Personhood

Cultivate personhood

When we devote no time to the inner life, we become strangers in our own lives.
~ John O’Donohue

Self-observation and resourcing are two capabilities that are not usually well developed in modern cultures. ~ Carol Sanford

I have grown in self awareness this year an incredible amount. At the beginning of this year I felt uncomfortable to even correct my own family when they misgender me and now I’ve been able to correct complete strangers. When people asked me how I’m doing I didn’t want to say anything other than “I’m fine,” but now I’ve been able to tell people about how my anxiety is affecting me. Most importantly, I’ve finally come to terms with a big part of my identity, what labels I want to use, and I’ve found myself willing to share it with people instead of just keeping it to myself. I’ve shared very vulnerable parts of myself through my art, along with having amazing and important conversations with people. I’ve started exploring the inner workings of what makes me who I am and I’m incredibly glad I have been able to start sharing it with others as well. ~ Springhouse 10th grade learner, 2020

When we think of landscape we often think of external geography; rolling hills, never-ending plains, tall pine trees rising towards the blue sky or the place where the ocean meets the jagged rocks. But there is another landscape that we are invited to consider in this human life, and it is the one that we cannot see; the landscape of the interior. As human beings we are given the gift of self-reflection, and through this gift, we are able to experience the depths of what it means to be human. Self-reflection is a choice, and like in any relationship, in order to learn from the interior life we must choose to pay attention to it. To traverse this inner territory takes great courage and discipline and a willingness to embrace the unknown. In this design, grounding in our bodies and cultivating connection to the sacred supports us to live more fully and courageously as we learn to explore more wholly who we are. Developing a stronger relationship with ourselves builds a stronger relationship with the world. When we have a sense of place in the body, we are better able to traverse the inner landscape, which can lead to a greater sense of belonging and safety.

Stephen Sterling, in his book Sustainable Education: Revisioning Learning and Change, focuses on the importance of education as a primary agent for individual and collective change. He takes a holistic approach and writes that education today should educate the whole person, which includes the interior life of the individual. In a world where data and testing overrules the inner geography of our children, the inner landscape is often neglected in education. Stephen Glazer in his book, The Heart of Learning: Spirituality in Education, speaks to this: “Education can serve as the core of a lifelong journey towards wholeness, rather than merely an accumulation of facts, figures or skills.” To live into this path that builds regenerative culture, we must be willing to explore the interior of our lives.

Personhood becomes a gift to the world when it is strengthened and given opportunities to express itself fully and courageously. In this section, we will explore several facets of cultivating personhood including embodiment, the sacredness of self, and the importance of self study and exploration. When we take the journey into our own unique singularity, we find greater unity with the world around us. When we make the choice to turn inward, to know ourselves more deeply, we begin to awaken to the world around us in new ways. It is from this embodied and awakened place that reverence and care for all life is possible.

Though there are many pathways to cultivate personhood, we focus on three facets of cultivating personhood in this model. They include:

LearResources

Reclaiming a Relationship with Our Bodies
Natural Intelligence
Body-mind Psychotherapy
Getting Our Bodies Back: Recovery, Healing, and Transformation through Body-Centered Psychotherapy
Divining the Body: Reclaiming the holiness of your physical self
The Spell of the Sensuous
Becoming Animal: An Earthly Cosmology
Body and Earth: An Experiential Guide
The Body is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self Love

The Sacred Self
Soulcraft: Crossing into the Mysteries of Nature and Psyche
The Sacred Breath: Teachings from the Inner Landscape
The Sacred Balance: Rediscovering Our Place in Nature
Nature and the Human Soul, Dr. Bill Plotkin
Anam Cara: Spiritual Wisdom from the Celtic World, John O’Donohue

Self Study and Exploration
The Undiscovered Self: The Dilemma of the Individual in Modern Society
Wild Mind: A Field Guide to the Human Psyche
Branches of Mentoring: Michael Meade
Parker Palmer: Know Yourself, Change Your World
The Journey to a Genuine Life
Purpose- Bill Plotkin
Meg Wheatley-Who Do We Choose To Be
The Descent Leading from the Fire Within
What Matters Most: Living a More Considered Life
A Little Book on the Human Shadow
The Light Inside the Dark
Learning to Walk in the Dark
The Journey of Soul Initiation: A Field Guide for Visionaries, Evolutionaries, and Revolutionaries
Befriending the Darkness- Jenny Finn Tedx
Befriending the Darkness: A Creative Exploration of the Shadow

Springhouse Examples
Recorded DOLs 2020-21
Well Participants find purpose, community connection, and more
Guide to Incorporating Meaningful Reflection

Reflection Questions

What are your thoughts on this quote from John O’Donohue: When we devote no time to the inner life, we become strangers in our own lives”?
What is your relationship with yourself currently? Good friends? Stranger? Acquaintance? Enemy? Or something else?
How do you cultivate self awareness?
What are the ways that you have seen self awareness cultivated in an educational setting or learning community?
When it comes to relationship with the body, how do you see disembodiment in our culture? In your community? In yourself?
What are the implications of disembodiment?
What are ways that your community cultivates a connection to the body? Are there other ways you could introduce in your own life and community to strengthen your relationship with the body?
Are you a mystic? If so, what does that mean to you?
How do you relate to the ineffable life source within and around you?
What does self exploration and study mean to you? How do you feel about going deeper into yourself? Are there implications for not doing this? Are their effects of engaging in this self study in your life and community?
Do you have a mentor or guide to walk with you on this journey? Is mentorship important, if so why or why not?
Have you had people in your life who have helped you to grow up? If so, who are they?
How can assessment be life giving rather than damaging (and we are not just talking about in "schools")? How do you assess depth and growth in yourself and in your community?

Quick Links
Regenerative Culture
Vitality-Centered Education
Take care of vulnerability
Build beloved community
Respect the wisdom of the Earth
Love and serve others