Thursday, August 28, 2014

The Gift of Practice ♥ An Autumn Offering

Real knowledge does not come from books. It is gleaned through the experiences of life: through personal encounter, through the body, the senses, and through the heart. It is through practice – regular attention and engagement with the multitude of details and treasures that make up daily life -  that I evolve and grow.

 

 



How do we translate daily actions into soul-full living? How can I make that my practice? 

That is the intention underlying all the practices that I seek to cultivate to through creative actions, through meditation, and through spiritual study. 

I've always had some form of a practice.  Over the years, the nature of my practice changes but the motivation remains the same: to live my life wide awake and present, committed to the evolutionary growth of my soul, and seeking to realize my fullest creative, human, and spiritual potential.





How do we slow down and pay attention to what really matters?  With so many demands upon our time and attention, carving out space for what is vital for our well-being can be challenging and overwhelming.  Attending to the nurturance and care of our inner life – creative, spiritual, soulful, magical, whatever brings juice and joy into our very core – is something we hunger for yet all too often relegate to the bottom of an endless to-do list.

Showing up for one self, for one’s life, is a practice.  It is the ultimate practice.  Practice is both a discipline and a means to freedom.  It establishes regular attendance to the things that matter and in doing so, nourishes the parts of ourselves that feed meaning, purpose, curiosity, creativity, gratitude and joy. Through practice, structures and habits of support are strengthened; our gifts then grow and thrive upon that framework.  





The Gift of Practice: Nurturing & Nourishing Self is my offering in support of inner nurturance and care.  It is an exploration of the structures, the habits, and the obstacles inherent to establishing and maintaining a regular practice whether it be a meditation practice, daily self care, creative work or mindfulness amid the flow of the everyday. 

What is this program about?

A supportive space to experiment with the structure and experience of regular practice in whatever form currently meets your needs and interests.   






There will be practical wisdom on how to structure and create support for a fruitful and regular habit of practice gleaned from my years of study and practice as a Kripalu Yoga instructor and student. We will examine the obstacles and inherent dips and plateaus in one’s progress, learning how to cultivate new attitudes and a flexible mindset as we come to understand better the purpose and flow of any practice.  Knowing when to apply discipline and when to adjust and adapt practice to meet evolving needs is an essential skill vital to unlocking the power and potential of practice.  You may wish to utilize the gathering as an opportunity to commit to a practice or you wish to gather information, tools and insights to better prepare the foundation for a future endeavor. 

Each week there will be interviews with Creative luminaries sharing their experiences with a variety of creative practices: writing, drawing, painting, poetry, art journaling, and photography.  All practice offer the opportunity to deepen presence and engagement, with the rich details of life experienced with open eyes, mind, heart and soul.  Through dialogue with the group and the insights of our guest presenters, we can gain valuable perspective and understanding into the vast array of possible forms practice can take and we deepen our commitment to crafting our unique and personal expression of practice that sustains our evolutionary urge.

Who is this program for? 
 
You have struggled to start or maintain any kind of regular practice
You have never maintained any regularity in creative expression, self care, or supportive health care practices (but aspire to do so!)
You are curious about what a more disciplined practice can offer you
You have a practice but want to deepen it or infuse it with new energy and vitality
You feel stuck or unable to move forward in some aspect of your life
You yearn for deeper connection with yourself or wish to create space to hear and honor the whisperings of your heart and soul

This offering is for you. 



 



Important details and information:

Dates: offering runs live September 22 through October 31, 2014 (6 weeks) with content remaining available through the end of 2014.

-Material will be posted in a private online classroom space where questions and discussion threads will be monitored during the live segment of the offering.

-A gallery of participant's offerings/insights/inspirations will be available for you to use as a form of accountability or to share your growth and development.

-Required tools: curiosity, acceptance, suspension of self judgment, tenacity, commitment to showing up for yourself and/or the group.

-Suggested (but not required): any toys and props (journal, paints, crayons, pencils, camera, etc.) that you may wish to explore during our time together.

I first offered this program in the Fall of 2013 and it has been my favorite program to run and to participate in.  I am excited to be including new interviews in addition to archived interviews for added inspiration and support.

I am deeply grateful to the teachers and kindred spirits who have inspired and supported me as I craft my unique expression of practice.  I am eternally curious to see how others incorporate and adapt the discipline of practice to experience and express spontaneous action, insights, and spiritual/creative growth.  





 This is not a how-to course - this is a collaborative adventure!  That said, I am all about  balancing willful effort with surrender and will not offer hiding spots for excuses or hanging back.  Any quest worth the time requires stretching oneself beyond the edge of comfort, moving out of ease and into the unknown.  I invite you to join me on a journey to the far reaches of possibility and potential.  Stories, snacks, and other essentials will be provided ♥ 

Registration opening soon for Autumn 2014 session

6 weeks (live; classroom space stays open through March 20, 2015) - $88

Spring session  2015 to be announced (leave me a comment if you wish to be notified about upcoming sessions)

Please be sure the email address you use to register is the one you wish me to use to send course information.  You can email me directly with any questions or to edit your profile: Lishofmann(at)novai(dot)net.