“What is my soul’s yearning?” It’s a powerful question that, believe it or not, can be found by simple means: scissors, a glue stick, some old magazine, and intentions.

That’s what 8 women found out yesterday when we gathered in Circle to explore SoulCollage® for three luscious hours of creative and heart opening exploration. Who knew that collage could help unleash our inner voice, dreams & unconsciousness?! Well, think collage meets...spontaneous expression, authentic truth, and deep sharing. This process is that healing and connecting, while being SO fun!.

Meanwhile, all of us arrived yesterday to Circle Studio holding our separate distractions, stresses, responsibilities, even grief. We carried the added emotions of navigating in a masked world, missing so many we love, and a sense of confinement. Quickly though, through the age old processes of listening deeply to one another, witnessing without judgement, and using our hands, we all soon dropped into something akin to a collective purr. As hands got busier, chatter stopped, breathing deepened, and concerns and even thoughts seem to be overshadowed by curiosity, discovery, and purest focus.

Personally I hadn’t used scissors and glue in a while, at least beyond helping my ten year old with school projects. And as responsible, busy adults, how often do most of us indulge creative expression simply to play and express-– and not do something for work, a sense of service to others, or even obligation (as in I should do something creative or productive)? But there we were, a sizable group of women reconnecting with their slumbering inner children, and with each other, as we plunged into an honest creative journey.

Aileen Gural and Nixa De Bellis co-facilitated this workshop together, braiding wisdom and invitations to unmask emotionally and spiritually through meditation, some movement, and building a basic framework of what SoulCollage® is.

Aileen explained it this way: “Developed in the late 1980’s by California psychotherapist, Seena Frost, Soul Collage® is a cherished process that is practiced worldwide and can be used in many ways -- simply as a fun way to relax and express yourself creatively -- or in groups where sharing what emerges can be a revelatory community experience. On a more penetrating and individual application, SoulCollage® provides a structure to create your own unique deck of cards which will possess profound personal meaning and inspire and help guide you with life’s questions. Each card represents either an aspect of your personality or Soul, an archetypal energy or guide, or a person or place existing in your life. After a card is created, an inquiry process is used to dialogue with the card and find its “voice”’.

Nixa showed us a “Soul Card” she had made that was a visual embodiment of all the things she is. A complex, Escher-like labyrinth of stairs leading up and down; verdant landings providing safe, inspiring places to rest. Aileen asked the card, “Who are you?”

Nixa answered in a contemplative, quiet way, without delay. “I am comprised of manyness… structure within movement,” then she spoke of her love of travel and exploration, and simultaneous need to rest, to land. There was more, and as I listened, I wondered what would be revealed to me, to all of us.

So I asked myself, “What is my soul’s yearning?”

My soul apparently hadn’t been listened to for a while because she had plenty to say, and didn’t waste any time expressing herself. I quickly rummaged through images, everyone in the room immediately as busy as I was. Getting out of the way of thought, I dropped into belly-and-heart intuition and found a few images that felt just right. Soon, images were being altered and reassembled, scenes taking form that said everything about who I am, or want to be more of.

Here is my first completed image:

My Circle Co-Founder and workshop partner, Melissa, prompted me with the first question that each of us were to be posed with: “Who are you?” Not unlike my collage, words quickly poured forth like honey, while my partner kept notes of all I said. As I spoke, the image felt more and more prescient, as if I had, in fact, given my soul her voice: “I am the one who is ancient, is truest wisdom, is earth-mother-love, grandmother crone and also timeless. I am the one who is powerful, brave, doesn’t have to look with my eyes open but can see with my heart. I am sensuality. I am woman. I am truth. When I know and listen to myself, I flow, and creativity flows through me. I am your reminder to trust what you already know. I am all that is possible. I am you. I am perfect as I am.”

Melissa then asked: “ What do you want from me?” I answered, “I want you to honor me, to make time for me, to stop closing my mouth and stopping the source of what needs to come through. I want you to focus and let go.”

We all made other cards, each, just as potent asking again, What is my soul’s yearning?”

And what is yours?

And yours?

We hope to find out together, in Circle.

Deepest gratitude, Aileen and Nixa, for the safe and supportive space you helped co-create!

To join us for this and other upcoming Circle workshops and events CLICK HERE.

To connect with Aileen Gural about privates or other group classes CLICK HERE and Nixa De Bellis CLICK HERE.

Thanks, too, to everyone who joined us and had the courage to show up so fully for themselves and the group.

Written by Jenny Wonderling

Soul Speak