MCD Guides: Community And Program 

 
 

Vision

We come together in the shared intention to build a supportive community dedicated to cultivating and sharing the consciousness and skills of MCD as one form of evolving and helping each other find liberation and healing. Together we learn to attune ever more subtly and consistently to the heart and the truth of who we are. We strengthen our capacity to see past superficial differences and moments of disconnect, and embody love, authenticity, acceptance, forgiveness, trust, and care. We practice translating this consciousness into specific and practical skills that support connection moment by moment. 

I invite you to continue living into this vision with an initial in-person four day retreat with the intention of committing to a yearlong program by the end of this retreat. (See logistics at the end for further details).

3 Dimensions for Learning, Cultivating and Transforming

 

I imagine that we will be working along the following three dimensions:

 

1. COMMUNITY

We will build a deeply supportive community that continues to grow with each cohort

2. PERSONHOOD

We will support personal healing, liberation, and growth

3. FACILITATOR / LEADER

We will learn and grow into the capacity to support liberation and ground ourselves in a life-serving intention as we embody MCD consciousness and skills

 

As a community, in our personhood, and as  facilitators or leaders, from MCD consciousness, we consistently reflect upon the following key points of mindfulness and inquiry:

PRESENT MOMENT AWARENESS: In an instance of present moment awareness, we might ask ourselves and each other if we are responding to what’s present or to an idea or projection of what could be or what we fear could be. As a foundation we are holding the question: “Can I / we trust the unfolding of the present moment and our attunement to it to be our primary guide?”

QUALITY OF CONNECTION: An example of attending to the quality of connection might be interrupting to connect and being willing to name aloud a moment of disconnect, reactivity, or misattunement. As a foundation we are holding the question: “Am I / are we living and prioritizing the quality of connection that is satisfying, supportive, and calls us into our wholeness?”

AWAKENING: Examples of awakening might include invitations to notice particular behaviors, words, and ideas and how they might reflect conditioning that limit us or wisdom and compassion that expand our hearts. As a foundation we are holding the question: “How can we identify and transform the conditioning from family of origin, capitalism, racism, or any form of marginalization and oppression? Together how can we realize  and dissolve that which blocks our capacity to embody love and acceptance?”

We will consistently apply the consciousness and skills of MCD to that which arises in the present moment and give special attention to  acute and chronic reactivity/trauma, racism, marginalization, and money as mechanisms of separation within and among us. In ever more freedom from conditioning, we reconnect to our true nature which is unity in love and connection.

What does it all mean? Certification?

I propose leaving behind the word certification* and developing an empowering model of mentoring, community, and collaboration. I want to support you in sharing MCD relative to your specific context. For example, I think of one of you that consistently brings examples of accessing MCD with an adolescent daughter. We have worked together in role plays. I think of another couple of you who want to offer a dating workshop. We went over the outline together then proposed to do a mock workshop as a form of mentoring. I think of the men’s group that happened this spring and how I supported them with creating the outline, hearing about how each session went, and offering facilitation tips that were specific to their group. 

I imagine that as our community grows, you would seek mentoring and support from each other, not just me. Thus, the MCD Guides Community and program is meant to be an ongoing process of support, mentoring, evolution, and empowerment flowing in multiple directions and responding to what’s present.

Specific and Doable Outcomes

for the MCD Guides Community and PrograM:

  • Opportunity to become a founding member of this community with 10-15 others

  • You will be offered a self-assessment system that you can use to help you celebrate MCD consciousness and skills integrated and find areas for learning and growth

  • You will engage in a responsive facilitation process to help us all live into our vision as stated above

  • You will receive ongoing support specifically designed to help you share MCD with others in the context of your area of focus


For This 2023 September Retreat: 

  • The opportunity to engage in laying the foundation for this new international community of MCD Guides.

  • You will receive support for organizing home groups or practice and support teams to engage with between retreats relative to your unique needs, focus, and desires. (Some of you may already have groups organized and will want to continue with them).

  • You will receive support in designing a path of learning and transformation that is specific to you. This could include:

      • An outline proposing coursework for you to check off if you’ve completed and enter into if you have not.

      • Recommendation of specific exercises to practice with study buddies or on your own.

      • Offering or leading workshops or exercises with me and your study group.

Specific and Doable Requests for You

  • Come with specific examples of how you are already sharing MCD and how you would like to in the future. Be able to articulate specific needs, requests, and strategies present for you with regard to your area of focus.

  • Decide by the end of the weekend about your commitment to attending the next retreat and engaging practices in between.

  • For this retreat a few of you will offer a session for bringing MCD to money, racism, marginalization, or reactivity, or will offer a specific session from your area of focus.

  • Contribute to the creation of this community and program and Wise Heart’s capacity to support it through a payment in the range given or propose an alternative through email: info@wiseheartpdx.org. 

Logistics

Time and Dates:

Year-Long Program: September 2023 - September 2024

September 2023 In-Person Retreat: Thursday - Sunday, September 21 - 24, 2023

  • Thursday 6:00pm - 9:00pm opening circle

  • Friday 9:30am - 9pm

  • Saturday 9:30am - 9pm

  • Sunday 9:30am - 5pm

I invite the group to consider bringing and sharing food potluck style.

These are long days in hopes of immersing into a connection that goes beyond words. The intention is not to push through long hours but rather to follow the organic unfolding together and find our rhythm.

Dates for the online retreat in January and second in-person retreat in June to be determined in our group. Options for attending virtually in June will be available for those coming from another continent.

Place:

Portland, OR 97216

Contribution:

September 2023 Retreat: $550-$750

Please email us if finances are the only obstacle potentially preventing saying yes to joining this initial retreat. 

Contribution for the Year-Long Program: Financial investment requested for future parts of the program TBD.

*If for your particular way of offering MCD, a document that says you are certified is useful for inspiring confidence in those you will serve, we can create that together.

Register