transform-200910

Read this newsletter online: http://transformativechange.org/docs/nl/transform-200910.htmlDownload printable PDF version: http://transformativechange.org/docs/nl/transform-200910.pdf

welcomeTransition is the grey area between old and new, the time when theinsect is neither caterpillar nor butterfly. Halloween and Day of theDead mark the importance of transition. On Day of the Dead (Dia delos Muertos), celebrated in October and November, the dead arehonored: Gravesites are decorated with marigolds and candles; folkshave picnics beside the grave, dining on the favorite foods of thosewho've passed. It's a tradition thousands of years old, begun by theAztecs and celebrated in Mexico. Halloween originates from theCeltic festival of Samhain [pronounced "sah-wen"], celebrating theend of harvest. Any schoolkid can tell you that on All Hallow's Evethe boundary between the living and the dead dissolves and thedead wander the earth. Talk about transition! We don't need toexperience Halloween to connect with transition, every moment is achance for death, then rebirth.

doing darkness:change vs. transformationINcite with angel Kyodo williams

These days, people are tossing the wordtransformation around and pasting it oneverything from baby diapers to "How to Write aBudget" workshops as the latest hypnoticmarketing voodoo. The same tired products andineffectual programs are becoming"transformative" this and "transformational"that, hoping to gain the allure of freshly

brushed pearly whites just by adding that oh-so-enticing gleaming star oftransformation. The result is that in most cases in which we talk abouttransformation, we're actually opting for a hyped-up variation on change,

what's newCXC: Home of the fearlessAsanaAt CXC it's not just yoga--it'sfearless Yoga. It's yoga done inthe same way we hope to live ourlives, with attention to what

arrives and a willingness to release the results. And it'sdone specifically with social justice folks in mind.

Read more... Wanted: Caretaker of Transformation

in SIGHTWhat is Transformative Change?

No video? Click: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHQDCt6oHPE

Drop in for a snapshot of the Berkeley SIT for Change2009 event. While the pictures are fantastic, what'smost powerful is the vision angel Kyodo williams sharesof what Transformative Social Change calls for.

Becoming a ButterflyIn the full version, she goes even deeper: "We want tobe in the world in a way that honors the justice that weseek: are we asking of ourselves to be our best selves?Are we asking of ourselves to go beyond a bigger,faster, stronger caterpillar?" What would the world looklike if we did that? Dive down into your own cocoon tosee what butterfly emerges.

Watch the Full Speech | 9 min What is Transformative Change? | 4 min

in TIME

doing darkness | october 2009 http://transformativechange.org/docs/nl/transform-200910.html

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or worse yet, a dull and impotent rendition of it. This wouldn't matter somuch except for the fact that actual transformation--otherwise known as"deep change"--happens to be what we really need.

Owing to my own transitions and subsequent learning in the past year, I'vebeen carrying two recurring themes everywhere I go. (1) The need for aclear articulation of the difference between "change" and"transformation" and, (2) distinguishing what is required to have thelatter. I point to the metamorphoses of caterpillar-to-butterfly andnymph-to-dragonfly to illuminate both the path of transformation andsome of the lessons we can take from their journeys to light our own Way.

As one of the oldest insects existing, the near-mystical dragonfly oncedarted where dinosaurs roamed at ten times it's current size. But thatwas when trees were towering and provided more nutrients, cover andoxygen. Since then, dragonflies have downsized from wingspans as greatas 20-30 inches to the more nimble 2-3 inches of today. Thoughdragonflies almost never walk, they've reduced their symbolic andconsumptive footprint to a tenth of what it once was in response to thedecrease in resources. We have much to learn.

Just as unique as their ancient friends, butterflies capture ourimagination as embodiments of beauty and freedom. Their youth ascaterpillars are spent doing nothing but consuming everything they can.Their voracious appetites cause them to shed their skin repeatedly, butthey just end up bigger, stronger, faster caterpillars. That's change. Inorder to complete the metamorphosis into butterflies, caterpillars mustcreate and enter the darkness of the chrysalis where they break downinto a kind of genetic goop. Special cells, unsurprisingly called"formative," direct the actual process of becoming a butterfly. Both theseed and evolutionary inclination to transform exists within. Before thathappens though, caterpillars must literally experience partial death and adestruction of their current form as they know it. That'stransformation.Just as unique as their ancient friends, butterflies captureour imagination as embodiments of beauty and freedom. Their youth ascaterpillars are spent doing nothing but consuming everything they can.Their voracious appetites cause them to shed their skin repeatedly, butthey just end up bigger, stronger, faster caterpillars. That's change. Inorder to complete the metamorphosis into butterflies, caterpillars mustcreate and enter the darkness of the chrysalis where they break downinto a kind of genetic goop. Special cells, unsurprisingly called"formative," direct the actual process of becoming a butterfly. Both theseed and evolutionary inclination to transform exists within. Before thathappens though, caterpillars must literally experience partial death and adestruction of their current form as they know it. That's transformation.

Like majestic Monarchs, if we really intend to achieve the beauty, powerand freedom that is our birthright as a movement of people that seekjustice for all, we need to go beyond ,or TRANScend, our current FORM aswe know it.

Six Ways to Know Transformation

Here are six key points to help you recognize (and influence) whenchange becomes deep change...when it is transformation:

1. it can't be undone: it can't be undone: Unlike change,which can be undone with a shift in context or the swipeof a presidential pen, there's no going back on

angel Kyodo williams - a social visionary that seesTransformative Social Change, applying innerawareness practice to broad-based social change, asAmerica's next great movement.

Dharma Talk with angel Kyodo williams at Center forTransformative Change. Building presence-centeredsocial justice. Thurs | Oct 22

Dharma Talk with angel Kyodo williams | Oct 22

in the CENTERSIT for Change: How It WentWhether they were at MLK Park orsitting virtually, lots of folksshowed their support for oursecond annual SIT for Changeevent. With help from

organizations like Generative Somatics and CODEPINK,as well as lots of virtual support, we successfully raisedfunds to support activists' inner lives. AND we're stillaccepting pledges.

Read more... 27 Days of Change: How It Went

inner PRACTICEFollow the Out-BreathAt CXC we have 3 guidingprinciples for living well withothers:1)Leave no traces2)Mind your business

3)Follow the out-breathVolumes can be written on how to integrate andimplement these seemingly simple Practices into oureveryday lives.

Read more...

outer ACTIONDeath of the Alinsky MethodSaul Alinsky, the organizinggenius who wrote Rules forRadicals, began his book with:"What follows is for those whowant to change the world from

what it is to what they believe it should be. "The Prince"was written by Machiavelli for the Haves on how to holdpower. Rules for Radicals is written for the Have-Nots...

Read more... What the Rules Are

social CHANGEThe Field of Transformative


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transformation. The depth of change that takes place is sodeep, rooted and resounding, that the former way of beingis no longer possible. Though our prison system maysuggest otherwise, the truth is that our current society canno longer bear slavery as we know it. Likewise, whileinstitutional racism abounds, pre-Civil Rights segregation isessentially socially unacceptable. Our society has movedbeyond these once common fundamental injustices.

2. it is neutral: As much as we'd like to believe otherwise,the reality is that we can have transformations, social andotherwise, that are neither life-affirming nor progressive.Think war-crime worthy Nazi Germany or occupation &bombing of Palestine. the transformation of those societiesto allow heinous injustice to other human beings to bewidely and popularly acceptable exemplifiestransformation's inherent neutrality. While transformationcan't be undone, a dangerous new can take the place ofwhat came before without clear intention. The decisivequestion we must ask is "Transformation towards what?" Ifwe want positive transformative outcomes, we mustintentionalize and work toward them.

3. it is rigorous: To the naked eye, transformation oftentakes place at such a slow rate and on such a subterraneanlevel, it is nearly imperceptible until you're on the otherside of it. But further investigation reveals a consistencyand rigor to the process that is undeniable. Deep changerequires deep practice. Simply put, we have to stay with itin order to see transformation through.

4. it is whole: Transformation must take place at all levelsin order to be achieved. It isn't enough to transform onlyourselves as a slew of self-help and navel-gazing spiritualteachings may profess. People form organizations,organizations become institutions, institutions informcultures, cultures give rise to whole societies. Through andthrough, we must weave the fabric of our movementculture with ways of being, knowing and doing thatembody precisely how we want to see societytransformed: into an equitable, sustainable and just placefor all.

5. it always unfolds in the present: Transformation isboth path and goal. While it appears that transformationhas a beginning and end, we are always somewhere in theprocess of one cycle of transformation or another. But ourcurrent shape, where we are along the way, shows up inthe NOW.Not in the past, not in the future: How we areshowing up right now is the state of our transformation.

6. we don't know what it looks like: This does not meanwithout intention. As affirmed earlier, a strong, alignedintention is not only desired but critical to affecting theoverall direction of the process. However, if you canimagine the exact outcome, it's more likely to be changethan transformation because our vision is necessarilylimited by our current perspective and conditions. At thepoint at which we surrender to the process of

Social Change: Where From and Where ToMovements of the love that does justice are gathering,deepening, and growing. Here's a taste of where wecome from and where we are going. This month weshare important resources on the nascent and growingfield of Transformative Social Change -- rooting socialchange work in inner transformation.

Read more...

in the MINDWho Do I Think I Am?In 1974, neurologist James H.Austin (author of Zen and theBrain) took up meditation.Several of his experiences talkabout ego death and losing all

attachment to the idea of who he thought he was,including losing the ability to sense his physical self. Asnapshot of his experience follows:[image: Daniel Mandic]

Read More ... Read Austin's Full Article

"the best workshop i've ever taken. radically changedmy work."fearless Meditation is our 3-part signature series thatteaches practical meditation in a social justice contextis offered for no charge for agents of social change:

fearless Meditation I:November 6 | 7pm & every 1stFriday

in the BODYThe Most Difficult PoseCorpse Pose is known as themost difficult posture in yogabecause it asks us to let gocompletely, which is very difficultfor us to do. Most of us are

walking around holding onto tension somewhere in ourbodies--in our shoulders, our hips, our jaws. Holdingtension in our bodies is so habitual, we probably don'teven notice it most of the time.

Read More ...

wellness & being wellClean Your ChannelsAutumn is a transitional time--summer to fall, warm to cool,bud to harvest. It's also a goodtime for cleansing. Check out thefollowing breathing practice:

Channel Cleansing Breath. It not only clears thechannels of the nose, but also helps to relieve stress


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transforming, even our vision for desired outcomesdissolves into the "goop" which makes room for thoseformative aspects to direct our emergence into what wewill become. So you want transformation, but arehell-bent on control? Um, not so much.

What's In A Name? Ideally EverythingFinally, I submit that in naming and framing the new social movementthat burgeons just beneath the surface of our everyday work for justicefrom Ithaca to Istanbul, we need a descriptor that embodies theprinciples of such a movement into the very name itself. More than anyother movement that has come before, this one must embody it'sprinciples at all levels...including in it's name. Thus we need anexpression that is as much the path as it is the goal. A name that is now,not later. One that calls for us to be active, rather than passive;generative rather than prescriptive; a verb (action from inside) ratherthan adverb (qualified from the outside). The theory and ideas might betransformatIONAL, but the movement and its practice must betransformatIVE.

And more than political, it must be social. Yes, our politics (ways ofgovernance of people,) systems, structures must undergo change--theymust be brought into alignment with the values of our heart's yearning,not our fear's recoiling. Indeed, our government must be aligned with ourdeep need for connection rather than our contempt for difference.

But the reason for shifting the political landscape must be in service tothe greater goal of shifting our social landscape (ways of being withpeople,) so that we can change the fundamental nature of ourrelationship to one another, to the planet, to the world and to life itselfthrough the vehicle of a deep change in relationship to ourselves. In oursociety and in our hearts, we are still willing to use force--to bombpeople into peace--thus empowering our government to do so. This, wemust transform ourselves to no longer be able to bear.

I often muse that if the aquatic larva knew that it would one day leave itsknown realm to take to the sky, it would never, ever go, andtransformation would be averted. But it is birthright that calls. In thisWay, we have to allow ourselves to hear and respond to the evolutionaryand revolutionary call that pulls us inexorably forward into becoming ournewly formed selves--personally, politically, organizationally,institutionally, across all society--making room for a vision yet to be seen.

Right now, we must actively, generatively, take rigorous, intentionalaction towards wholly being that which we envision, and surrender towhat we cannot. We must be so that we can become.

In it's new form, the dragonfly can dive breathtakingly into a precipitousvertical drop, become a mere blur as it darts about at breakneck speeds,only to come to an apparent dead stop, hovering magically in mid-air. Forthe most part, it's the sun that dragon and butterflies need to fly...butthey need the dark to grow their magic wings. So do we. It is only oncewe emerge from the darkness that we will dare cast off our hardenedshells to truly take flight.

Let's do the darkness so that we can all flytogether.

and anxiety while simultaneously promoting alertness. Read more...

october wallpaper

leadingSometimes we don't know exactly where the path weare on will take us. Having a solid, steady guide cansupport us in our journey of transition andtransformation. October carries us through the seasonwith flashes of brilliant color as gusty winds cast off theold and make way for the final harvest. All we have todo is heed the natural transition that is called for andfollow along.

Download this image as wallpaper with or withoutcalendar for your desktop.

Download with calendar... Download without calendar...

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—

With gratitude to Robert, Staci, Steven, Adrienne, Zulayka, Claudia,Marie, the New Dharma Community and all my transformative teachers,mentors, students and friends--aKw

angel Kyodo williams, is founderof urbanPEACE and it's Center for Transformative Change. A socialvisionary and leading voice for transformative social change, she is theauthor of Being Black: Zen and the Art of Living With Fearlessness andGrace.

Blog: new Dharma: live, love & lead from the heart

Facebook: Fan angel here

Twitter: Follow angel for tweets of wisdom on Change

Web: www.angelkyodowilliams.com

angel Kyodo williams' next public talk:Thurs | Oct 22 | 7:20pm @ Center for Transformative Change

newDharma TalkTransitionsThis dharma talk is about more than in-breath andout-breath; it's an offering for each of us to embracenot knowing and opening to change.

"We spend a lot more time on in-breath andout-breath than we do in the complete silent gap in between. It's there,it's always there and yet we don't notice it. It's a place of profoundstillness because it holds the balance between our breaths. It holds thesense of balance between action and resting; it holds that sense ofbalance between going and retreating. It's ever so slim. In fact, there's ateacher that says if all you do is notice the gap between the in-breathand the out-breath that's all you need to awaken."

Listen to Transitions

activists, allies & agents of change

Surviving the Devil: The Grassroots of Social Entrepreneurship

Gretchen Steidle Wallace is the founder of GlobalGrassroots, which supports conscious social changedriven by and for marginalized women in post-conflictAfrica. Gretchen produced the Emmy-nominateddocumentary, "The Devil Came on Horseback" andco-authored a memoir of the same title about Darfur.She holds an MBA from Dartmouth's Tuck School and a

BA in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia. Gretchen is also anintegrative breathwork practitioner, which she hopes to offer tosurvivors of war and sexual violence.

Gretchen Wallace and the folks at Global Grassroots live in the midst of

Center for Transformative Change2584 MLK Jr. WayBerkeley, CA 94704 · USA+1.510.549.3733

Google the Center


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death, rebirth and transition on a regular basis. They work with womenwho've experienced the ugliest sides of humanity. Women who'veexperienced brutal rape and the results of genocide and yet in spite ofthe hardship fully intend to make their lives better.

Read more...Learn more about Global Grassroots

resources for change…Do you dare? It's well-known that most folks dislike change. For the brave(or curious) few, here are a couple ways to begin opening up to transitionas well as Gretchen Steidle Wallace's "The Devil Came on Horseback", afilm that acts as a witness to death and the possibility of rebirth.

International Breathwork Training Alliance

The Devil Came on Horseback

Ego Death: Zen & the Brain by James H. Austin

quote of the month“We have the resources, knowledge, technology, and time to make atransition, but the question is: Do we have the courage and the will toface truth and act from a place of humility, patience, compassion, andconscience? ”—Evon Peter, Native Movement

Center for Transformative Change is a project of urbanPEACE, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization whose mission to inform, incite and empower abroad-based, presence-centered transformative social change movement.

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