By Alexandra Norton
Recently I found myself reconnecting with the Pathwork Community after being
away for 28 years. A little back ground about me - I graduated from the
Pathwork Transformation Program in 1993. After completing TP I went to the
Barbara Brennan School of Healing which seemed at the time a natural next
step.
Like everybody else, I had no idea what I was in store for, what was coming
down the pike. What came down the pike for me was a first Breast Cancer and a
frightening dance with death; a one year sabbatical in San Miguel de Allende,
Mexico that turned into 8 years; a second round of Breast Cancer and a more
conscious dance with death; a 3 year relationship with the Department of
Defense traveling around the world, marrying my childhood life as an Army Brat
with my adult profession as a psychotherapist; the suicide of one of my closest
friends; the return to Virginia and my private practice as a psychotherapist; a slip
on black ice resulting in a bad broken ankle with complications which flirted with
the loss of my foot; and finding the biological father of my daughter after 48
years. Why tell you all this? I guess to say that I have been busy.
The Pathwork and Sevenoaks seemed to be in my review mirror for many years
as life brought on all its many challenges. I say “in the rear view mirror” but I don't
think that is exactly true. Five years of the Pathwork Transformation Program -
one weekend a month, 10 months out of the year - with the same group of
people left an indelible mark, impossible to erase, escape or deny even if I
wanted to.
The Lectures, the Saturday Night Group, the core body work, the
medicine wheel, the sweat lodges, the meditation, the vision quests.... what a
time, what a gift, what a life time of treasure. There are work scenes from
Saturday Night Group that are etched in my mind for all time and eternity.
The work of healing the good/bad mother split; the re-birthing work of squeezing
through those tight pillows only to plop out to welcoming arms and smiling faces;
the recreation of family dysfunction to finally speak up and find my voice; the
challenge and the inevitable shedding of my victim mentality; the flailing of arms
and legs on mattresses to release pure unadulterated rage; the invitation and
support to show my self at it’s very worst and perhaps more difficult - to dare to
show my self at my very best.
I fear I took it for granted. I fear I did not appreciate what a privilege it was to be a
part of such a profound whirlwind of transformation. Ho hum, it was just what I
was doing…
It is only over time that the richness, the profoundness, the magnitude of
its impact has slowly made itself known to me....I wish I could do it again
knowing what I know now. But isn’t that always the lament?
So why reconnect now? I had lost all contact over the years with my classmates,
my Helper, and the physicality of Sevenoaks save for a good friend who had
joined a group called “;Beyond Pathwork” and I loved hearing about what she was
doing and who was around at Sevenoaks. One day she happened to mentioned
that Susan Thesenga had asked her for my contact information and that “maybe I
would be interested in becoming part of an alumni group of the Pathwork”.
Alumni Group? Really? Of course... are you kidding? I would love that! And
“maybe I would be willing to help reach out to other Alumni to see if they would
be interested in connecting to the Pathwork community in some way?”
Reach out to other Pathwork Graduates, find my old classmates? How exciting!
How sweet and full circle that sounded. So here I am with my first effort to reach
out to those connected to the Pathwork, both old and knew. I felt called to step
up and find my place and part in contributing to this unique community
that has given so much to me and my life.
In Love and Light, I hope that others will feel the call of this collective
consciousness that we are all a part of.
I didn’t know they were looking for me, they are looking for you too.
With Metta,
Alexandra (Sandy) Norton, Class of 1993
If you’d like to reconnect with Alexandra and other Alumni, or participate in the
Alumni group, feel free to contact her at: alexrainsma@yahoo.com or 540-908-0794.