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In the Client's Words
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"Grace & gratitude to you for your time, support & connections. You honor me by taking your time for me."
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Gratitude & Compassion
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Practice:
Light a Candle
"Close your eyes; search for the image of someone who needs your support. Now write a phrase or short sentence that captures your concern. Light a candle for that person."
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Books by
Jennifer J. Wilhoit
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Common Ground Between Crafts Collectives and Conservation
Available on Amazon or by order at your local bookstore
Weaving a Network
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Quote for the Month
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Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.
Carl Jung
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TEALarbor stories'
mission is to compassionately support people as they discover & convey through writing their deepest stories.
Offering:
Writing Services
Story & Nature
Guiding ©
Life Transition Support
Mediated Conversations
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Greetings!
Yesterday I was sitting at my desk during a long workday. Occasionally glancing outside, I had already seen a vulture circling low overhead, several colorful songbirds dashing and dancing under the eaves just inches from my window, and a fat jay on a limb in the near distance.
I had also seen a hummingbird repeatedly trying his luck with the most vivid of the garden flowers. On his fourth or fifth visit, he suddenly darted to a limb framed by my windowsill and just stopped. His pause in the sunlight turned to a long rest; he was there for more than thirty minutes during which I had the most leisurely view of his shining iridescence! It seemed as if he was intentionally showing off the greens and teals, then the reds, then the shape of his tiny wings as he fanned his tail feathers. I felt personally serenaded...and blessed by the hummingbird's beautiful grace. (I took his photo, just to the left in the sidebar.)
Then I "suddenly stopped," realizing that this is exactly what my day had been: a show of beauty, client by client, as each one graced me with her or his presence, offering the gifts of deep story.
Nature's capacity to act as a mirror - to reflect our joys or sorrows, to offer the image or pattern we need to take the next step on our journey, to show us just what waits within us, asking for acknowledgement - is phenomenal. There is only the perception of separation between the outside world and our inner one. I hold the hope that you will take this summer to explore the relationship between your inner life and the natural world, whether you do so via writing, walking, swimming, building rock cairns, seeking healing, or sinking your bare hands into the warm sands of this magnificent earth. The focus for this newsletter is "Getting (Inside) Out."
May the summer solstice offer you all the gifts of insight and inner warmth.
Blessings,
Jennifer Wilhoit, Writing Mentor, Guide, Mediator
TEALarbor stories
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TEALarbor stories' newsletters offer inspiration, encouragement, and
beauty; inform about the connection between story, the natural world, and all things writerly; and promote professional writing, guiding, and mediation services.
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Spotlight: Getting (Inside) Out in Writing & in Life
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Writing is an act of getting what is inside of us out. So is conflict resolution, seeking healing, or moving through a life transition. Our courageous hearts can only bear to hold our stories (of loss, ecstasy, change, or a compelling idea) so long. Maya Angelou's famous quote holds true: "there is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you."
Summer is the going outside time for many of us. Why not experience the power that arises when you merge your inner landscape with the outer one? Why not allow the land an opportunity to help hold your (untold) story?
Here are some simple ways you can explore this:
- Sit on the porch to work on your writing project.
- Share your heartwrenching conflict with a compassionate listener.
- Lie down in the grass or sit against a tree as you meditate.
- Walk a labyrinth by releasing something as you move toward the center and carrying a spacious openness as you return outward.
- Quietly stroll through the woods or on a beach just noticing that which surrounds you.
- Journal your way through an idea.
- Build something beautiful outside. Admire your handiwork.
- Actually pay attention to what the breeze feels like on your skin.
- Write a poem, or notes - or even something really messy and scratched out - immediately upon returning from an outdoor activity.
- As you mow, weed the garden, water flowers or prune, listen to your thoughts...or deeper, still, to your heart's voice.
Please consider how TEALarbor stories can support you as you move forward with your writing projects, as you traverse a life transition, or as you face a difficult situation of conflict; I welcome your inquiry via email.
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Did You Know?
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TEALarbor stories' site has a new page called "News" which features kudos, announcements and updates in addition to a few press pieces.
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News & Updates
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I'm delighted to announce that my proposal to present "Exploring our Spiritual Roots: The Inner/Outer Landscape" at the 2015 Parliament of the World's Religions has been accepted. The conference takes place in Salt Lake City this autumn, October 15-19, 2015.
I have just transferred my active membership status in the California Writers Club (est. 1913) to the Redwood Writers branch that serves my new home place of West Sonoma County. Redwood Writers is the largest chapter of CWC with more than two hundred members and has a rich, four-decades long history.
The TEALarbor stories website has a fresh, cleaned up look. There is also a whole line-up of workshops for the year. Visit to see what's new including: banner photos, edited page write-ups, social icon links. Also, check it out on your mobile device; it's sporting a responsive design that'll spare your eyesight.
TEALarbor stories offers conflict support/coaching (a one-on-one process with individuals facing difficult life stories/situations) and facilitated conversations (compassionate support to foster communication between parties facing conflicts).
Check out my partner page and the main Charter for Compassion site.
Did you know you that past Second Tuesday Writing Workshops are available as a one-on-one option at a time convenient for you? Enjoy the writing, poems, insights and activities from the comfort and privacy of your home, via Skype. Email for details.
Check TEALarbor stories' blog for new posts on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
In the News
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Workshops & Events
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Writing Workshops 
Second Tuesdays at Napa Bookmine
964 Pearl Street. Fee $25.
The next one is on June 9, 2015 from
6 - 7:30 PM
Summer Solstice: Beauty, Ritual and Writing
Save the dates for Bookmine workshops: Jul 14, Aug 11, Sep 8, Oct 13, Nov 10, Dec 8
Writing for the Summer Solstice Workshop $65.
Saturday, June 20, 2015 9 AM - Noon in Sonoma County
Writing for the Autumnal Equinox Workshop $65.
Saturday, September 26, 2015 9 AM - Noon in Sonoma County
Grief & Writing through the Holidays: A Workshop for Respite & Healing $65.
Saturday, December 5, 2015 9 AM - Noon in Sonoma County
And more workshops being added...Stay tuned.
Do you and your people (family, friends, spiritual community, writing group, book group, etc.) have a specific aspect of writing you'd like to practice or learn, tailored to your unique needs? TEALarbor stories offers this in the form of a small group workshop via Skype (or in person where geography allows). Email for details.
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 Follow @TEALarbor  Connect
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Sign up for a workshop. (You do not have to be nearby to participate; contact Jennifer to learn how.)
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