Alchemy Learning

I cant believe it has been three months since I wrote anything here. I have been immersed in study and travel and just raised my head to see the rest of life that has continued on without my paying it any attention. A brief potted update until I get the backlog of admin tasks handled. I will post some pics and insights soon.

In July 2009, I travelled West of Sydney to spend a week of intense work at University of Western Sydney on leadership & change and ecology & spirituality. After a 25 year gap I returned to embark on a Masters degree in Social Ecology. Three months later I have sent off the last of my assignments. I enjoyed the rigor of pulling together what I was learning into some kind of cohesive narrative.....ah, but I'd forgotten minutiae of referencing! Still, the satisfaction came with the recognition that I HAD actually learnt something. Unlike a different Masters degree I began in year 2000 which was a dreary regurgitation of what I already knew at full fee paying prices - I don't think so.

In August I travelled to Auckland and completed a Diploma of Facilitation with Zenergy Global. I am a huge fan of Dr Dale Hunter and the body of work Zenergy does: people centred facilitation and coaching. Again this was an awe inspiring week which took us into the belly of the dragon exploring our own leading edge as facilitators. I also caught up with a dear friend and colleague with whom I have work over the years and reminded of the value of doing work that opens hearts and minds.

September saw me in London for a few days in another Zenergy Master Class in Facilitation and I am excited to say that I will be bringing it to Australia in 2010.

Later in the month I travelled to Findhorn Foundation in Scotland to participate with 59 people from around the world in a workshop intensive on The Work that Reconnects with Deep Ecologist and Buddhist Activist Joanna Macy. From the UK summer season until the solstice we were immersed in an exploration of how we can heal our relationships with the natural world and in deepening my own experience of the ‘Work That Reconnects

This was a deeply profound experience which I will share more about in the coming weeks.

In the mean time I have attached a video clip completely unrelated to the above three experiences, other than the link to people doing what lights them up. It's a bunch of teenagers showing appropriate irreverence to institutionalised power. Quite naught and inspiring too. It is called Pink Flyd vs Eric Prydz - Proper Education. Here is the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=homfpyyiC5s