What is Conscious Community?
Whether or not we like it, whether or not we realize it, we are constantly being impacted by the environments, the systems, the people that surround us. From an early age we learn to become a version of who we think we should be based on the expectations imposed upon us by external systems (family, society, etc.).
The Taoists call this personality the “acquired mind” since we acquire it from those around us. There is a conventional code, an outer structure, that dictates how we should think and behave. Sometimes, we remain asleep to who we are beneath the surface- usually without even realizing it.
How can we tell if we are asleep? How can we tell if we aren’t fully ALIVE? We can tell because playing a role that is inauthentic to our inner being always carries with it a nagging itch. A voice that whispers, “There is more to life than this.” When life feels “off” or “meh” or worse, chances are we aren’t connected to our wild and authentic essence, who we truly actually are.
People live disconnected from ALIVEness because we are parts of systems that pull us away from our inner authenticity. We might internalize societal values such as: work hard, make money, be impressive, get married, make babies, etc. We might internalize familial values and create lives based on what will make our parents proud. We might internalize religious values and engage in rituals that hold no real meaning to us. We do this because fitting in, belonging to a community, to a tribe is a deeply human survival instinct. We do this because we are all so deeply interconnected, we cannot help but be influenced by one another in that ever-powerful universal law of Cause and Effect.
The trick is to belong to a community that reinforces the parts of you that you wants reinforced. You know that saying, something about- show me a person’s 5 best friends, and I’ll tell you who he is. Those of us engaged in the personal growth process (whether we are healing or we are enjoying our ALIVEness- and everything in between) can find community with those who choose to live a conscious life.
Throughout my personal growth process (both in my own and in guiding others) I have founds that, sometimes, healing can be the first step to something greater. There is a point, for those who are interested, where healing turns into conscious living. Conscious living looks different for different folks- however the main overlapping theme is as follows: Conscious people use the mental/emotional/ spiritual practices gained through the healing process towards a new aim. Instead of using the techniques to heal, conscious community can choose to use the techniques to Capitol C Create the lives we want. It is to make an impact on, rather than be impacted by. It is sometimes related to living from inner wisdom, or inner authenticity, or soul, or purpose, or Self, or Source, or “flow” (choose your vocabulary word).
Conscious community is for personal growth junkies. for seekers and healers. for therapists. for friends. for those who are hurting. for thsoe who are healing. for those who are awakening. for those who are in service. The typical societal/familial/ religious values do not exist here, and instead we play and live the answers to: Who am I, really? while developing authentic relationships with one another. sometimes we go on bike rides. sometimes we make art together. sometimes we sit in circle and share. we reinforce one another’s intentions and goals. we are encouraged to embody the best versions of ourselves here.
As we start to uncover our answers, as we start to connect with and embody who we actually are, as we start to feel less asleep and more ALIVE, conscious community is there to encourage us. Conscious community is an environment/system/group of people that reinforces the wise and empowered versions of ourselves. And as we embody wise and empowered versions of ourselves (encouraged by the people around us), we are more able to impact and change the communities and systems to which we belong. In other words…
When we are encouraged by conscious community to live in alignment with our authenticity, we Co-Create new paradigms, new systems, new ways of living. As more people join conscious communities, these systems become more real.
If any of this resonates, and you want to Co-Create a new paradigm of reality with us- join us in conscious community. No one is turned away for lack of funds. Many of the events are donation based.