There are different ways to awaken and nurture our Vital Kompass. I offer counselling and psychotherapy sessions individually, but I find that it is important to create a variety of experiences in groups so we can learn from others, exercise a deeper way to socialize and develop communication in a compassive manner. It is important to have a gentle awareness of our own feelings as we engage. It can be a lecture, a conversation, a workshop, either online or in person. These opportunities offer us not only information about a certain subject but the sharing of stories, feelings and experiences, as well as they contribute in the process of developing self-awareness, creating communities of support and promoting the changes that we are looking for in life.
Aside from individual consultations, Vital Kompass offers a variety of lectures, workshops, circles of sharing and creative activities and asks you to be curious and to challenge yourself.
The breadth of each activity considers our inner world and how we put ourselves in the external world.
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A couple of tips below that sets the frame of our conversations, so you can join us bringing your curiosity and kindness:
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Activities
Awareness
As a society, we tend to value actions and situations that happen in the outside world. Knowledge of current affairs and the economic situation, the news, the latest neighbourhood development is important. The system we live in validates a well informed person. There is a saying "Information is power", nevertheless, there is a lack of validation of the inner world and its importance in living. The demand for action in a productive way, according to the system, makes people feel uncomfortable if they are doing nothing or dedicating time for themselves, exploring feelings, healing emotional wounds.
In order to make conscious choices that can guide us attentive to our essential needs, it is important to have information about the world, but also to be aware of our emotions, feelings and thoughts, as information of our inner state.
As we develop awareness of our inner life we become familiarised with dynamics regarding comfort zones, prejudice, tendencies and how we relate to news in the outside world.
It is crucial to be aware of our emotions, feelings and thoughts as we relate to others and to situations. This process allows us to make more conscious decisions, taking into consideration ourselves and others.
When we are in contact with our feelings, we tend to be more respectful of ourselves and others feelings, instead of being judgmental. This attitude builds trust and deeper dialogues - basic elements in any healing process.
Sharing
The essence of sharing is one of compassion and inclusion. In listening to a story of pain and suffering, the sharing process brings validation and healing. In distributing food, the sharing permits more dignity to the ones receiving it. In exploring a theme together, knowledge gets multiplied.
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You are invited to share your perceptions, thoughts and feelings as you explore the topics here with us. The principles are to be respectful of others and to bring your heart to participate in the discussions. Everything shared from the hearts makes us more whole.
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Experience
There is so much that we listen to and read about concerning different ways of dealing with challenges, expanding consciousness, making a difference, changing diets...nothing really alters in us unless we experience it and make it purposeful.
Although we live a lot in our own heads, our bodies need to experiment with the process of living. This includes getting our bodies to feel alive, and our minds to explore sensations, emotions, feelings and thoughts. So many new connection in the brain can be created and enhanced by experiencing life with the mind in tune with the body.
Joseph Campbell, a great mythologist, author of many books on the subject of myths, recounts how we want to experience meaning in our lives, not only to find and create meaning in a cognitive way, but to feel that our bodies are alive, expressing our quests and our meanings.
"So, keep these suggestions in mind when you join us in exploring your own life journey and how you would like to unite forces contributing for the development of a more humane society."
So good to have you here! Enjoy the ride!
Ethics
Ethics, from the Greek word ethos, meaning habits, ways of living. I understand it as what helps us to be moral human beings, but with a subtly different connotation to moral. I see ethics as a process that enables us to think based on the golden rule of "treating others as you want to be treated". It offers space for questioning rules.
In times of slavery, the "rule" was one that allowed people to have ownership of other human beings. There was a law that defended this; morality was not enough to combat it, in part, due to the fact that respect of the law was synonymous with being a moral citizen. And still is. An ethical human, however, feels the suffering implied in such a law, and cannot tolerate it.
We, as a society, need to be constantly aware of our ethics. This process better flows when we apply kindness and willingness in our thoughts, words and actions.
In order to avoid difficult conversations as a society, we often keep silent or respond with distant politeness.
Morals are important, but not enough. We need to be in touch with our ethics in order to promote the change we want to see in the world.