Deep Adaptation 101

Facing the Tragedy of our World – 4 weeks course

If we are honest with ourselves and look into our heart’s deep interior,
if we are honest from there then this isn’t about saving humanity,
this is about our courage to love as we have never loved before. 

(Skeena Rathor, Extinction Rebellion UK)

What do we find on the other side when we have gone through despair and helplessness in the face of the climate and ecocide tragedy? What happens when we face the pain of what is already lost and what we will lose?

We invite you to go on an experiential journey with others who are willing to see collapse as already happening, catastrophe as likely, and the extinction of humanity as a real possibility.

Doesn’t the thought that it may be too late to save us from collapse make us depressed, frightened, and hopeless? This is a common accusation leveled towards Deep Adaptation work: that people will sink into hopelessness instead of action, because of a preoccupation with collapse.

The ancient wisdom traditions, as well as modern research on grief and death, say otherwise: hopelessness and despair have a significant place in the world. They are necessary steps in a process of getting to grips  with reality which – when successful – lead to a new way of perceiving oneself and the world.

The individual then acts from a different inner place: it is no longer the ‘fight against’ that determines ones actions, but the ‘love-with’ that grows out of facing our pain for the world.

Thus, facing the unpleasant truth and the feelings associated with it does not lead to depression and apathy as assumed, but to acting out of love. From there, new paths and possibilities emerge.

            It’s already too late – and it’s never too late
(Charles Eisenstein)

This online course opens a space where we support each other in consciously feeling and integrating what we feel. We grieve for what has already been lost and open ourselves to pain but also to gratitude for the gifts of life. We work to understand the emotional processes at work within us and each other in the face of global eco-social collapse. In a safe, inclusive space, we gather the courage to look at and share our emotions and experience the empowering effect of being held in the circle. From this new options for action for ourselves and for the world emerge.

The course highlights some selected concepts of Deep Adaptation such as “the four Rs”, gratitude, grief and hope and is especially suitable for a first engagement with the field. 

Next course starts on January 12, 2023

Duration: 4 weeks

Course Elements:

The course offers alternating periods of self-reflection and opportunities for personal and written exchange:

• The content is made available on a website for self-reflection and self-study
• The sharing about the content takes place via:

    – 3 Online Workshops 

    – Buddy partnerships formed at the start of the course

– Sharing group on the DAF community platform for the time between the workshops

Facilitators:

Claudia Junker	Chris Tröndle
Formerly working in personnel and organizational development, systemic consultant, trainer and coach with focus on spiritual ecology, communication and deep group processes.	After a typical corporate education in Switzerland, Chris decided to go the academic route and studied film and anthropology. He came in contact with Deep Adaptation during his Master’s in Berlin and wrote his thesis on the topic.

Time table:

Element	Date
Online-Workshop	Jan 12, 6-8 pm UTC
2 weeks reflection phase (time investment min. 3 hours)
Online-Workshop	Jan 25, 6-8:30 pm UTC
2 weeks reflection phase (time investment min. 4 hours)
Online-Workshop	Feb 9, 6-8:30 pm UTC

Participation requirements:

– Meaningful answers to the questions about background, expectations and
  motivation in the registration form

– Willingness to see socio-ecological collapse as already occurring, ecological catastrophes as probable and
the extinction of mankind as possible and that it might be too late to do anything about it.

– Psychological stability and willingness to take responsibility for one’s own feelings.

– Willingness to be truthful to self and others.

– Willingness to use all the elements of the course described above.

– Sufficient internet connection, camera and microphone