Sanctuary for the Heart

Vulnerability and the Inanna Myth
2023-06-02 11:00 - 13:00, 2023-06-09 11:00 - 13:00, 2023-06-16 11:00 - 13:00, 2023-06-23 11:00 - 13:00, 2023-06-30 11:00 - 13:00 (America/Vancouver)
We are living in unprecedented times.
As the world becomes increasingly unstable many of us are feeling anxious and unmoored. Our old ways of coping aren’t providing us with the same comfort and security they once provided and our identities are starting to crumble under the pressure.
While many of us attempt to adapt through old and familiar ways of force and suppression there is a quiet whisper reminding us that there is a more natural and embodied way of being. We are being encouraged to come into alignment with the ways of nature. Our own nature.
In order to heal the gap created in our psyche by trauma and a patriarchal culture of dominance and control we are invited to embrace the feminine values of unyielding compassion, truth telling, strength, community, sensitivity, tenderness and humility.
“Through this process we become a walking embodiment of change, the ripple effects of which move out from the inside of us into every interaction and relationship, eliciting change from the ground up and bringing the wisdom of our trauma into the light.”
Carly Mountain ~ “Descent & Rising
We must learn to navigate the feminine principals of vulnerability and surrender to release the constrictions of a patriarchal culture that are deeply embedded in our minds and bodies.
The Inanna myth begins with listening. “From the Great Above she opened her ear to the Great Below”. She takes us on a journey into the underworld where she is pronounced guilty of excessive pride or refusing to honour a power greater than her own.
As Inanna enters the purification process of the underworld she must pass through the 7 gates and it is here that we learn what we will lose as we enter our own descent.
We don’t descend because we want to but because we are pulled into descent through our life experiences. This is not a journey for everyone but if your recognize it as your journey I hope you’ll join us.
Join Candace Kirby and Jessica Holland for this 6 week event and discover how to integrate the myth of Inanna into your own personal experiences of descent (a healing journey to discover and embrace what we have abandoned in ourselves)..
This event is for people of all genders that are yearning for community and a more embodied way of being in life.
We will engage in simple rituals, story telling, present moment practices, orientation and creative practices followed by questions and dialogue. The safe container of the group will welcome you and offer safe and consistent support, compassionate presencing and attunement for your nervous system.
Jessica Holland:
Inspired by fairytales and myth, a storyteller at heart. Rooted in animism, nature, cyclical and seasonal living. Herbalist, pattern breaker and student of the nervous system.
Candace Kirby:
The gentle heart of a poet, counsellor and spiritual mentor. Candace specializes in working with trauma, the nervous system and the role of the nervous system in healing and spiritual awakening.
(***when I refer to feminine or masculine qualities I am not pointing to gender)
(***The rate for this course is in CDN dollars. If this amount is beyond your budget please contact Candace through the website for an adjustment)

Resting into Gentle Presence
2025-01-24 11:00 - 13:00
The Role of Trauma and the Nervous System in Awakening
Trauma-safe and nervous system-informed practices.
Resting into Gentle Presence is a 6 week online course created by Trauma Therapist, Organic Intelligence Certified Coach and experienced Nervous System Practitioner Candace Kirby.
The most common and contracted way of being in life is to identify as a separate self. A separate self that is maintained by the survival states of the nervous system; sensations, emotions, mind, relational patterns and survival identities formed in childhood.
Because our attention has been fused with this identity for so long and the narrative in our mind is so convincing we assume it must be who we are. It creates an enormous amount of pain and suffering.
There is a way to liberate ourselves from this false sense of self that doesn’t require working on ourselves. With a little bit of space and curiosity we can begin to slowly and gently turn towards the traumatized self rather than away from it. We can find our way home.
In this course we will be focusing on:

Arriving here in the Present Moment
Understanding the Impact of Trauma on the Physiology
The Nervous System – Discerning past and present.
Tenderness, Soothing and Softening the Physiology
Noticing Safety and finding our ground here.
Resourcing the Body.

This course is a slow, gentle and intuitive path of connecting with and learning to trust our direct experience. No manipulation. No tricks. No strategies. No attempt to master the body; only deep attunement, reverence and respect for the intelligence of a system that has survived.

“This gentle work with Candace has been such an enormous gift. No pushing, no forcing. Allowing and welcoming everything as a real practice not as spiritual bypass. Not just meaningless words that cannot be sustained, but true substance, which allows and heals everything. I am here, I have ground to stand on, I am gaining agency. I feel and know and love myself. Thank you so much.”~ Participant

This course will help you:

Learn to recognize your nature of presence.
Understand the impact of past and present trauma on the physiology and why we suffer.
Tend to your nervous system states with more understanding and confidence.
Pause, slow down, rest and find ease in the present moment with the support of the group and consistent guided practices
Notice that the present moment environment is consistently offering support.
Align with what is helpful and supportive and let go of what isn’t
Build capacity to be here by first building a foundation of safety, stability and unconditional acceptance.
Feel safe in the company of others. Perhaps for the first time.
Make peace with your mind by understanding how nervous system states fuel our thoughts.
Learn how to soften and release what’s been held in the body.
Come to know yourself through your direct experience.

In this course we will engage in teachings, simple present moment practices; meditation, neurosensory practices, grounding, orientation and creative practices followed by questions and dialogue.
This is a slow and gentle process.
Registration includes:

Access to all 6 live classes.
All class audio recordings.
Weekly homework practices and primings for upcoming topics.

To arrange e-transfer payment for CDN participants email candace@candacekirby.ca.
If cost is a barrier please message me. I am happy to arrange a payment plan that fits within your budget.
