Presence Matters

Spring is a time of year that in many cultures and traditions signals new growth. Coming out of the dormancy of the winter hibernation cycle, life returns as buds and light green shoots greet the longer days and warmer weather.

This winter was a particularly inward and focused one for me as I came down the home stretch on my book (stay tuned in the next blog for how to pre-order it!) Having spent hours upon hours in front of my computer, editing and organizing, I was particularly ready for spring to arrive this year! And, as good things seem to happen in threes I have three particularly rejuvenating things to share with you.

My first re-awakening experience was a delightful weekend in mid-April taught by Susan Harper called “Opening to the Mystery”. In one short, amazing weekend in Reston, VA. she got us all back in touch with our feet, our spines, our bellies, our movement possibilities and our awareness of the world around us. I have studied with her annually for over a decade and she continues to inspire and rejuvenate me. Thanks, Susan! For more information about her work and travels go to www.continuummontage.com

Then earlier this month over 200 people gathered in Jupiter Beach, Florida for the Beyond the Dura conference sponsored by The Upledger Institute, www.Upledger.com.

From the practical to the esoteric, there was something for everyone. From how to treat special needs children effectively using Sensory Integration techniques, all the way to beautiful slides on brain ventricular motility; from cutting edge immune system research, all the way to fascinating Jungian archetypes and how they effect ethics; from how to treat post-surgical cardio-thoracic patients in the hospital, all the way to drumming and hands-on table work; from mobilizing and feeling more in your own sacrum and experiencing how that gives you more skill in subtle palpation, all the way to acupuncture meridians and hands-on treatments. And there were many, many more – all of them excellent.

It was also a blast. The conference culminated Saturday night with a fabulous poolside dinner party with Dr. John Upledger playing piano with the live band, followed by hula dancers. Personally, I find this combination of intellectual stimulation, hands on work, seeing old and meeting new friends and colleagues from all over the world, and dancing the night away to be one of my favorite ways to learn and rejuvenate. The conference planners did a great job of varying the program so we were not sitting for hours and hours as so often happens at conferences. Being right on the ocean for walks in the morning and evening was also wonderful.

This conference continues to be a groundbreaker in the field of bodywork that has relevance for all of us. Attendance was plentiful from all the professions involved in CranioSacral, Lymph, Healing From the Core and Visceral therapies- from medical doctors to massage therapists. Go to the Upledger site www.BeyondtheDura.com to catch up on some of the great conference presentations and mark your calendars for the next one!

And last but not least, this week is one of my advanced level trainings, Expanding Present Moment Consciousness, at the historic Claymont Court mansion in Charles Town, West Va. This retreat is a delight to teach every spring. As the staff and I facilitate these advanced students in coming more into the present moment – using conscious awareness, breath, movement, hands-on work and sacred ceremony – we naturally get to drop more into the present moment ourselves. So this workshop is rejuvenating for me as well. Being out in the rolling hills of West Va. in late spring is a delight all on its own. Then add the excellent food and good company and it is a wonderful combination. I look forward to this retreat every May. For more information on this training and its prerequisites go to: www.healingfromthecore.com/advMay.shtml

I hope your spring has been awakening and growth producing as well.
More next time on the book I am currently finishing up.
Enjoy this gorgeous spring weather!

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