Join the "Soul Shop"!
A monthly series starting in November
Soul Shop is a gathering of kindred spirits in which we use the arts and spiritual practices to build community and to learn to live more authentically from our “true spot”. Facilitated by Phyllis Cole-Dai and Claire Willis (bios below).
Do you ever feel alone while with others?
As if you don’t belong?
That you aren’t accepted, or don’t fit in?
If so, you’re not alone. Most of us have felt that way at one time or another, due to shame we carry, marginalization we’ve experienced, or trauma we’ve endured due to our . . .
race or ethnicity
gender or sexual identity
religious, spiritual, or philosophical commitments
political persuasion
class
educational level
body image
health limitations . . .
We often bear the pain of “not belonging” in private. We may even despair of ever being accepted as our true selves. Our suffering can estrange us from our “true spot”—an inner place of gratitude, compassion, courage, and connection.
But, when shared, our sense of estrangement can also be the starting point of a pathway back to our true spot—and to a greater sense of belonging. Even joy!
Announcing our first “Soul Shop” series:
”A Pathway Toward Belonging”
(November 2023-March 2024)
A five-part monthly series. Enrollment is limited and on a first-come, first-served basis.
Together we’ll explore and practice a pathway toward belonging that involves befriending and developing estranged parts of ourselves.
The first session will establish the ground for our intentional five-month cultivation of gratitude, compassion, courage, and connection.
Session schedule
Each session will be held on a Monday evening and run for 90 minutes, starting at 7:00PM Eastern (6:00PM Central, 5:00PM Mountain, 4:00PM Pacific).
November 6, 2023: “Befriending the Stranger Within and Without.” Our estrangement from certain aspects of ourselves creates suffering within and
around us. As we befriend the “inner stranger,” we’ll deepen our sense of belonging with other people.
December 4, 2023: “The Grateful Friend.”
January 8, 2024: “The Compassionate Friend.”
February 5, 2024: “The Courageous Friend.”
March 4, 2024: “The Connected Friend.”
Can’t make it to one of the sessions?
Video replay will be available. But you and the rest of the group will gain more if you attend “live” as much as possible.
What each session will include
Brief centering ritual
Illumination of the theme by Soul Shop facilitator(s)
Inspiration from the arts, particularly music and poetry
Journaling and other written activities
Optional sharing
Invitation to a specific spiritual practice
Brief closing ritual
A packet of offerings to support your practice between sessions
Your investment
We ask that you commit to the full series.
Have to miss a session? Video replay will be available. But you and the rest of the group will gain more if you attend “live” as much as possible.
$100 for the full five-part series
Use your Rafter discount code at checkout to enjoy 15% off (contact Phyllis if you’ve forgotten the code)
Contact Phyllis to inquire about scholarship availability. (For this series, partial scholarships only. Please consider what amount you’re willing to invest.)
Join the Soul Shop today!
Enrollment is limited and is on a first-come, first-served basis. To register, you need not be a member of The Raft, but only Rafters can use the discount code at checkout. Invite a friend to join too!
Your Soul Shop facilitators
Phyllis Cole-Dai is your host on The Raft. She has authored or edited more than a dozen books in multiple genres, “writing across what divides us.” She is perhaps best known as co-editor of the Poetry of Presence anthologies. Originally from Ohio, she now resides with her scientist-husband and two cats in a 130-year-old house in Brookings, South Dakota. Learn more at her website.
Claire Willis, a clinical social worker, has been working in the fields of oncology and bereavement for more than thirty years. She is on the staff at the Cancer Support Community Facing where she facilitates bereavement, end-of-life support, and therapeutic writing groups. Her work and her life experience were the primary sources of inspiration for two books, Lasting Words: A Guide to Finding Meaning Toward the Close of Life and Opening to Grief: Finding Your Way From Loss to Peace.