Typically work is conducted in a group. Participation is always by choice (whether to accept an invitation to participate as a representative or not). We respect the limits of individuals and their bodies by establishing basic agreements to support physical and emotional safety. The client works with the facilitator to present a question or concern.

The client or facilitator chooses representatives that relate to the question or concern (typically guided by the facilitator). Representatives are invited to report their experience and experiment with certain movements or arrangements. The facilitator and client may illuminate additional pertinent history or context that comes to light.

The representatives either spontaneously find a position of comfort, ease and strength, or the facilitator may guide them to experiment with a particular physical arrangement. Sometimes, healing phrases are suggested or spoken. The client receives a new interior picture of the current question or concern and integrates this new picture.

These are practices from the world’s major spiritual traditions and/or religions that support accessing one’s inner wisdom and connection to that which is sacred to you.

Examples include, but are not limited to the following:  silence, stillness, mindfulness meditation, prayer, centering prayer, metta (loving-kindness) meditation, journaling, walking meditation, the Way of Council, Tai chi, Qigong, Yoga, creating an altar, reading scripture or poetry, forgiveness practice, gratitude practice, and making offerings, bowing, chanting, fasting and/or solitude in nature.

The calligraphy is “An Shin” in Japanese, which means ‘Peace of Mind’. It is a symbolic visual reminder of why I do this work. I have had a heart and soul longing to fully realize deep abiding peace within and to extend that out to all beings since my mid teens.

Later, the Dharma name I received in lay ordination is “Ku Shi An Shin”, which uses the character that also sounds like “Shin” for ‘body’ instead of ‘mind’, and is translated as, ‘Body of Peace,’ which I regard as a poetic acknowledgement of both my Buddhist practice-vows and the Christian roots of my family