Grief, Loss, The Body in Motion

Have you experienced loss and the natural emotions of sadness, anger, fear, and love? How do you process your losses and move through your life? Unfortunately, many of us have not found safe and effective ways of expressing these emotions, and we can feel stuck, both emotionally and at times physically, with the cumulative burden of our unfinished business. Using the tools of the 5Rhythms movement practice combined with a process of grief-work that is grounded in emotional presence, non-judgment, and supportive witnessing, participants will join together in a safe space to help heal mind, body, and spirit.

Lucia will facilitate the 5Rhythms as a method to experientially access a wide spectrum of feelings. Peter, a physician with more than thirty years of experience in HIV/AIDS and palliative care, will facilitate story-sharing as part of releasing and working through losses. Other elements of the workshop include both didactic and experiential content, focusing on natural and distorted emotional responses to grief, caregiving vs. caretaking, and other topics. 

Please bring photos or other mementos of anyone whose memory you would like to bring into the workshop.

Heart To Heart, 5Rhythms & Buddhist Heart Practice

 Love is not a mood, but a dynamic way of being. - Gabrielle Roth

The spontaneous heart is one that knows how to love and be loved. The Heartbeat map is a guide to how our emotional energy moves and morphs. In this practice we embody the art of being a fluid emotional athlete. This map teaches us how to navigate the emotional terrain of life without getting stuck, holding on, or pushing away.

We will explore how the body has been shaped by our emotions, tracking when the heart is open and when it is closed. As feelings move us, we learn how to express emotion in a healthy and creative way. 

In this workshop we will integrate the stillness of Buddhist mindfulness meditation with the moving meditations of the 5Rhythms. The Buddha encouraged us to bring wise attention to every aspect of our lives. By incorporating the Brahmavihara (Heart Practices), one can develop the skills of living-kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity. These virtues are regarded as powerful antidotes to negative mental states.

In sitting meditation, we have the opportunity to observe the mind and body at rest through silent introspection. In the practice of the 5Rhythms, we engage in mindfulness while in motion. The 5Rhythms map teaches us how emotional energy moves. The two polarities of moving and sitting meditation together mirror the dance of life and open the door to peace, well being and balance.