The Source of Spiral River
Spiral River was born from a desire to provide a safe and welcoming space for women to gather together on a journey of self-inquiry.
Through the use of yoga, meditation, expressive arts, and experiences in nature, our goal is to build a community of women who can grow individually and as a group, and who can then radiate that strength not only in their personal lives, but within their community.
The Spiral represents the metaphorical journey we are always on. To walk to path of the spiral, we can go in two directions, inward and outward. As we undertake our path of self-inquiry, our path leads us inward. We look into the mirrors and reflections of our interior, gain awareness and understanding, and through the use of creativity and physical activities, express our inner knowing. Through this illumination, we come to know ourselves on a deeper level, and then, cradling this new understanding, we spiral back out, taking ourselves back into the exterior world, where we test and express what we have learned. We are always offered situations which we have experienced before, but our new perceptions allow us to dance with them differently. Nonetheless, we cannot stay in this outer world, we must always go back to our center, always dancing between both worlds, always in a state of inquiry and exploration. We see this practice throughout history, through medicine wheel work, labyrinth walks, psychoanalysis, on so on, and for the seeker, the journey is one of wonder, and often, requires self-compassion.
The River, is life itself. As part of our self-inquiry, we ask, "Where are you in the river of your own life?". Are you standing on the shore, watching it go by, or are you ankle deep, afraid to explore the depths, or immersed but desperately holding on to a root, afraid to let the river take you where you need to go. Or, are you at peace with it, allowing the river of your life to fill and sustain you, to move you towards destinations unknown, trusting and compassionate towards all of the different expressions the River has to offer - rushing waters, still pools, stagnant pockets, and even drought. Can you recognize and remove obstacles blocking the flow of the River in your life, or at least find another route around them?
These are just some of the ways we learn to know and understand ourselves, and through engagement with the body through yoga and meditation, or through the flow of paint, or journaling, storytelling or connective activities in nature, we get to grow not only individually as women, but like individual trees in a forest, we support and sustain the lives of those around us, and thus the world itself.
Spiral River is dedicated to providing those on their own personal journey of exploration opportunities to reflect, grow and connect with other like-minded women, so please join us and become part of Spiral River.
