Let me keep my mind on what matters which is my work which is mostly standing still and learning to be astonished!
Mary Oliver, THIRST
Dear Sultanas,
We are women of a certain age, leaning into our third and fourth acts, consciously recalculating and reinventing ourselves while transforming the current paradigm of aging by:
Aging, Sageing, and Engaging Sultanas Gathering. Jan. 11-13, Delray Beach FL
There will be @12-16 Sultanas showing up and stepping into the unknown for an experience of awakening and blooming. We will be the first class of Sultanas Fellows [2019] who will stand and dance together in the first Sultanas wisdom circle.
For those not able to attend, we will share some of our experiences of letting go, dynamic ease and stability, mobility, agility in order to stimulate new pathways of engagement to affect positive change, first in ourselves, then out into the world.
Warm snow days do enliven the soul.
After a snowy week in Vermont, I look forward to seeping into the healing rays of the sun after a large family VT. Thanksgiving weekend.
I send you all wishes for a nurturing thanksgiving holiday month ahead. I am grateful for all our friendships and the great works we do in our communities.
Blessings to the people of California who have weathered the wrath of fire! We all have to believe in the healing rays of the sun.
Hinda Miller Founder, Sultanas Group
Starlene’s Corner Francesca Arnoldy, End of Life Doula Sultanas Fellows 2019
Francesca Arnoldy will be at the Sultanas Gathering, leading us into living life more fully by exploring death and dying. She is the creator, facilitator, and program director of the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine’s End-of-Life Doula Professional Certificate Program as well as a part-time volunteer coordinator with her local nonprofit hospice team. She is launching a guide book and workshop “Cultivating the Doula Heart: Essentials of Compassionate Care” focusing on practical approaches to compassionate care.
The book illuminates the core components of the doula approach, providing readers with a deeper understanding of emotional support techniques and greater confidence to companion others during life's most intense times. Featuring detailed descriptions of practical techniques, useful suggestions, and contemplative exercises, this read is a beacon of light for difficult realms, allowing readers to practice and hone their ability to move from sympathy to empathy to compassion while avoiding exhaustion and burnout.
You can find Francesca contemplating birth, death, and life with the doula heart on her site: contemplativedoula.com.