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About the Practice
Welcome to the Temple of Divine Feminine Flow.
Lie down on some soft pillows with a bowl of small fruit pieces, and make sure you are comfortable. Allow a few soft sighs and let one hand rest on your belly. Relax into whatever is here for you in this moment. Imagine a warm, red field of energy surrounding your body, as if you were wrapped in a silk sarong. Let your hand float up from your belly and gently make its way up your chest, face and hair. Make a few soft sounds. Relax deeply and have a juicy piece of fruit.
Now, imagine a women’s gathering that is a mix of an Indian Temple ceremony with ecstatically dancing women fully surrendered in devotion, a Bedouin oasis in the desert with fresh figs, cooing doves and huge marble tubs where the women bath and scrub each other clean, a contemporary meditation/inquiry group with practices guiding us into the vastness of our true nature and an African grieving ritual where the painful parts of our lives are honored, danced and celebrated. Now you begin to get a taste of the kind of feminine space we rest into in the Women’s Temple groups.
In order to live and embody feminine brilliance, for real, we are creating a conscious women’s culture which can awaken and nourish us in the deepest sense. The Women’s Temple group is a way for us to remind each other of who we are, in an on going way
Instead of enforcing the status quo by focusing on our problems and personal shortcomings, the Women’s Temple group practices connects us with truth beyond our fears and limited self-images. From this deeper place we can navigate from Presence and inner guidance instead of exhaust ourselves in trying to be leaders from a tense, competitive and ego-centered state of mind.
The Women’s temple is not a therapy or a support group. It is a space were we come to mirror, celebrate and empower each other. A space were we can drop our masks, and let the beauty of our authentic face be seen in all its glory and pain, passion and vulnerability.
In our Women’s temple, we meet beyond the personal, and in this expanded meeting the collective feminine as well as the personal feminine is healed and celebrated.
All our practice is based upon being present in the body, so we spend a lot of time dancing and moving. We also support each other in softening our bodies by touching each other in respectful and nourishing ways. This part of the practice is most women’s favorite part.
Where is the Women’s Temple?
The Women’s Temple Group meets sometimes in the homes of the women and sometimes in rented rooms. Sometimes it is a closed group, sometimes it is open for all. Sometimes the group meets weekly, sometimes less often.
We honor and treat our temple as sacred. We enter it with reverence and with the intention to be as true as we can. All superficial chit- chatting we leave outside. In our temple we explore how it is to speak from a deeper place within, and most importantly, we explore how to communicate without speaking at all
A Conscious Women’s Network
In the Nevada City Temple group we have been practicing together for over eight years, and through this process a remarkable tapestry has been woven between us which embraces us through our lives inside and outside of temple. We have been there for each other, when one married her beloved, another got divorced, several published books and others started businesses. We have witnessed and assisted new houses being built, and we were together as one sister died. We have experienced wailing and raging, and dancing and celebrating. Together.
Globally we are connecting through an active Face Book page, through the interaction on the blog, and through tele classes.
A Conscious Women’s Culture
The relationship we have to other women reflects the relationship we have to our own feminine essence. We take a stand for a conscious way of being women together on this planet.
Together we can heal and transform the old ways of competition and gossiping, and return to a relationship of celebration and empowerment.
The guidelines below are the back bone of our global community and we ask all Awakening Women to read them and include them into our practice.
The Awakening Women Sisterhood Manifesto
~ I commit to be honest and straight with you
~ I commit to take responsibility for my self
~ I will ask for support when I need it
~ I will ask for alone time when I need it, and it means nothing personal to you
~ I will not try to fix you
~ I will listen to you
~ I will keep what you share confidential and not gossip about it
~ I will not speak negatively about you to others
~ I will celebrate your unique beauty and gifts
~ I will not hold my self back to fit in and I will support you in doing the same
How do I start my own group?
In the Temple Group Manual you will find plenty of guidelines that will support you in creating a thriving and fabulous Women’s Temple, but here are a few pointers:
- Start with a small group of women who preferably have some embodied experience with the practice. (When we started Nevada City Temple group we were two women!)
- Make it clear that it is a Temple (a wild, feminine, fun, deep, sacred temple…) and not therapy group.
- Decide on a simple structure, like opening/ending ritual and time frame, and keep to it firmly for the first period to create a culture of focus and respect. (You will find guidelines and lots of exercises to do together in the Temple Group Manual.)
- Do as little talking as possible, give yourself the wonderful gift of connecting deeper then you can do with words. When you talk do it within a practice structure.
Temple Manuals and Sisterhood Manifesto postcards are available for bulk purchase for your groups; please contact us for pricing (info@awakeningwomen.com).
If you would like us to list your group on our website, please review the Temple Group Listing Guidelines below. Then fill in and return the Temple Group Questionnaire.
Temple Group Listing Guidelines (download)
Temple Group Questionnaire (download)
In the last eight years we have seen the start of Women’s Temple groups all over the world. Some are thriving and deepening year after year, nourishing remarkable spiritual awakening and real sisterhood among the women. Other groups detoriate and fade away. Here are some observations we have made that may be helpful to you:
What makes a Temple group thrive:
- A commitment to the Temple as a spiritual practice. The level of commitment from each woman guides the depth of the practice
- The woman initiating the group has an embodied experience of the practice. Her leadership grows out of her own practice.
- The leader(s) is holding the focus on the greater good, versus egocentric ambitions
- Everybody in the group have read the Temple manual and are clear of how the group is different than a regular “sharing/support” group
- The Women’s Temple is a priority and held as the most sacred gift.
- The real teacher is the circle itself, and the leaders job is to serve and facilitate for the wisdom of the circle to do the work. (For more information on feminine leadership join one of our Leadership trainings)
What makes a Temple group die:
- We stop doing our staying in the body- practice and instead trust the judgments of our mind.
- We dilute the leadership too early, and mix too many methods into the practice
- We allow for too much chatting
- We take the temple for granted and don’t hold the space sacred
Be Inspired:
Listen to a tele-class where Chameli speaks on The Art of Leading a Woman’s group (have patience with a minute of silence in the beginning of the class)
USA
| Nevada City Temple group Location: Nevada City, CA, USA The first group in the network. We have been practicing together weekly for more than 8 years. We rotate who leads the group. It is a closed group and we initiate new women twice a year. Council of Temple Mamas hold the structure & schedule. (Chameli Ardagh, founder of Awakening Women, was Temple Mama for 9 years.) Contact: Suzan http://www.awakeningwomen.com |
| Full Moon Goddess Circle Location: Chatsworth, California, USA Josephine is a graduate of the Women’s Group Facilitator training. This circle gathers on the full moon each month. Contact: Josephine Gross ph: (818)727-2000 ext. 15 networkingtimes.com |
| Atlanta Women's Temple Location: Atlanta, Georgia, USA Arlia is a graduate of the Women’s Group Facilitator Training. Contact: Arlia Hoffman ph: (770)595-4994 |
| Minneapolis Women's Temple Location: Lowry Hill, Minneapolis, USA Emily is a graduate of the Women’s Group Facilitator Training. This group meets on Tuesday evenings. Contact: Emily Levang |
| Washington DC Women's Temple Location: Washington, D.C., USA Aja is a graduate of the Women’s Group Facilitator Training We meet in DC once a month on either Tuesdays or Thursdays from 7pm-9pm. Contact: Aja Fenn |
| Sebastopol Women's Temple Location: Sebastopol, California, USA Dominique is a graduate of the Women’s Group Facilitator Training. Contact: Dominique Youkhehpaz |
| Oakland Women's Temple Location: Oakland, California, USA Dominique is a graduate of the Women’s Group Facilitator Training. We meet once a month on a Sunday evening. Contact: Dominique Youkhehpaz |
Austria
| Temple group Austria Location: Salzburg, Austria Rotraud is a graduate of the Women’s Group Facilitator training Contact: Rotraud Huck orUlrike Parnreiter-Fingerl |
Australia
| Women's Temple Location: Wentworth Falls, New South Wales (2 hours from Sydney), Australia Please contact Mariana for the next Temple day . Contact: Mariana Trapera ph. 0430 175 923 www.sacredheartcentre.com |
| Women's Sacred Circle Location: Guildford Victoria, Australia We gather to the whispers of the Goddess; together we weave a sacred space where we are free to open our hearts authentically, share, nurture and support one another, embodying the Sacred Feminine, in an energy filled web of love and compassion. Contact: Mary Mimm |
Denmark
| Heart Women Location: Copenhagen, Denmark Heart Women meets once a month and is open for all women. Contact: Camille |
Finland
| Levande kvinnor Location: Pargas, Finland See our webpage for information about the annual summer retreat. http://embracingcircle.wordpress.com/ http://levandekvinnor.wordpress.com Contact: Alessandra Sarelin |
France
| Cercle de femmes Location: Crest - Drôme, France We meet each month around the full moon to honour the womanhood inside us, and to connect with the sacred space of the women’s circle. Laetitia is a graduate of the Women’s Group Facilitator Training. Contact: Laetitia de Schoutheete ph. 33 (0)6 38 71 35 07 |
Germany
| For a full list of groups in Germany go to: http://www.awakeningwomen.de The Munchen Temple group Location: Gauting (nähe München), Germany Yashodra is a graduate of the Women’s Group Facilitator training. Contact: Yashodhara van Vilsteren ph. 089-89530781 |
| Women's group in Esslingen Location: 73730 Esslingen, Germany Ursula is a graduate of the Women’s Group Facilitator training. Contact: Ursula Kauer ph. 49 (0)7153 – 54 04 84 |
| Tempelgroup in Koln Location: Koln, Germany Petra is a graduate of the Women’s Group Facilitator training. Contact: Petra Broicher |
| Monday-awakening-women-group Location: Sun-Med-Institute in Bavaria, Neumarkt-St.Veit, Germany The leader is a graduate of the Women’s Group Facilitator training. ph. 08639 70 97 74 http://www.praxis-goettinger.de |
| Aachener Templegroup Location: Aachener, Germany Maria is a graduate of the Women’s Group Facilitator training Contact:Maria Geiser-Letzel – 0241-53106390 |
| Biederbach Templegroup Location: Biederbach, Germany http://www.begegne-dir-selbst.de/ |
| Aphrodite's Garden Location: Berlin, Germany Regina is a graduate of the Women’s Group Facilitator Training. Group meets on Mondays each week. Contact: Regina Tamkus ph. 030 64094526 |
| Feminine Space Location: 86830 Schwabmünchen, Germany We meet the 1st Friday of each month. Alexandra Martin & Inge Dyan Heidenreich are the two Temple Mamas. English spoken women are welcome. Inge and Alexandra are graduates of the Women’s Group Facilitator Training. Contact: Inge Dyan Heidenreich ph. 0049 8241-6626 http://ingedyanheidenreich.de |
| Women's 'Nectar of the Soul' Location: Berlin, Germany This is a place for women to feel and express themselves again, to be held and to open their hearts. Deep nourishment for our soul, body and heart~~giving ourselves loving affection. Miriam is a graduate of the Women’s Group Facilitator Training. Contact: Miriam Kalliwoda ph. 0049.176.23337104 |
| Ganz Frau Location: Mainz, Germany Verena is a graduate of the Women’s Group Facilitator training. Contact: Verena |
| Moonsisters Location: Essen, Germany In our Moonsisters Group, we dive deeply into our own feminine being. As doctors and healers of our own femininity, the work of Chameli and her Awakening Women team inspires us to blossom and to become sisters again. Together we explore the feminine way of unconditional love. Beate and Gianna are graduates of the Women’s Group Facilitator Training. Contact: Beate Maul and Gianna Irmisch ph. 0049201-4555481 |
Netherlands
| Amsterdam Templegroup Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands Contact: Marian van Noort http://www.helder.nu/coaching |
Norway
| St.Gallen Templegroup Location: St.Gallen, Switzerland Ruth is a graduate of the Women’s Group Facilitator training. Contact: Ruth www.ruthmonstein.ch |
| Bern/Solothurn Tempelgruppe Location: Regenbogenhaus, 3377 Walliswil b. W, Switzerland Katharina is a graduate of the Women’s Group Facilitator training Contact: Katharina Casanovas ph. 0041 32 631 29 70 http://www.regenbogenhaus.ch |
| Frauentempel Stimmenfever St. Gallen Location: St.Gallen, Switzerland Contact: Franziska Schiltknecht ph. 41 78 722 78 15 http://www.stimmenfeuer.ch |
| Frauentempel Ort: 3011 Bern Der frauentempel ist eine Oase der Weiblichkeit, ein Rückzugsort, um einen Zugang zu sich selber zu finden und die Verbindung mit unserer essentiellen weiblichen Energie zu stärken. Katja hat das Tempelgruppentraining besucht und leitet die Gruppe seit Februar 2013. Kontakt: Katja Lustenberger Tel: 0041 79 301 94 93 www.sunarha.ch |
Sweden
| Gudinnorna Location: Stockholm, Sweden Contact: Anna |
| Women's Group Location: Gotenborg, Sweden Contact: Carina-Maria lifedancing.se |
| Strålande Moder Location: Gotenborg, Sweden Contact: Rebecca Ph: 0046 768764638 or 0046(0)704851385 |
| Temple Room for Women Location: Gotenborg, Sweden Bibbi is a graduate of the Women’s Group Facilitator training. Contact: Bibbie ph. (0046) 0760452290 |
| The Stjarnsund-group Location: Stjarnsund, Sweden Lisa is a graduate of the Women’s Group Facilitator training. Contact: Lisa |
| Stockholm Temple Group Location: Stockholm, Sweden Maria and Candra are a graduates of the Women’s Group Facilitator training. Contact: Maria http://www.stockholm-one.se |
| I Moderns Famn Location: Stockholm, Sweden Contact: Mariel Roxendal http://www.openinglotus.se |
| Samasati Location: Orebro, Sweden We meet every second Monday 19:00-21:30 Contact: Ronja or Helen ph. 4673-7602882 ph. 4670-6166448 |
| Womens Temple Location: Malmö, Sweden Kristina is a graduate of the Women’s Group Facilitator training. We meet once a month 19:00 — 21:00. Contact: Kristina Loven http://www.peacefulparentliving.com |
| Flower of Love Location: Stocksund, Sweden Madhu is a graduate of the Women’s Group Facilitator training. Contact: Madhu http://www.floweroflove.se |
United Kingdom
| Embody Feminine Radiance Location: Stroud, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom This group is for women who long to remember their true radiant nature, fall deeply in love with themselves and source their value from deep within. By diving fully into our bodies and connecting with our deepest feelings and longings, we remember our unique feminine gifts which the world is so hungry for. Judith is a graduate of the Women’s Group Facilitator Training. Contact: Judith Puckmayr ph. 44-7838-187781 http://www.embody-feminine-radiance.com |
| Sacred Heart Temple Group Location: Somerset, UK Welcome to the Sacred Heart Temple. Rest here for a while on soft sheep skins, rose petal oil, incense, sacred water blessings... It is time for you to nourish your longing to melt into the feminine heart. To truly fill yourself up with the radiant divine essence of love. To let go into this moment and to receive. This is a space to connect with our own bodies, each other, the feminine flow beneath our personal stories. We enter deeply into the practices, facilitated by the temple mama's in a self contained space through dance, free flowing movement allowing the spontaneity of feelings, sensations that may arise to be given space. It It is here in the intimacy of the feminine essence we can worship ourselves as the divinity we are. It is here that we receive blessings, healing, relaxation and nourishment. Contact: Natalie Brooks ph: 07973 267232 |
