40 Days of Spiritual Practice

Who: 7 gifted spiritual practitioners will lead a series of spiritual practice circles for 40 days, beginning in January 2023. Resonance Network participants who received the invitation are welcome to join these circles—and also invite chosen beloveds to join.

What: These five circles will delve into themes of: core embodiment, art as spiritual practice, somatic listening, Tai Ji, and music as spiritual practice. (Learn more about each practice circle below.)

We invite you to choose the circle that resonates most for you.

When: Practice circles will convene in early January and will gather at least four times during the following 40 days. Anticipated gathering dates and times are listed under each practice offering below.

Where: All circles will meet remotely—connection details and meeting schedule will be shared by each individual circle facilitator upon registration.

Registration deadline: Jan 12, 2023

Donations: 40-Days of Spiritual Practice is being offered by Spiritual Alchemy (fiscally sponsored by the Idaho Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence), in conjunction with Collective Acceleration. Your optional donation goes towards our ability to continue to provide heart-centered, embodied, spiritually-based offerings that empower and ground community.

To make a donation, please click here and choose “40 Days of Spiritual Practice” from the drop-down menu, along with your chosen donation amount.

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Practice Circle Offerings:

Tai Ji in Beloved Community | Offered by Larisa Benson, Kelli Prescott, Beckie Masaki
This practice is offered with love from a group of practitioners that meet weekly each Friday throughout the year. We open each session with a warm welcome and move into 25 minutes of tai ji set to music, following a simple 10-step tai ji routine shared with us by Norma Wong. (You can (p)review the ten steps in this short video.) We invite folx to root into a form of spiritual practice that enlivens us, keeps us grounded, connected and gives us strength to be more free and happy. If you enjoy embodied ways of dreaming into collective movement, come breathe and move with us. All are welcome!*

*we joyfully adjust to welcome anyone with special abilities – just let us know during registration.

Introductory Session: Friday, January 20, 60 min, at 7am HT / 10am PT / 11 am MT / 12pm CT/ 1pm ET (for folks who may be new to the practice, this session will offer a teaching of the 10-step sequence)

Practice Sessions: 7, 30-minute sessions on Fridays
Session Dates: Jan 20, Jan 27, Feb 3, Feb 10, Feb 17, Feb 24, and Mar 3
Session Time: 8am HT / 11am PT / 12pm MT / 1pm CT / 2pm ET

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Ground, Release & Move | Offered by Tammy Johnson

“Core strength is necessary so that we can go beyond our training. It means that on a day-to-day basis the core strength is embodied, and we are strengthening as we go. Core strength cannot be a metaphor.” ~Norma Wong

The four sessions will focus on the role that our bodies play in centering our purpose using Tammy’s Ground, Release and Move technique. All bodies are welcomed and respected. Participants will be provided with various movement options, and the choice to be on or off video during the sessions. Attending all sessions will be helpful but is not essential.

Workshop review: “Thank you for the beautiful workshop. It was so transformative on countless levels. I deeply appreciated your invitation for each of us to explore what would resonate as our centers in our bodies. Working with our purpose statements was so potent with movement. I would love to join more of your workshops. The flow of integrating Norma’s teachings was gorgeous and so accessible.”

Session Length: 4, 90-minute sessions on Wednesdays
Session dates: Feb 8, Feb 15, Feb 22, and Mar 1
Session Times: 12:30pm HT / 3:30pm PT / 4:30pm MT / 5:30pm CT / 6:30pm ET

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Art as Spiritual Practice | Offered by Cristy Chung

Art, spirit, energy, and your nervous system! An invitation to bring your whole fabulous self to this art-based practice circle. A place to play, have fun and explore ways to deepen your spiritual practice. We’ll ask ourselves, “how might we be our strongest selves to do our most badass work in these beautifully complex and often overwhelming times?” Together we will create a space for discovery and emergence. Through multiple art mediums we’ll explore storytelling, inner knowing, centering practices, interrupting habits, our nervous systems, breath, and movement. This space is for everyone who is curious about and interested in art as a spiritual practice. P.S. No need to know a thing about art, just come and play.

Supplies: Each class will have recommended supplies that will be shared the week before each class. Nothing fancy and we can always adapt. Following are some of the items we will likely want to play with: watercolor paints, paint brushes, watercolor paper, color pencils, markers, colorful paper, magazines, photographs, candles, drawing paper.

Session Length: 4, 90 minute sessions on Thursdays
Session Dates: Jan 26, Feb 9, Feb 16, Feb 23
Session Time: 9am HT / 11am PT / 12pm MT / 1pm CT / 2pm ET

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Movement and Mapping: Deep Somatic Listening Practice | Offered by Crystal Harris

We are human beings, not human doings, and our bodies have powerful stories to tell. This time together is a gentle invitation to explore deep somatic listening, a transformative practice focused on trusting and connecting to our body’s healing wisdom as a spiritual practice.

In our time together, you are invited into a radical self-care practice of slowing down, deepening our breath, and being present with our nervous systems. Through gentle movement practices and shared learning, we will explore strategies for increasing our nervous system flexibility. This will support us in cultivating greater presence in our relationship with ourselves and each other while expanding our capacity to respond with intention. All are welcome to attend; no prior experience with yoga or somatics is needed.

Session Length: 6, 1-hour sessions on Thursdays
Session Dates: Jan 19, Jan 26, Feb 2, Feb 9, Feb 16, and Feb 23
Session Time: 1pm PT / 2pm MT / 3pm CT / 4pm ET

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Music as a Spiritual Practice | Leta Harris Neustaedter of Metamorphosis Studio

When you think of “music” what comes to mind? Do you feel a rhythm emerge from within? Do you hear a soaring melody line? Are there certain instruments that draw you in? Does this change depending on your mood? And what about the music inherent within nature, the water, the wind, the deep rumblings of a volcano…In this practice circle we will explore different purposes of ceremonial music including joy/celebration, spiritual ascension, grief/sorrow, release/cleansing and strength/fortitude. We will tap into what types of music are resonating with each of us individually in the moment, and how that music impacts us. Finally, we will dabble in a few fundamental music theory concepts to enhance our cultivation of music as a tool for healing and expansion.

Supplies: Journal/notebook, art supplies in case you are moved to art, comfy clothes in case you are moved to move.

Session Length: 4, 90-minute sessions on Wednesdays
Session Dates: Jan 18, Feb 1, Feb 15, Mar 1
Session Time: 8am HT / 10am PT / 11am MT / 12n CT / 1pm ET