Without a learning community, I tend to get stuck and stay there. I have a couple of red flags I watch for. I may binge watch shows on streaming services or mindlessly buy art supplies or office supplies that I don’t need. Once I notice the drain of time and money, I know it is time to get myself in gear. I typically start with reading and listening. My Audible list and bookshelves are full of resources---more books than I can consume. But this can become a stuck place, too, avoiding the work of change by leaning on others’ knowledge. Changing my perception, shifting my habitual behaviors, and improving my relationships involves discernment and action. What influences do I want to be changed by and what are the actions I need to take? In 2007, following intense periods of reading and attending lectures and workshops, I started participating in practice groups. These groups, much like a lab that accompanies a college lecture course, were designed to help learners process the teachings and apply them in their everyday interactions. They became an invaluable tool to catalyze growth and transformation. When a lecture or workshop didn’t have a practice group as a follow up, I would gravitate toward other learners and start one. Since 2017, I’ve consistently practiced in one group that regularly gathers across various topics and interests with the common thread of self-reflection, expression, and harvesting insights that change our lives. I tend to stay motivated and inspired as long as we meet regularly. We share resources and invite each other to lectures and workshops. We’ve even taken our learning community on weekend retreats in the nearby Piney Woods to engage in a time for practice, reflection, and connection. Our learning lab agreements have become the heart of our community, building trust, compassion, and grace. We relate with care — not transactionally or co-dependently. Between meetings we use a group text string to share growth milestones, celebrate when we set healthy boundaries, and request and offer support. When someone needs help — like a ride or a hand with a move — we say, “all invitation, no expectation,” honoring each other’s capacity without needing explanation. Through consistent practice, we’ve created the change and connection we were seeking from the start. This summer it is my great pleasure to host two learning labs for The Jung Center community, one online and one in-person. We will share what we are learning from The Jung Center programs, programs in other spaces, and through our life experiences. Using specific agreements and a structure for equal and respectful contribution, we will highlight what inspires us, name our blocks and barriers, and honor each person’s journey and inner guidance as we harvest and apply insights that help improve our lives and contribute to the broader community.

Much of our safety is an illusion