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 By Stephen Dinan, founder and CEO of The Shift Network
It's truly time for the next evolution of life on planet earth, and I feel blessed to see so many amazing women leading the way!
I believe that a lasting Shift on the planet means establishing a sacred balance between masculine and feminine energies, which then allows us to create a society that works for all.
To do this, we need a vast movement of women who are pioneering a new vision for our world and men who are celebrating the rise of the feminine into a place of equal honor.
That's why we are showcasing wildly inspiring women who are blazing the trail forward in this month's featured Summit called the Inspiring Women Summit, featuring 24 pathfinders such as Sally Kempton, Arielle Ford, and Luisah Teish. It starts on May 17, so make sure to register today and spread the word!
These women are not just going after political, business or cultural power: they are bringing in a bold, juicy, whimsical, loving, and fearless way of living that is distinctly feminine AND filled with soul.
They are embodying a much fuller spectrum of LIFE than women of the last era, casting off sweet-and-pleasing personas to find an unbridled power and embodied freedom in HOW they lead. And create. And dance. And build community. This new way of being is just the antidote to the ossified positions we see in the halls of power everywhere.
This issue of The Catalyst celebrates these amazing women, offering their provocative insights into how we create a new world. We dive in with Summit speaker Sera Beak who calls us into the darker and more mysterious path of birthing our soul without the golden accolades of success. Lekha Singh takes us beyond right and wrong in a moviemaking journey to witness the remarkable healings in Rwanda, Northern Ireland, and Israel and Palestine.
Dena Merriam is being awarded the 31st Niwano Peace Prize, one of the most prestigious global interfaith awards. Dena tells a moving story of what inspired her to create the Global Peace Initiative of Women (see Partner Spotlight)
Lily Yeh shares the power of art and beauty to transform places like Kenyan shantytowns, as her work with murals in a devastated zone show. She writes that "creating art in forlorn and forsaken places is like making fire in the frozen darkness of a winter's night. It brings light, warmth, hope and it beckons people to join in."
It's a beautiful description for a distinctly feminine way of changing the world.
Our member profile is of Robyn Benson, who calls us into a path of self-care that goes beyond traditional medical models.
Do join us this month in celebrating the rise of a distinctly feminine spirit in the world! And do sign up for the free Inspiring Women Summit here.
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Inspiring Women Summit: Blazing a Sacred Path to an Extraordinary Life
A Free Global Online Event • May 17–June 19, 2014 • Join a vibrant community of visionary women who will help you elevate your spirituality, leadership, creativity, health and relationships to the next level. To learn more, click here. |
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A New Perspective for Moms
This experiment asked moms to describe themselves, and then compared that with what their own kids said about them. It's amazing what you can see when you look from a different perspective. Happy Mothers Day! |
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 Our Soul's Untraveled Path
By Sera Beak
Five years ago I had the honor of interviewing the Jungian analyst extraordinaire, Marion Woodman, and that's when I realized that despite my devotion to the divine feminine and my successful career in women's spirituality, I had lost my soul. . . . [read more]
 Beyond Right and Wrong
By Lekha Singh
When I visited Rwanda several years ago, I didn't expect to make a film that would change my life.
I didn't expect to find more healing than horror or to encounter the incredible resilience of people living in the aftermath of the Genocide. I met mothers who gave up the path of revenge against the men who killed their children and some who even forgave the murderer. How could justice, forgiveness, and reconciliation even be possible after what had happened? I started filming Beyond Right & Wrong because this question stayed with me long after I left Rwanda. . . . [read more]
 What Inspired me to Form the Global Peace Initiative of Women
By Dena Merriam
I began my professional life as a writer and didn't begin working in the interreligious field until I was in my forties. It happened quite by accident. I never would have imagined that I would be working with spiritual leaders and communities across the globe, even though my own spiritual practice has been the center of my life since I was quite young. . . . [read more]
 The Healing Power of Art and Beauty
By Lily Yeh
When I see poverty, crime, and despair in places that feel broken, I also see the enormous potential and readiness for transformation and rebirth. Creativity and beauty are powerful agents for healing and change. I work with poor communities around the globe practicing the arts to bring healing, self-empowerment and social change. . . . [read more]
For submissions and recommendations, email editor@theshiftnetwork.com.
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 Envisioning a Life of Health and Well-Being
By Robyn Benson
"The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why." - Mark Twain
Have you ever stepped back to take a look at your life? I mean a real good look at your journey and everything about it – the ups, the downs, the times of sorrow and loss, and the times of euphoria and bliss? If you have, then maybe you've seen how all of those great moments including those filled with adversity have shaped you and prepared you for the day when you would step into your life's great calling. . . . [read more]
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Interfaith Movement Leader Dena Merriam to Receive 31st Niwano Peace Prize. Dena Merriam is the founder and leader of the Global Peace Initiative of Women. The award is in recognition of her contributions to humankind in the search for wisdom and for a more just and sustainable world. To learn more, click here.
Film festival premiere of Awake: The Life of Yogananda will take place at the Seattle International Film Festival, which plans to screen the movie on the evenings of May 18 and May 19. Follow this link for tickets, click here. The film will be screened on Friday, May 30 at 9:00 am at the Illuminate Film Festival in Sedona. For information and tickets, click here. To learn more about the film and future screenings, click here.
Beyond Right & Wrong is a powerful film journey featuring stories of justice and forgiveness in Rwanda, Northern Ireland, and Israel and Palestine. You can watch the film for free. For every view, Operation Kids Foundation and Share the Mic donate $0.50 to one of the partnering charities. Click here to view the film for free.
Beyond Right & Wrong is a partner in The Reconciliation Project. Founded by The Arbinger Institute, The Reconciliation Project is a global initiative that (1) gathers people who are interested in reconciliation work — whether on their own behalf or on behalf of others; (2) equips them with the best in reconciliation philosophy, approach, and tools; (3) engages community members as change agents who help bridge divides within and between families, communities, groups, and nations; and, (4) partners with organizations to support and assist reconciliation efforts around the world. To learn more, click here.
Admissions is a film that stars Academy Award nominee James Cromwell and tells an inspiring tale about what it takes to find lasting peace, even in conflict-ridden places like the Middle East. The film's purpose is to start a conversation that heals. To date, Admissions has been honored with 25 International Awards. Admissions is now being offered as a free screening in conjunction with a global campaign to promote PeaceNow.com and their efforts to gather one billion signatures for global peace. The signatures will ultimately be presented to the U.N. and will be used to help enact The International Resolution for the Establishment of Peace Departments and Ministries of Peace in governments around the world. To learn more about the film – click here. Also, go to PeaceNow.com to sign the petition.
Protect the Sacred — Indigenous Nations from across the United States and Canada and their Allies are working together to Protect the Sacred from the tar sands and Keystone XL. To learn more, click here.
The Fourth Annual Afterlife Conference! Portland, OR. June 5–8, 2014 – Learn about the world beyond death from mystics and mediums, ministers and medics, all under one roof during one amazing, life-altering weekend! To learn more, click here.
Breath Immersion – From Science to Samadhi – August 24–29 – Breath Immersion to explore leading-edge research and learn how to integrate and advance the power of breath into our modern world. Those new and experienced in breath practice are invited to participate in building a healthier world together. To learn more, click here.
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2014 Catalyst: (#9, 5/4) (#8, 4/20) (#7, 4/6) (#6, 3/23) (#5, 3/9) (#4, 2/22) (#3, 2/8) (#2, 1/26) (#1, 1/12)
2013 Catalyst: (#22, 12/14) (#21, 11/30) (#20, 11/16) (#19, 11/3) (#18, 10/20) (#17, 10/6) (#16, 9/21) (#15, 9/8) (#14, 8/25) (#13, 8/4) (#12, 7/21), (#11, 7/7), (#10, 6/16) (#9, 6/2) (#8, 5/12) (#7, 4/28) (#6, 4/14) (#5, 3/24) (#4, 2/24) (#3, 2/9) (#2, 1/26) (#1, 1/13)
Birth 2012 Catalyst: (#15, 12/9) (#14, 12/1) (#13, 11/22) (#12, 11/10) (#11, 11/3) (#10, 10/20) (#9, 10/6) (#8, 9/16) (#7, 9/8) (#6, 8/25) (#5, 8/16) (#4, 8/4) (#3, 7/28) (#2, 7/21) (#1, 7/14)
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Reach out to a woman who has inspired you — whether your mother, sister, daughter, lover or other — and let her know how much she means to you.
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The Global Peace Initiative of Women fuses the Universal Essence of the World's Spiritual & Faith Traditions and the Voice and Wisdom of the Feminine Model to advance the global work for World Peace and Social Transformation. To learn more, click here.
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Eostar Kamala
By Eleanor Tara
Well studied in many different spiritual paths, Eostar Kamala channels beautiful and original sacred songs of devotion and spiritual awakening. Her music combines her unique voice and transcendental guitar playing to transport you into a state of bliss through ecstatic singing, dance and movement. Her lyrics are both original poetry and traditional Sanskrit, creating a new flavor of healing music and Kirtan. Her most recent album, Rose and Lotus, was recorded with her previous band, Fearless Love. Listen to it by clicking here. To learn more about Eostar, click here.
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