Freedom Lounge
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Freedom Lounge kicks off Sunday 4/13 @ 1-3 Pacific / 2-4 Mountain / 3-5 Central / 4-6 Eastern, woohoo!
If curious, holler:
tylerthemindfultherapist@gmail.com
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And you and me
are free to be
you and me
—Marlo Thomas & Friends
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Freedom Lounge is an online 2-hour drop-in-&-out-whenever-you-like community space held sporadically—and sometimes spontaneously—via Zoom. The intention of Freedom Lounge is to offer a space in which folks who value both freedom and community can gather and engage in whatever wants to happen for you, either solo or in collaboration & connection (e.g., in a breakout room). Freedom Lounge is a space in which you are free to follow your wise impulses & do what you wish, with others doing what they wish, onscreen or off. We’ll start with an optional microscopic check-in/intention via the zoom chat and end with optional offerings out.
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Freedom Lounge was originally inspired by the dharma art teachings & practices of Chögyam Trungpa. The original intention was to cultivate a space in which one could give oneself unbridled permission to engage in the creative process—to create with abandon, to let the child inside be free free free to play play play. Then I realized sometimes my own child inside didn’t necessarily want to create or play, but instead longed to press pause and take a nap, or go for a walk and notice big trees, or be in the same space with others but not necessarily want to engage or even be seen... And so the intention expanded beyond the creative realm to total freedom, in the spirit of the prompt my own therapist has offered me time and again: Nothing needs to happen here; what wants to happen here? And the question I’ve learned to ask inside: What do you need, little one? Right here and now, what would be most nourishing?
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An example of what Freedom Lounge might look like on any given occasion: I'm taking a nap onscreen, while Dave is meditating offscreen, while Dina is collaging onscreen, while Rex is painting offscreen, while Andrew is memorizing a Yeats poem onscreen, while Jamie is creating a new page for her website offscreen, while Graham is going for a jog onscreen, while Jesse is reading an Atlantic article offscreen, while onscreen McNew is ironing out his Beethoven’s 6th chops on the trombone, while offscreen Tobin is learning a new language, while onscreen Mike is prepping a talk for an astrology conference, while offscreen Sandra is dancing to music only she can hear, while I am now rising from my nap, feeling restored and newly inspired to compose a cut-up poem, while Ellie is livestreaming her & the girls skiiing, while Scotter is diving, while Zuggy is mixing, while mom is walking the dogs, while dad is building a new swing, while on the train home Kiersten is filming the landscape rolling by, the hills all dotted with lights, while Malika is composing an original song on her harmonium, while Ari is writing down the bones, while Sam is getting a massage from her cat, while Sarah starts a new book, while in a breakout room Mia is being asked by Christina, “If I really knew you, Mia, what would I know?”
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Examples of what you might do during any given Freedom Lounge: draw · write · paint · play a musical instrument · collage · cook · dance · do cut-up poetry · blog · rest · nap · read · go outside · sense, look, listen to trees, bushes, birds, plants, the sun, earth, sky, cats, dogs, nature · workout · garden · do nothing · meditate · breathe · be · research · organize · listen to a favorite song · listen to it on repeat · make a new playlist · listen to a new song · listen to it on repeat · start a website · work on your already website · connect with others in a breakout room · walk in the woods · film the landscape rolling by while riding the train · plan a trip · sit in a peaceful place · write a thank you card · drink a hot drink · listen to an audio book · walk the dog · play with the cat · fix something · clean something · stretch/yoga · tackle a challenging task · solve a problem · decorate · update or create a résumé · journal/diary · oh, the possibilities…
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In the spirit of freedom, Freedom Lounge is a moveable feast, changing days and times depending; the next one will always be posted at the top of this page. Again, if curious, holler:
tylerthemindfultherapist@gmail.com
I will send a confirmation email and zoom link either the midnight prior or the morning of and look forward to seeing you during the indicated two-hour window. You can drop in & out anytime during the two hours and stay for as short or long as you like.
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Freedom Lounge is dāna supported, suggested $5-25 per gathering. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. Dāna can be offered via the following:
Venmo:
tylerthemindfultherapist
PayPal:
tylerthemindfultherapist@gmail.com
Zelle:
tylerthemindfultherapist@gmail.com
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In the space where there is nothing