The Art of Being A ten month long "foundation" course, a course of personal development which engages and connects with the deepest, most essential, most authentic part of yourself. Introduction - Curriculum - Feedback & Questions The Art of Being Together A a seven-month long course focusing on building authentic relationships and social connections (only for those who have completed the first course). Course information Workshops & Short Courses For those who have completed the Art of Being Course, our weekend Archetypes Workshop, and the 12 week Goddess Workshop are available.  For those who haven't, there is the 8 week Autobiography Workshop. Please contact us if you would like more information, or to be advised of workshop dates.

The Art of Being - Introduction

Why is this course different to other courses?

It is not possible to do personal growth in isolation. We do not live as solitary individuals but in relationship with others. This aspect of witnessing and being witnessed both spiritually and in one’s soul is one of the aspects which make the Art of Being unique. This course works with spiritual development in alignment with emotional growth and inner soul work.

This is not group therapy and it is not only about emotional and psychological growth. The integration of art in every session and the experiential nature of the course ensure that the course is not merely theoretical.
The course is dynamic, powerful and penetrates into the heart of being.

 

The most common comment from course participants is:
”Everyone should do this course”

 

 

More about the course…

The course takes 10 months as it is process. We do not expect a baby to be born immediately - and similarly, we have to allow our own development process to reach its term. This is not a quick-fix course and it requires that you commit to yourself.

This is not easy today when the world of achieving and being busy seems to be more important and rewarding than inner work. However without the inner work our outer lives remain barren. The economic crisis today points to the fact that we have created a reality where we live in fear of not having enough. The lack of an inner sense of self-worth leads us to remain object oriented and find our meaning and purpose in external things like money.

This course will help you begin to see your life as connected to everything else, to see that you make a contribution to life. When we overcome our fear and see that life is about service rather than self-serving we come to peace in ourselves and find our inner richness.

Making a contribution does not have to be about something big, nor is it about the role we play in the outer world - it is about raising the bar of consciousness, and developing an understanding of our spiritual identity.

When we do this, we learn to love ourselves, and therefore others, more deeply… Isn’t this what we all want?

We are connected to everyone and affect our worlds in the way we live our lives.

The course will be going into its 14th year in 2010. We take a maximum of 14 people - if you would like to attend, please contact Karen to arrange an interview.

Dates & Times:

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Curriculum

The Art of Being course uses the metaphor "building the house of your being" to describe its process of growth and development. Like any building there must be a firm foundation to stand on. In the first 6 months of the year we lay the foundation of understanding who you are. Being human is a complex and intricate blend of spiritual, emotional and physical levels of being. So we have to gain knowledge of all these levels. However this is not an academic course - all the work is complemented with experiential and artistic processes. Artistic work is a tool which bypasses the intellect, and connects us to our hearts. It serves the dual purpose of both healing and unlocking creative expression. It also serves as a path of inner training through learning observation skills. It brings about a raising of consciousness which is a primary aim in this course.

Throughout the year the participant is asked to do a presentation at the end of each module. This is a way to assess what you have absorbed, and to assess where you are on the path at that point. Don't panic. It gets easier….!

We are all on different points of the path and one of the most important and learning aspects of the journey is perceiving and allowing for this in the other. The group work is the chalice for this process work and it is possibly the most powerful part of the whole journey.

FIRST TERM:
In the first term we complement the work with painting and clay exercises as well as doing a fascinating and illuminating body map. There is a full day session on a Saturday, where we go out into nature to create sacred sites and explore the four elements.

Module 1 - The psychology of the human being - the three-fold human being
Which realm would you say you is more developed? Your thinking, your feeling or your ability to create, be active in the world? This module explores the differences and the importance of understanding and balancing all three realms of being.

Module 2 - The four levels of existence
We have four bodies not merely a physical body. This is an exploration of how the four elements (earth, water, air and fire) coincide with our "bodies" or "sheaths". It is a practical understanding and not "airy-fairy"!

Module 3 - The four temperaments
This module describes the nature of our basic temperament/s. Some of us are fiery and action- oriented, some more serious and inward. Some of us are grounded and practical. Others are flowing and easy-going and some of us are party animals! Who are you?! Discover your strengths and your weaknesses in this intriguing module.

SECOND TERM:

Module 4 - The 12 Senses
Our senses are our windows to the world - but you will discover just how deep and far reaching this understanding is… This module is complemented with the artistic form of eurythmy - a form of movement which works with the energy body.

THIRD TERM:

Module 5 - Biography Work
From this point on we move into the heart of your house of being. We examine the particular and unique story of your life through interactive and process oriented exercises and artistic expression. Where have you come from, who are you now, and where are you going to? At the end of the term we go away for a long weekend together. We undergo a "mini vision quest" as part of the weekend. THIS WEEKEND IS A HIGHLIGHT AND NOT TO BE MISSED! It is often the turning point in the journey.

FOURTH TERM:

Module 6 - Childhood dynamics
This is where we go into the dark cellar of the house! We acknowledge and embrace what has often crystallised in the darkness of our beings for a long time. The aim is to bring the old patterns of behaviour, addictions, beliefs and emotional patterns to the surface and into the light. It is only when we allow dysfunctional and old patterns to surface into the light that we can heal and go forward. This module is accompanied by body gesture and learning the value and the power of sound.

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The Art of Being - Feedback & Questions

Why is the course so long? Can't I do aspects of it?

Like a birthing cycle, this course works with the necessity of due process. No-one expects a baby to be born after 2 months. Similarly the seeds which are planted in the Art of Being need the right cycle of time to germinate and fructify. This is not a quick-fix course. The course is structured so that one study builds upon another, and all the artistic activities are woven into the course to complement and enhance the study.

Spiritual understanding often arrives on soft wings, and not on the blast of a trumpet. In other words, the course works deeply into the soul of the participant so that change is gradual, but strong. Catharsis, which seems to be a feature in shorter courses, can bring quick results, but it does not necessarily bring permanent change.

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The Art of Being Together

"The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances:
if there is any reaction, both are transformed."
C. G. Jung

In the Art of Being the primary emphasis is on individual development. If you committed to this process you should have felt strengthened in your individuality by the end of the first year. You would have come closer to your “authentic self” – both the light and the dark aspects.

The Art of Being Together is about learning the art of relationship which is about interdependence. Until we are independent and strengthened individuals we remain reactive and masked in our connections. This means that most relationships today are co-dependent and consequently without strong, authentic foundations. One cannot come to a sense of interdependence without learning to be separate and independent first - ironically, we have to learn about anti-social forces before we can be truly social.

The course works with 7 soul-types as tools for understanding one's relationship to oneself and the world. These soul-types are planetary archetypes – Sun, Moon, Venus, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Just as we all have a primary temperament (and combination of others), each of us has a primary soul-type and a combination of others. These soul-types express through the astral realm: the realm of relationship, feeling and emotion, desires, drives, urges and instincts.

The astral realm is also the realm of movement, so it carries the possibility for more chaos! For those of us who feel safer with structure this is a very challenging course - it is not the same as the Art of Being, which has a more masculine, formed and structured nature. This course is feminine in that it is more open-ended, process-oriented and less outcome-based.

We work interactively (as you already experienced in the first year) but we step up the interaction so that we start to experience how others see us. It is difficult to see ourselves clearly and we are often fearful of doing so because we feel ashamed and desirous of being seen in a favourable way. However if we can become objective we perceive ourselves and our connections in ways which we had not seen heretofore. There are many exercises – artistic and otherwise - to further this end, including a body map in which we try to find the 2 primary soul-types. There is a long weekend away and this weekend brings and fuses the course in a very powerful way.

If you feel that learning about interdependence is necessary to understand both your spiritual and earthly life then this course might be very beneficial for you. We work with “old (moon) and new (sun) karma”. By bringing this to consciousness we begin to understand what our karma is, who it is with, and start to participate in ordering our destinies.

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Archetypes Weekend Workshop

This is a weekend workshop for those who have completed the Art of Being and the Art of Being Together. In this workshop we uncover the 4 basic archetypes which live in all of us – in varying degrees and levels of intensity. These are “the Saboteur,” “the Prostitute,” “the Victim” and “the Child”. Through a process of exploration including art, multi- media work and clay we penetrate these powerful archetypes to try and come closer to how they influence us. We embody them usually on a very unconscious level. As with the other 2 courses this workshop is concerned with raising the bar of consciousness. For e.g. The Prostitute archetype engages lessons in integrity and the sale or negotiation of one’s integrity or spirit due to fears of physical and financial survival or for financial gain. But can also be a lesson in integrity where one tries to please people in order to be liked – resulting in a loss of personal integrity. Through process-oriented exercises we deepen our understanding of how we can overcome and master the shadow aspects of the archetypes.

“Once again the Art of Being presented me with exactly what I needed at the time. Both the preceding courses had given me invaluable insights and brought real learning and when I heard about the AoB III weekend, I wasn’t sure if I was ready for more and what I would work on. Of course it turned out to be exactly what I needed. I have since been presented with a situation that I would not be coping with if I hadn’t got some things straight in myself that weekend! Karen works very skillfully and subtly, knowing when to challenge and when to stand back. She creates a space that allows for real insight and growth, supported and guided not only by herself, but also by the group and an invisible hand. With her strong connection to the spiritual world she brings it closer to us. Our angels are right there supporting us in our processes - sometimes I imagine them standing in a circle just outside our human circle. Even though the course was short and at times intense, there was time for plenty of art, laughter and good food.”

“....and it unfolded, in its own perfect way - the weekend I have come to recall as ‘The Essence-Unearthing Expedition’. A culmination of a 14-year dance… my journey years full of care-full digging, dusting, categorizing and sorting. Working with the 4 basic archetypes, I weaved my way through my personal battle-ground, confusing mists, considerable surrender, lively conversation and deep sharing. I am left with an invaluable tapestry, full of shared stories and vibrant colour. The Art-Of-Being helped me to unearth and indeed, untangle, the Skeleton Woman. She is alive and well, fleshy, and singing loudly.”

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Goddess Workshop

In this workshop 3 month workshop (12 consecutive Wednesday evenings) we work with seven Greek Goddesses: Demeter, Persephone, Artemis, Athena, Hestia, Aphrodite & Hera.

These Goddesses are each archetypal representations of the energy of the Divine, and in this workshop we explore how these energies incarnate in us as real women. An archetype has both positive and negative aspects, and when overtaken by this impersonal force we can lose our sense of self. For e.g. Hera - the archetypal “wife” - is often characterised by jealousy. When this feeling overwhelms us, we can feel devastated and humiliated, and experience a loss of selfhood. Learning to understand each archetype, and the qualities it brings, can help us reach a deeper level of acceptance of our own womanhood, generating new energy and creative direction.

Facilitator Karen Rootenberg, who has recently returned from Canada where she was invited to offer this workshop, says: "It was powerful and transforming in obvious but also subtle ways…

Now is the time to reveal ourselves to ourselves without shame or fear, and to show who we are to other women so we can rejoice in the uniqueness of each other".

Here is what one of the participants said: “Your loving and gentle support allowed me to feel safe to go to a deeper place where I could connect with the parts of me that need healing and love...” (The body map shown was done by one of the Canadian participants / Goddesses! Click here for more pics)

A Participant in the 2009 Goddess Workshop in Cape Town wrote: "... the companionship with my fellow goddesses made it an unforgettable experience... most of all, it's Karen's facilitation, her care and unwavering support that make it really special!" Go to the gallery to view the beautiful work of the participants - their body maps, final presentations, and goddess shrines.

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A Journey from Past to Present / Biography Workshop

“The thing that affects the child the most is the unlived life of the parent”
– C.G. Jung

This is an autobiographical workshop - it works with the past but also brings you into the present so that you can take responsibility for who you are. When we do this we can come to the understanding that we are part of a bigger whole - living in relationship with others is one of our primary challenges.

Over the course we journey back to see how your parents' lives have played a major role in how you presently experience yourself and the way you meet your life.

We will do this process primarily working out of an artistic medium, but there will be writing and journaling as well. No prior artistic experience or “talent” is required. This is not an art course but personal development using art as a medium.

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