If we live wholeheartedly, our hearts will be broken
If we live heartfully, our hearts will open
If we live authentically, our hearts will sing
If we truly engage with all of life, our hearts will be broken. The fullness of our love equals the depth of our heartbreak
When your heart feels like breaking let it break
What breaks our hearts can also break us open
When your heart is broken, let it open
Only if we welcome the inevitability of heartbreak, plumb its depth, and expand into our opening hearts, can we experience the height of joy
If your heart feels like singing, let it sing
Workshop Preparation:
Heart – break:
Starting when you were very young list the times that you felt heartbreak throughout your life.
For each time: did you let yourself fully feel the heart break and express the emotions / feelings arising or did you minimize the experience and ‘shut down’ (to protect yourself and/or your heart)?
When were the times of your life when you found your heart most broken? Choose two or three of these experiences. The ones that most shaped who you are today.
How do you respond now to situations that are heartbreaking?
Do you let yourself deeply feel and experience heartbreak or do you protect yourself from it and contract?
Be aware of how your protectors may ‘step forward’ when you engage in this work.
Choose an object from nature that represents, and can hold, your deepest heartbreak. ((Remember to ask permission to take it)) You will release this object into the ocean at the end of our work together.
Heart – opening:
Starting when you were very young list the times that you felt your heart opening — in love, heartbreak, awe, wonder, etc.
For each time: did you let yourself fully feel your heart opening and express the emotions / feelings arising or did you minimize the experience and contain yourself?
When were the times of your life when you found your heart most open? Choose two or three of these experiences – the ones that most shaped who you are today.
How do you respond now to situations that are heart-opening?
Do you let yourself open?
Heart – singing
Starting when you were very young list the times that you felt your heart sing.
For each time: did you let yourself fully feel and express your heart’s song?
What makes your heart sing? How do you respond now when your heart wants to sing?
Is there a sound in nature that resonates with your heart’s song?
Experiment with the connection between your heart, your throat and your voice. Let the sound of your voice resonate with your heart. It might be one tone. It might be a song or it might just be a series of sounds.
Be aware of how your protectors may ‘step forward’ when you engage in this work.
Choose an object from nature that represents your heart opening and your heart’s song. ((Remember to ask permission to take it)) You will keep this ‘talisman’ as a reminder to open your heart and let it sing.
Workshop Process:
We will do two rounds of sound work.
Phase 1
Circle: Describe your experience of heart-break, where you feel it in your body, how you respond, and what you want to work on.
Sound work: 20 – 30 min.
At the end of the sound session you will transfer your heartbreak into the object that you’ve chosen, and when we go to the ocean, you’ll release that object to the ocean.
Circle: Sharing and deepening the sound work.
Drink water / breathe.
Phase 2
Circle: Describe your experience of heart – opening and heart – singing; where you feel them in your body, how you respond, and what you want to work on.
Sound work: 20 – 30 min.
At the end of the sound session you will work with the object that you’ve chosen to keep with you and remind you to continue the work.
Circle: Sharing and deepening the sound work.
Drink water / breathe.
Phase 3
Car pool to the ocean, and engage in ceremony to release heart-break, and engage your heart-song.
Sharing of food and community