New Course: October 1st to December 3rd
Creation sings itself into form with the intricate weaving of relationships. Harmony is the sound of relationships creating together.
We live in this Universe of exquisite order that stuns us with its incomprehensible beauty. And we live in a world of man-made chaos, filled with destruction of all that is sacred–the human spirit and the spirit of life in all beings.
Months ago, after decades of teaching the science of “order for free,” I had an AHA moment when I realized harmony is a synonym for order, and that harmony is always experienced as beauty. This understanding is deeply embedded in many Indigenous wisdom traditions, most notably in the Diné (Navajo) Beauty Way—Hózhó–that recognizes beauty as an experience of order, balance, and harmony.
We struggle with this time of intense fracturing, when it is increasingly difficult to be together in tender and creative ways. Yet many of us are committed to do our best to reweave relationships; we want to create strong community, Islands of Sanity.
We’ve done our best to understand these times–where we are and who we choose to be–using probing analysis, deep dives, system’s analysis. And now it is time to find a new language, a different lens to develop good possibilities and practices. That new lens is music. It is time to become co-creators of harmony.
Over eight sessions, we will explore harmony as the means for healthy and creative relationships. We will play with a new role, tuning forks seeking resonance. We will learn about fields, how our separate energies can emerge into harmonies, co-creating practical insights and solutions. We will delight in learning how to become skilled composers and conductors of consonance and dissonance in human relationships. And we will relish partnering with Life—her rhythms, pulses, songs—and thrive on her gifts of energy and insight.
COURSE DETAILS
SESSION DESCRIPTIONS
1 – What is Harmony? Harmony is a full sensory experience. The neuroscience of Beauty. Rhythm, pulse, melody, diversity–the four necessities for working well together. Establishing these in our class.
2 – Musician Gary Muszynski on Harmony. Harmony is about relationship. No one instrument owns the song, yet each is essential. Creative tension and dissonance. The role of leader as conductor—the one who knows the full score, calls in the individual parts, and listens for the harmonies (or not).
3 – Field Creation as Harmonic Experiences. Convergence and emergence. Co-creation at a vibrational level. Behaviors that support and impede field creation. The wonders we create when in a harmonious field.
4 – Inner Harmony. What does it feel like to be in tune with yourself? Practices for dealing with discordant emotions and thoughts. Equanimity as a state of being in deep harmony.
5- Relational Harmony. Tuning in and attuning to others. Sensing subtle energies. The power of silence and pausing. Release of demands and judgments. Harmonizing our frequencies without compromising them.
6 – Team and Organizational Harmony. Dealing with discord. Dissonance either retunes or fractures. Diversity as necessity. Leader as tuning fork. How do we hear the sound of what we’re creating? What does retuning as a team or organization involve?
7 – Retuning as a practice. Learning from Indian classical orchestras as they spend a long time tuning themselves before a performance, not rehearsing the piece. How do we listen as tuning forks and engage everyone in harmonizing the work?
8 – Knowing our song. Identifying our purpose, our unique melody. How do we offer it, blending it but not diluting it to create harmony? How do we sing it a an offering, free of aggression or demands?
9 – Listening for the Harmonies. How finely tuned have we become? What have we discovered working with a new lens—music? Where is our curiosity leading us now?
SCHEDULE & FORMAT
We meet weekly from 12:00 pm to 1:15 pm Eastern on the following Thursdays: October 1st, October 8th, October 15th, October 22nd, October 29th, November 5th, November 12th, November 19th, December 3rd.
We’ve designed this course with a specific pacing – shorter sessions every week. We want to develop a rhythm that facilitates your curiosity, engagement, and learning. We understand that it might be difficult to attend every session, but videos of these shorter sessions will make it easier for you to stay current and keep playing in the band!
To set the beat and keep us all singing along, we’ll use a variety of music, poetry, sounds, and rhythms to create the vibrational container for the teachings. The great activist Emma Goldman said (in paraphrase) “If I can’t dance, it’s not my revolution.” We feel similarly–this course intends to create more delight and energy for the work you’re engaged in. We know how terrible it is and getting worse; we are exhausted and often defeated. But Life is still calling us to experience her exuberant capacity for creative expressions—her endless harmonies.
We will post resources on Sutra for you to select if you want to gain more understanding. We will also post practices—again, for you to choose.
Recommended Reading
Perseverance – available via your favorite booksellser
How Does Raven Know? – available only via Meg’s website. Please email info@berkana.org for any orders outside the US.
TUITION
The course fee is $444 (the angel number symbolizing Divine protection, deep stability, and reassurance that you are on the right path) and can be made in one or two payments. Scholarship assistance is available and donations are deeply appreciated.
