Found Something Cool
Dear Lava and Dance Lovers,
First of all, thanks to everyone who has signed up early for December Lava. Really appreciate it. That is making it easy for us to plan with our cook, and also to test our new system. I’ve been tweaking the website daily because of everyone’s suggestions. For instance, it is now really really easy to find the address to just send in a check. We have also worked out some bugs in the shopping cart (for our online payers).
And by the way, to make it SUPER easy… checks go to “Live at Lava” PO Box M, Salmon Idaho 83467
“It takes a village to put on a retreat!” (hee hee)
Spring Lava
Spring dates are now set for the last full weekend in April, which will be April 26-28, 2013. Our original plan was to have the spring retreat in May (like we did this last spring). We then found out that it was bumping up against Canyonlands. And we don’t want to do that! If we set our date that late, then Canyonlands gets pushed into a time when it is too hot down there in the desert.
Moving to April also gets us into a time when the motel rates in Lava won’t be so high. And speaking of which, Wayne is working to negotiate some discounts for motels for us, to help everyone keep their costs low.
Individual Sessions
We are really making an effort this year to encourage more local people to come join us during the weekend. Carol Hanson is one of our best inspirations for this because she lives right there in Pocatello and has a good pulse on what will help new people come.
So we have set up a per-session cost. In order to really encourage lots of fresh folks to come, the cost will be $10 per dance session and bring a friend for free! Folks will be able to pay at the door, and I have also set up a shopping cart page on the website so they can preregister. Of course, and obviously… the per session cost doesn’t include food. That would be too crazy for our cook!
I found something cool that I want to share with you all.
First of all, hope you love this picture! What a fantastic shot! And here’s me seriously hoping that this babe turned around before birthing day!
Click on the picture and you will go to a fabulous article that will warm the hearts of all dance lovers. It’s about a tribe in Africa where every baby gets their own song which is sung to them throughout their lives by the community.
Here’s the link in case the picture doesn’t work… http://www.evolutionarycollective.com/blog/2012/singing-song/(link is external)
The link goes to a website for a new perspective being brought into the world by some friends of mine back east. My hope is to someday bring the dances into what they are doing as it seems like such a great fit.
They are calling this the “Evolutionary Collective” and it is about a new way for people to come together. In fact it sounds very much like what happens in our dance circles – particularly during those blessed moments when the dance is moving and harmonizing.
Evolutionary Collective Organizing Principles
Here’s a link to the organizing principles of the Evolutionary Collective: http://www.evolutionarycollective.com/about/principles-practices/(link is external)
They speak so sweetly to us though, that I’ve gone ahead and copied them off their website so you can easily read through them.
TRUTH & AUTHENTICITY: We are authentic and truthful with each other and ourselves. We do not withhold or alter the truth for gain or to protect anything.
ASPIRATION & INSPIRATION: We give ourselves full permission to aspire to all things good, true, and beautiful. We aim to inspire each other, no matter what the content or object of our dealings.
OPENNESS & INFLUENCE: We are open and intend to influence each other in ways that are mutually empowering and transformative. We pay attention and acknowledge the influence made in our relationships.
CONTRIBUTION: We acknowledge our role as architects of a new cultural level of consciousness and manifestation. We are a sample of the water and represent what is needed for this discovery.
CURIOSITY: We do not take fixed positions, but remain open and explore different perspectives. We are courageous, willing and curious, and continually inquire into all aspects of our experience and the world, both individually and together. When in doubt, we ask rather than assume.
IMPERSONALITY: We know that most of life is not personal. Our perspective acknowledges the divine impersonality of all.
PERSONALNESS: We recognize and are attuned to the person with whom we are relating. We are open to truly touching and seeing each other deeply and specifically. We create a field of kindness, sensitivity, attunement, and intimacy. We neither project, nor view others in any generic way or as an object or someone to be used.
RESPONSIBILITY: We act from our wholeness. We take full responsibility for our selves and our karma. We approach life, not by trying, but by really doing our best now. We take responsibility in the present for the consequences of what has happened in the past. Even if we were victimized in the past, we are not victims about it now.
GENEROSITY: We share with and empower one another and others. We give what we can in any moment, rather than coming from consuming, taking, or acquiring.
NATURAL AUTHORITY: We respect the natural gifts and authority of others and are happy to exercise authority in circumstances where we have mastery.
WILLINGNESS & COURAGE: We come from willingness and courage, even in the face of fear, anger, and other emotional states that are difficult. We have a real YES and a real NO that arise from the true self.
MUTUALITY: Our work is based in mutuality on all levels and in each moment. Mutuality is the interface of our souls – the confluence of our consciousness and the commingling that occurs while experiencing our true autonomy.
FULL ENGAGEMENT: We are fully engaged in our relationships, the collective field, and ongoing process of the evolutionary collective.
MANIFESTATION: We engage in deliberate conscious co-creation while growing and navigating the polarity field of intention and allowing.
Thanks for reading and hope to see you soon!
Zareen