The Medicine of Community: Letting Ourselves be Seen

I’m convinced that the evolution of humanity and our Earth experience depends on us remembering our interconnection, our co-evolution, our interwoven destiny. In other words: Remembering Community. Community invites us to witness others and to be witnessed ourselves. It invites that mirror of truth, that outer reflection to clarify the internal waters within. When we can be truly seen in our full selves, our struggles, our pleasure, all of it, we have the opportunity for deep healing. We all have the desire to be seen. It’s an innate human need. And we each find various methods to get this need met, whether overtly or covertly. Even if you’re shy or don’t like to be in the spotlight, I guarantee that deep down there is a craving for someone to reallysee you for who you are. So in community we let ourselves not only be seen, but be celebrated. We allow ourselves to receive support, acknowledgement, and be listened to. In the Golden Stone Graduate Community this month we’re exploring the idea of receiving abundance. With all the abundant energies that are pouring out from the Earth right now, are we available to truly receive? Like on a cellular level? Receptivity is another flavor of being able to be seen. Receiving eyes on you, receiving support, receiving the message that you’re worthy enough to be seen. I’ve witnessed an imbalance in the current of giving and receiving, both in myself, others, and the society at large, much of which stems from a deep feeling of unworthiness and unbelonging which plagues our modern culture. This can show up in many different ways, the shadow aspects of our unintegrated unworthiness guiding us to overly give or martyr ourselves, have an addiction to receiving love and external validation, take or grasp at others and the Earth without permission, manipulate others (covertly or overtly) in order to get our needs met, and so much more. In order to heal the shadow dynamics we have to get practiced in asking permission to take, receiving unconditionally, and giving unconditionally. It is through these practices where we can track the feelings, states, and beliefs that arise in order to discover our own flavor of this unworthiness. This is where Earth connection, the help of the plants and other spirit guides, and our human community can step in as helpful supports in this process.

PRACTICE:

Entering into the current of giving and receiving intentionally with the beings of the Earth and our non-human kin can often help us practice these dynamics in a more pure and less conflicted or complicated way.

This practice is two-fold. I suggest exploring these experiences on different occasions. Notice which one immediately sounds and feels easier in your body, and which feels more edgy or less “fun.” (It’s all good information as to where along this giving-receiving spectrum may use some extra love!)

Practice giving to the Earth with no expectation in return. Leave an offering for a tree as you pass by, say a prayer or sing to the river, build an earth altar, clean up trash, or leave water out for the honey bees.
Stand outside on the bare earth, with bare feet. Drop your awareness down to the the point of connection between you and Earth. Without trying, or needing to “do” anything, see if you can practice receiving the Earth. Let the Earth rise into your body and meet you. Let your body soften and settle into the connection here. You don’t have to try, you don’t have to do. Just breathe, and soften into this experience of receiving what the Earth is offering you.

When we get practiced with the exchange of these energies, our communities thrive. And when we come together in community, our healing amplifies. We can lean in and lean on one another, and also receive through their experiences as well as our own. If you’re craving community, and if you’re desiring a greater pulse of connection with yourself and the wider Earth community, take a peek at The Golden Stone Wisdom School, a truly transformational 6-month experience. What struck me most about hearing feedback from the past students, was that so much of what impacted them about the school was the community:

“I benefited so much from simply getting to know my fellow students. Hearing their struggles and triumphs brought both joy and compassion at times, and with that, a renewed sense of kinship with the world. To sum it up in a word, I gained a beautiful sense of belonging from being part of the GSWS. Especially in the last few years, a lot of people have felt a sense of isolation and dislocation (at least I did). So it was healing for me to enter a space with a group of strangers and build a loving and supportive space for us all to simply be together.” - Thea

“The opportunity to come together as a community once a week ensured that I was thinking deeply about the material. I was exploring new pathways - everything from how to better connect with my chakras and aura, to how to connect to the plant world, to working with the spirit guides and reaching out to ancestors. All of this was an amazing journey. And the opportunity to connect with folks each week was something I really looked forward to and benefited from a lot.” - Debra

“The community support was a big part for me. Just to hold space for each other and to be gentle with each other. That was a big takeaway for me.” - Jolett

I’d love for you to be a part of this coalescing community.

Enrollment for this next round of the Golden Stone Wisdom School is now open.

We begin 9/20/22

Spaces are limited to maintain the integrity of a close-knit community.