Community of Practice
Weekly gatherings of contemplation & conversation for gifted women
"Rarely, if ever, are any of us healed in isolation. Healing is an act of communion."
― bell hooks
Now in its fifth year, the Community of Practice was born out of a need for gifted and 2e women to have a safe, compassionate space in which to engage in mindfulness practice with others and be seen, heard, and received in the fullness of their giftedness and feminine wisdom.
Gifted and 2e women often do not have the opportunity to step back from the busyness of their lives, to slow down and do the contemplative work around the deep, complex parts of their being. Often these parts are related to embodiment, intuition, emotion, the imaginal and the soul ― parts that have been exiled by the power-over systems of our culture. Each weekly online gathering is a temenos ― a sacred space where we contemplate themes related to the complex journey of gifted womanhood. Together, we dismantle false beliefs held in our mind-body-heart and expand our capacity for conscious gifted living via meditation, embodied active imagination, shared reflection, and expressive art.
The refuge of the community fills a need for us to not only deepen our personal contemplative practice, but also engage in meaningful 'mile-deep' ways, receive and offer open-hearted mirroring, and enter our gifted lives more authentically and courageously. Comments from many of our past and present community members can be found here.
About community membership
This is an ongoing community that gathers online weekly in a small group of approximately 8 women facilitated by GMC founder, Kelly Pryde. Gatherings are 90-minutes on zoom and include:
-
themed focus drawing on teachings from spiritual wisdom traditions, gifted psychology, depth psychology, mythology, as well as poetry and prose
-
meditation or embodied active imagination
-
shared reflection & discussion
-
contemplative art & journalling
-
community connection
-
access to an archive of resources on monthly themes and meditations
We currently have a Sunday & Thursday group that gather weekly from 10-11:30am eastern (New York) time
The Community of Practice is an invitation to those who are willing to sit in the unknown and turn toward both the light and the dark, and everything in-between, on the gifted transformation journey.
Readiness to Participate
It's important to us that you have the necessary support beyond our community container. The Community of Practice does not provide crisis intervention and does not replace the care of psychotherapists or other healthcare professionals.
While the community is a safe, supportive, and trauma-informed space, it does not serve as a professional support group or an alternative to therapy. The community is intended for women who are at a place in their gifted development where they are emotionally resourced and able to participate in a self-directed, generative way, i.e., with video on, actively listening and sharing.
If you are just starting out on your gifted discovery journey, you may need gifted-specific support via coaching or therapy before joining. It is recommended you contact Kelly or your health care provider if you are unsure about your readiness to participate.
Membership Fees
In order to maintain the integrity of the community, new members are asked to commit to 2 months to start. Following this initial period, membership continues on a monthly basis.
We offer 3 fee levels to accommodate differing financial means:
-
Supported: 45 USD / month
For those with current financial limitations who would benefit from support from the collective. Due to the small size of the groups, there are limited spots available at the supported rate.
-
Sustainable: 60 USD / month
For those with sufficient financial means who can pay fair value for the sustainability of the community.
-
Rebalance: 75 USD / month
For those with more than sufficient financial resources and a desire to support access for other gifted women.
Payments are made via PayPal. We trust you to assess accurately where you are within this fee structure.
If you're ready to join the community, please complete the registration form via the 'Join Us' button and we'll follow up with you about next steps...
What members say about the community
Questioning paradigms, discovering niches, stretching boundaries, connecting systems, discovering truths individually and collectively, listening to what is not easy to hear and witnessing what is not easy to see in our daily hustling lives. This, and much more, is what I am grateful for to experience when we gather each Sunday to meditate, contemplate and generate. I love being in this circle of gifted feminine inspiration which enables with each heartening touch to connect to the buried and exiled a little more.
F.W., Switzerland
Through the GMC Community of Practice, I have come to truly know what it feels like to be seen, not just on the surface, but to the core of my very being. Kelly co-creates an incredibly warm and welcoming space where you are safe to share your thoughts, feelings, and experiences and have them mirrored and affirmed by beautiful souls who understand and relate. Within this space, I find myself awakening as I explore, dream, create, and discover. The GMC Community of Practice has been a catalyst for my personal growth and has reignited my passion for all aspects of my life. I am so grateful for this contemplative, intuitive, peaceful, and nourishing community.
L.B., Canada
GMC Community of Practice is the safe space that I didn’t totally realize I was lacking, because I was so used to hiding my full self around other people (especially, gods help me, around other women). It’s an extraordinary blessing to be able to join other gifted women every week, week after week, and be seen and held in all my complexity, and such an honor to help see and hold theirs. It’s about mindfulness practice, for sure, but part of mindfulness for the gifted feminine mind is feeling connection – to each other, and to existence – and I’m not sure how easy it is for folks like us to get that connection in other places that offer “mindfulness.” The tailoring really makes a difference. Thank you, Kelly, and my GMC sisters, for being a haven of connection as we all make our way in this complicated world.
R.S., USA
Reflecting on my experience with GMC I immediately feel the safety of a gathering that is gentle, consistent, warm and welcoming. As a woman, a burgeoning elder, and one who is uniquely wired, I am reminded of the power of my innate knowingness, to pause, slow down and be met just as one is. This is the gift that is utterly necessary on this unique path of what we call giftedness, and the quest to find life’s truths so very personal to each of us. I can’t help but wonder: How might the world be changed if this was the way of all sentient beings?
Katherine, USA
Soon after being assessed as gifted I entered GMC grateful for the opportunity to integrate my giftedness. Kelly gently held such a warm, welcoming, nurturing space that I quickly felt at ease. I felt seen and heard and soul nourished. Before long I also felt a wonderful sense of belonging and looked forward to every weekly gathering. The gifted women in the group were so inspiring and magical. After each session I felt renewed. Through GMC I’ve learnt a way of being grounded and whole that I will always treasure. Thank you very much, Kelly!’
Lil Jedynak Ph.D., Australia