Feedback Submissions – Series 2

Nothing. It was really good!

Honest sharing. Speaking and listening from the heart.

I wondered if it might be useful to weave some more explicit resourcing…calling in ancestors, mentors, places…to support our work during the opening meditation. A version of this was done, but I thought it could be useful to name the difficulty and importance of resourcing more directly.

N/A

Again, perhaps some more specific tips about how to manage strong emotion and overwhelm, and using the guided meditation to support that.

I didn't find anything problematic or less valuable. It was all very helpful.

The small, intimate share. The space to go deep with a partner and the group. The clear introduction videos and setting the stage for our time together in person with clear goals. The offer to be there for us should difficulties arise in relation to the class. I would love to have a print out of some of the important numbers from the setting the context video. Great quote there too at the end!

Hi,
I enjoyed the first module. I wonder if it might have been useful for us to have a writing prompt in advance. I felt like I the 15 min total touched on the despair but I could have used more time and I stayed fairly in my head, less in my emotions. Maybe writing would have gotten to that???
Also, could have done a bit more inquiry style than just mindful speaking and listening, such as repeating questions, or inviting us into our body around it.
I can't remember the exact questions but could add "what do you feel in body-heart-mind as you talk about this?"

Last comment-- any chance you could also have transcripts (down the road) for the videos? I process better with reading than listening. Others may be like me.

Thanks Kristin & Adam! Think I was able to share feedback real time in the session both about (1) module 2 pre-homework and (2) what felt missing at this point in the training (so when you review the video/notes, just pls LMK if any further questions or things you'd like to elucidate). In terms of additional feedback about module 2, I'm still really feeling the strength and momentum of the overall offering (content/structure) which is the frontrunning experience, so thank you for that!! In terms of "background noise" I did feel like this session felt more rushed, and as facilitators you said "we were behind" it felt like almost from the get-go & repeated that, which isn't a great feeling as a group participant (i.e. "did we do something wrong?" when the conversation seemed useful) so it may be that you can only have 90 mins of planned structure and need 30 to divvy up real-time as the group helps shape what's important. Think dyad shares can be shorter (overall) and that with such a small group quad-time (the 4 of us dialoguing) is especially useful. Much appreciation! - m

I got a little confused about some of the discussion topics.

Again, g to he chance to discuss difficult issues in a safe, heartful place.

I’ve been paired with the same person both times. It would be nice to have a chance to interact with others. And if there is a reason for the same-same pairing, it would be helpful to have transparency about why.

At the end Kristin said “there’s something fishy in the room.” The comment left me intrigued, but also (for some reason) with some concern about being judged as we move forward and learn more.
Not really sure what this is about for me. Just noting that it struck a chord that left me curious and also worried.

When one participant shared in tears the sense of helplessness, I just regret that my response was perhaps more of a fixing response than a meeting them where they were. I think future groups (and perhaps even our group, if it is appropriate to name going forward) could use some explicit framing of how we might hold each other in these kind of feelings, rather than going too quickly to solutions. I'm not sure if others in the group are still sitting with anything uncomfortable from that exchange. If not, I'm ok not bringing it up. But if they are, it may be good to name it, so any of us can still feel safe going to that place of despair in our group if those feelings arise again.

Frankly I'm glad such emotions came up, I doubt there are many other spaces where these feelings can emerge and I really want each of us to have the space and time to go there and to be in community, supported by each other.

the space to reflect first on our own, then in pairs, then in the larger group. I really liked that patterning.
Again the intimacy and spaciousness to hear deep shares from each participant
i found the question about what ecodharma is still developing very stimulating and helpful, it is a new field that we are all contributing to!

You are both facilitating this so well! I really feel seen and heard each time and appreciate so much your insights, guidance and the vision you have for this course! And I was very glad for the opportunity to provide feedback in the class itself. We maybe just needed a bit more clarity on what and how you wanted our feedback because we were giving it on 2 different levels and I wasn't sure what you really wanted at that point.

I unexpectedly wasn’t able to be at the live class, but it was an unexpectedly valuable experience to still (1) do the homework videos and contemplation (2) listen to the class recording and hear the group discussion (3) follow the prompts/reflection in the class (my own break out/repeating question!) so that’s good feedback for you to know, obviously not ideal, but when a cohort is underway, there’s enough momentum individually and collectively for it to continue/not lose a beat. I’m up to speed so when the homework comes tomorrow for next module to be ready. I did find the light-shadow paradigm useful, although the dilemma I found wasn’t so much named in the discussion that I heard, which was the tension between the stated course objective, i.e. open up the space for each of our authentic eco-dharma to come through (which suggests to me that I build off/speak from my strongest suits, i.e. nature) AND the need to expose gaps/shore up/build new competencies (i.e. including more science) and what my personal balance/vision around that is. The focus seemed to be more on understanding how our own social location gave us our preferences/strong suits (which is helpful, but seemed secondary or tertiary). Thank you for chock-full both content and contemplation amidst all you’re both holding!

I have just read my friend, Eden Tull's book, Luminous Darkness, about the incredibly helpful role of darkness and shadows in our individual and collective healing. She writes about endarkenment and how much we've lost due to the hierarchizing of light over dark. I name this as I find the framing of "light" and "shadow" maybe too simplified and wonder if there are other ways to speak about these dynamics that don't cast darkness or shadow as an exclusively negative or problematic thing. Skillful/unskillful, conscious/unconscious are possibilities, or even keeping the light/dark metaphor but saying something short about the power of darkness and shadow and how this part of us can be integrated and nurtured as well.

Excellent videos that took the material even deeper and broader. Loved the visuals in Kristin's video. Loved that Adam filmed his video outside. And the invitation to really examine the concept of 'nature.'
The chance to reflect on my own, then with partner, then with larger group. So rich to inquire into our personal location as it relates to our views about climate crisis and what 'lights' we gravitate toward. Really loved the ample time for personal sharing and deeper reflection. This whole course is very well facilitated and held! Thank you!

The presentations were so rich, having a transcript would be great to go back and read.

n/a I really enjoyed this class and how it feels we are going deeper together into newer, fresher waters.

I found the material offered potent and challenging. Especially the notion that we are all "seated" from a particular point of view (POV); that our POV shapes the lenses we look through, how we see, and what we don't see. This is rich, powerful content. I would have appreciated more context and explanation for why you were presenting this and what you hoped we would get—we all have views, we all have places we can't see; our personal history, culture, etc. shapes where we look and what we see...

I wished the we as participants would have been asked to reflect on where we are "seated" (as Kristin did in her introduction,) perhaps giving us categories to reflect on...and then helping us tie those more closely to the lights/shadows exercise. We did some of this in the group session. So maybe just a bit more clarification about the "why" up front with a little bit of "We'll be exploring this in more depth later..."

I felt confused (and then a bit irritated!) that I didn't understand why we were doing this. I wound up feeling strangely suspicious (which is my stuff, for sure), which made it harder to hear what was being shared.

All of the content was useful both for "Eco" and "Dharma."

See above: more context setting; more tying the pieces together; more opportunity for us to reflect on our own "seatedness."

I think that one went really well. I appreciated the questions, the different formats. I found it personally insightful. Not much to add here.

Again feel like I was able to share the bulk of the feedback about content and impact in the live class, but in case helpful in written summary… I’m continuing to benefit deeply from the course and also would encourage:
- Need visual aids - too much reliance on “auditory only” didactic learning in the homework videos
- Would suggest a “break” between either week 3&4 or 4&5 as more ideal than 5 weeks in a row
- Having some sort of “summary” of the categories of things we’ve gone through so far (even just listing of titles of videos, sections, interactive exercises, etc) so that we can take in all that we have taken in (v. merely feel some of the overwhelm named) as we go into this culminating session, we also need some synthesis
- The embodiment exercises in module 4 were surprisingly rich, so would integrate more modalities earlier in the live class and in the homework assignments (not just watching videos or writing to prompts, something somatic/haptic, in nature, etc)
Hope that’s helpful, thanks so much!