I’m a wellness and soon to be parenting coach. I am also an artist and a lover of the subculture, impartially the event known as Burning Man. Burning Man is a week-long annual art event and temporary community based on radical self-expression and self-reliance in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada. Since attending with my husband in 2012 our lives have altered, morphed, and still continue to transform in positive and powerful ways. We sold our home, divorced toxic friends, began a new spiritual journey, attended transformational seminars, joined new programs, quit jobs, the list goes on.

2014 will be a different year for us. We have festival tickets; however we are late in registering for a camp. You want to be with the “right” camp mates. For the first time, we are camping in a space known as Kidsville – which I plan on bringing my children. If you’re interested in the reason why I believe children are a vital part to the festival, I’ll respond with another post.

I’ve been following Black Rock Scouts, an amazing community that support Kidsville at Burning Man. Black Rock Scouts is a “program for burner kids, based on the Ten Principals of Burning Man. Kids are the next generation, so we aim to teach them how to sustain life in BRC (Black Rock City). Camps and services will host playa-cational field trips, events and volunteer opportunities. Scouts will earn patches, tokens or pins for things learned, survival skills achieved, good deeds and volunteering.”  “Kids attend, with their parents, where they can learn principles based on community service, generosity, and educational enhancement.” Cool – right?!

At Burning Man (Courtesy Trey Ratcliff)

Read more about the Burning Man principles here as well as volunteer opportunities.

Anyway, after a year of doing my homework, I found out that I messed up when I registered for Kidsville. I registered, but I never placed our camp. And the camp is FULL. Big mess up on my behalf, and I had a breakdown when I found out. Embarrassing, right? I’ve worked through my emotions and have since recovered. At least for now. My recovery came only after I had a big long talk with myself.

Monday: I went for a run on the beach in hopes of clearing my mind. I kept blaming myself for not following through with making our trip to Burning Man workout.

Tuesday: I finally started to ask myself “why is my body physically feeling overwhelmed and sick when I think I may not go to this festival with my children? Why is it so impactful on me? The answer arrived immediately.

You are taking on parenting in a new way – something you’ve never done before – you are going through a life altering experience in the parent coaching arena – You’re on a transformational journey to change your parenting – and this journey together would continue to expand your relationship with them even further. You would also connect with some of the most intuitive and amazing children on the planet – children who understand connection, empathy, and emotional intelligence. Kids that could really teach you! They ‘get’ everything that you are learning through your training. That is why. You, Christina, are emotionally invested in changing how we teach one another and our children. You care beyond words about the outcome as a whole and how your children will one day impact the world. Christina, you also believe that treating our children with love and respect through a non-violent parenting paradigm is how we raise and create empathetic human beings that contribute to society as a whole. Don’t beat yourself up because your feelings are pretty normal for what you’re going through. The festival is an extension of the work you’re doing. There you have it.

Now, quit those unproductive messy feelings and go do something fun with your kids.

Wow, thank you little voice in my head.

Wednesday: The little voice was following by “read your email, Christina” – and a wonderful article from Chip Conley showed up – The Emotional Survival Guide to Burning Man. Big Thank You, Chip. You can read it here.

Expressing my feelings openly has put me at ease. I’m gliding into the unknown and I know that whatever happens, it’s going to be fine. I can say I have officially surrendered my attachment to the outcome.  Phew, that was crazy exhausting.

 I’m feel really normal…. Sort of. I’m not sure what ALT things I do. 

Hudson and London

At the beach …

Appreciating nature …

The Bodies exhibit …

Building a volcano …

Hammock hanging …

Loving food …

Loving life …

Loving each other …

And if Burning Man doesn’t work out — Dragon Con Atlanta 2014 here we come!

Dragoncon (photo by greyloch: https://www.flickr.com/photos/greyloch/7996093530/)

Christina

Christina is a palm tree-loving, barefoot, beach bum wife and mother of 2 who is devoted to cultivating a family life where gratitude, self confidence, contribution and love rise above. She seeks alternative parenting methods where she can help to cultivate and guide the spiritual, emotional, and physical needs of her children. In 2013, she resigned from a corporate job in the financial industry to pursue her greater role as a parent and artist.  Since then, she has begun to pursue a career as a parenting and wellness coach.