Ten reasons why Summer Camp (INQUIRY) is so healthy for kid (ADULTS)

summercamptogetherMy fingers have been wildly tapping the keyboard of my computer as questions come in for these upcoming events taking place very soon.

I love your questions! And they actually help me be clearer.

So even if you’re kinda tired of hearing about Summer Camp which starts in three days….I’m answering some important Q’s as I’ve gotten so many. And I’m sharing how Camp and Inquiry offer such wonderful freedom. (You ultimately make your own camp, anywhere, any time).

Summer Camp for The Mind is a completely virtual 7 week “camp” session with one 90 minute call offered every single weekday for people to do The Work of Byron Katie and inquire into their stressful beliefs. You don’t have to come to every call. You choose which calls you attend. Meaning, literally….you can attend two calls during the entire summer 7-week session, or all 32 of them.

What’s good about dialing in and doing The Work….like….why would anybody want to?

Well, if you’re super shy like me (very introverted) or you find it difficult to stop you’re daily life responsibilities to travel to learn and do The Work in a retreat space or a class, or you normally can’t afford the smaller in-depth group classes or events….

….OR, even more importantly, you simply do not question your thinking when you’re on your own and busy….

….then this may be just the ticket.

The Work is like meditation. It’s a practice to return to over and over again. You don’t meditate for an hour and say “WOW! BINGO! I am now completely peaceful with silence and life for All Time!”

Meditation is like an energy. We’re tapping into the wisdom of being.

With The Work, we’re answering the same four questions, but finding over and over again new layers of insight, new glimmers of freedom. We wake up, sometimes slowly, sometimes suddenly, out of the huge variety of stories we have from all our life experiences.

Sharing together via teleconference also has a powerful affect and benefit for us, even if we listen only It’s remarkable what listening to someone else is like, learning we’re not alone. We don’t say a word, and yet we’re riveted by someone else’s personal work….because it’s just like ours. The circumstance doesn’t really matter. We show each other the way.

I find, joining together in this remarkable way invented by the technology we live with in our times….it’s like we’re a think-tank of brilliant people, pooling our minds together to create One Mind in awareness. And this awareness brings so much peace, clarity and joy. It’s strangely simple, and strangely profound. No “teacher” is required for The Work. You are your own teacher. All you really need is a willingness to be open, to write, to contemplate without expectations.

Meditation is like that. We don’t know what will happen in a meditation session, but our great intention is to make friends with silence. With The Work, we get to make friends with our chattering and nervous minds, and even make peace with events from the past.

The first Opening Day session on July 5th is free for everyone (find the link on the Summer Camp page and come on board with us). July 5th is open to everyone. Even if you’re not registering for Summer Camp! The July 5th session is extra long, but if you miss it, you can still come to Summer Camp for any sessions you like as long as you’re a registered member. So for example, if you don’t dial in until August 1st, you still can join us for all the calls after August 1st.

Because this is so open, and because you pick what works for your schedule, you also choose what to pay. The suggested fee is $150-$500 depending on how many calls you think you’ll attend and what you’re able to give.

A ninety minute call you can think of as being worth $30 – $50 in dollars, but you also get to choose what feels right to you, and what you can afford. If you have zero income, and you’re wanting support and assistance in daily inquiry (on money and jobs and unemployment, for example) then You Are Welcome. Pay an amount you CAN afford, and you’re in. No questions asked.

This is open season sliding scale for everyone in service to self-inquiry and The Work of Byron Katie, and freeing your mind from stressful thinking in your life.

Note: The only days we don’t meet are Monday July 11 and Tuesday July 12 because many of us–including me–will be attending the Being With Byron Katie Seattle 4 day retreat where we participate through live streaming with Katie all the way from Europe while we’re watching together at a quiet, gorgeous lodge. This event is only $165, a fraction of the normal live events with Byron Katie. An incredible opportunity to be with her almost-live, and sharing the silence with others. This retreat is almost full to capacity.

How do these Summer Camp for the Mind telesessions actually work?

You’ll use your phone, or your computer, to connect at the scheduled hour. There are local alternative phone numbers for those who are long-distance. If you want to use your computer to connect for free, you’ll receive a new link, daily, via email, for each call about 20 minutes before we meet for our Summer Camp session.

Everyone has the option during Summer Camp to listen-only, or to share live and raise your hand to do The Work. None of the calls will be recorded (the way I usually do in other classes). This assures peoples’ privacy and encouragement to give it a try.

When you sign up, you’ll learn the three options for joining: phone,webcall (you can speak and we’ll hear you just like you’re on the phone) or webcast (listen-only).

If you’d like to join the July 5th Opening Day call first, before signing up for Summer Camp all the way….no problem. After the Opening Day session, just go visit the Summer Camp page on my website and register for the rest of the summer when you’re ready (you pick the amount manually entering what you want to pay). I’ll send you all the information on how to join calls after I receive your registration.

Finally, you may wonder after all this what the schedule is, so you can see what works for you if you’re in Europe or Australia or Costa Rica or South Africa. Here are the times for all the calls, every weekday. Again, if you come only Mondays, for example, you are entirely welcome. There will be 5 Monday calls total (since we miss 7/11) so you might only want to donate $150. If you’re coming Tuesday, Weds, Thursday every single week, you’ll have 21 calls of immersion into The Work so you may choose to donate more. Let it match what feels right.

Here’s the full schedule:

  • Mondays 2-3:30 pm PDT/5-6:30 pm Eastern/10-11:30 pm London
  • Tuesdays 5-6:30 pm PT/8-9:30 pm Eastern/8:00 am Australia 
  • Wednesdays noon-1:30 pm/3-4:30 pm Eastern/9 pm Europe
  • Thursdays 9-10:30 am/noon-1:30 pm/5-6:30 pm London
  • Fridays 10-11:30 am/1-2:30 pm Eastern/6-7:30 pm London

These telesessions meet from July 5th through August 19th (but not on July 11 or 12).

The other day, I read a healthy childhood psychology article about why Summer Camp can be so fabulous for kids (I had an awesome time in summer camp when I was young).

The very same reasons are true for The Mind.

Here’s my special version of why inquiry, and doing Camp together, is so good for us ADULTS….for our thinking.

Substitute the word “camp” with “The Work” for this entire list and enjoy the fun reading.

It may be healthy for kids to enjoy childhood at camp….but for me, it’s even more healthy as an adult to enjoy adulthood in inquiry!!

10. Spend time in quality action: As children (ADULTS) spend so much time these days inside (THEIR HEADS), camp provides a wonderful opportunity to move (MENTALLY, TO A NEW PERSPECTIVE, and PHYSICALLY TO FEEL IN THE BODY).CAMP IS ACTION!
 
9. Experience success and become more confident – Camp helps children (ADULTS) build self-confidence and self-esteem by removing the kind of (MENTAL) competition that shapes their lives. With its non-competitive (INQUIRY), camp (TELE-SESSIONS) are a real boost for young people (ADULTS). CAMP SHOWS YOU THAT YOU CAN!
 
8. Gain resiliency – The kind of encouragement and nurture kids (ADULTS) receive at camp makes it a great environment to endure setbacks, try new (and thereby maybe a little frightening) things, and see that improvement comes when you give something another try (BY INQUIRING). CAMP HELPS DISSOLVE FEARS!
 
7. Unplug  – When kids (ADULTS) take a break from distractions (FROM THEIR STRESSFUL THINKING) they rediscover their creative powers and engage the real world–real people, real activities, and real emotions. CAMP IS REAL!
 
6. Develop life-long skills – Camps provide the right environment and guidance for kids (ADULTS) to enhance their abilities, their artistic talents, and their adventure skills. The sheer variety of (INQUIRY) offered at camp makes it easy for kids (ADULTS) to discover and develop what they like to do. CAMP EXPANDS YOUR ABILITIES!
 
5. Grow more independent – Camp is the perfect place to practice making decisions without parents and teachers guiding every move (ESPECIALLY THE PARENTS AND TEACHERS IN YOUR HEAD FROM THE PAST). Everyone welcomes this as a freedom to blossom in new directions. CAMP HELPS YOU DEVELOP WHO YOU ARE.
 
4. Have free time for unstructured play (INQUIRY) – Free from the overly-structured, overly-scheduled routines of home and school (WORK), camp gives children (ADULTS) free time to just play (INQUIRE). Camp is a slice of carefree play (INQUIRY) where you can relax, laugh, and be silly. AT CAMP WE PLAY!
 
3. Learn social skills – Coming to camp means joining a close-knit community where everyone respects each other. When they live in a cabin (WHEN WE DO THE WORK) with others, we share answers, resolve disagreements, and see firsthand the importance of sincere communication. CAMP BUILDS TEAMWORK!
 
2. Reconnect with nature (YOUR TRUE NATURE) – Camp is a wonderful antidote to “true-nature deficit disorder,” and to the narrow experience of modern (MENTAL) life. Outdoor experience (GETTING OUT OF YOUR STRESSFUL STORIES) enriches perception of the world and supports healthy development. CAMP GETS YOU BACK OUTSIDE (YOUR NEGATIVE BELIEFS).
 
1. Make true friends – Camp is the place for making best friends (WITH YOURSELF). Free from social expectations, camp encourages kids (ADULTS) to relax and make friends easily. All the fun (INQUIRY) at camp draws everyone together. Everyday, CAMP CREATES FRIENDSHIP.

YES. I love Summer Camp for The Mind. I love inquiring into the painful stories that cause suffering, using the powerful method called The Work. Join me.

Much love,

Grace