Journey of the Heart - Sex and Spirituality - The F.A.C.T.S. of Love - Men's Retreats - Healing the Healer
| A Transformational Experience. In the modern, technologically advancing, linked-up, cellularlly connected, hyper-driven, informationally bombarded world of today, we seldom have the time to stop and smell the roses; much less to stop and examine who we are and who we are becoming. Yet, every sage, mystic and prophet, both of yesterday and today, has said we can never know true happiness, fulfillment or love until we first find it within ourselves. They have also said that we will not experience heaven on earth until we realize and reclaim our own Divine Natures. Journey of the Heart is a gentle, loving and fun 3-day weekend retreat, designed to give each participant, a deep and transformational spiritual experience of our Divine Natures. During this self-imposed ‘time out’, we have the opportunity to look into the deepest parts of ourselves and remember who we are and why we’re here. Some people liken the experience to awakening to or remembering the true nature of Love. In the experience, Faith is regained, Hope is restored, Strength is renewed and Joy is rediscovered. It is the next step in the genre of workshops dealing with personal / spiritual growth; and is the greater awareness we must realize if we desire to evolve in consciousness. For the last 25 years or so, personal growth workshops have worked mainly in the area of looking at what has occurred in one’s life and working to uncover the blessings that were hidden within the drama; and to help shift our thinking from- ‘the way it is’ – to- ‘limitless possibilities’. | Yet, regardless of the number of new ways in which we reframe our lives or the amount of possibilities we discover in them, without a transformational shift at the fundamental level of our being, the same issues, simply dressed in different clothing, continue to surface year after year. This points to a basic flaw in the deepest part of our belief systems, and is a mistaken perception that has not been effectively or completely dealt with. This limiting factor in our fundamental belief system is the deep-rooted belief that we are not good enough or worthy enough. To be able to ‘personally grow’ beyond this sense of not being good enough or worthy enough, will not occur without a radical shift in consciousness. There is a passage in the Bible attributed to Jesus where he said, “Know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” During Journey of the Heart, we will have the opportunity to experience this deep and abiding truth, which will overshadow all of our histories, stories, fantasies, struggles, doubts and fears. Journey of the Heart also offers a road-map through the seven distinct levels of consciousness, all the way from innocence to mastery. This is a tool that we can immediately put to use in navigating our way through the ‘darkness’ and into the Light. If there is further information or references you would like, please give me a call, fax me or email me (jbigelow@impulse.net). I look forward to the opportunity to be of service to you and your organization. |
| We are all sexual creatures. Sex itself may be one of the greatest and most precious gifts we’ve been given. Ninety-nine percent of people in the world are fascinated and in awe of the miracle of procreation and birth. At the same time, a good portion of that same ninety-nice percent are hung-up, confused, guilty, embarrassed, resentful and / or angry about the act that produces that same awesome event. The world seems to be in agreement that sex is useful and necessary as a function of creating life; and so long as the act is confined to that purpose, all is well. However, somewhere beyond that, and that somewhere varies from person to person, but somewhere just beyond the missionary position, lurks danger, nastiness and abhorrent behavior. People live in denial and shame about their sexuality and the thoughts that accompany that heart-pounding event. Many people don’t see it as a gift at all, but rather a lower aspect of the human condition that needs to be overcome; which is not surprising in a culture founded on the Judeo-Christian, Quaker / Puritanical belief systems. | However, until we come to grips with our sexuality and learn to view it as a blessing and a gift, we are forever limited in our spiritual progression. For the path to self-awareness is not a path of denial, but rather a path of exploration, trial and error and open, honest communication which leads us to understanding. This 4-hour workshop is an open and frank conversation designed to assist those people on a spiritual path to negotiate, comprehend and understand the role that sex has in our spiritual growth. The workshop is conducted in a safe and non-invasive manner, allowing the participants the freedom to participate in the conversation to whatever degree they choose to. It is also done in such a way that no one in the room knows who in the room has voiced the particular question or concern. This allows the participants the freedom to question, respond and explore, while still maintaining anonymity and confidentiality. |
| Most of us got ‘the birds and the bees’ lecture from our parents that lasted all of 5 or 10 minutes. With this information we were now supposed to be able to go forth and multiply, or not multiply, as the case may be, safely and fully prepared. What ‘s even more frightening is that most of us didn’t receive even a miniscule amount of information about the F.A.C.T.S. of Love. The F.A.C.T.S. of Love are those pieces and elements that are necessary in creating and maintaining powerful, passionate, honoring, mutually satisfying, spontaneous and expanding relationships. This not only applies to our love relationships, but to all of the relationships we have in our life. | In this 4-hour workshop we will discuss the 5 keys to creating and identifying the relationship we’ve always wanted. And, perhaps more importantly, we will also discover the next 5 keys that we need to employ once we have manifested that relationship. These are the required ingredients necessary to keep our relationships healthy, vibrant and alive. This is a fun, not-threatening and extremely useful workshop for young and old alike. Whether currently in a relationship or not, this is the information which should have been ours from the very beginning of our adventures into love. Come and spend 4-hour exploring the F.A.C.T.S. of Love. Your loved ones will thank you. |
| What makes this retreat special? The intention of all personal / spiritual growth workshops is to help each participant wade through the layer upon layer of self-imposed illusion, and rediscover and reclaim their ‘authentic self’. Another way to say that would be, to discover the truth that will set us free, or to awaken to our Higher nature. The problem is that the layers of self imposed limitation and disguises are so familiar and safe, that it proves to be quite difficult to know what is authentic. Another limitation in the classroom style of workshop, is that the only information we have to work with are the feelings, memories and stories of our past, which we then try to convey with the highly subjective vehicle of language. So, there we are, trying to discover the truth in a subjective and somewhat hypothetical atmosphere. The power of a workshop done in retreat, is that we will be in what one could call, “real time.” Because we will be on a ropes course, both on low events (just a couple of feet off the ground) and on high events ( some 30-40 feet high). Here the pulse beats quicker and the layers of inauthenticity vanish like a cobweb put to a flame. | Add to the ropes course experience, a Native American sweat lodge, with all of its intense physical, emotional and spiritual dynamics, and again we have ‘real time’ action, which calls forward the authentic self. To what degree are we run by our egos? How afraid are we of failure? How do we approach the unknown? What is our level of self-worth? Who are we in relationship to fear and danger; and what are our fears based in? What is our level of trust with other men, and with women? What has the inauthentic self been a mask for? What face are we afraid the world might see? This kind of self-examination taking place in the moment it is occurring, leads to understanding, release, healing and wisdom. Then the questions become: What is true power? How much power is available to me, right now? How would I use this power? The opportunities for ‘real time’ awakenings are endless. Steve Roberts, who runs the camp, is someone that I have know for a number of years and have worked with on the ropes course on several occasions. His #1 focus is safety! Which leaves me free to focus on my #1 goal- your freedom! If your pulse begins to quicken and your palms begin to sweat with the thought of signing up for a retreat of this nature, it’s because Spirit is calling you to it. |
| One of the most difficult things for professional people to do, especially those in positions of being the final authority in their respective organizations, such as Ministers, Doctors, Therapists, Judges, Attorneys, CEOs, etc., is to remain healthy in body, mind and spirit. A pretty good indicator of this fact is that the average life expectancy for a MD, is a startling 58 years! The adage, “Physician, heal thyself,” comes to mind. Or in the case of a minister or practitioner it might be, “Metaphysician, heal thyself!” There is great truth in that old adage and, at the same time, great danger. The truth is we can heal ourselves. The danger occurs when we lose perspective and can’t distance ourselves from the problem or situation in order to get a clear picture of what is needed. This is when it can be difficult, often impossible, to heal one’s self. The alternative to healing one’s self is to put your life and well-being into someone else’s hands for a time; to once again become the student. Of the different professional groups, about the only one that is willing to put themselves into someone else’s hands on a regular basis, are athletes. Consider Tiger Woods, who is without question, one of the greatest golfers of this or any other time. He knows that in order to keep his game and his mind consistent and clear, he needs to have an ongoing relationship with a coach. He needs to regularly adopt the student ‘s mindset and look at himself and his game through the eyes of another professional. However, this alternative, for many of the other professions, is often met with great resistance. The person who has spent so much time living in a paradigm where they are considered as, and expected to be, ‘the-one-who-knows’, often begin to believe it, or at least expect it, of themselves. They can lose perspective about who, what and where they are as they are caught up in the swirl of the day-to-day activities of life. The Senior Minister of a medium sized, well established church recently went through a divorce. His congregants became very upset to find out that he wasn’t perfect; that this life wasn’t all sunshine and roses and that in spite of all his great teachings, he too experienced pain, anger, confusion and grief. Their lack of understanding only compounded an already difficult time and situation. On top of that, many of those congregants decided they could no longer study with him since he wasn’t everything they thought he should be. He might have simply chalked it up to the fickleness of the public, or to the way in which people often choose sides in a divorce; but the loss of income and membership could not be dismissed quite so easily. The membership and income loss created problems with his board. This in turn caused problems with the landlord, suppliers, etc. In other words, it went from bad to worse. Perhaps, worst of all, his means of emotional support were no longer there. In times like these, it would be such a blessing to be able to take sanctuary in a compassionate, nurturing and healing environment, with the time and space to release and be healed? To be able, for a time, to step out of the role as ‘the-one-who-knows’ and just be; with all our humanness, frailty and uncertainty, and return to the ‘real world’ renewed and reinspired? What often stands in the way of this kind of connection is that most people are often very guarded and suspicious of others. | Especially if they are a professional and are supposed to be the one with the answers. After all, what would people think if they were to express their true feelings, if they were to let the mask slip, to be vulnerable and human? Would they still be respected? Would they be talked and gossiped about? What would become of their reputations and their organizations if it got out that they weren’t what others thought they should be? Our guarded and suspicious natures and not unfounded. Most people know the embarrassment and humiliation that accompanies the experience of betrayal and of being judged and gossiped about. And yet, life truly is a paradox; for without the intervention of someone outside of our own domain, without taking the risk to intimately connect with our equals and find and express our commonality, we are left alone to do the best we can. We struggle to get by and keep our image intact. Living life in this isolated fashion makes it easy to become separated, distant, numb, resentful, depressed, cynical or angry. It can also lead to more serious consequences such as broken relationships, heart attacks, strokes or addictions. People lose their passion, or they change locations, or they get so burnt-out they just leave their profession altogether. It’s interesting to note that in many organizations, such as Shanti, an organization which assists people and families during and through the dying process, their people are mandated to make use of support groups, healing circles, retreats, etc. to maintain and promote their own well-being. Meanwhile, ministers who do the same kind of work and much, much more are not required to do anything to support their well-being. Consider the actual investment of dollars that is spent on, and by, a person to get an undergraduate degree, a Master’s, perhaps even a Doctorate. Then to train that person in an apprenticeship or residency program; and finally the additional dollars spent learning and growing in one’s field. The actual costs would be staggering. Today’s cost for training a Senior Minister is about $20,000 - $30,000. When one considers that a senior minister is not only an inspirational teacher, counselor and healer, but also the CEO of their respective organization, the price tag for such a person becomes hard to estimate. All of the time, money and energy required to train new people to replace those very qualified, experienced, once deeply passionate professionals, who however, are burnt-out, could have been avoided with some safe, gentle and supportive intervention. One week, once a year, in a place designed and committed to Heal the Healers; and, at a fraction of the cost of ‘making’ a new model! The 4 Key Steps that are necessary to be able to return to the world as a healthy, fully functioning person are: 1. Relaxation Time to breathe deeply! Take a well earned rest. Be nurtured, loved and supported. 2. Reevaluation / Reconnection Who, what and where have I been? Where am I headed? What’s working and what’s not? Is my vision still clear? 3. Release Let it all go. Surrender, let Spirit take control. Be a peace. 4. Renewal Ready to return to the world, enthused and energized, passionate and directed, whole, perfect and complete! |
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