“while our society’s goal is betterment of the self,
it is not a narcissistic self toward which we aspire,
but a connected self,
rooted in a loving transformative community.
it is because of our participation in the WE
that we learn to be an I.
“in our communities, we not only learn how to love and grow,
we learn how to forgive, negotiate, compromise, yield, or stand our ground.
imperfect communities teach us
how to love and care for others, how to listen,
and how to share our deepest thoughts and feelings.
They teach us consideration for others,
the limitations of the self,
and again, even most importantly,
how to be an I in the midst of a WE,
how to maintain a healthy individuality
when the pressure to conform to a majority is strong.”
~ Philip Gulley
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June 26 | Special Event Series
Walking The Labyrinth + Gentle Yoga
celebrating our community —
with new friends and old
tending to body, heart and mind
with movement, mindfulness + meditation
feasting on soul-nourishing food + fellowship!
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July 10 | Walking The Labyrinth
Heavy hearts make leaden feet, I remarked after practice.
We were a small group that Sunday morning, and could
have easily completed the meditation within thirty minutes.
But we spiraled slowly inward, then out —
walking with the weight of personal sorrows
compounded by those of the community and country
raw from the heinous brutalities
we witnessed in the days before we met.
An hour later, we emerged from our silent pilgrimage
still tender but together.