As I get older, I tend to look at healing as a journey rather than a destination. But that wasn’t always the case. After I got plantar fasciitis a few years ago, I thought that all I needed to do was to heal from that and be done with it. But it started a whole cascading spiral of health issues. It hurt to walk so I stopped doing kickboxing. I stopped doing kickboxing so I gained weight. My lack of exercise and weight gain worsened my anxiety and depression … and so on…you get the picture. And then five years went by and I got older and developed an entirely new ailment, arthritis.

Now I realize that I am probably not going to wake up one day and magically “become healthy.” I will most likely be in the process of healing from one thing or another for the rest of my life, be it a cold, a break-up, or a simply a bad hair day. Part of being human is that we fall down. The healthy option is to get back up. What does it mean to be a community of healing? It means we help each other to get back up? We might not always see the struggles that others are going through, nor do they always see our own struggles. Be gentle with yourself first and notice how this will help you to be gentle with others.

 

I am excited about the HEALTHY line-up we have created for our Wednesday Night Adult Religious Exploration drop-in classes that meet from 6:30-8:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary:

Healing through Working with our Dreams
Wednesday, October 12, 2016, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Our theme of the month for October is Healing. Looking at dreams in different ways can bring new spiritual understanding. In this class, we will explore our dreams through discussion, journaling, drawing pictures, and even acting out scenes from our dreams. Join facilitator Mary Rhine for this creative step towards health by learning about and participating in the spiritual practice of dream work.

 

Matters of Soul and Spirit
Wednesday, October 19, 2016, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Matt Aspin will lead a program on our monthly theme of “What Does It Mean to Be a Community of Healing?” woven with the concept of “Tonglen – the ability to be in the presence of pain without panic” from UU Minister, Rev. Dr. Kendyl Gibbons’ work, “Qualities of Spiritual Maturity”. Whether or not you participate in a monthly Chalice Circle that explores the monthly theme, or if you simply want to explore one theme more deeply, this series of ten evenings will give you an opportunity to delve into what matters to your soul and spirit. Attend any topic that intrigues you, or join us for the entire series with Matt Aspin.

 

“Defying the Nazis – The Sharp’s War” PBS Documentary
Wednesdays, October 26 and November 2, 2016, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
If you haven’t already seen the new Ken Burns film, “Defying the Nazis – The Sharps’ War,” here’s your chance to attend a two-part screening and discussion of the documentary. If you have seen it, come watch a second time, and take part in a discussion of the two Unitarian heroes who are the focus of the film.
The film tells the story of a Unitarian minister and his wife, Waitstill and Martha Sharp, who in 1939 left their two small children and their home in Massachusetts to spirit Jews, dissidents, and children out of Czechoslovakia and Vichy France — with the Gestapo dogging their footsteps.
We’ll talk about their story, and the role played by the American Unitarian Association in their heroic mission. With facilitator Debbie Cafazzo, we’ll learn what was happening in the world in the 1930s and 1940s, and compare it to what is happening in our world today.

 

Comfort Therapies at End of Life
Wednesday, November 9, 2016, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
In conjunction with the Year to Live Classes, Karin Van Vlack will introduce the idea of comfort therapies at end of life. Kim Valentine, who has a private practice where she offers therapeutic massage, Reiki, aromatherapy, and therapeutic music, including Tibetan bowls, will do a talk with demonstrations on alternative therapies at end of life.

 

As always, in addition to our weekly Wednesday Night ARE Drop-In Classes, we offer many other opportunities to journey down the path of healing here at Tahoma Unitarian Universalist Congregation. Weekly Monday Night Meditation and Thursday Night Yoga are two excellent spiritual practices that we offer in our Sanctuary. We have several small groups that you can join that meet monthly for healthy connection through community. Two of our women’s groups “The Women of a Certain Age” and “The All Ages Women’s Group” currently have openings, while “A Time for Men” is open on a drop-in basis on the second Sunday after church. The Non-Violent Communication Group is always open on the first Saturday of the Month to learn healthy communication by connecting with your feelings and needs. And then before church on the Second Sunday we have the UU Mystics class, and on the Third Sunday, we have Sacred Scripture with Soul class. Check our website calendar and our weekly email for a complete list or contact me at Dir.ARE@TahomaUU.com for more information on how you can get involved. Take a step on your journey of healing today.

– Namaste,

Susie