In a Gentle Way You Can Shake Your World – early registration thru Feb 3 (Forks Over Knives tonight!)

Hi everyone,

This coming Wednesday, February 3, is the last day of early registration for In a Gentle Way You Can Shake Your World, a 5-session group series to learn and refine the practice of the method created by Dr David Berceli, Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises. (What is TRE?)

We are a highly traumatized culture, in denial about it, and it is dangerous. We desperately need a better understanding of trauma to enter the mainstream so we as a society might make better choices as to what we think of as solutions.

While the current race for US President stands out as an exceptionally good example of our culture’s trauma, it is by no means the only one worthy of recognition. It is the new norm in our society to live feeling chronically overwhelmed by the day-to-day routine, with most people not recognizing that as trauma. A human nervous system might beg to differ. Beyond overwhelm, we have come to applaud narcissistic grandiosity, disconnection and hyper-independence. Humiliation and bullying have become sources of entertainment, as if sports. It is easy to place blame externally and say if only so and so would do it differently, we could live in a better, healthier, happier existence.

For the transformation of our society, we need far more people willing to take a look inside, peering into their own inner state, even those who are activists seeking to make change outwardly – especially, activists seeking to make change outwardly.

For the good of us all, we need many more people able to live in a state of being well-grounded, solid in their connection to goodness. This is what best supports genuine, compassionate empowerment and has the best chance of positively influencing those around us. Emotional contagion goes both ways, and someone able to hold their ground without cutting off from their heart is a true gift in today’s world. We need more people with that capacity.

Nervous systems are funny things. It frequently takes more than a good line of reasoning to get a nervous system on board with a new plan of action. It takes more than the temporary discharge, release or relief that so many find in what they turn to for self-regulation. We need nervous systems that do more than just go up and down, stuck in a traumatized template, staying in their same pattern of cycles, over and over again.

We need nervous systems that grow into a capacity better suited to the extreme challenges of today’s world, are so able to stay grounded that they influence other nervous systems to do the same, and live in a healthy, human state where social engagement, empathically connecting with others, is the norm.

We need nervous systems that support being on the path to wisdom, staying grounded while expanding toward compassion for all.

Education is important. Yes, we need to keep seeking to raise awareness on important matters. Yes, we need to keep working for improvements within the system. But in such an imbalanced society, most people are not in a state of receptivity, and it’s not their fault. It’s not a character flaw for the most part. They can’t access receptivity. They just can’t get there because their physiology is stuck in running and re-running other more destructive patterns and cycles.

We need to interrupt and transform the paradigm. It will require engaging our own physiology differently and committing to the pursuit of this difference over the long-haul.

I invite you to join me for In a Gentle Way You Can Shake Your World – a 5-session TRE group that will begin next Saturday, February 5 in Newport Beach. For early registration by February 3, click here.

Also – a final reminder that the screening of Forks Over Knives is tonight — come join us 🙂

Hope to see you soon,

Barbara English, LMFT, CBT, TRE Certification Trainer
Co-founder and Executive Director, Living Ubuntu
livingubuntu.org
(949) 891-2005

[Ubuntu] n. Every human being truly becomes a human by means of relationships with other human beings

:::UPCOMING EVENTS:::

A Screening of Forks Over Knives (Living Vegan) – tonight!
Sunday, January 31, 6:30pm – 9:00pm
Irvine

TRE Group Shake
Thursday, February 4, 4:00pm – 5:00pm
Newport Beach

In a Gentle Way You Can Shake Your World – 5 sessions – early registration through February 3
Begins: Saturday, February 6, 9:30am – 11:30am
Newport Beach

Living Vegan meeting
Thursday February 11, 6:30pm – 8:00pm
1151 Dove Street #210, Newport Beach

Orange County for Climate Action (OCCA) Meeting
Wednesday February 17, 6:30pm – 8:00pm
1151 Dove Street #210, Newport Beach

Solar Energy Toward a Sustainable Orange County (OCCA)
Sunday, February 28, 6:30pm – 9pm
Irvine

Golden West College 10th Annual Peace Conference — more info soon!
Friday, April 22
Huntington Beach

Gene Baur at Soka University — more info soon!
Saturday, April 23, 9:30am – 12:00pm (with picnic vegan lunch outside afterward)
Aliso Viejo

Climate Rally — more info soon!
Sunday, April 24, time: TBD
Huntington Beach

TRE Certification Training, Module I – early registration through April 1
Friday, April 29 – Sunday May 1
San Diego