It’s spring in my home in the desert! The seasons can be subtly but nonetheless ecstatically exciting here. The hummingbird migration has returned and my feeder is back up to welcome them. Pockets of superbloom due to last year’s greater-than-average precipitation are thrilling and crazily beautiful. The winds have arrived, with dust, pollen, furniture-tossing forces, and the fears of wildfires.
The seasons always announce themselves, subtly or extravagantly, around the globe. They can feel new, but they also remind us of the cycle of life, the coming and going, the gifts that appear and the impermanence of it all. We can again feel appropriately small, and stand in humility.
We have our own personal seasons, too. Times of the year when we clean; times when we rest; times when we renew annual efforts and commitments. The best seasonal cycles have a sacred quality; they help us shape our life and express our values; they help us connect and withdraw as necessary; they provide us with time to reflect and discover that perhaps a non-seasonal kind of change may be called for now.
And most of our work lives have their own seasons. Schools have their semesters, large organizations have their budget cycles, and many service-oriented businesses are dependent on the societal cycles that define ebb and flow in their offerings.
My business has its seasons, too! Times of immense effort and engagement, and times when my business turns to me and says “Let’s take a break!” I’ve just left a very intense season for my business — two trainings, the Western Intensive, tax season. It’s been a lot. I can see rest coming in the months ahead, with summer in the desert.
But for right now, there is one final season before me and my business really take a break: Constellations for Individuals season! I’ve taught this five week class for many years, and it is reliably one of my favorite offerings, especially after the intensity and commitment of longer trainings. It’s five 3-hour Tuesday classes, in which we learn one way to bring systemic work to our 1:1 work as coaches, therapists, alternative healers and constellation facilitators, and then enjoy practice with fellow practitioners.
I often hear that this is one of the best continuing education opportunities for facilitators. This class is specifically designed to reinforce foundational principles; introduce practical and powerful ways of working with a wide variety of clients; and apply the learnings to practice with peers in a supportive and encouraging environment. In addition to the planned curriculum, I also respond to the interests and practical challenges of the participants, so that they can learn in a relevant and lively way.
This may be my favorite annual offering. It attracts a rich variety of constellation aficionados, as well as systemically-inclined coaches, therapists and alternative practitioners. People always leave with new friends and colleagues.
What is arising in your season or cycle? How can we find ourselves renewed by the regular return of certain patterns that support growth and gratitude? Please share on my blog below!
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