As women, we have particular ways of experiencing and relating to the world around us; we have inherited certain gifts and wounds from our ancestors, and have been shaped and affected by historical and cultural paradigms and circumstances. In our own lives, we have unique ways of striving to help, heal, and create.  Our bodies and our emotions carry stories, wisdom, purpose, and power.  Our care for the world—for life, for justice—may take many different forms, but it is innate within us.

In this workshop, we will work together as women to deepen our capacity for resilience in challenging times, and unprecedented global crises.  The Work That Reconnects is a body of work created by Joanna Macy and colleagues, designed to support and empower us as humans to build a better world, in the face of great suffering, overwhelm, and hopelessness. We work with the idea of Active Hope - it is not a blind faith that things will get better, but rather a process of acknowledging where we are, identifying our hoped-for future, and taking active steps in that direction.

The Work That Reconnects is a collection of exercises that we do with each other to help us remember our humanity. It supports us in remembering what we care about, and why, and helps us use our challenging emotions to inspire and empower us to act on behalf of Life, within our own communities.  It helps us feel more human, less alone, more resourced, more capable, and more in touch with our care for life and the incredible wonder of being a human alive at this time.  It helps us see our individual actions as a part of a much larger story unfolding, and inspires us to build a better world for future generations.

This particular workshop will look specifically at the experience of being a woman, and how we feel, experience, and make sense of what is happening in the world.  We will draw strength and insight from previous generations as well, exploring our unique stories as women in the context of global crises.  Where are our gifts, strengths, and joys in this life? What breaks our hearts? What are we motivated and inspired to act on behalf of? How can our emotion serve us in catalyzing change?  What resources do we have, where does our true power come from, and how can we make a difference? These are some of the ideas we will explore together.

This workshop is open to anyone who identifies as female, and/or is comfortable being part of a group that we will collectively refer to as “women.”  Please feel free to invite other women in your own communities.

Sliding scale donation $20-25 (€19-24 euros)

To register, email Anna Swisher at swishie76@gmail.com. 

Donations can be made via PayPal, Venmo, or bank transfer.  Zoom link will be sent after registration is complete.