still/
WILD
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a primer
Garden of the Gods. Colorado, 2018
“To move into that contemplative realm is the greatest adventure. It is to be open to the infinite and hence to infinite possibilities. Our private, self-made worlds come to an end; a new world appears within and around us and the impossible becomes an everyday experience.”
Thomas Keating, Open Heart, Open Mind
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STILL
Some form of STILLNESS is vital to this program. Ideally, this STILLNESS eventually takes the form of a relatively formal meditation or contemplative practice. If you've had trouble with meditation in the past, however, don't despair - this space is primarily for "beginners," and you can take steps to quiet your mind long before you adopt a regular practice. Because let's face it - quieting one's mind is no easy task, and it can take a minute to find that which helps you relinquish your obsessive thoughts, decompress, and connect to your idea of the Divine (if you think in such terms. If you don't, fine!). Getting outside and walking in the woods is a wonderful way to start, for instance. One way or another, commit to some form of quietude once a day or as often as possible.
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still
To dive right into a STILL practice, go HERE.
In the meantime?
(OTHER) WAYS OF LEANING INTO YOUR STILLNESS
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Practice putting down your phone as often as you think of it. Unplug. Look around. Sit quietly. Notice whether you feel discomfort, relief, or both—more on unplugging HERE.
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Get outside - into the wilderness.
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Get your hands in the dirt. Plant things! Outside or in.
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Take a candle-lit bath. Put a few drops of essential oil in your bath water, turn out the lights, burn candles.
- Listen to sacred music. Start with Saint Hildegard of Bingen. Or listen to whatever music brings you a feeling of calm and brings you to life.
- Read sacred poetry. Rumi, Hafiz, Kabir, Meister Eckhart, Mira, Rabia etc.
- Turn to the mystics. Read about St. Teresa of Avila, Julian of Norwich, St. Hildegard of Bingen... Here's a great book to get you started.
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Build your own personal alter with special items that help you feel connected to the Divine.
Christian Stegall, STILL/WILD Woman
Great Sands National Park
WILD
WAYS OF LEANING INTO YOUR WILDNESS
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Dance, sing, move. The wild nature is fully expressive. It's important (and profoundly liberating) to release your body and voice. Begin now.
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Slowly but surely, begin to reconnect to the natural world, to the wild places around you. This is a vital piece of the STILL/WILD movement. More HERE.
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Set a beautiful table and make or serve a delicious meal - for yourself or your tribe. Light candles, use your favorite pottery, serve mulled wine. More on STILL/WILD @ Home HERE.
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Create! Paint, sew, write, take photos. Also, create wild, mystical living spaces.
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Practice, at home and elsewhere, speaking Truth to Power. You can begin by having whatever Fierce Conversations you need to have. (See Susan Scott's book, FIERCE CONVERSATIONS.)
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Read about women, including those in the STILL/WILD Tribe, who embody the S/W ethos; Women who have a dedicated STILL practice, and who are bringing about much-needed cultural change. Learn from them, as I do, and follow their example. We look to the women, now.
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Pray, if you happen to be a person who prays (either that or "set an intention," as they say) to find your own unique, change-making contribution. Trust that Way Will Open. Consider volunteering at various orgs in your community to see if the work they're doing lights you up. You'll know it - the work you're called to do - when you've found it. Important note: If you're a caretaker, currently - if you have young children, for instance - you are already engaged in WILD work. Then again, you and your children might find some change-making work to do together!
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Reach out to Sara if you feel so led!
WILD
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We begin with stillness. Then we live out loud.
Clearly, WILD manifests differently for all of us. We can touch the WILD dimension of our lives not only in the change-making realm, but also in physical and intellectual ones, for example. That said, in my experience, one can only have a dedicated STILL practice for so long before feeling inexorably called to some sort of change-making work - at home, at work, or on the world stage. (Think coaching, healing, social and political activism.) You'll find your way, and I'm happy to help. Begin by cultivating your own WILD nature, and then turn that fierce and compassionate energy outward. For more on entering into both the STILL and WILD dimensions of your life, see below.