Prerequisite: This space is intended for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color who have completed at least one retreat led by a Courage and Renewal® Facilitator and have experienced either a clarity triad or a full clearness committee.
In these times where our communities are more intimate and isolated; winters are colder and hotter; violence and injustice are growing…how do we stay connected to our inner teachers and move with what reality as it is versus what we wish it would be? One of my close mentors and chosen family, Grace Lee Boggs, used to say: “These are the times to grow our souls.”
Clearness Committees are an incredibly powerful way to grow our souls. When I leave a Circle of Trust® Retreat, I often have desired ways to stay connected with the community and to go deeper in my inner work through the practices that I have learned. This is an opportunity for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) who have experienced at least one Courage & Renewal® Clarity Triad or Clearness Committee to do just that!
This is a space of practice. We are committed to learning and growing together. Although there will be a ‘facilitator’ in the space, the hope is that we will co-create a community through shared practice and Clarity Triads. Different from a Clearness Committee, Clarity Triads consist of three people. Each person has an allotted amount of time to explore their question(s) and wondering(s) with their own inner teacher. The other two people are the committee members. They ask open and honest questions, mirror, and appreciate the first focus person. Then, the next person goes, etc. In preparation for our spaces, you will receive pre-readings and suggestions for ways to prepare yourself.
These Gatherings came out of a need from BIPOC who have participated in Courage & Renewal spaces. Inner work is delicate and tender. At times, our inner teachers are more able to show up in spaces that are for specific groups of people, in this case BIPOC. We recognize that BIPOC are a multiverse and that no ‘group’ will encompass the many languages, stories, and cultures of our peoples. For those for whom this invitation resonates: all of who you are is welcome here.
Although there are 4 dates listed, you are welcome to join for however many Gatherings you feel called to. If it is possible, joining all four will give you an opportunity to move through a whole year of practice in listening to your own Inner Teacher by participating in Clarity Triads throughout the season.
Here are some reminders on the Intention of the Clearness Committee:
“Many of us face a dilemma when trying to deal with a personal problem, question, or decision. On the one hand, we know that the issue is ours alone to resolve and that we have the inner resources to resolve it, but access to our own resources is often blocked by layers of inner “stuff”—confusion, habitual thinking, fear, despair. On the other hand, we know that friends might help us uncover our inner resources and find our way, but by exposing our problem to others, we run the risk of being invaded and overwhelmed by their assumptions, judgments, and advice—a common and alienating experience….
Behind the Clearness Committee is a simple but crucial conviction: each of us has an inner teacher, a voice of truth, that offers the guidance and power we need to deal with our problems. But that inner voice is often garbled by various kinds of inward and outward interference. The function of the Clearness Committee is not to give advice or “fix” people from the outside in but rather to help people remove the interference so that they can discover their own wisdom from the inside out. If we do not believe in the reality of inner wisdom, the Clearness Committee can become an opportunity for manipulation. But if we respect the power of the inner teacher, the Clearness Committee can be a remarkable way to help someone name and claim his or her deepest truth.”
Excerpts from: The Clearness Committee in Retreats A Communal Approach To Discernment by Parker J. Palmer
The Center for Courage & Renewal and its facilitators do not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, age, height, weight, physical or mental ability, veteran status, military obligations, and marital status.
