Work That Reconnects Workshop at Wasan Island

There’s a lot going on in the world, and it’s easy (and understandable) to feel defeated, overwhelmed, and overcome by grief. And you are not alone in those feelings; in fact, some pretty extraordinary humans, including ecophilosopher Joanna Macy, have grappled with this exact phenomenon, and have evolved their despair into a beautiful practice, Work That Reconnects, to support individual and collective grief and to strengthen and inspire us for our future.

Please join us to experience the Work That Reconnects at beautiful Wasan Island with Natalie Zend, Sally Ludwig, Susanne Maziarz, Bruce Lyne, Christine Mills and Sigmund. This three-day residential workshop, August 20-23, 2023, is designed for change makers engaged with the growing environmental, social and political challenges of our times, those who choose to turn toward the feelings of overwhelm at the scope of these challenges, and who seek sources of hope and inspiration for the work ahead. As we move through this important work, we will be nurtured by the stunning Wasan Island, with space to reconnect with nature, swim in the lake, and nourish ourselves with local food and good company.  For more information about Wasan, click here:  Wasan Information

The critical passage or hinge of the workshop happens when, instead of privatizing, repressing and pathologizing our pain for the world (be it fear, grief, outrage or despair), we honour it. We learn to re-frame it as suffering-with or compassion. This brings us back to life.
– Joanna Macy

The Work That Reconnects is a form of transformative group work that provides tools and practices for strengthening resilience, opening our hearts, and building confidence and courage to keep going in these challenging times. Developed by internationally acclaimed author and eco-philosopher Joanna Macy and friends, it draws on deep ecology, systems thinking and non-dualistic spirituality to guide us in moving from anthropocentric separation back into knowledge of our wider, deeper ecological identity. We come away more fully resourced, with clarity of purpose and a stronger sense of community. Hear from Joanna Macy about the Work That Reconnects.

The workshop is right for you if you’re looking to:

• Deepen your capacity to meet the complexities of these times with resilience, courage and creativity.
• Navigate your emotions in response to what’s happening in the world in a supportive context.
• Clarify your role and purpose in this unprecedented moment in the life of our planet.        
• Cultivate connections and solidarity with others committed to creating a more sustainable, equitable and thriving world.
• Equip yourself to facilitate this “open source” body of work. Experiencing The Work That Reconnects in a variety of contexts and range of depths is the foundation for sharing it with others.

The invitation is to come as you are, bringing all your feelings and uncertainties. This will be a space to slow down, connect with yourself, others and nature, and find renewed energy and direction. The weekend will take you on a transformative journey guided by experienced facilitators. You will return home with new understandings and practices to support you in your life and work.

What will I experience?

In this weekend workshop/retreat, you will journey with others around the spiral of the Work That Reconnects using powerful group processes, simple community rituals, and guided meditations.  

There will be teachings, sharing, and solo and group reflection, along with simple embodied and arts-based processes, from music and singing to opportunities for movement and artmaking. 

Some activities will be outdoors and nature-based, with Lake Rosseau and Wasan Island offering themselves as beautiful allies and hosts for the Work. Think campfires, mini vision quest, walks on the land, outdoor hot tubbing, and more. 

You’ll nurture your body and soul through deep listening to yourself, others and the natural world as well as playful and heartful contact and gorgeous food. 

Expect to come out of this weekend feeling alive, nourished, filled up, and energized to play your unique part in these unprecedented times.

The Spiral Journey

Image by Dori Midnight

The Work That Reconnects unfolds as a spiral path through four stages: Coming from Gratitude, Honouring our Pain for the World, Seeing with New/Ancient Eyes, and Going Forth. Each stage leads naturally to the next.

Beginning by coming from gratitude helps us quiet the mind, return to source, and be more fully present. 

In honouring our pain for the world, we dare to acknowledge, experience and validate difficult emotions such as grief, fear, anger and despair. We come to experience these as evidence of our mutual belonging in a relational universe, and hence of our power to take action on behalf of all life.

Experiencing the reality of our inter-existence lets us see with new/ancient eyes. Our sense of identity and power expand to encompass the whole world and the flow of life. We feel our living connections with past and future generations and other species. 

Finally, we go forth, finding or reconnecting with our unique role in this planet time, stepping out into the actions that call us, each according to our distinctive situation and gifts.

Why do we need a Work that Reconnects Workshop?

We know we live in a world of overlapping wicked problems and intertwining crises – from climate disruption, mass extinctions, and pandemics to polarization, armed conflict, authoritarianism, and colonial legacies of injustice and oppression. The very future of human civilization and even of life on Earth are under threat.

The perils facing human societies and the natural world are so massive and unprecedented that they are hard for us even to take in. Pervasive social, systemic and psychological factors conspire to keep us busy, distracted, focused on “the positive,” or simply tuning all of this out. Yet, as we ignore and repress our pain, fear, or sorrow for the world, we can block our capacity to respond appropriately. 

In systems terms, to survive, we need to unblock the feedback loops between perception and action. This is the gift and the promise of the Work That Reconnects: it offers us a way to restore the feedback loops and our capacity to act on behalf of life. 

Making space for pain and grief might seem daunting. But by taking the spiral journey of the Work in the company of others, hundreds of thousands of people around the globe have been able to do just that. In a process that is soulful, joyful, nurturing and fun, they have tapped into resources they didn’t know they had, and have found themselves enlivened and energized to act for the sake of all beings.

When and where is the workshop?

The Work That Reconnects takes place August 20-23 at Wasan Island.

Wasan Island is situated on Lake Rosseau, in the heart of the Muskoka Lakes. Wasan Island is being operated in 2023 through a partnership between the Breuninger Foundation (German Foundation and owner) and the Centre for Social Innovation (Canadian Social enterprise and operator).

Who is hosting the workshop?

We have a fantastic facilitation team of three, supported by a core team of another three wonderful beings. May we introduce you to…