WORKSHOPS

Balinese Rites of Passage: from Birth to the Great Departure

A Cultural, Spiritual, and Personal Healing Journey in Bali ~ 2024.

In this two-week tour, we will explore both inner and outer landscapes as we delve into the Balinese spiritual and cultural practices (rites of passage) that are seamlessly woven into the fabric of daily life.

Under Surya's expert guidance, we will be welcomed into temples and the homes/studios of artists and healers. Under Alexandra’s gentle guidance, we will take time each day to deepen and integrate our experiences in this rich, soulful culture through group discussions, guided meditation/exercises, dreamwork, journal writing and periods of silence.

The mythological, spiritual and ancestral environment of Bali can stimulate deep psychological insights, transformation and healing. It is our intention to return home with a renewed faith in humanity and more capacity to fully embrace this wondrous life—with all its passages, including the Great Departure.

- One space Just opened up. Contact Alexandra if you want to be on the waiting list in case additional space comes open.

“I loved our circle each morning and the wonderful bonding that took place. I will remember that most! Between Alexandra, Surya and Judy (with the inside Bali scoop and connections), what a wonderful experience!” ~ C.B.

“The way we came together each day, communed, shared so deeply, lived, cried, laughed, shared/explored TOGETHER, was the richest, most juicy and divine gift. . . The brilliant facilitation of sacred circle, and the extraordinarily intuitive wisdom, kindness and gentle- strength that Alexandra wielded with the group and each individual was quite touching to witness. I personally broke through some barriers and expanded my heartspace and my thinking. . . It was really life changing- - seriously, this was one of the best trips of my life!”~ N.G.

“Whenever I feel a little bit anxious about life, I always bring myself back to the mountain in Munduk, at that meditation space overlooking the mountains. It usually calms me down immediately. Thank you so much for allowing me to participate in such a wonderful trip! Your guidance is phenomenal. What I will remember the most are the people I met during the trip. Because of you all, I can claim this is truly the most unforgettable trip I ever had.” ~ O.L.

“I have never had a deeper, more meaningful group experience.” ~ J.M.

“I loved the combination of Surya and Alexandra. The knowledge, sensitivity, love and insight into Bali that Surya shared with us made the trip for me and allowed me to experience Bali everyday in a more thoughtful way, with greater awareness to everything around me. Alexandra opened paths within each person through meditation and self awareness that helped each of us look deeper into our experiences of grief and ancestors. Together they facilitate a greater experience of, and insights into, ourselves and Bali.” ~ L.C. “The Balinese people once again renewed my faith in the goodness of the human race. Their sweetness, patience, strength, and friendliness inspire me to try to be a better person.” ~ M.S.

Spirituality Tours

Waking Up in Paradise: Women's Big Island Retreat November 10-17 2019

This 7-day retreat offers an opportunity to live from your spiritual center in a community of loving, conscious women on sacred Hawaiian land. As we fall back into natural rhythms, we will shed the stresses of everyday life, relax into the welcoming silence that awaits us, cultivate true rest, and allow life in all its richness to flow unimpeded through us. We can then discover that each one of us is a flowing expression of a divine love and intelligence that hums through our very cells.

Our retreat site of Hawaiian design sits on the hillside above Kealakekua Bay with stunning views of the bay and coastline. The property exudes tranquility, peace and beauty.

This sacred land, warm ocean, and loving community of women create a safe and supportive womb for the unfolding of truth within each of us. We will be nurtured and challenged to dive deeply into ourselves and uncover fresh inspiration for our lives.

For more information, contact Alexandra.

May you open the gift of solitude
In order to receive your soul;
Enter the generosity of silence
To hear your hidden heart;
Know the serenity of stillness
To be enfolded anew
By the miracle of being.

Loss and Grief

Healing the Grieving Heart

With Dr. Ken Druck and Alexandra Kennedy MA, MFT

Awakening to Life in Transition

A retreat with Ralph Steele and Alexandra Kennedy

In the natural flow of life we will pass through many transitions—involving changes in our family, work, living situation, community, health and sense of identity. These transitions often bring us face to face with the harsh reality of loss and grief, of how vulnerable we really are, of living in an aging body-- and of our inescapable appointment with death. We can resist these transitions or we can learn to flow with them.

Working with them, we can learn how to open up a space for the universal to inspire and transform our daily lives.

For all of us going through transition in our lives, this retreat is an opportunity and an invitation to awaken to life more fully in this moment, to trust life flowing through us with all its challenges and gifts. Instead of reacting to these changes with anxiety and fear, we can discover at our source a deep sense of peace and well-being.

In this workshop, we will:

Bring our attention to our bodies so we inhabit them more fully and listen to their needs as we deal with the stress of change.
Learn to soften the belly, let go of control, and trust the guidance of a deeper wisdom from within us.
Embrace (without feeling overwhelmed) unattended grief that inhibits our capacity to feel fully alive and to keep our hearts open.
Work with the breath and subtle energies of the body that connect us to vast reservoirs of energy.
Investigate, explore and challenge our fears so we no longer contract from the discomfort, pain and anxiety that change can bring.
Learn methods for staying present in times of transition in order to respond creatively as needed and to make healthy decision.

We will use Buddhist mindfulness and powerful breath practices along with guided meditations and psychotherapeutic approaches that help us awaken, heal and feel more fully alive.

If you are experiencing transitions, change or loss in your life and want resources to move through this more gracefully, this retreat is for you. There are no prerequisites in terms of meditation practice for attending this retreat—everyone is welcome.

Alexandra Kennedy, MA MFT and Ralph Steele, MA MFT are both psychotherapists (with more than 80 years experience in the field between them—an inspiring team!) with private practices in Santa Cruz and Santa Fe, New Mexico. Both meditated and trained with Stephen Levine and other seminal teachers in the 70s.

Alexandra has written three books on grief (Losing a Parent, The Infinite Thread and Honoring Grief), along with another book, How Did I Miss All This Before?, that explores her spiritual journey from a woman’s perspective.

Ralph founded the first Elizabeth Kübler-Ross Hospice training program at Northern New Mexico College and created Life Transition Therapy, a meditation based trauma center. His first book, Tending the Fire, explores his year as a Buddhist monk in Thailand and Myanmar.

Honoring Grief Workshop

Grief touches us all. At different times of our lives, it finds each one of us—and often we are unprepared for its intensity and transformative depth. In this class we will explore the grieving process after a loss: the stages and tasks of grief, common somatic and emotional reactions, fears and concerns, damaging effects of unresolved grief.

We will then focus on strategies developed over the past 40 years by psychotherapist Alexandra Kennedy for actively grieving without feeling overwhelmed. These strategies include creating and using a sanctuary for grieving, nurturing the ongoing inner relationship with a deceased loved one to heal unresolved issues and regrets, working with dreams for inner guidance in the grief process, addressing the post traumatic stress that often accompanies grief through EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing).

Weaving together inspiring case histories and practical advice and suggestions, we will explore the role of the therapist in working with grieving clients and discuss how to work with difficult cases. Lecture will be combined with experiential exercises and discussion.

Please note that this is not an overview course in grief—it is intended to give you specific, effective strategies and tools for healing your personal grief and for your work with clients.