Imagine a world in which you are deeply accepted and
encouraged to fully express yourself, in whatever form you choose… and in this
world, people give you food, drink and fun stuff -- money does not play a role,
and in fact is frowned upon. Gifting is
a way of life here. Workshops, art exhibits, dances and all sorts of gatherings
are free. In this world, you can show up to the party alone, dance alone and
yet be in the midst of the heart of the celebration. This is also a world in which you are
responsible for your health and well-being, getting enough food and rest, protecting
yourself from the elements and setting your own agenda for the day. There are
practically no rules, and yet everybody treats each other with respect and
consideration—from a place of authentic desire. You are responsible for your
own experience, and to give others the space to have their own too… this in
short of the vision of Burning Man.
This is why I chose to facilitate a five-day Compassionate
Connecting workshop series, because the environment is congruent with universal
values of acceptance, radical self-expression and exploration, and the people
attending are open to receiving it. In fact, my experience was that
participants were hungry for the clarity and flow supported by NVC.
--I've been pondering my burn experience and beginning to
question some of my assumptions about life... I'm torn around my ability to
support myself while doing the things I find meaningful in life surrounding
NVC--so I'm walking a line in two worlds right now.
One of the highlights of my burn was my greeting from our
community leader Matheo--his embrace and eye contact welcomed me into a sense
of belonging and community that I didn't expect—a sense of “welcome home.” I
was deeply touched by this, expressed my gratitude to him and got to vent some
of my sadness surrounding the “other world.” He resonated energetically and offered me the
name "Cauldron" as he pointed to the fire cauldron next to us, as a
symbol for my ability to hold space for healing and connection.
I was fortunate enough to have been invited to camp near the
center of the Red Lightning community, met needs for beauty, peace and enabled
me to help hold space for the intention of harmony and growth for the
community.
Another nightly highlight for me was hoping on my bike and
going dancing to various places. I enjoyed the sense of adventure,
self-expression and freedom around the whole thing--I miss this and am helping
to recreate it out here...
Getting up before sunrise on Friday and going to the Temple
of Transition was memorable, meeting needs for adventure, beauty and healing.
I got to practice my Tai Chi slow set on the Playa in front
of the temple.
My favorite highlight of the trip was filling up the Rite of
Passage Dome on Saturday morning before the burn, connecting to all
participants present, and having the sense of resonance and understanding alive
in the space. Totally met needs for contribution, hope and meaning. Rosy, my
companion giraffe was with me throughout the journey-providing support and
playfulness.
I had the opportunity to “strike” the Red Lightning camp,
which means to help take everything down. I was surprised at how fun it was to
work with the community toward a common goal—and how much I enjoyed using my
hand tools. Interacting in this way is something I look forward to next time I
go.
I’m feeling hopeful that humanity will continue evolving,
growing into a greater harmony and mutuality, where people are considerate of
each other’s needs. Burning Man seems to be a place where we can try on new
things, and explore different societal norms outside of the competitive
structures of a market based economy. I’m open to going again next year, though
we’ll see what’s alive for me in the summer months. My focus right now is on
facilitating NVC-based Christ consciousness—perhaps there’s a place for both to
continue…
