Join a Lopez Island CommuniTea group to connect online and honor our individual and collective needs and feelings in a time of crisis and isolation. When signing up, you have the option of joining one group, out of five different CommuniTea group options. Each group has a different facilitator and meeting time, but all groups will be using the same guiding curriculum.
| Group #1 (This group is full) |
Meets Mondays, 1:00 pm – 1:40 pm |
Facilitated by Nikyta Palmisani | Meeting Dates: 4/13, 4/20, 4/27, 5/4 |
| Group #2 (open to new participants) |
Meets Mondays, 1:00 pm – 1:40 pm |
Facilitated by Susie Teague | Meeting Dates: 4/20, 4/27, 5/4, 5/11 |
| Group #3 (open to new participants) |
Meets Wednesdays, 10:30 am – 11:10 am |
Facilitated by Liz Lafferty | Meeting Dates: 4/15, 4/22, 4/29, 5/6 |
| Group #4 | Meets Thursdays, 11:00 am – 11:40 am |
Facilitated by Nikola Chopra | This group is accepting participants and will determine dates as interest is indicated. |
| Group #5 (This group is full) |
Meets Fridays, 10:30 am – 11:10 am, |
Facilitated by Erin Bernardi | Meeting Dates: 4/17, 4/24, 5/1, 5/8 |
To sign up please select the time that will work for you, and send an email with the subject “Join CommuniTea” to: erinbernardi11@gmail.com . Erin will contact you with availability information. If you are flexible about time, you can write “anytime” or list multiple times that work for you.
These sessions will be hosted using the online Zoom meetings platform, which works on any smartphone, tablet or computer with a good internet connection. Download ZOOM Cloud Meetings on the App Store, or visit https://zoom.us on a computer.
Curriculum information and program content:
The four-week CommuniTea experience was inspired by the works of both Joanna Macy (Active Hope, A.K.A. How To Face The Mess We’re In Without Going Crazy) and Brene Brown (Rising Strong, The Power of Vulnerability & more). Each facilitator has experience working within these frameworks. Each week represents a marker in Macy’s spiral to empower us toward active hope in our ongoing journeys: Gratitude, Honoring Our Pain, Seeing With New Eyes, and Going Forth.
Week One: We will consider Brene Brown’s definition of “connection,” and collaborate to create an online community that can support participants feeling Brave, Safe and Connected. We will celebrate our feelings of gratitude during challenging times.
Week Two: We will consider the connection between “Honoring Our Pain” and grief and the role of self-care. We will explore some of Brene Brown’s tips for surviving uncertainty, in what has been a sprint but may become a marathon during voluntary isolation.
Week Three: As we enter a period of new normal, we will consider the idea of “Seeing With New Eyes” or perspective-taking. We will consider Brown’s caution that “comparative suffering” will not serve us in the long race, while cultivating kindness and empathy will move us toward a more joyful human experience.
Week Four: Going Forth – A Thread of Active Hope. We share examples (personal or observed) of how creativity has inspired people to contribute something of value to our personal development or in the world around us.