There's No Place
Like Home...
Greetings! May this Spring Equinox find you
well! A lot of water has passed under the covered bridge since our
last newsletter--I'd like to share with you our journey this past
year. It was a year filled with deepening relationships, an expanded
understanding of what we're doing, and a busy schedule--in August
and September we had seven events in as many weeks!
We brought Naka-Ima to Missouri, Breitenbush,
Seattle, Northern California, Grants Pass, and Vermont. Though Larry
and I felt honored to be invited to many new places and appreciate
all of you who made it happen and cared for us through our travels,
we felt most grounded and relaxed at Lost Valley. Returning from
one trip, I cried when we reached our driveway. We discovered that
for us, there really is no place like home. And so Larry's dream
of the bus tour has lost some of its urgency. Though we can see
it as a future possibility, we're personally not in any hurry to
go on the road.
December we sank back, relaxed, and then
planned for 2001. We met with Naka-Ima friends to discuss future
directions. This group acknowledged the importance and significance
of the spiritual aspects of the path we're on, and we had a dynamic
brainstorming session which ran rich with possibilities. We've already
implemented several ideas (see inside). To help us keep up with
the demands, and be able to plan more and shoot from the hip less,
we asked Abigail Leeder to work with us full time.
Abigail is a blessing. Not only is she a
day-to-day support for us, which she is in a profound way, she is
game for everything! She leads Naka-Ima Intros, holds the details
of who's assisting on what team and how many students are in upcoming
courses (as well as who they are, where they come from, what they
like for dinner, etc.). She talks to participants daily, and helps
organize each workshop. She is talented and grounded--a multifaceted
gem with a wild streak. Who could ask for more?
January's Naka-Ima transcended our previous
experiences. By Monday afternoon, the love and connection, the impact
of the weekend was so powerful I was overwhelmed. I found myself
grappling with the meaning of it all, and my place in it, knowing
this result was not about me or Larry. The energy and excitement
around Naka-Ima has grown this past year--it feels less like something
we're creating and more like we're riding a wave, a movement of
energy. This time, it felt to me like a tsunami! Not knowing how
to hold it, I had to surrender. I was awestruck.
Since then, Larry and I have had a whirlwind
of activity, blessings and intimacy. We went through a surprising,
intense breakthrough in our relationship, then on to give Naka-Ima
at Breitenbush for the second time. We dove into the Spirit of Relationship
which debuted February 10-11. The feedback has been encouraging
and a lot of good work was accomplished. We're using all we learned
to further develop the experience for the next time we offer it.
If there is enough interest, we're open to scheduling it again this
year.
At this point we're fairly swamped with folks
who want to assist--the teams are filling months in advance and
we have waiting lists. This is exciting, but also a challenge; we'd
like to have enough space for everyone. What we can offer is a full
and varied schedule with lots of opportunities to participate with
us and the Naka-Ima community. Naka-Ima groups have also been meeting
regularly in both Portland and Eugene, creating ever deepening community
based on the practice of honesty.
Naka-Ima:
. . . Is it for you?
Walking
through the Weekend...
Graduates
share their experience
Experience
at the Lost-Valley
History
of the Naka-Ima
Here-Now: Newsletter
Naka-Ima-Teachers
Registration
Schedule
Why?
!
