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Facing Darkness

With Presence and Purpose

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THE NIGHTS ARE GETTING LONGER.

DARK SKIES OVERSEE DARK TIMES.

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IT'S TEMPTING TO LOOK AWAY,

TO CLOSE OUR HEARTS WITH ANGER, DISTRACTION, OR DESPAIR.

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BUT WE CAN LOOK DEEPER.

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WE CAN FACE THE DARKNESS TOGETHER,

UNTIL THE LIGHT RETURNS.

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Every autumn, the shortening days and lengthening nights draw many of us inward toward quiet contemplation. 

 

This autumn, we watch a perilous election against a backdrop of racial injustice, global pandemic, eroding democratic institutions, multifarious inequity, and climate change. The organic quiet of the dimmer months threatens to turn bitter and bleak. Isolated from many of our sources of resilience, it is all too easy to fear for the future.

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If this speaks to you, you are invited to join a small, intergenerational group on a communal journey through the darkness of this moment - the darkness around us and within us. With music, art, visualizations, group work, private reflection, and relational exercises, we will find the inner resources to meet whatever is coming with Presence and Purpose.

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Presence: An embodied readiness to love the world as it is

Purpose: An embodied commitment to build the world we yearn for

This course is for you if:
  * You're tired of feeling angry, stressed, or afraid about trends in the world, but you can't in good conscience look away.
  * You want to meet our collective challenges with action that is centered, grounded, and wise.
  * You are looking for human connection to meet you in the vulnerability of this moment.

At the end of this course, we will each
  * See more clearly the beauty in all of this darkness, and in ourselves 
  * Hold our own and others' anger, fear, and stress with open hearts
  * Commit to pragmatic, wise, centered actions that address the growing darkness with light

 

“Not everything that is faced can be changed,

but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”

- James Baldwin

LOGISTICS

Facing Darkness with Presence and Purpose will meet on nine Monday evenings, 7:30-9pm ET, from October 19th through January 25th, with a reunion near the Vernal Equinox in March. (Dates listed below.) Sessions will occur on zoom, with a mix of exercises conducted alone, in pairs, or with the whole group.

 

Once you sign up, I'll do a 30-minute intake call with you before the first session.

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Tuition for this course is on a sliding scale, from $225-$495. If you are interested in participating, but that range isn't feasible for you, please reach out to me to discuss other possible arrangements.

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While you are part of this program, you can also book one-on-one coaching sessions with me at a discounted rate of $125 per hour.

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If you're ready to sign up, register here.

If you still have questions, email me at yotam@presencetree.com.

DATES

Mondays, 7:30-9pm ET:

October 19th - Kickoff

November 2nd - Night before US Election Day

November 9th - Week after US Election Day

November 23rd

December 7th

December 21st - Winter Solstice

January 4th

January 18th - MLK Day, two days before Inauguration

January 25th - Monday after inauguration

March 22nd - Spring Equinox Reunion

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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR

Yotam Schachter is a coach, facilitator, and teacher specializing in emotional fitness and the art of change. In addition to his training in traditional coaching tools such as Adaptive Leadership and Internal Family Systems, Yotam's work draws from his experiences as a massage therapist, rabbinical student, investment analyst, and meditator. He helps clients to find beauty, wisdom, and opportunity in their toughest challenges.

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