SPRING EQUINOX CELEBRATION WORKSHOP

(March 7, 2026, Springfield)  The SPRING EQUINOX CELEBRATION WORKSHOP is a 2-hour hands-on workshop taking place online on March 20, 2026 from 6pm - 8pm. Registration is required and open now by calling or texting Dori at 917-436-0969. A link and further information will be provided at registration. There is no cost!

The Spring or Vernal Equinox is the time of year when we move from winter to spring. Both the north and south poles are equally illuminated by the sun, and day and night are equal length. Dori offers this workshop to become aware of its occurrence, to honor it, and to explore how this transition reflects within us.

The SPRING EQUINOX CELEBRATION WORKSHOP, a quiet, meditative and supportive experience, will take place online to allow anyone to attend, especially those who live too far away, are homebound, or otherwise unable to leave their homes for in-person gatherings. This is the first of four workshops of the year celebrating the changing of the seasons and how they affect us human beings.

This workshop is meant to provide a meditative and creative experience focusing on the change of the season. We begin with some deep breathing and a short muscle relaxation exercise to signal your mind and body of a transition from your normal day. This is followed by a guided spring meditation. We then make a creative piece, such as a drawing, a poem, a dance, or a piece of music — whatever works best for you — in response to what came up for you during the meditation. Upon completion, we gather again to share as you wish and feel comfortable.
* If you don’t have the bandwidth, you can jump off, make your art, and rejoin when finished.

Organizer Dori Dittmer is a Transformational Life Coach and Artist-Healer, and has researched eco-psychology. This is the study of how humans and nature relate psychologically. She incorporated these ideas in her meditations, which she began offering at the beginning of COVID 19. These weekly gatherings provided community, and an easy gentle way to reduce the anxiety, loss and grief of the pandemic. They have expanded to twice a week and continue to this day. The quarterly seasonal workshops grew from these gatherings, for which she was awarded a grant in 2024 from the Mass Cultural Council.

Dori states, “The vernal equinox heralds a time of renewal and is celebrated worldwide with various traditional festivals going back millennia. I’m throwing in my hat to create some small tradition of my own that’s accessible to anyone. It can be experienced as a spiritual occasion or not, depending on your orientation.”

Her mission, in tangent with the SPRING EQUINOX CELEBRATION WORKSHOP, is to provide participants with a calm meditative experience while using the expressive arts to explore internal changes that the new season will bring. Participants may use this time to develop changes they may want to make now.

Attendees are encouraged to register now. Space is limited.

The SPRING EQUINOX CELEBRATION WORKSHOP takes place online on March 20, 2026 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. Registration is open at 917-346-0969, at which time further information and the Zoom link will be provided.

About Dori Dittmer, MA, PLC Transformational Life Coach and Artist-Healer

Dori arrived in Massachusetts from Germany at age 8 with her family. Encouraged and supported by her parents, she has studied art since 3rd grade, when she also learned about photography, and dance since high school. She studied art at Holyoke Community College and Clark University, art therapy and photography at the School of Visual Arts and the International Center for Photography, both in NYC. She had shown her photography in galleries in Soho New York, Brooklyn, Las Vegas and Holyoke. Her photographs can also be found in the brain injury unit at Bellevue Medical Center in New York. She earned her MA from John Jay College of Criminal Justice/CUNY and served as mental health clinician and art therapist. She has been a life coach, artist-healer and meditation guide for the last 6 years.

Dori recently discovered a new art form: photo embroidery. She is excited to create new works of art using this beautiful form of expression.

Dori is administrator of the Western Mass Coaching Alliance and on the Board of Directors of the Naturalists’ Club in Springfield. She joined the Small Planet Dancers, based in Westfield, in 2016. She is also a pet and family portrait photographer, and her favorite pastimes are traveling, photographing nature, yoga and meditation.

This background guides her to lead her weekly meditation gatherings and quarterly workshops in a kind, supportive, insightful way to help participants find calm and peace, and to develop their relationship with the natural world around them.

SPRINGTIME RHODODENDRON

THE PEACEFUL AND HEALTHY ACTIVITY OF FOREST BATHING

Years ago, on the Bridge of Flowers in Shelburne Falls, MA, I met another flower lover and the conversation came around to hiking. “Ah!” she said, “Forest bathing! How wonderful!” In answer to my question, she explained it was a popular pastime in Japan, taking a relaxing walk in the woods. I later learned it’s also known as forest therapy: you go in stressed, you come out calm.

Shinrin-yoku, the Japanese word, is a particular way of being in meditative mode while in total sensory immersion in the forest.

First, what it’s not:

• Walking your dog. Spending time with your beloved pet roaming in the forest is a wonderful experience, but he’ll tug on his leash so hard you can’t even stop to “smell the roses.”

• A social walk with family and friends. Conversations and chasing kids distracts from the purpose of forest bathing.

• Hiking. This is generally exercise, having a purpose / destination, straining your muscles, and breathing heavily.

• Training for a triathlon. Your friend is a triathlete and needs to train for a competition, whereas you need to absorb your spectacular surroundings. She runs off and disappears into the woods within seconds, while you stand still, listening to a nearby waterfall, amazed by rocky cliffs, smelling sweet flowers. Suddenly she reappears and yells “C’mon! Let’s go! We have to get to XYZ by 5 o’clock!”  No, we really don’t; we can come back for that next time.

Now to what it is:

On a leisurely, meandering walk, completely for yourself, in solitude, along a forest trail, you breathe slowly and deeply, and take this time to tune in to your senses — body, mind and soul. It’s important to be alone at times to reduce stimulation, staying with your thoughts and feelings. It’s possible to be together with another person, but each is “in their own world” ("companionate solitude”).

You focus on:

• The visual - what you can see (animals, birds, trees, colors, a glimpse of sky),

• The tactile - what you can feel (moss, leaves, tree bark, the earth, cool breeze on your skin).

• The olfactory - what you can smell (fresh clean air, pine trees, flowers, musty dry leaves, muddy earth)

• The auditory - what you can hear (birds, rustling leaves, woodpecker, buzzing insects, drizzling rain, a breeze in the treetops, a plane overhead), …

• The taste - maybe you even found some wild forest fruit to taste.

When you’re in a forest, you experience and appreciate its beauty. You may discover something you hadn’t noticed before and learn something new. You may derive a new insight, or even have a spiritual experience, going beyond your self and your community. The concept of “biophilia” refers to the idea that humans are unconsciously emotionally connected to Nature. Well, I say of course! It’s obvious! We evolved in Nature and are still part of it, no matter how hard we try to distance ourselves from it (cities, technology, agribusiness, etc.). We are one with Nature.

In the 1980s Dr. Qing Li, professor at Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, and President of the Society of Forest Medicine, found that “excessive sensory overload” and “tech-boom burnout” lead to increased stress and anxiety. Forest bathing grew into a preventive healthcare and healing, and soon became a popular mindfulness practice. Additionally, forest bathing offers a way  to help protect forests from pollution and deforestation, and is supported by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

Forest bathing is meant to be a physiological and psychological exercise, and medical providers now prescribe shinrin-yoku. Just being in the forest takes you away from day-to-day stressors. You forget your worries. Your shoes and your clothing are comfortable, the air is fresh and clean, you have some nourishment and a refreshing drink. It’s certainly also cooler than in the city.

Research shows that just 20 minutes daily of forest bathing has many positive effects. It lowers your heart rate, blood pressure and the stress hormone cortisol. It raises the “feel-good” hormone serotonin. It calms and clears your mind, helps your ability to solve problems, and sparks new ideas. Further benefits include reduced anxiety, and improved memory and sleep.

According to the USDA, and as we intrinsically know,  forests hold a higher concentration of oxygen than urban spaces. Plants release waste-product oxygen into the air, and animals (including humans) inhale it as a life-sustaining factor. Plants also produce phytoncides, oils that protect plants from pests, and as they stick to our skin they improve our immune system by reducing viruses. They also increase anti-cancer proteins, and help to reduce blood pressure, heart rate, anxiety, depression, anger, fatigue and confusion. These benefits can last over a month. Evergreens are among the best trees for producing phytoncides, so on your next forest-bathing walk, give yourself some extra time near a pine or spruce. As a thank-you gift, talk to it — you will give it some extra life-giving carbon dioxide.

And have you thought about the colors of the forest? When you leave the hustling bustling grey city and enter a forest, how do you feel seeing all that green? There is a body of research on the psychology and physiology of colors. The long wavelength of green has a calming effect on your brain via the pituitary gland, increasing focus and concentration. Green is also symbolic of motivation, health, peace and life. In an indoor work or educational environment, performance can be better if you have a plant or a vase of fresh flowers, as can a view of some green space out a window.

So next time you go out into the forest, or even a park, experience all your senses — mind, body and soul. Take it all in, one sense at a time. But if you’re unable to get to a forest, buy yourself a plant and take good care of it.

TREAT YOURSELF TO A MENTAL HEALTH DAY!

Everyone needs a day to just relax and get away from it all.

Here are some ideas to consider. Pick and choose or do them all. And maybe you'll have some ideas of your own.

1. Morning Meditation and Stretching:
Start your day with a short meditation session to clear your mind and set a positive tone for the day. Follow it up with some gentle stretching to release any tension in your body.

2. Art Session:
Spend a couple of hours engaging in your favorite artistic activities. Set up a comfortable space with all your art supplies and let your creativity flow. Whether you're drawing, painting, or experimenting with different mediums, let the process be therapeutic and expressive.

3. Nature Walk or Hike:
Head outdoors for a refreshing hike or nature walk. Choose a scenic trail where you can immerse yourself in the beauty of nature. Take your time to appreciate the sights, sounds, and smells of the natural world around you. This will help clear your mind and rejuvenate your spirit.

4. Picnic Lunch with Friends:
Invite a few close friends to join you for a picnic lunch in a tranquil outdoor setting. Pack some delicious and nourishing food, and enjoy good conversation and laughter together. Spending time with loved ones can be incredibly uplifting and rejuvenating for your mental health.

5. Dance Session:
In the afternoon, indulge in a dance session to uplift your mood and energize your body. Create a playlist of your favorite songs and let yourself move freely to the music. Release your inhibitions and stressors. Dancing with a child is wonderfully enjoyable.

6. Evening Stargazing:
As the day winds down, find a quiet spot away from city lights to indulge in some stargazing. Bring a blanket and lie down under the night sky. Marvel at the beauty of the stars and constellations above. Reflect on the vastness of the universe and your place within it, finding solace and perspective in the infinite expanse.

7. Bedtime Wind Down:
Before bed, wind down with some relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, gentle yoga, or reading a book. Create a calming bedtime routine to signal to your body and mind that it's time to rest and recharge for the day ahead.

Remember, the key is to prioritize activities that bring you joy, relaxation, and a sense of inner peace. Enjoy your mental health day, and may it leave you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated!

AREN'T YOU AN ARTIST?

Are you an artist? 

Of course you are! Whether you make art for the world, or to earn your income, or just for yourself when the mood strikes, … you are an artist. Whether you are a painter, a writer, a musician, a dancer, a poet, .... you are an artist.

As human beings, we are driven to create. It's in our blood. It's literally in our DNA.

How can you tell that you are an artist?

We say...

...if you can speak, you can sing.

...if you can move, you can dance.

...if you can write, you can draw.

Every time you speak, you are making art with sound.
Every time you walk, you are dancing.
Every time you dream, you are are making a film.

The rest is technique -- methods you can learn:

• How to hold a paintbrush and mix paints to make a watercolor.

• How to set the aperture and the f-stop to create a photograph.

• How to press the right keys to play an arpeggio..

• How to dance like a graceful bird.

The important thing is that the techniques serve the expression that flows from your soul.

And that's something no one can teach you. You are the only one who can create what you want to say.

So the next time you speak, or walk, or write, be aware of how you are doing it. Do it with intention, with grace and with love.

See how your life changes!

Let me know in the comments below how you express your artistic self.

GRANT AWARDED!

The Mass Council on the Arts has awarded Oasis in the Storm a grant to offer four Arts & Meditation Mini-Retreats, one at or near each equinox and solstice in 2024. We will gather in the West Springfield Public Library to celebrate the changing seasons and to explore how those changes affect us.

Check back here about 2 weeks prior to each retreat for details.

THE AUTHENTIC SELF

We often hear about the "authentic self." But no one ever explains what this actually is.

Vivek Shraya, Canadian artist, says in Psychology Today (Jan/Feb 2022) "I think we need to get past the language of authenticity because, for me, it's more about the ways we're works in progress." She explains that the concept of a true self creates a problem -- it implies that who and what you were before was not true, and we have no idea who we will be in the future.

I agree that we are works in progress. Your experiences influence these changes in you and affect who you now may be. And the future is a question mark.

And as you travel along your life path, you will make many changes.

...You change from infant to child to teen to adult to wise elder.

...You graduate from one school and change to the next.

...Your hairstyle changes, your style of dress changes.

...Your behaviors and opinions change.

...Your goals change...

But in each of these iterations of you, there is a core that does not change.

And that's the authentic or true self. It is the deep non-judgmental observer part of you. It gives you a sense of identity and centeredness, a grounding. It is the unchanging part of you that holds your fundamental traits, the essence of who you are.

You could see the authentic self as the conductor of an orchestra, keeping all the instruments (the other parts, or subpersonalities, of you) making beautiful music in harmony together.

But maybe one of the instruments is out of tune, throwing the whole orchestra off. Maybe the conductor has fallen asleep or withdrawn.

If you make a poor life choice, one that doesn't fit with your personal self, parts of you go out of tune.

Maybe you get a headache, or a gnawing feeling in your stomach, or you have strange dreams, or you experience depression or a number of other "mental illnesses," or a even a physical illness.

Or maybe you just have a sense of something not being right. You feel off balance, out of tune, like you are not living the expression of who you are.

Perhaps your authentic self can see it and set it right again, or perhaps you need some help figuring it out and fixing it.

If that's the case, I can help you find your conductor, and once the conductor is found and empowered, the out-of-tune instrument can be identified and fixed. You will then be able to continue on your true path into the life you want, the one that feels right to you.

THE HAIRCUT

I finally did it!

After coming out of my post-covid-vaccination fever that knocked me out for a day, I chopped off my hair like I had wanted for several months.

It took a couple of hours, and there are still a few pieces I have left to fix, but I feel so much better!

It was an emotional activity. I used the same scissors that I had used to cut my dad's hair. In his 90s, he suffered Alzheimer's and couldn't leave home for haircuts anymore.

The hair cutting and shaving moments with my dad were precious times to be together. I think he may not have known who I was anymore, but clearly he trusted me with those scissors!

Is there anything that you've done on the spur of the moment that turned out to be a reminder of something important in your life?

I'd love to hear about it in the comments!

WASSAIL! A VICTORIAN HOLIDAY DANCE CELEBRATION!

If you are in the Western Massachusetts area, you might be interested in the Victorian holiday performances given by the Small Planet Dancers, led by Josephine Sarnelli.

We are a troupe performing authentic historical and cultural dances, and cater to audiences who may be left behind, such as seniors and Veterans.

We never charge our audiences and adult classes are for everyone regardless of experience.

We believe in "No dancer left behind."

Come and join the party!

Saturday, December 10th at 1:30

Holyoke Public Library

250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040

Tuesday, December 13th at 5:30

South Hadley Senior Center

45 Dayton St, South Hadley, MA 01075

Sunday, December 18th at 3:00

Southwick Village

 802 College Hwy, Southwick, MA 01077

http://www.smallplanetdancers.com/gallery-2019.shtml

ALL OF US ARE ARTISTS

I saw this T-shirt recently that said:

"EARTH without ART is just "EH"

Right?

Life on this Earth would be pretty boring and uninspiring without the creative spirit, without art, that is so distinctly human.

Try to imagine a world without a painting by your favorite painter -- Van Gogh's Starry Night maybe. And where would we be without Frida Kahlo, Henri Matisse, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and so so many other painters.

Or without the music of Lin-Manuel Miranda, Beethoven, the Beatles, Jay Z, Snoop Dog, Loggins and Messina, or Freddy Mercury ...

And we would be missing so much if we didn't have the photographs of Ansel Adams, Dorothea Lang, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Diane Arbus, Carrie Mae Weems, or Gordon Parks ...

And I cannot forget to mention the world of dance, one of the oldest expressions of ritual, social and spiritual art forms. Every culture has its dances, and every human being has dance inside them, whether they are able to fully move or not. We say "if you can move, you can dance." Even if it's just your hand or finger or eyes. Like a client I had who was almost completely immobile except for his hands and face. When he heard music, his face lit up and his hands gracefully waved back and forth. It was heartwarming to all of us.

I'm leaving out many other art forms - like fiber arts, sculpture, architecture, literature, theater, digital, film, etc - but you get the idea.

We humans have been making some form of art since at least 40,000 years ago, and possibly even 52,000 years age - animals, plants, celestial bodies, humans.

And who knows about abstract art -- which might have been some lines and curves drawn in the sand with a stick simply for the joy of it, or a "purposeless" movement to the rhythm of ocean waves, or a rock pounded rhythmically on a log. The website www.visual-arts-cork.com even mentions some petroglyphs dating back possibly as far as 290,000 - 700,000 BCE. I can't even!

So now you're wondering "where do I fit in?"

• If you're already making a great living from your art, fantastic! Kudos to you!

• Or you're making art simply because it relaxes you.

• Or maybe you're at the other end of the spectrum and have just some undefinable stirrings within you that need to get out, but you have no idea how to do that.

Maybe you're struggling with something stopping you from exploring or immersing yourself fully in your art.

• A day job with the boss from hell

• A relationship at loggerheads 3 times a week

• Anxiety or depression - or both

Your life is just "EH" -- or worse.

Did you know you can use the arts to

• get through your toughest blocks that keep you from making your best, most mind-blowing art yet?

• discover what secrets your art is telling you about yourself?

• get your depression, anxiety and buried anger out in a safe way and conquer them too?

• systematically explore different art forms to discover your particular mode of expression?

All of these are true!

LIVING IN THE ROUND: MANDALAS

What is a mandala? It is the ancient Sanskrit word for circle or disc. Simple enough.

But wait ... there's more!

A mandala is the perfect symbol, physically and spiritually, of equality and stability. It is equidistant from center to edge on every single point. Every point is equal to every other point, nothing takes precedence, nothing is favored, nothing is left out.
It is also in constant cyclic transformation. The spiral is a circle in time, a connection of concentric circles rising or sinking.

Swiss psychiatrist Carl G. Jung noted that a mandala is created when a spiritual idea or thought can't be adequately explained and must be sought, or when the psychological balance within a group is disturbed. In the first case, it expresses something new and unique, and in the second to restore order. Mandalas restore order in a transformed way, creating a spiral, with the pattern of the old order appearing in a new way on a higher level.

Movement yet stillness.

…Transformation.

In Nature we find the tiny sphere of an acorn, bearing within it the mighty oak. The trunk, branches, stems, leaves, flowers, and seeds all come from its center. Everything is unified yet divergent at the same time.

…Transformation.
You may know of mandalas as a form of spiritual practice. In this way, they date to at least 2500 years ago, in Europe, the Middle East, and India. They are designed, or meditatively traced with the eyes, or walked along a path such as a labyrinth to create a ...

... Transformation.

Mandalas are everywhere - just look around.

Rose windows, flowers, volcano craters, the chemical benzine ring, a cat's paw, the moon, your lover's face and eyes...

A mandala can be danced, made from ground semi-precious stones, laid as a carpet of flowers, woven from fibers, dreamed, painted, composed in music or poems.

You may spontaneously be drawn to create your own mandala. Perhaps there was one in a dream, or you just felt compelled to create one.

Let's say you're going to draw or paint it.

Begin by sitting in a still place and breathing mindfully for a few breaths while focusing on the image in your mind.

Choose a color. Your unconscious will do the rest. As you create your mandala, don't plan a design. It may be altogether different from what you saw.

When your mandala feels complete, hang it on a wall and step back and take a look.

Grab your journal and immediately write your first impression. Whatever it may be.
Objectively describe what you see.

What feelings are evoked?

How does it relate to your original idea?

How did it develop?

What changed?

Do you feel a transformation?

Share your mandala in the comments -- I'd love to see!

And if you get in touch with me we can explore it in depth -- I'm sure we can uncover a lot!