The following is an excerpt from an email
written to primal friends three days after the IPA Convention 2001.
I'm a week behind in reading messages, and still catching up on my sleep after
experiencing what could probably be termed the most wonderful week of my life. The IPA convention far exceeded my wildest expectations. Picture this:
• The opportunity to primal in group every morning, and to primal alone or with a
sitter anytime at all.
• The opportunity for sharing every evening in a small group of peers whatever might be on your mind or in your heart.
• The opportunity for sharing and bonding in a men's group (or women's group - for women, natch) every morning.
• The chance to experience a wide array of experiential workshops and presentations, with so many offerings it would take three conventions to experience them all.
• The chance to enjoy some fun activities such as hanging around the pool, the
primal baseball game (still have aching muscles from acting like a ten-year-old!!), the dance party, the Cabaret (I will be
getting a videotape of this, it was so great - many performers doing all kinds of things from the serious to the ridiculous!!
I just about pissed my pants in hysterics over Bill Whitesell's comedy routine!!)
• The opportunity for morning yoga/meditation and the chance to get a massage. As well, the opportunity to facilitate a couple of people, and give a massage too!
To top it all off, the food was out of this world, Chef Tony treating us to little "extras" at unexpected moments. Seven days of this primal playground for about $500 US, less than the cost of a one week primal intensive.
But what the foregoing can't describe is the feeling of "authentic community" that I came away with at the end of it all. In a week I had met virtually every one of the seventy or so attendees, and knew most of their first names. I was accepted and included without question or hesitation or judgement, and I went through a few important personal processes out of which I have emerged a changed and more
humble person. A primal person sharing a primal community. I will
definitely be back. Mickey, I loved your workshop on metaphoric healing. Sam, I loved your guitar playing, your singing and
songwriting. Harriet, it was a pleasure being in your workshop and a delight to have had you choose my ticket. Leonard, it was great to meet you and to share the experience of Mary's workshop.
Must go now, talk later, love to you all,
Bob
Bob Holmes is a regression therapist from Barrie, Ontario, Canada.
This article appeared in the Fall 2001 IPA Newsletter.
