NATURE, MINDFULNESS, ARTS, LOVE AND CARE:
TOOLS FOR OUR SELF-HEALING
Claudia, Brazil
I had moved from Brazil to Australia and I was feeling quite lost when I sat in front of my computer with the intention to find something that could help me to soften the void I was feeling inside me. I didn’t have much clarity of what I was looking for, so randomly I surfed on the internet and a website of a Tibetan Buddhism nunnery caught my attention. This nunnery was founded by the admirable Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo but at that moment I had no clue who she was. Nevertheless, I kept scrutinizing her website and at some point I spotted the name of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists organization. These 2 words, “engaged” and “Buddhists” together hooked me immediately. From here it was easy to find the Awakening Leadership Training website. While reading the content of the course a wave of excitement arose in me, however it didn’t last long as I soon discovered that the 2017 program was almost finishing.

Without being put down by the initial frustration of having missed almost the entire course, in January 2018 I arrived in Thailand to attend the last module of the program. The course setting was well beyond my expectations. When I saw myself surrounded by coconut trees, in the middle of a peaceful (tourist free!) beach, listening the whisper of the wind and enchanted by the infinity of the sea, I thought: Wooww!! Despite my wonder about the location, I was about to perceive another ambience, an intriguing one. As I gradually got to know the participants of the course, I notice that the long term students had a different “vibe”. I couldn’t really grasp what was going on but they seemed to be radiant, strong, and I felt a very consistent bond between them, a sense of complicity. With curiosity and a bit of jealousy I kept observing them for a while. But before I knew it my attention was completely immersed in my own journey.
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During the 2 weeks of the TOT (Training of Trainers) program I experienced training as I never had before. Immersed in nature and in a such multicultural group, everything was an inspiration for learning. The days began with a body practice like QI Gon followed by a delicious breakfast at the beach, then all the participants meditated together in a big circle. This alone was enough to offer a big shift in our cognitive process as all our senses were being invigorated and not just our rational mind. This condition played a vital role in supporting us throughout the richness and intensity of the program. The classes were very stimulating, the topics were always about something meaningful to us. Everything was co-created, it validated our collective intelligence. Our classroom had no walls and the presence of the wind, the sea and the occasional pets was constantly reminding us that we are one with nature. There were no power-point presentations, only us creative beings exploring our abilities for playing, drawing, writing, improvising and summarizing. The course was entirely participatory and during this time I was challenged and invited to step out from my comfort zone to facilitate group processes. I gained strength being vulnerable learning how to deal with conflicts with an open heart instead of the old reactive way. It was inspiring witnessing my colleagues blooming, all in a very safe and supportive environment. When the course finished I had only one thing in mind, to come back for an extended period of time at the end of the year.
Back in Australia, I felt very sad thinking about our predominant education system that focuses almost exclusively on our rational mind, teaching us a piecemeal way of thinking based on distinction, separation, competition and individualism. An education system that devalues what makes us human: our creativity, intuition, spontaneity and ability to love and empathize. As consequence, we are now literally facing the collapse of our civilization and we can see how unresponsive we are against this scenario, a clear sign of a deep rupture inside us.



