WITNESSING GROWTH
Bianca, USA
Awakening Leadership Training was one of the most illuminating and life changing programs I've participated in. Before going, I had a lot of hesitancy. I wasn't sure it felt right to travel so far to work with people I did not know, but I was quickly proven wrong. The Ecology Dimension (the only Dimension I participated in) was run by true teachers—people who practiced what they preached, people who were steeped in the sincerity and commitment that living a connected, spiritually-minded life requires.In turn, the program drew participants with these qualities. Facilitators had a way of bringing us together so that within days, we felt like a family. The support I felt during this month cannot be underestimated—it was exactly the type of container human beings need to grow, learn, and get in touch with their most genuine selves.
This feeling was critical, especially when it came to more challenging activities, like the Vision Quest. The program itself—the conscious order of the schedule, the slow build—managed to bring out a sense of self in each of us, so that support came not only from the teachers and guides around us, but from our own internal worlds. The growth that people experienced throughout the weeks was palpable—you witnessed it. This was a tremendous gift.Although sometimes the logistics of the program felt disorganized, this came to feel paltry once I actually felt the effect the program was having on me.
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Beyond this, the opportunity to spend time in an indigenous village was a singular experience. The homestay, the food we ate, the people we lived amongst, were as important to the program as the facilitators. The villagers reminded me that simplicity is a virtue—I carried this with me throughout my month in Thailand and continue to do so now that I've returned home. Before participating in ALT, I knew, intellectually, that the Earth will bring us back to ourselves. Now, I know this truth in my body, in my heart, I feel it. Should you open yourself to the community, to the love, that is available to you during this program, you will leave changed.
