March 24, 2014

Philip Shepherd, the author of “New Self New World” will speak at the Freeland Library, 5495 Harbor Avenue in Freeland, at 1 p.m. on Thursday, April 3.

“The real adventure consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in seeing with new eyes” – Proust

It’s no wonder we feel anxiety, disconnection and stress in our lives: we live in a culture that actually promotes those feelings. Our architecture, language, customs and hierarchies all subtly inform us that to be a human being is to be independent: not just from nature, not just from each other—but even from our own bodies, so that we end up living in our heads. In this free-wheeling talk, Shepherd reveals how the particulars of our familiar environment create our deep sense of disconnection, because once you see how that happens, you create a new possibility for yourself; you can begin to step out of the undercurrent of anxiety and return to a way of being that is deeply embodied, grounded in the present, and at ease in the world. A feed on the oxygen of fresh ideas and liberating perspectives, this is more than just a talk—it includes a couple of simple practices that can help you come home to yourself.

This is a by-donation introduction to Shepherd’s work. It can also help participants look at how they could benefit from an experience + integration of this work later in April. He will offer a 2 hour participatory evening presentation at Unity of Whidbey at 7 p.m. on April 18 (cost: $15) and an Easter weekend ReNewal Retreat in Freeland on April 18-20 ($225-275).

This event is open to everyone and is especially oriented to those who are practitioners or clients of body mind therapies or expressive arts of all kinds, such as massage, yoga, physical therapy, movement arts, theater, etc.