Calm in the Face of the Storm: The Dark Night and The Shadow Journey Calm in the Face of the Storm: The Dark Night and The Shadow Journey Nan Waller Burnett, MA MBB Board of Directors Dispute Resolution Professionals, LLC. All Right Reserved 2011

The Dark Night of the Soul In the dark night something of your makeup comes to an end…your ego, your ‘self’, your creativeness, your meaning. You may find in that darkness a key to your source, the larger soul that makes you who you are and holds the secrets of your existence.… You have to give yourself receptively to the transforming natural powers that remain mysteriously dark. In the dark night something of your makeup comes to an end…your ego, your ‘self’, your creativeness, your meaning. You may find in that darkness a key to your source, the larger soul that makes you who you are and holds the secrets of your existence.… You have to give yourself receptively to the transforming natural powers that remain mysteriously dark. Thomas Moore, Dark Nights of the Soul Thomas Moore, Dark Nights of the Soul Nan Waller Burnett, MA 2011 All Rights Reserved

DARK NIGHTS & SHADOW JOURNEY AGENDA FEBRUARY 22, 2011 WELCOME To The Group WELCOME To The Group INTRODUCTION & Disclosures INTRODUCTION & Disclosures MONTHLY Cyber group discussion MONTHLY Cyber group discussion DARK NIGHTS OF THE SOUL DARK NIGHTS OF THE SOUL EGO Identification EGO Identification JOURNALING, Support, Aftercare JOURNALING, Support, Aftercare Nan Waller Burnett, MA 2011 All Rights Reserved

Dark Nights Are A Normal Part of Life Thomas Moore notes that dark nights are: Thomas Moore notes that dark nights are: -a natural part of life and revisit one many times -sometimes this period of transformation is for your own clarity. -a natural part of life and revisit one many times -sometimes this period of transformation is for your own clarity. - One may feel depression, hopelessness, or anxiety about what is happening through the dark night. Nan Waller Burnett, MA 2011 All Rights Reserved Nan Waller Burnett, MA 2011 All Rights Reserved

Dark Nights Set A New Course “We all experience sudden periods of sadness, turmoil, pain, and disconnection, but out of the shadows, a new course is always revealed. Perhaps it cannot be seen without walking through the dark.” NW Burnett, Calm in the Face of the Storm. P.85 (2010) “We all experience sudden periods of sadness, turmoil, pain, and disconnection, but out of the shadows, a new course is always revealed. Perhaps it cannot be seen without walking through the dark.” NW Burnett, Calm in the Face of the Storm. P.85 (2010) Nan Waller Burnett, MA 2011 All Rights Reserved

The Dark Night as Spiritual Practice The spiritual practice of shadow encourages you to: The spiritual practice of shadow encourages you to: make peace with those parts of yourself that you find to be unworthy, embarrassing or despicable — make peace with those parts of yourself that you find to be unworthy, embarrassing or despicable — our anger, jealousy, pride, selfishness, rage, our zeal, and other characteristics that feel dark to us. our anger, jealousy, pride, selfishness, rage, our zeal, and other characteristics that feel dark to us. Nan Waller Burnett, MA 2011 All Rights Reserved

The Dark Night as Spiritual Practice Examining the shadow means you can reclaim all your flaws and gifts and accept yourself in all your complexity. Examining the shadow means you can reclaim all your flaws and gifts and accept yourself in all your complexity. Reclamation processing is the definition of integration, the possibility exists for a melding of all the unique parts of self. It allows one to live from integrity and authenticity rather than from the ego. Reclamation processing is the definition of integration, the possibility exists for a melding of all the unique parts of self. It allows one to live from integrity and authenticity rather than from the ego. Nan Waller Burnett, MA 2011 All Rights Reserved Nan Waller Burnett, MA 2011 All Rights Reserved

Depression and Transformation Moore suggests that the feeling of depression is just a “dark night of the soul” that serves to force the spirit from one transformation to another. Moore suggests that the feeling of depression is just a “dark night of the soul” that serves to force the spirit from one transformation to another. A dark mood is fluid, depression is wooden and immovable. A dark mood is fluid, depression is wooden and immovable. We should not try to escape it, but rather sit in the dark room, surrender to the process, and let the transformation take place: “Discover the very point of your personhood: the process of constant renewal.” We should not try to escape it, but rather sit in the dark room, surrender to the process, and let the transformation take place: “Discover the very point of your personhood: the process of constant renewal.” Nan Waller Burnett, MA 2011 All Rights Reserved

How Does the Dark Night Heal Us? “One should not fear a dark night, that it’s a time of waiting and trusting, and one must be comfortable to sit in discomfort and wait for the right course to unfold.” Thomas Moore “One should not fear a dark night, that it’s a time of waiting and trusting, and one must be comfortable to sit in discomfort and wait for the right course to unfold.” Thomas Moore When I find myself in the darkness, physically and emotionally, I am reminded of the healing power of the dark night. When I find myself in the darkness, physically and emotionally, I am reminded of the healing power of the dark night. Nan Waller Burnett, MA 2011 All Rights Reserved

Exercise: “Dark Night” Visioning Close your eyes. Focus on the words “dark nights.” Close your eyes. Focus on the words “dark nights.” What images are summoned to your senses? What images are summoned to your senses? Embrace your reality in this moment. Embrace your reality in this moment. Write down what came to you in that moment of dark night. Write down what came to you in that moment of dark night. How can you use that knowledge to transform? How can you use that knowledge to transform? Pick one thing you can commit to this week. Pick one thing you can commit to this week. Nan Waller Burnett, MA 2011 All Rights Reserved

MODELS OF CHANGE Motivation Motivation for change is necessary. Observation Observation and reflection examines your desire for change. Discovery Discovery allows deeply embedded obstacles to be removed. Exploration Exploration of your life illuminates the path to possibilities. Leadership Leadership of thoughts and negative messaging empowers the journey. Stay the course; Stay the course; there is more than one path, have a daily ritual; go on retreat. Nan Waller Burnett, MA, 2011 All rights reserved

Self-Care While Working through the Storm of the Dark Night Take tea this month with one of your most troublesome ‘demons’ [from Zen practice] Take tea this month with one of your most troublesome ‘demons’ [from Zen practice] Journal about your experience. Journal about your experience. What gifts does your dark night bring you? What gifts does your dark night bring you? Be patient with your journey through the eye of the needle, embrace all of the parts of you, your daily healing is a process. Be patient with your journey through the eye of the needle, embrace all of the parts of you, your daily healing is a process. NW Burnett, MA 2011 All Rights Reserved NW Burnett, MA 2011 All Rights Reserved