By Beth Hedquist
“We should never romanticize trauma with spiritual sayings. It is a horrible thing. It matters that you get as free from it as you possibly can. But you can go through that evolving process in such a way that it becomes a very mysterious place; namely, the place at which your inner peace is no longer dependent on the outcome. And how are we to discover: now it’s our turn - how can I become like the hero of the human spirit that looks out at a sometimes cruel but always beautiful and mysterious world, and offers myself?” ~ James Finley
When I think about Pathwork, and specifically the Pathwork Transformation Program, the above quote always comes to mind. I joined the Pathwork Transformation Program in 2003 and found it to be a powerfully effective means of addressing childhood wounding and trauma. I wasn’t fed rosy spiritual platitudes that sound wonderful but bypass the real obstacles that prevent fulfillment. My teachers and my group met me where I was: lost, broken and full of pain.
I found myself amidst a courageous love that held us all, a quality of love I had never experienced before, and have since become convinced is the main ingredient of true healing.
And yet my Pathwork journey wasn’t just about healing. That was merely the first layer of many that I would peel away as I came more fully home to the peace that doesn’t depend on any outer circumstance - the peace that lives deep inside and is always available. This surprising gift, this pearl of great price, was something I didn’t even know I was looking for - I didn’t dare dream this treasure lay inside me all along!
As is true of any Hero(ine)’s Journey, the story doesn’t end when the treasure is found. To keep it, you must give it away. The Pathwork Transformation Program helped me unpack this paradoxical truth, and supported me in stepping more fully into my gifts to embrace a life of meaning and purpose.
Healing. Peace. Purpose.
I am forever grateful for the gifts of the Pathwork Transformation Program.
Today, as we begin to emerge (hopefully) from the tail end of a world altering pandemic, I look out at this “sometimes cruel but always beautiful and mysterious world” and ask myself: what will I create? What will I offer to a world that is in the midst of great labor pains, struggling to birth an evolution of consciousness?
Here in the Mid-Atlantic Pathwork, we recognize the unique times we are in, and we are committed to supporting all those who feel called to personal and spiritual development in service of a more compassionate, beautiful world.
To meet this challenge, we are excited to be stepping more fully into a vision of what we can offer the world, by launching 3 new Pathwork Transformation Program classes this year! (And one class that will be continuing from last year).
~ We’re forming a new Year 1 class, open to all students who have a basic understanding of the teachings and are ready for a challenging, intensive journey of transformation.
~ We’re forming a class exclusively for Core Energetics graduates who would like to deepen in the Pathwork teachings. These students will begin in Year 2 of the program, acknowledging the Pathwork training they have already received as part of the Core program.
~ And, we’re forming a class exclusively for Barbara Brennan graduates who would like to deepen their experience of Pathwork. These students will begin in Year 3 of the program, acknowledging the significant Pathwork studies they have received in their Brennan training.
All these classes offer the option to become certified to teach Pathwork Lecture study upon completion of the fourth year of the program. Those who feel called to become Pathwork Helpers would qualify to apply to that program as well.
It's an honor to be able to support the beautiful paths of Core Energetics and Barbara Brennan School of Healing, both modalities that are intimately intertwined with the Pathwork teachings. We share a common past, and look forward to a collaborative future.
If any of these options call to you, it is not too early to begin the discernment and application process. I invite you to contact Julia Jensen, the Pathwork Transformation Program Coordinator, to discuss if this would be a good fit for you at this time in your life.
Is it time for you to receive the gift of healing? Are you ready to come home to the deepest truth of your essential nature - the peace that lives deep inside and is always available? What will you create in this post-Covid world?
Learn more about the Pathwork Transformation program here.