Tag Archives: Peace

Announcing the birth of the Children’s Peace and Nature Labyrinth Design

Posted on April 23, 2014 | Leave a comment
Jerry Etzkorn and Renee Lindstrom have done it ​*again!  They have
collaborated and created the Children’s Peace and Nature Labyrinth Design for the ​Contemplative Workshop at the ​World Children’s ​Summit on ​Peace and Nature  in May, 2015.  ​Renee had the idea of creating a Labyrinth design that children of the future could make their own  and Jerry magically turned ideas into amazing and creative results.

This labyrinth design has an entrance at the base of the trunk
and an exit at the top of the branches.  It was specifically designed
this way for the movement and contemplation program for the
World Children’s Summit while keeping the traditional four directions.

 

Enjoy the beauty in this pattern.  This design will be available in a  30 foot by 30 foot painted portable indoor labyrinth by November 1, 2014

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Children's Peace & Nature Labyrinth

*Jerry and Renee collaborated in the fall of 2013 on a heart shape labyrinth design for wedding ceremonies.  .

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Season for Peace

Posted on December 11, 2012 | Leave a comment

16th Annual Gandhi – King Seasons for Peace & Nonviolence – 64 Ways in 64 Days

Welcome to the announcement launching the 16th focused Season for Nonviolence that begins January 30th on the anniversary of  Gandhi’s  passing and ends on April 4, the anniversary of   Martin Luther King’s passing.   I am hoping that you are visiting this page as you are interested in ways you can personally participate or create events for your community!

64 Ways in 64 Days is a program that is being offered by an International group that has spent years collaborating resulting in a beautiful system for bring personal awareness to self-responsibility.

  • receive a daily reflection quote for yourself, organization, teen or child
  • take part in a learning programs during the season
  • create a program for your organization with ease through following guides

Some example programs:

  • Daily Affirmations • Quotations • Practices • Reflections 

The Season for Nonviolence’s foundational program, 64 Ways in 64 Days offers many ways for individuals to practice nonviolence throughout the Season. Here you can find materials for teens, children, group activities, public service announcements, formatted booklets, and a maṇḍala meditation tool.

  • Book Study • Key Concepts • Discussion Questions • Practice Exercises 

• 9 Weeks or Sessions
Based on the revolutionary book by His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, this self-organizing group course adapted, from a study guide created by the Dalai Lama Foundation, is perfect for church or community groups of any size. In each session, participants will review two chapters from, Ethics for the New Millennium as the starting point for an in-depth exploration of ethics in our own lives and how these can be applied to transformation in our communities.

YOUR PARTICIPATION:

If you are in the Greater Victoria area and would like to gather for bringing this awareness to our community contact using the form below or email her at renee(at)insideawareness(dot)com.

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Understanding Ego mind through getting in touch with your own thinking and speaking

Posted on October 26, 2012 | Leave a comment

Our last workshop in a series of six and the individual workshops have  evolved into a deeper focus of  practice and understanding empathy.  The areas that came up for exploring included self-empathy, empathy in relationships and group empathy.  The purpose was to support group members to recognize their own  stories inside their mind that did not allow them to be present with what was actually happening in their relationship.  How we have done this it by developing skills for learning to recognize and identify their thoughts and behavior as a result of their thinking.

The last exercise involved having a volunteer demonstrate a process while sharing a personal life event and transforming what they had been telling themselves about it into a connection that included the rest of body functions,  outside of the frontal lobe of their brain!

At the beginning of the practice this participant shared their resistance at  connecting to another person in their life.  In the process ego dropped away as the mind stories became silent and what was real began to emerge.  As the stories of their mind became less interesting , what was real was their new self-connection to what was being experienced in the moment.  When the participant connected to what was real in them they expressed how they had a growing awareness of  what was going on for the other person that went beyond their original resistance.

You couldn’t ask for more!  The beauty that was visible in the participant and those in the group supporting this persons process was tangible through relaxed faces and the feelings of a group connection.    Through the practice other  participants began to recognizing their own stories and habits in experiencing how  they supported the process.  Did they become present to what they were hearing or did it stimulate their own stories or need to fix it by coming up with solutions.  If so, all these participants witnessed how this breaks the emphatic connection and experienced the effects of  disconnection of it becoming about them and their ego mind and no longer the person going through the exercise.

Beautiful! The participants having a practice of learning a language of connection demonstrated the ability to go beyond the disruption and carry the process back to the original speaker while holding empathy for the interrupter’s!

This brings up the question – Is empathy the absence (quieting) of ego?

For more information on these workshops with Renee Lindstrom go to relationships link

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‘Alive’ by Ulrich Schaffer

Posted on July 23, 2012 | 1 comment

Shared with participants at Star of Peace, A Sacred Dance weekend with Fridel Kloke-eibl:

A future is coming,
when not only a few, but most will realize
the value of caring for the inner being,
that has been neglected for too long.

There the bottom line will not be financial
but the health of the soul.
Profits will take the backseat to personal growth
and security will be measured in meaningful relationships
and not in retirement income.

Let us put our value where life takes place
and open up to each other,
to the unfolding of what might be possible
to the spread of healing in body, soul and spirit,
to the miracle of the expansion of god in our life.

There is no substitute for being truly alive.
Let us reject the offers
that expect us to relinquish
what we have known to be true, deep inside.

This is our life,
the only one we have to steer and guide.

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Season for Peace and Nonviolence – Teens Daily Value Practice for week of April 2nd

Posted on March 27, 2012 | Leave a comment

64 Ways in 64 Days – 15th Gandhi, King, Chavez Season for Peace and Nonviolence

Week ten, Days 64 and 65:  Strength grows when we release ill-will, anger, and hate and replace it with an overflowing love for all ….

  • Days 64 and 65 – CELEBRATION (April 3 and 4)

Today is a day to celebrate all the work that you have done. Be proud of yourself for being willing to be the change you wish to see in the world. “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

Created for www.agnt.org and Season for Nonviolence – 2007 by Greater Dallas Task Force – www.64-days.org

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Season for Peace and Nonviolence – Teens Daily Value Practice for Week of March 26th

Posted on March 20, 2012 | Leave a comment

64 Ways in 64 Days – 15th Gandhi, King, Chavez Season for Peace and Nonviolence

Week nine, Days 57 to 63:  By practicing being peaceful, we become better citizens of the world.

  • Day 57 – SERVICE (March 27)

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said,” Everybody can be great, because any body can serve. You only need a heart full of grace and a soul generated by love.”  Choose one thing you can do to help serve the world. How would you enjoy serving? Make a commitment today to give back to the world in your own unique way. Every little thing makes a difference. Serving others makes you feel good about yourself.

  • Day 58 – CITIZENSHIP (March 28)

How can you be a better citizen of your community? You belong to many communities…your family, school, church, and your town. How can you improve your community today? Think about ways you can bring more peace to your environment.

  • Day 59 – INTERVENTION (March 29)

Alcohol and drug abuse cause violence and are a consequence of violence.  We all know someone whose life is affected by some sort of addiction. What can you do to help one of these people in your life? Encourage them to love themselves enough to reach out for help. Support them through this difficult time, and help them find the help they need.

  • Day 60 – WITNESSING (March 30)

Those who practice nonviolence look at injustice and think, “It is possible for this situation to be different.”  When you see injustice, what can you do to bring about a peaceful change? How can you stand up for peace in your life?

  • Day 61 – PEACE (March 31)

Thich Nhat Hanh wrote,” Practice watering seeds of joy and peace and not just seeds of anger and violence, and the elements of war in all of us will be transformed.” If you focus on peace, joy, and love in your life, you will experience more of that. But if your mind is filled with negativity, it is hard to experience the good in life.

  • Day 62 – COMMITMENT (April 1)

Take a moment to think of your commitment to nnonviolence. Are you willing to commit to a nonviolent lifestyle? What are you willing to change about yourself? Get with a partner and talk about this.

  • Day 63 – RELEASE (April 2)

Today, look back on how far we have come during this 64 daily practices of nonviolence. Make a list of what you need to release in order to be a nonviolent person. Is it your temper, your impatience, your judgmental attitude? Know that you always have a choice, and you can let go of things that do not serve you anymore. You can take your list and burn it, if you’d like. Release what is no longer serving you, and make new commitments to yourself to be more peaceful and loving. Know that you truly make a difference in the world.

Created for www.agnt.org and Season for Nonviolence – 2007 by Greater Dallas Task Force – www.64-days.org

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Season for Peace and Nonviolence – Teens Daily Value Practice for Week of March 19th

Posted on March 13, 2012 | Leave a comment

64 Ways in 64 Days – 15th Gandhi, King, Chavez Season for Peace and Nonviolence

Week eight, Days  50 to 56:  Nonviolence challenges us to stand for Truth and take action that honors every human being.

  • Day 50 – CHOICE (March 20)

You have the option to choose a path of violence or nonviolence. We are always at choice in our lives. Today, choose nonviolence.

  • Day 51 – ADVOCACY (March 21)

“Every action for peace requires someone to exhibit the courage to challenge violence and inspire love,” said Buddhist teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh. How can you advocate for a better world today?

  • Day 52 – EQUALITY (March 22)

“Unity among every living thing.” Today, try to view everyone through loving, non-judgmental eyes. See them as though they are your own brothers and sisters.

  • Day 53 – ACTION (March 23)

“Be the change you wish to see in the world,” said Gandhi. Today, you have the choice between positive and negative action. Choose the most positive actions for the universe.

  • Day 54 – GIVING (March 24)

Giving and receiving go hand in hand. The more you give, the more you receive. Practice giving with no thought of return. Notice how people who never give to others, never receive from others. When you shut down your ability to give, you also shut down your ability to receive. Practice this and notice how your life changes for the better.  Give of your time, your energy, your material possessions, or just give love and support.

  • Day 55 – RESPONSIBILITY (March 25)

Take responsibility for your actions today. The quality of our world depends on you. What can you do today to better the world or even just your own environment? Think of ways you can be more responsible for helping your community, family, or your friends.

  • Day 56 – SELF-SUFFICIENCY (March 26)

Think about what you want to do for a living. What do you want your life to look like? What do you want to have? How do you want to feel? What steps do you need to take to get to your goals? How can you become self-sufficient?

Created for www.agnt.org and Season for Nonviolence – 2007 by Greater Dallas Task Force – www.64-days.org

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