JOIN AN AWAKENING PRACTICE CIRCLE!
“We are all walking each other home.” Ram Dass
When: Every Thursday at 7-8:30 pm (Pacific Time)
Where: In person in Comox Valley, Vancouver Island, BC
What: Based on the upcoming book “Wake the F Up,” by Maureen Fitzgerald PhD, a small group will meet weekly (for 8 weeks) and walk through the five steps in that book, namely.
Realize your life is a journey
Notice and release your thoughts
Transcend your egoic mind
Integrate your shadow/pain-body
Go beyond your mind
Benefits:
· Learn how your mind works
· Learn powerful skills to navigate life and difficulties
· Gain the support of others in the process of awakening
· Experience “directly” a shift in awareness and awakening
What is expected from you? You only need show up and be willing to participate. Some skill in sitting in silence and listening is useful.
Cost: Drop in. By donation.
How to sign up: Go to www.MaureenFitzgerald.com and use the Contact page.
Your facilitator: Maureen is a recovering lawyer, author and change agent. She fell into dark night of the soul several years ago and engaged in years of study and practicing the wisdom literature. She discovered “the truth” which is that the secret to happiness is in your mind, not external to you. And that it is possible to awaken to your mind by “doing the work” to get back to your true nature. She follows the mystics in all traditions and wrote a book “Wake the F Up- An Essential Guide to Awakening” that describes a five -step process of waking up.
“Things never come together. Things never get solved. They come together then fall apart. Over and over like waves. The joy comes from allowing it all to be felt. And leaving room for it all to unfold.” Pema Chodron
More information on the five-steps and the process
Here is a more detailed description of the five steps for those who are curious.
Step 1. Realize your life is a journey and take full responsibility for all that happens to you. You will learn to see each difficulty as an opportunity to wake up and become more whole.
Step 2. Surface your hidden thoughts and come to see that your thoughts are impacting your actions and that you can choose and release them.
Step 3. Observe your egoic mind (your protective personality) and see how it harms you through fear and by engaging in habits like judging and blaming (to keep you “safe”). You will transcend the ego by observing it in action.
Step 4. Surface your shadow and your unconscious beliefs and fears that are driving your behaviour. You will do shadow-work to heal/integrate your false fears and beliefs.
Step 5. Practice methods that take you beyond the mind, namely spacious presence; surrender, conscious suffering and self inquiry. These techniques both circumvent and bust your egoic mind so you can witness your true Self, awakened.
The circle process
The five step process involves recalling an irritation and using it as an opportunity to investigate and wake up. The five steps can also be described in the form of questions, such as:
Am I taking full responsibility?
Is it my thinking?
Is it my egoic mind (protective personality)?
Is it my shadow and subconscious fears and beliefs?
Can I go beyond my mind and be fully awake and present?
At the end of the five steps you will not only better understand yourself and how your mind works but also be more skilled at resolving real life problems and improve your relationships. You will be better able to deal with difficulties as they arise.
More importantly you will realize your natural awakened state in which you will feel more alive, clear minded and loving. Slowly you will feel more connected to yourself, to others and to all life on the planet. Your sense of separation will dissolve. and slowly evolve into a higher state of consciousness where you will experience more joy, peace, happiness and love. In other words you will be more awake.
Join me today. It will be fun!
Join an awakening practice circle