The Art of Living “As If”
Dear Friends,
At the close of our Winter Solstice Celebration last week, a guest made a comment on her way out the door that made me so happy. “I made a new friend today,” she said with a smile. Her words really encapsulated the mission of our studio. Above all, we hope you leave our studio feeling more connected to yourself and one another. In the days following our Winter Solstice event, I received a personal note from almost every guest mentioning how much they enjoyed it. This feedback made our efforts to plan, promote and facilitate the event during an already very full holiday season well worth it.
One guest commented that “it was so grounding to be back in The Meadow again. Felt like home.” Another guest said the event was “such a sweet way to mark the season.” A new participant wrote that she “had the best time getting to know your calming, exquisite studio and this lovely community in Brooklyn.”
I opened this studio with the epidemic of loneliness in mind. We all know there are unprecedented levels of social isolation across the globe due in part to over-reliance on technology. Having filed for a divorce just weeks before a global pandemic, I’m no stranger to the ache of isolation. The circumstances left me with the daunting task of rebuilding my social and professional life well into midlife.
I can attest that even in busy, bustling New York City, there is a dearth of opportunities to forge new friendships. As well-resourced and outgoing person, I still found the social landscape in the city challenging, nearly impossible. My own creative and spiritual practices were saving graces at that time of great transition and grief. They anchored and nourished me; they returned me to my authentic self. I was able to convert a sense of loneliness into constructive solitude and generativeness.
The Meadow DUMBO is an outgrowth of all I gleaned from this experience. At this time, the collective is also undergoing a period of loss and transformation. My hope is that our civilization makes it to what Joanna Macy calls The Great Turning, a new era where higher levels of human consciousness reign, ushering in peace, justice, and environmental restoration.
In the meantime, The Meadow DUMBO will operate in an as if space. I learned this mindset from Tibetan Buddhism. We can learn to live as if the highest ideals and conditions were already made manifest and in this way create better outcomes that in turn bring us closer to these ideals.
The Meadow DUMBO is a space that has already turned fully toward these ideals. Our creative experiences and seasonal circles prioritize growing our relationship to Spirit, other humans, our diverse cultures, and the natural world. We strive to make sure everyone feels welcome at the studio and hope you deepen your connection to our community over time.
The Meadow has just converted our registration platform to Sawyer which allows us to offer coupon codes to valued customers. If you sign up for any one of our winter workshops during the month of January, you will receive a 20% discount by using the code NEWYEAR. You can even apply the discount to more than one workshop by bundling multiple workshops together in one order. The NEWYEAR coupon expires January 31st and can only be used once, so it’s best to register soon. You can explore The Meadow’s winter offerings on my website.
First in the winter lineup is a new virtual offering! We’re meeting for an hour online Thursdays at noon EST to journal with the gentle accountability of community. The New Year is a great opportunity to kickstart or reconnect with the anchoring art of reflective writing. Each session will focus on a theme which will be woven through the meditation and writing prompt. There will be no pressure to share your personal reflections, however I will allow time at the end for those who would like to share insights.
Wishing you all a very happy new year!
Julie