Deep Emergence

A lot has happened and a lot has emerged since we last connected through a blog. Read on to get a sense of what is coming through Monterey Bay Meditation Studio in 2024 … Hints: New focus, new teachers/facilitators, new purpose, new potential … All in service of cultivating conscious response and relationship in a changing world.

Overview:

An essential aspect of Deeptime Perspective is that collapse is a necessary precursor of healing, transformation, creativity, and evolution. This dynamic partnership is true of galactic origins, planetary patterns, ecosystems’ survival, civilizational sequencing, human (and all life forms’) development, and at least one meditation studio’s emergence into dedicated service of individual and collective healing-and-dealing with unprecedented global circumstances and change.

Emergence in a Time of Emergencies:

In the midst of global collapsing and individual releasing, among the unimaginable events and dark circumstances of 2023, a seed was planted in the fertile field of change and uncertainty that began to gestate and take form. This evolutionary sprout sometimes developed slowly, meandering in the spaciousness of the night sky. Sometimes ideas emerged as inspira-bursts in a conversation or from a paragraph in a book. Sometimes there would simply be a download of possibilities from the morning ocean waves or a nearby bug. 

While still known as Monterey Bay Meditation Studio, there is an emergence of a new and evolutionary being – a very different form of MBMS or, for that matter, any meditation studio or most-any anything. This MBMS is not so much an organization; it is more of an organism. What is coming forward is a living, evolving ecosystem of multiple perspectives, gifted humane beings, and a community of people who are dedicated to affirming Life and engaging the best of themselves in relationship with what is happening in this time of individual and global change. 

When MBMS was founded in 2016, our original tagline was “Being Aware and Being Kind.” We now find ourselves called to deepen and expand “Being Aware and Being Kind”  beyond-the-individual and beyond-the-cushion. It's about me … and us … and Earth … and all her beings …  as conscious participants in the infinite potential of ever-evolving Universe of increasing complexity and connection (a.k.a., relationality).

We (i.e. every living being on Earth) are feeling deep, often life-changing impacts of climate (and everything!) change. We are experiencing events and circumstances that we probably never imagined, along with a future for which we have not prepared ourselves (internally or externally). While our responses may vary, the circumstances remain – big, unprecedented changes are happening and will continue to happen. We cannot cope with, manage, and/or adapt to this situation alone. We need communities of learning, care, and support as we are all navigating our way through a sea of uncertainty and change. MBMS is fully dedicated to providing one of these communities.

Responding through Response-ability:

So, here’s how we begin:

We focus on:

• Engaging conscious, compassionate relationship with ourselves, each other, and all beings;

• Co-creating strong Communities of Care (through MBMS and in our personal lives);

• Cultivating the adaptability, stamina, and clarity necessary to effectively respond to changing conditions in a new world;

• Collaborating with local and global individuals and organizations who are focusing  on environmental justice, protection, and regeneration.

We ask (a lot of) questions and then listen beyond our own thoughts:

• How do we aspire to be in-relationship with what is happening?

• What are the qualities that we need to catalyze and cultivate in ourselves and in our culture to face the immensity of what is happening in the world?

• What are we being called to, individually and collectively? 

• What is mine to do?

• How am I to be?

• How do I want to show up?

• What if the most important question is “What if …?”

• What if the answer is not in the answers but in the questions?

• How do we respond in a way that does not participate in (is not part of) the crisis? 

• How do I begin right now … with this breath … with this step … with the way that I am in relationship with the next living being that I encounter … with the next person with whom I disagree?

We explore even (or especially) when it’s uncomfortable:

• Emerging: What is ready to be lived?

• Responding: What is needed now?

• Relating: What connections are possible?

• Creating: What can we imagine?

• Actioning: How do I access and cultivate my own unique gifts in service of the whole? 

… all through learning, connection and action.

So, what’s different, so far:

Website

If you’ve not checked-out the MBMS website lately, I invite you to take a look. We have made major changes in the look, feel, and message to reflect what is coming through MBMS now.

All of the photographs (except those related to specific courses or programs) are the artistic work of Kristen Fletcher, an award-winning photographer, environmental attorney, environmental policy advisor, and an active MBMS member since the very beginning in 2016. Looking through the website, you’ll see how her love and respect for Earth and all beings are transmitted through her images … I’ve never seen anyone reflect the personality of a wave, as clearly as Kristen does.

We have changed what used to be known as Pathways to Currents to reflect the non-linear, multi-agencied process of healing, growth, and transformation. Each of our offerings engage most, if not all of these powerful aspects of being (Mindfulness/Meditation, Relationship Consciousness, Outdoor Engagement, and Spirituality/Evolution of Consciousness) as foundational elements of cultivating capacity for resilience, flexibility, curiosity, courage, stability, balance, and compassion – all of which are keys to meeting and living in the current opportunities for healing, regeneration, adaptation, and evolution.

In keeping with the reality that everything (and everyone) is a process in process, the website is continuing to emerge. In the coming months, you will see expansion beyond-MBMS to include additional organizations, in service of collaboration, diversity, and integrated community-building. 

The MBMS Constellation:

You may have noticed the frequent use of “we” and “our” in this writing. These pronouns reference not only the MBMS community as a whole, but also a major expansion in who is providing offerings to the community. Over the past few years, I have been in deep conversations with a variety of extraordinarily gifted, insightful, whole-hearted humane beings who are dedicated to catalyzing, supporting, and cultivating the evolution of individual and collective consciousness as an embodied response to what is happening in the world. Over the past year, I asked each of them if they would be interested in participating in this experiment of transforming an organization into an organism and offering their diverse gifts into the world through MBMS … and they all said YES!!! [I smile even as I type that sentence] As you get to know them better through Our Constellation webpage, I think you’ll begin to sense that you’re in-for a multi-dimensional, multi-modal, multi-media treat as you experience them through their offerings, blogs, and Mighty Networks communications. I feel very grateful for the diversity of light, strength, wisdom, and heartfulness that these Orbs-of-being are bringing into our MBMS community and the world.  

… and More:

You will also be engaging expansions and deepenings in the Mighty Networks community platform and the monthly newsletter. I look forward to hearing your thoughts, responses, questions, and whatever else emerges through our Community Feed on the MN landing page and additional virtual and in-person(!) gatherings that will be happening.

For now, though, I’m thinking this is enough for this first-blog-in-5-months. It’s been quite a ride since we last connected through a newsletter/blog … and, I believe that the Studio and I are better for it.

So, let’s get together and see what happens! I invite you to check-out the offerings that are happening in January … and to peek at what’s emerging in the coming months.

In love and service,

Marianne

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