My Burning Man Experience

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…