Our culture tells us that we shouldn’t feel low or blue, that we may be “sick” when we are sad, that we should “snap out of it.” Often, though, these feelings are natural and come in response to triggering events in our lives. Loss, illness, or bad news can cause us to become blue. We don’t necessarily require medication or psychotherapy when we are sad or low; we may need to speak and to have others listen. Hearing ourselves say aloud what we think contributes to the feelings and our attitudes about them, helps us to learn about ourselves and to grow. Having others pay attention and listen intently helps to restore us.

Listening to the Blues is a group that will meet weekly at St. John’s in Boulder. Each meeting offers a time out, a break from the hubbub where we can share what is on our hearts in a confidential and supportive place. The meeting will start with a ritual of welcome followed by a few minutes of related content. Then participants will take turns sharing and responding to questions, interspersed with reflective silence. The meeting will close with a meditation before we step back into our regular lives.

There will be an organizational meeting in the St. Paul classroom on Thursday, 7 May, 6:30-8 p.m. to discuss the time and process of the meetings.

If you would like to attend or have questions about the organizational meeting, please email Anne or call her at 720.346.8420.

Listening to Uncertainty will meet today 2-3:30 p.m. at St. Aidan’s in Meeting Rooms A-B.  If you haven’t contacted me before, just send an email or give me a call at 720.346.8420. And if you can’t contact me in advance, just come on anyway!

The meeting will start with a short ritual of welcome and a bit of content about uncertainty. Then each person in turn offers some thoughts aloud to which the group responds with questions. We end with a short meditation before we rejoin the world. All is confidential and supportive.

Blizzard warnings and it’s snowing like crazy.  The CU-Boulder campus is closed. St. Aidan’s is closed.

And the first Listening to Uncertainty group meeting is canceled.

We will try again next Thursday, 2 April at 2 p.m.  Let me know if you plan to attend.

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 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 or call at 720.246.8420.

If this time isn’t convenient for you but you would like to attend, please contact me.  Other groups will be starting around Boulder and there may be one that is a better fit with your schedule.  I’ll be emailing announcements of each new offering.