Orienting from WE
“The blood flowing from the lungs to the heart is the richest, most oxygenated blood. The first cells to receive freshly oxygenated blood from the heart are the heart cells themselves, for the heart must be nurtured before it can nurture other cells... We are a very outer-directed culture and tend to drive ourselves and overlook our need to nourish ourselves.” (Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen from Sensing, Feeling, and Action, p. 72)
Currently, there is some debate in the CI world about which to prioritize: care for myself or care for others? We need both. They are simultaneous, and first, we must be present and real with ourselves. CI is a practice for doing this.
We are immersed in a culture that devalues care and caregivers. A common indication of that conditioning showing up in CI is variations on the thought bubble, “I’m too much... I feel like a burden... I’m not good enough...”--this scarcity mindset appears in many guises.
The dominant cultural conditioning is to orient from the I. What if we oriented from the WE? CI is self-inquiry done in relationship. What happens when we prioritize the relationship? When we connect with a partner, WE create OneBody, ManyMinds, meaning your body is an extension of mine with autonomous ideas. We can do whatever we want, as long as WE maintain the connection. We use the connection to care for ourselves and each other simultaneously.
What happens when WE allow our improvisation to emerge from the connection?
What happens when WE permit ourselves to feel the connection?
What happens when WE trust what we feel and how we want to respond?
Labbing is dancing and talking about what we are doing, what it serves, and what else is possible. Our offering for the month of January is to take a closer look at some of the ways the dominant cultural conditioning materializes, and choose if we want that to continue being a part of our dance.
We are looking for folks interested in co-LABorating and committing to their CI practice on Sunday evenings in January. Join us for three Sundays in January–no lab on January 18th.
We hold these laboratory series as closed-container. We do this with the intention of building dancing relationships.
All are welcome–beginners welcome and wanted, and yes, we’ll show you what to do! If you are curious but not sure about committing, please reach out to Aether and Carolyn. We welcome drop ins on the first Sunday to gauge alignment. The drop in rate is $25.
Sliding scale $75-175. No One Turned Away For Lack Of Funds. Please reach out if payment is an issue. We want you there. Payment is preferred in cash on the first Sunday.
To register, email both Carolyn and Aether at
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This lab is facilitated by Carolyn Stuart and Aether Noble, both passionate about the potential of CI as a way in to a new world. We do not see ourselves as your teachers. We see ourselves as modelers of a peer-to-peer relationship. We hold these laboratories as containers for co-creation. As a place to empower your learning. We want you to bring your inquiries!
Held at Lajja Space in Milwaukie, OR.
