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"NONSTOP WRITING"
I write in my journal most mornings for 45 minutes to an hour. For awhile now, as part of this morning writing, I take 10-15 minutes to engage in the practice of keeping my hand moving as I write. I don't stop to reflect or, in any way, move attention away from the direct experience of writing whatever shows up moment to moment.
When you keep your hand moving there is neither time nor space for "the censor" to move into the foreground of awareness and interrupt your flow. The writing is fresh, immediate, and alive, as is your connection to yourself at these times. This practice helps you bypass the logical, analytical parts of the brain and you may plunge headlong into the vast, mysterious unconscious.
In this process you are not directing your writing. You are letting go of control and venturing into the unknown. Insights may arise, as may memories you have been keeping at bay. You may discover, for example, that you are less satisfied than you consciously thought you were about your current job situation. You may have been telling yourself that things were more acceptable than they really are. Now you are faced with the truth. Or you might find yourself inspired to plan a river-rafting trip or write a poem about a life-changing event in your life, having never considered doing these things before.
How to begin? You can start with a particular theme, concern, or feeling that is present for you. Go with where the energy is in the present moment. Bring your attention to your experience, including physical sensations, without labeling or analyzing what's arising. Start writing whatever comes to you. Let your hand move across the page. Allow. Let go. Be with. Keep your hand moving. Let yourself be surprised.
In addition to providing a gateway into the unconscious, the process of nonstop writing can help you open to spaces where you discover the non-solidity of thoughts and where you can begin to break your identification with the "monkey mind." You come to see that thoughts aren't solid and that identifying with them is what creates so much of our suffering. You will start to see the way the mind works, and that "velcroing" onto mental formations has governed so much of your seeing and acting.
The other day I started writing about a concern I was having about my granddaughter, Sophie's, allergies. I spilled out all the worries, then got to the underlying fear, allowed the fear to just be, and then I experienced a deep peace and spaciousness, all of which was expressed on the page. I was able to see clearly that all those fear-based thoughts, primarily about an imagined future, were just that: fears and thoughts. Realistically, I had no idea whether they would manifest or not. Even if they did, I had no way of knowing what the lived experience of any of that would be - for Sophie, me, or anyone else. I had become attached to the worrying mind and was starting to spin out, believing these thoughts were real. Nonstop writing can be a transformative practice, a means for deconstructing our limited identifications of who we are and what "reality" is.
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SOUL CARE FOR CAREGIVERS
My book, Soul Care for Caregivers: How to Help Yourself While Helping Others, is going to be released this spring. I will send out a separate mailing when it is available and you will also find information about it on my website.
This book is a guide for family and professional caregivers. Some of the content includes:
- How to manage the challenges and stressors of caregiving
- How to identify the "soul gifts" of caregiving
- Ways to prevent burnout and "compassion fatigue"
- Why it's important to have healthy boundaries and how to set and maintain them
- Why creative expression is good medicine for caregivers
- How to access intuition to assist you in caregiving
- Personal anecdotes about my own caregiving journey
- Resources for information and support
And more.......
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UPCOMING COURSE
ADVANCED GUIDED IMAGERY TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION
Telecourse and Free Teleseminar Preview Call
In this five session certification telecourse, you will learn innovative imagery techniques and guidelines for the successful use of imagery for your own healing and transformation and/or to expand the scope of your practice and your work with clients. Guiding imagery is being used in hospitals and health care facilities, businesses, educational institutions, and athletic, arts and performance programs. Nurses and hypnotherapists will receive CEUs.
Topics and Activities Include:
How to Use Psychosynthesis Subpersonality Work to Bring Forth Your Gifts and Potentials
Addiction, Recovery and Spirituality
Joy and the Brain: Techniques to Increase the Capacity to Experience Joy
The Psychospiritual Dimensions of Illness and Healing
Intuition and Guided Imagery
Guidelines to Increase the Effectiveness of Imagery
The telecourse begins Thursday, April 18 and continues on Thursdays for five weeks. Each class begins at 5 pm PT, 8 pm PT and lasts for 90 minutes. All classes will be recorded, so if you miss any, you can listen via recording. The fee for the telecourse is $257 before midnight April 15 and $287 after that.
FREE TELESEMINAR PREVIEW CALL - "In the Moment" Guided Imagery Techniques. You will learn simple guided imagery techniques that you can use "on the spot" in your personal and professional life to evoke positive emotions, ignite your creativity, ground and center yourself, restore your vitality, and help you deal with challenges of all kinds.
Thursday, April 11
5:00 pm (PT)/8:00 pm (ET)
45 minutes
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WAKING DOWN IN MUTUALITY
Individual Sessions and Sittings
Waking Down in Mutuality is an integrated, whole-being spirituality that includes body, mind, feelings, and spirit. In this work you embrace your humanity and your divinity. Spirit is not seen as separate from the body or our world. Our full humanness is experienced as sacred, as is all of life.
I offer phone or in-person individual sessions, a 45 minute FREE Introductory Session, and sittings in San Rafael and Oakland, California.
*A 10 minute period of silent meditation
*Gazing Meditation - Being to Being meeting, in which the teacher briefly connects with each participant through eye contact
*Personal Sharing Time - Each person who wants to, takes time to share. This can include speaking about what is currently important to you in your spiritual life, sharing an "edge" or area of exploration, or asking questions.
Sittings in San Rafael (contact me for address)
Saturday, April 13 and Saturday, May 11
10:30 am - 1:30 pm
Sitting in Oakland - Skydancer Sanctuary - 5990 Skyline Blvd
Monday, April 8
7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Fee for Sittings: $20
INDIVIDUAL SESSIONS
FREE 45 minute Introductory Session
One hour phone or in-person sessions
Sliding scale of $55-$75/hour
Contact me to reserve spaces for sittings susannewest888@yahoo.com or
(415) 721-0766.
For more information about Waking Down in Mutuality, see
www.wakingdown.org
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INSIGHT TO ACTION COACHING
Individual Sessions and Sittings
INSIGHT TO ACTION COACHING phone or in-person coaching can help you:
- Achieve your personal and professional goals
- Navigate through periods of transition
- Develop strengths and seed potentials
- Find your purpose and passion
- Overcome blocks and limiting patterns
- Quiet the voice of the Inner Critic
- Access inner knowing for decision-making and clarity about your goals and life direction
- Ignite and sustain your creativity
- Create action steps that generate tangible results
I specialize in helping clients overcome blocks of all kinds and translate ideas and visions into concrete action. Fees for individual sessions are based on a sliding scale. A coaching package is available, as well.
Contact me if you'd like a FREE CONSULTATION
(415) 721-0766 or susannewest888@yahoo.com.
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WRITING FROM THE SOUL
Writing for Creative Expression and Spiritual Growth
In this ongoing, drop-in group you will learn processes to free your imagination, develop ease and confidence in writing, cultivate your unique writing voice, and overcome blocks to writing.
San Rafael, CA (Call for address)
Alternate Thursdays
7:30 - 9:30 pm
All levels of experience and all types of writing are welcome
INDIVIDUAL COACHING SESSIONS (phone or in-person) to assist you in any or all stages of the writing process:
- Start, develop, and/or complete writing projects
- Learn how to ignite and sustain motivation
- Overcome writer's block
- Discover your natural writing voice
- Develop confidence and ease in writing
- Create attainable short and long term goals
A FREE CONSULTATION is available. You can contact me at susannewest888@yahoo.com or (415) 721-0766.
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For information or to sign up for courses or free consultations, contact me at susannewest888@yahoo.com or (415)721-0766.
Click here to visit my website if you'd like to learn more about my phone or in-person Insight to Action Coaching, Waking Down in Mutuality, Writing from the Soul Programs, or Soul Care for Caregivers.
A Free Consultation is available. You can also sign up for my free newsletter.
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