Vibrant Days…
Flourishing with Sensory Processing Sensitivity
June 2023
Summer is here. Like many of you I hold memories of lemonade stands, family vacations, waiting in line for ice cream, entire days spent outside and living with a lighter spirit. These days I’m playing in my flower garden, paying extra attention to the birds at the birdbath, grimacing when I slather on smelly sun lotion, and relishing what it feels like to take in the glories of a summer day.
A couple summers ago I made myself read poetry out loud beside the garden. It felt strange hearing my voice and I wondered what the neighbors would think and then I heard my words and the breeze and noticed new blooms and butterflies. I felt loved and lighthearted. So I’m back at it and although Rilke is my go to Mary Oliver sure does the trick. Here is a sampling of both. See you at the garden.
– Candy
And one of the things I find most moving is the way people with infirmities manage to embrace Life, and from the cool flowers by the wayside reach conclusions about the vast splendour of its great gardens. They can, if their souls’ strings are finely tuned, arrive with much less effort at the feeling of eternity, for everything we do, they may dream. And precisely where our deeds end, theirs begin to bear fruit.
– Rilke
Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean —
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down —
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don’t know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?
– Mary Oliver
Come Join Us! Thriving at Riverbank: July Sessions
What: Psychoeducational HSP Groups
When: Thursdays July 6th, 13th, 20th and 27th
– Must choose morning or evening session (group meets for 4 consecutive weeks)
- Morning Sessions 9:00am-10:45am
- Evening Sessions 5:30pm-7:15pm
Where: Fabyan West Forest Preserve on Riverbank Estate, Geneva, Il (We will sit outside beside the river for sessions. Washrooms and shelter available on grounds).
Note: we may meet in my office (nearby) if weather gets too hot (28 S. Water St. Suite 307 Batavia)
For: Adults with high sensitivity that want to grow, deepen their understanding of the trait and experience connection with other highly sensitive adults.
Cost: $279 for entire group (due first session) Max in each group: 4
Facilitator: Candy Crawford MSW, LCSW, International Consultant on High Sensitivity (ICHS). Candy has presented and collaborated with Elaine Aron for over 10 years.
Weekly Topics:
- Week one: Self regulation: what it is, what impacts it, how to do it.
- Week two: Mind factors: thoughts become things, power of beliefs.
- Week three: Energetic factors: vibrational beings, using our emotional guidance system.
- Week four: Going the distance–co creating, pre paving, and visualizing.
Group Objectives:
- Experience a safe, structured community with other hsps in nature.
- Deepen understanding of trait via teaching, reflection and group process.
- Learn and apply skills of self regulation and self care.
- Deepen awareness of inner agency and strengths.
- Explore what it looks and feels like to thrive as a highly sensitive person.
Registration:
Contact Candy at 630.991.6200 or email lakeorwoods@gmail.com.
What moved and inspired me:
I received so much from this: so gracious and helpful.
Watch: my dream is to bring our dogs to this guy.