July Outdoor Gathering
July 20, 2025: Reconnecting to each other continued…
July Theme: Reconnecting to Each Other
-> Featuring Heart Leaders Robin Schnitzler and Michael Hopwood, a dance leader/musician duo, located in Madison, who shared the Dances of Universal Peace (DUP) with our community. Connect with Robin and Michael on their website and on Facebook.
We enjoyed our second gathering in nature this past weekend, coming together in Rock River Heritage County Park. Our outdoor gatherings are co-created and less structured than the indoor gatherings. We begin and end the outdoor gatherings in a sacred circle, and in between, we experience the natural world with intention and in community.
OPENING CIRCLE | CONTEMPLATIVE NATURE EXPLORATION:
We began by intentionally offering gratitude to the elements that sustain us before we set out to immerse ourselves in nature.
We reflected on our July theme, reconnecting to each other, with an invitation to contemplate connection and belonging in nature. Our Nature Advisor, WI Master Naturalist Sarah Sicard offering examples of the many ways that the natural world is interdependent, unable to thrive without many mutually beneficial relationships.
We explored the park together with that in mind, stopping along the way to share what we were noticing. At one point, the group spotted a bald eagle sitting on a branch across the Rock River, and we paused to observe with reverence and awe.
We followed the trails to the outdoor amphitheater, where we were met by our Heart Leaders, Robin and Michael, who invited us to deepen into our connection through the heart-centered practice of the Dances of Universal Peace.
SPIRITUAL PRACTICE:
DANCES OF UNIVERSAL PEACE (DUP)
This practice nourishes our spirits and opens our hearts as we celebrate the world’s mystical traditions with joyous group singing of sacred phrases and simple, meditative movement. In circle, we experienced three Dances: one from the Christian tradition, one from the Māori tradition, and one from the Hindu tradition.
From the beginning of time, sacred movement, song, and storytelling have brought people together - at times of seasonal ceremony and celebration, as part of everyday life and life passages, and in daily renewal and meditation. The Dances of Universal Peace was founded in San Francisco in the late ‘60s by American Sufi and mystic, Samuel Lewis, to create a sense of harmony and love among diverse individuals and cultures.
DUP is a transformative, heart-centered practice, invoking an embodied sense of unity, presence, and compassion. This practice invites each of us closer to our own essence, cultivates heartfelt connections with others, and builds community.
About our Heart Leaders: Robin is a certified DUP leader and has been dancing in the circle for 30 years. Robin loves the way the dances invite all other parts of life to drop away, allowing us to sink into our hearts and souls. Michael is an accomplished guitarist and DUP musician. He feels joy from the uplifting harmony and beauty created in the circle. Together, Robin and Michael lead dances in community circles, events, and dance camps across the US and Mexico.
CLOSING CIRCLE:
We closed the gathering with gratitude for the opportunity to be a beginner again, gratitude for Robin and Michael, and an invitation for all to share what resonated with them. Jen shared our community blessing and an invitation for all to stamp their ancient hearts on canvas.
COMMUNITY BLESSING:
The heart knows. We go into the heart to remember, we go together, and we belong.
SPIRITUAL INVITATION FOR JULY
Choose one way you intend to practice listening to and honoring your true Self, and put it into action in your life this month.
Choose one way you will allow yourself to be seen and heard, and put it into action in your life this month.
NEXT GATHERING
Sunday, August 10th, 10:00 - 11:45 am
Location: Mocha Moment: 1121 Center Ave, Janesville, WI
