The Work That Reconnects | Greensong Ecopsychology
The Work That Reconnects and Active Hope
These days can be challenging with uncomfortable feelings such as eco-anxiety, grief, despair, and overwhelm.
Holding all these emotions inside and navigating the world can be exhausting.
Healthy practices, structures, connections and routines enable us to maintain our health and balance to continue the transition to a life-sustaining regenerative culture.
Active Hope guides readers on a transformative journey designed to strengthen our capacity to act for life on Earth. While reading the book alone can bring great benefits, the strengthening journey it offers is enhanced by the company of fellow readers. More from the Active Hope Website
“Books about social and ecological change too often leave out a vital component: how do we change ourselves so that we are strong enough to fully contribute to this great shift? Active Hope fills this gap beautifully, guiding readers on a journey of gratitude, grief, interconnection and, ultimately, transformation.” ~ Naomi Klein, author of The Shock Doctrine.
Active Hope Book Study Groups - Information & FAQs (frequently asked questions)
Our Active Hope book journey is a shared process to deepen community connections, resource and nurture ourselves as we actively address concerns about injustice and our world and feel motivated and engaged in crating a regenerative culture.
The Active Hope Study Groups are a 6-session commitment spread over 6 to 12 weeks.
Groups share a focus on problems and solutions, offer varying perspectives, re-evaluate and clarify purpose, vision and energy through homework readings, practices and active participation in the group gatherings.
Greensong Active Hope book study groups are held online and in-person.
The groups vary with content, resources and deep ecology practices dependant on the response of participants sharing, interest and aims.
Q – When do you run Active Hope Study Groups?
A – Please check for current and upcoming events and contact to express interest in another group or startup date, time, day of the week...
Q – How many participants are in the group?
A – Max 6 to 8 for the Active Hope Study Group online, other sessions vary. Small groups allow for us to maintain the integrity and bond of the group as we explore delicate topics on zoom. In-person sessions are often larger group numbers, 12-20.
Q - What is the session format and what's involved?
1) Participants read the Active Hope book little by little as instructed (please order as soon as you register as book delays will impact your participation)
2) Participants engage in the practices and exercises in the book or as noted
3) The group meets to discuss the book chapters and practices and are invited to engage in other exercises and meditations with a deep ecology, natural systems thinking approach.
4) You will be provided with weekly wrap-up email and resources so that you may repeat the course yourself or with others. It is a great segway to facilitating the the Work That Reconnects. (WTR)
Q - What’s the time commitment?
A – 6 sessions of 2-2.5 hours plus however long it takes you to read, participate in activities and process information in between the group gatherings.
• Session 1 - Introduction plus Chapter 1 on Three Stories of Our Time and Chapter 2 on Trusting the Spiral
• Session 2 - Chapter 3 on Coming from Gratitude
• Session 3- Chapter 4 on Honouring our Pain for the World
• Session 4 - Chapters 5, 6, 7 & 8 on Seeing With New Eyes
• Session 5 - Chapters 9 & 10, Going Forth pt 1
• Session 6 - Chapters 11, 12 & 13 on Going Forth pt 2
Q- What if I can’t make it to a meeting?
A –Please attempt to attend each session for the group bonding, integrity and depth of trust and support, and to embody the reading and practices. If you cannot attend, you would benefit from continuing to read the book and participate in the practices as scheduled. Ideally if your group consents to sharing contact details, you email the group a reflection of the session.
Q - Who is the facilitator?
A - Deb Punton - Greensong. I am an ecopsychologist, environmental educator, and permaculture landscape designer. ﻿I have facilitated S.O.S (Sustainability of Self) groups on-line and in-person focusing on living with the challenges of the climate and ecological emergency and building our resilience and wellbeing so we can continue to be proactive in creating a regenerative culture. I practice sacred activism and am passionate about building our human relationships with our more-than-human world. More... Please note I am not a psychologist.
Q - How do we book for the study group and what are fees?
A - A sliding scale is offered as we recognise that what is affordable for some can be a financial strain for others and therefore a tiered pricing structure allows those with greater means to provide more generous community support. A portion of all Greensong fees go to support not-for-profit organizations. Greensong believes that the benefits should be available to everyone regardless of their financial or life situation and that our learning is enriched by a diversity of participants. Please contact with any questions.
Q - Where can I buy the book? What preparation do I need to do?
A - Purchase your book ASAP after booking. You only need to have the book Active Hope, no need to start reading until you are emailed with the reading requirements and preparation prior to our first session. Purchase the ACTIVE HOPE BOOK at your local bookstore, online here or for an Ebook or use your search engine for "Active Hope Joanna Macy ebook, Download, PDF, EPUB, Read Online"
Q - Do we ever meet up after we finish?
A - Yes, alot of participants have chosen to meet in-person or on zoom gatherings. The following opportunities are offered for participants of the 6-weeks Active Hope study groups after completion:
🌏 Single event Active Hope online intensives to reconnect, review the book themes and practices, and deepen insights
🌏 Stay connected through in-person gathering invites
🌏 Access to a community peer-support database
🌏 See current events for other opportunities to reconnect, deepen our ecological awareness,mainthealthythyy habits and build eco-resilience and active engagement.
🌏 Ongoing opportunities for care and connections through Greensong Kinfolk gatherings and seasonal newsletter with free and discounted offerings.
Active Hope contains practices from the Deep Ecology movement, similar to applied ecopsychology. Applied ecopsychology means bring ecopsychology methodology to provide an opportunity for an experience anywhere on the spectrum of sensing wellbeing benefits from our BEing in and with nature, to finding solutions and insights, to profound experiences of anima mundi, the soul of the world.
SUSTAINABILITY OF SELF: ACTIVE HOPE This series of workshops will run in-person over ​6 consecutive weeks​ exploring Joanna Macys Work That Reconnects spiral and practices while reading the Active Hope book. ​Starts May 3rd 2022 in Elwood Melbourne, Australia.
ACTIVE HOPE STUDY GROUPS ONLINE Nourishing our capacity to act for life on Earth. Click image for more information and start up dates.
The Spiral was developed as a way of helping people move through a structured process together in ways that helps us acknowledge how we feel, be heard & witness, develop a world-wide perspective and learn practices that support and nourish us with our part to play to make a difference in our world.
The Spiral moves through four stages:
Gratitude - gratitude helps to steady and ground us in the present moment and acknowledge what is meaningful to us. Gratitude offers perspectives not solely dependent on our external circumstances. It enables our strength, trust, wisdom and courage.
Honouring our pain for the world - Opens up a conversation where we have permission to speak our authentic selves, our truth of what is true for us right now in our heart. We trust we are heard in naming and expressing what we experience. Our emotional energy can activate and energise us, as well as offering signals that guide us. We feel what we feel, and the honouring pain stage invites in expression of some of the feelings that are normally screened out of everyday conversation.
Seeing with new eyes - is where we open to looking in a different way, with perspectives that open up a sense of possibility and help us see resources that can nourish us.
Going Forth - is where we look at our role in the larger story of change. This brings in visioning practices and planning tools that help us find our part and identify the next steps in this.
"I’ve never been involved with a study group and I wasn’t familiar with the book Active Hope but what a powerful combination it turned out to be! The text makes the task of a meaningful contribution that addresses climate change seem achievable instead of totally overwhelming. Exploring it with others deepened that feeling; none of us are alone in this and together we can make change happen. I’ve found the process truly inspiring... I think so many of us feel overwhelmed by the state of the world, now more than ever. Deb, and this group, made me feel that through connection, creativity and vulnerability, change is possible." -Judith Lucy
"I can’t recommend studying this book highly enough it has brought in all elements of study in my life so far relevant for all areas of ones life and Deborah Punton you facilitate beautifully THANK YOU !!"
"I highly recommend Deb. In all the the workshops I have experienced with her she facilitates a soulful supportive nurturing space which enables personal growth and self development and a wonderful deep connection with nature and others in the group - Many thanks" - Karen Hopkins
"My testimony to this work, that reconnected me -to community, sisterhood and country starts with a thank you! Thank you ladies, thank you Gaia, Johanna and last but leastly least, Deb. Your grace throughout these gatherings and your fondness and love of the natural world was endearing.... I'd do this again in a heart beat and in fact hope to! Inspired by you continuously. A invaluable experience.' -Shannon.
Active Hope is not waiting to be rescued . . . . by some savior.
A readiness to discover the size and strength of our hearts, our quickness of mind, our steadiness of purpose, our own authority, our love for life, the liveliness of our curiosity,