The Work That Reconnects is a beautiful group process for feeling and expressing our pain, rage, despair, grief, fear- all the hard and heavy feelings- about what humans are doing to each other and to the Earth.
Feeling and expressing our emotions is so necessary in these times of ecological, political, social, and economic injustice. And there is so much personal chaos that pervades our modern lives.
Feeling and expressing emotion frees up space within us to discover what is ours to do to work for change.
I became a facilitator of the Work That Reconnects in 2016 after I attended a nine-day workshop with Joanna Macy, the Root Teacher of this work.
When I say I’m a facilitator of something, you’ve first got to understand that I am someone whose voice trembled and shook when I had to get up in front of a classroom all through my years of schooling. I was terrified of it!
In 2016 I experienced a Shamanic Healing session with my Shamanic Teacher in which she did Soul Retrieval for me. That means she found and retrieved a part of my Soul that I had lost.
In the Shamanic worldview, in moments of trauma- big traumas or small ones, we can lose pieces of our Soul because we cannot handle what is happening.
My teacher and her spirit guides found a 4-year-old part of me that I had lost, and it was related to my voice. Something happened to me at age four that stunted my voice for over 30 years!
My teacher and her spirit guides healed that young part of me and brought her energy back to me to re-incorporate into myself. Within 6 months of this healing, I stepped into facilitating Work That Reconnects workshops! If you’d known me before, you would know how truly remarkable this was.
Stepping into that work was stepping into a big part of my purpose, my reason for being on earth at this time, and my way of working for change.
From those initial workshops, held in 2016, 2017, and 2018, flowed the co-creation and co-leading of the Despair and Discovery Circle in Ithaca NY beginning in January 2019.
Based on the principles of the Work That Reconnects, the Despair and Discovery Circle is a place to vulnerably share and express emotions in a circle of support.
The circle is supported by guidelines which make it clear that we gather to witness and be witnessed, to be real together- not to supply advice or try to fix each other. And this is actually really important!
Have you ever shared a problem or concern with a friend only to have them try to fix you or your problem with advice and action steps? When all you really wanted and needed was to be heard, listened to, witnessed?
It is a truly transformational and healing experience to be “held” in the energy of a circle of humans whose intention is simply to witness your words- your shared wounds and emotions. It can unlock so much healing within us!
The despair circle led to me creating the wailing circle in 2022. The desire and need for a wailing circle moved through me after my mom died.
I’ve recorded a podcast episode called “Birthing the Wailing Circle by Walking with Death” if you want more of that story. (I believe my mom experienced a beautiful and empowered death.) It is episode 7 and available on my website.
The wailing circle I sometimes describe as a despair circle on steroids, but that doesn’t really do it justice.
Unlike the despair circle where we take turns speaking, the wailing circle is a space in which all participants are expressing and releasing emotion at the same time, for as long as the energy is sustained.
We express and release through opening our voices and letting out all kinds of sounds, through body movements big and small, and through pounding on pillows to vent our rage, pain, grief, despair, fear- “all the hard and heavy feelings” is what I like to call them.
I’ve experienced profound healings in the six Wailing circles I’ve held so far, as have many of the participants.
So, to connect the dots- the shamanic healing of soul retrieval, of having my 4 year old lost Soul Part that was related to my voice returned to me- that led me to begin finding my voice. A voice that was brave, steady and true, not shaky and scared.
And this has led to creating and holding circles as spaces for humans to come together to express emotion and experience healing. And from these circles, people go back into their lives with space freed up to feel into what actions they might take to make the change that is theirs to make in this beautiful but chaotic and unjust world.
With the 2024 election, a deep desire to create an online “Queer Despair and Resilience Circle” has bloomed within me.
The first Queer Despair and Resilience Circle will be held on Zoom on Monday, April 14, 3:30-6 pm (Pacific Standard Time) and 6:30 – 9 pm (Eastern Standard Time). (contact me if you are interested:
And this year I am finally going to act on a long held desire to create a teen despair circle! Stay tuned
Blessings and Courage,
Betti
P.S. Shamanic Healing can help you process and heal from grief, despair, trauma, rage, fear and more. Book a call with me to explore the possibilities: https://calendly.com/sacral-transformations/shamanic-consult
Betti Rooted Lionheart is passionate about working with Teens, Queer People, and anyone who feels despair for the Earth and Humanity. She is a Shamanic Healer, a Minister of the Church of Earth Healing, a Spiritual Empowerment Activist, a Fire Priestess, a Writer, a Facilitator of the Work That Reconnects, the Mother of two Sons, and the founder of Braided Root Waters Healing Sanctuary in Trumansburg, NY.
Betti offers powerfully transformative one-to-one Shamanic Healing Sessions. She also teaches Shamanic Journeying so that you are empowered to heal and transform yourself, remember your power and purpose, and take aligned action in service of the Earth and All Life. Betti can help you reclaim the Divine Feminine through developing your own Earth and Goddess-centered Shamanic Spiritual Practices.