SOULIFT: Healing into Action

January 20-26, 2020
at
the Franciscan Retreat Center
in Tampa, FL

Rabbi Shefa Gold
with Cherie Brown

This was a retreat for activists and seekers who wanted to integrate nurturing their inner lives with taking principled actions in the world, so that every action we take can be grounded in intelligent compassion, with awareness and with a both deeply human and a soul perspective.

Our sacred texts, liturgy and holy day cycle serve to install the story of Exodus deep in the psyche where we can call upon it to guide us on the journey of liberation. By attaining our own inner freedom, we can become liberators of a world that is enslaved by unconsciousness, greed, and the illusions of separation. These tumultuous times are requiring all of us to be stronger, more centered, and more courageous than ever before.

We offered practices and teachings to support us on this path. And we taught a set of tools developed from Re-Evaluation Counseling for healing early trauma — healing the grief, the fear, and the shame that get in the way of powerful, courageous leadership. The sessions included: learning to pay attention to each other and help each other heal, doing personal work on the impact of oppression, working through feelings of powerlessness that make it impossible to sustain hope, opening our hearts to build deep connections that can replenish our spirits.

Our week of spiritual immersion culminated in the glorious celebration of Shabbat, a day to revel in newfound possibilities, to open to blessing, and to step through the doors that have been opened by our practice.