Meetings > Meeting Notes > March 2, 2008
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March 2, 2008
Reactions and learnings from the IONS NW conference "Conscious Universe"
(Also: a note from Patrick, one of the retreat facilitators.)
Today we met at Elizabeth's Bodies in Balance at 1st and Pine (downtown Portland) to discuss our reactions and learnings from the IONS NW conference "Conscious Universe," which was held at the Grotto on Jan 30, February 1 and 2. The meeting today was well attended: only three people had not attended the retreat.
Here is what people found to be most helpful from the conference:
- The presentations of James O'Dea, president of IONS, were filled with wisdom and served to lead the group of 64 participants in a coalesced, intentional direction toward transformation. In this process James was joined by Patrick Malosek (Montana) and Susan Burns (Seattle) in leading activities that involved each participant, either in groups, in pairs, or individually.
- Portland members found the most satisfying activities from dyads, small groups, and full-group exercises. The leaders used evocative music, drumming, breathwork and contemplation/meditation, mapping our individual lives to bring about changes in individual and group consciousness. Small groups were used to either enhance this process or to support and share people's experiences. All members who attended were affected deeply by use of these methods.
- Concepts that supported this work were presented by James. They consisted
of:
- "Transformation is occurring from within and outside."
- "The hardest moral dilemma of our time is to reveal the dishonesty of all of us." This is a Jungian quotation from which James spoke eloquently about all of our parts in making the society what it is today: "Thou Art That." That is, everyone wants to say (about tragedy and our crumbling infrastructure) "Not Me: I'm, all pure!" James pointed out that people who have committed heinous acts are really the teachers of the rest of us. What they teach is the importance of ACTIVISM. Our roles can be to join the "Ain't It Awful" throng or to find a pathway to do something about what we will not tolerate.
- We hold the outrage, and at the same time, because it is difficult to contain, we push it out toward other people. When we become mature enough to see this big picture, we can get into our pain. It is then we can find solutions.
- Gathering in groups heals us by osmosis.
Another exercise that the group today found especially insightful occurred when the retreat participants were separately able to face each other and find the divinity in others by connecting on an individual basis.
We learned that hanging onto old pain stories serves to prolong them; letting them go makes joy available, makes us able to see ourselves as a gift to humanity. We cannot begin to do the work we are put here for until we, individually, do the work of transformation.
This is what the weekend was all about.
Respectfully submitted,
Mary Lansing