Women and Men in Our Community by Leslie Recht

The Woman Within community has provided me with support, close friendships, and so many new opportunities for growth. I did my weekend in Delavan in August, 1992, and jumped right into the community, staffing weekends, doing workshops and growing through conflict and resolution in my e-circle. After a few years, I moved into other programs, looking for more and different stimulation. What brought me back to the Woman Within community was the opportunity to work with men and women together, initially in an integration/empowerment ("ie") group with men and women over eight years ago.

Being in an ie group was initially a shock, watching the men do clearings, trying to blow a man away with yelling and swearing, failing to own their stuff. We changed the clearings, and now are much better at finding the gold in what triggers a clearing. Having men and women play roles in our group, lead processes, and just being there together has given me support, given me the perspective of men who can tell me what they see. For me, the men come off of their weekend encouraged to "touch the gut issues" and they have taught me touch my pain more directly, and more quickly than most women.

For me, working with men has been a natural evolution of my work in this community, and I have sought it out through the joint MKP/Woman Within conferences, workshops, and most intensively, Path to Spirit for women. The gifts to me from Path are ongoing. The weekend gave me a carpet experience of power and clarity. The men were caring and intentional about the work. The sweat lodge provided a culminating experience, allowing me a release and a bond with the men and women on the weekend. My ongoing growth in Path comes from staffing these weekend with men, seeing where we trigger each other. My fears about fitting in, being isolated on staff with men, proved groundless. I was welcomed and mentored, and have found a place where I can laugh and cry with support.

My passion is to develop institutional support for work with men and women in our joint communities. I have taken on the role of liaison between Women in Circle and the MKP Chicago communities. However, the leadership in both communities is so consumed by the needs of supporting men and women only work that I have found only marginal institutional support for the joint work that I believe is a natural evolution of both communities. I invite your thoughts, your comments, your dreams about how you would like a joint community to develop. Please call me at (312)405-5215, or e-mail me at LRecht@defrees.com. Let me know if you would like to help develop a joint community.

Leslie Penelope Recht
(312)405-5215
LRecht@defrees.com

Leslie Recht did her WW weekend in Delavan, in 1992. She is currently the Chicago area WW/MKP Liaison  as well as WW Community Celebrations Coordinator.
 

An invitation from PATH TO SPIRIT
October 13-15, 2006 For Women Only Camp Tu Endie Wie, Elgin, Illinois

We invite you to join us at the October “For Women Only” training. We are excited with the number of women who are interested in attending. A number of women who have attended WOMAN WITHIN will be on our staff. And the women who have completed PATH TO SPIRIT and who have experienced WOMEN WITHIN are great advocates of the training.

“Path to Spirit for Women combines strength and gentleness in a weekend where men facilitate women. I felt safe to do extraordinary work on that weekend. I believe that the men and women can work together on a Path weekend in a way that is not available anywhere else in our communities. Bless all those who make this weekend a reality.”
Leslie Penelope Recht

FOR MORE INTO, FAQ, SCHEDULE, ETC., GO TO www.PathToSpirit.com

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