This morning I woke to find invitations from Jen and Danielle LaPorte asking me to watch their conversation on the subject.

Jen’s giving away a free spot in the course.

My immediate reaction: Awww shucks, I already registered…

A split second later: Hey, I could play anyway and give my spot to someone else if I win!

(I’m assuming Jen will let me do that and, if she doesn’t, oh well, that’s okay too. The time spent writing this post is worth its own weight in clarity generation.)

On the Buddhist path, we have sangha (spiritual companions) to remind us what we’re all about behind the daily drama.

In business, in teaching, in reaching beyond your comfort zone to spread the word about your passion, sangha is equally essential.

And for those of us whose spiritual-and-personal growth are inseparable from our business-and-promotion activities, it’s crucial to surround ourselves with people who “get” that.

Because most people won’t.

Our spiritual friends won’t get the business and internet stuff. And most business folks don’t work so close to the heart. This is an uncommon path that needs to be regenerated continuously (especially for people like me with short memories and sticky limiting beliefs).

I’ve found tremendous value in the mastermind groups I’ve participated in with coaches — most notably the amazingly empowering Christine Kane. In these groups, we rely heavily on the coach, the leader, to hold our feet to the fire. And we are encouraged and supported by each other, our companions. I participated in such a group last year and our growth was remarkable.

Since completing my stint with that group, I’ve continued to work with my accountability buddy (shout out to the fabulously tiggery and wise Elaine Bailey!). That’s been wonderful. And I want more.

Can a leaderless mastermind work? To be honest, I’m not sure. But a lot of people I admire are telling me it can.

I don’t know whether you (I, we) can create the same powerful bond without a coach or an intense unifying experience to get it started. But I want to try. It feels like a kind of maturing. And it feels like time. And I trust Jen’s got some great ideas for making it happen.

Danielle says, “You can’t get anywhere fabulous without a group.”

I’m eager to hit the road to forming my next fabulousness-oriented group. Might you be a member of it?

By writing this post, I’ve increased my chance of winning a free spot in Jen Louden’s “Creating Your Own Mastermind Group” class.

Since I’ve already registered, I’ll be giving that spot away if I win (if that’s okay with Jen).

Leave a comment below for a chance to get the spot. Tell me what you’d be looking to create in YOUR mastermind group!

Stitching Buddhas virtual apprentices gathered for an in-person retreat in March, 2012

Having just completed a live retreat with four amazing women from the Stitching Buddhas Virtual Apprentice Program, I’m more convinced than ever about the program’s value and effectiveness. The unique blend of spiritual and creative energy is really special. And the women who are drawn to the program blow me away with their open hearts and dedication.

Several of you have written to me saying you were interested in learning more about the program. Others just wonder what I’m up to. Either way is fine. I’d love to talk with you. I know it’s hard to imagine how an ancient art can be taught through cyberspace, how an exacting manual technique can be learned from a distance… So I want to help you understand how it works and whether it might be appropriate for you.

Now, here’s one thing I’ve learned about myself in many contexts over many years:

I don’t like making formal presentations but I love responding to people — to my students, to studio visitors, to curious questioners of all sorts. This has been reinforced in every call I have with my students, and in last week’s retreat too.

I’m interested in people and want to help them (YOU!) understand. So I am going to make myself available for a special one-time Q&A conference call to answer your questions about the Stitching Buddhas Virtual Apprentice Program. Whether you have specific questions or just wonder what it’s all about, I’d love to talk with you.

(Date passed. Links no longer available.) Click here to fill in the conference registration form and I’ll send you the call details. It’s easy — and FREE. Looking forward to meeting you online soon!

Love and joy,

P.S. Feel free to share this invitation with friends you think may be interested in Stitching Buddhas.

Chenresig (Avalokiteshvara in Sanskrit) is the embodiment of all the buddhas’ infinite compassion.

He is the patron deity of Tibet, watching over the Land of Snows, incarnated as the Dalai Lama.

During the Buddha Shakyamuni’s life, he manifested as one of the Buddha’s boddhisattva disciples and played an important role in many of the Buddha’s discourses, including the Heart Sutra in which he explains how a bodhisattva gains direct insight into the ultimate nature of reality.

The image is hand-pieced by traditional Tibetan methods and set in a contemporary machine-quilted ground. Silk satin and brocades form the figure. The blue sky behind is hand-dyed cotton sateen.

Green Tara, the female manifestation of active compassion, reaches out her hand to grant all wishes and, with her right foot outstretched, is ready to step down and help all who call upon her. Tara is one of the most revered deities of Tibetan Buddhism. People in all walks of life turn to her to remove the obstacles to success in any mundane or spiritual endeavors. She is said to protect her followers from all fears and difficulties.

White Tara, like her sister Green Tara, arose from the compassionate tears of Chenrezig and, as the embodiment of enlightened activity, is the mother of all buddhas. She has eyes in the palms of her hands and the soles of her feet as well as in the center of her forehead. Like those of 1000-armed Chenrezig, these eyes allow her to look upon all beings in every realm of existence with clear-sighted wisdom and deep compassion. White Tara is specifically associated with practices aimed at lengthening one’s lifespan in order to continue the practice of dharma and to progress further along the path to spiritual fulfillment.

Saraswati, the melodious lady, was originally a Hindu deity accepted into the Vajrayana Buddhist pantheon. She is the goddess of culture, learning, and arts, particularly music and poetry. As such, she symbolizes wisdom and beauty, particularly in the form of sound. Conferring intelligence and memory, she is also associated with Manjushri, sometimes as his consort. She is named for an ancient river, source of her connection with the fluidity of speech, writing, music, and thought. The animal’s head mounted on the neck of her veena, a stringed musical instrument, alludes to the swan, her traditional vehicle.

This is a nontraditional piece based on a photograph by Diane Barker.

The figures of two girls returning from a pilgrimage are hand-stitched with traditional techniques. The background is pieced and quilted cotton and organza. The piece is inkjet printed with Diane’s photograph.

Nontraditional piece based on a photograph of three Mongolians conversing. Hand-stitched with the same traditional techniques used for the sacred images, this piece features contrasting fabrics and the application of real mala beads. The finished work is stretched on a rigid wooden frame rather than rolling up like a thangka.

Traditionally pieced Tibetan landscape in silk satins with quilted cotton borders.

These new works by Leslie Rinchen-Wongmo bridge traditional and contemporary, East and West. The sacred Buddhist figures are drawn and stitched according to traditional iconography and technique, then placed in quilted backgrounds giving them a fresh and modern appeal.

The immaculate lotus grows in muddy swamps just as an enlightened being arises from the contaminated world, unstained by its pollutants. In the same way, our own enlightenment will arise from the mud of our samsaric lives, our buddha nature shining pure, luminous, and uncontaminated by the ignorance and karma in which it is now blanketed.

Be a Lotus. Rise up from the Muck.

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