Our Hip Thanksgiving Happening with Anthony Michael Blowers

This Event may appear a bit last minute, but we couldn’t we use a lil’ spontaneity this Holiday season!? Much to say about our times this week and will, but needed to get this information up forthwith, as we are days away from a wonderful nature walk and late Fall forage with the local legend Anthony Michael Blowers. If you haven’t been out for or read up on any of his gatherings here since the outside world went a bit wonky, you should come, as they have been a true bright spot and an underground uplift for many the last few months. I’ll do some reminiscing and post links to our former outdoor community rendezvous’s, with more to say on Anthony’s walks as well as articles like this New York Times piece calling “The Thanksgiving Myth” to the carpet of our collective consciousness, one of the ideas inspiring this event’s communiqué, easily accessed here for Pre-Registration with, as mentioned, more to say, Hokahey — speak to you and hope to see you this week!

The Collective Workshop

I will walk alone, by the Black muddy river and listen to the ripples as they moan I will walk alone and sing me a Song…

Like the post below, this electronic note, and note of thanks, is a bit overdue, as we were happy to teach a natty little workshop at The Collective in Benton Harbor a weekend back. I referenced The Black River above, the one of Grateful Dead lore as well as South Haven, the middle-branch of which touches the Southeast corner of The Higher Haven’s wetland area and then winds all the way to Lake Michigan, past South Haven’s South Pierhead Light, where boats come in and out the Black off the lake. That said, the River here appears to be the Paw Paw, a beautiful outdoor setting not far from Ox Creek, also cool, with a platform where some of The Collective’s classes occur. I like the idea of all the rivers in Southwest Michigan running together to the lake or sea, a good symbol for the source of the time-space continuum.

The Collective is much of the work of Adrienne White and Luke Andresen, so check them out, as they are a dynamic duo with mojo around Yoga, movement and strength training unparalleled. I was happy to visit to teach a workshop focused on Meditation + Mysticism on a gorgeous Indian Summer afternoon after what proved to be a long but negotiable election week across the U.S.. Thanks again to Adrienne and Luke as we hope to be back this Winter with a series collaboration currently in the Works. And as I looked for a background pic to go with this post — using a map image of Northern Michigan ‘though The Collective is an easy half-hour jaunt South — I thought that as the grip on the external world eases in 2021, perhaps we can take this mobile teaching on the road with some regularity.

A Funky Meditation + Mindfulness 101

“We carry in our hearts the True Country and that cannot be stolen, we follow in the steps of our Ancestry, and…

We taught a great little class a weekend or so back, our monthly Meditation + Mindfulness 101. Covering the four skills one fosters as a regular practicing meditator — Concentration, Relaxation, Insights into the Nature of Reality, and Unconditional Love — the class also touches in on the different beliefs systems and spiritual paths of the world and their common links. I was excited to have Rikk above in the house, a new friend and very cool, very pro musician, who I connected with over music at a drum-making workshop a few weeks back. I never wrote about it — I will — but in the meantime, Rikk and I made some sound-shapes and I appreciated the teaching. Rikk did too, and had this to say: “Took in the class on Meditation and Mindfulness. I really can’t say enough about how well the material is thought out. I was particularly struck about how palatable the presentation was. I could see it capturing the heart and mind of people from all walks and levels of spiritual development. The icing on the cake was both walking the grounds and getting to experience Paul’s ceremonial voice and drum during the meditation exercises. Truest healing and new approaches to add to my practice. Much appreciated.” Back at you. We’re happy to say this standout class, which requires no more than three hours of your time on a weekend afternoon, is offered once more this year, in early December, and so hope to see you!