2011 has been a very full year for CXC (Center for Transformative Change).
We rang in 2011 with a New Year’s Eve Release Ceremony and Meditation. We celebrated together our intentions with good food and drink, in community.
In February, three of our staff participated in the 2nd gathering of the Forward Stance Leadership Initiative, hosted by ACRJ (Asian Communities for Reproductive Justice) and led by Norma Wong Roshi. The principles of Forward Stance were explored further with other social justice activists, whether they were intermediaries, meta-intermediaries, or those on the frontlines.
Staff development trainings with both Norma Wong Roshi and Wendy Palmer happened throughout the year, as well as regular in-house productivity workshops with CXC Founder Emeritus, angel Kyodo williams. As a result, CXC staff have added Mu-I Taiji as a collective movement practice, in addition to expanding their awareness into Conscious Embodiment/Leadership Embodiment. Internal infrastructure and communication has vastly improved, as a result of software and project management and internal systems refinement.
Four staff members (angel Kyodo williams, Sundaresvani Erica Grevemeyer, Zochi Alonzo Young, and Karen Muktayani “Muki” Villanueva) are studying with Wendy Palmer and are participating in the Conscious Embodiment/Leadership Embodiment Teacher Training. Conscious Embodiment draws on the traditions of Aikido and mindfulness to offer simple and accessible techniques and methods that support people in recognizing how the mind and body habitually react to pressure. The intention with this work is to bring it to social justice activists and movement work, supporting sustainability, growth, and alignment.
During 2011, graduates of the fearlessYOGA Teacher Training met weekly via conference call, in addition to face-to-face meetings on the East Coast. Graduates continue to shape and edit the teacher training manual and receive guidance and instruction on how to share fearlessYOGA out into the world. In addition, all graduates are currently in development of their individual fearlessYOGA websites, increasing their visibility and accessibility. After a year apprenticeship, two more graduates have fulfilled the requirements towards full teacher status. Karen Muktayani “Muki” Villanueva and Elisabeth Garrett join chandrashekara thuy tran as fearlessYOGA Teachers. fearlessYOGA information gatherings were launched both on the East Coast and West Coast.
In July, CXC’s annual Inner Justice Intensive occurred, seven days spent in deep practice, study, and inner work. This year, senior practitioners gave public talks. A new practice of shodo, or Japanese calligraphy, was introduced as well as sutra copying. Study sessions were focussed on nonviolent social justice movements, particularly those led by Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi.
In September the peaceWELL project made significant progress. Plans were approved and permit processes were completed and building commenced on the garage renovation into the future site of a freestanding community healing center that makes more accessible complementary and alternative healing modalities to social justice activists and social change agents.
In November the Center held its 4th Annual SIT4Change as a virtual and local event. This year, participants were encouraged to “do different” and practice for 108 minutes at any Occupy location near them or wherever they were physically located. Locally, CXC shared three core practices at Occupy Oakland, introducing Mu-I Taiji, 3|1 Practice (utilizing a wooden staff called a jo), and fearlessMeditation. There were other concurrent SIT4Change sites at various Occupy sites throughout the globe and as far away as Australia and Canada, in addition to Oakland, San Francisco, Raleigh, Miami, New York City, Washinton DC, Boston, Phoenix, and more.
CXC’s signature change program, 27 Days of Change | Practice Periods continued seasonally in March and September. Virtual and local participation steadily increase with each Practice Period, and the reach extends wider and wider. This year’s participants are scattered throughout the nation and globe. This year’s international participants hailed from Mexico and Thailand. The final 27 Days for this year begins December 6th and its duration is literally the final 27 days of 2011. This year’s closing ceremony will coincide with a New Year’s Eve Release Ceremony and Meditation.
Colleen Teizen Crivello says
I want to thank you for the open community evening I attended this past Thursday evening. Sitting with the practitioners at CXC and listening to the dharma talk by Rev. Angel Kyoto Williams was a deeply moving experience. My spouse, Ray Kotoku Crivello, is a Zen priest. Together we practice with Akiba Roshi and Yoshie Sensi at Kojinan Zendo in Oakland. Ray echos my sense of gratitude for the space that you hold for the community.
xformedit says
Colleen,
On behalf of CXC & New Dharma, thank you for attending last week’s dharma talk. It was great to have a practice hall full of engaged and interested folks. Hope to see you again soon.
Simha
editor, transform.