SATVATOVE INSTITUTE COMMUNITY NEWS

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August 19th 2007 Volume 3, Issue 12

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Dear Reader,

Welcome to Issue 12 of the Satvatove community newsletter.

Judgments - that's a familiar word for me, and maybe also for you. I'm full of judgments and I used to think it's a bad thing. Actually, it doesn't need to be. As David writes in the article below, to judge is a function of intelligence. I could have felt good about learning this, because if I would measure my intelligence by the amount of judgments I have, I would be a highly intelligent person! But unfortunately that is not the case. I think that real intelligence lies in how I deal with my judgments - in suspending them in order to share real experience. Read more about suspending judgments in David's article below.

We're excited about the new upcoming Satvatove events.

A Foundational and Advanced Seminar has just been confirmed to take place in February 2008, in Switzerland. For more details see further down.

Marie is accepting registrations for the upcoming group coachings. At this point I would like to include a note from her:

"As people from different countries are enrolling in the group coaching sessions, I am getting excited about the possibilities these sessions offer. I imagine the rich dynamic of parents from locales like New Zealand, Switzerland and the United States discussing challenges and successes in applying parenting skills, and eager spiritualists from around the globe, with diverse backgrounds and experiences, sharing with each other, inspired to apply Satvatove principles in their spiritual lives. And I envision the career/abundance sessions, inviting varieties of experience and knowledge from participants with varied backgrounds and goals, discovering unity in principles of personal growth and conscious communication applied to their respective fields and aspirations. Now is the time to register for Satvatove group coaching. To reserve your spot, contact me at 001-386-418-8840 or MarieGlasheen@Satvatove.org."

I hope this newsletter meets you well.

Annette

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. SHARE EXPERIENCE; SUSPEND JUDGMENT - by David Wolf

2. SPIRITUALITY GROUP COACHING September 4 (3-4 PM United States Eastern Standard Time)

3. PARENTING GROUP COACHING September 5 (3-4 PM United States Eastern Standard Time)

4. CAREER/ABUNDANCE GROUP COACHING September 6 (3-4 PM United States Eastern Standard Time)

5. SATVATOVE SEMINARS IN SWITZERLAND, 2008

6. OPEN FORUM

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SHARE EXPERIENCE; SUSPEND JUDGMENT

by David B. Wolf

"Who'd like to share their experience?" A common refrain in the Satvatove programs, this question often results in responses such as "I was too distracted," "My partner is so nice," or "I'm a terrible listener". I regard such expressions as judgments, rather than sharing of experience. Also in personal feedback exercises we sometimes use the prompt "I experience you as...", culminating in expressions of evaluation or judgment, rather than actual experience

Statements such as "I felt so angry when I wasn't understood", "I experienced my heart open when my partner shared a story similar to mine", and "I felt great relief to talk about my hurt", usually indicate sharing of experience. I use the term "usually" because, from my perspective, there is no particular phrasing that guarantees that one is connected with experience. Still, language reflects consciousness, and some wording consistently indicates analysis as opposed to experience.

Sharing from experience tends to be life-enriching, whereas relating from judgment is oftentimes alienating. "What's alienating about a statement like 'You are so kind to offer me a ride home,'" you might ask. A complimentary judgment is just as much a judgment as one of condemnation, such as "You're irresponsible and lazy." These judgmental remarks reveal little about what is happening inside the speaker, and they reflect the attitude of the speaker as one qualified to sit in judgment. On the other hand, consider expressions such as "I'm grateful that you offered me a ride home, because I was worried that I'd be late to cook for my children, and now I'm peaceful about that," and "You said you would wash the dishes last night, and you didn't. I'm disappointed and angry that you didn't do what you said you would." These statements, founded in experience rather than evaluation, convey valuable feedback about effects of specific behaviors.

"Okay then, I'll not judge anymore." Such a conclusion, in my judgment, would be a mistake. To judge is a function of intelligence. The first thing we read when we visit the Satvatove website (www.Satvatove.org) is "The highest truth is reality distinguished from illusion for the welfare of all." To make distinctions is integral to a life of refinement and progress.

In the Satvatove community we distinguish between strategies for living and strategies for surviving (see article "Strategies for Living" by David Wolf, December 1st, 2006 Volume 2, Issue 6). To share from experience is a strategy for living, as is suspending judgments. Note that the living strategy is not worded as "Be neutral, without judgment."

Genuineness dictates that we recognize our judgments. Dedication to growing and thriving relationships necessitates willingness to suspend judgments. This means that we choose not to allow our judgments to interfere with a fresh, present experience of a person or situation. Approaching each moment and relation in this way opens possibilities for discovery and vitality.

An alive and present experience may confirm or disconfirm my judgments. Suppose I have a judgment that a person is deceptive and not very intelligent. To deny that I am thinking this would be dishonest. In interacting with this person, I want to notice my judgments, and suspend them, allowing myself a fresh experience of this person. That experience may confirm my judgments, or it may reveal them to be false and shallow. Whatever new opinion may form, I have an opportunity to experience the next moment while suspending the judgment.

We talk about self-defeating games, one of which is to hide behind judgments. Intelligence, analysis and judgment are meant to inform and enrich our experience, or we can use them as fear-based barriers to authentic relation. To fully experience life does not imply abandonment of the wisdom of discretion. It does mean to be present with all our faculties, without limiting experience with preconceived labels or categorizations. In the words of philosopher and educator Martin Buber, "In spite of all similarities, every living situation has, like a newborn child, a new face, that has never been before and will never come again. It demands of you a reaction that cannot be prepared beforehand. It demands nothing of what is past. It demands presence, responsibility; it demands you."

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SPIRITUALITY GROUP COACHING September 4 (3-4 PM United States Eastern Standard Time)

- Steadiness in spiritual practices

- Distinction between spirituality and religion

- Integration of spirituality with other life dimensions

- Resolving internal conflicts and confusion related to spiritual, theological and philosophical issues

- A personal, balanced approach to regulative principles of spiritual life

REGISTER NOW: CONTACT: MarieGlasheen@satvatove.org, 386-418-8840

Group Session: US$30 (Package of 6 sessions US$ 120 for any sessions of your choices)

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PARENTING GROUP COACHING September 5 (3-4 PM United States Eastern Standard Time)

- Transformative communication in the parent-child/teen relationship

- Boundaries

- Values in parenting

- Balance between respecting autonomy and providing protection

- School

- Study and homework challenges

- Friendship and social life

REGISTER NOW: CONTACT: MarieGlasheen@satvatove.org, 386-418-8840

Group Session: US$30 (Package of 6 sessions US$ 120 for any sessions of your choices)

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CAREER/ABUNDANCE GROUP COACHING Septenber6 (3-4 PM United States Eastern Standard Time)

- Identifying life purpose

- Goal-setting and attainment

- Successful interviews

- Examining assumptions and beliefs about work, money and abundance

- Applying principles of high-level communication in the workplace

- Living your vision

REGISTER NOW: CONTACT: MarieGlasheen@satvatove.org, 386-418-8840

Group Session: US$30 (Package of 6 sessions US$ 120 for any sessions of your choices)

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FOUNDATIONAL AND ADVANCED SEMINARS 2008 IN SWITZERLAND

We're very excited to announce the upcoming Satvatove Seminar experience in Switzerland. It's the fourth time that the seminar takes place in the same venue: A beautiful mansion on the south side of a hill with a stunning view of the Swiss Alps, located in Walkringen, a small village near Bern.

For further information and registration please contact sanya@pentimento.ch or peter@pentimento.ch. You can also visit http://www.satvatove.org/calendar.php.

Dates

FOUNDATIONAL COURSE: February 2nd-4th 2008

ADVANCED SEMINAR: February 6th -12th 2008

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OPEN FORUM

This is a new section in the Satvatove Newsletter. It's a place where we'd like to publish your responses, questions and inspirations derived from articles published in previous newsletters. I'm looking forward to your contribution. Please send your letter to Annette@Satvatove.org.

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August 19th 2007 Volume 3, Issue 12