Occupy Tucson Yoga\/Meditation Working Group: Peer Listening Training and Group Planning, October 11, 2011, Quaker Meetinghouse, 931 N. 5th Ave.<\/p>\n
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Seven of us gathered at the Quaker Meetinghouse on Tuesday evening. After introductions, we discussed the resources we are offering the Occupation.<\/p>\n
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MEDITATION: Most of us were meditators and two of us agreed to contact the major meditation centers in Tucson and ask them for their support, participation and resources\u2014a tent, chairs, meditation mats, etc. If you want to help, please post something on this page. We are exchanging contact information within the Working Group, but I forgot to ask how public these volunteers want to be with their contact info (NOTE: IF EITHER OF YOU WANT TO POST YOUR CONTACT INFO, PLEASE DO.). Our goal is to have a visible, quiet meditation place where people can go at any time, meditation classes offered and large group meditations, possibly at sunrise. These group mediations can have a good effect on everything around them.<\/p>\n
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YOGA: A key leader in the Tucson Yoga community has volunteered to reach out for support from the major groups there. It may be that we use the same space as for mediation. Again, we need a tent, yoga mats, instructors willing to offer classes, etc. If you are interested in helping, please post something on this page and come on Saturday \u00a0and look for us.<\/p>\n
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PEER LISTENING: After making these decisions, we had a training for the five of us who were considering becoming peer listeners. The purpose is to provide a low-key place anyone can turn to at the Occupation to talk to someone else, especially if they can tell they are getting a bit stressed. The goal is to give people a place to get their minds clear so they can speak and act more powerfully in the Occupation. Listening which is non-judemental listening, uninterrupted, confidential, and accepting of the expression of feelings. We will be wearing signs around our necks identifying ourselves as peer listeners. Our hope is that we will spread this practice of respectful listening throughout the Occupation. If you are interested in becoming a peer listener, please contact me at JimDriscoll@NIPSPeerSupport.org. At present, our plan is to have at least one Peer Listener present during the General Assembly meetings, posted training times for people to learn to be Peer Listeners and possibly Peer Support Groups as people request them, i.e. women, men, Latino\/as, etc.<\/p>\n
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We are coordinating with the Medical and the Security Working Groups in case people want or need more support than just peer listening.<\/p>\n
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Drafted by Jim Driscoll<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Occupy Tucson Yoga\/Meditation Working Group: Peer Listening Training and Group Planning, October 11, 2011, Quaker Meetinghouse, 931 N. 5th Ave. Seven of us gathered at the Quaker Meetinghouse on Tuesday evening. After introductions, we discussed the resources we are offering the Occupation. MEDITATION: Most of us were meditators and two of us agreed … <\/p>\n