Gratitude for our Experiences at the Helper Development Workshop
Because our region provided the opportunity for all of your SPNW regional helpers to attend the National Helper Development Workshop we wanted to provide short update on our initial experiences. The experiences expressed below are just initial diary thoughts. We all feel the results of this weekend in San Jose, CA are only beginning to manifest within us and that the benefit of going will continue to grow and be of a benefit to our work in the region.
Daniella Gleeson
Although the helper retreat was brief, I felt a deepening of my latihan and an immense gratitude for my brothers and sisters and the connectness we share. I enjoyed the testing sessions. I gained some tools for my helper tool belt and feel that it was a good beginning of further testing for me to explore. I feel that more retreats like this on any level are helpful for us all.
Athena Solbeck
Although it was challenging traveling after a week of MT snow, I found the weekend quite rejuvenating. I valued the creative testing sessions in small groups as well as the comprehensive resource information. It felt restorative experiencing the deep latihans and energizing connecting with so many members of a dynamic Subud community. My hope is we can pass on part of the “juiciness “during PNW kejiwaan gatherings.
Rayma Norton
We tested in large groups and in small groups of 3-6 women. The most powerful experience I had testing during the weekend was receiving how it feels for myself as an individual when I serve as a helper to the best of my capacity, and then testing how it feels when we as a sisterhood of helpers join together to fulfill our duties to the best of our capacity. The space within my feelings expanded enormously. Being with helpers from throughout the country, doing latihan together, and testing in large and small groups, brought new energy, confidence, and commitment to my own work as a helper. Thank you for helping me attend.
Liza Ramey Wolfgang
I had mixed feelings from the helper retreat. It was very nurturing to be in such a large, dedicated group of Subud members. I very much enjoyed the large latihans which were powerful for me. Some of the proposed series of tests left me with more questions than answers. I look forward to exploring these more in depth with the regional Dewan.
David Lynch
A very beneficial and enlightening weekend. I was able to explore much depth in the simple awareness (or awakening) testing. Rather than just feeling the Latihan in my body parts I was shown how to feel the Latihan in those body systems. For example, "feel the Latihan in your head. Feel the Latihan in your thinking. Feel your thinking when it is guided by the power of the Latihan." Or eyes and seeing, feet and dancing, mouth and singing…
Oswald Norton
I was grateful for everything that I experienced in the short day and a half of this meeting. I came to it thinking that I had a lot of ideas and understandings that I thought I could contribute. Instead, I left understanding that I had so much more to learn with a wider opening within for my latihan to grow. I look forward to seeing how what I felt and experienced there can be used in the local and regional kejiwaan gatherings that we are now planning. I thank the national and international helpers who facilitated the weekend for their planning and leadership in this important event.
Samuel Czuba
This was my first large gathering since the Portland congress. I felt all went quite well. I think it would have been good to break into groups of 8 to 10, then bring the input to all the men. This way ideas from 4 or 5 groups could come together in that format. The awareness testing was most beneficial to me personally. I had very good experience overall.