Movements of my soul -- Introduction to Family Constellations workshop - Sunday 6/27/2010 in Vista, CA.

First family constellation final healing, Oil pastel drawing, © 2009 Jaime Lyerly

I have been changing....

Changing what I am,
what I want,
how I live,
what I do,
what I need,
and how I deal with it all.

During my time of major flux (my partner moving to Berkeley, my son graduating from middle school, my job not being what it used it be, my high stress life taking a toll, researching graduate schools and more) , I usually turn to art-making as a way to cope.

However, it has been a desert of non-productiveness in my life recently.

A lull in creative expression for a week to "unwind" from classes ending has turned into month of no art making.

A few nights of just watching tv has turned into a sleepless nights playing video games.

A break from class work has turned into a break from living.

How does this happen? I am not sure.

But during this time of low productivity has come a huge blessing - a time for "soul work."

Through artist and healer Ellen "Ellie" Benfatti, I learned of Family Constellation work, which is based on social psychology, family dynamics and energy healing.

She calls the changes that occur because of this healing, "Movements of the Soul."

I won't go into too much detail about the constellations here, but I can say that they have changed my life.

Every aspect of it from how I make art, who I think I am, what do I want, how do I get it, and how do I deal with this thing called life.

And it is a lot to process! Which is why I my blog has been neglected and you see me less on the social networking sites. I'm still here.... just thinking, feeling and trying to understand it.

So please bear with me as I morph into this new person that is greater than the sum of her parts.

Want to know more about Family Constellation work?

Great! Check out the links above and the book called The Healing Power of the Past.

Live in San Diego area? Even better!


Ellie is having a three hour workshop this Sunday, June 27, 2010 from 10 am to 2 pm which is an Introduction to Family Constellations. 


Here is the info from the Facebook event: 


This is an introductory 3 hour workshop. If you've wanted to join Ellie to experience the transformational work of Family Constellations but haven't had the funds or the time now is your opportunity. Ellie asks that all participants contribute a donation of $25.00 to cover the expense of the conference room. Ellie will do 1 constellation chosen by lottery and 1 constellation as a group. Great opportunity for those of you who are wanting to experience more success in your personal finances, life's passion and or career. Ellie will be focusing on Money and the Heart. You must RSVP to attend. Please RSVP by email to: eangel11@gmail.com. If you don't RSVP you will not be admitted to the event. Sorry no exceptions space is limited. When you RSVP please provide name, phone number, and names of guests who are attending with you. 


Note: I will be attending this event!

It really is an awesome experience, and I felt compelled to share it with my friends and readers.

To your health and wellness and deep soul movements.. ~ Jaime Lyerly

Biting off more than I can chew

After two weeks with a bad cough and cold, I am back to work. So much has happened in the last two weeks that I cannot cram it all into one post.

Basically, I am in confession mode again.

I am frequently "biting off more than I can chew."

I hear an opportunity and say "YES!" before I figure out how it would fit into the balance of my life. And I am trying my best to get back to center with my time commitments. Here is my most recent example.

In January, I accepted the position as President of the San Diego Women's Caucus for Art. I have been a member for a couple of years, and started taking a more active role on the board this year as the Social Networking / Blogger.

Being the go-to person for all things Social Networking, this seemed like an easy task for me and add just a little more to my plate. I run the San Diego Women's Caucus for Art blog and our Facebook group.

However, when I was approached to run for President, I thought this was perfect timing. I have two more semesters until I get my BA in art, and I am not taking any classes that would interfere with my art. I did think about this decision for a while and talked it over with my partner.

I have such big goals for the SDWCA, and was eager to get started. In January, after the first board meeting I was so excited. Little did I know how much time this would take.

By the second board meeting, I had only completed a few tasks on my list and would have to sacrifice studio and/or family time to get anything else done.

I started getting resentful of the time that this was taking away from me. This was my own choosing, so I had no one to blame but myself.

By the third scheduled board meeting, I realized that I had to make a choice. Even though it tough to admit, I didn't have the time to add such a big commitment to my schedule. And the stress that not being able to fit it all in made it even worse.

So I resigned from the presidency. Luckily, VP Ellie Benfatti was ready and willing to step up into the position. Therefore, Ellie Benfatti is now the current President of the San Diego Women's Caucus for Art. Yay Ellie!

Ellie will do an amazing job with the SDWCA and I am so happy that she is taking the post. Stay tuned for more news about the improvements we have in store.

As for me, I have learned a hard lesson about a balanced life.

Your Turn:
Want to share your stories of "biting off more than you can chew?" Please feel free to comment. I would love to know that I am not alone.

Thanks for supporting me on this artistic journey! ~ Jaime Lyerly

Ellen "Ellie" Benfatti's Art Reception and Wine Tasting at "The Wine Spot" Feb 27, 2010

image © 2010 Ellen Benfatti

A unique art reception and wine tasting event on Saturday, February 27, 2010 featuring 2010 San Diego Women's Caucus for Art Vice President Ellen "Ellie" Benfatti.

Here is more information about Ellie and her event:

Ellen Benfatti was born in the United States and resides in North San Diego, California. Several years ago she experienced a life altering event while visiting the spa of a luxury cruise line. Ellen was invited to experience a Reiki treatment. Shortly after her experience she began to have a strong desire to paint. She went on to become a certified Reiki Master Teacher and Artist. She was recently featured on San Diego public television for her brilliant use of color and its connection to increased health. She has spent the last several years studying the affects of color on the human body. Ellie’s studio is located at the New Village Arts Theatre in Carlsbad. She’s a full time Artist and Pain Management Consultant.

She’s currently a featured artist for the Banners lining Pacific Coast Highway in Leucadia.

She opens at “The Wine Spot” on Feb 27th her exhibit will run from Feb 27-March 30th.

Feb 27th Art Reception and Wine Tasting 7-10 pm
The Wine Spot 2917 State St. Carlsbad
Complimentary Wines and Cheeses served from 7-8:30pm

Ellie will be raffling one of her gorgeous pictures and she'll be serving complimentary wines for tasting from 7-8:30.
RSVP on her Facebook event page or just come on down!

To learn more about her you may visit her portfolio at:
www.angelicmanifestations.com

Support local independent artists! ~ Jaime Lyerly

Big news for the San Diego Women's Caucus for Art and our Winter Quarterly Newletter including Annual Retreat Photos

You have heard me mention it before, or seen a post on Facebook about it. Wondering what the San Diego Women's Caucus for Art (SDWCA) is all about? I am here to help!

Here is a link to view the San Diego Women's Caucus for Art Winter Quarterly Newsletter that is sent out to all members and is available in hard copy at our events. http://sn.im/sdwcanewletter12-09

You can also read previous newsletters at http://www.sdwca.org/new/newsletter.htm

The December newsletter features pictures and information about the Annual Retreat, which I taught "Encaustic Technique." I have been promising pictures and stories on the blog for so long, and I am sorry to let you down. However, I have posted pictures of the Annual Retreat on my Facebook fan page, so please check them out there!

The current newsletter also has the final President's message from Laura Jean Thompson, 2005 - 2009 SDWCA President, which includes the official announcement that I am not sure everyone knows yet.

Yours truly, Jaime Lyerly, is the new 2010 President of the San Diego Women's Caucus for Art! Hurray!

I am so excited to be leading the San Diego Women's Caucus for Art this year, along with my two Vice Presidents, Ellie Benfatti and Jen Bottoms. We had our first meeting of the new year yesterday and it was electric!

Here is a little taste of what we have in store for the new year:

• Free artist demos open to the public after each of our monthly Board meetings
• Juried and Invitational Exhibitions
• Online Juried Exhibitions
  
• Development of Scholarship and Professional Grants for artists

This is new territory for the SDWCA, so it will take some work to establish all that we are trying to do. But I believe in my Board will make this happen!

Now back to Art making! ~ Jaime Lyerly

Family Constellation Healing Workshop with Ellen "Ellie" Benfatti this Saturday, November 21, 2009 in Vista, CA

Artist, Healer, Workshop Facilitator and 2010 VP. of WCA/SD Ellen "Ellie" Benfatti

The San Diego Women's Caucus for Art Retreat last weekend was such a joy. Not only did I get to do one of my favorite things in the world: teach encaustic painting, but I was able to participate in other workshops and get to know the amazing women who went. To see a quick blog post about the retreat, click on the link above. More blog posts to come as I sort through the retreat pictures. One of the amazing experiences was participating in Ellen "Ellie" Benfatti's Family Constellation workshop on Friday night.

I am not sure I can explain exactly what happened during the workshop, but we as a group decided that is was the balance between left brain and right brain that we wanted to work on. Since my blog is usually about art making, art shows and techniques, I am not sure how much detail you all want me to go in about the healing experiences.

To sum it up, I was so moved by the experience that I was on the verge of tears at the end. I have never felt balance like I had at that moment. My energy is ALWAYS fragmented and pouring out in different directions at the same time. I can focus on one thing, such as working on an art project for hours, but there are almost always different steps to take to keep me interested. Plus, it is easy to work on art because it is fun.

It is the left side of my brain and my life - credit cards, debt, bills, obligations, homework, chores, cleaning, promises that I made - that I am so overwhelmed with that I ignore them and hope they go away. They don't and I am just left with MORE STRESS and I disappoint people that are counting on me. It is my fatal flaw. And I am working on fixing it.

Therefore, I am going to Ellie's Family Constellation healing workshop this Saturday. I had many other things planned for this weekend, but if I can feel even a moment more of that balance, it will change me for the better. By talking to Ellie this weekend, I realized that devoting some time to understanding and working through my own stuff, I can change the energy that I give out and receive.

Check out the information below and RSVP for it right away if you are in the San Diego area. The workshop is being held all day this Saturday at a private residence in Vista. It also is normally $300 for this group session, but she is discounting it to $35 to give an opportunity for others who are more financially strapped to participate. It won't be the same without you there! We need you!

Here is the information about Family Constellations from Ellie's website:

FAMILY CONSTELLATIONS

Family Constellations have proven to bring balance to the individual requesting the constellation as well as other family members. In most cases the other family members aren't present during the session. A constellation can be done in private, on the phone, or in group.

Constellation by definition means a cluster. Ellie believes that when there is an unresolved trauma in a family its members will cluster around the trauma. Unfortunately, the clustering is often an attempt to hide the trauma. In most cases the desire to hide the trauma is done out of a "blind love" for the other family members. Usually the "hidden" or "secret" part of the trauma is thought of as a way to protect the children, victim, perpetrator, or the innocent. If this happens the trauma remains hidden and creates an imbalance with in the family's soul. When a client chooses to revisit the trauma through a family constellation an immediate sense of wellbeing can occur. It's as if everyone in the family has been waiting to acknowledge and move beyond the trauma. In most cases, immediate relief, a feeling of lightness, and wellbeing occurs. This relief is often felt by both the client and the other family members. The magical part is that 99.9% of the time the only member of the family present is the client. The outcome is a more loving connection to each other and the people around them. This allows the family to experience a "knowing love." This love is expansive and allows all members to feel more connected and accepted by their family. This feeling is essential for experiencing peace and wellbeing with in the family's soul.

When choosing to have a private constellation colored fields or small objects are used to identify the people and elements needed to conduct the constellation.

When choosing to participate in a group constellation individuals are chosen by the client to represent the people and elements needed to conduct the constellation.

When choosing a phone constellation a client may choose to sit or stand in a room that would allow them to utilized objects surrounding them to complete the constellation. Ellie will guide them over the phone.

Is a Family Constellation right for me?

A Family Constellation is an approach to healing that incorporates the entire family system. The foundational belief it is that when there's been a trauma to the family that hasn't been resolved or restored to balance it can reappear in future generations. Often times when the trauma manifests the descendant who carries this trauma may or may not be aware of it's origin.

When contacting Ellie she can evaluate your situation and decide if doing a constellation would be appropriate for your circumstances.

In many cases physical, mental, and emotional issues are resolved and the client feels an immediate sense of wellbeing.

Constellations can be useful in resolving issues around:

Divorce, Death, Addiction, Abortion, Miscarriage, Illness, Depression, Anxiety, Sexual/Mental/Physical abuse, Loss, Adoption, Loss of Job, Money, Slavery, Moving from a homeland, Victims of War, Religious or Racial differences, etc.

Ellie is not a licensed therapist or Dr. Ellie was trained at The Constellation Institute of Santa Barbara by Dr. Dyrian Chartrand Benz and Joanna Benz Chartrand. Ellie is respected as one of the most intuitive constellation facilitators in San Diego County.

Fees:

Private Session $125.00

Group Session $300.00 per day

Representative $115.00 Per day

A sliding scale is available if you desire partial scholarship.

November Special attend Nov. 21st and receive a private for 1/2 price.

Next workshop is scheduled for this Saturday, November 21, 2009 from in North San Diego County (at a private residence in Vista. Directions provided at RSVP).

Session Runs from 9:45 am to 4:45 pm, with break for lunch

Lunch 12:30 pm - 1:45 (bring your own picnic lunch).

Special Price for November 21th workshop is $35!

Here are some comforts I always recommend participants bring along for their journey.

Sweater, Scarf or Small lap blanket.

Water

Healthy Snack (most of us bring enough to share)
Lunch

If people are interested, I will blog about my experience with this workshop afterword. I don't want to get to far off track from my love of sharing art with other, but this is about the WHOLE PERSON. I am striving to become a better artist but also a better person in general. These type of workshops and the energy I get from the San Diego Women's Drum Circle every month held lead me into a more sacred space that is healing for all.

I hope you can join me at this event. Please email Ellie Benfatti right away with any questions and to RSVP for this Saturday. You won't regret it.

To healing the whole person - and making art! ~ Jaime Lyerly