Upcoming Events - 2008
The Power of NowWinter sessions: Last Wednesday of each month
7:00 – 8:00 pm
When you lose touch with inner stillness, you lose touch with yourself. When you lose touch with yourself, you lose yourself in the world.
— Eckhart Tolle
The greatest obstacle to emotional and spiritual well-being is our human tendency to focus compulsively on the past and future, rather than on the here-and-now.
Eckhart Tolle, in his book The Power of Now, offers seekers a practical method for experiencing greater psychological and spiritual well-being by learning to accept and live fully in the present moment.
We invite you to join this new Chrysalis practice group as we listen to audiotapes of Tolle’sThe Power of Now. We will also share our progress with one another as we practice “being in the present moment” in our lives.
Cost
$5 per session
Location
The Chrysalis Gathering Space
1805 Monument Avenue, Suite 612
Special Instructions
This is a drop-in group and there is no need to register. However, please call Chrysalis at (804) 359-0384 to let us know you are coming, just in case there are some last minute changes. Newcomers are welcome. It doesn’t matter where we are in the tapes; one can always join in.
More Information
For more information, contact Patricia Jones at patricia.jones@redfordcpa.com or Virginia Parr at virgparr@aol.com or (804) 355-4344.
**Beginning January 30, the group will meet the last Wednesday of each month.
Meditation PracticeWednesday mornings
10:30 am – 12:30 pm
Step outside your busy daily life to connect with what is sacred and timeless.
Two types of meditation are explored in this weekly practice: Insight meditation uses mindfulness as an objective instrument for the meditator to investigate the nature of experience. Loving-kindness meditation involves directing feelings of unconditional love toward both oneself and others, thus cultivating more compassion in everyday life. Each weekly session offers an opportunity for meditation practice, as well as time for participants to share experience and information.
Cost
No charge. Dana is observed (a voluntary non-specific monetary contribution to Chrysalis presented in appreciation for the teachings and practices).
Location
The Chrysalis Gathering Space
1805 Monument Avenue, Suite 612
Special Instructions
Newcomers should call one of the facilitators before attending for the first time. Both new and experienced students of meditation are welcome!
More Information
Judy Sheldon (JShel7602@aol.com, 266-0856), Nancy Gowen (ngowen2359@ aol.com, 288-2048), and Libby Reid (reid.e@att.net, 261-3723) are the facilitators for this weekly meditation practice. Contact any of them for more information or to get started.
We have room for new faces! Please join us for a relaxing introduction to meditation.
Dreams GroupsTuesday Mornings (women)
9:30 – 11:30 am
Thursday Mornings (women)
10:30 am – 12:30 pm
Thursday Evenings (men)
7:00 – 9:00 pm
Our dreams encourage us to live more fully by experimenting with aspects of ourselves we might be too timid to express in our waking lives. Grounded in the philosophy that only dreamers know the meaning of their dreams, Chrysalis dream groups offer conversation in caring community to better understand and draw on the possibilities that our dreams present.
Leaders
Tuesday mornings
Cassy Matt, Ph.D., Dream Group Facilitator & Energy Healer (740-6132, cassydream@comcast.net)
Thursday mornings
To be announced...
Thursday evenings
Keith Elliott, Licensed Clinical Social Worker (261-1768)
Cost
$25 per session
A commitment to the full 6- to 8-week cycle is required.
Location
The Chrysalis Gathering Space
1805 Monument Avenue, Suite 612
Special Instructions
Dream groups meet in 6- to 8-week cycles. Existing groups sometimes have openings at the beginning of a cycle and welcome new members at that time. Cycle times vary with the groups.
Information & Registration
For more information or to join a dream group, contact the leader of the group in which you have an interest.
Chrysalis Ember DaysEmber days are silent retreats set aside four times a year, near the turn of each season. They offer a time to pause from our daily routines, tend our embers – or inner fires – and rekindle our creative and spiritual energies. On ember days, we can reflect on our lives, reconnect to nature, stretch our creativity, or just take a nap in the shade of a tree. Watch the mystery of slowing down unfold!
Facilitators
Ember Days are spent largely in silence, with your own intuition as your guide to the day. Facilitators provide a centering experience at the start of the day and lead a brief closing at the day’s end.
Cost
$10.00 for each Ember Day
Location
The Clearing – a retreat center steeped in nature and located about an hour south of Richmond. Directions will be sent upon registration.
Special Instructions
Dress casually. Bring lunch, your journal, and perhaps some reading material. Advance registration is required.
More Information
For more information, contact Cassy Matt at cassydream@comcast.net or (804) 740-6132.
September 19 (Fall)
December 12 (Winter)
March 12 (Spring)
June 11 (Summer)
9:30 am – 3:00 pm
(All Ember Days are Wednesdays)
Words for the Journey(Monthly by Email)
Chrysalis’ monthly email publication offers words as a tool for spiritual practice. Each monthly piece features a different guest writer and addresses a selected topic such as change, consciousness, hope, or loss. Stimulating quotations, comments from the featured writer, reflective questions, and suggestions for spiritual growth are typical. The publication is sent to subscribers on the first day of each month (September through June).
Cost
$20 for a 10-month subscription, which runs from September through June.
More Information
To see a sample issue of Words for the Journey, visit the Chrysalis website at www.thechrysalisgroup.com.
Clearness Committee
(Upon Request)
A Quaker method of discernment, a clearness committee provides communal support to an individual who wants to draw more fully on his or her own inner guidance to deal with a difficult personal problem, question, or decision. A group of 3-5 people is assembled to do nothing more than ask you honest, open questions and then listen supportively as you talk through your answers, gaining clarity on your needs, wishes, and unique situation.
Cost
There is no charge for the process, but a donation to Chyrsalis is requested.
More Information
For more information, contact Plum Cluverius at (804) 261-6483.
Outdoor Labyrinth(Open Daily – daylight hours)
An ancient, mystical tool, the labyrinth is a walking meditation used by many cultures and religious traditions. Unlike a maze, there is only a single, clear path in and out. A walk through the labyrinth has come to symbolize the spiritual journey and is a sacred place to empty yourself and find enrichment.
Cost
There is no fee, although donations are always welcome.
Location
The Chrysalis Outdoor Labyrinth is located at Union-PSCE, in the park on the corner of Westwood Ave and Loxley Road, across from old Richmond Memorial Hospital. Westwood runs between Hermitage and Brook Road in north Richmond.