, there are elements of each that I have incorporated into my systemic knowing for regular use. The information has woven itself so neatly into the fabric of my world; I don't even realize there was a time before I knew it! (read related "Curse of Knowledge" column)
The notion of "using it everyday" extends far beyond school teachings. I remember participating in monthly workshops lead by April Prita Manganiello many years ago. Each time I began to share, my arms would flail in concert with the exasperated phrase "I've done this already!!" And it was true, on some level, in some way I had previously talked about and worked through the issue at hand. So, why was I here...again?
Two reasons spring to mind. For the first, I borrow Beth Sutton's analogy. "Personal growth work is like a spiral staircase. With each step downward, we come closer to our own truth. Every time we work through a piece of our historical experience, we take another step. Because it is a spiral staircase, we notice that the same issue, albeit closer and more clearly, appears again and again. We work with the same themes of our life, but we face them from a new, deeper place within ourselves, with each step." I perceive this as a fundamental truth. Exactly right...except for when it's reason number two.
The second reason relates to the quote. We may work through a personal trauma, and learn that we are not our experience. Yet, we return to our usual habits as daily life strikes again, moving through our days in the same old ways. For example, my childhood experiences inspired my organizational gifts to manifest my inner control freak. With a schizophrenic mom and absent dad, I needed to find a way to make life feel manageable. To feel safe, I assumed that I had power in an untenable situation, and would illustrate it through rigid organizational behaviors. While that never worked, it did mask the undeniable truth that I was powerless in my childhood world.
Fast forward 20 years, to me sitting in one of the workshops I described above, explaining how everything would be fine if people would just fit into my box and follow my rules. Hmph! It seemed I couldn't control my surroundings any more as an adult than I could as a child. In this discovery process, I uncovered why I learned to try to control my surroundings; it seemed like an answer to feeling scared. Then, I accepted the possibility that I might have resources as an adult that I did not have as a child. I recognized, while the controlling behavior protected me from feeling scared, it didn't actually change my circumstances. So, if controlling the world was always going to be an exercise in frustration, I could let it go, right?
Phew! With this new information, I could go out into the world and let things be what they were...without trying to make them what I wanted them to be...umm...in theory. In reality, it took years of practice to integrate this learning into my systemic behavior. Even now, when I feel truly frightened, I might retreat to those learned, rigid ways.
However, I now have tools, a practice, that has uncovered an internal witness. This is my core self who reminds me in challenging situations to: 1) breathe 2) notice if the organizational rigidity that once masked my fears pokes it's head up to be heard 3) and honor that my fear is a feeling, not who I am. This "learned" practice is consciousness in action, and I "use it everyday."
In a few weeks, I'll begin leading the third What's Next?! Workshop series. While I didn't fully understand during the creation of the series, I've come to realize that providing tools to practice, practice, practice is what it's truly all about. We best meet What's Next?! when we are clear and grounded in ourselves. If you'd like support in your personal practice, consider joining me for the series.
With encouragement for your spiral staircase journey, |
Last Chance to Sign up for
What's Next?! Workshop 2010 
"Life is a journey and there is always something "next" in everyone's future. For me, this series helped me to discover
that I have a lot to offer...and it is inside of me!"AD, Waltham, MA"This was a great course. It was not what I originally thought it might be. It wasn't about trying to figure out what I would be doing in the future, but more a way of learning my strengths and how they will guide me into what's next in my life,
supporting me to deal with whatever may come."
NM, Pelham, NH
This series provides tools to understand and harness the power that already exists within you; offering a space to discover your unique gifts and how they may support you to grow and meet whatever might be next along your path.
You'll receive assistance noticing what gets in the way of using your gifts in positive, life affirming ways. And you will be encouraged and guided to move through the obstacles that block your path, allowing you to fully embrace your life as the true you.
From this place, whatever you might want next for yourself, you will be equipped with the most valuable tool of all - YOU!
Registration for the autumn What's Next?! Workshop series closes September 15th. If you're ready to give it a try, mark your calendar for the autumn series dates and REGISTER ON-LINE.
This workshop will be lead by co-creator of the series, Joanne Lutz. In addition to What's Next?! Workshop, Joanne has lead a variety of other workshops, coaches clients one-to-one through her Third Option Coaching business, and founded The Consciousness Collaborative in 2008.
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 What guides us through difficult moments of...
Parenting?
Managing a team?
Or choosing which path to take?
Ultimately, our intuition steers us all the time. It is busily rumbling beneath the surface of both our emotions and our logical proofs. It rumbles out its clear message of "Yes. This is the way to go," or "No way, back off now!" The only question is whether we will hear its call, and whether we will trust ourselves enough to act on it. We may believe logical decisions rule the day, but truly, anything can be argued logically. In fact, our rational minds often distract us from our own inner knowing. That which is intuitively known does not always fit in the logic box, but how do you know which is which? The Rousing Intuition Workshop explores ways to better recognize and trust the voice of our own intuition. Through a series of playful, active, and artistic exercises we begin to experience ourselves, and those who challenge us most, in a new light. We tease apart the expectations and assumptions that shrink our perceptions and block our intuition. We discover the ways fear and judgment shut down our perception, and we begin to open our ears to our own intuition. This deep knowing, in turn, informs our insight and understanding and opens life-filled options for us - moment by moment. Join Beth Sutton for a weekend of clay modeling, music, architectural installations, laughter, and provocative discussion. Working with the Temperaments (Rudolf Steiner), the Buddha Families (Tibetan Buddhism), and Sensory Learning Styles (Enki Education) we will open up our expectations and explore new perspectives and possibilities. From there, we practice hearing our own intuition as we take a fresh look at that which challenges us - from the screaming child, to the coworker who seems to be deaf, to the undertaking that defies our plans - learning to trust ourselves, regardless of the hurdle before us.  |
What's Next?!
A Night of Discovery
 Imagine getting up in the morning excited about your day, your relationships, your life... The essential resources to live a full life are already within each of us. So...how do we tap into those gifts? The journey to being all of who you are may begin right here, right now. It starts with a commitment to yourself - a choice to live the life you want. Then, allow yourself to learn some new tools to help you remember, in times of strife, how to return to your inner strength. And finally, it comes down to practice. Practicing grounding and opening to what might be next for you. This self contained two-hour class will support your journey, offering: concrete tools for connecting with yourself, personalized coaching in a small group environment, and the space to begin your practice. It also gives you a peek at what the six-session What's Next?! Workshop series might hold in store for you. Allow yourself to forget what you cannot do, and step into your unique possibilities! Join Joanne Lutz for this evening of discovery:
September 21st - 7pm - 9pm Fee: $25.00 SIGN UP ON-LINE TODAY!Offered through Winchester Community Education 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've been wondering about the series, you may want to try this first.
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A Collaborative Community
Every day at least one member of The Consciousness Collaborative Community shares something wonderful with me. I am so appreciative of the thought and caring each of you offer, that I'm taking this space to pass along a few of those touching moments with everyone else. You might have seen these videos before. Some have been included in the Quick Links area of past newsletters, and others have had viral appeal. With so many touching stories, they've managed to earn a dedicated space in the newsletter this month.
With great thanks for your contributions
- Joanne
This first video, shared by Lenny, illustrates an example of "forgetting what you think you cannot do." (see related column)
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The next video, shared by Jamie and Sue, shows a man inspiring the world with his unique gifts of presence and confounding beliefs. (read Inspiring Possibilities article)
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The power of hugs deserves two links.
The first was shared by Tim, who now breathes each time I hug him (I love that!). He thought I might enjoy this video...I did!
The second I discovered with Anya's guidance.
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Friendships support us through celebrations, challenges, and day-to-day happenings. Best friends reach across the taboos of "isms," cultural beliefs and even species.
There are many videos of "Christian the Lion," who was reintroduced to the wild through the Born Free Foundation in the early 1970's. This particular version, shared by Beth, gives a good overview of his story. It shows that a true friend allows you to have your own journey, and will be genuinely happy to see you - without regard for the time or distance in between.
And finally, Lenny earns extra credit for sharing a second poignant video about unlikely and dedicated friends.
If you have a video story you'd like to share, send me the link.
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Meditation of the Month
Opening to Space
Close your eyes and take some mindful breaths. This will get you in touch with your body and bring focus. Now imagine that you are sitting in the center of a vast, open field with billowing grass stretching as far as your eyes can see. There are no obstacles, no fences, just an unending field of openness. You feel the sun upon you, and the breeze makes it a perfect warmth. Breathe in the vastness of this open field, all the room here. The field is bountiful with all that is needed to sustain you. As you breathe, feel that same space within you, in your solar plexus and abdomen, expanding out through your shoulders and arms, down through your legs, the openness in your chest and up through the top of your head. Enjoy the fullness of knowing there is plenty of space for all that you are and all that you need. Stay with this fullness for as long as you feel fresh, and then take it with you into the day.
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Recipe of the Month
Lime Mahi-Mahi
 Prep time: 5 mins Cooking time: 15 mins
Yields: 2 servings Ingredients:- (2) 6-8 oz. Mahi Mahi fillets - Sea Salt and Pepper to taste - 2 Limes (juiced) - 3 Tbls Tamari Soy Sauce - 2 inches of Ginger Root, freshly grated (1 1/2 tsps) - 1 Tbls Olive oil - Lemon cut into 4 slices Directions:1. Rinse fish and season with sea sale and pepper. Then place in a shallow baking dish. 2. Combine the lime juice, soy sauce, ginger, and olive oil in a small bowl and pour over fish. Turn over the mahi mahi in the marinade and let it sit in the fridge for 10-15 minutes. 3. Preheat skillet on medium-high heat. 4. Cook fish with marinade for 6-7 minutes per side or until fish is firm and opaque. Garnish with a slice of lemon and enjoy!
Need more recipes? Check out the Recipe of the Month page for previously published eats. |
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