It’s workshop season here in Chrissy land! Just over a week ago I helped facilitate the Noble Man workshop, where we held the space for men to heal their relationships with women. And tonight, I’m headed on a Red-Eye flight to Florida because I’ll be facilitating another COR Woman workshop on the East Coast. I’m so excited for the sisterhood and healing that will emerge in this new state!
These weekends are so powerful, and I want to tell you why. We bring ceremonial initiations back to the West.
But wtf does that mean? Let me explain.
Our Western culture is sadly missing the Rite of Passage ceremony process. When girls and boys go through puberty here in the West, there’s little to no acknowledgment of this rite of passage into adulthood.
Without the safe space to ponder and reflect during this time, we either grow up way too fast and miss out on our innocence, or we remain children forever.
Without a clear ritual marking the end of childhood and the beginning of adulthood, men and women have a difficult time maturing into their potential.
That’s one of the reasons we bring “Initiation” into our COR workshops; we help women and men grow up.
Initiations are really important; they mark the end of something, and the beginning of something new. So much intention goes into creating our Initiation day at COR so our participants can let go of a particular pain, fear, or struggle, and step into their new expression of being. We bring elements of ritual, witnessing, eldership, prayer, music, and Grace into the circle so men and women can have an embodied transformation where they shed the old, and step into the new.
It’s a day to remember who you are, and forget who you’re not. This “rebirth” can go so deep that it lasts a lifetime. I wouldn’t be the leader that I am today had it not been for my own initiation 6 years ago.
Over the years of working with women and men post Initiation day, we’ve discovered some “best practices” for keeping the transformation alive out in the world. If you haven’t done one of our workshops, don’t worry, these tips apply to you too. You can use these tips to remember who you really are. Each tip I have for you involves activating something very important, your True Self.
Here’s how you can keep your True self alive after any big transformational experience.
1. Daily meditation or prayer practice. The ultimate container at our COR workshops is the holding we receive from Grace. That’s why we encourage our participants to commit to a daily meditation practice for the rest of their lives as a way to keep the portal to the Divine open. Without this daily commitment to interior silence and trusting the present moment, our survival strategies will come back and try and hijack us from our essential goodness and truth. Life is noisy, and meditation is an effective way of getting quiet enough to hear your True Self again.
2. Contribution. Your initiation isn’t complete until you share what you’ve learned and received with the world. Contribution is a one of the greatest ways to activate the healthy self. It gets us out of our own story, and into the what really matters. How can you share your gifts with the world? Who could you help? Where could you volunteer? Staffing one of our workshops and witnessing new brothers and sisters in their own initiations is a beautiful way to give back. We hear staffing is just as powerful, if not more powerful, than your own initiation.
3. Daily Movement. We spend a great deal of time connecting with our bodies at our workshops. During our Initiations in particular, we let our bodies do the talking. The healing lasts because we go straight into the nervous system for a lasting shift. When we disconnect from the body and live in our heads, we suffer. If you’ve been struggling lately, my invitation for you is to take care of your body and give it what it needs. Does your body need yoga, or something more physical like boxing? Your body might need a dance break, or a even a massage.
4. Community. It’s easy to forget who we are when we isolate, so connecting with your community is essential. Who are your biggest supporters and champions? Who was your buddy at your last COR workshop? Sometimes we need to pick up the 500 lb. phone and ask for support. Your vulnerability is the muscle to strengthen here. I’ve also discovered that inviting friends to participate in our COR workshops is a great way to keep our transformation alive. When we share this space with our community and loved ones, we can return to the real world on the same page. The bonding that happens at these workshops between friends and family is unreal.
5. One-on-One Support. Finding a therapist, coach, our counselor who sees the “real” you and holds a safe container for you heal is another important step in keeping your transformation alive. I have SO much support for every level of my being. From reiki masters, chiropractors, therapists, coaches, and healers- every layer of my human condition is supported week after week.
Growing up isn’t easy, but it sure is fulfilling with the right support.
If any of these tips struck a chord with you, you can schedule a FREE Discovery Session with me. Ready to finally experience your own initiation at one of our COR workshops? Ready to work one on one with me?
May your initiation last a lifetime,
Chrissy
P.S. Thank you for your outpouring of love regarding my Core Wound video that I shared with you a couple of weeks ago. Your support means the world to me, and I’m thrilled to hear that you are beginning to heal your own core wound thanks to my story. Ready to dig deep into your own Core Wound and transform it? Schedule your Discovery Call here and I’ll help you take the next step in your journey.
