The Blue Spirit Retreat Center lecture series hosted by The Yoga House in Guiones began Monday January 9th at 7:30 pm with teachers Joan Borysenko and Gordon Dverin. The second in the series was on Monday January 16th with Richard Leider.

On the 9th, Joan Borysenko opened the lecture and spoke from her heart and was at once personable and inviting as well as straightforward and scientific. Dr. Borysenko has an impressive and mulit-faceted wealth of experience; she is a licensed psychologist and co-founded a Mind/Body clinic at Harvard.  Her New York Times best seller, Minding the Body, Mending the Mind, which sold over 400,000 copies, is one of 15 she has authored.

Joan and her husband, Gordon Dveirin, Ph.D an organization and human development consultant and spiritual educator, started The Institute for Interspiritual Inquiry which offers spiritual guidance to individuals and corporations, Joan and Gordon's new book, “Your Soul's Compass: What is Spiritual Guidance?” helps us to understand the anatomy of guidance, healing, and compassion.

During the evening, Joan and Gordon shared the story of how they met, their evolution as individuals, and as a professional team and couple. As they spoke, the duo wove their compelling spiritual teachings into the wisdom they gathered from 27 “sages” across the planet. Ultimately, Joan and Gordon urged all of us to “receive life deeply in our hearts” and that “gratefulness is the straight arrow path to alignment.” 

Joan offered a blueprint for how to gracefully cope with uncertainly and shared ways to navigate the “liminal” space; possibly the moment when we are confronted with information that leaves us shaken to the core, when life comes to a complete standstill after being faced with dreaded news such as a cancer diagnosis, a major financial setback or a divorce. How do we begin to confront this time of uncertainty, this time of loss and setback?

Borysenko and Dveirin invite us to welcome this time of uncertainty and greet it with open arms.  They suggest that most of us are ill- prepared for this time and either we can give up hope or cross over the threshold and find the opportunity within the shift.

The first step towards success during this time is to gather internal strength and exhibit the highly notable signs of resilience such as a trust and faith. The other steps and more details are offered in Joan and Gordon’s teachings and books.

Sharing is everything
Like Borysenko and Dveirin, Richard Leider is also a psychologist and teacher although his specialty is in vocational psychology and coaching individuals to find their purpose especially to those in the second half of life. Leider has also written numerous books and has studied the habits of thriving tribal cultures in an increasingly individualistic world.

During this second lecture in the series on Monday January 16, Richard Leider spoke about the qualities and traits in a life full of purpose and happiness. “The cornerstone of a good life, a healthy life, and a creative life is purpose. When all else seems unsettled, uncertain, or impermanent, purpose gives us the will not just to live, but to live long and well.”

Throughout the lecture, Leider reflected on specific facets of the tribal cultures he has witnessed. One of the most memorable lessons: A life full of meaning and happiness, in part, starts by sharing with others, practicing the art of non competition, and putting aside the ego in order to help others succeed. In Richard’s words, “isolation is fatal, sharing is everything.”

Throughout the evening the tips and stories that Leider shared were compelling and surprisingly simple. At one point, he told the story of Victor Frankl a Holocaust survivor who told his tale in a book titled “Man’s Search for Meaning” and who learned that the key to a successful life is to find the meaning in life, making connections with others, and “in spite of everything, saying yes to life.” 
   
The message given by all three speakers was clear: a successful life is attainable even with uncertainty, ups and downs and change. According to Borysenko, Dveirin, and Leider, a life filled with gratitude, trust, an open heart, meaningful connection with others, and purpose are the keys for living longer and better.

The Yoga House has a facebook page with a schedule and more information about upcoming events and detailed info about the Monday Night lecture series.