You are invited!

“Mind-Body Skills Groups are educational, supportive groups built upon developing self-care skills. They are highly experiential and integrative techniques–such as meditation, guided imagery, autogenic training, breath work, movement, self expression and other approaches–are taught in a supportive environment.” You can read more here: https://cmbm.org/onlinegroup/

The first meeting will be Oct 30th and we will plan to continue for 8 weeks. There will be 1 hour information sessions on Oct 16th and 23rd. I completed training to facilitate these groups from the Center for Mind-Body Medicine. Previously, I have been leading groups in this format on Zoom, and over the last 3 years, I have led 6 rounds of these groups. You can read about the experiences of past participants here:

https://waterbirdmedicine.wordpress.com/2023/07/13/mbsg-testimonials/

Why am I offering this?

The conventional, allopathic model of medicine that I trained in is outdated and misunderstands important fundamentals of holistic health. When I learned about Mind-Body Medicine at a retreat with the CMBM at Esalen Institute in California, I understood that holding space for group work can have a profound effect because it addresses our present moment consciousness directly. We are energetic beings, and addressing our energetic nature can be more effective and thorough than limiting our attention to the body as a constellation of mechanical processes.

In the future, I am aiming to lead in-person healing retreats for healthcare workers to address trauma and burnout. I am especially interested in working with performing artists and creatives because they are already on the path of embodiment, and I am learning to be on that path for myself too.

What To Expect During Our Groups

We will meet on Zoom and will start on time. You are invited to arrive up to 5 minutes early to settle in. Keep in mind that you will be asked to bring your full attention for our two-hour sessions. We will start with a simple relaxing breathing technique and go over guidelines for our time together. There will be time for introductions, and “check-ins” for every group. Anything shared will be confidential.

Each week, we will practice one technique of self exploration, and then share about our experience with the group. These techniques can provide powerful insights in a group setting even for individuals with vast experience with similar techniques. They are also accessible to beginners and thus adaptable for many different kinds of groups.

The group will end on time, and we will close with a gentle relaxation technique. My role is to manage time, lead activities, and support all participants for the best group experience. I am not serving as a therapist or doctor for anyone in the group. Instead we are trusting and allowing for insights and healing to occur spontaneously. Borrowing from Stella Eisenstein’s “Resonant Attention” technique, we are leaning in for miracles. As a facilitator, I will also participate in the exercises and share my experiences.    

Price, Commitment:

I offer these groups as a service to Charles Eisenstein’s Sanity Project. There is no course fee. In the past, I have held this group as a closed container, with consistent members committed to attending for all 8 sessions. I am interested in experimenting with an open group dynamic that I expect might work in the context of the surrounding container of the Sanity Project.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you can join me!

-Drew

I am recruiting for the next round of Mind-Body Skills Groups which will be offered through the Sanity Project. I hope to create a more thorough description in the future, but for now, I am starting with a doodle poll to find times that work for possible participants.

I would like to have a group of 6-10 who can commit to attending regularly for at least 8 weeks. If you would like to participate, please complete the poll.

https://doodle.com/meeting/participate/id/aOZZPMNe

Part of the reason I moved from to Minnesota in 2016 after medical school is because of the openness to holistic health within the medical system here. I participated in a one-month integrative medicine rotation that was orchestrated by Andrew Weil at the University of Arizona, and they offer a fellowship in integrative medicine that is mostly online. My residency program had an affiliation with that group, and I intuitively trusted a residency program more that would lean in that direction. During my training, there was a group of integrative practitioners that worked in the same building, but often weren’t too close to the residency training itself.

Anyways, I met Bill Manahan, who is a past president of the American Holistic Medicine Association and he collaborated with Christiane Northrup there. That organization went through a name change and is now the AIHM. Bill also started the Minnesota Holistic Medical Group, and over the last 40 years, they have had 3 annual, in-person meetings which provided practitioners an opportunity to meet each others, to learn from each other, and to refer to each other. It has been a passion project for Bill, and he has a personal relationship with each of the 900 members that are on their email list. Now that Bill is in his 80s and living in a retirement community, he is looking to pass the torch on leading and organizing this group.

There is an in-person meetup on Saturday Oct 21st and I will plan to be there. There is also a leadership organizing meeting for the 3 meetings in 2024 on Nov 1st, which I will also attend.

Okay, getting to the point and the intention of this post, Bill is also part of an in-person retreat that is being hosted Nov 9-12. There are 2 scholarships available to cover the ~$1800 expense. I would love to attend and to integrate with that group. I encourage you to apply for one of the scholarships, and if you are selected, we can be there together.

Someday, I may have my own in-person retreat offering. But in this case, having the organizing work done by others feels worth the price tag to me. Applications for the scholarship are due in a few days, Oct 1st. It only asks for 2 sentences. I am open to helping you clarify and craft your application.

https://mailchi.mp/95ce43e823ad/healthcaretryingoutbreathwork-13866982?e=c254cb6b15&fbclid=IwAR2GUeerLkv40I7LodRT49egPtXu0ttsIvNntoP2i1nXMzlCsvdz1k0Te_Q

On Saturday I am going to a health freedom conference. Scott Atlas, Peter McCullough, Christiane Northrup, Mikki Willis and others will be presenting. It seems like an opportunity to meet people and build my network. It would be strategic to have a business card with a link to this website or to my youtube channel. If you don’t know about my youtube channel yet, I am planning to record an episode later today and will continue every Wednesday for the rest of Season 1. To start with, each episode includes the recording of 1 song and is less than 10 minutes, but I plan to add another dimension of the channel that includes longer interviews with holistic health practitioners. That aspect will likely be hosted on Rumble.

Here is the link to the conference on Saturday. Let me know if you have ideas about how I can effectively make connections while there.

https://www.wellnessmyway.org/home32335477

And here is the link to last week’s episode:

https://youtu.be/XcaQWE2X6H0?si=LtwIMiUEwGizAXWx

Hello, there is so much I want to share, and I am going to be using this Website to do it. Thank you for reading. This website is public, and I trust that the value of sharing my thoughts and reflections are worth the risks of the information shared here being used against me. That might be heavy for you to read, and I invite you to ask me about it sometime if you have the opportunity to do that privately.

I hosted a call this morning that powerfully and helpfully gave me insights into the work that I am called to do in this lifetime. While officially unnamed, I am calling the group Sanity Practitioners for now. Some of us stayed on the call for over 2 hours, and I am coming into a more clear understanding of what the group is, and certain boundaries that it needs to have.

For one, confidentiality is an obvious need. We are using Zoom, which has security limitations, but as I said in the first paragraph, I personally trust that the value outweighs the risks for doing the work in this way. I am sharing about my work on this blog, but I won’t be sharing any personal information or stories unless I have been given explicit permission to do so by the person who belongs to that story. In the future, we might acknowledge this agreement at the start of the meeting for confidentiality.

The second, in a group of holistic practitioners, is an agreement to trust each participant to take care of themselves. There is an element of community care and witnessing each other that is so important. Especially because of the work that we do, many of us are inclined to offer help or advice when we witness others who are stuck or experiencing a challenge. In this group, we are trusting the field, the higher power, or God to anchor us in Love and our knowing that we truly are okay. I suggest that we find an agreement to trust each other in reverence, and to recognize our own parts that are arising during our time being together.

I recently opened an email account associated with this website, and I would like to route communications related to this group to that email. I am interested in having other channels of communication which might be a Signal or Telegram thread. I have a few more messages for today, but I will end the first one here.

In service of Divine Love,

Waterbird

Hello, and welcome to my blog. I opened this site about 5 years ago as an anonymous outlet while I was in my residency training. Just today, I upgraded so that I have a domain name and an email with this site.

On Wednesday Sept 27th at 9:30am CT, I will be hosting a Zoom call for holistic health workers associated with Charles Eisenstein’s online community, the Sanity Project. This will be our second call, and I intend to continue hosting on a weekly basis, and to also reflect on my experiences as a host on this blogspace.

My intention is to create a container for folks who work as healers to find allies and support for the challenging work that we do. There are 8 individuals who are invited to this 2nd call, and I know at least 1 of those people is unavailable. There is a sliding scale of time commitment from 1 to 2 hours. What this means, is that I hope everyone can come for the first 60 minutes, and that if anyone wants to stay for up to 2 hours total, that my schedule is clear for that.

For the 60 minutes, you can anticipate a grounding exercise at the beginning, and then an opportunity for each participant to introduce themselves, and to check-in about their work for up to 5 minutes. For the rest of the time, there will be an open floor, with a final checkout at the end of the 60 minutes.

I’m looking forward to being with you in the Zoom space. Here is the link:

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87346358558

At the end of August, I was intending to host an in-person retreat which I’ve described in previous entries. I had a template for what I imagined, I made a reservation, and I shared the information with folks who I thought might be interested, but I didn’t find anyone who wanted to come. So I canceled the reservation and went back to the drawing board.

Now, I am planning a different kind of retreat at the end of September. Rather than renting a 12-bedroom retreat center for $800 a night, I am going to use my home. I have planned 4 main events, and my friends can choose to attend 0-4 of these offerings. Here’s the overview:

Friday Night: House Concert with Brenda. 7-10pm. Brenda is a professional pianist and music director for innovative musical theater projects in LA. She has original songs to share, and is willing to accompany/collaborate with any singer who brings sheet music. More details on FB:

https://www.facebook.com/events/1280419055974828

Saturday Afternoon: Friendly Touch Party co-hosted with Freeman. 3-6pm. For friends who have been to cuddle parties and who are familiar with the dynamics of navigating consensual touch in platonic container. 

Saturday Evening: Mind-Body Connection Workshop, 7-9pm. This is an offshoot of the mind-body skills groups that I have led using the training from the Center for Mind-Body Medicine. As a stand-alone workshop, we will work with our visions and complete a set of drawings about community life. I will share a bit with the group about my own vision for my house, The Music Box. Message me for invite to FB event because the settings are private.

If anyone from the afternoon wants to stay for the evening session, they are welcome to do so. I’m not planning a dinner, but individuals can bring food for themselves, or make a dinner run between 6 and 7pm. The house doesn’t have to be silent for the workshop, but if anyone is still in the house who is not participating in the workshop, I will ask that they be quiet and respectful for the workshop that is taking place.

Sunday Funday: This will be the 3rd “24th party”. In July, there was a campaign event for the Kennedy campaign on the 24th, and there was a group of about 10 who came for a backyard party. In August I hosted an evening potluck and bonfire that had about 15-20 guests. My intention is to host a party the is open to “the public” through word of mouth and social media that includes a variety of community building activities. This one is on a Sunday, so I am imagining outdoor sports, music, food and fun. More details on FB:

https://www.facebook.com/events/665810365606630

So, if you are reading this, you are invited to all of the above. If you would like to camp over, please be in touch and we can explore that option.

Much love,

Leaf Waterbird

You are invited!

During the months of September and October, I will be leading IN-PERSON weekly Mind-Body Skills Groups (MBSGs) at my house.

“Mind-Body Skills Groups are educational, supportive groups built upon developing self-care skills. They are highly experiential and integrative techniques–such as meditation, guided imagery, autogenic training, breath work, movement, self expression and other approaches–are taught in a supportive environment.” You can read more here: https://cmbm.org/onlinegroup/

The first meeting will be the week of Sept 6-11th (depending on the doodle poll results) and we will plan to continue for 8 weeks. I completed training to facilitate these groups from the Center for Mind-Body Medicine. Previously, I have been leading groups in this format on Zoom, and over the last 3 years, I have led 6 rounds of these groups. You can read about the experiences of past participants here:

MBSG Testimonials

Why am I offering this?

The conventional, allopathic model of medicine that I trained in is outdated and misunderstands important fundamentals of holistic health. When I learned about Mind-Body Medicine at a retreat with the CMBM at Esalen Institute in California, I understood that holding space for group work can have a profound effect because it addresses our present moment consciousness directly. We are energetic beings, and addressing our energetic nature can be more effective and thorough than limiting our attention to the body as a constellation of mechanical processes.

In the future, I am aiming to lead in-person healing retreats for healthcare workers to address trauma and burnout. I am especially interested in working with performing artists and creatives because they are already on the path of embodiment, and I am learning to be on that path for myself too.

What To Expect During Our Groups

We will meet in-person and will start on time. You are invited to arrive up to 30 minutes early to settle in. Keep in mind that you will be asked to bring your full attention for our two-hour sessions. We will start with a simple relaxing breathing technique and go over guidelines for our time together. There will be time for introductions, and “check-ins” for every group. Anything shared will be confidential.

Each week, we will practice one technique of self exploration, and then share about our experience with the group. These techniques can provide powerful insights in a group setting even for individuals with vast experience with similar techniques. They are also accessible to beginners and thus adaptable for many different kinds of groups.

The group will end on time, and we will close with a gentle relaxation technique. My role is to manage time, lead activities, and support all participants for the best group experience. I am not serving as a therapist or doctor for anyone in the group. Instead we are trusting and allowing for insights and healing to occur spontaneously. Borrowing from Stella Eisenstein’s “Resonant Attention” technique, we are leaning in for miracles. As a facilitator, I will also participate in the exercises and share my experiences.    

Price, Commitment:

It is important to commit to attending all sessions because spaces are limited. Of course, scheduling conflicts inevitably arise, so do let me know if you will need to miss a session. I believe the value of this offering is in the range of $400-$800, and I am open to receiving donations of any amount. At the same time, because I find these groups so meaningful, I offer them as a gift and no one will be turned away due to inability to pay.

If you would like to participate please contact me as soon as possible by email (ddietle12@gmail.com) or phone (402-686-0259) to reserve your spot. Also, select all the times that would work for you on a weekly basis on this Doodle poll:

https://doodle.com/meeting/participate/id/b69APjQa

I would like to have a conversation on the phone with each participant before we begin!

Thanks for reading, and I hope you can join me!

-Drew (Waterbird)

Things change quickly these days. My hopes to host the gatherings this fall at the EHOP have been set aside. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the success in recruiting that I was hoping for, and without enough people involved, the project was too expensive to take on for now. And in the meantime, the dates in November filled up and the next availability isn’t until March. Darn.

But in other news, my spirits are high. An alternative plan is emerging, and it could be more simple and better after all. I am thinking I could shift the venue to my home!

In the near term, I am focused on hosting an IN-PERSON version of the mind-body skills groups. So far, I have always hosted on Zoom, and I think there is a heightened potency when we gather in a space together. I am planning to run a 2-month cycle from Sept-Oct, and will be working on recruiting for that soon. I will make another post with more details, and a Doodle poll to help find the dates. 

A second project involves hosting monthly parties at the house. These parties are simple, but I imagine they might get to be big. I would like to include song circles, bonfires, dancing and a potluck meal. Maybe not all at the same event, but over time, these are the ways I like to bring people together. And I will be hosting them on the 24th of each month. I will be using Facebook, IG and other social media to help spread the word. It is a kind of social art project. I’ll continue writing about my “career” project here.

At some point, I would like to shift to a new website. I’ve considered creating an email list, but I kind of prefer to post my content for people to come find, rather than filling up their in-baskets. If you are reading, I appreciate you. I’m not sure how many of you there are, but it is nice to share with you in this way, and I plan to keep writing. So thank you again, and until next time.

I am looking for “collaborators” who are also interested in this project that is loosely defined as healing healthcare workers. But it could also take a spin and end up being mostly about creating an “alternative medicine” healing space. There’s this bent I have towards the performing arts, and for me that means dancing and singing, and I want to include elements of that.

I am hoping to have participants help cover the costs of the rental, but am open to including participants who really want to be there who aren’t able to pay. It is $75/night/per person for the space with a minimum of at least 8 rooms reserved. 

Who:

6-16 Collaborators for my healing work for healthcare workers.

What:

A 3-night retreat in 12-bedroom retreat center with a commercial kitchen, on 5 acres of land. There is a beautiful chapel for contemplation and meditation and a living room and dining room with a quality piano.

When:

August 25-28

Where:

EHOP (Episcopal House of Prayer)

St. Joseph, MN (1 hour Shuttle available from Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport)

Home

Why:

To slow down

To take a break from city life

To be together with healers of healers

To find a contemplative flow

To think about a plan for a future healing retreat with healthcare workers.

Sample schedule:

Friday: 

4pm+ Arrive: Unpack, Settle in

6pm Dinner

7-8pm Opening Circle

8-10pm Free time (Meditation, Conversation, Reflection)

10pm Quiet time and Sleep

Saturday/Sunday:

8-10am Breakfast

10-11 Check-in Circle

1pm Lunch

2-4pm Group Activity

6pm Dinner

7pm Music (Group Singing or Performance)

10pm Quiet time and Sleep

Monday

Pack-up

9-10am Breakfast

10-11am Closing Circle

12pm Depart