The Listener, a publication of Drawing Attention to Life, Vol. 1, March 2009
Hello!
Remember that workshop you attended about listening, or maybe that one about stories? Or remember that conversation we had about a listening practice? Well, at the time I mentioned that I was going to start a newsletter. Here it is…the premier edition of the new publication called The Listener.
Eventually, I hope to include brief articles and stories, but for now The Listener is primarily an announcement of coming groups and workshops that I will lead. Of course, if you would like to read my perceptive meditations more frequently, you can go to http://drawingattentiontolife.com where I post several times a week.
Be sure to send any comments you might have. I’m all ears!
All good wishes to you,
Anne Doyle
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A new series of ongoing groups!!
Many people experience tangles in their lives. The new Listening to… series is starting to help participants unravel the tangles. The ongoing groups in this series offer a venue where participants can deal with concerns and issues related to specific topics. In this safe, confidential and freeing context, participants join together to listen to their life experiences and to explore alternative ways of interpreting them.
Some of the groups expected to start up in the coming month are…
Listening to Stress
Listening to the Blues
Listening to Money
Listening to the Noise of the World
Listening to Parenthood
Listening to Uncertainty
If you have other suggestions, please let me know.
The meetings will use the Triangle of Attention and a modified model of discernment to organize how exchanges occur. Each meeting starts with a very brief bit of content related to the topic of that group, giving people time to share and offer questions. The goal is to learn from one another as we unravel the tangles. We close with a centering meditation before we step back out into the world.
Each group will meet at a particular place and time around Boulder. Future issues of The Listener will include rosters with times and locations for each group that starts. The fee is $25 per participant per session. (Sometimes there are scholarships available; be sure to ask if you are interested.)
If you have questions, please contact me by email at attentiontolife@gmail.com or give me a call at 720.346.8420.
You can find information at http://drawingattentiontolife.com as well.
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Listening to…Uncertainty starts Thursday, 26 March at 2 p.m.
As I listen to myself and to others these days, I am hearing uncertainty. People use words like “tense” or “nervous” or “afraid “to describe how they are feeling about changes in their way of life due to the economy, health issues, work, or family dynamics. We all like control and predictability in life; our lack of both makes our world uncertain, both personally and globally. Have you felt distressed as uncertainty takes hold?
A new group called Listening to…Uncertainty will meet weekly to listen to the ways uncertainty affects us and the ways we deal with it. Instead of denying that we feel discomfort, we will attend to the triggers and our responses as we consider the implications for our lives. We can learn much from ourselves as we speak about our situations; we can also learn from others as they speak about theirs.
The meetings will use the Triangle of Attention and a modified model of discernment to organize how exchanges occur. Each group meeting will begin with a short topic presentation and then move to the time of questions and sharing. We will end with a brief centering meditation.
The first meeting will be on Thursday, 26 March from 2-4 p.m.; subsequent meetings will last ninety minutes. The group will cost $25 per person per session and will meet at St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church in Meeting Room A-B.
If you or someone you know would like to attend or has questions, please email me at attentiontolife@gmail.com or call at 720.246.8420.
If you can’t come on 26 March but would like to participate, please let me know. You can come into the group at a later date. Similarly, if the time doesn’t work for you, contact me. There may be other groups starting at different times that would be more convenient for you.
For more information about Listening to…Uncertainty, visit http://drawingattentiontolife.com.
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A scouting mission to St. Mary Magdalene
I will be visiting St. Mary Magdalene at both services on Sunday, 29 March to announce the possibility of starting a Listening to… group there. My goal will be to learn which theme would be of most interest to folks and what time would be most convenient for the group to meet. Some of the Listening to… topics that we could consider are…
Listening to Stress
Listening to the Blues
Listening to Money
Listening to the Noise of the World
Listening to Parenthood
Listening to Uncertainty
…but others are possible. Let me know if you have ideas.
I hope to see some familiar faces there!
If you want to get in touch with me about the group, please email me at attentiontolife@gmail.com, or call at 720.346.8420. If you’d like to visit my web site, visit http://drawingattentiontolife.com.
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The Listening with Expectation Workshop will be held at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Longmont on Saturday, 2 May from 9 a.m. until noon
The coming of Eastertide offers us the opportunity to listen with expectation to self, to each other, to the world, and to the Spirit. We will consider what it means to give and to receive the gift of truly listening. And we will learn more about the barriers that break the flow of the Spirit in communication. All are invited to attend free of charge. Listening with Expectation will be held at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 1303 S. Bross Lane, in Longmont on Saturday, 2 May, 9 a.m. to noon. To register, please contact me at attentiontolife@gmail.com or call me at 720.346.8420) by Thursday, 30 April or add your name to the sign up sheet in the church narthex. For more information visit http://drawingattentiontolife.com.
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Workshops Past and Future
Upcoming workshops:
25 March 2009, the fourth and final session of the Lenten Series, Listening with Expectation will be held at St. Ambrose
21 March 2009, Storytelling Pre-Trek, Quest Ministry Treks, Episcopal Diocese of Colorado, to be held in Denver.
17-19 April 2009, Quest 2K9: Be the Change/Storytelling Trek, in Buena Vista, CO
2 May 2009, Listening with Expectation Workshop will be held at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Longmont
28 May 2009, Listening with Expectation, A corporate workshop will be held in Boulder at Gilead Colorado, Inc.
Workshops I’ve conducted over the past few months:
19 March 2009, Listening with Expectation, A corporate workshop held in Boulder at Gilead Colorado, Inc.
Listening with Expectation held in Boulder at St. Ambrose on the four Wednesdays in March for Lent.
14 March 2009 The Power of Story: A Lenten Retreat for Teacher volunteers at St. John’s Episcopal Church and Trinity Lutheran Church in Boulder
7 March 2009, Listening held in Golden at St. John Chrysostom
21 February 2009, Listening with Expectation Workshop held at St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church in Boulder
4 February 2009, Listening with Expectation Workshop held at Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Nice, France
30 January-1 February 2009, Transformed by Stories: Sharing God’s Story as Our Own, the third event of three held in Nice, France.
13 December 2008, Listening with Expectation, St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, Boulder
19 November 2008, Listening: The Heart of Caring, A workshop with Sarah Berlin held at St. John’s Cathedral in Denver
2-4 October 2008, Joined through Stories at the The Episcopal Diocese of Colorado, 121st Convention, Loveland, Colorado
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My Practice…becoming perceptive
When we speak, we want to be heard; this is essential to our sense of wellbeing. When we experience a tangle in our lives, have questions that we are trying to answer, or want to explore new possibilities, we need to talk with a sympathetic and discerning listener.
I offer Intensive Listening using the Triangle of Attention model. I see people who desire are becoming perceptive, i.e. discerning, observant, insightful, in one-on-one visits or in groups. Some participate in both.
Workshops and conferences are useful for helping others learn more about becoming perceptive. Feel free to contact me with questions about one-on-one visits, groups, workshops or about my practice of becoming perceptive. I can be reached by email at attentiontolife@gmail.com or by phone at 720.346.8420. My web site is http://drawingattentiontolife.com.
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If you know someone who would like to receive The Listener, ask them to email me and I will add them to the list. If you would like to be removed from the mailing list, please email me. Thank you.
attentiontolife.com 